Snacking - How to Indulge Cleanly

For those of you just joining me, I have been forced to eat in a completely clean manner due to food sensitivities/allergies. While I have been on this journey, I have discovered that I can lose weight by simply avoiding processed foods. Since I know many of you out there are seeking better health and fitness, I have decided to share what I learn/observe along the way!

No matter who you are, occasionally junk food sounds good and is the key to feeling human. Junk food. Comfort food. That thing we reach for in times of stress, sky rocketing hormones, etc. The problem, more often than not, is that after we reach for this incredibly delectable food it's pretty darned hard to stop eating it. You didn't need to read this blog, though, to know that many Americans are having problems with moderation.

What I have found, though, is that there are some wonderful foods out there that are clean from those horrible chemicals that truly feeling like an indulgence. At the beginning of my clean eating time I felt deprived all of the time. Seriously, all of the time. What this did, though, is set me out to search for something I could eating. Something that would feel like a guilty pleasure. I stumbled on a few items here and there that fit the bill, but then there was a new problem: Price. It seems that the fewer the ingredients there are in foods the higher the pricing always is. And that, for a family of four on a budget, is a huge problem.

How can I indulge when I know that my little extras are gradually eating away at my family's weekly food budget? Enter some brands I stumbled upon at my local Fred Meyers (Kroger for those of you not living in the Pacific Northwest). Now, please keep in mind that I am not one to parade my views of clean eating and bash those who decide against it. My lifestyle is not by choice, but by necessity. So while some ingredients may seem innocent to most people, they are not to me. In chocolate, for example, there is a sneaky, nasty little chemical called soy lecithin. Finding something sweet without that in it is near impossible. Finding chocolate without that in it that tastes wonderful and is easy on the budget is "to infinity and beyond" impossible. Yet a wonderful company named Theo has managed to do just that! At a mere $2.99 per bar, this is comparable in price to the chemical bomb of a Hershey bar, and is much, much richer and yummier.


Another, difficult snack food that is now inexpensively on the market for those of us hippy eaters are potato chips! Both Boulder Canyon and Kettle have begun creating potato chips that are - get this- made out of potatoes! Shocking, I know, but the ingredient list is shorter than the number of fingers on one hand totaling in at potatoes, sea salt, and olive oil. They are delicious, and hard to stop eating after the bag is opened (remember that comment on moderation earlier, it's really hard with these!).


 There are other options, as well (like fruit roll ups that are truly good) that are out there for people like me. But when it comes to that need to seem normal, to grab a chocolate bar or have a side of chips with your bunless burger these are the definite way to go! Bon appetite with your clean eating, my friends!

Essential Oils - Fact or Myth

Photo courtesy of jessicasapothecary.wordpress.com

Approximately a year ago I began to hear a lot about essential oils, and how they were the new, natural miracle worker. Despite all that I heard from friends, my family, and co-workers I was still reluctant to give them a try. Honestly, it seemed to me that if an oil was the answer that all of the health problems (and low life expectancy) throughout the ages would have been erased.

I decided to throw my skepticism to the wind, and give one a try after a friend told me essential oils can help with weight loss. To Amazon I went, and I searched for a reasonably priced oil that would provide the miracles I had been told about After I received it, I put the oil to the test, and it did not work. At all. I used the entire bottle, as directed, before coming to the conclusion that the oil was worthless. And I was disappointed, but not completely surprised as, again, I had deep down decided that there was no way these could work.

Then, a few weeks later, I became sick. Very, very sick. Nothing worked to give me relief, and I had visions of the ER in my head if things got any worse. On the worst day, I hurt so badly all over my body that I could not move. My mother found out, gathered up her Doterra oils, and rushed right over. As I was completely miserable, I decided I should give this a try again because any relief would be welcomed. An hour after rubbing myself all over with the trifecta she had given me, I began to feel human again. Within a day, I was up and around as though nothing had ever happened before.

Though I was impressed, I still wasn't ready to fully commit to this idea of essential oils. Several months went by and I never thought about it again. Then, the sick season hit. Since I work at a school, and have two children that are elementary ages, once September hits the germs just spread throughout our home. And spread, and spread, and mutate, and then spread again. By November, my son had the croup (along with a punctured ear drum), I had gone through the flu and sinus infections, and my daughter was coming down with bronchitis. Again, my mother ran over some Doterra to try and help get things under control. It did not work for my son (we went to the ER a few days after starting with the oils again. He was at the too sick point for preventative measures and needed medicine.), but my daughter and I got better almost immediately. I was impressed enough that I decided to continue using the oils by both diffusing and rubbing on with a carrier oil (like olive oil or coconut oil), and see what would happen.

Photo courtesy of www.bestessentialoildiffusers.com

Now, for my family, money is tight. I am a full time student, work part time for a school district in order to get more experience (a foot in the door, so to speak), and my husband's job spikes in hours based on the season. Spending $30.00 + per bottle of oil is simply not something that we can do. My mother, in knowing that some of these essential oil brands (like Doterra and Young Living) were wonderful, yet pricy, set out to find brands that were affordable and were as well, or nearly as well, as the main brands.

What she found were two brands that work incredibly well at the fraction of the cost: Bulk Apothecary and Edens Garden. After several months of using these, I am happy to say that I have been sick one time - the one time that I chose to not diffuse my oils while on vacation. For me, that is a record on the wellness charts, and I make certain to keep stocked up on Thieves, Peppermint Oil, and Tea Tree Oil (among others). It is important to note that there is one difference between these bargain oils and those with a higher price tag, they cannot be taken internally. They still, though, are able to be used topically as well as in a diffuser and work just as well as the other high price tags on the market. Why, I ask, should anyone spend three times the amount for something that works almost exactly the same?

Edens Garden Essential Oils

As you can see, I have found that these essential oils truly are amazing. Do they deliver the miraculous punch that others claim? No, of course not. Essential oils will not solve every single health problem that comes your way: Modern medicine is wonderful, and necessary for many things! For an inexpensive, and highly effective, way to stay well, and combat many other ills, this is definitely the way to go!

 

Stay tuned for my list of top recommended oils and how to use them! 

Having a Magical Vacation with Kids

With summer fast approaching, so do family vacations. For most of us, it is a time of intense planning, followed by the holding of breath that all of the money and effort was worth it. This is especially true for the parents who decide to take their children to The Happiest Place on Earth - aka Disneyland or Disney World. The majority of families envision a vacation there that is truly magical, everyone is happy and smiling all of the time, and every moment will have a perfect memory attached to it. What most don't realize is that children can become overly stimulated, hot, tired, and irritable at even the most Fantasmic places. Here is a list to help avoid those break downs, and keep the trip running smoothly!

