In Your FACE, 3rd Week of November!

Hey kidlets,

This week will be one of power suits and Airborne shots.
It will be full of meetin's-on-meetin's-on-powerpoints.
It will be like what I assume the real life of this awesome blogger is,
(psst, she is one of those girls who does it ALL and has great hair... um... how!?).

Monday: Annual Performance Review
Tuesday: Meeting with CEO to discuss charitable giving
Wednesday: AllDayMeeting. Like, "in" before the breakfast arrives, "out" after we pay the check at dinner.
Thursday: Meeting the ladies from the society (pretentious, much?)
Friday: Freakin' take an inhale for like two seconds!

This isn't the norm for me, but I must admit I do like it. I like being busy. I like having a lot of balls in the air. I like feeling a tickle in my throat and hoping it's just nerves/allergies feeling mostly well and alert.

I'll be wearing my newest, most wonderfully tailored suit on Wednesday to give me extra confidence. It's like this one only solid navy.

And who knows, maybe I'll get some good news on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. And if not, at least I get some awesome meals on Wednesday.

How's your week shaping up? Do you like being busy?

(Did you get a flu shot? I'm wondering if I should... this throat tickle is scaring the bejesus out of me.)

End Demand Illinois

I saw this sign on the back of a bus on yesterday.

Which is strange, because I read this article Wednesday.

The topic has come up in conversations about whether it should be legal. Prostitution, not trafficking. So it can be safer. So it can be regulated.

I'm against legalization of prostitution with a sort of radiating combo of pity and hatred. I can somehow feel it in my spine when people get nonchalant about it. I can't totally explain why I hate it, but I can't stop thinking, "That's someone's child."

Some women chose to get into that profession, but most are coerced. Or they're adolescents. Or they're drugged up (their decision or someone else's). I think that's why I hurt in my bones over this issue.

I'm really happy to see that the media is turning its eyes on others involved in these crimes. Whether it should be legal or not, prostitution is illegal for now. And human trafficking is and should always be illegal. So however you look at it, we need to be taking a broader view of prostitution. We need to look at the puppeteers above the stage and the shadowed faces in the crowd - not the just dolls on strings.

I ripped this photo off of my sister - Sorry!

The Mr.'s reaction: I have man-boobs in this picture.*
My reaction: Do you have man-boobs in real life? Family, nightly push-ups are now mandatory!

*I airbrushed your m-boobs a bit. Do they look less booby?

Not Really a Flip-It Friday: Treat Yo-Self... Nicely

Source: herphany.tumblr.com via Marie on Pinterest

Kidlets, my head is heller-hurtin' and things have been craze at work.

My boss(es) are out, the merger is still in full swing, the company newsletter is due (and done, son!) and I just got asked to write a 2-inch binder full of jazz about a person I've never met. Like a book report where no one wrote the book yet. I'm telling you this just to give you context and update my parents. Hi dad!

Let me put the slang down and talk about love. Self Love.

Source: Uploaded by user via Mmerci Encore on Pinterest

I don't mean anything physical or egotistical. I mean take self respect and intensify it. Add some compassion. 

People (no one) ask me all the time (never has happened) how I keep going (where?).

My one health-related motto is to

Be Kind To One's Self.

All diets, exercise routines, beauty regimens, skin care products- all philosophy on beauty and health- can be deduced down to being kind to your body. 

Same for mental and emotional health.

Just ask yourself, "Is this kind."

Is having a bottle of wine all to yourself kind to your skin/liver/stomach/sleep/text message contacts?

Is slouching at your desk kind to your spine/neck/confidence?

Is eating that chocolate kind? Yes because it's dark chocolate and the endorphins/caffeine you get is worth it!

Is worrying kind?

Is self-doubt kind?

Is punishing yourself for forgetting your lunch kind? No, just go get a sandwich, girl! You have other fish to fry... on second thought, get fish tacos for lunch!

And for heaven's sake, don't use that Pinterest recipe for a detox bath and put epsom salts, tea tree oil, baking soda and eucalyptus oil all in the bath at once. You are weirdly allergic to the combination and it will make you feel like your tepid bath is a new form of "enhanced interrogation".

Not really a flip-it Friday, but I welcome the comments. How do you treat yourself well?

A nod to yesterday's post:

Source: funsquito.com via Fun on Pinterest

Macklemore 2013!

