All Hydrated

Well I'm back and feeling a lot better! It turns out I was dehydrated. Didn't end up having to go to the hospital, but I did have to make sure to take in plenty of fluids (water and juice). I also needed to just rest instead of running around in the heat. Below is ways to tell if you're dehydrated (don't ignore the signs like I did!)

I'm making sure to stay out of the heat (especially with how warm it is right now) and trying to drink more water than soda (we'll see how that goes). Sometimes I can't help wanting a soda instead of water; it tastes so good and is what I'm used to drinking.

Tomorrow's blog will bring up the dangers of drinking soda (even diet) and the effects it can have on your health and body. The blog won't be a preachy one, just pointing out the dangers for people that are looking to change their lifestyle (like me).

Hope your all staying cool and out of the heat!

Need To Rest

Well this is what I get for not taking better care of myself. Yesterday around 4:30pm I became very dizzy and nauseous and could not stand. My husband helped me into our bedroom and gave me a few cups of water to drink. The dizziness would not subside so I decided to lay down and sleep.

Instead of listening to my husband I decided I would be ok enough to come down today and visit my Mom. The dizziness is still their though and now I seem to have a bit of a fever. My Mom thinks that I'm dehydrated and I agree with her because I drink more soda than I do water (just the way I've been).

I wanted to write this post and let all of my readers know that I'll be taking a break for the next two to three days so I can have rest and put plenty of fluids into me (not sugary drinks). It doesn't feel good to feel like I'm hungover even when I don't drink.

I'm hoping this will pass sooner rather than later and won't require me to go to the doctors (don't like hospitals at all). So I'll see you all in a few days. Take care and have a good week!

Just To Clarify

After yesterday's post I've seen and read some things on Facebook and Twitter that kind of ircked me a bit. For those of you who don't seem to understand let me spell it out for you:

 

 

Memorial Day:

 

A day to remember men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who died serving.

 

 

 

 

 

Veterans Day:

 

A day that celebrates service of U.S. Military veterans; both living and dead.

 

 

 

But as I stated in my previous blog I try and celebrate these days every single day throughout the year because without them, we all wouldn't be here right now. So be thankful and grateful for them and their families.

Thank You!

 

Memorial Day. I know that on Monday a lot of people will be happy to have an extra day off from work, have a barbecue with friends and family, and attend parades. But I also wonder if these people know what is at the center of this holiday; not just the food and beer.

Memorial Day is a day to remember the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. I think it shouldn't just be confined to one day. Each and every day we should be thankful and grateful for those who allow us to live FREE!

http://www.operationwearehere.com/index.html

Please click on the link above. It gives great insight into what the men and women of the US Armed Forces and their families go through every day. It also gives civilians or other military families the opportunity to help each other and get an understanding for what they do.

I was a military spouse for 2 years and now I'm a veterans spouse caring for my husband who has PTSD and a TBI. I'll admit some days are better than others but I'm very thankful that I have him here with me. But some spouses aren't as lucky as I was.

As a military spouse I've heard people say that you're supposed to know what you're in for when you marry a man/woman from the military, but some people are just stupid! They don't know how hard it is to sit by the phone or computer and wait to hear from your loved one to know that they're alive.

Each day I feel very blessed that my husband came home to me and each day my heart breaks for the wives and husbands who aren't coming home to their families. If you want to honor these fallen heroes tomorrow observe a moment of silence and say a prayer for their families. Memorial Day isn't just another holiday, it's a day to repay those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for us.
 

Magic In A Box

Organization is not an easy for everyone. I'll admit it I sometimes procrastinate and don't have everything as I'd like to have it here in my home. Stemming from yesterday's post I thought I'd sit here and give you all an idea to help the clutter in your own life.

 
Just last week my Mom was telling me how she needed to get some kind of storage containers for her bath towels and sheet sets. She asked me about the Sterilite containers that I already had in my own bathroom. I told her they hold all my towels; and they have casters so their easy to move around.