1. Get your child (or children) a pin. If they are celebrating a first park visit, birthday, or some other event it will help them feel special, and will notify any guests and cast members that something special is going on. Not only that, but the pins are free, and a form of a souvenir that all kids love and will still use once them come home.

2. Bring snacks into the park. Yes, there are venders galore who will happily sell you Mickey bars (and healthy snacks, there is also a bounty of fruit available), but having a few snacks stowed away in case of a cranky emergency is essential regardless of the age of kids you are traveling with. Kids always seem to get hungry at the worst times (i.e. after waiting in line for a while, not at a point where it is easy to get out), and that hunger can quickly make even the most angelic child become a whiny mess. Bring snacks!

3. Remove any expectations about your child happily greeting characters. My own two children are ages 6 and 8, and neither one would approach a character let alone pose with one. Prior to our trip we had purchased autograph books and pens, and simply had to put aside our disappointment and remember that this trip was for the kids too, and then let all expectations go.

My kids walking away from the line to meet Minnie Mouse

4. Give independence where possible. Kids are always trying to prove they are old/big/smart enough to do something and this does not stop while on vacation. As a matter of fact, it is even harder for most since mom and dad watch them like hawks to make certain nothing horrible happens (which we should do, no doubt about that). So, if your son or daughter has the chance to show they can do something, let them. For example, while standing in line at Autopia, we realized my daughter was tall enough to drive herself and we decided to let her so long as my husband was directly behind her. My son, sadly, was not able to do so, but we allowed him to drive while I reached the pedals for him which let him proudly announce to the world "I drove my mommy".

5. Even if everyone in the party is tall enough for all of the rides, they may simply not be interested in them. When that happens, Fast Pass what most of you want to do, and let the others take off during the fast pass time. They can choose to ride their own ride then, people watch, shop for souvenirs, or take in the sites. This way, there is no pressure on any child/adult to do something they don't feel comfortable doing, and that will create a much happier atmosphere. On this last trip, my daughter and I fast passed Space Mountain while my son and husband went off and looked around Fantasyland, and another time she and I rode Space Mountain while they went on Winnie the Pooh. In the end, all four of us were happy!

6. Regardless of where you live, California and Florida are hot. And where there is heat, there is crankiness. Try to do as much as you can at the parks in the mornings and late afternoons/early evenings. Leave the parks in the middle of the day and go for a swim. Not only will this help in removing all of the none stop sites and sounds from coming at your children, but it will cool them off and leave them feeling refreshed and ready to go back at it later that day.

7. Just because you're at Disney it does not mean you have to eat every single meal in the parks. Though most true Disney fans will argue that the food is one of the highlights of being at the Most Magical Place on Earth, pick and choose a few places to dine at the parks or resorts, and balance it with quieter places outside of the parks. Kids usually feed on other's emotions and actions, and a lot of the quick service places in the parks are loud and chaotic. By choosing to remove your children from that atmosphere a few times over the trip it will allow them to regroup, calm down, and enjoy a quiet meal.
 8. Let them be silly. Yes there are a lot of people around, and yes they are probably watching how you and your kids are behaving, but oh well. This is, after all, a vacation and your children should feel free to let loose and be silly while away from home. Let them try on the different ears, make faces, create their own silly photo bombs, you name it (or, in my son's case, take a video of the family's butts going through the parks).

9. Set expectations. If you are on a tight budget, let your children know. Once they are on that Disney property they will have the sites of things for sale coming at them from all angles. Being prepared in advance on what they can, or cannot, have will lower disappointment for them. Being aware of a budget can also help your children put a lot of thought into the souvenir(s) that they end up choosing, and will make them more excited when they do finally decide to make a purchase.

10. Follow the advice of Mrs. Incredible and try to be flexible. Your trip will be much more magical if you allow yourself to give up blocks of time to let your children be happy. They may end up begging for time to play with Legos at Downtown Disney, want to try on every ear hat that they see, or go on rides that you really don't think you'll enjoy. Just do it. Be flexible. Let them have those chunks of time to explore and push their own limits. They may end up learning things about themselves that they wouldn't have otherwise, like how to be courageous in getting on a scary ride, or how to stretch their creativity. In the grand scheme of things, 20 minutes here and there for your child is not much, and will make your trip much happier at the Happiest Place on Earth!

My obsessive mouse ear baby girl.

Finally tore him away from Lego creations to pose with the Hulk.

About to ride Splash Mountain, eek!

The Timeout List - AKA, the Journey to the Naughty Stool

My dad makes these stools that are pretty awesome. Each time one of my close friends has a child, he makes them one so that the child has their own piece of furniture to play with. As time has gone on, these stools have turned into the timeout furniture of the home, and have been dubbed the "naughty stool". So, when I read the prompt of this week (List 10 people, places, or things you’d like to give a timeout to) my brain immediately said "hmmm, whom shall we place on the naughty stool?".

1. The Middle East. Yep, I just went there. Pretty much that entire area - lets just say the whole continent - needs a time out. We'll say one hour per each person that has senselessly been killed. That should put them on the stool for a long enough time that someone who has some compassion and brains can come in and fix things and see that Christians, other minorities, and women all deserve to 1. live, and 2. have rights. Middle East, go to your corner, now!

2. Russia. Mr. Putin, Sir, you are also going to have to sit your shirtless-while-riding-a-white-tiger self on a teeny, tiny stool for a while. Have you not learned that complete control and violence are not okay? They're not. Terrorizing other countries is also not okay. Someone, apparently, did not learn how to share in kindergarten, or how to get along with others. In fact, maybe instead of timeout you should simply be sent back to class with a bunch of 5 year olds.

3.  Friends who are only around when they need something, or when they are in between finding best friends. Seriously, we're either good friends or we're not. We're either on a level where we share intimate details or we're not. We're either basically like family or we're not. No more games, no more wasting of time, or playing with emotions.

4. Myself. A lot of times I feel as though I need to go to my own corner and collect my breath. This is especially so before dealing with my children. I have found that it teaches them about patience, and about making important decisions while calm. Plus, some times it's important to just hide and be alone.

5. Major fans of the NFL. All of ya'll need to chill out. This whole "they cheated" nonsense is getting out of hand. Newsflash, ALL of the teams cheat. Does it make it right? Nope. Should they do it? Again, nope. Just stop getting on your high horse in acting like there are no skeletons in your team's closet because I guarantee you that there are (here's a list, for anyone interested). Plus, football season is over. Can we please take a break from it until August?

