Back in the Saddle Again!

Yes, it's been almost a year since I last published here. Life has been very busy and a few things have changed. I haven't been following a vegan diet for some time now. It was a gradual change that started with including other foods back into my diet. So you won't find any new vegan info here. I won't remove my old posts because it's been part of the journey. In other news, my husband has just been diagnosed as having celiac disease, so we are diving into the whole gluten free thing. It's a lot of information to digest, but I'm so happy that he finally knows what has been causing problems for him. He's starting to feel much better after eliminating gluten. My kids and I are not completely gluten free, but we've greatly reduced our gluten intake too. It takes a lot of label reading for sure. The reason I decided to post again is that I read an email from Fly Lady last week that said "As the kitchen goes, so goes the rest of the house." And I decided it was time to get back to actually trying to get organized. So, I started tonight by shining my sink. It looks pretty good. Don't worry, I won't post a picture of it. Getting the sink shined is a small step, but it feels like I might be headed in the right direction. I'm trying not to dive in too deep because I start hard and then fizzle out. Instead, I'm just going to try to set up some habits and keep doing them over and over again. I've also been working on my fitness for awhile. I'm doing Online Boot Camp with Jonathan Roche. The biggest thing I've been learning is that fitness is a mental challenge. Being positive and having a positive mind set helps me so much. I'm feeling better and have more energy. The weight is taking a while, but I'm feeling good about it. I'm OK if the weight comes off slowly as long as it comes off and stays off. And that's my update for now. Hopefully you will hear more from me in the near future.

Getting Fitter & Healthier with Weight Watchers and FitBit!

Can't believe it has been so long since I updated!  Spent the fall getting used to my sleep apnea diagnosis and trying to get into a healthier sleep pattern, then ended up with a slipped disc in the new year and was off work for 9 weeks.  It was very painful, and I have a new understanding of what chronic pain is like.  Thankfully, it healed up on its own, no surgery needed this time.

Between the sleep apnea and spending a lot of time off my feet resting, my weight shot up again.  When you get to the point that your fat pants no longer fit, you know it's time to do something, so I did.  I signed up for Weight Watchers again.  I had great success with it when I did it 8 years ago, but I changed work schedules and wasn't able to track my meals online as easily.  Now, I can use my iPhone to update my points in the App and it is soooo easy!  My mom has also had great success with WW.  She lost 30 pounds and has kept it off.  I could tell she just felt better, so when I told her I signed up again, she was my biggest cheerleader. 

So, I've been doing WW for about 8 weeks now.  I'm down almost 12 pounds.  I feel better, have some more energy, and I'm enjoying watching my body change slowly.  Finding dips in my body where it was rounded before is so much fun!  I still have a ways to go before I get back to my original starting weight 8 years ago, but I'm just so happy to see it coming off.  My weight kept going up, and I was beginning to think that it just always would.  I'm glad I finally decided to do something.

I've been having fun getting activity points.  I like having the buffer of extra points in case I go over on my weekly points.  I don't usually end up using all of them, but it's fun to earn them.  I never thought I'd be one to say that!  My company gave each employee a FitBit last year.  I finally got mine in March when I got back to work.  I love my FitBit!  I obsessively check it to see how close I am to my daily goal of 10,000 steps.  I just passed my 250K lifetime achievement this week.  I never thought I would walk that much.  I'm fitting more exercise in by pacing in front of the television some nights to get me closer to my step goal.  I'm also trying to get out walking with the kids after dinner.  They ride their bikes, and I try to keep up. 

The FitBit also tracks my sleep when I remember to put it in sleep mode.  This helps me to see how much sleep I'm actually getting so I can see how I'm doing with the sleep apnea as well.  I plan on writing another entry on the FitBit, so check back soon!

I finally feel like I'm headed in the right direction.  I see progress.  I am getting there!

Sleep Apnea

So, the results are in for my sleep test.  As suspected, I have sleep apnea.  I rated in the severe category because I stopped breathing more than 30 times per hour.  When you think that it means that I stopped breathing about once every 2 minutes, it is pretty scary! 

