Annoyingly Domestic

March 8, 2010

Homeschooling Thoughts

Filed under: Homeschooling — Steph @ 9:53 pm

We did it. We ordered the Math-U-See program. If you go to their website and click on a program (Primer, Alpha…even the pre-calc one!), you can watch a demo video. The man who teaches this is hysterical. I love watching him and I’m going to love “relearning” all of my math with the boys. The boys have somewhat different learning styles, so it’ll either work for both or at least one, I’m sure. Fantastic stuff.

For reading, we still have Jake’s old Hooked on Phonics set. I’m going to let them run through that to get a better grasp of where they are in their development. We may not even need it. I may find myself just urging them to simply read books with more mature vocabulary. Jake came home with two books from his school library today and blew right through them. Nic surprised the hell out of me and picked up the harder of the two and proceeded to read it. Yes, Mister “I don’t like reading one bit, nopenoIdon’t!” It wasn’t an incredibly easy book, either. I mean, a kindergartner figuring out the word “assassin” by himself was pretty impressive. And no, he didn’t say “ass-ass-in.” ;) He’s starting to remember what he’s reading, too, which is fabulous, because he wasn’t before. As far as grammar studies, I have no idea what I’m going to do there. It was my favorite subject in school, so I’m sure I could teach it, but I have a hard time relating to children and how they learn.

Jesse and I got into an argument heated debate in the car today about what language(s) the boys should be learning. At first, it was German and French. Then, after said debate, it became Latin. I won’t go into the debate except to state that it was 110% politics and American pride and we did (kinda) come to an agreement. I need to find a good resource for teaching Latin. ’Cause I don’t have a clue.

Today, I joined our local homeschooling association and put my membership dues check in the mail. I won’t lie…I have high hopes for the information I’ll be able to access after they approve my membership. I just want to know what more experienced homeschoolers are doing around this town.

I’ve discovered that Jake writes his letters backwards (technique, not the actual letter). Because of this, I have him practicing his penmanship already. His teacher doesn’t send any homework home with him (she does loads of classwork, though), so I don’t feel bad having him do this for “homework” right now. Today went very well and he was proud of himself. His teacher sent home a bunch of graded classwork today and as I was flipping through it, I realized that he’s not really learning anything new - he’s been doing the same stuff all year. I feel a bit guilty for not taking notice before, but truly…it is amazing the things you notice when you’re assuming the job of the teacher. I’m picking up on a lot of things I missed before and it’s rather frustrating.

We have a lot of plans for art, music, and PE. Both boys are very artistic (Nic, moreso) and I want to let them go hog wild with it. Ceramics, painting, drawing, crafts, whatever. Jake is really into physical stuff and is very competitive, so PE is where he shines. Though we’re taking a break from it, he still loves going to Taekwondo. Noni and Papa (my inlaws) discovered that Jake is phenomenal at T-ball, and I would be thrilled out of my mind to get him into a baseball or T-ball team or practice. I need to find something…anything…that will hold Nic’s attention in this area. Maybe Tai Chi or tight rope walking. *laugh* He’s really good at concentration and focus efforts and his current outlet is going out to the gun range with his dad and shooting his new .22 (he’s really, really good!). Anyway, as far as music goes, they both adore singing, though Nic has a better memory for it, and I fully plan on teaching them piano. I played my whole childhood and am really wanting to get back into it. I didn’t realize then how much of an emotional outlet it was for me and I’d love to offer that to the boys. We also have a Suzuki Strings here in town and that’s an option, as well. Oh, and I can’t forget art and music appreciation. I need to put a stop to this whole “It’s the Baby Einstein music!” when Mozart comes on. Yes, I’m a little embarrassed by that, and while I’ve corrected them, I haven’t explained it.

Hmmm….not sure what else to cover. I’m excited though and eager to start!

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Nic’s Eye Appointment

Filed under: Family, Health — Steph @ 8:52 pm

Nic had his eye appointment today and it went wonderfully. I absolutely adore the doctor we saw, as well as his nurse. The whole office was phenomenal. Only downside was that we waited almost a full hour before being seen, but we were new and everyone else who came in was seen very quickly. Anyway, yes, the boy needs glasses, but his prescription isn’t nearly as bad as we thought it was going to be. But, apparently, he’s high risk for glaucoma and that worries me. He’s also got a cross-eye tendency, though you wouldn’t know that by looking at him (we knew this because one eye crosses inward dramatically when looking at something really close). The doctor pulled us over to look at the picture of the inside of his eyeball and said that he has “interesting nerves.” He said that several times. *laugh*

After his appointment, we ran around town trying to find just the right pair of glasses for him. Sam’s Club had some awesome ones and we found a pair that make him look like an older, more studious boy (he likes that ;)). These glasses have a magnetic snap on shades, but because I felt he’d probably lose it, we got him polycarbonate Transition lenses (I want some!!!). He also loves this blue pair at the doctor’s office and if this prescription works out well, I’ll go pick those up for him, too. The “he’s so handsome!” comments were everywhere and, of course, he just ate it up. ;) We discovered that we need to work on his “yes, sir” and “yes, ma’am’s” a bit, as well as sitting up straight. Good thing he’s so cute and has mature vocabulary. I think people like the novelty factor with him. He’s very “little adult.” Anyway, good stuff. It was a productive day.

