Setting the Tone for 2020

As I write this at the end of January, I find myself reflecting on this trial run of a month because where January usually lasts roughly three years, for me it flew and I'm trying to decide if that was a good thing or not. See I spent a good portion of the month running around helping out some family that had been in the hospital and then a rehab hospital afterwards. Thankfully everything turned out well and I had some time to do what I procrastinate to do which is clean out my email.

Way way way back in the day I wrote a post on cleaning up my email from coupons and offers in an effort to not go overboard on the spending, especially with store credit cards. I'm also pretty sure that was the last time I had a good clean up on it. But while going through and unsubscribing and things, I found out that I had Torrid cash to use. 

Now I usually have to order online but the city I was in, steadily getting a bit of cabin fever, there was a store I could go into. So while someone went off to therapy, I took it upon myself to get some therapy of my own. Low and behold there was also a massive sale on clearance which happened to include workwear. If you are of the curvy and/or plus size variety, you know that: 1. It's hell to find good office wear; 2., It's expensive as hell; And 3., it NEVER goes on sale. So I was on it!

I found a few great pieces for work and a BEAUTIFUL coat that was well over $130 but good old clearance sale had my back and I was able to get it for about $30. The blazers being on trend were a divine intervention because mine never quite fit right and the one good one I have needs to be dry cleaned where these are machine washable and look fantastic even when I'm not wearing a "good bra" and that says something. 

Even more so, the store associates were wonderful. I had questions on the regular sale, the clearance sale, the when-are-swimsuits-coming-in questions. I talked to a different person each time and they were not only helpful, they were super nice about it. That's not always the case for me at Torrid. I have a draft from a while back talking about how I don't get to shop in store that much but when I do, the experience is horrible and I stick to online. Around that time I'd been to 4 stores in three states when I was travelling and my memory is when I stopped an associate to ask a question, she looked at me as though I killed her dog. I dropped my stuff and left. 

So having this great experience made me want to hug these people and thank them for really just being nice especially when they weren't aware about being interrupted by hospital staff at all hours of the night and day. It renewed my faith in especially the plus size community because out here in rural communities, you have a small town, small mind mentality a lot of the time and I hope to encounter more of this wonderfulness this year as I make some decisions for the year, so stay tuned for that. 

Have you had an instance like this? Good or bad? Tell me because I want to know. 

Check out some of my other posts...

 My Medical Guides - 1 ~ http://bit.ly/DrRxtips1  and 2. ~ http://bit.ly/Med2appt

Good Reads and the Like ~ http://bit.ly/Yareads22

Hello I'm Shrill Too ~ http://bit.ly/ShrillToo

Give a girl a follow on the Instagram

http://bit.ly/MyIgJazz

and on Bloglovin

http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

Medical Guide Part 1

Appointments in general are a thing, but doctor’s appointments can easily be the toughest to get through. I’m no stranger to the doctor, even before being thrown headfirst into the spoonie life, there’s been talking my friends to go to the doctor in college because swine flu was thing and so was quarantine. Talking my friend and co-worker to go to the doctor because she’s planning to go on a trip and that includes a plane with all the limited and communal air and a baby who’s young enough to have an immune system like mine naturally.

I get it, no one likes the doctor, or the dentist, or the optometrist nor does anyone like paying for it. But the alternative could be worse and you’ll spend a hella lot more guaranteed… so I’m put together a few of my best tips when dealing with those of the medical variety for your adulting accomplishments and with strep season upon us and flu season on the way, please take care of yourselves. 

It’s easy to feel intimidated and sometimes powerless when you’re going to the doctor. It’s normal and it happens, but it doesn’t mean that you have to go through the motions. It’s important to take control of your health for whatever may come your way, spoonie or not. It’s easy to hear and say “be your own advocate”, but how do you do that? Well here’s what I do, so check it out and try what you like and if it works for you too, great and if not, well you have a starting point and can make it work for you. Afterwards, if you don’t mind, report back!

Part 1: Notes
Whether you use an app on your phone or a physical notebook to write on, do it because I can just about guarantee that you will not remember by the time you leave that office. Now I will say that doctors don’t generally like seeing phones out and may ask you to put them away. I prefer to write things down because you can develop your own shorthand without the threat of autocorrect.


Now let me break this down:

Date/Time/Doctor – standard information especially if you have multiple doctors or if you’re a caregiver to someone else. Do you have a hard time setting up the appointment? Well stay tuned because that's coming up soon because I know that for a lot of people, that's not easy.

