Tripping Over My Words.....

I don't know what it is lately, but I have been lacking in the mind-to-mouth coordination department. For example, last Sunday in the Deaf Branch I voiced during sacrament meeting, and during Sunday School as well. And try as I might, I couldn't get my thoughts in to coherent words and sentences. I hope this is a just a phase. I get so frustrated with myself when this happens. If my words were my feet, I would be face to face with the ground 24/7.

Hair Woes of Yesteryear

Last Saturday Brandon and I went up to Brigham City, UT for their "Peach Days" carnival. We didn't actually make it to the carnival, but had a great time at a BBQ with the Deaf Branch we go to. It was a combined Cache Valley and Ogden BBQ. It was really great to see some people that we haven't seen in a very long time! But here's my point to the title of this post:

Like many activities with the Deaf (it's the truth, let's face it guys) the BBQ didn't start anywhere NEAR the time it was supposed to. This was not a great thing for my blood sugar. We get there and an hour goes by or preparation and I start to feel "drunk". My blood sugar was starting to plummet. I asked Brandon to come with me (thank goodness for that!) and we went to the closest gas station we could find. We get out of the car and walk in to the store. Not a minute after we walk in there and the cashier busts out "Oh my GOODNESS who does your hair?" I looked around seeing who she was talking to and realize she's talking to me! I had a sense of panic shiver up my spine because I got my hair cut just the day before. All I could say was "Oh no! Does it look that bad? I just got it cut yesterday and haven't had the chance to look at the back!"

She says "NO! That isn't what I mean. It actually looks like whoever did it did a great job!"

I say "PHEW! I you scared the (censored) out of me! I thought you meant to say it looked terrible!"

Lady: "No not at all, I am just wondering where you got it done? Was it here in Brigham? I have yet to find someone that cuts decent hair!"

Me: "No, sorry. I get my hair cut by the ladies at the Fantastic Sam's on 36th street in Ogden"

Lady: "I thought you were going to say that, I have gotten my hair cut twice here and they always screw it up!"

So this conversation went as such and it reminded me of the hair disasters I experienced. One of the WORST haircuts and colors I ever had done was in Brigham City actually.

It also reminded me of how we get up in the morning and do our hair only to go to the hair salon to have them wash it all over again cut and style it. One of my serious pet peeves about this is that I will go in and they cut my hair and don't blow dry it all the way, even when I try to ask them to blow dry it all the way because the natural wave can quickly turn into a natural disaster if they don't dry it all the way. I hate paying good and hard earned money PLUS a tip to someone that only minimally dries my hair and expects me to be happy!

My question to my readers (again, all 3 of you) is have you ever had a hair freakout over a bad haircut or color? If so, what happened?

Caffeine Free Folks!

Today marks 2 entire weeks since I have consumed any caffeine. I am a caffeine-free woman! (wishing right about now that I was a fat-free woman)

For years and years I have consumed caffeine in mass quantities since dating a guy in high school who's family drank Dr. Pepper like water. I will admit that I went for a couple of year in college without it. For some reason I started up again and when I found out I had Diabetes, I was more than happy to switch to Diet Dr. Pepper.

This "habit" as my mom likes to call it, really turned into one. I got to the point where I couldn't wait to have my early/mid-morning "hit" of caffeine. I would get up, shower, and the come upstairs to get a Diet Dr Pepper only to take it down stairs with me to drink while finishing my "getting ready for the day" routine.

When we got the boys, it got even worse! Lack of sleep didn't help either. It was the only thing that could get me through the day.... or so I thought.

I started doing things to make sure I got my caffeine for the day. I would wake up in the morning, get ready as fast as I could and throw the boys in the car to drive the 1 mile to the gas station and buy 2-4 Diet Dr Pepper's for the day or next 2 days. Then I realized that I was participating in "addict" behavior! I would get moody and anxious if I didn't get my caffeine.. then the headaches would hit.

When the boys left us, I decided it was time to make some changes. I went to Idaho with my husband for a few days, drank a TON of caffeine, and then during my trip to Denver I decided not to drink ANY caffeine. For those of you that know my family, most of us LOVE soda. So my parents had tons of it, either caffeinated or decaffeinated. I chose the diet decaffeinated stuff to help with this. That was 2 weeks ago! I must say the withdrawals were HECK. The headaches were the worst, on top of feeling extremely tired for the first few days. If those were the lousy withdrawals from only a bad caffeine habit, I can't even begin to imagine the crap people experience with stronger more controlling habits!

So here's to healthy!

Healthy and Conscious

I have been reading a book that I bought at the Salt Lake Airport in anticipation of my flight to Denver for an entire week. Nearly every book in my house has been read more than once (if it's Twilight, about 6 times.. but who's counting??!!) and I have had enough. I bought a book with a title that might offend some of my blog readers (all 3 of you) but it's called "Skinny B$*&%z". I picked it up out of curiosity and read the back. It sparked my interest when it stated that the authors were bluntly honest about how to eat better and get healthy in the process. Little did I realize that this book was MUCH more than that. If you can stomach some of the inappropriate language of these women, you are able to learn a lot of useful information. I have to say the information intrigued me and really made me think. For example, they talk about the meat packing industry and the government's lack of effort to stop animal cruelty/abuse. They talk about the unhealthy hormones that animals are injected with such as growth hormones, or hormones that make cow's make more milk at unnatural rates, and how this crap ends up in our bodies when we consume animal products.

I have NEVER considered myself a "tree-hugger" or whatever you consider "those" people. I just have to say that I respect anyone who lives what they believe whether I agree with it or not (within moral reason). Being environmentally aware of your surroundings and standing up for it is neither right or wrong for me. While reading this book, I may not be fully adopting the recommendations of these cheeky (British slang folks!) women, their musings have really made me think even more about the kinds of food I consume on a daily basis and how I feel after eating the things that I do. So it comes down to this: I am trying to make better choices about what I eat. I have high cholesterol, therefore I need to consume foods that aren't going to make my cholesterol take even more flight. To start, I am trying to eat more fruit and vegetables, consuming less dairy meaning buying soy yogurt, soy milk, and soy cheese. I am also trying to eat less meat and not eat so many processed foods that contain tons of sodium, cholesterol, and yes people, my other enemy.....CARBS!

And just because I am buying SOY products doesn't mean that I am a "tree-hugger". Let's just say that I am choosing to do so for my own health. Soy doesn't contain ANY cholesterol and is a pure protein without hormones or some crap in it.

I am taking interest in buying more naturally made products that are better for me in general. I am perusing the different natural health food stores for the best deals on naturally made products that aren't necessarily organic. Thank goodness I have a wonderful and supportive husband who was already raised in a home with similar views on food!

So here begins a new point in my life: eating not only better foods, but trying to be conscious of what I am putting into this body of mine.