The great news is that it is totally treatable.  I am currently using a loaner CPAP machine, but I'll be getting my own soon.  It was a little intimidating at first, but it's really easy to use and for the most part, it doesn't bother me at all.

I went to see a respairologist and we talked about my condition and she set me up with the machine.  I got to sit back in her Lazy Boy and try it out.  At first, having air pumped directly at me was really weird.  She told me that it would feel overwhelming at first, but all I needed to do was relax and breathe through my nose.  Wow!  So easy! 

I am using a nasal mask, so it goes over my nose and there is a piece that goes up to the bridge of my nose and is anchored around my forehead with velcro straps.  It's got a knob so you can adjust as well.  Then there are straps that snap into the bottom of the mask to hold it over my face.  Everything is adjustable, so it's easy to tweak for comfort. 

Everything packs up into a carrying case and I took it home that day.  There is a readable card that plugs into the machine at the back.  I take it back before I go for tests so the card can be read and the information is sent to my doctor.  It reports on compliance to be sure I am using it and gives my average times for use. 

There were a few times that I woke up to find that I had pulled my mask off during the night, but it's gotten better.  I had a little trouble with skin irritation as well.  I did some research online and found some suggestions that helped.  So far, so good!

Aviva Community Fund Competition

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Aviva Community Fund for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

This year marks the fifth year of the Aviva Community Fund's competition.  I'm glad to have the opportunity to share about this competition once again.  What I like about it is that the competition is all about regular people submitting ideas to make their communities better.  Positive change can start from a small change that will make a huge impact on the community.  Who knows what their community needs better than the people that live in it?  There is $1,000,000 of funding to be shared for the ideas that get the most votes.

To submit an idea, you just need to enter it on the Aviva Community Fund site, then get everyone you know to vote for your idea.  Finalists are chosen based on the number of votes.  And getting an Aviva Insurance Broker to support your idea increases the chances of winning.  Ideas can be submitted until November 25, 2013, so get your ideas in!  Remember, any idea that creates positive change in your community can be entered.

You can find more information about the contest if you Like Aviva Community Fund on Facebook or Follow @avivacf on Twitter.  You'l be able to keep up with the latest information, see new ideas and find out how to vote.  Get involved so that you can help to create positive change in your neighbourhood.

My Best Friend Saved My Life

It's frustrating when you have so many posts you want to write, but you just don't have the energy to do them or just about anything else.  That's where I've been for the last while and I think I finally know why.

I went on an amazing vacation with my best friend this spring.  We live in different provinces, so we don't get to spend a lot of time together, but this time, we went away and had 6 days to be together.  It was an amazing trip!  Here's how my friend saved my life:  she told me that I snored.  No, really.  I didn't know that I snored at all, but it turns out that I do and it's pretty bad.  I thought that maybe it was allergies or something, so while I noted it, I didn't think much of it until I got home and my husband confirmed it.  Then I was flabbergasted.  Why hadn't anyone mentioned it before?

My father has sleep apnea, so I knew that I needed to get things checked out.  I made my husband come with me to see my doctor so that he could talk to how I snore because I really don't know.  The doctor asked him if I ever gasp for breath and hubby realized how serious it was then.  It turns out that I do gasp for breath frequently.  With other information on my sleep patterns, my doctor arranged for me to have a sleep test done.

While I was waiting for the sleep test a number of other things began to make sense.  I'm always tired because I'm not having a sound sleep.  I put weight on easily because I'm not sleeping.  I'm forgetful, headachy, foggy-brained, and sleepy.  Sometimes I have to have a nap just a few hours after I've woken up because I can't function.  Lights started going off all over the place.

I read more about sleep apnea and found out that sleep apnea can cause heart problems and other health concerns.  If my friend hadn't mentioned it, I never would have known that something was wrong and to start looking for answers.

I've gone for the sleep test and that was an experience in itself.  I felt like a part of the Borg Collective with all the wires attached to me.  My technician was great and made lots of little jokes to help to put me at ease.  He explained what the wires were for and what they would be monitoring.  When he came in to unhook me to go to the bathroom, he let me know how I was doing and that he was getting good results.  This helped me to stay relaxed and go back to sleep when I was plugged back in.

