A Funny...

I forgot to mention in my last post about the hospital a little something funny that happened.

As we were headed in to the ER on Sunday, there was a group of guys outside smoking macanudos cigars. I just looked at them for a minute and then, rude or not, I had to know why. Sure, you see smokers with cigarettes huddled in areas but cigars? Turns out, one of the guys was a new dad and you know the tradition: guys smoke cigars after babies are born. He said he got a great deal online to buy wholesale cigars and they didn't want to waste the moment. But you can't smoke in a hospital. I felt bad for the guys because it was cold and rainy, but they were having fun.

Article: Accepted!

I love Friday...and for a different reason than that it's TGIF! Today I got not 1 but 3 phone calls from editors -- new to me editors! -- accepting my article ideas. YAAAY!!! The piece I'm most proud of is an anti-aging/aging gracefully article filled with advice on everything from going gray the right way to which wrinkle filler works to what to do about the age-old plastic surgery or not question. All 3 magazines are regionals, so I'm still oh-fer at the national magazine query game, but I really think I'm getting closer...and what more could I ask for?

Sigh of Relief..

We've just spent a week-ish in and out of the hospital/urgent care/doctor's office. Why? The bebe has developed some breathing problems and we're trying to figure them out. Today, after a little over a month of in-and-outs, getting better and getting worse we got a diagnosis: allergies pushing some light asthma reactions. Very good news because it's treatable.

We were really lucky...while we were doing the in-and-outs we saw countless kids dealing with severe asthma issues, adults dealing with cancer diagnoses and general illness. One thing that helped me? Putting my writer skills to work researching the different possibilities and treatments. There is nothing like learning about an illness on your own, even the bad ones like Mesothelioma.

Whatever you need to know, there is information online, but at least by doing research you can think of new questions to ask your doctor on the next visit, because when you're in that tiny room the last thing on your mind is question. At that point it's all about digesting the information being presented to you.

Follow Your Doc's Orders

I've been seeing a lot of ads for Lipofuze lately; it's from the fat-burner section of weight loss and diet pills. I'm not sure exactly how they work but don't the ads sound great? Lose weight without trying because the pill boosts your metabolism ... Hmmm... sounds like a plan to me, as long as you're following doctor's orders and still eating healthfully. Still, I'm not quite ready to try it because my diet-and-exercise plan is working and I can't complain about my results. After my yearly exam in February, though, I might ask my doctor about it...assuming I'm not already at my goal! Sometimes we all need a little bit of help but that doesn't give us the excuse to ignore the basic rules of nutrition!

Holiday Shopping Early This Year

I've been listening to Christmas music all morning long and I'm so in the mood for the holiday. I love this time of year - sending Christmas cards, cooking delicious treats and shopping - with one exception. I don't know about the rest of y'all, but shopping online is a huge plus for me - don't have to deal with mall crowds, mean people or crotchety sales associates.

We are actually doing a lot of our shopping online this year and I thought I'd pass along this site for great online coupons. From several dollars off to free shipping, online coupons really take the yuk out of holiday shopping. Plus, this site is easy to navigate, you don't have to go through the 5th Circle Of Purgatory just to find great deals.

Advice Needed:

Do any of you have a tried-and-true eye cream for dark circles? I've had dark circles under my eyes since my college days. When I'm tanned in the summer, the circles fade, but once fall/winter hit I'm done for. I can cover with concealer but that gunks up my pores. Yuk. Cucumbers don't work, extra sleep doesn't, over-the-counter/drug store stuff doesn't. And, frankly, I'm tired of fighting the circles. I just want them to be gone...so, advice? Home-made remedies? I'll take anything at this point...I just want the circles to go away.

Finally Found It!

So the bebe isn't so tiny any longer and we've been trying to figure out the perfect gift for our almost-3-year-old. We have a doll house, she has a 'car' to drive...we were thinking of a trike, but I think she's a little short for that still. The hubster thinks power wheels are a good choice because she's still at that in-between stage. I like the idea but we can't find them at any of our local stores, even the huge toy store complex. They look great online, but I'd really like to find one 'in person' to kind of gauge the distance for her little legs because even though she's growing up she's still a shortie. Ideas?

Mid-Weed Check In - Week 2

This week has been really stressful, so I've tried some alternative things in addition to cutting calories. Why so stressful? It's NANO (write a book in a month challenge), I've had a ton of non-fiction deadlines and we're dealing with a sick kiddo and an up-in-the-air diagnosis. Yeah, not sleeping...and my stress eating habits? Very hard to break. So I've done a little 'alternative' exercising.

In addition to working out at the gym, I've taken afternoon walks each day and two days I tried some different workout routines: I did Turbo Jam one day (lurrrved it!) and tried a p90x workout the other. I know, P90X is supposed to be a whole regime, but I wanted to try it first. I liked it. My New Year's Resolution may be to do a full 90-day circuit!

Researching Shoes...

I tell you guys this all the time, but one of my favorite things as a freelancer is the research. I know, glutton for punishment...but I do love it! I've been working on a piece for a fitness magazine about the new shoes coming out for extended training, toning like Reebok, Sketchers, mbt shoes and New Balance. Have to say that I like all of the shoes but the Sketchers and MBTs best. Why? The comfort level. Seriously. The Reeboks fit my feet weird so my toes get really tired and tight, same with New Balance. But the MBTs are super comfortable and they don't tire my feet. Have you tried any of these shoes? Which is your favorite?

Traveling for the Holidays?

Travel used to be a huge part of the holidays for my family. We'd go to Grandma's (mom's family) in the morning, my Grandfather's (dad's family) in the evening...and by the time we got home, we'd all be exhausted. The hubster and I don't do that. We make it a point. If we're going to a family member's, that's where we stay and we'll make a point to see the rest of the extended families at a later time.

But we do still travel -- a lot -- from Thanksgiving through New Year's because we live in 1 state and our families in another. I'm always looking for travel deals and this year, especially, with a new kiddo in tow. As I was looking up airfares this morning I started thinking about our usual holiday fun: The extended family is hilarious - the guys usually go out in the afternoon and play some football, we girls play cards and then we all play board games for a while...it's hilarious, really. What are your family holiday traditions?

Continuing Education - Part of Life!

I'll never forget my college years, even though I didn't do the typical live-on-campus part. I was a commuter student, driving about 30 miles to classes each day. It worked for me because I could get away from the campus craziness whenever I wanted or take part whenever I wanted. Those were really fun times, but now it seems like nearly all collegiates are commuting in one way or another. The hubster just finished an advanced design degree and everything was done online (he had to report for 1 'introductory' class at the beginning of the semester. that's it!) from tests and review to getting in touch with his professor. I would have loved that kind of accessibility because my professors were never available to talk, even during office hours!

Although I work as a freelancer, there are many, many freelance project management jobs out there that could add another layer to my business so I've been researching different online accredited degrees
programs. I'm not 100% certain that I'll take a course, but I am thinking very hard about it.

Second Week: Still Good Results...

I did my weight watchers check-in this week. Not too shabby...3 pounds down, for a grand total of 10 for the 2 weeks we've been dieting. I'm happy with the results. A funny thing happened, though. I ordered vitamin supplements, something you should definitely do when you're on a diet and exercise regimen, but the company goofed and instead I received weight gain supplements. Totally not what I wanted. I called and they were super nice...they paid to ship the wrong stuff back and overnighted the right order. All in all, not a bad transaction.