Workouts and Neti Pots

Life for me has been a little crazy and tiring lately, and I don't know why! Brandon and I joined the local YMCA Wednesday, and I completed my first workout since the end of summer. I knew not to go all out, so I just walked for a mile. I changed my incline and speed accordingly, and the workout went well! I wasn't sore the next morning, which was my goal! Even though I was feeling great from working out, the next morning, I woke up feeling not-so-great. I woke up feeling a little bit of sinus pressure on both sides of my nose. I knew it was only going to get worse, and it did! By the end of the day, I felt (and probably looked) like crap! I ended up going to bed early that night, but before I went to bed, I used our Neti Pot. 

This is the Neti Pot I have. I got it at Wal-Mart for approx. $15. 

Neti Pots are designed to clear out all the junk in your nose and sinuses. All you have to do is mix the Sinus Rinse powder in the Neti Pot with 8 oz of water. Shake and pour solution into one nostril. You need to tilt your head so that the solution will pour out the other nostril. After pouring half the solution down one nostril, blow your nose, and pour the remaining solution down the other nostril. 

I swear by Neti Pots! They are amazing! My Neti Pot has helped my sinuses and allergies to the extent that I can feel, hear, and smell immediate results. 

Hopefully, my sinuses will clear up soon because I'm tired of feeling this way. GOD BLESS!

Sparkin' It Up!

A great friend, co-worker, and neighbor of mine shared with me a great little website that helps a person lose weight and get healthy. The website is www.sparkpeople.com. This website helps you track the exact calories, fat, etc. of every food that you eat every day. It also will track your workouts, water intake, gives recipes, etc. This website is absolutely amazing! I encourage everyone to check it out!

I'm really trying to focus and stay on track with the number of calories they "advise" me to eat. I want to lose weight, but I know eating healthy is not going to do everything for me. Really, the best and only way I lose weight is if I run and lift weights.

Knowing that, tomorrow, Brandon and I are going to the local YMCA and joining. I can't wait! It's been way too long since I last worked out. I truly do love working out. I love the overall tension and stress reliever. I love the feeling after working out. I love the feel of sweating. I know. It's gross, but I love it. Good Night and GOD BLESS!

Hello Friends...It's Been Awhile

It's been an entire week since I last posted. What can I say, except, "I'm slacking!" Not much went on this week. I'm adjusting very well back into the contacts world. I love my new contacts! It was a bad choice to stop wearing them in the first place. 

Here's a brief review of my past week:

• No school on Monday because of President's Day. YAY!!!! Even though I may not agree with everything each president has done, I appreciate their hard work. I pray every night for the President, Senators, Representatives, Judges, etc. that they lead us and this country in the right direction so that one day our grandchildren will not be disappointed in us and our decisions.

• Tuesday and Wednesday were rough days. I had a teacher(s) complain about me because she believed that I was not getting my speech kids enough. My response to that was the following:
• I serve approximately 50 kids for speech and language services.
• I serve these (approx.) 50 kids in a matter of 3 1/2 days. Normally, this is conducted across 5 days. One day a week is devoted to helping test kids in the 12 school districts that we serve. The other 1/2 day is devoted to meetings in Houston. Because of my crazy schedule, I don't have the luxury or flexibility to make-up for missed sessions. I would if I could. 
• I don't see kids just because I don't want to see them. The ONLY reasons I "skip" sessions are because of IEP/Evaluation meetings, assemblies, and/or class parties. 
• Recently, I was gone for an entire week because my grandpa died and because one of Brandon's grandpa died. 
• We've missed an INSANE amount of school because of snow. 

• On Friday, my SLP Supervisor came to observe me. He looked over my nicely charted week with all my kids and times on there that I serve. He was in shock. He told me that he would talk with our boss about letting me devote my Mondays to serving kids. YAY!!! I hope this gets approved by our boss! That would be amazing! 

• On Saturday, we went to West Plains and did some errands. After awhile, I went to my Grandma's house and spent some quality time with her, my mom, sisters, and nephew. It was nice spending time with them. 

• Today, we did absolutely NOTHING, and it was nice. We've decided that we are going on vacation this year to Carolina Beach, NC. We looked at a few different condos that we might stay at. I can't wait for July to come around so I can spend an ENTIRE week on the beach just relaxing! 