6. The makers of delicious, yet unhealthy, foods. It is simply not fair to those of us with food allergies and intolerances to have to watch others eat this deliciousness, and smell it as well, yet not be able to indulge. Maybe, just maybe, you should sit on the naughty stool for a llllloooonnnngggg time while someone eats that stuff around you and doesn't let you have it! Bet that'd make you all reach for natural ingredients in a hurry!

7. The United State's government. I don't think I even need to explain this one. From the mess of the economy, not being able to set a budget (seriously, we families do it all of the time, pay one of us to come up with it for you!), and making questionable decisions left and right you all need a naughty stool, nap, and possible relocation to a new daycare.

8. The political correctness police. The one thing I have noticed as I have matured into adulthood is that the more pc things become, the more aware people become of differences. It is hard to say we are all equals and are all the same, while also being forced to be overly sensitive in word choices. You cannot have it both ways. At the same time, looking at people's pasts and fearing about the repercussions takes away from all we have learned from mistakes. It is important to acknowledge slavery, the holocaust, gender inequality, etc and see it for exactly what it is, yet move forward with courage. For those of you that can't, to the corner you go!

9. People who feel it's okay to have child trafficking/marriage. You who do this, or argue for it, are sick individuals and human beings. A timeout is probably too nice for you, but as that was my only option that's what you get. How this can even be publicly argued I do not know.

10.My children. You both are about to spend a while in separate corners of the house if you cannot get along with one another! Also, this whining, sighing, and eye rolling is stupid and needs to stop. I, myself, feel like doing all of the above at you multiple times a day now, and do not plan on getting most of my caloric exercise from plummeting breaths and eye movements. Gah!

I know my list is random. Trust me, if there wasn't a list on 10 it would have been a lot more comprehensive. Happy Thursday, all!

Special Eats Magic Style

The awesome Disneyland

A few weeks ago I shared my concern about being able to eat while on vacation at Disneyland. Early on this year I found out that I have a very intense food allergy/sensitivity that requires me to pretty much eat everything from scratch (think along the lines of Paleo. Ugh!). Because of that, a few months ago I began planning what to bring in the event that all of my hopes about Disney dining weren't true.

The night before our flight, my hubby and I went to our local stores and bought cheese (which I froze), almonds, and Larabars. Enough that I knew I could sustain myself for breakfast and lunch every day if nothing else was available. And, given my luck in my own hometown, I knew nothing would really be an option for me.

On our first day, we were exhausted, hot, and starving after getting up at 3:00am, and not reaching Anaheim until 1:30pm. While waiting for our hotel room to open, we went a few doors down to Dennys. To my shock and awe, Dennys actually has some salads that are gluten free and fit for clean eating. After telling the incredible staff about what could not even touch my food, it was delivered exactly as requested (and I could tell story upon story about how places I frequent at home cannot get this simple requirement down). The servers went above and beyond to make certain I had exactly what I needed, and even prompted me on what type of dressing they felt I could have (first day, I was told I might want to avoid the honey mustard since it has gluten, which is not something I react too but it was nice to know someone was looking out for me). Because of the great service we received, we actually ate at Dennys every single day of our trip, minus the very last day given that we left prior to lunch.

After having lunch, taking a nap, and getting freshened up before time in the park, we headed off to explore a bit before reservations at the Carnation Café. I had made ADR's (Advanced Dining Reservations) there two months earlier, and had put special note down of my food restrictions. As soon as we checked in at the Café, we were immediately asked which person had the food allergy/sensitivity and clarification on whether or not I felt I needed to speak to a chef -  I decided to put my trust in Disney, and forego the chef. Our waitress immediately came, and gave us all menus pointing out that mine was different. Apparently, Disneyland is rolling out a new program for those of us who cannot eat the same as everyone else! I have to admit, I was very excited to see that I had multiple options, and would not be forced to eat a Larabar while my family had delicious park food! She then insisted that I list exactly what I had problems with food wise so that she could inform the chef, as they would cross reference everything they prepared for me. Being the chicken that I am, I stuck with salad the entire trip, the salad that I had here was absolutely delicious and worthwhile!

Special menus for special people

The next day we had ADR's for the Storyteller Café in the Grand Californian Hotel. We had no idea what to expect here, and were both a little nervous about how nice the restaurant was - prior to kids this would have been fine/normal. 8 1/2 years into children and we are on the extreme casual end of cuisine! After being seated, we had the most lovely waitress from Japan. She bent over backwards to make us feel welcome, to joke around with our kids, and to make certain that I felt normal. Though I did not ask for it, she put in an order for some special gluten free bread so that I could enjoy a small amount prior to our meal just as the rest of my family was. The bread was, to be honest, the highlight of dinner and I ate every single bite. So delicious (please, oh please, Disneyland give me the recipe!)! Again, prior to ordering I was given the option to have a chef come out and speak with me and declined as I saw I had options (important to note that this restaurant does NOT have an allergy menu, but is able to work around it). I am a chicken, so salad again it was for me and it was also delicious. If we ever go back we will be rushing back to this restaurant!

My kiddo got to make his own pizza at the table

Just loved the lights at the Storyteller Cafe

On our last day we had ADR's set for Goofy's Kitchen, and decided to cancel. For one, we were trying to stay on a budget, and for another we both were stressed about trying to rush to different areas of the parks on time. That day we chose to eat at Red Rockets Pizza Port and just see how everything went - I was curious to see if they could accommodate me at a quick service location! After wandering around, I realized that the only thing I could have was *ding ding* salad. And the salads that had already been made needed to have things removed. So I asked those behind the counter if they could make me a new salad, and stated it was for food allergy/sensitivity. Immediately they went back and got a chef, and had them come out to prepare my food for me. Granted, what I ate was not special, but it was wonderful to see that I could eat anywhere and someone would try their best to make sure I was eating safely.

Now, I know most of you are probably wondering why I did not go out and eat more than just salad. The real reason is that I was/am scared. I did not want to risk having a reaction while I was on vacation and possibly have some residual effects while on the airplane. Not only that, but I was tired of the whole thing by the time we got to the park (the night before trying to rush around and find things I could have had gotten to me) and just wanted to feel normal and order something I knew would be fine. You all are also probably wondering why I did not take pictures of my food. I decided to make my husband and kids happy and be more "in the moment" instead of constantly capturing them on film. And I feel it was well worth it!

I hope this has inspired some of you to take a trip, and put aside any eating concerns you may have. Disneyland goes above and beyond to provide a magical experience, even to those of us that need some extra help and attention!

The Ghost of Futures Past

You HAVE to go back in time and choose a different career path for yourself. What do you choose?