Kick the Flu in 2: Update

I failed at kicking the flu in two days. I've been sick now for over a week and feel only marginally better each day.

That's what I get for thinking that I had the perfect plan to beat any winter illness.

All the water, oranges, vitamins, musinex, herbal baths and sleep in the world can't stop the hacking and eye crusties when I get up in the morning (am I a baby?! seriously. I thought only babies got eye crusties).

I may not have the sure-cure for the flu, but I have gained some humility.

What's your favorite remedy when you're sick?

How to Kick The Flu in Two

I got the flu and only needed 2 days off of work. Here's how I did it.

1) Sleep until you cannot sleep any more, then take a melatonin and go to bed at 8 PM.
2) Drink water, juice, any fluids you can stomach (not alcohol or caffeine as they interrupt your sleep)
3) Take a multivitamin with your chicken noodle soup (so as not to upset your stomach).

I'm baffled by how many adults continue to carry out their normal lives when their sick. They take some tylenol and then carry on like nothing's wrong. Meanwhile, they infect others and take 2x longer to get well.

I know taking time off of work is not possible for everyone. And I know that taking time out from life is not always possible either. Single moms with pets and full-time jobs? Hats off to you!

I'm thankful for my husband and family and flexible job that allowed me to stay in bed and eat soup and sleep 12 hours a day in order to get well. I had incredible help and options and that's really what got me well :)

For pictures, you can see my annoying instagram on the right ----->>>>

Tipsy Tuesday: Uses for Essential Oils

These are from Amazon. I bought mine on sale from Whole Foods (the 365 brand).

Initially I bought peppermint oil to make scented candles.

Then I bought eucalyptus oil because I like the scent and realized how much a bit of scented oil can make my house/self smell and feel awesome.

Here are how I've used essential oils:

1) candle making
2) scent + Dawn dish soap + vinegar + hot water = clean, awesome, fresh hardwood floors
3) detox baths (Not sure if it actually does anything, but eucalyptus is a really good refresher for a tired, stuff-up body. I hear it's a natural antimicrobial. Plus, your skin gets all hot-cold.)
4) a couple drops in the corner of the shower makes it feel like a spa.
5) similar to 2, but I also use it for dusting
6) a few drops with some salt make a nice body scrub.
7) foot soak

And sometimes I just like to open them up and smell them - which could be the 8th benefit. I think I'll add rose oil to my collection next. Or bergamot.

Do you use essential or scented oils at home?

Not a Dinner

**Forgot to add the cartoon

When I first saw this pin on Pinterest I thought "Hmm, maybe this would make a good dip for my housewarming party. I wonder what's in it and what you dip it with?"

Turns out its full of death and you dip into it with your bare, fat-shoveling hands.

No one asked me, but if they did, I would tell you that this is not a dinner:

1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg. taco seasoning
8 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. crescent rolls (8)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (optional)
1 c. shredded cheese
Dorito chips

via. 

Sorry, Two Maids a Milking. I hope you get some pageviews from my hatin'.

Lemme break it down for you:

1 lb. hamburger - fatty meat

1 pkg. taco seasoning - full-o-sodium
8 oz. sour cream - fatty dairy
1 pkg. crescent rolls (8) - these are not a real food (bleached flour, oils, preservatives)
1 can tomato sauce - tomatoes in cans = BPA?
1 can diced tomatoes (optional)
1 c. shredded cheese - wood cheese
Dorito chips - c'mon

All of these ingredients are "sometimes foods". All of these ingredients can be forgiven when put with other healthy foods like:

lettuce

ground lean meat

beans

whole grains

fresh tomatoes

ANYTHING GREEN :)

I know that people are over-sensitive about food these days. We are, as a nation, on both a path to obesity and a path to freaking out about everyone being obese. I know that if you look at any one food closely you can probably conclude that it will kill you - and quickly!

**

Source: nataliedee.com via J on Pinterest

But don't these pins concern you?

When did crescent rolls become the foundation of so many foods? Is it the wonderful marketing of the Pillsbury people?

When did chips become a topping? 

When did cooking for the kids (they "love" this recipe - big surprise!) become catering to them? (I don't have kids, feel free to lay into me on that one.)

What are your "sometimes foods"?

Tipsy Tuesday: Labor(ious) Day Weekend

Preparing to move.

Preparing to not-want-to move.