3 Drawer Container

 

However, I explained to my Mom that she had a lot more bath towels than I did so she would have to look for something with more drawers. She decided to go online to Amazon and just happened to come across an amazing deal. Click on the link below to check it out!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Sterilite-28348002-7-Drawer-See-Through-Drawers/dp/B001QFYYT6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369419262&sr=8-1&keywords=sterlite+7+drawer

TWO! Count them 2 containers with 7 drawers on each one for only $65 (also has casters). They arrived in two days and I helped her set them up in her bathroom and needless to say it holds all her bath towels and a lot more! So that gave me the brilliant idea to order two sets for myself.



7 Drawer Container

 

My husband helped me swap out the old three drawer model we had and put the new ones in. I don't think I've ever been so satisfied with a product. All I can say is WOW! They're able to hold all of our bath towels, washcloths, razors, toilet paper, toothpaste, pretty much everything.
 
If any of you are looking for a way to have more storage space in your own home, apartment, or dorm I definitely recommend that you look at these. They're not flimsy and have adequate storage room. My husband and I are planning to put the other two up today around our home ( we finally have a place for all these video games and movies)!

Is It Lived In? YES!

Ok this isn't going to be a long post...let's call it a rant/vent session. I try to pick-up and clean my house everyday (even if it's just small things). But no matter how much I do this my house still looks like a tornado hit it which makes me want to clean even more.

My husband jokes around that I have OCD and maybe I do, but who cares; it's not bothering anyone except me. There are just some days that I look around this house and a million things go swirling around my head that I think I need to get done that day to make my house look perfect. But I'm never able to do this.

I have a lot of this stuff in my house...maybe more!

 

I know that I've stated in previous blogs that perfection cannot be attained and I know that as I person I can't be perfect but why can't my house be?! My mom has stated before that you live in your house and things are bound to never be perfect because something is always going on (this is true).

However, it still doesn't make me feel any better about wanting to clean all the time and even when I finish cleaning it still isn't good enough in my eyes. What do you all think of this? Is it possible to clean too much??

http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/house-cleaning-schedule-checklist.html

Just to let you know if you click on the link above it will show those who love to clean like me or those who need to brush up on their cleaning skills just what needs to be done; either in one weekend or weekly, you decide. Rant over!

Heatwave!

What no blog?....ahhhh!!!

I do apologize for the delay in writing this post. At around 1:30pm today we lost power at our house from the severe thundestorm we had today. Apparently it caused a tree to fall on some lines and boom no power! So I sat here patiently (and sometimes impatiently) waiting and after 7 hours the lights and internet came alive. So without further ado or any more problems...please read on.

I'm not a warm weather person. I enjoy the cold and absolutely love winter. Some people think it's because of Christmas and whatnot but I actually love it because of the snow and cold temperatures. I feel more comfortable having to put layers of clothes on than taking them off during the summer.

Trees in my yard this past winter

A lot of folks that live up here in Upstate NY don't enjoy the snow and can't wait for it to just melt and disappear. But me I wish it would snow or at least stay in the cooler temperatures during the summertime because these higher temps drive me crazy!

Like I stated last night I was tempted to tell my husband to find the air conditioner in our closet and plug it in because the heat and humidity were starting to get to me. Not to mention I went outside and worked out for 30 mins in the scorching weather at noon (I know I should've know better) so that definitely did not help me.

I know that I'm not the only person who doesn't forebode well with the high temps and humidity so I thought it'd be wise to post some tips on how to stay cool when you're about to boil over (from the heat of course...lol):

1. Drink cold drinks (water and juice are the best).
2. Avoid tea, coffee, soda, and alcohol (they will make you dehydrated).
3. If you get too warm take a nice cool bath or shower (or visit a pool).
4. DO NOT go out between 11am-3pm (this is the hottest part of the day).
5. Wear loose, light colored clothing when you go outside; bring a hat too.
6. If all else fails stand in front of a fan or AC...sometimes that's what I do!

I hope that these tips will keep most of us heat haters and even those of you who are just careful safe so that we can survive this summer. We're only in May right now and by the looks of it it's going to be a hot one. Stay cool everyone!