So that was my week! I know...BORING! But, hey, it's my life. I hope this week is better than last week. Last week was a bit of a downer. I plan to listen to upbeat songs while getting ready in the morning. Hopefully, that will charge me and put me in a positive mood before going to work! Good night and GOD BLESS!

I'm Blind

Last night, I took my eye glasses off my face to clean them, and then the frames broke! I was and still am upset. I ran out of contacts last summer and depended on my glasses to improve my vision. I didn't go to the eye doctor at the time to have an exam and receive new contacts because my insurance ran out. Even when my insurance with the school kicked in, I decided to wait to go to the eye doctor to save money. However, since my glasses are broken, and I'm LITERALLY blind, I have no choice but to find an eye doctor to go to on Monday.

Just imagine yourself as me. No eye glasses. No contacts. Everything you see around you is blurry. You can only see things that are at least 6 inches or less in front of your face. No driving. No reading. No watching tv. AHHHHH!!!!

Luckily, I did find an old pair of glasses. However, the prescription is NOT the same. So, things are still somewhat blurry.

Hopefully, 1 of the 2 local eye doctors, that are within my insurance, can take me Monday. Please Dear God, let at least one of them have an opening! GOD BLESS!

Valentine's Day

Good Morning Everyone!

Last night, Brandon and I celebrated Valentine's Day. I know. I know. Valentine's isn't until this Sunday, but it worked for us. Before we went out for dinner, we exchanged gifts. We kept things very basic and didn't go all out. I got Brandon a "Honey, I love you" kind of card, Reese's heart-shaped peanut butter cups, and Michael Jackson's This Is It bluray. Brandon got me a "My Wife Is Sexy" kind of card, Russell Stover chocolate's, The Time Traveler's Wife novel, and The Last Song novel.

We then debated on where to go eat. Where we live, there's not a whole lot of choices. However, just 8 miles east, in another town, there's a mexican restaurant that is great! So, we decided to go there. Once we got there, Brandon didn't know what he wanted to get. He's the type of person who is afraid to try new foods because of the fear that he won't like what he gets. So he ordered a chimchanga, and I ordered tamales. Before we got our food, I loaded up so much on salsa and chips (one of my favorites!), but I ate half of my food anyways. Because I know Brandon doesn't step out of his "bubble", so, I had him try just a bite of my tamales. HE HATED IT! He literally told me that he wanted to vomit and to never do that to him again. LOL!!!! Oh, how I love my husband.

After dinner, we went home and watched The Time Traveler's Wife. OMG... I literally cried through the entire movie! That was the first time I had watched that movie, and I don't know when I'll be able to watch it again. It touched my heart in such a way that I LOVE the movie, but I know it will make me cry a river every time I watch it. I'm such a sucker for romantic movies and books!

On a lighter note, I LOVE MY HUSBAND! He's everything I've wanted and more. He's shown me love and how to love another in a way I didn't know even existed. He's supported me and loved me when I felt like nobody loved me. He's my everything. He's my all. I love you Brandon. Always and Forever.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I Could Use More Days Like Today

I had a pretty awesome and productive day today. Since there was, yet again, no school today, I decided to sleep in. Don't get jealous yet. I only slept in til 8:30 this morning. I got up, had my morning coffee, and started cleaning the kitchen. I ignored my kitchen all day yesterday; therefore I had a mess on my hands! After the kitchen was cleaned, I sat down and ate breakfast.

I didn't sit down for long because 2 Christmas trees were staring straight at me, and I knew today was my only chance (well, besides Saturdays) to take them down. I didn't think twice about it and got to work. After 2 hours, the trees were down, decorations were put away, and the house was back to normal. I must say though, the house seems "naked" without them.

I got done with the trees about noon and ate lunch. I had left over taco soup. I absolutely love taco soup! I made it for the first time yesterday and cannot believe I had been living without eating this soup! After lunch, I headed towards my sister's house.

I stayed at my sister's for a few hours. There, my sister, Kelli, and I caught up with one another and our lives, and we also were entertained by the wonderful Matthew. It was so nice to get out of the house and visit with an adult! With the recent snow, I've been secluded to the house, so I was in need of adult conversation. I couldn't stay at their house all day (even thought at one point Matthew shouted out, "Yay! Amanda's going to stay the night!"). After talking for a while, I headed home. When I got home, I found Brandon laying on the couch sleeping. I let him sleep and started dinner. We had such a yummy dinner; Country fried steak, white gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans! :) Good Night and GOD BLESS!