Yikes, that's hard. I am one of those people who has a fear of commitment. I am quick to shop, and then immediately head out to either put something back on the shelf, or return it after I've gotten home (this is a trait that drives my husband bonkers. No lie. Bonkers). I do this with everything, I "try on" an idea, and swiftly declare it is not for me and head to something else while still having the first idea in the back of my mind. Yep, fear of commitment with a side of indecisive, that's me.

A friend and I used to joke around about wishing there was a degree/career called A Jane of All Trades. And, honestly, that's what we both need given that I have been in costuming, crowd control, security (that was a day long stint), retail, customer service, photographer assistant, government, internet radio, cake decorator/baker, blogger, not for profit, insurance, and education. And I'm only 28 years young... For anyone shaking their heads #1. I happen to have gotten into the nitty gritty of career digging during a major economic recession, and have become well acquainted being laid off, #3. While dealing with unemployment I ended up being pretty resourceful in either how to bring in some money, or how to boost my resume, and #3. Look at the paragraph above.

I say all of this because I honestly don't know what I would do differently. Teaching, what I am going for now (and fully committed too thanks to the declarations and evil eye of my husband), is not my dream. It is stable, though, something I am good at, and allows me to be in the work force while also staying at home with my kids when they are home. And I really like helping kids see that if they change their inner dialogue that they can achieve more than they thought possible. Might not be much more, but any little bit counts.

In the past I wanted to be a high school French teacher. I still think that would be pretty great, but with all of the law/regulation changes I'm not quite certain that would be a good fit for me now. I also wanted to be a nurse or an engineer. What I have learned is that the medical field is awesome, and that my brain is not smart enough for the math that engineers use. I also wanted to work for the airlines, but now that I am a mom I am very thankful that I am not doing that, away from them all of the time (more power to all of the mommies out there who do it, though).

Mainly, what I always wanted was a prestigious job where I could travel and make everyone proud thinking I had accomplished something. I then found out that God has a sense of humor, and that, that usually interferes with people's perceptions of themselves along with their goals.

I think if I knew then what I know now that I would have gone into the medical profession. I have always been interested in it, pretty good with people, and good with math/science that does not go into calculus and beyond. I always thought that working in labor and delivery would be one of the most beautiful jobs anyone could do, and really did entertain thoughts of that for a while (of course, not even going there with abortion and assisting. Just, no.). And blogging, I love doing it when I have the inspiration and time. So if I could go back in time I'd tell myself to deliver babies, have my own babies, get an annual pass to Disney, be a Disney travel planner (always, always wanted to do that) and be a famous blogger about all of it!

The Check In

It hit me the last few days that I have had lots of goals/resolutions for this year, and that I have achieved every single one of them (except for one that is private) - for the full list, click here. What this means, for me, is that it's time to update you all and now set some new goals for the remainder of the year! Normally I would not bore you all with this, but it seems that I am more likely to do what I actually tell others I'll do instead of having a mental check list.

1. I had a goal of losing 40 pounds by May 1st so that I could enjoy our vacation and just be more fit. Well, I struggle on whether or not to say I officially did this. Since last June, I have lost a grand total of 43 pounds, but fell short of the actual number I wanted by 13 pounds. So, yes and no on meeting the goal. Over all yearly, yes, actual number wanted no, but came close. I was actually feeling semi discouraged, and then a friend made this collage so that I could see how far I've come. The far end is last summer, middle is February, and the end was back in April. So, we're making progress.

The next goal is to lose another 40 pounds by May 8th, and I'm pretty certain I can do it! Already have some plans in place to make it happen, along with an accountability partner!

2. I think I'm getting baptized this year. I was a long, long time ago, but am feeling led to do so again now that I fully understand what it is. So, the goal is to suck it up and just do it even though I don't particularly want to in front of the entire church. Yikes!

3. I finished ALL of my courses for my degree. The only things I have remaining are student teaching and one Praxis exam. The goal is to complete/pass the exam this summer, and to study two courses that I don't feel really confident on prior to September.

The color blue means passed. No other colors left!!!!!

4. A picture speaks a thousand words on this one. Take a look below!

First family trip to Disneyland

The hubby and kiddos at Cars Land

And the next goal is to take the kids camping this summer for the first time, and plan next year's family trip.

5. I wanted to be more open to possibilities. I still have to work on this one, as I am semi reclusive and like routine, but as the picture below shows, I am breaking outside of my comfort level. The next goal is private, I'm not sharing it :)

I'm the one in the back, screaming

6. Yeah I'm still not organized. I wonder if I ever will be organized. I may have an epitaph saying "here lies the most unorganized woman in the history of the world. We'd have a better quote, but she misplaced the paper it was on". Yep, that's me.

7. Still not sharing. It's private, just for me to know and all of you to possibly find out some day :)

8. We have implemented Friday family nights (sometimes held on Saturday afternoons depending on the activity and the weather). Our family has watched movies, gone bowling, been to the circus baseball game, etc. It's been nice to know that one day a week is reserved for something fun to do, and a chance to reconnect. The goal, now, is to find ways to inexpensively do this as I am about to be jobless for many months.

The new goals are as follows: Part time job to work between now and the end of August (it'll help us have money for Christmas and other fun things while I'm student teaching), find a way to economically shop for professional clothes (eek!), fix my car so that it's in tip top shape for September, brush up on all I'll need to know for the classroom as well as any new curriculums I have never used, go zip lining, build a decent size savings account, start resolving some old debt, cut down on tv time, cut down on time using the phone, and find ways to celebrate holidays that will make memories yet not cause a wave of stress or debt.

TTFN, folks!

Easter This Year

One of the prompts from Mama Kat for this week was asking to recap Easter. So recap it I shall, even though it was the most uneventful, least holiday feeling, day that my family and I have had for a while.

You see, a few days before Easter, my Grandfather passed away a few days earlier. The weekend prior to Easter, my mom flew clear across the country to try and see him for the last time. There was a massive mess in her even reaching Pensacola, Florida from Seattle, Washington in that she missed her connecting flight, had to then fly to a different state, her luggage was lost, and then my aunt's (who picked her up) car battery died at the airport. She did make it to see him, though, and made it just in time as he passed the next day before she was able to make a return visit.His memorial (very rushed as it was) was a mere 4 days before Easter. Though I have not seen, or talked, to him in years it was a hard hit. In all of that, plus saving for our trip and dealing with some other harsh realities that life threw at us, Easter was definitely an after thought this year.

Both of my Grandparents

Normally, either my mom or myself gets the kids Easter outfits and treats. This year, between the trip, my mom's incredibly expensive flight, and grief, the kids wore normal clothes, and had no treats from us, which is okay as we do not celebrate the Easter Bunny in our house (not judging those who do, I just don't feel it's the reason to celebrate that day). Thankfully, though, the kids had a "feast" in Sunday school, along with treats and a bracelet, and their Great Grandmother  put effort in and got them some chocolate bunnies.

