Favies

Here are some things I'm loving lately!

1. Trident Black Raspberry Twist gum

Mmm, so good. Like a lot of flavored gum, the flavor doesn't last very long, but it's so so good.

2. Covet Fashion

This little app is a gem. They take real life clothes and turn them into buyable game objects, and you dress your character and enter challenges and vote on looks. Not for everyone, but I play this all day every day!

3. Archer Farms Double Chocolate Chunk Granola

Mmmmm. This stuff is what's up. It's chocolatey without being too overwhelming and a whole bag lasts quite a while. I keep it at work for a snack!

4. Rachhloves

Now that I don't feel like death all day every day, I've been getting back into makeup, and this adorable lady's YouTube channel is my inspiration! I love watching her review videos because she's not a professional makeup artist, so she just gives honest, down to earth reviews of the products.

5. Jordan Smith

If you want to know my #1 biggest obsession over the last month, here he is. He's a contestant on The Voice, which I do not watch, but I looked up his audition after a friend at work was talking about him. It's been viewed over 17 million times and I probably account for at least half a million of those views! I've bought every single one of his songs on iTunes and his most recent song was #1 on iTunes for two whole days - over Adele, One Direction, and Justin Bieber's new songs! I think he is just precious and SO talented!

Tonsillectomy, day by day

I had an adult tonsillectomy about a year and a half ago, and the number one thing I heard was that it's one of the most painful things you can endure. I even had a guy tell me that his wife said her childbirth was less painful than her adult tonsillectomy! I spent the weeks before the surgery googling other people's experiences with the surgery, looking for tips and trying to find out exactly what to expect, so here's my experience. This probably won't be helpful for my current followers, but I hope this helps out someone else who's nervous or just has questions about the procedure!

Day 1 (surgery day): Pain is about a 2 out of 10 until bedtime, then escalates to a 7. Can only sleep siting up and have to wake up every 30 minutes to drink.
Day 2: Throwing up blood, relatively little pain until then.
Day 3: Still throwing up, went to ER, switched from pills to liquid meds, pain at a 10.
Day 4: Pain is manageable until eating. Evening, lots of pain, nausea, and swelling.
Day 5: Still having problems swallowing, lots of jaw and tongue pain, got out of the house for an hour and got tired and had to go home. Down 13 lbs, pain is at a 10 by the end of the day.
Day 6: Left the house for an hour, still can't eat anything, including broth.
Day 7: Throat swelling was causing choking but swelling has gone down.
Day 8: Throat pain at 7, ear pain at 9, nausea is bad.
Day 9: Pain is at a 9, still can't talk.
Day 10: Ate a small amount of solid food and talked a little.
Day 11: Woke up crying, no more talking or solid food.
Day 12: No sleep, lots of pain.

Overall, it was the worst experience of my life, and I can't recommend it to anyone, ever. The pain was excruciating and I couldn't eat solid foods for nearly three weeks - and even then, it was just small bits of lunch meat that I would chew until it was mush and then swallow as quickly as possible. I wish I had taken off three weeks of work instead of two, because I couldn't talk normally until week four. I actually had to have my coworkers talk to customers for me because I couldn't be heard or understood.

There are so many things they didn't tell me pre-surgery. One was the ear pain. I did some googling and found out that it's pretty common, but not something the doctor warned me about. It was so bad that I had a heating pad on standby and I would wrap it around my head and just cry and cry. I slept on the couch for over two weeks and I had to have SEVEN pillows behind my back to keep me upright 24/7 - laying down caused me to choke on my own saliva. Speaking of saliva, this is gross, but also something I wish someone would have warned me about. The surgery caused me to have really, really thick saliva, similar to a bulldog's saliva, almost. And I couldn't swallow it, so I was constantly spitting into a Kleenex. Like, every ten minutes. So disgusting, but it kept me from literally choking on my own spit.

Throwing up was the worst. I honestly thought I was going to die. They said it's common after surgery, but I don't see how people survive it. I think I only threw up two or three times, but I was 100% convinced I would not make it. Absolutely terrifying.

I've had a few people say that they've thought about getting their tonsils out, and I tell them it's absolutely not worth it. I had swollen and sore tonsils for 13 years and I would rather have put up with that for the rest of my life than gone through that surgery. Just keeping it real, y'all.

Progress!

You guys.

I went to two marching competitions out of the city and I didn't die.