I’m back to reading Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and researching kinder/1st grade curriculum.

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March 7, 2010

Homeschooling & Stuff

Filed under: Family, Homeschooling, Self-Development — Steph @ 1:06 pm

So, in other news…we’re going to start homeschooling the boys. Nic has been progressively regressing this whole year. In all areas and it’s disturbing on many levels to watch. And sad. Jake, on the other hand, has a phenomenal teacher who treats her students like little adults - and expects them to behave that way, as well. Jake is learning quite a bit in school, so we may leave him in for the remainder of the year and try to catch Nic up. Nic will be better suited here at home. We’re still trying to figure out what we’re going to do with him, but over the past few days, we’ve gotten a better picture. Thank God for the Internet and for people who willingly share their tips, tricks, suggestions, and other information.

Nic also has an eye appointment tomorrow. He, without a doubt, needs glasses. He’s squinting at everything and the teacher has had to move him up in his class. And no, this doesn’t have much to do with his regression (yes, I entertained that thought for a while). I’ve sat in his class twice for observations and been thoroughly disturbed by the utter pre-schoolish nature of the classroom. Yes, I realize it’s only kindergarten, but the only reason he was started in Kinder instead of 1st was because of his age (two weeks past the cutoff). This district allows for NO extenuating circumstances or exceptions. There isn’t even any testing available at this age. The boy’s been in an academic setting his entire life and suddenly, class is like a day care. Instead of learning, they’re watching Disney and Pixar movies. He’s learned how to look to the other kids in his class for the answers on work sheets and has developed a strong dislike for challenging his brain and figuring out his own answers (which is NOT the little boy I met over two years ago). He has also just announced that he doesn’t like reading. At all. That is heartbreaking for me, angering for his father. My initial thought was to give him some challenging, supplemental work when he got home, but that’s just not fair to any of us. They live in a learning environment, anyway. I’m not sending him to school to play all day and learn how to act like all of the youngest kids in his class (which is what he’s doing) AND learn how to AVOID learning just so we can sit at the table and relearn/battle what he’s supposed to be learning during the day. OH! I almost forgot. We’ve also been correcting information that he’s been given at school, as well. Try telling your six year old that their teacher doesn’t always know the right answer…yeah right. Thank God that in his eyes, his incredibly diplomatic father walks on water and trumps all others. Anyway…we’re leaning towards a traditional style, but are going to try to add a little bit of “Unschooling” into the mix (can I just say right here and now how much the word “Unschool” terrifies me?! It’s a horrible word, in my “outsider,” conservative opinion). The boy is deathly afraid of getting the wrong answer and he trusts others, with less experience, more than he trusts himself. I think that some child-led learning will help that immensely. He wasn’t always like this and I really want to help him rediscover his own self-worth, self-esteem, and self-reliance.

I think that I will have more clarity when I reread Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and go through the exercises he recommends. This whole “homeschooling thing” is overwhelming for me. I’m gathering more clarity as I read more personal accounts/blogs/websites/books, but I think that the 7 Habits will be a huge help when read with my child as the precursor, not myself.

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I Have a Diagnosis

Filed under: Health — @ 11:31 am

My last entry was around Hallowe’en last year and it’s almost St. Patrick’s day. Why haven’t I updated? Because I crashed. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Have you ever had brain fog so bad that you couldn’t remember the very words you had just said? So bad that you stuttered inside your brain while thinking to yourself and couldn’t recover the sentence? So bad that as you’re riding in a car, you can’t force your eyes to keep up with watching the lamp posts go by? So bad, you try to paste a permanent smile across your face, even though you have no clue what’s going on. You’re confused. You’re stuck “inside your head” and can’t get out. You know there’s a reason for living, but you can’t quite place your finger on it… Meanwhile, my hair was turning white (I just chalked it up to marriage LOL!!!), my hair was visibly thinning on top, my nails were crumbling, and even though I supplement my diet with virgin coconut oil and plenty of water, my skin was so dry it was cracking and I felt like I couldn’t move my face. The lethargy was astounding. The irrational and uncontrollable anger was terrifying. I compiled a symptom list that is a mile long in an attempt to gather all of the pieces to the puzzle.

Oh, my God…and my poor family. I did literally NO housework in that whole time. Most families fight about money. We fought about laundry and a dirty kitchen and what I did all day long (sat on the couch WILLING myself to get up and be productive).

