Amazoning.... it's gonna take awhile to catch up!

I havent done one of these in awhile... 

& if I caught up, this thing would be like a year long...

so I'm just going to do it in slow doses.  Just wanted to give a heads up if you see a lot of Amazoning posts in the next few weeks.  

SO MUCH TO SHOW!!! 

SO MANY FUN GOODIES!!!

Click any pic to go to Amazon... & its not affiliated in any way

Just want to help a friend out if you're interested

No Excuses Detox

100 Recipes to Help You Eat Healthy Every Day

OK - so confession, I have't used this as much as I want to.

Seeing this in my account, I'm going home & pulling it out & making putting it to use. 

Maybe a September goal to cook at least 2 recipes a week out of it?

My buddy Nathalie swears by this cookbook... & I am addicted to Megan's blog anyways

Organic Golden Milk Turmeric Elixir

GEEEZZZZ... Another thing I forgot I ordered.

I have this in my cabinet & never opened it...but I need me some Turmeric.

Turmeric always helps me with my joints & I want to see how this tastes.

That's where I didnt try it.... because the only milk I like is the new Protein Cashew Vanilla milk... & its a ton of calories for 1 cup (not really a ton, but like 160) & this stuff is 50 calories - so I just never had room in a day for an extra 210 calorie treat.

But I've got to give it a try. I bought it, right?

I'll do an update how I like it in another post

e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip

Finally something I tried.

This is actually one of my favorite highlighters that I have used.

Every time I use it, I have someone mention how pretty it is on my face.

I have a hard time finding it in stores & its super cheap so I go to Amazon when I cant find it anywhere else.

Sharpie Accent Retractable Highlighters

Who doesnt love Sharpie products?

I got these to use for my 21 Day Fix journal to mark off the colored containers for the day.  

This has all of the colors you need if you do that program.

Even a hard color to find - purple... & red...

I use these for all sorts of things now.

DEARCASE Short Sleeve T-shirt Tunic Dress

I actually bought this in red & black too 

... you'll see me wearing these with my LulaRoe leggings.

They are too short for me to wear alone (I'm 5'8) so they work perfectly for leggings

long enough to cover the bum & not short enough that looks 'iffy' if you lean over.

I'm going to eventually buy every color in these, I'm sure.

Fudenosuke Hard Brush Pen / Hard Tip

These are an "Add On" Item & I'm always adding them...

They are the PERFECT PEN for hand lettering.

Seriously - if you are interested in hand lettering - you NEED these pens.

Neewer 43-Inch Light Reflector

I LOVE this thing.

I had one & used it for years on sessions... but I lost mine some time last year.

Hope someone found it because it makes photos look great.

I love the silver to reflect the sun up on someone & its like a spotlight right in your face (my clients know that blinding light)... & I love the plain white because it can cast a soft glow to a close up on a face. & the white is always great to hold over top for shade but lets some glowy light come through.

If you are dabbling in taking portraits of people outdoors, you'll love this.

Divertigo Liquid Drops

This is a Re-purchase.

My stupid vertigo... UGHHHH....

But I love using this, rubbing behind my ears- natural oils.

I dont know if its all in my mind that it works, but I do think it makes a difference.

Doesnt really 'take it away' - but it does make it more tolerable.

OK... so y'all... I'm still in April's purchases... haha

So lots more to come...

Have you tried any of these?

Which one would you want to check out?

When goals get off track....

I started off August with some goals.

* 10,000 steps a day
* A gallon of water a day
* Workout minimum of 5 days out of 7
* Yoga once a week
* Interval table at least once a week

... let me tell you, I started off the beginning of the month KILLING IT!

I even would do 2 workouts a day to get in my 10,000 steps.
I'd do weight training things & not be at my step goal so I'd walk up & down my drive way until I reached it - or get on the treadmill & watch a 30 minute sitcom to laugh the steps away....

& then life was like, "HOLD UP - I'm going to intervene"... as it usually does.

I got completely off track last week being up at the hospital & off schedule with life in general.

I'm not even sure what I ate last week... like I think one night I had a handful of cashews for dinner & one night I think I ate every potato chip within a 1 mile radius.

... that's what you call off track.