Boxes for sale, boxes for sale.

Seriously, anyone in Chicago need moving supplies, these are professional grade and come with packing  paper below. Over $300 worth of supplies for just $50. Leave a comment or message me for deets.

The paper made nice rosettes. 

Home Depot is thrilling now.

The first thing to unpack: barcart materials. And I really enjoyed styling it (this was a before picture).

Moving advice: Hire professionals to do the heavy lifting AND deep cleaning, if you can. Movers were expensive, but we saved our backs and have most of the house unpacked in record time. We did the packing ourselves to save some money. We probably couldn't get friends to move us if we tried. Our friends are just getting too wise to be bought with pizza and beer.

We decided to have cleaners come into our new place before we moved in. Long story short, we (and I mean "I") had to clean our rental when we moved out to get our deposit back. The sellers of our new place did not have to do any cleaning whatsoever. Needless to say, we would have had to deep clean two places in a matter of hours to be able to move. I've never hired professional cleaners, so I was feeling like a failure. But I was going bonkers and getting raw hands from all of the scrubbing, so we got an excellent rate on some lovely cleaning ladies. They came at 7:45 PM and stayed until the job was done. They were outstanding. We got all of our deposit back from the rental and now just have to worry about keeping our owned home as spotless as the pros left it. 

Song suggestion: The Outer Banks by The Autumn Leaf. I'm listening to it to see if it can bring back my post-facial calm. Light some candles with it too, folks. It's a gem.

Beverage pairing: Tons of water. Moving (junk food, living out a of suitcase), this heat, celebratory wine and stress have left my skin less than stellar. I just had a facial about a week ago and I already look like a leper. Gotta rehydrate and plump out my face again. 

Sorry I'm Not Sorry

Photo dump. Backin' it up. "Beep, beep, beep."

Montezuma, Iowa

Inside the "tavern recommended by Al Capone"

My mom and me in front of Owl Pharmacy in Centerville, Iowa. If you're ever in south central Iowa, might I recommend The Continental Hotel? Half old-folks home, half bed-n-breaky - in the best possible ways!

Wedding date

Wedding dates

Not my dates, but would gladly be on the arm of either

Not my date, but my sister (sorta like a date... only we call them "Darinas")

She had a baby 4 months ago, people!

Stopped at the World's Largest Truck Stop.

After eating dumplings, fried chicken, roadside food and drinking sweet local wine, we needed a homemade V8 reboot. All of this got juiced.

Started packing glassware in the kitchen. This is only part of it.

This is another part of it... and there's still more. We are definitely purging some of this.

Came into the office today to find my artwork on the floor. Boo. I'm a terrible picture hanger. And people need to walk more softly. 

How was your weekend? Your Monday/Tuesday?

Yesterday I had another workout session with my friend B.Lill, a personal trainer, and this time I can move my arms post-push-up! I may someday be able to do a real push-up! She's good people. She worked me hard enough that I knew I burned some calories and pushed myself, but not so hard that I feel lousy or defeated. Need a trainer in the Chi-area? Let me know!

Advice: A Smattering Of

Wear sunscreen on your ears. Melanoma can get in.your.ears. My boss is undergoing microsurgery and radiation in his ear canal and will need reconstructive surgery for the outside of his ear. In the mean time, he looks like he's wearing part of a water polo cap.

Not my boss

Don't use the salutation "Warm Regards". It makes me think of urine. And now, it will make you think of urine too. That, coupled with the picture above, will make you think that someone peed in the pool. You're welcome.

Go to bed. If you are doing anything important at 11 pm and you start making mistakes, take that as a sign that it's time to go to bed. You will be better prepared in the morning and most likely won't make as many mistakes. Or break as much stuff. This applies to guitar playing, paperwork, marriage and flashcards.

Brang (as in the past tense of "bring") isn't a word. Urban Dictionary doesn't even let it slide, so why would I? In the workplace, no less. This person has been described by more than one of my team as "a box of rocks". Two things I know about my company? We aren't interested in being sensitive or hiring quality. High five.

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I've not been myself lately. As an introvert I just need a lot of "me time" and I'm not really getting it. Ya'll saw my schedule a few days (weeks? I have no concept of time) ago. It's not that I am double booked, but I am just not ever alone. Never quiet. I feel inadequate for not being able to handle a 40 hour work week, 4 days of social involvement, 3 work outs, 2 days spent driving, and 1.5 days of being "on" with family (more-so "on" with the in-laws than with my own fam).