I still had the frame of mind to know that something was wrong. Really wrong. And after a couple of months of research, I discovered that it was my thyroid. But I also discovered that this is a field in the medical community overrun by ignorance and lack of willingness to change. Most doctors don’t know about optimal thyroid care. Endocrinologists and Internists are more interested in doing the same ol’, same ol’ than reading some of the newer medical data and texts regarding this proper treatment.

I armed myself with a huge symptom list and lots of knowledge, ready for a fight from my doctor when I asked for certain, specific tests that were “out of the norm.” She was definitely skeptical, but I think the key was saying, “let’s just rule this out…” Got my tests back a week later and sure enough, if I’d let her run the usual tests (TSH and T4 — which are useless in diagnosing and treating thyroid problems, by the way), I would have received “normal” or “within range” results and I would still be at square one, living with and trying to deal with…well, not living. Thanks to her willingness to test my TSH, FREE T3, FREE T4, and Thyroid Antibodies, I not only received a clear picture, but a referral to any endocrinologist I wanted to see within our insurance network. I don’t think anybody wants a diagnosis. But this diagnosis answered over 10 years worth of questions and stopped my self-doubt cold. It was a blessing. I don’t WANT to have medical problems…but I really don’t want to be confused and self-loathing.

I have Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroid Disease. This means that my thyroid gland is being attacked by my own body and I go through periods where I feel manic and fantastic and HAVE to run three times a day to control my anxiety to…what I described above when my thyroid is under attack. Eventually, without treatment, the body kills the thyroid gland completely and you’re dead. No hormones, no life. You keep swinging back from the lows to the highs until this happens. It’s worth stating that there are people who have been misdiagnosed with bipolar when in reality, they have Hashi’s.

This disease is incredibly common and incredibly UNDER diagnosed. Doctors just don’t know how to test for it, nor do they know how to properly treat it.

I knew that I was in for a battle here in Texas to get “natural desiccated thyroid” treatment (Texas is notoriously difficult, so say the thyroid patient advocates). Most doctors will just prescribe a synthetic medication called Synthroid and shoo you out of the office with a pat on the head. Synthroid is a part of the hormone called “T4.” T4 can, in functioning thyroid glands, be turned into T3 by the body (the T3 is what controls most of your symptoms). But with thyroid disease, the thyroid gland is typically NOT functioning and the little receptors inside this butterfly shaped gland are shutting down, thus unable to convert what is needed. In my case, 80% dead, according to the wonderful specialist I found. With T4 treatment (SO COMMON!), you’re not going to feel any better. In fact, most people report feeling worse when they’re unable to convert the hormones. Our best option? The thyroid gland from a pig. It has all of the hormone components we need in it ready for the uptake. But there’s a problem. Finding a doctor who will prescribe this. Synthroid has become the standard for a million and one political reasons that I won’t go into here, but if you’re interested, the information is out there (see links at the bottom). Natural desiccated thyroid is the “all in one” option. I liken it to the “multi-vitamin” for your thyroid because it covers all bases.

Anyway, mini lesson over. After calling 56 doctors (yes, literally, I called them all) in my city to see if they were up to date with their endocrine knowledge, I realized that I’d have to leave town for treatment. In a stroke of luck, I found a doctor 3 hours away who had good reviews online AND was in our military Tricare network. I set up an appointment (3 weeks out, sadly, the good ones are really busy). When the time came, we packed up the family, drove out to Odessa, and she started me on hormones that very day. Since there’s a nationwide shortage of natural desiccated thyroid (gee, I wonder why!), she wrote me a prescription to have it compounded. The next morning, I had more energy than I’d had in months. Within four days, the brain fog was completely gone. Within a week…I’m motivated and cleaning out old boxes of photos and school work and dusting the ceilings and fans and vacuuming. I’ve also FINALLY lost some more weight. It’s disturbing when you’re doing everything right with no “cheating” for two months and the scale starts going back up (the thyroid controls your metabolism, too). I’m HAPPY. I feel better than I ever imagined I would now.

It’s also worth saying that I’ve been living with this for the past 13 years, though it’s only this past winter that it got really bad. It all started when I got my first Depo shot. Knowing that Hashimoto’s typically manifests after a hormonal event (childbirth, menopause, etc), it makes sense. Shortly after I received my first Depo birth control shot, I gained about 60 pounds (in just a few months) and was prescribed anti-depressants. I’ve been on and off anti-depressants my whole life. Who knew that it was really my thyroid?!

Do you THINK you MIGHT have a problem with your thyroid? Go here to see a very Long and Pathetic List of Thyroid Symptoms. That whole website is a goldmine of information. It covers everything. If you have any questions, that is the place to go. There are loads of Yahoo! Groups for thyroid that are phenomenal, as well. As far as books go, Stop the Thyroid Madness: A Patient Revolution Against Decades of Inferior Treatment by Janie Bowthorpe (the same woman who runs the website linked above) and Living Well with Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You… That You Need to Know by Mary Shomon are excellent books.