So I'm anxious to get back on track again... praying life gets back to routine & a little kinder to us all in our family.

Hear that Life? I'm asking nicely.

Mainly because I now remember how good it feels to do the work, reach those goals, drink all the water, eat healthy... it feels really good.
I had even lost 5 lbs that week. Can you believe it?

... & yeah... this past week. Probably gained that 5 lbs right back.

Not much water...
not great nutrition...
no working out....
definitely not 10,000 steps...
& not much or good sleep - though in all honesty, I dont ever expect that to come back while my grumpy old man is around.. I'm ok with that. I'll never trade it as long as he stays happy & lives an even longer life....

But I did have a check in conversation with myself this week.  I decided I'm NOT going to do the half marathon training for October's race.  I'm just not feeling the running thing.
... I almost wrote, "I'm not feeling the runs"... but thought better of stating it that way.

I just feel like I need to start at ground zero - square one - the total beginning.

I need to get nutrition back on par, I need to build some muscle, I need to shed some lbs....
I just need to feel better.

& then I can run again - that will make it all easier in the end anyways.
& that doesn't mean I still cant go for a run or walk... I just dont think this body right now can go through the training.  I'm ok with that decision right now.

On a positive note... I finally made the decision & ordered me a new fitness tracker.

It should be in this week....

The Garmin Vivoactive HR

I CANT WAIT TO GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fingers crossed I like it...

& even more that it will be an extra added motivation to get this old yucky feeling body back to where it needs to be ... at least point it in the right direction.

What do you do to motivate yourself after getting off track?

What's your favorite fitness tracker?

The weekend that we wage hope... especially when fevers are crazy high

I think life is just toying with us now....

I have learned I'm a 'schedule" kind of person... actually, I knew this before... but when life gets you 'off schedule' I am reminded how much it just messes with my mind.

Friday kicked off with me heading up to see my dad - STILL in the hospital - STILL in ICU.

When I got there though, they told him that it was release day... from the ICU... so we packed him up & headed to a room down in what I called "General Population"... just like prison.

We no sooner got down there & one of my aunt & uncles came in while they were settling dad in....

I ended up leaving the hospital later than usual... I mean, it's Friday after all. Party people!!!!

I picked up some dinner for Ricky & I & we had a really late dinner.... I dont know the last time we ate that late.

I later was reminded that I'm now 45 & eating that late causes horrible heart burn.
Getting old is fun stuff, huh?

Saturday, I was up bright & early because I had a little bit of distance to drive - but so worth it.

I did the Pancreatic Awareness 5k with my uncle & his family in support of my uncle.  He was diagnosed a few years back & is still fighting away at this awful beast

My uncle on the end in the white hat
... here's the Pancreatic Survivors at the race.... God bless them all!!!

This race is just getting bigger & bigger each year - which is wonderful. This disease needs more attention  &funding!

It was such a hot day & I'm pretty sure they didnt have the distance right because it felt like ETERNITY long.  Good thing I had my cousin to chat with along the way....

& a little fun part - there was a young man who ended up talking with me - & he was telling me about a movie he was in... he was so interesting to talk to - he had Down Syndrome but has been in many acting gigs - & even in a movie called Where Hope Grows.

He's from Louisville & was telling me about some things in the works for him...

I wish I would have gotten a picture with him!!  He was just the coolest guy to meet!

But it was so nice to just give my uncle & his family any support I can...

I never get out to that area of Louisville & was so glad because I needed to find a Christian bookstore.  Our local Christian book store in Indiana went out of business (SO SAD) & I need a large print Bible. HELLO 45!!! & I was going to order one on line but a Bible is something I want to hold &see & feel.  I'm not a fan of buying lots of Bibles... I'll even have a hard time moving to this one - but I just cant see anymore that tiny print.

& maybe it'll be good to start fresh in another Bible... but I loved getting some time in this bookstore.

& then it was off to check on dad & see how he was feeling - Day 9 ... wow... poor guy.

It was just a blur on Saturday of running around &trying to get things done & try & rest (ha! what's that?) & I was determined to finish editing the pics I had taken a week before.  I NEVER take a week to do pictures... & my sweet friend was so gracious on letting me know she was in no rush...