Bracelet from Sunday School

Treat from Great Grandma

Excited for his bunny

Before anyone thinks our Easter was miserable, it wasn't. We still laughed, were together as a family, and went out to eat. We still went to church, acknowledged the day for what it was, and lived life. It just wasn't normal in the anticipation and preparation. And that's okay. Part of life is dealing with death, and accepting that it will come to all of us some day. It doesn't matter that we are scared of it, or do our best to push it off, it is coming, and those left behind will keep on living.

Last weekend, after feeling more emotionally grounded, my mom cooked a belated Easter "feast" so the kids felt like something more was done. We all gathered around the table, enjoyed delicious food, and listened to my mom talk about her memories of my Grandfather.

Belated Happy Easter to you all.

And the Count is....

15 days, 10 hours, 25 minutes, and 13 some odd seconds until D-Day (but who's really counting, anyways?)! By "D-Day" I mean Disneyland, as in THE Happiest Place on Earth. Well, really, the second Happiest Place on Earth because my heart really belongs in Orlando, but at any rate, it's going to be awesome!

Think I'm a little excited???

For those of you who don't know, this will be our first family trip, and it is long overdue. I have been planning, and planning, this trip since last September. The fact that I have survived the anticipation into the double digit days is a miracle. Oddly, the closer we have gotten to our trip, the more I have wanted to let go of the reigns and let our trip have more of a relaxed, laid back, spontaneous feeling. After all, we won't get to do everything we want in this one trip, and will have to go back one day, so why plan every second out instead of simply enjoying the environment and experience?

As I have wrestled with those feelings, I had to stick to my guns when making ADR's (Advanced Dining Reservations for you non-Disney folk). Though I would love to simply choose a place that looks interesting (and, despite what most say, I know it can be done from my own previous trips, and time of employment as well), but when dealing with a food allergy/sensitivity, it changes everything. While planning, I found out that Disney goes above and beyond to ensure safety for all of its guests when it comes to food.

When I first booked this trip, being at odds with food was no where near my radar. Since then, I have found that I cannot eat much of anything processed without my body reacting harshly - in a manner I will not even think of coping with it in order to have any of the Mickey shaped, delectable treats. As this slowly began to sink in I had a few thoughts bounce around my head: 1. Maybe I could go the entire trip eating things I had shipped to our hotel (for those of you wondering, yes, hotels will gladly accept a shipped package with non perishable items so long as it is received no more than a few days prior to arrival). Things like nuts and special crackers. As long as I'm at Disneyland, I reasoned, nearly starving will be okay. 2. Maybe, just maybe, Disney can accommodate me.

Thankfully, I found out #2 was true. As I got closer to the day to make our ADR's, friends began sending me different links to vlogs where people on Paleo diets successfully ate at the parks, which gave me some hope. Then, I found that Disney has this incredible option to choose from for different food sensitivities/allergies in order to alert their chefs prior to ordering. Unfortunately, this option is mainly available for some of the higher priced dining, and we (like most people) are on a budget.

While wrestling with whether or not I should eat well on the trip, or save money, some brilliance struck. Why not have a combination of both? Because of our hotel, our breakfasts are free and contain things that I can have, which knocks out the cost of one meal a day for four people.  Next up, lunch. I have decided that lunch will be simple, no reservations needed. I will let the family choose, on a whim, where they want to eat, and I am bringing my stock of "goodies" that I am able to fill up on while not going into anaphylaxis shock.

A few of the clean eating items tagging along with us.

While not as delicious as the burgers and what not that they'll have, I will be able to stick with my completely clean eating in a magical environment. Lastly, we have ADR's for dinner, and I will be able to satisfy my cravings with the assistance of the Disney chefs - I cannot wait to see what they come up with in substitutions to still give me an incredible experience!

Stay tuned to see even more about our trip planning, and the results of all of the fun things we will do!!! Magical times await!

Spring Bucket List

1. Spring cleaning. We have already started this one, but still have a lllloooonnnngggg way to go! Nice, clean, and spring fresh in my home please!

2. Take our first family vacation. A mere 24 days from now we will be landing in Sunny California, and headed to one of the most magical places on earth!

3. Finish my last class for my bachelors degree.

4. Register for my last state exam for my bachelors degree.

5. Cultivate my little garden area, and grow some of my own herbs.

6. Lose 15 pounds. I've already lost a little over 30 in less than a year. 15 more should be a cake walk!

7. Kick some booty in court (long story, I'll share it some time).

8. Create some lasting memories during my last few months at this job. Going to be sad to say goodbye.

9. Involve my kids in making our yard pretty. They are creative and like working with their hands, it'll be a fun family project.

10. Get my kids more active, spending less time on electronics. Ideally, this is an all year list, but living in the PNW springtime is one of the first times the kids can be outside without a downpour. Outside they must go!

If You Give a Mom a...

 

If you give a mom a break...

 

She will sit in exhilarated excitement for all of five minutes, and then will decide to run one quick load of laundry.

 

After she sees the pile of laundry in the laundry room, she will feel guilt and decide to fold the rest of the laundry.

 

As she puts clothes away, she will see the trail of toys on the floor and pick them up.

 

And, of course, after picking up the toys she will decide the floor needs a once over with the vacuum as she can now see the pieces of dirt that were hiding under said toys.

 

While vacuuming, she will catch a peek of her children's rooms, and will immediately begin disaster relief efforts to bring back a semblance of order.

 

Then, she will reach for a mug to have some relaxing tea and realize the dishes need to be done... So she'll do them one by one.

 

Once the dishes are done, the mom will realize grocery shopping needs to be done, and will dutifully head to the store.

 

In walking around the store, loading up her groceries, she spies luxurious bath salts and hot chocolate, which reminds her...

 

That she really wants a break! 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Simple Poems for My Loves

Today, Mama Kat asks that we "[w]rite a poem to your love for Valentine’s Day". I am not a poetic person, and have always struggled with any sort of creative writing. What I can do, though, is write a cinquain.

While it says to write it about my love, I want to write it for my two kids as well, as they are a part of my heart and were given to me by my husband. A day about love would not be complete without them!

