Change is in the air

This blog is probably going to go through a bit of a change in the upcoming weeks.  I will still post deals as I see fit but honestly my focus has changed.

 As I am sure most of you have noticed I have gone on a bit of a hiatus.  I have been going through some personal struggles that have kind of taken the wind out of my sails.  I was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.  I have Alopecia Areata, Most simply put it is thought to be an autoimmune disease that makes my immune system think my hair follicle is something bad so it attacks it.  The only symptoms the hair loss and sometimes it itches a little bit.

When it started it was merely a dime sized patch on the back of my head, The spot has grown into something between the size of an orange and a grapefruit.  There are other spots all over my head from the size of a dime to the size of a quarter or bigger.  As you can imagine it has been a bit upsetting.  My morning ritual can be a bit time consuming trying to make sure all the bald spots are covered by the hair I do have...think Christian Bale at the beginning of American Hustle.  It's okay laugh it was meant to be funny.  I have gone through some stages of pretty nasty depression trying to deal all the while continuing to do all the things I have to do.

 I am seeing a dermatologist and I have gone through the joy of having needles injecting steroids into the spots in hopes of hair regrowth.  The great thing is that I am seeing some results.  I will continue to see my Dr.  but in truth I just don't feel like it is enough and my hair may be regrowing but it is still falling out at an alarming rate as well.

One of the first steps I am taking is to change my diet.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I have always had a pretty awful diet.  I have been known to eat more pizza in a week than any person should admit to, and in my life I have consumed enough chocolate to lay m&ms from New York to California several times.  I knew it would catch up with me.  I had hoped it wouldn't but I knew it would. I think I just thought it would hurt me in an ever expanding waistline and clogged arteries when I became elderly.  I didn't think I would see health ramifications when I was this young.  Which lets face it I am not as young as I used to be.

I have read that there have been people who have had success going gluten free, I am at this point willing to try anything, And I get it, it seems to be a buzz word everywhere these days, but I am seriously willing to try ANYTHING to help this to stop.  I don't know exactly what I am doing or where this will lead but I thought I would write about my observations of how this changes me.

I am also going to try meditating and increasing my exercise.  I am going to limit my social media use and focus on my family.  I am going to go back to reading books in the solid form.  I am hoping that just by living a whole life I will start to get better, and if not at least have a whole bunch of new healthy habits to keep me busy.

I am starting these changes today..so I will have my first post to share my experiences tomorrow.

Christmas Tags By Artful Creations By Deb

My Good Friend over at http://www.artfulcreationsbydeb.com/ just sent me the cutest Christmas gift tags I have ever seen.  

Christmas Tags with Sass!!

(I completely stole this picture off her Etsy page because my pictures aren't going to do these justice)

These sell for $4.00

I like these ones so much because they are completely unique, I think that the adults I exchange gifts with will get a real kick out of them. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am pretty sarcastic..I like that these tags seem to have a bit of my personality in them.

I also like when I can make my gift unique and special in every way for the person I am giving it to.

For The Kids!!

(Stole this too :) )

These sell for $5.00

I think my children will absolutely love that these feel like they came straight from the North Pole.  Plus they are personalized so I can save my hand a little bit of the hand cramping that writing all the tags gives me!  

Here is my picture..which does not do them justice.  

These tags look just like the picture off her site if not better!!!

Head on over to Deb's Etsy Shop and check out all her other amazing creations!!!

Pasta E Fagioli Crockpot soup

Pasta E Fagioli

I had my carrots and cellery from my Tops Organic Trip earlier this week so I decided to make my favorite Crockpot soup.  It is super easy!!

1 cup chopped onion 

3 minced cloves of garlic (they are in with the onions)

1 cup chopped cellery

1 cup Julienned carrot

Okay I have a secret...I am super lazy and uncoordinated so I did not Julienn the carrots...instead I used a cheese grater

Brown 1lb of ground beef then mostly drained it..then you add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute' for ten minutes 

While that is saute'ing

Put 1 28oz can petite diced tomatos

 12oz V8 juice

 1 table spoon white vinegar

1 15 oz can Great Northern Beans

1 15oz can Kidney Beans

1 15 oz can Tomato Sauce

in the crockpot

add 1 tsp Oregano

1tsp Bazil

1/2tsp thyme

1/2 tsp pepper

1 & 1/2 tsp salt

When your beef and veggies are done saute'ing add them to the Crockpot

I let it cook on low for around 4 to 5 hours

Before you are ready to eat boil pasta as directed and add to bowls of soup

Do not add to left over soup as pasta will absorb all the liquid

My Christmas List!

Today while talking with my husband he asked me to make a Christmas list.  He asks me to do this every year...and every year as Christmas gets closer and closer he gets more frustrated with me because I haven't made a list.  It has never been as hard as it is this year to try to come up with a list. 

 In this past year I have received the KRMA Jade leather jacket that I have wanted since the Vampire Diaries came on the scene.

I finally got my Dyson Vacuum cleaner that I have wanted forever, which now that I have a dog actually seems like a necessity!

I even got my Minivan a Kia Sedona that looks a lot like this:

We were able to drive it to my brother's wedding this summer which was a big change from trying to squish our big ole family in a Cavalier!!

I feel blessed beyond belief to have the amazing family I do, to live in a house that is right next door to my parents, and to have such a full life that I can't possibly think of something more I could want.  

I told that to my husband...he said that wasn't very helpful.  I don't know what in the world to put on that list.  

Any suggestions??

Our wonderful Pumpkins!

These are the pumpkins George and I did with the kids.  Maddie is the only  one I can say actively participated.  I love the way they came out!! Happy Halloween everyone!

A few fall pictures of the kiddos

                                                                 Jane Sliding

                                                                      HI THERE!!

                                                               Jane and Mommy

                                                                      My Maddie

                                                                                   LUKE

Clearly not ever going to catch up on summer events....

So I thought I would just start blogging about what is going on now.  Tonight when the kid's get home from school we are all going to go running to practice for the fun run!  The Fun Run is an event created by the school for grades 3-6.  It is a one mile run.  I am excited to see how Luke does because this is the first year he is able to do it.  Maddie seems to be doing a little better each time she does it.
Maddie has her first dance coming up on Friday.  Followed by a sleep over and a trip to the mall on Saturday.  I figure it is a good way to break into middle school.  Those are the things I remember most about my middle school years.  Unfortunately we also have to head out and get supplies for her pillow for Home and Economics's class. The same project I did when I was in sixth grade which seems strange to me.   No new curriculum in all these years...Wow!