Jenny Lawson can sympathize (and she's where I get the urge to say "Ya'll". It makes complaining more endearing).

I joke (sweetjesusIhopeIamjoking) that this over-load is the stuff that makes people snap.

Like, for instance, we are trying to buy a house. We are doing all the paperwork semi-electronically and some of it is password protected. The lender sent along all this G.D. paperwork and locked it up with a password but then didn't send along the password so we could unlock and sign the mother-f'er. I replied to the lender and CC'd my husband (my email is the only one on the account, you know... because that makes sense) that the lender should REPLY ALL WITH THE PASSWORD. What do they do? They reply just to me.

A normal person would just forward the email and move on.

But me? I swear in my head on everything that is dear to me that I will crawl through the computer and scratch the face of the email sender. Neither a borrower or a lender be... in this case because Imma gonna hurt ya'll. (See how nice that sounded?) And I do all of this mental-attack with a straight face, tired-droopy eyes while sipping my coffee.

Beware of any in-person paperwork signings. I'm bound to hurtle the boardroom table and give everyone on the other side a wide-eyed, ballpoint tracheostomy.

Green Smoothie

I've never made a spinach smoothie before. The strongest flavors were that of fruit, but it was a bit more earthy from the spinach. Good earthy, though. 

This last picture shows the smoothie looking rather pink from the strawberries. I thought this was weird as spinach has a lot of chlorophyll. As I drank the mixture, though, it got greener and greener. I think the pigment from the greens just needed a chance to wash out the other colors!

Ingredients


Spinach- 1 cup, packed
Strawberries- 1/2 cup
Blueberries- 1/4 cup
Banana- half
Ice- 1/2 cup
Greek yogurt- 1/4 cup
Almond milk- (not pictured) 1/2 cup
Mint- 4 leaves

Directions
Blend

Tipsy Tuesday: Housecleaning Habit

*Update* Sorry this post was a jumble before. I wrote it on my phone and had no idea how screwed up it looked - yikes!

This week I've been in pajamas more than not. Yesterday I took a half day from work and came home to nurse a 100+ fever. Thank goodness Downton Abbey season 2 is now on Hulu. My saving grace between naps.

So as you may know, today is my work from home day. Thankfully, the fever has lifted. The Mr. and I have a family trip coming up this weekend. So as to not overextend myself and get sicker, I decided not to work out or take on my usual duties for these packed Tuesdays.

I did, however sanitize the house. Can't be spreading the sickness and give the Mr. anything before we embark on some fun travels. It got me thinking about cleaning. We are pretty good at being clean people, but even we need to remind ourselves of some easy, ongoing, habit-forming tips to help the weekly cleaning go quickly.

- clean as you go. If you're making dinner, keep up with the dishes as you make them. If you're brushing your teeth, wash the toothpaste clumps away as you rinse.

- don't touch the same thing twice. If you are taking your dish to the sink, why not rinse it and put it in the dishwasher. Put your shoes away as you walk in the door so you don't start a shoe pile. If you're rinsing out a can, put it in the recycling while you are touching it instead of leaving it in the sink for later.

- if it takes less than a minute, do it now. If you can file the mail, bundle the recycling or pack up the leftovers, do it now. This one gets me to accomplish more, really!

- if you have pets, tackle the hair regularly. We have 2 cats. Correction, my husband has 2 cats. We have 4 different kinds of vacuums just to keep the tumbleweeds at bay on the hardwood, carpets, and furniture.

- purge! The more stuff you have the more stuff you have to put away. I find things I can part with all the time. I bet most Americans, no matter where they fall on the socio-economic scale, have too much stuff anyway.

- this may not be for everyone, but I mop by hand. This way you don't just push debris around, you can actually scoop it up, and you can scrub spots with the appropriate muscle. Plus, you can do the baseboard dusting at the same time.

- this also might not work for everyone, but we squeegee our shower an dry it down when we're done with it. If I'm feeling adventurous I also wipe the soaking tub with scrubbing bubbles and a sponge when I'm done with it.

- wipe the stove down after the burners cool enough. Stoves can really get sticky and gross and it's certainly harder to scrub them if the gunk is burned on. So just wipe it up after use to save some serious scrubbing.

A silly mock-up of our living room I did a while back.