Ken

 Friendly, talkative, unique

Lover of all things nerdy.
Supportive, humorous
Hubby

Reyna
Creative, helpful, passionate
Animal helper in the making.
Huggable, cuddly
Reyna-Roo

Bub
Determined, intent, empathetic
The knowledge keeper of all things shark and dinosaur.
Playful, curious
Chef Bubba
 

Friday Fit Day - Eating Clean

My whole life I have been on some form of diet - Atkins, calorie counting, fat counting, South Beach, you name it. And, every time I went on a diet it would work until I plateaued, and then I would either gain or need to find a new approach. This lasted until I had kids, and then everything spiraled out of control. I tried the calorie counting, again, and to eat fewer processed foods. It would barely work, between 1-5 pounds lost after working really, really hard (and, by working, I'm including working my behind off in exercise).

Recently, a little less than a month ago, I started having some horrible, horrible symptoms. In retrospect, over the last two years I'd had similar attacks, but on a much smaller scale.  My throat felt like it was closing, swallowing was difficult (and I had to put forth an intense amount of concentration to do it), numbness, and heart palpitations that made me feel as though it was trying to beat its way out of my chest. Over the last few years, this would happen (not including the numbness and swallowing) and then would disappear and not show up again for many months. As it became more, and more, frequent I began tossing ideas around on whether or not it was heart related, anxiety, etc. A trip to the hospital confirmed nothing was actually wrong with me, but to stay away from caffeine temporarily.

That, that has been an insanely hard road to go down. Pain, irritation, on one occasion there was vomiting, but I did it. Yet I still did not feel better. A trip to the doctor gave me an indication that this is, more than likely, allergy related (testing next week), and I was given an epi pen in case of emergency. That did not sit well with me, at all. So I decided it was time to take some drastic measures so that I did not feel like I was about to die every night.

And that, everyone, led me down the path of clean eating. Since I am not 100% positive what it is that is triggering things (although I am almost completely certain it is MSG), it seemed to make the most sense to eliminate anything processed. The reason I came to this conclusion is because, after sitting down and processing, I realized that all of my "attacks" had food in common. I would eat, say, Doritos, and all of a sudden be pacing the floor wondering if I needed to call 911 or not. Between Google and my thoughts, I realized that I had almost every single symptom of someone allergic to MSG, which is in practically everything that is processed. And delicious. And addictive.

While doing my research, I found that scientists believe (although haven't entirely proven) that MSG usage can remove the ability to lose weight, no matter what the calorie intake and exercise effort are. As I kept eliminating more and more types of foods, and even drinks (sadly, Crystal Lite had to go), I started to feel better, but my symptoms did not completely go away until I said goodbye to all processed foods.

By goodbye, I do mean a legitimate farewell to bread, pasta, cheese (not all, but most), cereal, soup, sauces, sausage, lunch meats, etc. Even chocolate, the fancy kind, is off limits as the miniscule amounts of chemicals in it have sent me running for Benadryl.

Why am I taking the time to blog about all of this? Well, in all of the misery I have been having - such as withdrawal symptoms,  and the sadness of leaving behind an entire life style- I realized today that my shirts are much looser around the waist. So loose, in fact, that I am able to pull them out several inches.

The craziness of all of that is that my calorie intake is not lower than it was while eating processed foods (it is approximately the same, if not a little higher in cookie with real butter), and my exercise amounts are down - hard to push through and keep going while dealing with the exhausting detox. Yet, with all of that my body still managed to being losing weight with minimal effort on my part.

So, my suggestion for any of you who have been struggling to lose, and do not know why it has not happened yet, give clean eating a try. It is hard, and a hassle, but the rewards (not just in weight loss) are well worth it. Hopefully, my body keeps it up!

Help Wanted

Photo courtesy of www.fccgreensboro.org

Today, Mama Kat had multiple options for prompts, but the one that screamed at me was "a blog inspired by the word help". I can do that. It seems like I am either always needing it (and getting next to none) or always giving it. After all, help is what makes the world go round.

Except when the ability to say no to it makes life come to a grinding halt. The root reason, I believe, that most of us help is because we like to feel needed and wanted. I don't know many who say that their life's ambition is to 100% self reliant, no help from others, and no one left behind that would have those cherished memories of the things we have done for/with them. The problem, though, is when it feels impossible to say no. Why a simple, two letter word, should be so difficult to spit out I do not understand. And I am the queen of avoiding it. I immediately become red all over, start sweating, and can no longer look someone in the eye before saying it. The next part is a long list of justifications for why I cannot help out with whatever the project at hand is. How, though, as a woman who works, goes to school, is married (and husband just started working nights), has elementary aged children, volunteer, etc supposed to drop everything to help whenever it's needed? I'll tell you: the answer is less sleep, more screaming, and eyebrows that haven't been waxed in months (that last part, though, may just be because I'm lazy). The other two options are to 1. stop talking to all of your friends, or 2. buck up and say no. I have yet to start implementing #2, I should probably work on that.

The flip side to this help debacle is the inability to actually ask for it. Or to follow through with getting the help after finally asking. It seems there is a big panic that comes through after someone offers to help of "what if I look to weak", or "crap, I need to scrub my house now". When that panic comes, cancelling the help usually immediately proceeds. In reality, if I'm desperate enough to reach out and ask for help, I should not be concerned how I appear, what my house looks like, how crazy my kids are acting, etc. Help is necessary (remember, it's what makes the world go round), and I should not be too weak to accept it.

So, it's my turn to say that I need help. A lot of it. There is so much going on, and so much to juggle that life feels pretty lonely some times (how, with a houseful, I do not know). Friends and family, be warned, the time has come for me to start asking. And to start saying no. I like how that sounds.

Watching the Game with Sportsmanship

I've never written a football post before, but have decided that if I ever will, now is the time. Before I get started, let me declare here that I am a die hard Patriots fan (and no amount of criticism will take that away), and am definitely not a 12. What I have to say, though, applies to every single football fan, including myself. Again, I say that a lot of this I have told myself over the last year, after my own, personal, behavior last Super Bowl season where I lost the good sportsmanship award by a landslide.

1. If another team is accused of doing something, hopping on the bandwagon in saying/screaming/ranting etc against them really isn't needed. Accusations mean nothing. They do not prove anything was done, and are a tool of the NFL to get more people involved in watching games, and keeping football on the mind. If something comes out verifying that accusation ABC was true, then rant away. Until then, behave like decent human beings in a country where you're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. In this particular case, the Patriots are guilty even when proved innocent, and then some.

2. If you lose, be more like Russell Wilson. Can't believe I just said that, but the man has quite the character, and if he can lose and start planning for the next time, then I'm pretty certain you all can too. This, by the way, applies to any fan of any team. A quick "oh man, that sucks, I wish team XYZ would win" is enough, then start setting sights for next year. There are more than enough teams around that will end up taking the slot that your own person team wants, and there's no need to pout over it.

