The Girl with IBS

As Rosh Hashanah continues, I am trying hard to focus on leaving the old behind and rejoicing in the new. Because I am at work and not really a "real Jew," I have been watching Rosh Hashanah services online. It has been nice to listen to everyone, the late morning sermon about the legacy you leave was amazing. The Rabbi talked about even if your own family doesn't remember you, the actions of your life will influence history. What you do with your time on Earth matters. What I ate : Breakfast : pancakes and honey Morning Snack : dried apples with cinnamon and honey Lunch : chix patty and rice Afternoon Snack : fresh fruit, chicken nuggets, and wine (at work?!) Dinner : Moe's quesadilla and queso Daily Challenges : Reading : Once and For All Creativity : knitting Exercise : Self-Care : having fun at the work event Unrelated to the Jewish High Holiday, the Blue Company threw a Las Vegas themed party complete with gambling. The winner of the most "B...

May you be written and sealed for a good year. Tonight, at sundown, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins. It is a holiday of saying good bye to the bad and hello to the sweet hopes and dreams of a new year. When the sun sets today, I have the opportunity to press refresh on my life and start the new year fresh and sweet. I am bringing all of my hopes and dreams together today so this will most likely be a very long blog post.  Weight-In Wednesday : 153.6 lbs  I am disappointed by my current weight, September has been a disappointing month but Rosh Hashanah is about saying good bye to disappointments so it is time to reevaluate my goals.  What I ate : Breakfast : pancakes and honey Morning Snack : Cave Man chicken bites Lunch : chicken teriyaki bowl Afternoon Snack : bean chips Dinner : chix patty and rice Daily Challenges : Reading : Once and For All Creativity : knitting Exercise : yoga Self-Care : yoga and talking to husband Pros to Leav...

Another long morning commute today caused by a terrible accident. People just don't know how to drive. I mean, yes, you are passing an accident so slow down and be respectful. But then speed up and drive like a normal person! Driving too slow causes accidents too! Rant about other people's driving skills is now over. What I ate : Breakfast : pancakes and honey Morning Snack : cinnamon pretzels Lunch : Slim Turkey Tom and Sprite Afternoon Snack : plain baked Lays Dinner : clam chowder Daily Challenges : Reading : Once and For All Creativity : knitting Exercise : Self-Care : getting a shirt fixed and eating for my IBS So lets talk about the real reason you are following my blog, (even though you are probably a bot) my IBS. Today is worse than yesterday. I feel like I am getting an ulcer again, which I could be. I feel nausea coming in and out like waves while I am trying to work. I feel clammy and tired. I feel like I want to go home and curl up in a ball and c...

Today was a hell of a Monday. My 20 minute commute was almost 50. My IBS decided to flare up. I have felt overwhelmed and gross all day. But, this Monday was my last at my Blue job. I'm calling it Blue because the company colors are light blue and navy, so it seems fitting. This day next week I will be at the Red company. At one time I guess I was happy at Blue. The first seven months were nice. I made friends, enjoyed parties, and had plenty of down time to work on homework. Then came August 22nd, the day Blue let go of 10% of the company. I kept my job along with the memory of crying alone in my cubicle, waiting for the phone to ring and tell me I was unemployed. Since that day, Blue has not been the same. A few friends left, I had a falling out with another, and lost touch with the rest. The hallways now seem bleak. The new friends I have made are wonderful, but I feel a wall between us. The morale is terrible and the work satisfaction is worse. Earlier this year I appl...

Remember when I used to have weekly incentive rewards and I actually met my challenge? Yeah I remember that too... Well, one of the rewards was a Paint Your Pet class at my local studio. And today was the day! The painting class was small, only myself and two other ladies. One of them was painting her pet goat, the other was painting her puppy for her husband's birthday. They were close friends but did a wonderful job of including me in conversations. I also loved my painting instructor and we chatted a lot. During the break, we walked over the brewery and my classmates tagged along. They were hesitant at first but when their much younger acquaintance ordered, they did too. I feel like I should have received commission for them! So I sipped my glass of cider and worked on my masterpiece. The painting looks just like my beautiful kitty and I am so happy. Maddie is my princess and her portrait turned out better than I could have expected. I loved spending the afternoon learning n...