Reason – is it a follow up? Do you have symptoms? Describe them. If it’s pain, does it throb or is it stabbing or just sharp? On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the worst pain you’ve ever experienced, where are you currently or when it was at its worst? How many times have you felt it, whatever ‘it’ may be?

List of Medications – It’s important to know what you’re taking and how much you’re taking between Rx Prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, and even vitamins or holistic practices. They all are chemical reactions happening in your gut and body, so it’s important for the doctor and the pharmacist to know so you don’t make yourself worse.

Vitals – every place does it so write them down, even the weight because unexplained weight gain or loss can be a symptom. Especially for us in the plus sized community, we know that a lot of attention gets directed at this number. So do yourself a favor and write it down because you know your habits and what has changed vs what hasn’t. Writing it down gives you evidence and backup to your case that there is a problem even if your clue is weight loss.

The rest is for your notes, what is the doctor’s plan? Is he giving you a prescription? What is it and what is the dosage? How long do you have to take it?

What is your diagnosis? If you don’t have one, what tests are being ordered and what is the procedure for that test or what is it supposed to show?

If you come up with questions after the appointment, write them down to either call the doctor back or to save for the next appointment.


So here’s part one. Take what you will and I hope it helps you get that annual physical or handle multiple visits for yourself or someone else. Stick around for the next tip because as much as we don’t want to do or would rather have mom do it, we need it.


In the meantime, here are other posts that are not medically related so stick around a while...


Good Reads and the Like ~ http://bit.ly/Yareads22

Planning ~ http://bit.ly/HLPlanner

Streaming FOMO ~ http://bit.ly/streamingFOMO


And while you're here, follow a girl on

Bloglovin' ~ http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg


Instagram ~ http://bit.ly/MyIgJazz

Hello, I'm Shrill Too

So Shrill has hit the Hulu and I had no idea. I was on the Instagram as one does after the Grampocalypse that, at least was, for me, just slightly annoying but some people really lost they shiz. But one of the peeps I follow, Marge Hudson aka @areyoutheregoditsmemarge, opened my eyes to what is happening on the interwebs and I had to be apart of it.

Thankfully, I have a day off of work and was planning on totally and completely taking advantage of it. So I had to see what was going and oh my sweet eleven pound baby Jesus, this was phenomenal! The main character is Annie, Aidy Bryant, and she is the me and the many others who have gone through anything similar who doesn't fit in a sample size. It was shocking and beautifully done. I also want so much to have a Fran, Lolly Adefope, in my life just FYI. 

From episode one, the story is on the move and things are moving very quickly. But I could relate to this show if you haven't figured that out. Now, I don't know if her wardrobe was modestly chosen on purpose because she likes it but feels the need to 'cover up' or what. I just watched the season and here I am so don't @ me. However comma, I felt it because I know in high school, I drove my bff and my mom crazy because my standard wardrobe were jeans and a t-shirt of darker tones. I upped my makeup and accessory game where I could but always double guessing affections from the opposite sex. I mean, hell, who hasn't been called a flipper when your supposedly bisexual boyfriend cheats on you with a guy friend? (For the record, I was the last girl he had as a girlfriend and there's no confusion about the intentions in hindsight and in true Ariana fashion, I'm thankful for him because I now have my ride or die, my person, my best friend for life who is also his ex.) 

I've had the thoughts where I've thought that a going-on-the-back-door-better-than-nothing feeling was as good as it was going to get. And the mental change that Annie has starts to resonate as the season goes on and that is something that some people have at different times in life and if someone hasn't, I have a feeling that it will help someone get to that point to where they can start loving themselves and stop apologizing for taking space in the world.

Even now with my new position, I'm again the biggest person in the building of about a dozen-ish and while it's not intentional most of the time, it's noticed that one does not belong or one does not mesh. Even our personalities are quite a bit different and I've seen clients do a double take for crying out loud. 

So it's there, it's not just a show catering to the plus sized community about empowerment but it's also shows the ugly parts that come with it. It happens and people on the internet are cruel but confronting enemies in person, you find how much they hate themselves because you don't have to hate you and they can't handle it. Let that sink in, they, who hate you, can't handle you loving yourself because the standards of the world have always said that you shouldn't, so they don't. Can it still hurt? Abso-f*cking-lutely. Can it suck that your crush in school calls you a hog to your face and your choice is to cry or pull it together and attack verbally because you are not about to be suspended? Hell to the yea. But here we are, being represented anyway on the internet in a show that will definitely take off because in case you haven't been bombarded, the average size of a woman in the US is 14 or 16, can't remember at the moment but it's not a 2. There are more of us than they know what to do with so someone has decided that if you can't beat them, because let's be honest they can't keep us down if they tried, join them and realize that we are human and we are not going away. We are gorgeous. We are fashionable and stylish. We can and deserved to be loved for who we are regardless of our size. We will stand and bring each other up more than those who are determined to bring us down. 