I haven't had the results yet as the doctor was called in to the hospital.  Four of this found this information after waiting for the doctor to arrive to the clinic for about 45 minutes.  Oh well.  I go back for my results in 3 weeks (yes, another 3 weeks of waiting!).  I hope to have some answers about whether it is indeed sleep apnea, or if I have another type of sleep disorder.  At this point, I just want to know so that I can begin treatment.

In the meantime, I've started to do some exercising.  I kept stalling out before because I didn't know what to do or how to do it, but I found Jonathan Roche's noexcuseworkouts.com through the FlyLady's team.  I'm using the free program right now and it's something I can actually do.  I haven't lost weight yet, but I was able to get a pair of jeans on easily that was too tight a few weeks before I started, so I'm getting somewhere :)

Hopefully once I know for sure what is going on, I'll be able to start a treatment that will get me feeling better and posting more.



Until then, I say "Cheers" to my bestie. You are the best and I love you!

Back on Medication, but That's OK!

So, it's been a long time since I've updated.  At first, I was looking at it thinking it was only a few weeks, then suddenly I realized that it's April!  I've been quiet for a very long time.  It's been a little stressful and busy in real life and I haven't felt like updating.  But here I am now.

Part of what kept me from posting for such a long time is that after being off antidepressants for 8 months, I started to recognize symptoms again.  I was having anxiety attacks, couldn't sleep, and saw a lot of the old symptoms come back.  After a visit to my doctor, he wanted me to go back on the Effexor again.  I didn't want to and expressed some concern, but he said it had worked before, so I should stick with it.  I took it for 3 days and felt sick, jittery, and just plain awful.  During that time, I talked with someone close to me who asked me why I agreed to go back on that medication.  She kind of reminded me that I needed to self advocate.  I do so much advocating for my daughter that I forget to advocate for myself.  I took myself off the medication (luckily 3 days wasn't long enough for discontinuation syndrome) and went back to the doctor.  He wanted to half the dosage of the Effexor, but I stood my ground and started a new medication.  It took a few months to get the dosage right, but I feel much better. 

I've often said that having depression is like being on a roller coaster.
I feel like I am finally in a good place, so I'm going to enjoy the ride!

My anxiety has dropped considerably, although I do have occasional moments of panic, they generally don't last as long. 

After going through so much effort to get off of the Effexor XR, I felt like a bit of a failure to have to go back on medication.  But, I realized that I was off the medication for quite awhile and I can do it again.  I would have been a failure if I hadn't recognized the symptoms and admitted that I needed help.  I'm hoping that this will be short term usage, but we'll see.  I am very glad that I didn't end up back on the Effexor XR again.  Even in 3 short days, I started to feel the old feelings coming back.  I was fidgety and felt foggy brained.  I am glad that my doctor agreed to let me try a newer medication, even though it wasn't his first choice.  It was nice to have some input into my own health care.

Starting a new medication was no picnic either.  Thankfully, my pharmacist recognized that it was a new medication for me, so she recommended that I start on a half dose for a few days before taking the full dose.  That helped a lot in the transition.  I researched the new medication so that I would know what kind of side effects to expect.  It felt like I got them all!  I kept note of side effects so that I would be able to notice any trends and be able to report back to my doctor. 

It took about a month and a half for the side effects to stop being a problem and at my current dosage, I feel pretty good about life in general.  I don't feel all sunshine and roses, but I also don't feel all doom and gloom.  I'm pretty much at an even keel these days, and the nice thing about this medication is that I actually have feelings and I'm not numbed into oblivion.  I'm a work in progress, and I'm getting to where I am meant to be, slowly, but moving forward all the time.

Insurance Hunter

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Insurance Hunter for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'll be honest, I go out of my way to avoid having to do anything with my Auto Insurance.  It always feels like a huge chore and I never know if I'm really getting the best deal or all the features that I need.  I was asked to write for Insurance Hunter, so I checked it out and I was pleasantly surprised.  Getting a quote was really, really easy.  I filled in the online questionnaire and I had 2 different options that I could compare right away in the comfort of my home.  I didn't have to make a series of endless phone calls to different companies.  It was all there, at my fingertips.  It was really easy to make changes to the type of coverage and features that I wanted so that I could compare what different companies were willing to offer me.  It was quick, easy, and painless!