I got a little sick on the first competition, but the second competition was actually fun! I didn't spend the entire day counting down the minutes till we could go home, which was SUCH an improvement over last year. The kids did great, they learned a lot, and watching other bands perform is always fun. The second competition resulted in a 17 hour day, and it was really cold outside after the sun went down, so I am now the proud owner of a super soft and warm blanket from the college's gift shop.

My mom and I went to a college basketball game yesterday, and for some reason, I started feeling really sick about halfway through. I instantly went to my old fallback of "how many more minutes until we can leave, how long will it take to walk to the car, how long until I'm home in my own bathroom" and frantically looking for the nearest trash can just in case. We ended up leaving the game early, and while I'm feeling better today, it reminded me how much I have not missed that feeling. I'm so thankful that I can enjoy life again. We've gone out to dinner with friends multiple times and we hosted a family and friends get together in our own house today for the first time. I'm so, so thankful that we can do these things now, especially since this same get together has been cancelled three other times because I was sick. Life is so good when our house is filled with people we love.

Update!

Wow, it feels like SO much has happened since my last update! The big one is that I finally got my gallbladder out! I'm on a super restricted diet for now (it's supposed to last 6-8 weeks minimum but I still get sick after eating certain foods and this is week 6, so I'm thinking it won't be 6 weeks...) but hopefully will be back to eating normally again at some point. I even have gone back to Zumba a couple of times! It's difficult because I still get tired super easily, so even though my brain is all set to go, my body is done after a couple of songs.

We chaperoned the homecoming dance and this is the first year we were in the gym - the last two years, we have been in the auditorium, which is where the students keep their purses and valuables during the dance, so it was fun to be where the action is and not keeping watch over personal possessions.

I missed the first marching competition of the year because it was 5 days after my surgery, but I was able to go to the second competition last weekend. Apparently 2 1/2 hours on a school bus and walking across a large college campus a couple of times was too much for me, because I got worn out and ended up spending half the day napping on the empty bus while everyone else watched the performances by other schools. It makes me nervous because there is another competition this weekend and it is even farther away and a MUCH longer day, and I just hate being stranded so far from home when I don't feel well.

I've been on vacation from work this week and I'm helping my sister out with her babies - she has a 13 month old and a 1 week old! I'm gonna let y'all in on a little secret - kids are a lot of work. Some days I think I'm more tired than when I work an open to close shift at work!

Combine all of that with school, and I am one tired band wife! As much fun as marching season is, I'm ready for it to be over so we both can have some breathing room!

Gun Range

{I started writing this post the day after we went, which was a couple of weeks ago, but then life happened and it never got published!}

We had purchased a Groupon a couple of months ago for a basic firearm safety course and finally got around to using it! The course was an all-day thing and we learned all the parts of different kinds of guns and got to practice loading and unloading some. Then we went to the range and unloaded 50 rounds! I had never shot a gun before and husband hasn't shot a gun in years, so it was really fun to learn something together that neither of us had experience with! I feel much safer now knowing more about guns and I've decided that I really enjoy shooting! The class came with a free one year membership to the shooting range and I'm thinking it's something I will be doing a few more times in the next year!

Ipsy Favies

I kept seeing all my friends post about Ipsy on social media and I knew I wanted to try it, but when I went to sign up, it kept asking me to bug my friends with invites to get their own Ipsy bags. I decided it wasn't worth it, so I ignored their requests, and after about four months they just started sending me the bags anyway. Emily 1, Ipsy marketing 0.

So the way Ipsy works, you take a personalized style quiz and they will send you sample sizes of products that match your style, preferences, and skin and hair tones, all for $10 a month. I've fallen in love with quite a few of these products in the last six months, but the bad part about Ipsy is that most of these products are pretty expensive to get from the store. Such struggles I have :) The bags are always really cute, and most of the products I get are things I will use a lot! (The bright purple lip gloss, not so much...) Here are some of my recent Ipsy faves!

Balancedguru Style Me Roots to Ends Hair Oil - $19.99 from balancedguru.com

This little bottle actually has quite a bit in it. I put one or two drops in my palm and work it through my damp hair, and it helps keep the frizzies at bay - not an easy task for my crazy hair!

Urban Decay Lip Gloss in Failbait - $22 at urbandecay.com

If only I used lip gloss enough to justify the price tag! The gloss was really smooth and the color was bold without being too off the wall. Loved it and I was sad when my sample ran out!