Please note that I am NOT getting paid for any of this info. I was utterly FLOORED by my discoveries and simply want to help. If I can feel better, so can you.

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October 29, 2009

Revealing Oak Floors, SparkPeople, & Tae Kwon Do

Filed under: Family, Home Decorating, Projects, Self-Development — Steph @ 9:27 am

It’s been a while. I’ve had my head buried in…other places lately. And no, not down under. Here’s the latest…

I stumbled upon a place called SparkPeople.com, signed up, and have been sucked in. What is it? It’s Weight Watchers Online…on steroids. And it’s free. I’ve had a $15.00 a month subscription to Weight Watchers for the past four years. I used it to lose 30 pounds. Those 30 pounds were done and gone in two months…then I gained all the weight back plus some, once I stopped running and started eating crap again (lazy and fast food in your first year of marriage don’t mix and it’s not a particularly nice anniversary present for your husband). How many months out of the past four years have I made use of my subscription? Oh…about six total (and that’s pushing it!). So, I found SparkPeople and was absolutely blown away that there was this snazzy user interface and all of the same Weight Watchers tools PLUS some and all of these reports to run for charted feedback and and and…oh, and an iPhone app that works really well…and even a Facebook like community. Within hours of my signing up, I had a good handful of personal welcome messages on my page and within the first day, I discovered that people - complete strangers - were sincerely concerned for MY well-being. And I became concerned for THEIRS. And WE came to support each other. And through lots of indirect networking of blogs and “news” feeds and such, as we catch interesting blog titles or see cute usernames somewhere on the site, we navigate to other profile pages of complete strangers to offer our support to THEM. We browse through each others friends lists - but always to find that “Spark” of motivation we need - someone with similar stats or situation as us who has been successful in one way or another. We offer them OUR encouragement, letting them know what an inspiration they are - to keep on their journey. And the cycle continues. And no one is insecure because being loving and supportive IS the norm. Sounds very Kumbaya-ish, but it’s really very raw, open, and down to earth. Real men and women supporting each other in our missions.

Now, I’ve worked in social networking and make use of it on a daily basis, but SparkPeople is the first, wholly positive and nurturing social networking environment I’ve ever been in. As a woman, and one who has been fairly skeptical about men my whole life (well, since I hit puberty), I’m finding for the first time that I’m actually able to appreciate words of encouragement from the opposite sex without wondering about “the motive” behind it all. There is no motive other than to be supportive and…it’s really, really nice. Encouragement from women is wonderful, but men and women encourage each other differently. Women are long winded and emotional (yes, honey, I did just write that). Men are blunt and matter of fact. Of course, this is a gross over-generalization, yes, but typically, that’s it in my experience. My point is, I get both of that there and it’s refreshing.

On a slightly different note, being a part of SparkPeople has “sparked” me to get going physically. I have officially run my first mile without stopping - something I was never able to do previously. I’m loving high intensity interval training on the treadmill. I’ve started step aerobics (and discovered the On Demand section of our Direct TV). I’m so into all of this that for our anniversary, The Man has decided to get me a spiffy new heart rate monitor - the Polar F11. He’s already ordered it and it should be here soon - I’m stoked.

Oh, and just as an FYI, I’ve lost over 10 pounds this past month and it was EASY.

In completely other news, we discovered that our evil furballs fancied the dining room carpet more than their precious Cat Genie. Do you know what a Cat Genie is? No? Well, let me tell you…these spoiled rotten furballs (rotten to the core and plotting my demise) have a fully automatic litter box. The “litter” is plastic pellets. The litter BOX, is computerized and not only scoops the poo for them up to four times a day (programmable), but because it’s hooked up to the water line and drain in our laundry room, it washes, scrubs, sanitizes, and BLOW DRIES WITH WARM AIR their precious litter for them. Up to FOUR times a DAY! All I have to do is insert a new 60 day cleaning cartridge when it beeps at me. So, these lovely little bundles of JOY have been urinating underneath the window in our dining room. Seriously, if we ever sell this place, what would we say - water damage or cat pee? Which is better? Which is worse? So, armed with my favorite cat stain and odor remover, I pulled back the carpet to see how bad the damage was on the bottom of the carpet. Lord, it was so bad I…I don’t know. I don’t know how to begin to describe how bad it was. I won’t even post pictures, it was that bad (and yes, I took pictures because I couldn’t believe it). I started in on the cleaning, half-heartedly, and just got pissed, so to speak. After some deliberation with The Man, I grabbed my trusty pink utility razor (*girly voice* yes, it’s pretty and pink and really, really sharp!) and cut out the dining room carpet. Just cut it out! At the very worst, we would just replace the carpet. However… Goodbye carpet…hello GORGEOUS 1928 OAK FLOORS!!! That is, of course, underneath all of the plaster wall texture that I had to scrub off… Seriously? Seriously?! Come ON, people! Can’t you cover your stinkin’ floors before you retexture your walls?! Nevermind the few splotches of paint and the carpet pad adhesive around the perimeter of the room. BUT, there was no kitty pee damage. There’s no smell now that the carpet and pad are gone, and after a few more wipes down with that pee neutralizer/odor remover, the evil bastards will be let out of their room…and all will be well. Hopefully. It does appear that the floors will need some refinishing, as someone apparently got drunk and decided it would be fun to learn how to stain a floor (going across the grain, no less, and leaving a stain can ring with drips here and there…you know, just to tip us off as to what their plan was). BUT, even as is, they remind me of some of the older floors that can be found back home in Juneau. The historic bars and such. They have a lot of good character. I’m going to start my way into the living room next (and then the front part of the hallway along with the other living room).

