Friday, May 31, 2013

Summer Challenge: Attitude & Behaviors

In my previous post Thyroid Surgery  I mentioned "some attitudes and behaviors that need to change". And as I dealt with more then one melt down today, including my own, I was pleased that what kept running through my head was a verse my Honey and I were studying this morning. If you abide in Me and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:7-8

I could use a lot more abiding and a lot more fruit in my life. Which got me thinking on The Fruit of the Spirit . But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22



I want to my kids to hear that scripture and think "hey, that's my mommy" and I want them to have the blessing that come with being filled with the fruit of the Spirit. So every Friday this summer I will be sharing something from our journey as we become a family that is abiding more in God's Word. I am expecting a lot of good fruit!

Got to buzz, I have some abiding to do.
-K




Thursday, May 30, 2013

Champagne Dish Soap Dispenser

I was at a girlfriends house when I first saw this idea and loved it so much I made one as soon as I got home. I'm smitten with the little bit of whimsy that this adds to my kitchen and always feel a little indulgent when I use it.

Champagne Dish Soap Dispenser
  1. Wash empty Champagne or wine bottle. A sparkling cider bottles work well too.
  2. Fill bottle with dish soap of choice.
  3. Add a pour spout with vent like this one Chrome Pour Spout.
  4. Enjoy some bubbly every day as you wash your dishes. 

 Got to buzz, dishes to wash.
-K


Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Summer Scarf

The Summer Scarf. I have just never gotten it, for the love of peat it's summer! A scarfs job is to keep our neck warm and on cold days I gladly sport my favorites and on super cold days I even cozy up in my not so favorites for practical reasons. Now I do know that this is a much loved fashion accessories these days and I will admit I get a little jealous when I see you beautiful ladies pulling it off, but it's just not for me.

3 Reasons why a summer scarf is not for me

  1. I sweat! I don't need anything else to help me reach for my anti persistent of choice when what  I really want to do is take my flipping clothes off! And since wearing only a scarf is not a modest or legal (out side of the bedroom) option I'm going to have to skip it.
  2. I have a round face Actually it is more oval with chipmunk cheeks, but these post baby days were calling it as it is. Round! And that scarf, while it can hide that second chin that keeps showing up, just makes my face look rounder.
  3. I have a short neck. Well, not a really short neck. In fact I have mastered some great fashion tricks to making it look more swan like. Wearing scarf is not one of them.

So here is my secret, the only reason you will see me don a summer scarf in public is to HIDE something! You know like maybe a hickey? So as I sport a summer scarf from now until next spring I hope you think that is what I'm doing and get a little giggle out of it. Unfortunately, for me and my Honey, it is not the main reason for my scare wearing this summer. The main reason is to disguise my Partial Thyroidectomy.

I had my Thyroid surgery yesterday and it was a success! I briefly spoke with my surgeon as I was coming out of surgery and anesthesia but  I don't remember much of that but her smile and "it all went well". However, my Honey spoke with her and along with the "it all went well" "didn't find any cancer cells" "only had to take that one lobe" she also expressed her surprise that I had not had any trouble breathing or swallowing all this time because it was so large! I'm looking forward to my follow up appointment in two weeks to get all the details my self.

Frankly, I credit God that I had no complications from that thing living in me. And while I'm  not able to lift anything or anyone over 10lbs and I am in a fair amount of pain,  I'm doing pretty good thanks to a young girlfriend who is helping me with my kids, church family who is helping me with dinner and my spectacular Honey who is helping me with everything. Couldn't do this with out them!

Got to buzz, I have some healing AKA sleeping to do.
-K

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Chocolate Raspberry Breakfast Cookie

Mornings in our house go something like this. One of the kids, most of the time it's Pumpkin, wakes up the whole house. (We are working on the one.) And my Honey or I stumble out of bed and put on the hot water, its coffee for him and tea for me. While the water is heating we get milk and something easy to go along with it for them and us. My husband and kids will always choose some type of pastries if it is in the house and even when it's not my Honey keeps looking for one that it's going to magically appear.