I like that there is a telephone number that you can call if you have questions, so you can be sure that you are getting the policy that works best for you.  

When I used the quote tool, I received 2 different quotes from 2 different companies.  The difference in price was $124 per month between them for the same amount of coverage.  Insurance Hunter says that they can save you money and it's easy to see that they mean it.  

Next time you need to shop for Car Insurance, give Insurance Hunter a try.  There's no obligation, and it's so easy that you really have nothing to lose!

Getting there...

I was just looking over my posts and I was surprised to see that I've been writing here for almost 3 years.  Where did the time go?  I feel like I'm starting to get my stuff together.  You'd think that 3 years was more than enough time to get fit, organized, and healthy, but it's been a journey for me.  Baby steps here and there, and some steps backwards a few times too.  The important thing is that I am moving forward bit by bit.

I think I've come a long way in 3 years.  I've reclaimed my basement from the stuff that was piled there, gotten rid of a lot of stuff by donating it or just throwing it out (or recycling when appropriate).  I've been following a mostly vegan diet for a little over 2 years and I've been antidepressant free for about 8 months now.  Without the medications, I actually don't feel as depressed as I used to.  Funny how that works, isn't it?

I still have a long way to go, but I'll get there!  Overall, I feel a lot better than I did 3 years ago.  I think I'm more fun to be around too.  People don't tend to enjoy spending a lot of time with people who are negative, and I know I was very negative before.  I'm working on reducing stress and being more positive.  It's a process, but I find that it's helping.

I find this quote to be true:

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.  ~Phyllis Diller, Phyllis Diller's Housekeeping Hints, 1966

I would add that the same applies to husbands, especially if they are nerds and tend to accumulate a lot of computer stuff.

So, that's me for now.  Moving forward, step by step.  And now it seems appropriate to add this video:

Aviva Community Fund, Round 2!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Aviva Community Fund for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Last month, I shared with you about the first round of voting for  Aviva Community Fund.  You can find that post here:  http://getfitorganizedhealthy.blogspot.ca/2012/10/aviva-community-fund.html.  Now it's time for the second round.

The Aviva Community Fund is an annual charitable activation funded and supported by Aviva Insurance.  The goal is to provide funding to create positive change in communities across Canada.   Anyone can submit an idea that they think would create positive change in their community and have people vote for their idea.  The top ideas from each round go on to the semi-finals.  I like ideas that sound small but can make a huge impact on a community like community gardens to bring people together and help to feed the community, or new playgrounds that allow children to play outdoors.  

There are many wonderful ideas out there and you can help to choose those that will receive a share of the fund.  Anyone in Canada who registers on the page can vote and have their voice heard.  Now it's even easier to vote through Facebook Connect when you Like Aviva Community Fund.  You get 15 votes per round.  You can vote any time during the round, but you can only vote for each idea once per day.  Make your votes count!  You have the opportunity to support home-grown initiative that can bring positive changes to your community or communities like yours.  

Be sure to Follow @Aviva for the latest updates and more information. 

Time for an Update

It's been awhile since I've shared with you. Life is starting to settle down a bit. I feel a lot better since I've been off of the anti-depressants. I was talking with my daughter about it today and told her that I'm still working hard to be better. She asked me if I had any brain zaps lately, and I was able to assure her that I hadn't. Since she's 10, she understands more of what is going on than my 6 year old does. It's not easy when you have to tell your child that you have depression and you don't mean to be snarky and feel lousy all the time. She told me that I yell a lot less than I used to. I think that is a good thing, right?

I have to say that most days, I don't feel depressed. I have my moments, of course, and I probably always will, but I don't feel miserable. I still get surprised by moments of happiness when I truly feel happy. They are becoming more frequent and less of a surprise than they were at first. Now that the depression seems better, I notice that my anxiety creeps up a little faster than it did when I was medicated. Sometimes I wake up with a feeling of dread about the day and when I'm able to realize that it is anxiety, I'm able to distance myself from it a bit and I've started to pray about it. That was something I had trouble doing when I was on the medication.