But I did manage to get pictures finished at midnight. Whew...

Sunday, I was back up - after Bruno had me up 3 times during the night (did I mention I'm not sure what sleep is anymore?) ... & then headed to church & MSM.

& the funny thing, I left going to church with dad saying, "My blood count is down - I wont be leaving"... & then getting a text in the middle of service from my brother that said, "I'm going to pick dad up"

... WHAT?... I'm not sure what happened.  Why they let him go.  His blood was indeed down & they told him they wanted him to go home to "build his blood up"... like its a muscle that needs weights & a work out. So dumb. I mean, WHYYYYY is the blood count always going down?  That's the bigger question that they keep avoiding...

Welcome to health care in the USA....

The rest of Sunday, I finally made it to the grocery & then worked on some pictures for my Etsy account (new items got posted this weekend - go check it out) ....

New Cowl I just finished
(Taking this picture in 85 degree weather, I was SO STINKIN' HOT!!!)

& I even got to finish the book I've been reading which felt like it just took me forever to get through - which is messed up because it was a good book...

& THEN I get a phone call from my mom.
Dad had a fever.
& not just ANY fever... a fever of OVER 104!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didnt even know that was possible!

& of course, he has freedom from a hospital & refused to go to the ER ... men!
I ran to the store & got some Tylenol - (Why none of us has Tylenol is surprising to me) - got the fast acting one & luckily, in about an hour, it had dropped to 102.7... which I know STILL isnt great....

geez... what is going on?!?!?!?!

Mom said she was going to give him Tylenol through the night & I told her if it got that high again, you call 911.  Something is obviously wrong & the hospital just booted him without any answers on what's wrong with him - so I say we get him in another hospital... STAT...

I'm waiting to hear from mom or dad how it went over night.

I had to get up with Bruno every 2 hours last night & kept checking my phone every time to see if anyone had messaged me or called... I think even without Bruno, I would have been up worrying.

So here we are at Monday... needless to say, I'm starting it out worn out & worried.... just how you want to start a week.

.... sigh.....

A pretty crazy week......Thankful Thursday #137

Before I get started... just an update.

Dad is still in the hospital... he has kept loosing blood & they ended up finding ANOTHER spot where he's bleeding from - only after a few days of pumping more blood in him. Sigh.

So today, they're hoping to repair that area...

So please continue the prayers for him...

It's been a doozy of a week

This week I am Thankful For:

{Numbers go with my One Thousand Gifts Journal / just ignore}

519 / Our little Zoe.
Our baby girl turned 12 last week.  I remember when we found her. Such a little thing. She was the youngest of the 4 dogs for the longest time... & then Harvey Dent came along & shoved her out of being the baby... but no one really shoves Miss Zoe anywhere. She's the littlest force you've come up against. Love this little sassy girl.  Next year, a teenager.  Amazing.

520 / My Brother
He got my dad to the hospital at 2am in the morning when the bleeding started. He's been so good at tag teaming with me at the hospital as well as taking care of dad's horse.  I cant imagine being an only child in this moment.

526 / Eat with mom
Last Friday, after they did the first procedure & said they got dad's bleeding stopped, we took mom home & got some dinner & sat outside & ate with her. It was so nice sitting on their porch, with that view, & the temps was 66 degrees. The only thing that would have made it better is not having dad up at the hospital & having him join us.

527 / Scripture from MSM girls.
How PRECIOUS is it when my girls start ministering to me?  They were sending me scripture on Jesus being near & healing the sick & not loosing hope.  Their messages made me cry.

528 / Best baby award.
Baby sessions are hard work. I dont do them typically... only for close friends ... but then you meet a baby like this that sleeps through the entire thing & is an angel, it makes you think you can start doing more of these.

531 / Great MSM
Loved our talk on how different we all are, but how much we are alike & need each other.

533 / Dad up!
First time they got dad to sit up after 4 days.  It was wonderful (if not for a short time... he didnt know at this point he's be back down in the bed for awhile)

535 / Blood Donation
I never give it much thought before - but a HUGE gratitude for people that donate blood. Dad is in double digits with needing blood... I dont know what would have happened if people hadn't given so unselfishly.