Cupcake & Pumpkin enjoying today's Breakfast Cookie
My keep the family healthy solution? Breakfast cookies! I stumbled upon the idea when I was doing a sugar detox before I was pregnant with Macaroon. There was a recipe for oatmeal pancakes and while those were not a winner for us I was able to make some adjustment and DING DING DING we had a hit on our hand.

Since then I've tweaked the recipe many times and have a couple of variations but the base is always the same.

Chocolate Raspberry Breakfast Cookie
Base:
3 ripe (the browner the better) bananas
12 large eggs
6 cups of quick cook oats

Today's Variation:
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp pure vanilla
dash of salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
12 oz raspberries (I use frozen)
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Blend cocoa powder, spices and wet ingredients well. Mix in oats till all are wet. Fold in raspberries and chocolate chips. Let sit for about 15 min as the oats "rise".

I love how the raspberries taste and look.
Cook at 350 for about 15-20 min or until firm. Makes about 28 1/4 cup size cookies.
Let cool and eat or refrigerate or freeze.









Disclaimer: I don't know how much fat or calories are in each cookie, that is not my thing. I just put the stuff in them and eat.

Oh and for the record I am not eating these right now, as they are a grain based cookies, but I do enjoy them when I do! In the mean time my family will enjoy them and I feel like a rock star mom knowing that they have them ready for the week while mom is recovering. My little helpers even got to help me whip them up while baby kicked it in his favorite spot in the house.
Macaroon kicking it.
Next week I will be cooking something up that I can enjoy too: Grain Free-Sugar Free-Pumpkin Banana Bread.

Got to buzz, off to surgery.
-K

Monday, May 27, 2013

Thyroid Surgery

Surgery. Full on knock me out take out part of my body surgery. Thyroid surgery to be exact.

About two years ago I was watching some day time or morning talk show and one of the gals was talking about hypothyroidism.Now I am not one of those "looking for something wrong" with me kind of people...but she was listing off some stuff that I'd been dealing with. Most of it I chalked up to being a new mom of one then two little ones and stress. The only "new mom/stress" symptom I couldn't write off? FREEZING FEET! Even in the middle of sweaty hot summer weather I was putting on super thick slipper socks. I couldn't shake that thought that this just cannot be normal. And then I find this lump on my neck and I'm all "I know I've gained some extra weight and I know I've got some extra chunk but this isn't no chunk on my neck, it's a lump".

So I make a doctors appointment and I tell them about the show and how the symptoms sounded a lot like what I'm going through and how I have this lump. Well, the ran some blood work and it came back normal and great! Normal is what I want! But what about this lump? Nothing, just brushed off as some over dramatic mommy.


Fast forward six weeks after Macaroon was born and my O.B. is feeling my Thyroid and says "I'm not an expert in this but this feels swollen to me." THANK YOU VERY MUCH I KNEW I WAS NOT CRAZY. And oh crap! Time to take it to prayer (like I should have from the start) because Dear Lord WHY was my Thyroid swollen? More blood work and still normal and that is still good. Ultrasound however revealed a complex cyst with nodules. Not the kind of cyst or nodules generally associated with cancer however still a risk and still something they test for.

So surgery, taking out part of my body...I don't know about you but to me this is kind of a big deal and I wasn't so eager for it. Heck, I'm still not eager for it. The first ENT Specialist I went too I just didn't gel with and his bedside manner left a lot to be lacking and since this is my body I wanted a second opinion. Second Specialist, same answer but took the time to explain things to me. Guess who I've chosen to do the procedure?

In the mean time, I have been researching holistic ways to heal my thyroid. I'm a Bible believing girl and that verse that tells me to use all means to heal myself, well I'm going to do that. So in this healing process I've cut out gluten and currently have given up grains. Not because I'm on some "these food's are bad for you" kick, I don't know the science to it so I will not blanket statement that thought;  but because in the short while I've done this I've seen a marked improvement in the symptoms I was having! And the couple of time I caved and ate those foods? Oh man I felt crummy!