Nuxe-Reve de Miel Makeup Removing-Cleansing Gel - $19.00 at target.com

Mmm, yes. I like this stuff. It smells really good and it feels like it's exfoliating as well as removing makeup. I don't like a lot of makeup removers because my skin feels either dry or oily after using them, but this stuff makes my skin feel super clean and nice!

J. Cat Beauty Liptitude Hydrating Lip Stain in Hikilicious - $5.99 at jcatbeauty.com

This was another bold lip color for me, but I was a big fan of how easy it was to apply and how long it lasted. Given the $6 price tag, it might be worth the investment!

Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator - $34.00 at vasanticosmetics.com

These expensive sample sizes really make the $10 monthly price tag worth it for me, honestly. I can usually get 4 or 5 uses out of a sample size (at least), so when I find an expensive product I like, I try to make it last even longer :) This stuff is some good stuff. It makes my skin feel super clean and refreshed. When I use a lot of drugstore face washes, my face really doesn't feel that much cleaner than before, but this face wash really did the trick. It's definitely not a miracle product but it did make my skin look healthier and more glowy!

Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner - $45.00 at sephora.com

Okay, the $45.00 price tag is just a little too much for this frugal gal, but this product is hands-down the best product Ipsy has sent me. You apply it like a mask and it turns blue when it's dry, which makes it really easy to wash off. It really does feel like my pores have been sucked completely dry, which sounds gross, but is surprisingly pleasant. I am a little mad at Ipsy for getting me hooked on such an expensive product, not going to lie. I may just bite the bullet and buy it for myself as a present because that's how much I love it.

Picky Eating

You know those little things that make life easier? I think liking certain foods would make my life easier. I didn’t ask to be a picky eater. I’ve tried to like foods that I, as an adult, am supposed to like, and to no avail. Here is a list of foods that would make my life easier if I liked them.

Seafood. I don’t like any sort of seafood, except for the plain fish from Long John Silver’s, which I do not think actually counts. I’ve tried shrimp, lobster, crab, flounder, catfish, trout, bass, and none of it has appealed to me. I feel like this isn’t terribly uncommon amongst the general population but people still look at me like I’ve committed some sort of felony when I say I don’t like fish. Then they inevitably ask if I’ve tried this sort of fish or that sort of fish and I just don’t like any of it!

Breakfast foods. This includes sausage, biscuits and gravy, eggs, waffles, French toast, and any sort of muffin or breakfast sandwich that combines these things. Eating a continental breakfast when we stay in a hotel is always tricky because usually the only foods they offer are a combination of the above-mentioned foods. I do like pancakes in moderation. Usually I only eat one pancake or maybe one and a half chocolate chip pancakes before I get burnt out. I like cereal, but I’m more partial to kid cereals than adult ones. I mean, who would honestly turn down a bowl of Froot Loops for a bowl of Raisin Bran? But usually when I go places for “breakfast,” that means things I don’t like. I’ve tried to like eggs especially and it just isn’t in the cards for me. This is why I am so partial to Village Inn. They have a “build your own breakfast” option and I get hashbrowns and bacon.

Coffee. I like frappacinos, which is really not “coffee,” but it’s the only coffee I can stand. Even though it’s 75% sugar and chocolate and 25% coffee.

Whipped cream. I don’t get whipped cream on my frapps or on my ice cream because I think it is nasty.

Cotton candy. It is also nasty.

Pie. I don’t like ANY KIND OF PIE. People always say “but what about APPLE?” or “but what about KEY LIME?” No. None pie.

Hot wings. I cannot even begin to describe the backlash I’ve gotten from my dislike for hot wings. People apparently view disliking hot wings as one step above murder.

Tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers, and peppers. For some reason, I am not a proper adult because I do not like these foods, but I have never liked these foods and I do not understand why I am the weirdo for not enjoying squishy, slimy vegetables in my mouth.

Beer. I cannot and do not drink alcohol anymore, but when I did, I never cared for beer. I don’t think that beer is a very girly drink so I don’t know why people were so surprised that I preferred drinks made out of fruit.

Foods that taste like other foods. Take your birthday cake-flavored ice cream and your chicken and waffles-flavored chips elsewhere. I don't trust foods that try to be other foods.

In high school, I had a pepperoni Hot Pocket nearly every day for lunch, so I've never been very adventurous with my culinary choices. I could probably eat a PB&J or mac and cheese for every meal and be a-okay with it. But other people are definitely not okay with it, given the "adult" foods that people tell me I should like! 