 What clean up tricks do you have up your rubber-gloved sleeve?

(Pre)Friday Flip-It: Taco Supreme Court Ruling: Nacho Grandma's Healthcare

What do you call cheese that doesn't belong to you?

... Nacho cheese!

Heyo! (Does that give the title some context?)

I can't wait until Friday to flip-it on you guys. Tell me: What do you think about the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the new proposed healthcare law?

Comment below with:
- Your health insurance status (have vs. not-have)
- Your political views (if you're comfortable sharing them - I showed you mine, remember?)
- How you currently pay for healthcare/how much you need (i.e. Are you chronically sick?)

Aaaand to lighten it up, here's Katy Perry:

I can't say what it is. I think it's her low female voice (a contralto, Wikipedia says). I won't read Twilight, The Hunger Games or finish the Harry Potter series, but I will watch Katy on YouTube... on repeat. There you have it, I'm a book snob but a chick-pop junkie.

Also an update on the hair. Here's day 2 of the Keratin Treatment:

I wrapped it up last night to shower, but was still worried about the humidity in the shower frizzing it out. I blew it out with a hair dryer for about a minute just to make sure that it was totally dry. This morning I combed it slightly and ran out the door. 

Healthcare Rant: Update!

Remember this post on the screwed-up nature of healthcare and my own personal woes with prescription coverage? (Dad, this is the post I said you could skip reading since it related to women's health. Likewise you can skip this one ... it includes a personal story, so just be warned.)

---

Well, here's what I did about the IUD situation:

The last week in May: I spoke with my HR department about the fact that IUDs aren't covered by our spectacular insurance even though the doctor's visit to *cough* "place them" are. She said that there's likely nothing we can do since it isn't in the plan, but she thought it was weird that only IUDs were explicit from the plan when other forms of more expensive birth control were covered. She said she'd talk to our insurance broker and see what the reasoning was behind that decision.

Monday, June 4th: I went to see my lady doc (who, by the way, is the best lady doc I've ever had. I'm not going to share her name because I want to make sure she doesn't get too popular and not have time for me. Do you keep any secrets like this?). Mr. S left the ultimate IUD decision up to me. I decided it was now or never and scheduled a same-day appointment for the 4th (there were time constraints on when this could be done). Let me remind you that this was a $1,000 product, not currently covered by my insurance.

(Skip to the bottom to see how the whole IUD thing went. Again, men in my life other than S, you may not want to read that.)

Tuesday, June 5th: Felt crappy, but was glad I did it.

Wednesday, June 13th: HR manager comes to me and says, "So, in talking to our broker we thought that it was strange that it wasn't covered. It wasn't covered in our old plan, and when we switched brokers, we just copy/pasted the whole plan without revising things. We are slowly revising things to meet the current need and this is one of the things we chose to revise. As of July 1st, we will cover the procedure and the pharmaceutical product."

I then say, "That's nice, but I already had it done." I had no reason to wait since they gave me no indication that there would be any change. I made it clear that I had to do the procedure at a certain time of the month and that time came and went.

HR then said that if I could get my doctor to forward-date the procedure to have happened in July, then it would be covered.

I then call my doctor's billing department, my insurance company and get a sort of run-around saying that my HR department or insurance broker would have to write a letter to the insurance company saying that the procedure would be covered on the date it was given. They can't just change procedure dates.

I go back to HR and tell them what I find and she said that she'd go back to the broker and see what they could do.

Thursday, June 14th: HR manager comes to me and says that they have looked up my insurance claim and have agreed to backdate the coverage to include my procedure and the expensive product used!

I'm so happy I could cry. Life isn't fair for me ... in a good way.

via

Advice I can tell you that I learned from this experience:
- Always call your insurance company to see what is covered on your plan. Ask questions if it doesn't make sense.
- When calling your insurance company, make sure you get the reference number attached to your conversation. This way, if you have to call them back you can pick up in the conversation where you left off.
- Price shop other, comparable procedures/pharmaceuticals and see if you can bargain with your HR/insurance broker - it helps make your case!
- If you feel your insurance should cover something that it doesn't, you can file a grievance appeal after the claim has gone through.
- It never hurts to ask!