Like my mother, Rum is my favorite hard alcohol. So when I heard that Bahama Breeze was celebrating the fall with Rumtoberfest event, I just knew I had to try something! So after our favorite college football team won in an amazing victory, we headed to our local Bahama Breeze to enjoy way too much food and booze. What a night. The day wasn't too bad either. My husband accompanied me to my annual eye exam where we learned that I can finally accept the prescription I need! We also purchased a new pair of glasses and sunglasses for me and I cannot wait for them to arrive. After my husband helped me get my car cleaned and I took a long nap. It is exhausting trying to function with dilated eye balls. During the football game I watched my Netflix show and knitted. What I ate : Breakfast : pancakes Morning Snack : Lunch : Taco Bell Afternoon Snack : chips Dinner : Bahama Breeze Daily Challenges : Reading : The Hate U Give Creativity : knitting Exercise : walking the mall ...

Growing up, one of my family's favorite movies was Oscar. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Marisa Tomei, and Tim Curry, Oscar made us laugh during difficult times. I feel like I might need to re-watch this movie as this week is during south, real fast. Today I learned that LuLaRoe might be screwing me over one last time. I am trying not to dwell on this fact as we don't know for sure yet. I am scared and mad. For the first time in my life, I am ready to fight with every bone in my body to get what I deserve. So sue me, Toomey, or in this case, I might sue Toomey. What I ate : Breakfast : pancakes and turkey bacon Morning Snack : Lunch : grilled salmon, rice, and zucchini Afternoon Snack : chocolate cake Dinner : pizza and salad Daily Challenges : Reading : Creativity : Exercise : Self-Care : Booked a Massage for 10/14 Tonight we spent the evening with a woman who is like a second mother to me. It was wonderful to feel a mother's love again and here how...

Every day is one step closer to what? The day we find happiness? The day everything makes sense? The day we stop worrying? The day we die? Every day is just one more step into the fog of life. Think of our journey as a walk through and English Moor full of thick, vision-blocking fog. Every step you take, you don't know if your foot will land on solid ground, a puddle, a living creature, or something you never expected. You cannot see where the path ends. You cannot see if you are alone or surround by other travelers. You cannot spot rest stops that offer food and beds. You do not know if there are mountains ahead or valleys or lakes. All you can do is walk. You have no choice, the sun sets and rises each day despite the amount of steps you take, the weather, or the condition of the ground. All you can control is your thoughts and your reactions to your fellow travelers. You can think about how many lakes the Moor contains, you can plan for tomorrow's weather, or remember the sn...

I am loving my new hair. The single color and new cut is making me feel so much better. I cannot wait to see what it will look like after a shower tonight. Curls should look really good too. Before I start my new job, I want to make a list of things I need/want to complete. Here is the list: Color and cut hair Organize closet Buy new work clothes Completely clean car Ship LLR boxes (if possible) Sell (most) LLR supplies  Set up my room Clean up guest room Clean master bathroom Finish MNSSHP costumes While I know that some of it, like the LLR items, are out of my control. I am going to strive to finish as much as I can before the 25th arrives. I think having a complete list that I can reference will help me stay on track so that I don't forget or procrastinate anything. What I ate : Breakfast : pancakes and honey Morning Snack : fresh fruit Lunch : leftover food from the weekend Afternoon Snack : Cherry Coke Dinner : pasta with meat sauce Daily Challenges ...