Anxiety

I’m having so much anxiety about my appointment with the surgeon in two days. I’m so afraid he’s going to tell me he’s not doing surgery and I’ll just have to live like this. No one can tell me for sure what’s wrong, but this is the best guess and I’m afraid it won’t be enough to go off of. I feel like I’m losing myself. I can’t focus or concentrate and I’ve missed out on basically the last year of my life. You know when dogs get really old and cranky and they snap at everyone and their owner is like “just ignore them, they’re old and sore”? I feel like that dog. I snap at everyone, I have no patience for anything, and my main goal is just to make it through the day so I can go home. It constantly feels like I’m on the verge of a panic attack just from thinking about how miserable I am. I really do try to not bring it up around people unless it’s necessary and I really try to not have a pity party for myself, but it’s consuming my whole life. I’m afraid to go anywhere or do anything or eat anything because I know I’ll end up regretting it. I feel like I’ve lost every part of myself that was ever pleasant or good and now I’m just trying to make it.

Losing It

I think some people are under the impression that I just want attention. Or that I'm exaggerating my symptoms in order to get pity. Or something. The last time I went to the ER, I think the doctor looked at me and saw an addict looking for pain pills.... Even though I'm not on any sort of pain medication whatsoever and have never asked to be. Why would I want attention like this, though? What is fun about people staring at you as you come out of the bathroom from loudly throwing up? It's not like I go anywhere ever other than work. I don't go to parties and talk about how sick I always feel. I'm not hanging out with people at a bar and trying to tell everyone that I feel horrible all day every day but by golly, I'm going to push through and be an INSPIRATION. No. Do you know what I want? I want to feel like MYSELF again. I feel like a miserable, cranky, horrible shadow of the person I used to be. My patience is wire-thin now and I know I'm not exactly fun to be around. I never go anywhere or do anything that could be considered "fun". I don't even know how to explain it to someone who's never gone through anything like this. I feel trapped in my own body. It feels like no matter what I do, my body is going to turn against me and punish me for daring to eat something or go somewhere.

And I feel so guilty for complaining. I know there are people much worse off than I am. But then, I'm tired of doctors ignoring me. And I'm tired of not being taken seriously. The last ER doctor I saw took one look at me, told me I have a disease they ruled out months ago, and showed me the door. My specialist apparently can't be bothered to listen to me because I'm young and seemingly healthy. How bad do I have to get to be taken seriously in the medical field? Again, WHY would I make this up? I really have better things to do than go from doctor to doctor, paying medical bills out the you-know-what for absolutely no reason. And you know why I really wouldn't make this up? One word: colonoscopy. Yep, that's not something worth going through just to get attention.

I don't know anymore. This is taking its mental toll on me. My memory sucks and I can't think straight half the time. I'm starting to feel like I'm crazy. It feels like the worse I get, the more I push and the further I get from reality. I did a test last week for my gallbladder and I got so sick when they simulated what happens in my gallbladder when I eat. As horrible as I felt, I was also excited that this just HAS to be it! Why would I have a bad reaction if I'm working properly? When the doctor called and said everything was normal and I could come back in three weeks to try to figure out something else, I lost it. I got so angry and so defeated and so depressed all at the same time. How am I normal? Nothing about this is normal! Thankfully, I'm now seeing a doctor who is willing to advocate for me. I go see a surgeon in a week to see if he will take my gallbladder out. I'm having so much anxiety about this appointment because I feel like this is all I have left. If this surgeon says I'm perfectly fine yet again, I honestly think it may break me. I've been told for a year that I'm "fine" when I'm clearly not. I can't mentally or emotionally continue like this. Every single day is so, so hard. I am praying with everything I have that my gallbladder is the problem and this surgeon will remove it. I'm tired of living in fear of everything - of food, of being away from home, of missing out on yet another family event because I'm having an "episode" and I can't leave the bed. I'm desperate. And I'm miserable. And I'm terrified that I won't have relief and I will spend the rest of my life this way.