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The IUD Sitch
Since the IUD has to be placed during a certain point in your cycle, I needed it to be put in on short notice. I went back and forth with the doc about pain killers as I've heard and read that this is a painful procedure. She offered to call me in something stronger, but said that Vicodin wouldn't help me as much as I thought because of the type of pain (inflammation) that it would be. She suggested I take a strong amount of ibuprofen right as I get into the docs office. So, I went with the Advil.

Holy balls that was the worst 90 seconds of my life. Intense pain. The kind where I didn't know what to do with my hands and they were shaking and squeezing my stomach. Thank Jesus that I didn't move and that my doc is a pro at these (already did a few that day even before I got in the office!) because she said it could take up to 5 minutes to do, but only took us 90 seconds. After the  preliminary measurement and actual placement was over, I felt immediate relief. Like-just-hit-the-ground-after-nearly-falling-out-of-your-parachute-harness relief. She had me lie their for a few minutes to get my bearings and calm down from the adrenaline rush.

I imagine that this was like getting a piercing on an internal organ. The initial pain is awful, but the adrenaline is addictive. Don't get me wrong. I don't want to do this again, but I can see where people are coming from with tattoos/piercings. I'd had piercings (3 in the ears, 1 in the nose), but none hurt like this.

So anyway, the first day was mostly shocking, but I was ok. The next day, thankfully, I worked from home. I would have needed to take a sick day if I didn't work from home. I felt crampy all day and was couch-ridden. Nothing I haven't experienced before with normal woman-issues. I have taken ibuprofen off-and-on for the past week to maintain the pain, but it's only gotten better. Some days I need no meds or heating pad at all.

Dusting Off the Soapbox: a Rant on Healthcare

Close your ears, dad; it's another rant on women's health and healthcare. You can skip this one and come back later today for a normal Tipsy Tuesday :)

---

Fuckin' insurance.

There, I said it.

I have some of the best insurance around. Everything is covered. Even massages (I know!). The dentist is cheap, they cover my eyeglasses and mental health counseling is even free! My company really believes in taking care of people. There is a woman in my office who, with complications, had a baby for only $40 out of pocket. $40 beans, people! She had to pay the copay to see the doctor to diagnose her pregnancy and then another $20 to see a specialist to diagnose her complications. Even delivery was covered by our provider. Holy hell, that's nice.

Not everyone is this lucky. I know cause this is the first job I've had that has insurance and really takes care of you. I know I've got it good.

I thought I saw no wrong until I went to the doc today. Regular checky-check. Nothing to write home about. I even got some great no-baby solutions from the lady-doc that would be long-term and relatively hormone free (me thinks me found a winner!). She suggested I see if insurance covered it before scheduling the implementation of this solution.

Mother F-balls, IUDs cost $1,000 and aren't covered by my insurance. And that's just the cost of the product, not including the in-office procedure. Ironically, the office visit is covered. I can go see the doc, but she can't DO anything. 

Now, I'm not mother (and I plan not to be for a long time, if ever), but I know that having a baby costs a ton of money. Just being pregnant costs money with ultrasounds, vitamins, doc visits, etc. Then you have to actually have the thing which translates to some hospital time (or birthing center time.... or birthing tub with herbal incense and waterfall music time) and then re-translates to: MONEY. Thousands of dollars. And that's just if everything goes well! And that's also just what people pay out of pocket who even have insurance... let's just imagine what the insurance company is paying for someone to have a baby on their plan. Hell, some women can't get insurance once their pregnant because it's too much of a money-suck on the insurance. (So messed up. Deep breaths into a paper bag.)

Tell me if this is messed up: I can get a massage discounted at 80% on my insurance but I cannot help save the provider money and my employer time and money (hello maternity leave!) by getting a break on contraceptives? Messed up?

I can tell you that my company would not be happy to deal with my potential long-term leave right now. Not that I'm invaluable, but that our team has had a lot of shifts lately (resignations, new-hires, new initiatives that I am managing) and my boss has flat-out said that the only thing that could ruin his day (after my cohort resigned) was if I came to him and told him I was pregnant.

via

Moral of this story - if birth control were covered by insurance, if my provider and I could split the difference of this IUD, if the mother-f-ing Catholic church would stop suing over contraception then maybe the US would have fewer unplanned pregnancies, fewer unfit or unprepared mothers or fewer families incurring financial, emotional and physical strain! And let's not forget that the buck doesn't stop with those strained families; it passes right on through (like a corn nugget in a turd) to the communities and ultimately the taxpayers (cough - that's you!).