3. If a play was made that was bad, rant away, but do so where the rest of the world can't see that you're now tearing apart members of the coaching department. It's not needed, it's not necessary, and it makes the entire state look as though we cannot handle a mistake. My heart aches for Rob Lowe, who, yes, made a very bad call, but is a human being. As a human being, he should be allowed to wake up this morning and not see 50 million memes about himself from the fans of his own team. Not classy, not cool, not okay. If you stand by a team, stand by them. Otherwise, brace yourselves and grin and bear it when the bandwagon jabs come your way.

4. If the players are able to see who won/lost and immediately go over and shake hands, and act like cordial human beings, then why can't we? There's a great picture of Sherman leaning down to shake Brady's hand last night, after being emotionally crushed by the defeat. If they can do it, then we should be able to congratulate one another, without throwing in a dig on why our team lost. No "congratulations, good game, but if it weren't for ... ". A simple "congratulations" will suffice, and then you can go to your buddy's and quietly rant.

5. If you have decided to slam others for not being a fan of your team, you may need to re-evaluate your priorities. Football is fast turning into the new religion/politics of the lets-just-not-go-there-or-else-get-into-a-brawl topics. There are 32 teams in the NFL. 32. Just for impact, I'll say it again, there are thirty two teams in the NFL. To go along with all of those teams, are fans. And just because their team did not make it to the playoffs, or the Super Bowl, does not mean they are required to choose sides and cheer anyone else on. Maybe they can watch for the love of the game (some of us do that), or for a variety of other reasons. Going off on groups of people for being whiny because their team lost, and now they can't cheer yours on is pointless. There have been many Super Bowls where I honestly did not care one bit who won, still watched (it's tradition), and that was the end. Let people love who they want to love, just as you expect them to do for you.

Honestly, can't we all behave towards a group of hard working men in the exact same way we expect them to be on the field? Be aggressive, have passion, show your love for that game. Keep the integrity (yep, this Pats fan just said it), compassion, understanding, and good sportsmanship present. A lot of the digs made at one another last far longer than football season. Is it really worth it, when our own personal comments have 0 chance of changing the outcome of the game?

And, lastly, congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks for the return to the Super Bowl after their first time ever winning. You all created a great game, and made a dynasty fight every step of the way for the win. You showed a nation that last years landslide defeat happened for a reason. Now, give your offensive coordinator a break, and prep to bring it even harder next year.

Last, last thing: Patriots, woot, you made this girl proud!!!!!

Things I'd Rather Do

Mama Kat's writing prompt for this week is "List 7 things you would rather do than clean your bathroom". I think my list needs to be bigger than 7 (although, I have to admit I'd rather clean my bathroom than, say, the refrigerator, fold my laundry, or clean my room... Man, I sound lazy!), but I will follow the rules and try to restrain myself.

1. The top of the list is the obvious, lazy stuff. I'd rather watch TV than clean my bathroom. And, honestly, who wouldn't? A little bit of  Castle or Mysteries of Laura, or scrubbing a toilet? Hmmm, that'll take me soooo long to decide, maybe I'll watch a little bit of TV while I made the choice.

2. Play online. Much like number 1, this is a no brainer. Facebook, Twitter, blogging, Trivia Crack, and more all take precedence over scrubbing a bathroom.

3. Doing homework, and I really hate spending hours and hours to submit work to an abyss that I'll never see again. It's much better than cleaning, though, especially since it can lead to wasting time on the internet.

4. Climbing up the side of a mountain. I don't mean this figuratively either. I actually hiked a few trails on Mount Rainier this last summer. It was hot, painful, and embarrassing (because of how poorly I finished). I'd still rather do that, then clean my bathroom. The plus side to it, too, is being in so much pain for a week after that I cannot physically clean anything, ha ha!

5. File my taxes. I actually used this excuse today to not get anything done. And it's definitely not fun. Possibly more fun then a trip to the dentist, but not exactly hot fudge Sunday at the beach, fun.

6. Go grocery shopping with both of my kids, without the help of my hubby. Yep, I went there. I'd rather the insanity of going out around things that they "want" and "need" along with all the crazy fighting (which usually leaves me looking insane) vs. cleaning my bathroom.

7. Listen to my kids music for hours on end. This includes the like of church camp songs (which are catchy the first week), One Direction, Disney songs, Teen Beach Movie, Taylor Swift, and Demi Lovato. Music that would be great for a bit, but after hours make the ears bleed. Yep, sounds like a picnic compared to tackling my bathroom :)

Friday Fit Day - Small Changes

Usually I write the day before, and schedule the exact time the post should release. I will admit that this week I have slacked off, and am sorry that it is nearly the end of Friday before I sat down to actually write. Things have been a little crazy in the Willeford household, though, and I will blame that for the procrastination.

This last week has been a forced eye opener for me. Everyone close to me knows that I landed in the ER on Sunday after struggling with some bad symptoms late Saturday night, that then exploded Sunday afternoon. I am okay, now, and am doing all of the follow up stuff that needs to be done. Because of that, I did not get my stats updated, so I have no clue if I have lost pounds/inches. What I do know, though, is that some changes have to be made.

I was told to completely stay away from caffeine. No more coffee, tea, Diet Coke, or even chocolate for at least a week, but to brace myself that it might be a permanent change. It sounded really easy when the orders were given to me, but let me tell you it's been an absolute battle. And I think I'm losing.

Actually, I don't think it I know it. I never actually thought about all of the things that have caffeine in them, or how long my system had been used to having it daily. My body has been very angry with me for this change - migraines, irritability, vomiting from the migraines, etc. Not exactly what you'd call a good time. The worst part is, a lot of the medications to fight migraines have caffeine, so that's an off the table option.

At any rate, I have managed almost a full week mostly caffeine free. By mostly, I mean that I had one Excedrin because I could not raise my head off of the couch, and some M&M's to get me through the day. And, I caved today, and had a few sips of Diet Coke. That's it, though, and I'm still alive and all of my resources tell me that the worst is now over!

After going through all of this, I realized that I actually feel better. Having 0 drink options minus water and juice has greatly increased my water intake (I'm actually at 64 ounces a day, now), and forced me to focus on sleeping when I'm tired instead of knowing that in the AM I can just sneak in a cup of coffee or Diet Coke. To be honest, I have gotten more sleep this week then I probably have in the last few months.

Though I am not exactly feeling like running a marathon, I am finding that I am becoming more and more in tune with my body and what it is telling me. The hope is that this (the increased water, stepping away from extra junk, and sleep) will lead to weight loss!

The 20 of 2015

Today's prompt is about the 20 things to make this the best year yet. That is a really large number of things to implement, but I am realizing that the things to implement do not have to be large themselves. So, here it goes.