Missing Out

The worst part about this undiagnosed illness is missing out on life. I know there are others with worse ailments than me, people who are homebound or stuck in the hospital. But when I still have to work and do schoolwork, it’s frustrating to have all of my energy sapped with what I need to do so that I don’t have time for what I want to do. I spent all of our anniversary trip either laying down or wishing I was laying down. I spent two of husband’s band concerts waiting for it to end so I could go home and lay down, or mentally planning how long it would take to run to the bathroom and what the quickest route would be. I went to a wedding and spent the entire ceremony praying I wouldn’t need to run out during a quiet moment. I’ve missed family get-togethers and hanging out with friends because I’m sick or I just don’t feel up to it. I didn’t even get to go to the baseball game and fireworks with my family on the 4^th of July, but I laid in bed and watched Youtube on my phone instead.

I just feel like I’m missing out on life. The people my age that I work with talk about how they can’t wait to get off work so they can meet up with their friends, and I can’t wait to get off work so I can go home and lay down. I feel like I’m “laying down” my whole life away. I never used to be this person – I always crammed my schedule full of activities, events, and lunches with friends, and now I can’t even drag myself to Target anymore. I’m not writing this post to complain, but rather, just to vent. I feel like I’m 87, not 27, and I feel like I’m missing out on who I used to be. I miss who I used to be. We don’t go to movie theaters, restaurants, or parties because of me. It’s not just my life that’s on hold, it’s my husband’s, too. We left his work party early because of me and we didn’t do as much on our anniversary trip as we did on our honeymoon because of me. I can handle my life being like this but I feel guilty when it affects someone else too.

Recent Faves

1. Modern Family

Okay, I used to despise this show. I thought it was cliche, over the top, and just not funny at all. Then, out of nowhere, a switch flipped and now I am obsessed with this show. Husband has been watching it from season one with me, and he's not into binge-watching shows like I am, which is the only reason I haven't watched all the seasons in a month.

2. Fudge Brownie Goldfish

A coworker tipped me off to these and I'm obsessed. They're so deliciously chocolatey but with just a bit of salt added to balance the flavor. I just wish the little bag wasn't so expensive!

3. Down the Mountain

This app was in the top charts in the app store, so I downloaded it, and 1016 games later, I can't stop playing. 

4. Dollar Tree Hauls

I stumbled across these sorts of videos after I started making my thrift haul videos, and now I make these too! I was never a big fan of Dollar Tree {okay, I thought it was all cheap crap!} but I have Seen The Light!

5. 1010

Husband calls this the cheating version of Tetris. I call it fun. 

Signs

I wrote a post a couple of months ago about something that has been weighing on my heart, seemingly out of nowhere. I prayed about it pretty fervently for a while, and then life got in the way and it kind of dropped to the wayside of my brain. The last few weeks, it has been popping up again more and more, and I was just praying to God, if this is what you want for me, please show me. Then today I got a sign in the most small of places. It is amazing to me how sometimes God's plan isn't a big and bold sign, but rather, something quiet just to see if I am listening. Someone I respect very much had written a blog post on this issue over five years ago and she was given advice from a friend: start making note of when you get signs and see how they all come together later on. So I'm using this blog to do just that. Yesterday was the day I read that blog post, ending with the author saying "if you are even considering this, DO IT!", and today when I went through a drive-thru for lunch, the side of my cup displayed a message asking for support for this very thing I have been praying about. I'm paying attention, Lord.

June Favies

I haven't done a favorites post in too, too long! Here are some things I was loving in the month of June:

1. The Office

Okay, I've always loved it, but I've been rewatching it on Netflix and it is still. so. funny.

2. Kids Clif Brownie Bars

My mom knows the way to my heart is through chocolate, and I am always annoyed that "adult" breakfast bars are chocolate with something nasty, so she got me these. I don't want your chocolate with orange bars or your dark chocolate anything, just give me some plain ol chocolate. So these kids breakfast bars are right up my alley. Super delicious {take that, nasty grownup bars!} and only 130 calories per bar!

3. Shark Week

Okay y'all, there is nothing better than Shark Week. There's just not. I DVR all the shows so I can stretch it out to be Shark Month in the band life house.

4. Honey Maid Go Bites

These are SO delicious and just a handful fills me up! They're the right balance of sweet and salty, so I don't feel like I'm overindulging.

5. Coloring

The local paper ran an article on the rising popularity of coloring books for adults, and I am right on board this coloring train. I went over to Barnes and Noble the very next day and picked me up three books of my own! I've loved coloring for ages and ages and these are right up my alley!

Undiagnosed

It's been eight months and the doctors still don't know what's wrong with me.

I'm not trying to complain here, but I can't take this much longer. I feel like no one takes me seriously because I'm young and, by all accounts, healthy.

Except I'm not.