If you’ve ever taken carpet out, you’ll know that the carpet and pad - even of a well-worn carpet - is at least 1/2″ thick if not more. It’s amazing what that 1/2″ drop to bare floor can do to a person in the pitch black of night if they’re not expecting it. As I stepped from the hallway, that measly 1/2″ drop sent my arms flailing out like a baby that feels like it’s suddenly falling. After I’d been pulling, ripping, scrubbing and scraping in that very room ALL day. Jesus, Stephanie…really, get a grip.

What else, what else…hm…it’s been nice and cold here lately and we’ve been able to make use of our fireplace again. As much as I ADORE the fireplace, it’s not so wonderful when its’ thermostat kicks it on mid step aerobics session (our TV is located on the wall above our fireplace).

The boys are in Tae Kwon Do now. I’m hoping to be able to get some pictures of them at practice tonight. So far, it’s been an eye opening experience for me in that I get to see how they behave (or rather, misbehave) around others. I’ve learned that Nic is really, really good at it and it takes almost nothing for him to pick up a movement routine. He just needs to work on using more force. My goal for him, in enrolling him in TKD was to help his self-esteem and confidence. Also, to help him learn to control his now only occasional outbursts. It is, slowly but surely, working. For Jake, I was hoping it would give him some focus, as he is convinced he’s the funniest boy on the face of this planet and everything he does is meant to illicit peals of laughter from his audience (even when that audience is in his head). Funny is good, but not when it’s infringing on his and others’ learning capabilities. I wasn’t seeing any improvement in him until I told him that I’d signed him up for the belt test this next month. The belt test is at the end of next week and I don’t think the boys are ready. I wouldn’t be overly surprised if Nic was able to pass the test, because he’s really good at the routines (just needs to work on his power), but Jake…I think that what it’s going to take for him to understand is possibly to fail this belt test to see that it’s not a joke. Of course, I don’t want him to fail - I’m his mother - but, I think there is definitely a lesson to be had in both passing and failing, and I’m just trying my best to prepare a “talk” for both situations to make these lessons, whatever they may be, the most impactful.

That’s about it, folks. I need to get crackin’ on these floors again! Pictures to come!

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September 25, 2009

Our House Plans

Filed under: Family — Steph @ 8:48 am

The Man and I finally agree on a house that we want to build. I realize that I haven’t updated with our thoughts on the future for a while. Since The Man is being medically separated from the military, we’ve made plans to move to Tennessee. We absolutely adore the town we’re looking at and need to visit some friends there to get a feel for the town in person (and make sure it really is as fantastic a place as we believe it to be!). If it all works out, we’re looking to purchase as much land as we can afford and build our home on it (I just found 183 acres for $183,000! We don’t need THAT much, but 60 acres would be perfect!). The house is large because we plan on having my parents live with us, too. At least, if/when they decide they’d like to.

Other plans include a full herb and vegetable garden along with some fruit trees. I want chickens for meat as well as eggs. I’m looking at my options for milk - still not sure if I want a cow - that’s a LOT of milk. A goat is a possibility, but The Man says (adamantly) that I’m on my own with that one. LOL

Anyway - I’m relieved to have something, finally, to add to my vision board.

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September 24, 2009

Oven Cleaning Escapades

Filed under: Home Keeping — Steph @ 10:16 am

I roast chicken, typically, at least once a week. I put the bird on a flat rack, on top of a baking sheet, and roast at 450 degrees for one hour. Perfect chicken every time with absolutely perfect skin, top and bottom. Seriously, to die for. My oven, however? Let’s just say that it’s not pretty. Chicken grease and splatters everywhere. I was roasting some almonds last week and after peering into the oven through the glass, I panicked and yanked the door open to remove my overly toasted almonds. They hadn’t even begun to toast - it was the brown coating on the glass that led me to believe I’d over roasted them. Embarrassing? Yes, after that realization! See, cleaning the oven has never been on my radar. There are some things I enjoying cleaning, some things I don’t, and some things, I’m discovering, that I’m only just now, at the ripe ol’ age of 28, realizing I need to do. Yes, I know that’s sad. I blame it on my mom. It’s all her fault. She never let me clean. I had to learn how to vacuum from my very first supervisor, working at Afterthoughts (like Clair’s) in the mall, while she watched and laughed as I went about finding the on “button” and promptly got the cord tangled in some low hanging necklaces and other jewelry on display. Oddly enough, as I got older, I discovered that I have a passion for vacuuming. I have an odd fascination with seeing dirt and grime sucked up by these nifty housekeeping machines. Fitting, I suppose, that I married an accomplished Kirby salesman (no joke). He actually hasn’t sold Kirby in years, but he does have one and he retains more carpet cleaning knowledge than any human probably should. He talks vacuum attachments and I start twitching and drooling. Oh, dear…I’m way off track… In more ways than one, apparently.

