Hello 2015!

I'm a little late, but Happy New Year! It's 2015 and hopefully you are starting fresh with a positive outlook!  We were dealt a little bit of a yucky hand late in the year that has inspired a series of posts for the blog. I am trying to put a positive spin on everything. When life hands you lemons and all that jazz!


I hope that you will continue to join me on my adventure! Until next time!

Detox Bath

Well, despite my best attempt, the Goose, the Bear and Me are all sick with a pretty nasty cold. I had every intention of doing a MUCH more interesting post, but with all kinds of germs going around I thought I would talk about a detox bath instead. Sidenote: I also have a post about oil pulling and the magic of coconut oil!

Admittedly, I'm pretty new to the detox bath. I saw it on Pinterest and I've seen a few different variations, and I tried a fairly simple one. Epsom Salts and Baking Soda. Is it the miracle that people claim it is? Eh, probably not, but it does make a difference! 

I used about 2 cups of Epsom Salts and 1 cup of Baking Soda. I totally eyeballed it. You need to sit in the hottest water you can stand for about 20 minutes. I usually take a bottle of water in with me, they say to drink plenty before and after, and that this will help draw out toxins and can help fight a cold/flu. Afterwards rinse off in cooler water. 

I have done this quite a few times. I always do it in the evening because I get out of the bath feeling like cooked spaghetti and I always sleep great afterward! There are a lot of claims about it from sunburns to flu to hangovers. I can't weigh in on all that but I can tell you that it definatly helps me feel better if I'm sick (or to sleep better so I can fight it off!) and it is nice even when I'm not sick. 

So wash your hands often, and if you get sick try this! (And follow any advice from your doctor! I'm not a medical professional, and I'm not claiming to be!)

Hyperemesis Gravidarum and my 6 tips!

I've been working on this post for awhile, and I just never posted it..but with the recent interest in the Princess... here it is! It is very lengthy, but there is no easy way to explain it.

With both of my pregnancies I suffered from "morning" (ha! try all day!) sickness. When I was pregnant with Goose, I rarely felt sick, but I threw up often. All day. Everyday. It didn't bother me, and didn't slow me down, I tried all the different tips that people told me about to ease it, but no such luck.

My second pregnancy....wow...just wow. 

A few weeks after I found out I was pregnant I started to get queasy and vomit occasionally. I was prepared for that...but it got worse..and worse...and even worse. I was constantly throwing up (on the very very rare occasion that I went somewhere, I carried a bucket and I kept garbage bags in my purse and car) I couldn't keep ANYTHING down. I felt run down, and if I tried to get up and do anything I was dizzy. I was so sick that I made an appointment with the doctor. The first one I felt brushed off, and even though I love my doctor's office (I mean LOVE!) I was a wreck. Pants was with me and she told him to have me rest. I went back not even a week later, and I was severely dehydrated, and was told that I was literally starving. I had lost weight, and got an IV and an anti-nausea medication. Little did I know..that iv fluids would become my new normal.  I had Hypermesis Gravidarum. It didn't go away, and it was SO hard.


You try to explain to people, and they just can't grasp it. After throwing up a lot with Goose, I thought I could handle any "morning" sickness with my 2nd pregnancy....ha!

I threw up. ALL. THE. TIME. I couldn't shower because I would get dizzy to the point of passing out, and throw up so badly that I was dizzy and needed help out of the bathroom.  I couldn't drive.  My 4 year old was taking care of me. It was awful (but super sweet of her). On the occasions I went anywhere, I would get dizzy to the point of passing out and leave, usually getting sick along the way. I did my best not to complain, and to try to keep up with my day to day and some kind of "normal" for Goose, but I was struggling.

 It was frustrating because people would say "try crackers" and I wanted to scream. And when I was a little over half way they would say "try ginger ale" or "not much longer now!" I was so angry at those people! I know they meant well, and I'm glad they offered kind words..for the most part..but do you really think if ginger ale or crackers would "fix" this I would still be this sick?