Something that has helped me recently is the Upwords Campaign from Thomas Nelson. They have been sharing inspirational scripture every day during the US election campaign and it's been a great blessing to me. I am not American, but I found all the election talk was stressful to me and I eventually tuned it out. This video shows some of the uplifting photos and scriptures that were sent out through this campaign. The one that really made an impression on me was on October 29.  You can see it below.

  .

 I'm getting there, slowly but surely. I won't give up and I'm not going back.

Aviva Community Fund

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Aviva Community Fund for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm so glad to have the opportunity to share with you about Aviva Community Fund again this year.  If you haven't heard about it before, the Aviva Community Fund is an annual charitable activation funded by and supported by Aviva Insurance.  There is a pool of one million dollars to be shared amongst the top ideas.  The focus of the Fund is to help influence positive change in the community.  I like that anyone can submit an idea.  We've all got ideas on what can make our communities better.  Some of the ideas are small and some are big, but they can all bring positive changes.

There are 3 qualifying rounds.  To enter, just submit your idea.  Once you submit an idea, get people on board to vote for you.  The first round is on and it's not too late to submit an idea.  Each round lasts approximately 2 weeks and the top 30 from each round will go to the semifinals.  There are special categories for broker sponsored ideas and for ideas that help with at-risk youth.  What are you waiting for?  Submit your idea on how to make your community a better place!  Be sure to check out all of the ideas and vote for your favourites.  You can vote for your favourite idea once a day.  Be sure to have your say!

You can also Follow @Aviva on Twitter to keep up with the Contest.  Remember to Like Aviva Community Fund on Facebook.  For every like, Aviva will donate $1 to Learning for a Sustainable Future.  It's an easy way to be part of something that can have a positive impact on communities right across Canada.

 

Findings from the Neglected Driver Survey

This post brought to you by InsuranceHunter. All opinions are 100% mine.

As parents, we often put the needs of our kids first, yet the findings of the Insurance Hunter’s safety survey still surprised me.  The study was conducted online between June 19-23.  There were 1003 randomly selected Ontario parents with kids under 12 who were also members of Angus Reid Forum panel.   

The neglected driver is the parent who makes plans to make sure the kids have breaks and snacks, but ignores their own needs.  This can mean that the driver is driving tired.  In fact, 64% of men admitted to driving when tired. Thirty percent of men and 14% of women have nodded off while driving.  Often, parents don't want to stop driving because they don't want to disturb their children, even when they are too tired to drive safely.  That's scray!  Keeping our kids happy by driving when we need a break is not the answer.  It is just as important, if not more important, to make plans to insure that the driver is taken care of while road tripping.  We have good intentions, but we need to put them into practice in order to keep everyone safe.  

So, here's what I'm taking away from these survey results.  When planning a roadtrip, I'll do a little more planning to be sure that the driver is not neglected.  My husband prefers to drive on long trips, but I prefer to break it up and take turns driving so that we both get to rest for a bit.  I'll aslo talk with my husband so that we  are both aware of the possiblity of becoming a neglected driver.  If the driver is tired, we will take a break, no matter how well the kids are doing.  The kids always welcome a chance to get out of the car and stretch their legs, even if they are not cranky.  

If you'd like more information about the results of this survey be sure to visit Insurance Hunter's Web site.  Insurance Hunter is an online auto insurance comparison site that lets you compare rates and benefits of different insurers so that you can get the best available rate.

 

Getting a Little More Organized

I haven't posted for awhile.  Before, if you hadn't heard from me for some time, it was likely related to my health or depression.  The truth is that lately, I've been busy doing stuff and that's why I haven't written!