536 / Such nice nurses.
Dad had has THE BEST nurses in the Critcal Care & Intensive Care Units. They have just been so caring & attentive.

537 / Timing!!!!
So Tuesday, we're up with dad when mom looks at me & says, "Take me down to the ER"... so without dad knowing, me & mom head downstairs. She was in such dire pain with her back. & they took her BP & it was around 247/168 so they immediately took her back to help her.  There was some MAJOR confusion on her admitting paper work (They had her down as another patient - such a mess) & we were down there for an hour & a half just getting her paper work done.  So I go upstairs when dad calls me wondering where we are at.... so the run from one floor to the other started.  & then mom's sister & brother ended up coming up & sat with dad... & I run back down stairs & the elevators open & mom's other brother is on it.  He ended up going down to the ER to sit with my mom. The timing of everyone being there was just God-timed - I'm sure of it.

538 / Precious sweet friends.
I had posted in my Joyster bible study group about all the chaos happening with dad & mom being on separate floors... & I get a text from my precious friend Chasity & they were parking in the parking lot.  They came up to do whatever I needed & especially just to pray with me & my family.  Have you ever?!?!? Its not like the hospital is close either. They packed up their whole family & made the trek to show support. It's things that like that is worth more than gold in this world.

539 / Friends that know your coffee.
I'm telling you - I never thought about it before - but friends that pay enough attention to know what you drink at Starbucks??? That's a blessing. I'm going to start noting what others order... because when friends show up with your order when you are run down & need some pep in your step - it makes a difference!!!!

540 / Found other bleeding
Like I mentioned before - with dad still bleeding & them checking the original clamps & they looked ok, we were getting concerned where this new bleeding was coming from... they did a scan on him that had his blood mixed with a chemical & some weird stuff & thank GOD they found this other area... which praying... is fixed today.

541 / All the prayers & visitors & well wishes
All the people who come up to visit dad, or sit with the family, or lifted prayers, or called, or text or questioned or sent well wishes & comments.... you dont know how much that stuff is needed in times like this.  THANK YOU!!!

What are you Thankful For today?

Confessions

... SO STUPID!!! I had to turn on my comment moderation because I have spent HOURSSSSS deleting spam from some fake blogger account that is posting some sort of foreign language in my comments.  Its like a Muslim or Hebrew kind of writing.  Not English. Far from it. Not even letters of any form.  But its been a comment on every blog post I've done ... over 500 posts. So I'm not only getting them in my email, I'm getting them on blogger. When I pulled up my email & saw I had over 700 unread emails, I knew something was up. RIDICULOUS. What is wrong with people?  ... hopefully this will stop them from posting the comments here & I can turn it off down the road.

Me every time I'd delete a few hundred comments to find ANOTHER few hundred comments 

... I honestly just bought a shirt to wear to our State Fair. I get so sickened walking through there to see all the animals they have for judging knowing that most of them are getting carted off to slaughter.  I just cant handle it.  So if I'm going to the Fair this year, at least I'll 'voice' my opinion on that the best way I can.

... I had a dream I saw John Cougar Mellencamp performing in a mall & no one even cared. I kept trying to tell everyone, "IT'S JOHN COUGAR!!!" & everyone was like, "huh?... whose that?"... I've never been a huge John Cougar Mellencamp fan my whole life either. So weird.

How I remember John Cougar to look like

... EVERY TIME... EVERY.STINKING.TIME I go to get ice out of the work freezer, I drop an ice cube on the ground.  EVERY STUPID TIME!!!  Even when I try to be extra careful. Its like a hex.

... My Garmin died on me this past weekend & I legit have been in PANIC MODE ever since. I loved this one because you dont have to recharge it. Its only labeled as lasting a year (& I had bought it on like Amazon Prime day for like $35) & do you know this thing nearly lasted me 3 years!!! & now I'm lost without it.  It's like a part of my body is missing.

... which on the back of that last confession - I'm going crazy trying to find what new tracker to get. SO.MANY.OPTIONS!!!!! I just know I have to pick something this weekend because I'm tired of looking down at my bare wrist - which I've done at least 923 times since Sunday.

... anyone else so sad about Chris Pratt & Anna Farris?