All I wanted was to eat. I would sit and cry because all I wanted was to eat anything and not throw up until there wasn't even bile in my stomach. I ended up gaining NO weight, and I lost almost 18 lbs the last few weeks of my pregnancy and a couple weeks after Little Bear was born I was down almost 40 lbs. My last 2 weeks of pregnancy I had a regular coke, a  couple chocolate milkshakes, and bottles of water. None of which stayed down.

I had no energy to be excited. Most of the time I was pretty sure I had ruined our lives. It didn't feel like it could get better but the thought of worse...it was unfathomable.

That is a lot to deal with, but being severely dehydrated you are a mess. I would cry, and have no tears. I couldn't focus. I would go for an IV and it was a struggle to get a vein. One time after being poked too many times to count they poked a final time and blood went everywhere. I could see the horror on my husband's face. I passed out when they took my blood for the glucose test, just to be told I had to do the 3 hour.  I was depressed. I was disgusted. It took a toll on my family. Goose was terrified for me, and Pants had to work, and do it all. I worried that I'd ruined everything for Goose. I worried that this was harming the baby. I worried about the stress placed on everybody around me.

Looking back, I don't know how I made it, but I did. I wish that I could explain the horror of it. The strain on loved ones and the feelings of failure..but there is NO way.

I thought when I delivered I would be better, in fact I was craving my first meal after having her,(without being sick) I wanted a grilled cheese, fries and a chocolate shake!  I was induced because they were worried about the stress on me, and of course the baby. It didn't work like that! It was a battle, I got better than I was, and able to do more, but I was still throwing up multiple times a day. Around the time she was 14 months old I started feeling better. I believe, in most cases it usually is "cured" by delivery, but not in my case.  I found out after continuous vomiting that I ended up with bad reflux and a hiatal hernia, and will most likely end up with surgery to fix the hernia.

If you've never had morning sickness...yay! If you encounter somebody with morning sickness, please please puh-leasse don't suggest crackers! Or assume they are exaggerating. I had no idea about HG before pregnancy with C, it only affects about 1% of pregnancies. I'm here to help educate people because it was terrible and I had nobody who understood or had been there, and they tried but its not the same.

I tried a lot of different suggestions for morning sickness, including medication. Here are some things that helped me:

• Unisom (not gels!) plus 25mg of B6. I'd take a unisom at bed time and B6 every 8 hours. (This worked better than the medications like zofran which I also tried)
• Sour(ish) Candy- I was a fan of sour apple lollipops with the gum inside.
• If you aren't *craving* it-DON'T eat it. If crackers don't sound good..don't eat them!
• Don't get too hungry or full. I had to carry snacks at all time. 
• Too warm or too cold can make "morning" sickness worse!
• Rest as much as possible

If you found this blog and you have HG..hugs, take any help you can get! If you don't have it....consider yourself lucky! Please feel free to contact me!

Stuffed Pizza Biscuits

It's Wednesday...what's for dinner? In our house, since Pants isn't home the girls decided on pizza biscuits. Technically, Goose and I are having pizza biscuits, C may eat one, but she is having scrambled eggs and a biscuit with strawberry jam. These are quick, easy, and yummy! (Made the same as my stuffed breakfast biscuits) they make a good snack food, or you can cheat and have them for supper like we did!

 You'll need:

• 2 cans of biscuits
• Mozzarella (I used string cheese!)
• Pepperoni
• Any other "toppings" (or in this case, stuffings) you want
• 1 egg beaten
• Garlic powder and Italian Seasoning

Take one biscuit at a time, flatten it, and fill with cheese and pepperoni. Fold the biscuit around it, and set it seam side down in a baking dish. Try to leave a small space between biscuits. Continue until all the biscuits are filled. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and then sprinkle with garlic powder and italian seasoning. Bake according to directions on can (mine was bake at 350 for 15-17 mins, but they took about 20.)

Serve with pizza sauce and enjoy!

As always, I'd love to know your thoughts, here or on Facebook!  Hope you enjoy!

Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos

Time for me to put in my oPINion again!