After all, the legislation isn't staying that you have to use contraception, it's just saying that you have the right to have access to it like you would any other medication. Now, I don't know if IUDs would be covered in Obamacare, but the whole ordeal did get me thinking about medication, women's rights and what is holding back healthcare.

What do you think? Am I missing something crucial here that makes this all make sense?


Disclaimer: I love Jesus. I love families. I love America. I stand by Planned Parenthood, the God that created liberty and the country that allows for it. Now, let's come together!

Tipsy Tuesday: How to Clean Your Office With Office Supplies (i.e. a paperclip)

Office spaces are becoming increasingly transient. Shared spaces, mobile cubes and office-hopping are the norm. I, personally, just upgraded from an interior office to a room with a view! (A view of another office building, but sunlight is sunlight is glorious sunlight!)

I've heard that my experience with an office move is not uncommon. We change laptops and take our own pens with us, but for the most part, computer hardware, furniture and staple office supplies come with the literal territory. And sometimes, those hand-me-downs haven't been wiped/cleared since the dawn of enterprise!

For instance, my keyboard could very well have been untouched by anything but sticky fingers, sandwich crumbs, hair follicle dust, Slurpee spittle ... (ew, I'm eating) for about 8 years... that's how long it was with the previous owners. And those are just the years that I know of!

So upon light inspection of not only the keyboard but the whole room, one would conclude that 10 minutes spent wiping up on the front end could save for hours of sorting/replacing/cleaning on the back end. I always keep a few things on hand (or hope that the office keeps a few things on hand) to help employees help themselves in the cleanliness department. I got to work with my supplies:

Sanitizing wipes
Can of compressed air
Trash can and recycling
A Paperclip

I wipe down the shelves, desk, draw handles (if not the whole drawer), cabinets, door handle, keyboard, mouse, speaker buttons, phone (receiver and dock), docking station for the laptop, and any other accessories like a printer with a sanitizing wipe. They are more portable than a bottle of spray and more durable than office kitchen paper towels that may leave fuzz behind.

I sort remaining items as I go. Did they leave behind a box of paperclips? Put that in the drawer with push pins. Did they say you could do what you want with their scrap paper but you have your own lot of note-taking paper? Then recycle theirs. Damaged items like chipped coffee mugs, pens without ink, weak magnets, etc. can be pitched at this point. Use this an opportunity to purge your own stuff as well.

The keyboard and the mouse have some of the most annoying crevasses that can harbor dirt and germs. I shake the keyboard upside down while tilting it in all directions (and honestly, banging it on the desk as well) to get out crumbs below the keys. Then I use a can of air to dislodge other things that are sticking. THEN, I wrap a sanitizing wipe around the end of a folded paperclip and use that to dust between each key. For the mouse I unwrap one end of the paperclip and use that to scrape out little crumbs from between the left and right click and along the sides. Then I wipe it all down with a sanitizing wipe. The same process can be repeated on the phone. Tedious, yes. Rewarding, of course!

Source: ruemag.com via Patty on Pinterest

Not my office, but wouldn't it be fun?

This only took me about an hour in the morning and I was so glad I did that. I think the mouse even glided more smoothly after I cleaned the accumulated dust off the bottom of it!

You could do it the long way too, and use the paperclip to pick off each of the keyboard keys and then vacuum, sanitize and wipe-up the whole things like in this tutorial!

Do you guys go to any length to keep your office clean? Are you an office-hopper? My friend B.Lill used to carry her own cleaning supplies with her because she switched work stations all the time, but now she's a personal trainer and will be dealing with more sweat than crumbs!

Tipsy Tuesday: Spring Has Sprung [A leak in my dreams]

Hello tropical babes!

Chicago in March. Usually cold(er) ammaright? It's no news and it's not a bad thing... but some of it's side effects are.

Although spring is here (as.of.today.), we usually don't feel it this strongly (80 degrees today? WTF?). The warm weather and sunshine are bringing on some unwanted conditions. Here's a list of things that are ahead of their season and ruining my day.

1) Seasonal allergies. Or pollution. Either way my eyes are red and itchy, my nose is both clogged and runny (how?!), and I have a headache from the aforementioned ailments.