I think I remember my mother cleaning the oven using the “self-cleaning” feature on their old 1970’s oven only once (recently upgraded to a gorgeous, stainless Viking, which I covet). I don’t remember much about it except that there was much trepidation surrounding it. I was not, under any circumstances, to go into the kitchen. I’ve held a vision of a fire blast shooting out of the oven, incinerating me, ever since that day. That could be, possibly, why I’ve resigned oven cleaning to the back of my mind. What?! Clean it by hand, you say?! Oh, HELL no. I’ll just leave it at that.

So, since we recently purchased a brand spankin’ new oven with a self-cleaning feature, I figured the door locks must have come a long way over the years since my mother’s latch lock, possibly fixing that whole “fire blast” “incineration” issue. At least I hope so, because I just called our home security/fire company to warn them (she sounded slightly amused as I tried to casually explain and pretend that it was no big deal), set the oven to clean, and am now currently enjoying the oh-so-soothing smell of chicken grease cooking at over 900 degrees.

If I don’t update again, it’s because my childhood vision came true.

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September 18, 2009

The Full Plate Diet - and my own changes

Filed under: Self-Development — Steph @ 10:08 am

I fear my “observations” about myself yesterday came across a bit…desperate. Rereading them, I notice that I clearly didn’t indicate that I wasn’t feeling “lost” with myself or life, just on the brink of change. I’ve let some things slide since I’ve been here in TX and I’m feeling the impact of them. I don’t like it, so I’m going to try to change it. Simple as that - no extra emotion to it. Very practically speaking. I’ve noted what my body is telling me and I know what I need to do about it. I don’t dread these changes, but I do hope that I don’t grow tired of them again because they are, in the short and long term, much healthier ways of living. I spoke with The Man about this last night and, unbeknownst to me, he’s feeling the same way. He’s a bit more proactive than I am, so with his help, these changes aren’t going to be difficult. He’s great for motivation, too.

Some key points for me and a bit of a plan:

I need to eat my veggies. I love them, and am going to plan the menu around them from now on, aiming for 60% produce on my plate. Why I haven’t stuck to this…I have no idea. I love steamed and raw veggies. Not a huge fan of salads, but am trying to find ways to truly enjoy them instead of trying to convince myself they’re tasty (I think it’s the word “salad” LOL). I have a caesar dressing that I make which I love, and a little bit goes a long way, but I don’t want to wear that one out… Definitely looking for options here.

I need to be running again. I loved running outside, in the cold and rain of Alaska. Even when the ice was covered in rain and too slick for my Yaktrax, I could still get on my treadmill, located conveniently in front of my huge window overlooking the river in my backyard, open said window, turn on my treadmill fan, and get a similar outdoor running experience. Here, I’m stuck staring at a wall, listening to music or trying to surf the internet at the same time (which is actually possible, thanks to my Surf Shelf. I think what I need to do in order to stick with running on my treadmill is just (just?!) to find a way to make it enjoyable like it was, outdoors in Alaska. I could definitely use some ideas as I’m at a loss with that one.

I need fiber. I know this from past experience. I look at my skin and can tell that I’m holding toxins like a drug addict (no joke - pasty, bumpy, and bland looking). 40 grams a day is my goal, which after reading The Full Plate Diet (it’s not really a diet, just increasing your fiber intake). This goes hand in hand with the veggies.

I need water. Again, from past experience, I know this. I know what my body is like when it’s adequately hydrated. And my endurance with running is soooo much better. My lungs feel like they can function when I’ve had my 96 oz of water a day (FYI - 96 oz is 3 of my Nalgene bottles). This was one of my big issues I wrote about yesterday.

I need my vitamins. When I take them, I don’t feel I have to rely on caffeine to wake me up. I enjoy my homemade latte’s, but do not enjoy the feeling of relying on them so I can function in the morning. I do believe that coffee (not cows milk) is good for you in moderation, but I don’t want to have to rely on it. Anyway, I take a whole foods vitamin at night and find that it helps me wake up feeling refreshed in the morning. Virgin Coconut Oil was another key component to my health and overall feeling of well-being (and weight loss!) and I’m looking forward to incorporating that back into my diet. In fact, yesterday, I made a big peach, yogurt, and stevia smoothie with an ounce of coconut oil mixed in…it was awesome. Just enough of that fresh coconut flavor. Anyway…vitamins and coconut oil. Good stuff.