Whew!

Here in New York it's been mid-80's/low 90's and to be honest I'm already sick of all the heat. We were supposed to have severe thunderstorms over these past two days and all we get are a few passing clouds and a strong breeze and then nothing. I've told my husband that I'm almost tempted to plug in the air conditioner...that's how warm and humid it is!

On tomorrow's blog I figured I'd discuss how to beat the heat and try to stay cool without cooking yourself up. If any of you have any suggestions feel free to leave a comment below and I'll try to work it into tomorrow's blog entitled: Heatwave!

I'm melting, melting...

I Miss You

http://youtu.be/ZQJh-oU0M9Y

Continuing on from yesterday's late night entry (you can still respond to that after reading this if you'd like) I was reminiscing about my Poppy. I reminisced about the conversations that we used to share and without me even saying a word he knew when something was wrong.

Some days are better than others, but on those days when it's really bad I just break down and cry. I think that I cry because even though I have my husband and mom around to talk to about things I still wish that my Poppy was here because he always put things in a way that made me feel better.

One of those instances was when my husband was overseas in Iraq and I felt really alone and didn't know how I was going to be able to deal with him being so far away for so long. I remember going down to my Poppy's and crying and he just sat there and let me cry and get it all out.

 

When I was done crying he gave me a hug and kiss and told me everything would be ok. He also told me that I needed to be strong for my husband because what he was doing wasn't easy and he needed all the love and support he could get from me.

In those few sentences he actually saved my marriage. Not having my husband home wasn't easy and when you're thousands of miles away it's even harder when you have an argument because there is no hug to say you're sorry or kiss to make it feel better. But my husband and I got through it thanks to my Poppy and his loving and caring advice.

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again until the day I pass away and him again. I love and miss you Poppy and I can never thank you enough for everything you did for me. I hope I make you proud when you see me because that's all I've ever wanted. And I know I will see you again <3

Forever and Always

June 9, 2010

Let's Talk About....

I sat here today reminiscing about a lot of things that have gone on in my past. Now while I'm not ready to write about them today (I will be making a blog tomorrow about this), but it got me thinking about something.

What do you reminisce about? Does it involve your family, friends, ex-lovers, or a job? If you do reminisce does it happen a lot or every once in a while when your feeling down and out?

Feel free to leave some comments below this post and let me know what your reminiscing about and tomorrow you'll have the opportunity to see what I was missing today!

http://pinterest.com/pin/157837161912591754/

Two Dollars and a Dream (Some Luck Doesn't Hurt Too!)

Money. It's what runs the world and keeps people moving. Everyone wants and needs money and sometimes we do crazy things to get it. Getting the money would be easier if it grew on tree's, sadly this isn't the case. How amazing would it be to have to spend only $2 and suddenly end up becoming a millionaire? Almost too good to be true?

Well thanks to the lottery game Powerball anyone 18 and older has the chance to do just that. I know what you’re probably thinking: the odds of winning are astronomical and you'd be right in saying that. The odds for the current Powerball Jackpot worth $600 million are a staggering 1 in 175,223,510 (the article below puts the odds into a wake-up perspective for some).

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/us/powerball-jackpot/index.html?iref=allsearch

Some of the odds listed in the article certainly popped the bubble that was growing in my head. Take for example the fact that you have a better chance getting struck by lightning than you do winning the Powerball Jackpot. It certainly puts a downer on things, but it still doesn't stop people from buying the tickets and definitely doesn't stop some people from coming up with a way to beat the game.

http://www.how-to-win-powerball.info/

I thought you all should know that while I was out with my mom grocery shopping I purchased 5 tickets. I know spending $10 like that probably wasn't money savvy (I heard it a bit from my mom). But I don't play the lottery every day like some people do, so I don't really see a problem with increasing my odds, just a little bit.



 

 

Like the saying says "A Dollar and a Dream" is all it takes. Well in my case it took $10 but I'll just wait and see what happens on Saturday. If you don't take chances in this world and live a little you're just not living in my opinion.