September has been a month of emotions and I have not been doing well with my challenge. So can you just let me know when the month is over? K, thanks.  What I ate : Breakfast : peanut butter crackers Morning Snack : Lunch : leftovers from the weekend Afternoon Snack : dried apple slices Dinner : homemade tacos, wine, and cake Daily Challenges : Reading : Palace of Mirrors Creativity : chosing a new hair color Exercise : Self-Care : coloring and cutting my hair Tonight after work I had my hair redone. When I started LuLaRoe, I had my hair cut and highlighted and the lady did a horrible job. For months I have been living with hair I hated. Now the blonde highlights are gone and the weird layers are even. I love my new dark hair. I hope this helps me feel better.  I did have cake tonight. It was the last piece from my husband's hurricane baking. It's all gone now. Is it October yet? Over and Out, The Girl with IBS

Well, that was quite the storm. We have no major damage or flooding, just a lot of leftover debris and anxiety. I barely slept this weekend but I managed to finish packing up LuLaRoe, cleaning out my room, and get a good about of knitting done. We ate horribly, watched a ton of Netflix, and I don't think I took a single vitamin. But I am blaming everything on Irma. Today's post is just a breakdown of my feelings over the past three days during the hurricane. If you stopped by to see what I ate, I probably had Five Star Pizza, Chinese Takeout, and cake. Yup, it was one of those weekends. The fear of the hurricane hit me hard Sunday night listening to the limbs fall on the roof above me. All weekend I experienced high amounts of stress (paired with terrible food) and IBS symptoms. We barely left the house so I didn't get much exercise until today when I packed up all of the LLR boxes and moved them to the garage. We stayed up late watching the first season of Sense8 and I...

Hurricane Irma is expected to hit Florida tomorrow and today, it appears we haven't gotten the memo. I hate being stuck inside on sunny days, especially when I might be stuck inside for the next three or more days! I just want to go outside and enjoy the weather. What I Ate : Breakfast : pancakes and honey Morning Snack : cheese snack mix Lunch : grilled salmon, grilled zuccini, and rice pilaf Afternoon Snack : dried apples Dinner : rice and pork Daily Challenges : Reading : Once and For All Creativity : Knitting Exercise : Self-Care : Disney, Universal, and other major state and local companies are closing Sunday and Monday due to the storm. When Disney closes, you know sh*t is getting real. That is when you should get worried, really worried. Thankfully my company is closing Monday but I might have to still work from home, which kinda isn't fair but it is what it is. I just have to remember to keep my chin up and my spirits high. Over and Out, The Girl w...

It is funny that yesterday I was complaining about how I was stuck in my career. I was certain that the company I had been interviewing for, wouldn't want me. I don't have a lot of experience and knowledge. But I was wrong. They wanted ME! Today has been a whirlwind of a day full of emotions and talking. Before news started to spread, if it did spread, I wanted to tell the people I considered my work friends first. I know I have said that I don't have many friends because when I think of the term friend, I consider it to be someone that I trust, spend quality time with, and have them think of me when they need someone to talk to. Most of my work friends talk to me at work but most don't have much to do with me on nights and weekends. But I still wanted to be nice to them and give them a heads-up that I am leaving. It was a lot of talking today. A lot. What I ate : Breakfast : pancakes and honey Morning Snacks : mustard snack mix Lunch : leftover Olive Garden Af...

Weight-In Wednesday : 152.6 The number above is not what I wanted to see today but I cannot lie and say I am surprised. My stomach is a wreak from hurricane nerves, lack of alone time, and too many No-No Foods. Everyone around me is stressed and my Challenge Tracker Excel file has too many X's and not enough check marks. I feel like if I don't plan for self care now, I am just going to breakdown. What I ate : Breakfast : peanut butter crackers Morning Snacks : chips Lunch : leftover Olive Garden Afternoon Snack : applesauce Dinner : avocado and black bean salad Daily Challenges : Reading : Just Ella and Palace of Mirrors Creativity : knitting club Exercise : Self-Care : Reading and kitting in my room I added a new Daily Challenge. I know what you are thinking, I cannot even keep all of my current ones, why add another? But every day I NEED to do something for myself. Shower, put on makeup, buy a new shirt, spending time alone in my room, do laundry... Anythin...