My health continues to improve now that I am not taking anti-depressants.  It's been a slow process, but a good one.  I feel better able to cope with things now than I did a year ago.  Seven months medication free :)

I'm trying to do more now. It's all baby steps, but even a small step forward is movement in the right direction! Things have crept up on me around the house and I'm trying to take care of things slowly but surely. With the kids back in school, it's a little easier for all of us to have a routine. So far, we're a week into the school year and we are making the kids' lunches after supper. The kids have to help to pack their lunches and help decide what they'll eat. I find that if they have input into what goes in their lunch bags, they are more likely to eat the food. It helps when they can't say, "I didn't like it."

My youngest started off the first week by picking out her clothes the night before as well, but this hasn't happened for the last couple of nights. I'll have to remember to remind her tomorrow night. It makes for a calmer morning when there's no decision making pressure.

I'm also trying to involve the kids more in keeping the house tidy and preparing meals. I ask them to do age-appropriate chores, but my little one is good at disappearing when asked to do something. Today, she flat-out refused to empty the cutlery from the dishwasher, so we had a chat about how everyone needs to do their part to take care of the house. It can be a bit of a battle. I think we'll do more choices in the future. You can empty the cutlery from the dishwasher, or you can pick up the recycling. Something to help her feel like she has some power.

My next goal is to do some menu planning. I'm not sure the best way to go about it, but I've been looking for some ideas. Someone was telling me about once-a-month cooking and it sounded interesting. I'm not ready to jump in with both feet, but I'll do some more research. I think if I knew what was for dinner every night, it would reduce some of my stress too. So, that's me right now. Feeling better, smiling more, and getting a little more organized. One day, I may actually have my stuff together.

Side Effects of Getting Healthier

I figured it was time for an update.  I've discovered that there are some side effects to getting healthier.  I've been anti-depressant free for about 4 months now and overall it's been great.  I find that I feel better and now that I feel better, I want to do more.  It took some time, but we got our house mostly organized.  Of course, with 2 kids and a nerd in the house, there is always a sense of chaos, but we're getting there.

I started gardening again.  Before, I didn't have the energy to even think about how to tackle our over-grown garden and allergies kept me from doing much outdoors.  I cleared a big patch out and we planted watermelons, carrots, cucumbers and zucchini  (all seeds we had purchased before with good intentions).   Well, the carrots and the cucumbers decided not to make an appearance, but the watermelons and zucchinis are growing.  Whether we actually get any fruits is another question entirely.

In the garden, I tackled a giant rosebush this week.  This bush was here before we moved in 8 years ago and it has never flowered since we've been here.  There was a lot of dead undergrowth, so I cut it right back and hope that it will spring to life again.  It was a bit of a monster and I have the scratches to prove it.  Next step will be to cut back the lilac bushes that have been growing without being pruned.  Who knew that you needed to prune them?  Did I mention I don't really have much of a green thumb?

One thing that I have been learning is that I tend to forget that I have depression/anxiety.  I went through a really stressful time last month and it made me physically sick.  I was wondering why I couldn't handle the stress and I pretty much had to stop and think about it.  I had been feeling so good that it kind of slipped my mind.  Once I remembered and I cut myself some slack, I started to feel much better.  If it hadn't gotten better at that point, I was just about ready to visit my doctor and have a conversation again.  I'm glad that I didn't need to this time, and I'll be sure to monitor my stress levels a little more going forward.

One day, I want something like this in my garden!

Overall, I'm feeling good and I feel like I'm getting somewhere now.  I'm not sure where exactly I'm going, but that is half the fun!

Sponsored Post: Insurance Hunter

Post brought to you by Insurance Hunter. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you are like me, buying insurance is a necessary evil and a huge hassle.  It's time consuming and quite frankly, boring.  Who has time to waste getting quotes from different companies?  That's where Insurance Hunter comes in.  Insurance Hunter is an online broker for Ontario residents that gives free quotes for home insurance, Auto Insurance and health insurance.

Insurance Hunter is available any time of day, so you can look for insurance when it suits you.  No more rushing to get a call in before the office closes!  

My house insurance is up for renewal soon, so I checked out the site.  I filled out a short questionnaire and had  quotes for 3 different companies whose insurance plans would meet my needs.  It was really easy and showed me what each of the plans had to offer and what the price would be by month or annually.   