Another Snow Day

This evening, I got the phone call that we were not having school tomorrow. Therefore, I'm taking it easy!!!!! My husband and I went out to eat tonight and then to Wal-Mart. We took our time going up and down the aisle just wasting time. We got to all of the Valentine's stuff, and Brandon asked me, "So what exactly do you want for Valentine's Day?" When asked what I want, I ALWAYS respond with that he doesn't have to spend anything on me because I know he loves me. Seeing how he doesn't accept that answer I have to supply him with materialistic items. Also, I would like my husband to just instinctly know what to get me, but he doesn't operate like that. He wants to know exactly what I want; that way, no surprises and no disappointments. I've come to terms with this, and I love him for it! So, this is what I told him:

I love to read; however, I 'm just getting back into reading. Therefore, I'm not quite sure on what books to get. I've heard that the Time Traveler's Wife is a good book, but to be on the safe side, I told Brandon that I would be satisfied with a gift card to Barnes & Noble. (If anyone has any suggestions on what I should read, please tell me!)

Another item that I told Brandon that I wanted was a romantic movies. One of my FAVORITE movies is Dirty Dancing; therefore, I think it's a very appropriate gift!

So those are just some simple items that I would like to have for Valentine's Day. Again, if you know of an author or a specific book that I should read, let me know! I'm eager to read a good book! Good Night and GOD BLESS!

The Early to Rise Waiting Game...Valentine's Gift Suggestions..

I'm shouting out a VERY EARLY Good Morning to all bloggers! as of right now, it is 5:40 am. I didn't just get up; I've been up for roughly 30 minutes now. The only reason why I am on here blogging is because I'm waiting for them to call off school. I know we won't have school, but I can't let myself go back to sleep unless I know that school has been called off officially. I feel like a little kid again just waiting and watching the school cancellations roll across the bottom of the television screen. The joys of working in a school! :)

So, as I sit here playing this waiting game, I'm thinking of some Valentine's Day gift ideas that I could possibly give my husband. I really don't know what to get him. He's really into the "old school" video games, such as N64 Donkey Kong, N64 Golden Eye, N64 Mario Kart, PS1 Silent Hill, etc. He has some of those games that I listed (Mario Kart, Silent Hill); however, the other games he doesn't. I know what it may sound (or rather read) like. You are probably shouting, "Amanda, great opportunity you are ignorning! DUH! Just buy him one of those games!" It's not so easy, though. Both of the other games can only be found on Amazon or Ebay and are listed for a MINIMUM of $400! So, that's my dilemma. Needless to say, Brandon will not be getting those games any time soon. That's why I'm needing some help! So please help me and send suggestions on what to give my husband. Thanks and GOD BLESS!

Beauty Products. All women have them, and most can't live without them. I know I most certainly can't. Heck, I don't like leaving my house without looking half way decent. Like the majority of women out there, I have my favs that I can't live without.

Let's start with the FACE...

I can't live without Proactiv. When I was about 18 years old, my face started breaking out. I tried everything. Switched cleansers, always washed my face in the morning and before bed, took antibiotics, etc. My dermatologist did prescribe me a powerful drug (however, I forget what the name is), and it did work for 6 months. Over time, my face started getting worse. I couldn't do anything about it. I was self-conscious and embarrassed. Then, I was introduced to Proactiv. Proactiv has completely changed my life and my face! I can't live without it!.

Next, let's talk MAKE-UP...

BARE MINERALS. The entire line. I can't live without it. Enough said.

Finally, let's talk HAIR...

I have one of the BEST hair stylists. I've been with Gayle for about 2 years now, and I can't imagine going to anyone else. When I first started going to her, she recommended that I try a salon brand because it would help the overall condition of my hair. I have curly, long, brown with blonde highlights hair that has a tendency to be dry and easily damaged. I used to just buy any kind of shampoo and conditioner and didn't give a second thought to it. After taking Gayle's advice, I bought a salon brand shampoo and condition and LOVE IT!!!! Joico has done wonders for my hair!