Today we received news that Hurricane Irma is headed straight for us and it expected to make landfall at a higher category than originally expected. The entire state is flipping out and apparently water is flying off the shelves, even in our northern city. I cannot lie and say I am not worried, I am very worried. But all we can do is prepare, not panic. What I ate: Breakfast : pancakes Morning Snack : trail mix and applesauce Lunch : BBQ chicken flat bread and Asian salad and cookie Afternoon Snack : baguette Dinner : Turkey Tom from Jimmy Johns Daily Goals: Reading : Creativity : knitting baby blanket Exercise : moving furniture and shopping This September challenge is not going well... I ate a cookie today even though I knew I shouldn't. Without the Weekly Incentive Awards and the major challenge goal to look towards, it is easy to say yes to No-No Foods and skip daily challenges. If you have any ideas to combat this without draining my bank account, please post t...

I am going to be honest, I am completely failing at following my September rules, especially the no sugar. It is terrible but it is true. I just have to keep going and realize that it is all about a healthy lifestyle. Well, I guess there is always tomorrow. Today we took advantage of the Labor Day sales and picked up a new couch, love seat, recliner, dish washer, and range hood. All things we needed for our home. It was nice to get things I have been wanting for awhile. Like the couch for our living room to replace the ugly maroon one we had and a big, fluffy love seat for my room for binge reading. Now I just need to remove the rest of LLR from the teal room and I am good to go! What I ate: Breakfast : pancakes and honey Lunch : Olive Garden soup, bread sticks, appetizer, and ravioli Dinner : Mac 'N Cheese Daily Goals: Reading : Just Ella Creativity : knitting baby blanket Exercise : shopping They delivered our new couches during the evening and then we watched The...

Today we took our goddaughter to SeaWorld as a late birthday present. She is obsessed with sea animals, especially dolphins, and has been asking to go to SeaWorld for over a year. I knew taking a six-year-old to a theme park for the day would be hard but we filled the car with color books, snacks, and hope. Overall the day was pretty good. It was very hot and a little crowded but nothing to stop us from having fun. Running after an active six-year-old can be hard however, I think we did a pretty good job. We went to aquariums, saw the dolphin show, pet a few stingrays, and rode a couple kids rides. We were all exhausted by the end of the day. What I ate: Breakfast : pancakes and honey Morning Snack : trail mix Lunch : ribs and sides Afternoon Snack : taco Dinner : tapas and drinks Daily Goals: Reading : Creativity : photographing animals Exercise : walking around the park We ended the day with a surprise date night planned completely by my husband. He took me to my fa...

When my goddaughter was about two-years-old I took her to Michael's to shop for Halloween and fall decorations. She found a trick-or-treat bag and began stuffing random items inside. Every time she added something new she said, "I put it in my bag." Well, that is all I did today, stuff things into bags. To be more exact, I stuffed individual LuLaRoe items into brand new Ziplock bags. Once finished, I will then sort the bags by style and add them to shipping boxes. This is all part of the process to leave LuLaRoe. Why did I get into this in the first place? Today has been extremely frustrating because I am doing everything alone. I understand that my husband is tried of LuLaRoe but I am upset that he doesn't even offer to help me leave. I know that I expect too much of people, but it hard to see the big picture when you spend hours alone in a room stuffing ugly shirts and dresses into gallon sized bags while hoping the company doesn't mess up and you get all of...

Happy September 1st everyone! Need something to celebrate today? It is Ginger Cat Appreciation Day, National Wear Teal for Ovarian Cancer Day, Back to Hogwarts Day, and the first day of our new challenge! Wow, a lot going on today! What I ate today: Breakfast : pancakes Morning Snack : Lunch : Leftovers from last night Afternoon Snack : chips and grapes Dinner : baked orzo Daily Challenges: Reading : Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix Creativity : Finished my scarf! Exercise : I worked a short day today due to the upcoming holiday so I was able to nap and finish knitting the scarf I have been working on for months. This long weekend is going to be all about getting things done and getting ready for a new season of life! Over and Out, The Girl with IBS