I was able to see at a quick glance what the benefits of each of the plans were and it was easy to make a change to the deductible to see if the rates changed (they did).  I liked that there was also telephone number provided that I could use to ask questions if I got stuck.  

Insurance Hunter is quick and efficient.  I was able to get quotes from 3 different insurance companies in just a couple of minutes.  I was able to look for insurance when it suited me, and didn't have to wait for office hours.  It was painless and I liked that a lot!1

So, what are you waiting for?  Give Insurance Hunters Car Insurance quoting tool a try right on their Web site!

 

Getting Organized Feels So Good!

I never thought I'd be able to post the above title, but it's true!  I had a friend visit from out of town and our house needed a major decluttering.  It wasn't something we could baby-step any more.  It was all out!  I lost count of the number of garbage bags and recycling bags that we racked up as we decluttered.  Since we live in a pilot area for waste collection, it made things interesting.  We can currently put out garbage every other week, maximum of 3 bags.  Recycling and composting have no limit and can be put out every week.  Needless to say, we had to make a trip to the dump this week.

The result is that we can eat at our dining room table again and have been doing so for the last week.  We were able to entertain and have friends and family drop in without feeling humiliated.  I had a great visit with my friend and was sad to see her go.

Our house isn't perfect, and there are lots of things I would change if I could as well as some changes I'm working on, but it's home and it feels so much better to be here now that it's more organized.  We still have a a way to go, but it's much more livable now and I can see us becoming more social again since we'll be able to invite people over.

Feeling Better, Getting Organized

I'm amazed by how much better I've been feeling lately.  A lot of it stems back to seeing the chiropractor.  I hadn't thought that it was possible to stop taking anti-depressants before I saw him.  In fact, I was asked to write a testimonial for him and I was surprised by what I had to say.

Before I went there, feeling lousy had crept up on me until it felt like it was normal.  I had no energy and I was pretty much a spectator in my own life.  Now I have more energy and hardly any pain.  I went from having headaches and migraines frequently to hardly any at all.  I don't remember when I last had a migraine.  I have a better range of motion and can now turn my head to look over my shoulder.  I couldn't do that before.  I'm not going to try to sell you on chiropractic, but I will say that it's made a huge difference in my quality of life.  The doctor I visit is part of Maximized Living.  Check their site for more information. I'm learning a lot about my body and health.



Since I'm feeling better, I'm finding that I'm getting more done around the house.  My best friend is coming for a visit in a few weeks, so I have a deadline for clearing up the clutter. I know that she won't care if my house is a mess, but I care and that's something that I didn't feel before.  I'm working in small batches, trying to clean up one small area at a time.  So far, I've gotten our dining room table 1/3 cleared off.  I hope to have it fully cleared off this week so that we can actually sit down and eat at the table as a family.  Somehow it became a dumping ground for everything paper related.  It's like a paper avalanche hit when I wasn't looking.  I may just have a dinner party when it's done!

Slowly but surely, I'm getting rid of the clutter.  I cleared out our front hall closet one night this week.  There were so many shoes that we couldn't close the closet door and since this is the first thing you see when you come in our house, it was pretty awful.  I found several single shoes that didn't have mates as well as all of our winter boots (which are now stored in the basement) and some shoes that the kids had outgrown.  It was a relief to be able to toss some old shoes and donate some of the nicer ones that the kids are finished with.  Now I can close the closet door!  Someday I'll have to go through the coats that are hanging there and the stuff on the shelves, but I'll get there.

Getting Healthy & Organized

So, I've been antidepressant free for about 6 weeks now, give or take. Things are going well for the most part. I feel like I'm finally getting my act together. I'm finding that my emotions are still really close to the surface. I used to tear up over things like a sad story on television. Now I'm tearing up over happy stories, sad stories, you name it. Sometimes I can't finish a sentence because what I'm saying chokes me up. But hey, I've got emotions!