So I will add that this to a couple other faves in my book that remind me that I'm here and need to live my best life with the good and bad because it's all I got:

Also a book - Just saying...

Gumption - nuff said

And it's a book. You can bet your butt I'm buying and reading!

Also thank you Marge, I sent you a DM about it, but I wanted to do it again because I've also not posted on my blog since, like, August and my first thought was to do this. I'm going to ride this euphoria as long as I can. Until I can get more up, look at some of my older stuff.

B3 is my motto - http://bit.ly/The3BBBz

Adulting - http://bit.ly/Adultwin

Follow me on Blogloving if you wanna - http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

OR

on the Insta since it's back up - http://bit.ly/MyIgJazz

 

Monthly Mess of Goals

Talk about a month just flying by. So if you hadn’t read about June, check that out here and it’ll fill you in on how I decided to go with this type of posting. Even I had to check it back out to see what I had and see how I did.

For my June goals, the plan was (in short):

·         Read 2 book

·         Meal plan 2 weeks

·         Clean out winter clothes

·         Change my sheets every week

·         Get my laundry under control

Seems reasonable and doable, so looking back at my progress…

·         Read 1 ½ books, left a book I was reading at home when I had to go visit the parentals and this one wasn’t on my kindle. (go Figure)

·         I successfully planned out 1 week at a time and it was only lunches – to the peeps who can do all your meals for weeks on end, you are the real MVP because it’s hard, it’s tedious, and I don’t even like telling myself what to do and even less what to eat.

·         Full Success! – Gold star for me. It’s been well into the 90-100s weather wise in the good ol’ New Mexico area, literally going through a cold front right now and it brough the expected high down from 106 to  mid 90s.No risk of needing winter clothes. At. All

·         I can say that I, honestly, had this about 50% of the time. It’s still been really hectic and I feel that my house is still fairly imploded but we’re working on it.

·         Laundry is better controlled. It was just dirty laundry that was everywhere. And Now it’s clean laundry. Most of it is folded and just needing to be evaluated and put away. That part feels pretty good.

Now for July, I did have to make some adjustments. Got a new position and my morning commute to work has gone from 2-3 minutes (less than a mile) to 30 minutes (about 17-20 miles). Organization and time management are going to be key in this transition, I’m a little late getting this going as well so here it goes.

July

·         Read 2 books – and no my half one doesn’t count

·         Plan out my lunches and snacks weekly

·         Changing sheets every week

Coming out of July, we're making progress. 1 3/4 books not counting my half one but I'm almost done with it. Lunch and snacks are getting easier than dinner for sure. And fresh sheets are on point.

Thank you Google and your searching wisdom...

Since everything was kinda thrown there in June and July, we're going to throw in August to because here we are...like right now.

2 BOOKS IS HAPPENING
PLANNING LUNCHES, SNACKS, AND DINNER WEEKLY - HAPPENING
CHANGING SHEETS EVERY WEEK - MAKE THAT HABIT HAPPEN
MAKE IT TO THE GYM 3X A WEEK - MAKE IT A HABIT

June Living Goals

Over time I’ve read many a blog and one thing that didn’t make sense to me was posting about their goals. Mostly blog progress goals and while it’s great to have aspirations, for me they didn’t quite work because I’m not a full time blogger and I’m still working on consistency (it's going slower than molasses on Christmas Eve but it's going). So if anything, that’d be my goal in general. But then I came across It Starts With Coffee. It's run by Neely and she had goals that she wanted to do personally to get her through the month and that just clicked with me on so many levels, it wasn't even funny. So Neely if you only read up to this point, keep going girl. I will definitely be reading.

I've started a journey with my health to do better and be better. And now that I’m making progress, I don’t want to lose sight of what I’m working towards. But I’m also afraid of constantly living in survival mode and not actually living life. So to start a few things off with inspiration from Neely, I present my monthly Living Goals.