Believing is Seeing

https://www.chicklingosigns.com/our-products/

 

Fairytales pull you into this amazing world and won’t let you go until you’re ready to leave. As you get older you’re taught that fairytales aren’t real. You have to grow up and pull your head out of the clouds to make it in the ‘real world.’ So what happens when you discover that the ‘real world’ you’re living in actually has fairytale characters here too?

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/once-upon-a-time

Click on the link above and you’ll be transported to a webpage where you realize that fairytales don’t have to end as you grow up. In all actuality your life can be a fairytale. You might be like Cinderella and have evil stepmother/stepsisters and have to work non-stop. Maybe your life is more like Peter Pan, the boy who never wants to grow up and stay in Neverland forever. So which fairytale character do you think fits you the best?

“Well, some people use their imagination.” – Belle from Beauty and the Beast

When I was little I thought I was more like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Belle loved books. They were her life and you could always find her reading one when she wasn’t helping her father. To this day I still love all of my books. They mean everything to me and I take pride and great care in them. But what happens when the fairytale character you believe you are when you’re little, changes as you get older?

I’ve come to adore Alice in Wonderland. The book, the movie adaptations, everything about Alice makes me envious. There are times that I wish I could step into the looking glass and disappear for a few days. Maybe play with the Cheshire Cat or perhaps have some tea with the March Hare and Mad Hatter. Sure everyone in the ‘real world’ thinks that Alice is mad and has lost her head (figuratively not literally-that’s up to the Queen of Hearts). Ponder the idea for a moment though; what if this were possible? Well thanks to ABC it is.

“Curiouser and curiouser!” – Alice from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

I’m a huge fan of the OUAT (Once Upon A Time) series that runs on ABC every Sunday night. I’ll never forget watching the pilot episode and wishing that this could be reality. As the season progressed the series just got better and better, especially when the introduced the Mad Hatter into the storyline. It made me wish that they would incorporate more of Wonderland and sure enough the creators did in the following episodes.

You can imagine my excitement then when I heard rumor of a spin-off from OUAT that would involve the setting of Wonderland and breathe new life back into the beloved old story. The new series is called Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (OUATIW) and will be airing Thursday nights on ABC in the fall. The trailer that was released today looks, in my opinion, very promising to say the least.

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/once-upon-a-time-in-wonderland?nord=1

So don’t be afraid. Take a peek down the rabbit hole with me. You don’t know what you’ll find down there and you might just be surprised. Maybe you’ll see a younger you playing a game of croquet with the Queen of Hearts. Or perhaps you should have a bite of the juicy, red apple from the Evil Queen and you just might end up in your own fairytale come true.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/103692991/print-of-quote-from-disneys-cinderella-a

 

The Truth About Sibling Rivalries

The headline flashed across the webpage like a lightning bolt in a thunderstorm: “Brother, 12, arrested in fatal stabbing of 8-year-old California girl."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/12/brother-arrested-in-fatal-california-stabbing-girl/

My heart broke. I remember hearing the news report last week that an 8 year old girl was fatally stabbed in her home in California and that the police were on a manhunt for the killer. But when I read that they had arrested her 12 year old brother and were charging him with murder I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.

I’m the oldest out of three siblings. I’m also the only girl. My brothers are younger than me and we are all close in age. I was born in 1988, Anthony in 1991, and Sal in 1993. Even though I’m only 3 years older than Anthony it always seemed that he and Sal had a stronger bond when it came to doing things together. Sure I could still play and hang out with them but they seemed to have a closer connection and when I was younger it bothered me.

But soon we grow up and start to go to school and as the grades begin to rise the closeness that siblings have starts to fade. We all had our own friends and liked different activities, music, and games. Even with all the differences between the three of us we loved each other unconditionally and wouldn’t let others pick on our siblings or make them feel left out. We had each other’s backs and no one could take that bond away from us.

“An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship.”