PMS drug free is a bit of a roller coaster ride. I guess that my emotions are still leveling out a bit. Still having a few brain zaps, but they are no where near as bad as they were. I'm still working out a more normal sleep schedule. I find that I'll sleep for a couple hours and then wake up. Going back to sleep takes a long time. I just keep trucking along, hoping that things will sort themselves out. I had thought of taking melatonin to help with sleep, but reading up on it, I found that it may exacerbate depression in some people, so I decided not to risk it.

I'm starting to get a little more organized. It's something I really have to work at, it just doesn't come naturally to me. I'm trying to get into more of a routine and it's helping a bit. If I notice something needs to be done, I try to do it quickly rather than let it sit there. Sometimes it takes less time to do the job than it does finding reasons why I can't do it now. I find the biggest thing to deal with is paper. I hate all the paper clutter that is kicking around my house! Between old fliers, bills, junk mail, school notices and the like, I'm drowning. One plus is that one of the kids' schools is now putting the newsletter online--thank you! Now if we can just get them to reduce the call blasts to once a week! Slowly but surely, things are getting better around here. I'm starting to feel more comfortable in my skin and that is helping a lot. So, I'm getting healthier and more organized...still need to work on getting fit. Baby steps!

Scotts Snap Spreader System: Sponsored Post

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
This year, I'm planning on being more organized outside as well as inside.  I have big plans for my garden, but the first place I need help with is my lawn.  It's a mess.  It has spots with no grass, all sorts of strange plant life and it just looks bad.  We tried to fertilize and seed our lawn on our own last year and now it looks worse than before.
That's why I'm very interested in Scotts® Snap® Spreader System.  I even love their tagline, "the no mess, no guess spreader system".  Now that's what I'm talking about!  How much easier can it be than Snap, Lock, Go, Store.  The Snap-Pac snaps into place in the spreader, you lock it on, start spreading and then fold it up to store it.  There is no measuring or juggling different bags to load up the spreader.  Everything is ready to go.  The Snap-Pac sets the proper application rate so there is no guessing, everything is spread evenly in the right ratios. The coolest part?  When you're done, and remove the Snap-Pac, it self seals!   No more open bags of seed and fertilizer kicking around your shed or garage!  Genius!
Watch this video to see the Snap Spreader in action:

Be sure to like Snap perks on Facebook for a chance to win great prizes and to get tips on lawn care!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies: Yummy!

Are you bored of me talking about getting off of my medications?  You must be because I sure am!  I was so focused on it for a time because I had to be, but things have changed for the better.  So let's change it up.

I am a bit of a chocoholic.  I love chocolate and chocolate chip cookies are one of my many chocolate weaknesses.  I found this great recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies that just happen to be vegan.  I've made them several times and they are quite easy and very quick to make.

I change up the ingredients from time to time.  I've made them with margarine and also with oil.  The oil was a little easier to mix, but that's about the only difference I noticed.  For baking, I use an oil that is part canola oil, part olive oil.  I don't like to bake with olive oil, even though it's healthy because who wants olive flavoured chocolate chip cookies?

The last time I made the cookies, I used agave instead of sugar.  I bought some agave on a whim the last time I was at the bulk food store.  I'd seen agave as an ingredient for vegan baking and I thought I'd give it a try.  Agave looks like honey in the bottle.  It's sweet without being too sweet.  Agave can be used in place of sugar. I went with less agave than sugar required and I didn't fiddle with the liquid measurements although the article I read said that you should. It didn't matter, the cookies came out just as good as ever. I think the secret to this recipe is the cinnamon. I made them without cinnamon the last time I baked because I'd run right out of it. Too bad, because the cookies are good without the cinnamon, but they are great with it!

Now I'm a little more laid back than the recipe's author when it comes to baking.  I pretty much throw the ingredients in the bowl, mix it up and bake.  Sampling almost always occurs before the dough makes it to the oven.  One tip:  if you scroll to the bottom of the the first part of the recipe, there's a button to show the next step, don't use that one, use the one that gives you all the steps on one screen.  It's much easier that way.

3 out of 4 in our house like these cookies.  The 4th is my youngest who has decided she doesn't like chocolate lately.  Not sure how I had a child who doesn't like chocolate!  I may try them without chocolate next as it sounds like they might be pretty tasty.