Me Working on Being Triumphant lol

1.     Read 2 books – I read 2 books the month before last by accident so I wanna see if I can do it intentionally. I’m a bit of a slower reader because either I’m only reading and nothing exists or I’m barely able to get a few pages in. There's no in between....and there should be....unless I'm reading Game of Thrones. (It's just so slow and I've been stuck on book 2 for at least a year) I also need some time away from screens. 

2.     Make a meal plan for at least two weeks – food that is good for you will always go bad faster and it pisses me off as well as my bank account to waste food and money. And honestly, I've been wasting food and money so I need to do this now because I literally have the baaaaaaaaaaaaaare minimum in my fridge. No bueno

3.     Clear out winter clothes – The weather forecast is showing the highs in the upper 90-100s out here in New Mexico. However comma, sometimes the mornings are still a tad chilly and the never ending wind can get cold too. But it's safe to say that the heavy coats and sweaters gotta go and space is needed for alllll the dresses.

4.      Change sheets every week – I'll admit it....I got lazy and now I’m breaking out. Besides who doesn’t love the feeling of fresh sheets? It's leg shaving season and the fresh sheets-fresh shaven leg feeling is so happening and it's going to be glorious!

5.      Get my laundry under control – I have a lot of clothes period. So laundry day is more like laundry week and more so when I have sheets and towels to work out as well. But I have a horrible habit of folding and leaving my piles on top of my washer and dryer…That’s gotta stop.

And we'll start here for the month and see where we go. What progress do you want to have in your life this month?

In the meantime, show a girl some love on the Bloglovin...http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

Or check out some of my other posts....

Living alone - Pros - http://bit.ly/7Perks

Living alone plans - http://bit.ly/7LivingAlone

Succesful Adult Win - http://bit.ly/Adultwin

Luscious Hair is Back!

Hello all. Allow me to introduce you to my soap box. It's no podium nor pedastal but it allows me to take that step up and project all the feels on a proper stage. It's not all bad or ranty I promise but sometimes there's a point that needs to be made and here's mine for today...

THANK YOU INTERNET!

Yes. Simply thank you to the internet. It's been almost a year since I was diagnosed with Lupus. My medications are doing their things but what I wanted to thank the internet for helping me regrow my hair. One of the biggest symptoms I had was hair loss. I trimmed my hair to help with the thinning and essentially just had to be patient. Thus came the internet and research. Between straight up Googling, Youtube vloggers and the Blogosphere, I was able to find the help to get my hair back.

MEANWHILE...

 I'd gone to a couple hair salons in the last year. When I trimmed my hair before I was diagnosed, I told the girl I had started going to that I wasn't sure what was happening. She tried to say that she didn't really see the difference and that was that. After I came back from the edge I really noticed how much hair I lost and tried to get some kind of shaping done so that way I didn't really look like a sick person who lost a lot of hair, especially at work. I had one really overpriced trim and recently a better trim by two different hair stylists.... ladie....., people who cut and handle hair for a living and I asked them about what they would recommend for volume, hair growth, hair health, etc and literally had a deer in the headlights expression from both.

First came back to work with the least amount of hair (before)

Almost 8 months later (after) Still a ways to go but it's a bit fuller now

And honestly, it's disheartening because I'm not going to this professional to get my hair done for prom or to drop some dollars for highlights or extensions, I am actually wanting help with my hair. With both trips I explained, I got really sick and lost a lot of hair, how can I help it and how can I maintain the hair I have? I guess I expected to find a great person who was like Queen Latifah in Beauty Shop where she's suggesting vitamins, products, advise....yes I know it's a movie. But I would think that when you work in the industry, you'd have an idea or even a direction to go in.

Gotta love that wood pannel right?

The only person who actually physically, in person, gave me some help was actually my mom's coworker. Love her and her concern. She found the dermachange shampoo and conditioner that I've been using and so far it's been great and I've noticed a difference. It's gentle and cleansing and leaves my hair feeling soft and smooth instead of straw.

So thank you internet, and thank you people on the internet who led me to castor oil, biotin, and other products that have helped me regrow my hair and now I feel that my hair is full again. It's still short but an even short. A full short and now I can really say that I feel a bit more like me.

On the other hand, if you have any other suggestions for hair health...
let a girl know on the hurry up side please!!!!


Check out some of my other posts...