Did we get on each other’s nerves? We sure did. I remember arguing over what music to listen to in the car on the way to school. I wanted to listen to *Nsync, Anthony wanted to listen to Country, and Sal wanted to listen to what I was listening to at the time. At the time I didn’t feel bad for Anthony or even think that we were double-teaming him, but now that I look at it maybe Sal and I were. But there have been times that they’ve done the same to me and turnabout is fair game so I don’t hold a grudge.

This news story made me think about sibling rivalry and what could’ve driven this boy to kill his younger sister. I asked my two brothers today if growing up they had ever wanted to kill me. Jokingly they said “yes” because I was so annoying (I knew they were kidding). But what do you do when the rivalry goes beyond joking and goofing around and ends up like that news story? Below are some tips I found for parents and even older siblings to diffuse the sibling rivalry before it gets out of hand.

http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/ages-stages/school-age-children-development-parenting-tips/sibling_rivalry.shtml

To this day I still love my brothers. I don’t know what I would do without them. Yes we fight and argue and say things we don’t mean but that’s what goes on when you have a sibling. I know that if I ever need to talk or just get away from the house for awhile I can ask one of them to catch a movie with me or take a car ride and get something to eat. Through thick and thin, whatever life throws at us, I have their backs and they have mine and I’m happy and proud to say that I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you guys, even though some days you drive me crazy!!

 

Without You I'd be Nothing In This World

Writing this blog today was a no brainer. Today is Mother's Day and I wanted to express how much I love and care about my Mom for all the things she's done for me and still does for me. So Mom read below because this one's for you:

Mom,

It's hard to find the words to express what you've done for me and what you still do for me each and every day. You've always encouraged me to reach for the stars and not give up on my dreams. Even when I feel like I can't accomplish something your always right there pushing me to do it and giving me the confidence that I can. Whenever I have a problem or just need somewhere to go I know your home will always been my safe haven. Spending time in your home and having a place I can go to and just rant and cry about what's bothering me and you're still able to hear every word, no matter how garbled or fast it comes out of my mouth.

Without you Mom I don't know if I would've been able to handle everything that life has thrown at me. Losing Poppy was the hardest thing I've ever had to go through (I was breaking but you still held me together) and each day I still struggle with it and I know that you do to. But I love you even more for that because you don't hide that you still miss him each and everyday and that doesn't make me feel foolish when I start to cry. Losing Dad took it's toll on everyone, especially you Mom and even though we knew what to expect with the cancer it still hurt to have to say goodbye. I wish that I could take the hurt away Mom so you don't have to anymore because you don't deserve it.

You've been the shoulder to cry on and the rock that everybody went to when they needed help. I want to be that for you and I hope you know that whenever you need or want my help all you have to do is ask and I will be there for you just like you've been there for me. You are undoubtedly my best friend and I know I don't have to hide who I am around you because you love me unconditionally no matter what. God put you here on this earth Mom, not just for me but for my brothers as well. You know all our quirks and know just what to do to make us laugh or smile and for that Mom I can't thank you enough.

You know that I could sit here and go on and list everything you've ever done for me and I'd still probably be missing a few things because you're memory was always better than mine. So in closing this letter I'll just say this; I can never thank you enough for everything you do for me and my brothers. All the thank you's in the world wouldn't add up to the heart and soul you have. Without you Mom I'd be that lost ship in the sea with no idea where I was heading but your that wind that pushes me in the right direction everytime, even if I don't know it all the time. I love you Mom so very much and hope to repay you someday for everything you've done and keep doing for me.

Love your only little girl forever and for always,

Victoria

 

PS: Sorry Mom I know you probably cried after reading this and I didn't mean to make you cry. I'll be down later to see you and give you a big hug. Love you <3

This Shouldn't Define Us

I know it took me a whole week to write another blog but the reason it took so long was because I wasn't sure how to come at this subject from my view and not point fingers. Peer pressure. It affects everyone at some point in their life, whether their 1 or 99 years old. I found out what peer pressure was the hard way and had no idea how to handle it. I just thought that if I ignored what was going on sooner or later it would disappear and I would have real true friends, but that just wasn't the case in my story; I'm hoping it was different for you.