 I recently pinned a recipe for slow cooker cream cheese taquitos. (See it here!) I was skeptical since it seemed so simple, especially because some recipes seem a little bland to me, but I enjoyed it. They are perfect snack food, and both girls liked them too. I have already thought of a bunch of different ways to "kick it up a notch". I made the chicken the night before when I made chicken for dinner, and when it was done I put it in the fridge to use the next day, and it was very tasty! We dipped them in a salsa and a queso blanco dip. Yum!

I hope that you will give these a try and let me know what you thought either in a comment or on Facebook!

*UPDATE: I've made these a couple more times and we prefer the sharp cheddar cheese.*

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• salt + pepper
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• ⅓ cup water
• ½ cup shredded colby or Mexican blend cheese (Next time I will use sharp cheddar)
• 12 6 inch corn or flour tortillas (we used flour)
• optional: cilantro, salsa, sour cream, or other toppings as desired (we like salsa or queso dip!)

How to:

Add chicken, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper to taste, cream cheese, and water to crock pot. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours.
minutes before serving, remove chicken from crock pot, shred with two forks, and return to slow cooker. Give it a stir. Let it cook about 15 minutes longer.

Preheat oven to 400. Place about ¼ cup of the chicken mixture onto the middle of each tortilla. Top with 1-2 tablespoons shredded cheese. Roll tightly and place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, until tortillas are slightly browned and shredded cheese is melted. Serve with desired toppings and sauces.

East Coast Cup of Tea

Whew! I am trying to blog on a regular schedule, but I've been one busy mumma! In the midst of all the things going on in my little world, I've started a new project in hopes to earn a little extra income. If you follow me on Facebook, you may have already been introduced to my new page East Coast Cup of Tea. I am doing mostly "rustic" signs, but also plan on including some digital files to print or framed prints, as well as some other items.

It was all inspired by Pants, Pallets, and Pinterest.

 I love all the DIY projects on Pinterest...and I'm not alone, so one day, I mentioned to Pants that I'd love to have a few pallets. He told me he could get them for me when he got a chance and I left it at that...a month or so went by, and then one day I was sitting on my living room floor coloring with Goose and GirlBaby when I heard a truck pull up...

Imagine my surprise when I  looked out the front window to find a flat bed tractor trailer with a TON of pallets. They were friends of Pants, and I tried explaining that I just wanted a few pallets to try a couple projects with....their response was amused laughter and to unload the pallets around back where he had asked them to put them. All 100 of them. ONE HUNDRED pallets!

Both of my girls watched amazed, with big eyes, and I called Pants and told him there were approximately a million pallets and they were in huge stacks in the back yard. He laughed, but I don't think he thought there were THAT many.

Pants came home from work, and I could tell he was surprised too, and when he went to count there were 100. We've shared, we've burned some, and there are still quite a few, so in an attempt to clear out the pallets (and hopefully earn a little extra money!) I've started creating some signs etc. So far, so good because I'm really enjoying it! Wish me luck!

Macaroni and Cheese- My oPINion

Hello again! Time for another oPINion! 

For Father's Day, Pants requested homemade, baked macaroni and cheese. I decided to check Pinterest and decided on a recipe.... it's from the Pioneer Woman, and I haven't had a bad recipe from her yet, so it was the lucky winner! (See the origial pin here!) I've made it a few times since then and it's a crowd pleaser in our house! In her post, she says "DO NOT UNDER SALT" and it's true, don't! This is yummy, and not too hard to make, and pleases both the adults and children! It's creamy and cheesy and the cheese crust on the top is bubbly, and gives it great texture. 

Give it a try, and as always, I'd love to know your thoughts either on Facebook or in the comments! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 cups Dried Macaroni
1 whole Egg Beaten
1/4 cup (1/2 Stick) Butter
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
2 teaspoons dry mustard (more to taste)
1 pound grated cheese
1/2 teaspoon Salt (More To Taste)
1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt (More To Taste, I used Lawry's)
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Cook macaroni until very firm and then drain. In a small bowl, beat the egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk,  and add ground mustard, whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt to taste.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Pour into a baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

It is good for dinner, and even better for lunch the next day! Yum!