My best of 2017 - http://bit.ly/17BestYa
Smell Good Stuff - http://bit.ly/2vT879v
Boyfriend Valentine Gift Ideas - http://bit.ly/10BFGifts

Best of 2017 - I Lived

2017 has been the complete definition of a roller coaster. Not just the ups and downs but the kinds that go underground. That's truly been my year. The New Year started and I couldn't walk without help. I spent a couple weeks in the hospital before I could get some actual answers. I went back to work part time and then finally full time and now here we are at the end of the year and not to be super corny but someone needs to play Martina McBride because I have been blessed. I still have bad days and I know that they'll happen so I've really tried having a good outlook and working on a lifestyle change and these things have helped me make it through this year.


Victoria's Secret Body Butter - after having shingles when I came back to work, it was a process to get through. So afterwards, I had and still have a big patch of now scarred and dry skin. This helps. So to my little brother who has no shame in going to any store, thank you for this because Lawd knows I don't shop at Victoria's Secret.

Quality vs Quantity - a concept that seems very common sense but now is making more sense. (who knew?) But coming back to the home I'm renting rather than my parent's home really made me realize that I have way too much shi!t. I knew I had a lot of stuff but now I see it as sh!t that is not going to help me and I can't keep up with it anymore. I can't defend it anymore. I'm not in college anymore so I don't need $2 flats or a ton of cheap sheets or bad makeup that will last for a month or two... I need something that will last a while and if that means seriously saving and investing in good quality insert blank, then that's what I need to do.

Bath and Body Works Sugar Scrub - I know that VS and BBW are owned by the same peeps but I would rather go to the B.B.Dubs any time and even more so when my girl, Vero, is working. She keeps me in the loop and it really helps that she's knowledgeable about the products other than just the scent and the packaging. Also getting rid of the dead skin is a big plus.

Water - ask anyone that knows me, I hate drinking water!!! My boyfriend was a camel in a previous life because he can literally slam almost a liter of water first thing in the morning. He's always on me about drinking more water and I thank him for it almost as much as I give him the 'eye'. Ladies, you know the one. So even though I hate it, I do whatever I can to make me drink more water which has done wonders for my water bottle collection. My body needs it, especially my kidneys, and the rest will follow.

My Backpacks - My medical one and my new-ish love - I had a post a while back in my Tale of the Tank series about my backpack. Read it. I treat my purses as artillery and they have to hold up. In my Tale of the Tank I had this backpack that helped me so much especially when I was still on a walker and a cane and now I have this gorgeous bag from Betsy Johnson that looks small but has so much space to still be a tank.

Self-care - I'm not a consistent blogger, that's obvious. I'm also not a consistent self-care advocate unless it has to do with sleep because if anything I know I need sleep and actual rest is a must or else. But in real ways. I have done a few baths but can't really do bath bombs and my tub is hella narrow so it's not the most comfortable but I'll do a great smelling candle and a face mask. I've learned that epsom salt can be great for inflammation and if I can lay off pain meds with a salt soak be it my feet or my entire body, then I'll do it. I don't mind medication but I'm definitely not opposed to finding other alternatives. Other alternatives also include food. I'm a tried and true New Mexican. I grew up on rice, beans, Allsups burritos and hotlinks and pretty much anything fried and covered in chile (not chili) and cheese. I can't do that anymore so I'm trying newer and healthier options to care for the body I have now or I won't make it physically or mentally.


What has gotten you through this entire year? Please let me know, I'm all for suggestions :)





In the mean time, check out some of my other posts...
The Blues of My Life - http://bit.ly/2wnrtRc
Bra Talk - http://bit.ly/2ezvzOM
Office Decor - http://bit.ly/OfficeDe

Winter/ Christmas Tag - You're it!

Hello and Happy after-Christmas day everyone. I hope that everyone had a good holiday. Emily and all her wonderfulness at The Weird Girl Life had tagged me in a tag for fall but obviously that one hasn’t showed up and I will have to save it for some time. That got me to thinking that I had a saved post from last year and BEHOLD!!!! I did and I still have some time to send this out to the world. Now past me didn’t think to save the blogger who did this tag or else I’d have it all kinds of plastered so if you’ve done this tag and think you may have done it, comment me and let me know!! (And then when fall comes around as it always does then I’ll have a different one then.)

1.       What is your favorite Christmas/ Holiday film?
It has to be National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Always watched it with my dad and it’s hilarious!

2.       Where do you usually spend the holidays?
Usually with my familia

3.       What’s your favorite Christmas song?
  I’m a bit of a nerd so I’d have to go with Star in the East. It’s a song we did in choir and you can seriously look up any high school or college all state choir and find it. It’s different but I love it.