Solution: Neti pot, Zyrtec and coffee. The neti clears the yeti our of your sinuses, Zyrtec is the only allergy med that works for me and coffee assures that my headache is not due to withdraw :)

Hi. I'm a furry yeti. Your sinuses are my spring break vacation home.

2) Ants. Holy raisins on a celery stick, they're here. We're on the 2nd story of a 3-flat and somehow it feels like our unit is directly INSIDE an ant hill. It starts with just a few, but you know once you see them it's too late. They're everywhere.

Solution: Mix water, sugar and ant killer (or borax, like this recipe) and let the ants eat/carry the poison back to the nest. Then call an exterminator because nothing will kill these things short of a Ghostbuster or Frollo wielding a cathedral stone in the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Minute 3:47

3) Hair frizz. I thought I would get a few more weeks out of my do before having to perma-tape it to my scalp. Alas, summer temps and humidity are upon us.

Solution: A good serum and a hair cut. The cut keeps the ends of your hair from frizzing more than normal and the serum helps your cuticle lie-down like a good dog. I got my hair trimmed last weekend at the Aveda Institute and have been using this serum for a few months now and love it. Unlike Moroccan Oil, this stuff is light on my thin hair. I can still wait days to wash my hair as this stuff isn't greasy. It helps my hair dry quickly so I'm not spending a long time under a hair dryer. I think it also helps to straighten my hair.

via

Anyone else strugglin' with early on-set allergies, ants or frizz? What are your solutions? What else is surprising you this spring? 

And for those of you who get a spring break - how's it going? What are/were your plans? I don't get a spring break, but I did get to see some awesome lovelies this weekend - my friends Becca & Mike and my sister & bro-in-law. Both couples have a 1-yr-old and are expecting their 2nd child. How serendipitous? My nephew, btw, knows how to fist-bump now. You just say "give me knucks" and he puts his tiny fits out and pounds it. So awesome. What's not so awesome is that his fine motor skills now include smacking you in the face. The terrible 2's are still a few months off. Hold tight, son. 

Song suggestion courtesy of my 'rents: Carolina Liar, Drown. Sorta reminds me of Our Lady Peace. Neato.

Tipsy Tuesday: Vacation and Travel

I spent the past few days in Nicaragua [San Juan Del Sur] with my husband and 2 friends. Have a look and be jealous!

 Tip One: Wear Sunscreen. And when that doesn't work, sit in the shade.

 Tip Two: Take time to stop and smell the sunset. I love this photo of a woman doing her sun salutation yoga as the sun in setting. 

Tip Three: Don't forget to take photos of people as well as landscapes.

Tip Four: Detox when you get back. Raw vegan for me this time around.

I'm not the best person to give vacation advice. I've learned through the years that I don't travel well and am still negotiating the best way to take a vacation (travel, stay-cation, short-stay, desert/mountain/warm/cold?). 

Can I tell you something, friends? I have some guilt about vacation. I feel like I don't "do" vacation well and that's both sad for me and frustrating for those I'm with. There were a series of factors I could blame (sun poisoning, a few bumps to the head while surfing, my digestive system getting out of whack every-single-time, or the lack of alone time), but I wonder if I am just missing whatever it is that makes people enjoy travel. The perfect storm of fun-loving people and fresh experiences still can't pull me from my funk about it.

I love time off of work. I love seeing new things. I love eating fun food. I also love coming back to my familiar home and be able to do things the way I'm used to. 

I read about vacation depression here. Basically, if you take a trip that doesn't align with your personality, it can cause more stress than stress-relief. I don't think that this applies to me since I don't see a pattern for the types of vacations that stress me out. The only common denominator for my travel is me ... and that makes it all the more embarrassing. 

What about you all? Do you struggle with travel at all? Have any of you had the 'perfect vacation' that just blew all other trips out of the water? 

You are also free to comment and tell me I'm straight-trippin', boo.

Song Suggestion: Merry Happy by Kate Nash

How to Get Rich and Thin

Gotcha. That's what all of those scams should say, anyway.

I was reading this blog, Broke and Healthy, that I used to follow for recipes but now she's expanded to writing about so much more. I admire her viewpoints. Take a look at what she has to say on wealth and weightloss!

Source: waterproofvalentines.tumblr.com via Evan on Pinterest

Rich and Thin

Source: google.ca via Colleen on Pinterest

Rich and Thin

Source: google.com via YLKphotography on Pinterest

Rich and Thin

Broke...

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And healthy :)