... & speaking of relationships... anyone else just take a sharp turn & not care for Bachlorette Rachel after the last episode & the way she was mean to Peter & her desire for nothing BUT that engagement ring? "GIVE IT TO ME".... geez....

Anything you need to confess?

I have another new favorite to add to my list.....{Show Us Your Books}

Here we are again at another month of seeing what we've read...

I feel like my reading mojo took a little hit, but I am happy I still got in 3 books for the month.

A little bit of everything too.  Highs & lows.

But I did totally walk away with a favorite for the month - that's always a good thing.

So let's dig in... my latest reads....

Ratings are based on the Goodread Scale

1 Star - Didnt Like it

2 Stars - It was OK

3 Stars - Liked It

4 Stars - Really Liked It

5 Stars - It was AMAZING!

The Castaways / Elin Hilderbrand

**** / 4 stars

Fast Summary: 4 sets of friends do all of life together in strong relationships but you see whats behind all these relationships when one of the couples die in a mysterious & unexpected accident.

So I'm apparently becoming a Hilderbrand fan.

This is my 2nd book &I just bought 2 more.

This one is about a group of 4 couples (8 people) & their stories, how they intertwine with one another & how it effects the group when 2 of them pass away in an awful accident, as well as the relationships that were there before the accident.

A lot of characters. I liteterally had a notecard with all the names & arrows drawn all over it to keep me straight on it.

I did like this one - probably better than my first Hilderbrand book (The Matchmaker).  A good book on how different personalities come together, how the relationships look & how friendships can be full of love & family & support.

"Forgiveness is a powerful thing"

Dumplin by Julie Murphy

***** / 5 stars

Fast Summary:  Willowdean enters a local beauty pageant in honor of her aunt who passed away, despite being everything that is NOT a pageant girl & inspires others to step up & join in 'the cause'  while finding each of their own unique beauty.

I can't believe this took me so long to get around to this book. I just absolutely loved it. Mainly because I could so relate to Willowdean. The teenage girl who wasnt the one who could shop in the mall with friends because of her size & the one who was always expecting to be made fun of for her weight. & the one who was always nervous about an idea of a boyfriend because it meant shedding down some layers, in many ways.  

Plus, girlfriend is a Dolly Parton fan... which for me, is my whole childhood listening to her albums. I just totally GOT Willowdean. & loved this book.

I loved all the other 'misfit' characters that ended up supporting Willowdean by joining the pageant & all the different ways that we can over look beauty... & loved the friendship with Willowdean & Emily... & even felt bad for Mitch, the perfect gentleman to date.  & of course there is Bo, the bad boy.  I get she liked him... but preferred Mitch really... but I get it... Because again, I SOOO get Willowdean

I honestly need this to be a movie RIGHT NOW!!!!  With a cameo by Ms. Parton herself!!!

"All my life I've had a body worth commenting on & if living in my skin has taught me anything its that if its not your body, its not yours to comment on"

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
**1/2 / 2.5 Stars

Fast Summary: A notebook is passed between 2 strangers forming a different kind of relationship & then what happens when they have to find one another & meet in person.

This had a really cute idea for a story... & I actually think I just read where a similar movie is being made with this same idea.... but a guy finds a book with a scavenger hunt on it & he completes it & leaves a note in return to the girl who created it.  & a writing back & forth between them happens, with them revealing deeper sides of each other they would ever show to anyone else.

It started off a FUNNY book. Like I literally LOL'ed at parts... & then somewhere in the middle, it just took a big dip. I dont know if it felt drawn out, or just unnecessary side stories. Even some of the characters started getting on my nerves & I felt like they didn't gel together. Like I would wonder if the characters were 17 & then the next page, wonder if they were like 10... their personality would shift too much.  It almost made me give up on it even about 70% in...

... but I did finish it, & I will say, the end did bring it back up for me.  Didn't make me trash it.

So, in the end, it was just MEH to me... take it or leave it.  Not a must to read in any shape or form.

I know these are the people that wrote Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, which I've been wanting to read too... now I'm scared.

"Luckily, I always travel with a book, just in case I have to wait on line for Santa, or some such inconvenience"

So what is your favorite book you've read this past month?