1. Sleep more. Instead of staying up late to have some time to myself, or to study, I need to set an actual bed time that I stick with.

2. Workout consistently. I already to this, but after a while I get busy and stop almost altogether.

3. Change it up. With my workouts I tend to get into a rut, it's good that I'm still moving, but not so good that my body knows exactly what is coming up next. Weekly, I'd like to try to implement at least one new thing (even if it's rotated from previous weeks/months) to mix it all up.

4. Quit relying on caffeine to get through the day. I am currently in the process of doing this, and it is so hard. I know I will never be completely caffeine free (unless it's required of me, which I will find out on Friday), but I would like to drink more water and less Diet Coke.

5. This goes along with sleep, but is a little bit different. I need to stop hitting the snooze button. My life seems to rely on it in the morning, but I know that each time I hit it I am lowering the quality of my sleep, and that has got to go.

6. Organize an office space to make my studying more effective.

7. Go through all of my bills, and work my way through getting things paid off (or at least down).

8. Pray more.

9. Study the Bible more in depth.

10. Actually take time to have girl's night/time every month. It has been almost a year since I met up with any of my friends for a glass of wine, or to do something fun. I need to change that.

11. Not be scared to have "me" dates. When I lived in Florida, I would take the time to go to a movie on my own, or out to lunch. It was fun and relaxing, and I didn't have to worry about someone else's perspective on the activity.

12. Have individual dates with my kids. They have both expressed how much they want to do things alone with either mom or dad, time to make that happen. Besides, I am realizing how quickly they are growing up, and this will help them realize that they are always special and we will always make time for them.

13. We toss around the idea of weekly family nights, and it'll happen once or twice and then not happen again for months. I'd like to have a family game, movie, or activity night that we do every Thursday evening. Make some fun for the family, and take away our focus on what needs to be done to how much we enjoy one another.

14. Go through every avenue possible to make weight loss happen this year. By every avenue, I'm including the surgery options that I really don't want, but if it will be healthier for me in the long run I may have to do it.

15. Choose a major. I have got to do this. If I don't, I'm going to end up having a last minute anxiety attack after I graduate with my bachelors, and have no idea what to get a masters in. And, yes, I have to get my masters.

16. Take the entire month of July off from school. Oh man this would be so lovely. I have four classes remaining, and if I bust my behind off, I will be able to have the summer to hang out with my kids, and take a breather for myself, and not have to lock myself away again during all of the fun moments to do homework.

17. Find a way to relax. That may sound silly, but I am a very wound up person, and everything stresses me out. To the point that other people's stress stresses me out. And, over the weekend, I landed in the hospital with what seems to be some massive anxiety attacks (will find out Friday). As my husband said "it's really sad it took you laying in a hospital bed to see you need to calm down". Yep, message received. Not sure how to do that one, but will work on it,.

18. Exercise my creativity. The last few months I have gotten to see that my stating that I have "0 creative ability" is not entirely true. It would be fun to see what I actually can do, and maybe do some things with my own kids and home that is based around the holidays.

19. Continue with my 0-very little fast food life style. It has been over a month now since I had any, and I almost do not miss it at all, minus the convenience of not needing to cook. It makes me feel better, though, so keep it up I shall.

20. Plan, plan, plan. I have vacations coming up (two), and have never done one with kids before. I need to plan like crazy to make certain this goes well with minimal hiccups along the way - I am a realist, though, so I know something is bound to happen no matter how well I plan.

There you have it, 20 mini changes to make this year the best it can be! What are some changes that you can do to make 2015 the best year so far?

Before the Big 3-0

This last year I turned 28, and have since realized that I have already passed the middle part of the hill, on the way to 30. I also realized that I spent my 20's (not regretfully) having my kids, getting married, trying out a some different job opportunities (thank you 2008 and a few layoffs), realizing that I could face my public speaking fears (got over that really fast when I worked, briefly, in internet radio), massive weight gain, and working my way through a bachelors degree.

The adventure of this decade, my kids!

Me with my cute make up artist

My lovable and silly girl

My 20's, as you can see, have been full of hard work, stress, and the need for survival. It has been a near decade of learning opportunities, some good and some not so good. What it made me realize, though, is that I do not want the chapter of my 20's to close without some adventure. Nothing huge, just a few things that I can look back on, and be happy that I ended my "young years" on a high note.

Since I am such a huge fan of lists (in my world, nothing gets done without a list), I decided to make one that I can gradually complete over the next two years. So here it is, in no particular order, the 31 things I want to complete before I turn 30!

1. Go to Disneyland
2. Go to Disney World
3. Go zip lining
4. Go indoor sky diving
5. Shoot a gun and a bow
6. Run/walk in a 5k or half marathon
7. Actually complete an entire trail hike on Mount Rainier
8. Be disaster prepped
9. Ride the big, wooden roller coaster at the fair that I'm scared to death of
10. Choose my own car (with advisement) , not one that someone else picked out. Which means everything with my driving issues/stuff would be fixed.
11. Graduate with my bachelors
12. Begin teaching in my own classroom
13. Start classes for my masters
14. Which brings me to needing to pick a masters
15. Get back to a size 13 (lower would be nice, but I'll be happy right there), and increase my longevity.
16. Horseback riding on the beach
17. Go to a wine tasting/pairing class
18. Plan a family adventure vacation that does not have ANYTHING to do with Disney (we'd take it the summer I turn 30).
19. Go to a concert of someone I actually want to see. I have not been to a concert since... I think it was 2004. Either the summer of 2004 or 2003.
20. Cook something from the Julia Child's cookbook. Maybe one of those scary looking sauces. It's time to take that baby off the shelf and actually use it!
21. Take the kids somewhere water related, with no shame!
22. Make a complete spiritual commitment (this, honestly, should be #1 on the list)
23. Kayak
24. Become SCUBA certified
25. Go to a women's church retreat (or, at least, sign up for one)
26. Try sake - I don't know why, but ever since I was a kid watching WWII movies, I 've always wanted to try it.
27. See Wicked, Beauty and the Beast, and/or Aladdin
28. Sew. Sew anything. Hopefully a quilt, but I'll settle for a tree skirt or an advent. Maybe even finishing the apron I started 2 years ago.
29. Sign up, and take, a form of martial arts
30. Start writing a children's  book, or at least get the concepts/ideas down on paper
31. Volunteer at a local theater to help with costuming

There were some other things I wanted to do (like go to a drive in movie) that are no longer available in my area. Hopefully I will be able to check each and every one of these off over the next two years, and then can make a new list for my next decade. What about you, what are some things on your bucket list that you really want to achieve?