As for hair products, I have fallen in love with John Frieda's Frizz Ease Daily Nourishment leave-in conditioner, Clearly Defined gel, Dream Curls, and Moisture Barrier hairspray.

Well, I think that's all of my obsessions with make-up and hair. :) Have a great weekend and GOD BLESS!

A Better Day

Today has been a much better day. I don't know if it's because it was a new day or for the double fact of: A.) It was a half day of school; and B.) I only saw 5 kids in a matter of 1 hour. HAHA! Well, whatever the reason, today has been a much better day.

Even though it was a half day of school for Parent-Teacher Conferences, I stayed for a full day (I don't directly work for the school district I serve; therefore, I go by the program's schedule.) I was supposed to have an IEP meeting this afternoon, but the parent never showed. So, I ended up organizing and cleaning my room, and I must say, my room looks SPECTACULAR!

When it was 3:30, I packed up and left for Sprinfield. In Springfield, I met up with my husband, and we went to the mall to do a little shopping. Well, I did a little shopping! :)

I know I've went on how these past two weeks have been a horrible roller coaster, but once again, my roller coaster feels like it's going up hill. Also, it was nice to spend a relaxing evening outside of our home. I hope things continue going well. I'm tired of feeling sad/depressed/numb. Please continue to pray for me and my family, especially my Grandma. We are still healing from the loss of our famliy member. Thanks and GOD BLESS!

Simple Pleasures and Prayer

Like others before, I am divulging into the Simple Pleasures blog. I believe this is a good blog (otherwise, I wouldn't partake in it) because it allows us to shrug away complications and focus on good, basic, simple things in life that make life a little better.

These are the Simple Pleasures of my life:

A Clean House

Crawling Into Clean Sheets After Taking a Shower

The Smell of Freshly Cut Grass

A Good Cup of Coffee

A Hot Relaxing Bubble Bath

Getting My Hair Done

Giving and Receiving Hugs

Taking a Long Walk on a Breezy Summer Night

The Smell of Honeysuckle

Swinging On a Porch Swing

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Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for being with my family during this difficult time and showing us our path that we are needing to take. Thank you for the strength and comfort that you have given us during this time. Please continue to provide us strength and comfort for we are still trying to heal.

Father, please be with Brandon and I as we are still going through the process of finding our church home. Please continue to give us the will, patience, and knowledge while we strengthen our spiritual relationship with you.

Please be with the Senators, Representatives, and President of the United States Government that they may lead our country in a positive direction.

Please be with and watch over the people in Haiti as they try to recover from the destructive earthquake.

Thank you for allowing your son to die upon the cross so that one day we may have a home with you in Heaven. I realize this was the ultimate sacrifice, but a sacrifice that you made for everyone.

God, please be with me as I am going back into my regular routine. Give me the strength to continue on. Today was very difficult for me, LORD. I didn't know it was going to be this hard, but I knew I couldn't go back home. The one thing that allows me to continue on is knowing that my Grandpa is with you in Heaven!

Please be with my Grandma as she adjusts and heals. She needs you now more than ever.

In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.

Just a Blah Kind of Day

I woke up this morning bright eyed and bushy tailed. It felt like it was going to be a good day. I had my morning coffee BEFORE I left for work, and I actually got to work on time. Then, people started talking to me. Everyone just kept telling me how they were so glad that I was back. I totally started losing it. The tears were flowing and not stopping.

I went ahead and started seeing my kids. However, by 9:30, I was ready to go home. I told myself that I wasn't going home today because I couldn't continue "hiding out" at home. I had to persist and push myself. Even though I didn't want to, I knew I needed to. I kept seeing my kids, hoping that things would change and turn around. That didn't happen. After lunch, I decided that today was just going to be a "relax day" with the rest of the kids. We were just going to play games and have fun. I was still monitoring their speech and language, and actually, it gave me good insight on new things that some kids needed help with.

Once the 3:00 bells rang to let school out, I was out of there! I packed my stuff up and headed home.

I haven't done one thing tonight. Came home, took a nap, ate at Dairy Queen, and now blogging! I plan on taking a HOT BUBBLE BATH soon after Biggest Loser is over. I deserve a bubble bath. Hopefully, it will help me relax and be able to rest tonight. GOD BLESS!