4.       Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?
  Lol I used to. My dad’s side of the family usually celebrated the ‘noche buena’ so we’d all go over to my grandma’s house and pretty much have a party. Young and adult were up all night. Now that we’re older we have more of the party than present opening

5.       Is your Christmas tree real or fake?
Fake – my house is kinda small and so far I can only keep a cactus alive so full out tree is probably not a good idea

6.       Favorite winter scent?
It was Twilight Woods from Bath and Body Works FOR YEARS!!!! Up until they discontinued the scent so now…Marshmellow Fireside – still from Bath and Body Works

7.       Scarves or Beanies?
Scarves. I still love wearing beanies but I can’t wear those to work

8.       Favorite Holiday drink?
Hot chocolate duh

9.       Favorite Winter/Holiday essentials?
lip balm, scarves, and boots

10.   Favorite winter activity?
Movies and blankets – would like to say Netflix and Chill but soooooome people get the wrong idea…

11.   Do you use advent calendars?
  I did this year and it was fantastic!!! My boyfriend gave me my gift early so that I could enjoy my NYX lippie countdown. So worth it.

12.   Candy cane or gingerbread men?
Gingerbread man. Not the biggest fan of candy canes unless it’s a fruit flavored one

13.   Without cheating, can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph

14.   What made you realize the truth about Santa?
I realized he was real because I have the friggin Christmas spirit yo! Don’t even try to fight me on this.

15.   Hot Cocoa or Apple Cider?
I don’t mind apple cider and I think it’s really good when someone else makes it. I’ve tried and it doesn’t work so Hot Cocoa for me

So here's the whole enchilada as far as the questions are concerned. There's still time for the the spirit towards the end of the year so go for it and let me know that you did it so I can read your answers too!!! Or you can do what I did and save it for later ;)

1.       What is your favorite Christmas/ Holiday film?

2.       Where do you usually spend the holidays?

3.       What’s your favorite Christmas song?

4.       Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

5.       Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

6.       Favorite winter scent?

7.       Scarves or Beanies?

8.       Favorite Holiday drink?

9.       Favorite Winter/Holiday essentials?

10.   Favorite winter activity?

11.   Do you use advent calendars?

12.   Candy cane or gingerbread men?

13.   Without cheating, can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

14.   What made you realize the truth about Santa?

15.   Hot Cocoa or Apple Cider?

In the meantime, check out some of my other posts...

The Blues of my Life - http://bit.ly/2wnrtRc

Bra Talk - http://bit.ly/2ezvzOM

Smell Good Stuff - http://bit.ly/2vT879v
Travel Reality - http://bit.ly/2travelwoe

Halloween Because You Can

You’re not too old for Halloween!!!

I had this argument with my boyfriend recently about debating what plans to do for the fall. Most of the exciting things happen in the state like the International Balloon Fiesta, and there’s just other festivals galore for my state. Of course we get invited to a couple Halloween parties, mainly through his friends and coworkers. Like any other holiday occasion, they were going to be costume parties. Mind you, he’s one of the youngest guys at his work and they’ve been asking what his costume is going to be and he’s been answering with “myself”. He doesn’t plan on wearing a costume because he states that he’s too old or his favorite coined phrase, he’s grown.

Now anyone who just enjoys holidays in general can see the brain cells dying off in my head because I’m totally rolling them. Happens every year and what he doesn’t realize is that it puts me in a slightly awkward spot because if we go, you know that your girl is gonna wanna dress up. (I only say slightly because while we could be that couple that dresses together, I don’t really have a problem going all out on my costume while he shows up in a regular t-shirt). His older brother throws a little family get together for Halloween that includes costumes and a pumpkin decorating contest. It’s all part of the spirit but I know and you know and they know and everyone and their dog knows that there are people in the world that think that if you have hit puberty then you are too old to be trick or treating and/or participating.

Now I know it’s not just a ‘girl’ thing to want to dress up and not be you, intentionally, with no judgement what-so-ever so I give you 5 reasons to join in the holiday spirit for Halloween.

1.       There are too few joys in life. There’s no hiding the turmoil that has plagued the world lately. Not just where I am in the state of New Mexico where we had our own shooting at a local public library but there’s been the terrible massacre in Las Vegas, Nevada. The multiple hurricanes to the southeast of the country as well as the wall of Hellfire up in the northwest of the country. Mother Nature has also taken a toll on other areas of the world as well as just the appalling actions of other humans here and everywhere else. We need a sort of release. We need a time to be together and remember that it’s ok to have a good time in order to renew spirits to handle tomorrow.