So, about The Full Plate Diet. I got word that a limited number of this pre-release book was available for free for a very short amount of time. I didn’t expect to gain any new information as I’ve been researching and preaching the benefits of a fiber rich diet for years (take your own advice, Steph…seriously!), but I applied to receive the book, was chosen, and actually have been impressed with this book! It’s held my attention, at least! It’s a quick read with lots of glossy, pretty pictures, and entirely about increasing your fiber to lose weight and live healthier. They cover quite a bit of information in a short amount of page real estate (again, most of it’s taken up by photos). They don’t stress cutting things out of your diet, but rather making sure that you’re getting all of the fiber and water that you’re supposed to in a day. Essentially, the rest will sort itself out. If you’d like to check it out, they’re now offering a free e-book at The Full Plate Diet.org.

So anyway, just to clarify, there is no sense of desperation here, just of change coming happily (I’m okay, Mom!). I’m enjoying a lot of new things in my life right now and this is just another to add to the list. This morning, I started out eating a boiled egg (obviously no fiber there, but am working out the rest of my day still) and drinking a latte. Water’s coming next and I’m about to get on the treadmill. Avoiding the leftover birthday cupcakes was surprisingly easy this morning and I’m planning a produce shopping trip for this afternoon.

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September 17, 2009

Food Preservation, Nutrition, and a Birthday

Filed under: Cooking, Family, Self-Development — Steph @ 10:18 am

I haven’t been hiding - just been busy. We had a good friend staying with us for a couple of weeks, I’ve canned my first foods, and today, we have a birthday. :)

I’m super excited about the canning. Everything I’ve made so far has turned out wonderfully. I always thought that those big jars of store bought strawberry preserves were as good as it got, and I’ve even been known to sit up in the corner of the counter in my parents kitchen with a jar, a spoon, and a glass of milk. After making strawberry jam for the first time, I will never be able to bring myself to buy another jar of ANY jam or preserves. It’s amazing that strawberries, sugar, and some pectin - nothing more - turn out to be better than commercially manufactured jam. I mean, I’m all about home cooking and creating amazing depths of flavors (like in my slow simmered spaghetti sauce I made last night!), but these companies with their taste trials and market research and all that - they should be able to produce superior results, no? Anyway, I’m stoked. So far, I’ve canned Old-fashioned raspberry jam, blueberry jam, apple butter (I’ve never had it, but found a recipe for it and am loving it on my banana bread!), pepper jelly (jalapenos and bell peppers - to die for!!!), and…uh, I think that’s it. I’m also working on some raspberry liqueur, blueberry liqueur, and a limoncello. I have plans to make some vanilla extract since we have so many vanilla beans running amok around here (seriously), and possibly some coffee liqueur. I also want to can my own chicken base (reduced stock) and tomatoes, but that will require me to “grow a pair” *ahem* to use the pressure cooker. Why is that so scary? It shouldn’t be…the pressure cookers of today are nothing like they used to be.

Having started food preservation has also kicked me into a new mode of exploration. I finally made some almond butter. I’ve wanted to for quite a long time, but it wasn’t until the boys weren’t allowed to bring peanut products (or pumpkin, unfortunately) into the school this year that I finally decided I needed to do it. I ordered some raw almonds, roasted them, and ground them up (almost killing my smaller food processor!). It’s really tasty, but I’ll post more about that later. I also finally picked up the raw cacao nibs that I’ve been dying to play with. I’m a big fan of hot chocolate in the fall and winter and think it would be a lot of fun to make my own cocoa powder with my own percentage of sugar. Nevermind all of the other chocolaty goodness to be created. FYI, cacao nibs are 100% chocolate, so if you want a nice, dark 70% chocolate for baking or consumption, you weigh out 70% cacao to 30% sugar. You’re in complete control of the sugar and I really like that.

On a different and completely bass akwards note, my main topic of research right now is raw food diets. Not for the purpose of dieting, but more because I want to feel better. I have no energy. I’m not sleeping well, I haven’t weighed myself, but I think I’m gaining weight. I feel like sleeping all day. I’m not depressed and that’s adding to my frustration because if I were depressed, that would be the root of all of this and I would know how to manage it. I’m trying to listen to what my body is telling me and these are the things I’m noticing:

100% of my diet right now consists of “comfort food.” Heavy pastas of either the red or white sauce variety are my “go to” meals of choice. Chocolate. I don’t even like chocolate that much, but one would never imagine that by the way I’m going after it right now. Coke, which I’d cut out of my diet for years, has now made a strong comeback. I’m frustrated by my desire to eat these things in excess because I know that they’re only contributing to the problem. Because I realize this, it’s easy for me to put off eating (out of frustration) until I’m really hungry (stupidly) and then, I seem to be unable to think about eating anything else. Clearly not a healthy cycle I’m in. It feels pretty gross.
Though I’m eating comfort foods, I’m craving fresh fruit. I’m craving fruit and veggies with lots of water such as watermelon and iceberg lettuce. Obviously, I’m dehydrated. Yes, I am. My water intake has dropped from about 96 oz a day to, oh…16. If I’m lucky. I also miss drinking Alaskan tap water. So cold and fresh. Here…in West Texas…we chew our tap water, which is why most of us have RO systems or at least a decent filter. And it’s not cold by any stretch of the imagination. Oh, no…it’s room temperature at best. Very odd having grown up in a far cooler location.
I’m craving the cold Pacific Northwest ocean air. I want to run in it. I want to feel saturated with it. My lungs and throat hate the desert. It doesn’t make sense to me that people would live in such a physically inhospitable place. With heat soaring above 100 degrees and humidity down below 20%, I don’t know how people survive here. I don’t want to move my body because moving means breathing and breathing means discomfort. Running inside on my treadmill is getting old and the breathing issue remains the same. Dehydration comes into play here, also, and that’s 100% my fault for not keeping up with my water intake.
The Man has some sort of allergy or something that’s causing him to have IBS type symptoms. He’s been like this, I think, the entire time I’ve known him. It worries me. I’m concerned about long-term inflammation. It’s typically worse when we eat out and sometimes, after a long stretch of only eating our own, freshly prepared foods (we don’t use packaged pantry food if we can help it), it completely disappears. I just wonder what the “key ingredient” to this is…

So, given the above observations, I’m being slowly drawn to “green smoothies” and a raw diet. Not 100%, mind you - I have no desire to cut out our love for kitchen chemistry, but I do feel that we’re grossly out of balance here. We need to stop the eating out, save for once a blue moon, and it will be much easier after tonight (birthday boy wants to go out). We have a killer juicer (Breville BJE200XL 700-Watt Compact Juice Fountain) that can handle just about everything you throw at it, so all I need now is the produce to go in it. Not sure this fits in well with my budget grocery shopping, but we’ll see… If anyone has any tips, tricks, or other suggestions, please throw them my way!

The birthday boy has decided he wants to give Texas Roadhouse another try for his birthday. Last year, he proudly said that was where he wanted to go, being fully aware of their birthday antics. For anyone who hasn’t witnessed this, the staff gather around and sing a loud chanting song while you’re on a sawhorse saddle, waving a napkin over your head like a lasso (totally mortifying, I’m sure - I refuse to step foot in the place on my birthday). Anyway, he went there and was so absolutely and completely embarrassed that I had to hold him with one hand out of the booth to at least stand up while they sang to him. The saddle was a definite no-go. His brother, on the other hand…well, let’s just say that he went at it with gusto on his birthday. GoodNESS, couldn’t even get him off the damn saddle. Anyway! So, that’s where he’s decided to go tonight for dinner. I’m still trying to decide whether we should make him a cake, buy him a cake, or let him pick a dessert from the menu. I guess I should ask him! LOL

Well, this is me, signing off. That was a whole lot of randomness crammed into one entry.

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August 26, 2009

Time Spent Couponing Pays!

Filed under: Finances, Retail Therapy — Steph @ 2:27 pm

I’m stoked. My first coupon shopping trip, I saved an even 20%. Off of a $100 grocery bill, $20 is pretty substantial! This time, I saved 37%. If I’d stuck strictly to my shopping list and avoided the deals on produce for the boys’ lunches, my total savings would have been 57%!

I picked up a chocolate Yoplait Whip for free and out of curiousity. It was surprisingly good, though I’m not sure I would spend money on them. We got four big boxes of Van De Kamp’s fish sticks and filets for free. I had a couple “buy X, get 1 free” coupons. I ended up paying only a dollar for each large box of Rice Krispies (yes…I will probably wind up making Rice Krispies Treats again). A couple of boxes of Trix cereal for free because of a Commissary coupon as well as a manufacturer coupon. There were two things that didn’t ring up at their sale price (and I didn’t have coupons for them), which concerns me, but the difference isn’t worth making a fuss over. I’ll call them to let them know, though.

I’m sold. Simple as that. I was worried about all the time I spent coupon hunting and clipping not being worth it (or the ink and paper!), but this is great. To top it off, this was all at the commissary and after reading numerous accounts of irritable checkers giving grief over coupons, I was anxious. My checker was so impressed, though, that she stated it loud and clear to my husband (hanging out, shopping with me on his lunch break - what a guy!) and added that her son needs to find someone like me. Yes, I’m blushing. LOL I also loved that as she was going through them, there were a couple that she had to comment on. ”This is a really good one!” For someone so new at this (I’m almost 30 - I can’t believe I didn’t figure this out earlier), those words were awesome.

Happy girl. Happy, happy girl.

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