I don't have Crohn's, celiac, anemia, diabetes, pancreatitis, IBS, or ulcers. They've checked my gallbladder, pancreas, digestion, blood, stool, urine, and my entire intestinal system. Still nothing.

But I can't leave the house, for fear of being sick somewhere. I can't go to a restaurant because I might get sick before the meal is over. I don't go to the movies because why pay $10 for something I probably won't make it through? I don't see my friends anymore because I just don't have the energy.

Working a normal job exhausts me to the point of laying on the couch every second I am home. This time a year ago, you couldn't keep me home for anything. I always wanted to be out, doing something, going somewhere, seeing someone. Now I spend all day counting down until I can go home and lay down with my heating pad. Even fun events are spent watching the clock, mentally mapping a route to the nearest bathroom, finding the closest receptacle if I have to throw up.

I'm not looking for attention; I would rather feel normal than have attention. I'm not looking for sympathy, because there are plenty of people who have it worse than me. I just want answers. I want to know why I'm 26 and I can't eat or sleep or act like a normal 26 year old. I want my old life back.

There have to be other people like me. Other people who the doctors write off. I wait a month to see a specialist, only to be told they can't find anything and then I wait a month for the next specialist. I just can't be the only one.

Mexican Dorito Casserole

Anyone who knows me knows that I do not enjoy foods that taste like other foods {I'm looking at you, pickle-flavored potato chips and birthday cake-flavored ice cream!}, so when recipes call for out of the box sorts of things, I am hesitant to try them. But I made this one a couple of years ago and husband just loves it! The first time I made it, I posted a pic on Facebook and got overwhelmed with requests for the recipe. I posted it and everyone who tried it loved it too! I broke it out again last week because it is super easy to make and the only thing I had to pick up from the store was a bag of chips, because in the band life house, bags of chips don't stay around for long!

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded cooked chicken or beef {the original recipe calls for chicken but I have always used beef because we are more of beef people than chicken people}

1 cup shredded cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 can Rotel tomatoes {I usually leave these out since I am not a fan of tomatoes...}

1/2 packet taco seasoning 

bag of Doritos {my favorite is Nacho Cheese so that is my go-to flavor for this recipe!}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except Doritos.

In a greased 2 quart baking dish, put a layer of crushed Doritos, then a layer of the chicken/beef mixture. Repeat once more, ending with a layer of chicken/beef mixture. Top with more shredded cheese, cover, and bake for 30-35 minutes.

I love this one because it is unique without being too different and it is so easy to make! Try this one out next time you're in the mood for Mexican but don't want to go with tacos or nachos yet again ;)

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

I had been planning on making my stuffed pasta shells for a couple of weeks, and the day I promised husband I would make them, I realized I was missing a key ingredient and therefore would not be happening. So I started scouring my recipe book to find something I could make with things I already had in my kitchen, and decided that this cheesy chicken and rice casserole would do just nicely!

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup {side note: I always keep cans of cream of chicken, cream of celery, and cream of mushroom in my pantry... you never know when they will come in handy!}

1 1/3 cups water

3/4 cup uncooked regular white rice 

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese {I didn't happen to have cheddar but I had a cheddar jack mix so I used that and it was still delish!}

Stir soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper, and vegetables in 11x8 shallow baking dish.

Top with chicken. Season chicken as desired. Cover.

Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until chicken and rice are done. Top with cheese. Let casserole stand. Stir rice before serving.

Organization & Garage Painting

This has been a crazy month - we had our first anniversary, went on vacation, and I just finished my first summer class of the year! I don't have a lot to update on house-wise but I wanted to show some cute pics of what we've done lately.

The first thing I was excited about was some organization I got done. I found a bunch of bins at Target to organize the minor holiday decor. (I already have red and green totes for Christmas and an orange and black one for Halloween!)

Then I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up a pack of cute patterned paper tags and a pack of white tags that are slightly smaller to paste on the front to create cute labels!

Husband decided he didn't like our garage walls. The back wall is shown below and the side walls were just bare wood - you can slightly see it on the left side of the photo next to the bicycles. The black part is where a garage door to the backyard would go if we decide to put one in.

He decided to make the garage one of his summer projects and I have to admit, it does look a lot better with a coat of paint!

I've also done a lot of cleaning out our clothes that we don't wear and/or don't fit, and I dropped a humongous bag of clothes and shoes off at the thrift store already, with two more bags in the closet to be dropped this week! Husband asked if I'm getting rid of clothes to appease the thrift store gods so I can continue to get good deals ;) hey, it's not a bad idea...