The first time I actually tried to stand up to my 'friends' was when we were in the 9th grade (I know a long time of silence right). I always did my homework for school. I don't think there wasn't a time that I didn't do my homework, but I'm sure my mom could probably think of a few. Anyway I always had my homework done and some of my 'friends' (I say some and not all because only a few were doing this and they know who they are) who didn't do their homework used to threaten not to be my friend anymore and tease me if I didn't let them copy my homework in studyhall.

Me being the person that I am I just wanted to fit in and have everyone like me, so like an idiot I sat there and would let them take it and copy it. I think this went on for about a week until one day I didn't feel like giving them my homework. They called me a bitch and said I wasn't a good friend and then suddenly one of them grabbed my homework papers out of my hand and started to copy it. At this point I was crying and the teacher who watched the whole situation came over in a flash. He grabbed the papers from the girls told them to go outside in the hall to wait and told me to stay there just as the bell rang.

He closed the door and sat down. He asked if I was alright (which I wasn't because I was still crying) and what was going on. At first I lied and said nothing because I didn't want to get my 'friends' in trouble. I thought that if I told on them I wasn't a true friend. But somehow he knew I was lying without saying a word. He told me that friends shouldn't do this to other friends and that I shouldn't be letting people take advantage of me like that. But I wondered what was I supposed to do then have no friends?

After I was done crying he called ahead to my next class and let them know I was going to be late. He even called the teacher and let her know that my 'friends' had been stealing my homework from me for that class. Suprisingly enough she wasn't mad at me (I thought she would be). I'm not sure what happened with my other 'friends' because it was never brought up again between us. Yes we stayed friends even after that and I know I probably shouldn't have, but it was high school and I didn't want to not have any friends throught the most important years of my life.

This isn't the only time I've dealt with peer pressure and I know that I'll add more stories to my blog as time goes on so others can see that they're not alone in what their going through and possibly others can see the error of their ways and try to fix it. If your dealing with or have gone through something like this I hope that you had someone to stand up for you just like I had that teacher stand up for me in my time of need. It's not easy going through this phase that we call life and none one should have to do it alone.

Time Goes On

I know that everyone thinks about the future. People can't help it; it's just human nature. You think about what's going to happen in your life tomorrow, a week from now, a year from now and hope your prepared for whatever comes your way. But what I think about more than the future is the past. I'm constantly analyzing what I did in my past that got me to where I am today. I remember my Poppy being the same way and I didn't really understand at such a young age why he was doing this but I'm starting to grasp why he did.

As you get older you look back on your life and begin to wonder if the decisions you made were the right one's or if you should've chosen a different path. I often wonder what would have happened if I had chosen to go to college closer to home instead of going to college in Buffalo for my first year. I also wonder what would have happened if I would have never met my husband at college and struck up a conversation together. Of course I have a lot of other questions that run through my head but that will have to be saved for another blog.

But just imagine that you did make a different decision than the one you originally made. Would the people you still love be around today? Would you still look and act the same? Would you still be here altogether? It amazes me that in just an instant your life can change for either the good or bad with one choice. That possibly you can unwind years of heartbreak if you had chosen differently and not have to be hurting inside every single day.

I can still recall Poppy sitting there and going over every decision he ever made in his life with me one afternoon while we were sitting in his living room. He started naming off different decisions he made, like not re-enlisiting in the Air Force, or marrying my grandmother, or even moving out of Long Island to Upstate NY. After some time contemplating everything I asked him if he would still do it all over again even though he ended up losing my grandmother to cancer and having his own health issues?

His answer was this: "What happened in my life made me who I am today. I'm not proud of all the decisions that I made or upset with the places I've been or the people I've met in my life. I believe that everything happens for a reason and you have to make decisions to get somewhere in the world today. So I would do it all over again, in a heartbeat." I smiled when he finished and told him that I hope to be able to say the same thing when I'm older. We'll just have to wait and see.