2.       It’s proof that we need to take ourselves a little less seriously. Now this is something that I can admit I am guilty of and I thank my wonderful boyfriend for pointing it out to me even if I don’t like it in that moment. You have to be able to laugh at yourself. Call it the fault of the PC culture or Social Justice Warriors whatever you want, it’s all just an excuse. You can’t take yourself seriously all the time. You just can’t because if you do then it affects your personality and it has the potential to turn you not just into a party pooper but a general stick in the mud in life and no one wants to be around that (including yourself).

3.       It’s just fun overall. FUN. Whether you have the stupid SpongeBob song playing or a club song playing in your head. It’s almost a certifiable day to be lighthearted and whimsy. If your work allows you to dress up within reason, why not? If you’re invited to a grown up costume party and you want to be fun rather than risqué, why not? If you’d rather go vice versa, why not? It’s a perfect opportunity to try something new in terms of your personality and check out reactions. Everyone gets compliments around Halloween whether it’s for being scary, pretty, creative, risqué. You can still get away with throwing a sheet with two holes and be a ghost and still get laughs for crying out loud.

4.       Great family time. Now granted I don’t have kids and if you have them, you’re more than likely to keep them away from me because I have some unseen ability to scare children and it ultimately ends with crying and occasionally screaming. No lie and 98% of the time it’s unintentional. But I’ve also been at work and we usually participate in the Safe Stops for Trick Or Treating. The community does a fantastic job of putting it together for families to take especially the small children trick or treating during the day rather than in the depths of night. I’ve seen the full cast of the Wizard of Oz with Dorothy and the Lion in a stroller. I’ve seen the cast of Toy Story with 3 of them riding in a Red Wagon, one being the little green alien and my life was made. It’s just a good time all around for us who are giving the treats and for everyone who has to walk through our doors.

5.       It doesn’t have to be demonic. Yes, the history surrounding the connotation of Halloween is fairly dark. No matter what your faith or beliefs are, it’s good to remember that we can’t change the past. We can’t change the possibility or even of the idea that the spirits of those who’ve passed on have the opportunity to return or if you as a virgin light the Blake Flame Candle then the Sanderson sisters would return to suck the lives out of the children by sunrise. It is 2017 and we have the power and ability to make this holiday what we want. So if your group wants to throw up a picture of a goat and jam out to Norwegian black metal bands, whatever but don’t harm anyone. If your group wants to have a costume party zombies or heaven forbid, karaoke, do you booboo and don’t harm anyone. 

There are worse things in this life and in this world than a holiday we can use for fun rather than obligation. And on that note, what are you dressing up as?

       

Check out some of my other posts-

  The Blues of My Life - http://bit.ly/2wnrtRc          

  Bra Talk - http://bit.ly/2ezvzOM    

    

  Office Decor - http://bit.ly/OfficeDe                             

Bra Talk

There are days...... and then there are days where circumstances dictate what has to happen for that day. As a plus sized woman, there are certain standards that society will always be violated and for those that are offended, sorry your life sucks. It took me a long time to be comfortable with myself and every now and then, sometimes I gotta smack myself and remind myself that I’m fabulous. I had one of those moments this morning.

Aside from being B3 (Big, Bad, and Beautiful), I have always enjoyed the size of my chest, my bust, my rack of power if you will. I was a B cup in 6^th grade and have only leveled up from there. But like any great power comes greater responsibility and I take it very seriously in the bra department. These girls need the support to be properly and tastefully on display and for that, I don’t mind spending a decent amount of money on quality bras from Lane Bryant. Nothing against Victoria’s Secret, but they don’t carry my size in store and if I’m going to spend an arm and a possible leg on bras, I want to be able to try them on before I buy them so thank you Lane Bryant for taking my money willingly in exchange for great bras that don’t stop working and are pretty too.

Since learning about and dealing with my new disease, I’ve been trying to keep an open mind and a closed wallet, however, my biggest complaint about losing weight is that my bras don’t fit right. I prefer padded and underwired and anyone who wears this combo knows that if it doesn’t fit, you will most likely be in pain. And I have been because with all the changes happening to my body and lifestyle, I can’t afford to replace them and then find out that I’d need to change them again. So I went to the only store I would and could go to and made a choice to try a bandeau bra slash bralette.

maurices carries straight sizes and plus size bralettes!