I've come to realize that this is a journey not a quick trip and it's going to take some time to get my body healthy. Beyond the thyroid issue I have some extra pounds I'm dragging around as well as some attitudes and behaviors that need to change. Don't get me wrong, these changes have already come with plenty of  "it's not fair" pity parties. But I've three amazing little kids who need there mommy healthy and a husband that I'm crazy about who need's me to be too. I'm not going to let them or myself down. I'm going to press on and be the person I know I am meant to be.

What steps are you taking toward a healthy you? Or have you had experience healing your thyroid naturally? I'd love to hear from you.

Got to buzz, I have some grain free cooking to do!
-K

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Bathtub Brilliance

So I'm on baby number three and with my first I HAD to have a baby bathtub! However, I think I used it like once and then I just took showers with him till he was able to be in the normal tub himself. So with baby number two I used that same tub...ONCE and then received a second bathtub as a gift from my grandma. And not just any bathtub but the big daddy of baby bathtubs a PRIMO-Euro-Bath. I mean this thing is almost as big as our normal tub and in fact I'm pretty sure I could bath in it if I had too. I'm not even sure I used it as a bathtub with her but I did get some extra use out of it during the summer as a kiddie pool of sorts.

Now on to baby number three, he is only just six months old and for the most part I have used this hammock thing in the kitchen sink or he's gotten a quick shower with me. And let's be clear, by baby number three unless he can hold his own in the normal tub with big brother and sister, his baths are short and efficient! And that battleship of a baby bathtub is tucked away with no plans of seeing the light of day until maybe summer or the next yard sale!

That's my plan and I'm good with it! Then I'm flipping threw my free subscription to Parents Magazine and low and behold THE MOST BRILLIANT BABY BATHTUB IDEA EVER and I desperately wish I could claim this idea as my own but the truth is it was another mom featured in June 2013 issue of the magazine who thought of it first! And if you are anything like me, and you have not thought of this idea your are hitting your head in one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments. Because folks it is brilliant!

I am a super fan of things, especially baby items, that can do more then one thing. After all they out grow this stuff way faster then they can use it and then what? I'm all about more bang for my buck and this idea had it! Alright ready for it?

Baby in the bathtub with NO WATER! That's right use the bathtub with no water. So it's not going to get your kid clean if you use it this way but you know what it's going to do? It's going to keep your baby busy whether you are playing with him while he's in the tub or letting him play alone while you load the dishwasher. And it's going to save you money (especially if you already have the tub) because you are not going to have to buy one of those fancy infant sit up things that last about two months before your baby is crawling out of it. Now don't get me wrong, before I found this brilliant bathtub idea I really wanted one of those too. Now, forget about it. I have The Baby-bathtub!


Macaroon enjoying sitting up on his own with the help of the tub.



This tub is such a hit that within moments of putting Macaroon in it my Cupcake girl was right behind!
Cupcake loaded him up with extra toys and climbed in to play in the new "toy" too.

And after I pulled baby out big brother got into the tub AKA "boat" too. Actually, I had to save Macaroon from the boat because when the big kids saw how much fun he was having the both wanted in with him. This tub has gotten more use in this past week then the two years I've had it. Thanks Grandma for the super awesome too big bathtub!

Gotta Buzz time to bath them for real!
-K

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Start a Blog

I'm going in for surgery (more on that some other time) in less then four days. I have three little kids (5, 2 & 6 months) and a house that is a mess! You know not just one of those "I need to mop the floor, do the dishes, put the laundry away and dust messes" but one of those I've pulled out everything in some kind of life-changing-I'm-going-to-make-everything-run-like-a-well-oiled-machine MESS. So instead of prodding on with my too busy to sit project I am sitting down to start a blog. Crazy right? And, are you kidding me do we need another blog? No, we don't. But maybe one of my ideas or something I share that I've been inspired by (and you better believe I will always try to site my inspiration correctly) will inspire you as well. Or you just might glean some, as my husband calls them "Krystal-isms" from me. At the very least, maybe you will get a kick out of our antics.

Gotta buzz more life changing cleaning to do!

-K