I’ve seen them everywhere on the interwebs and they are all the rage, but I’ve always been under the impression that they weren’t for me because I’ve normally seen them on smaller women with smaller busts. Finding these in my size at maurices was a surprise and a sign to bite the bullet and not knock it til I try it, especially considering these cost, literally, a third of what I would pay for a regular bra.

With the inflammation in my joints, there are some days where I can’t put on a bra because my hands can’t and won’t grip it. So here I am trying these little barely padded, no wire, basically tube tops and half of me is wanting to smack myself for going out in public for fear of rejection and ridicule. The other half was the half I listened to because I was able to mentally smack myself harder with the fact that if it feels good and it looks good, then it could be a beautiful relationship.

This style is cute and probably the most comfortable thing to wear on my ta-tas

And guess what? As I'm writing this.... this is my first day not just wearing it in public, but at work in a professional atmosphere and so far it feels wonderful.  I’m comfortable and the girls aren’t going wild without wires. My mind is going, if it feels great now, what about in other outfits for regular wear like sleeveless, razorbacks, scoop necks, off the shoulder, spaghetti straps, etc????? The possibilities are endless so take it from me, take a chance and try it, whatever ‘it’ may be.



And in the mean time, catch up on some of my other posts....

Smell Good Stuff - http://bit.ly/2vT879v

June in Summertime - http://bit.ly/2uD9o4o

Modern Window Shopping - http://bit.ly/2sG527o

5 Necessary Cozy Office Decorations

I’m a firm believer that you have to be comfortable in your own space. More often than not, I’m at work more than I am at home so excuse my language when I say Hell Yes, I want to be comfy in my office bubble. And being on the mend has changed a lot of my perspective because I’m at the point where I don’t want to take care of allllllll my clutter. So in looking around my office, I believe it’s time to redecorate.

I’ve had my customers come in and say it feels cozy and yes, that helps too. Your surroundings affect how you feel and how others feel around you in that space. I’m no neat freak by far, like seriously from Death Valley to the moon far, but it’s time for a change. Besides Spring and Summer are here and it’s time to put away the dark table coverings and replace the dark folders and dark decorations and clear off a bit more space to feel fresh and hopefully keep the cozy feeling.

So here’s my necessary items that I keep my workspace cute and cozy no matter what theme I have.

Himalayan salt stone lamp - No matter what beliefs you have, this thing is amazing. They come in sizes small to OMG huge, but the benefits are awesome. Electronics put out positive ions that can mess with your body’s stuff and cause harm like headaches if you have a desk job that has you staring at a computer screen all day. This lamp gives off negative ions to cancel them out and I haven’t had a headache since. Who’s saving money on ibuprofen and Tylenol? Also it’s a cute conversation starter because trust me, everyone notices it and every kid will want to know what it is.

Shiny Canister - I’m a huge fan of shiny and glitter anything. I tend to lean into walking around like a disco ball but I understand for some people it can be too much. So walking around Hobby Lobby, I found this canister on clearance and while it looks deep, it’s not but it does have room to hold some candy or keys or in my case a stash of Colgate wisps for after lunch.

Scentsy or wax warmer – avoiding open flame in the workplace is pretty standard and with the variety of people I see and sometimes smell on a daily basis, having the room smell nice is essential. Living in the Southwest, agriculture is a big part of our industry but I don’t necessarily need my office to smell like cows. Just sayin.

Statement Piece (My cross) - Now most of my things are kinda general but I like to pull my personality in and that can be with a statement piece. This was a gift from my mom for my birthday a few years back. A friend of hers had made one for my mom for Christmas and it was gorgeous but could I bring it back with me? NOOO. Then this beauty came in and I was more than ok with it. My favorite colors plus glitter and you have me wrapped up with a fleur di lis. Who could ask for more?

Hand Sanitizer/Lotion – I’m a sucker for office supplies so when I found this little organizer on clearance at Hobby Lobby, I was determined to use it. Stick on a few scrapbook gems and a monogram and I have a space for my much needed hand sanitizer and lotion. Bath and Body Works is a good friend to have and having a wonderful friend who works there to let you know when the good sales are happening is even better and slightly dangerous. But anyone who works with the public knows that it’s a must and I don’t mind sharing it with my clients either. They feel great and smell great and with how sick I am, it makes me feel better.







Check out some of my other posts...

Travel Reality - http://bit.ly/2travelwoe

Tales of the Tank - http://bit.ly/TOTTBackpack

My Monthly Favories - http://bit.ly/LApril17F




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