Pinterest Win

I went thrifting this weekend with a good friend and found a ton of stuff! I'll post my second haul video at the end of this post - it's things for husband and my nephew rather than for myself this time around!



Anyways, I bought a few shirts for myself, including this super soft, loose, brand-new shirt from Kohl's. I tried it on and debated about it for a while but ultimately decided to get it. So as I always do, I stuck all the clothes in the washer immediately when I got home. After it all came out of the dryer, I noticed the tag of doom on my brand-new shirt:



dry clean only.


TRAGEDY. I tried the shirt on and it had shrunk in length a good 3-4 inches and was now tight instead of loose. UGH. So I took to Pinterest and found a bunch of pins that recommended soaking the shirt in hair conditioner and lukewarm water, then stretching it out on a towel to the size it should be and letting it air dry.



So I filled the sink, pumped a ton of conditioner in, and let the shirt soak for about 15 minutes. I felt like I wasn't doing much good when I was stretching it out, so after about 10 minutes of stretching, husband was like "I think that's as good as it's going to get..." It dried overnight and it actually worked! It's not the shape it was originally, but it's definitely longer and a little looser. Plus it smells really good. (Thanks, Pantene!) I really don't know what to do with it now, though. Can I wash it again? I definitely won't be drying it in the dryer, and I hope it's washer-safe... This is why I don't buy nice things.

Thrift Store Haul Video

I finally did my first thrift store haul video! This is only part one and it ran a little longer than I originally was going for, but I like how it turned out. Check it out if it's something you're into!

More Favorites

Here are more things I am loving lately!

1. The Ellen Show

I absolutely love Ellen Degeneres and everything she stands for. I DVR her show every day! She is so funny and generous and kind and it inspires me to be a better person. 

2. Interrupted

This book by Christian author Jen Hatmaker completely changed my way of thinking about how I live my life. It is inspirational and convicting, and I only made it through two chapters before grabbing a pen and highlighting my favorite passages! As soon as I finished, I left it on my dresser rather than shelving it away with my other books because I know I will want to read it over and over. I highly recommend this book for anyone unsure about their faith.

3. Shopkick

A coworker tipped me off to this app and I am addicted! You download the app and use it to scan certain products at certain stores. It's like a scavenger hunt! You use the points for products or gift cards, and I'm currently saving for a Coach bag :) I'm definitely that weirdo wandering around Target looking for a certain dishwasher detergent or bag of pretzels, scanning the barcode, and wandering off. Oh well. When I get my Coach bag, I'll be the winner!

4. Looney Tunes Dash!

This app is similar to Temple Run (remember that?) except it's more fun because you're playing as a Looney Tunes character. Plus this game gives you seven lives instead of the standard five! I'm pretty sure this game is marketed towards kids or teenagers, but I definitely play every day.

5. America's Got Talent

I am allll about this show!! The first episode of the season premiered this week, and I encourage you to check it out if you've never watched it. It's a family-friendly show and, in my opinion, more entertaining than American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance because the acts are varied and it's not just a solid hour of only singing or only dancing.

Green Thumb?

I decided that I need a garden this year. Our yard is not very conducive for planting in the ground, so I decided that a raised bed would be the best option. So we headed to Lowe's!

We got three 2x6x8 boards, one of which we cut in half. This would be the border for the bed itself! We also got some wire mesh to put on the bottom of the bed to keep out the moles. After a stop at a local nursery for some dirt, we were ready to go!

Husband did most of the building for me and he did a great job! We placed one half of the cut board on each end and screwed that together first.

Then we laid the wire mesh out and stapled it to the frame. The worst part was cutting off the excess!

We flipped it over and filled with dirt - done!

The Pinterest tutorial I followed recommended stakes in each corner to keep it from shifting, but our dirt was so hard that we couldn't get stakes in the ground further than about an inch. The bed is fairly close to the house, so I was hoping it wouldn't shift too much. We've had some flooding here the last couple of weeks but the bed hasn't gone anywhere yet!

I don't like your typical "garden" vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers...) and I only planted what I like and what I cook with. We have lettuce, onions, carrots, broccoli, and green beans. I got these cute little signs at the nursery when we got the dirt and you can write whatever you want on them!

I planted about a week and a half ago, and we already have some little sprouts!

On a less successful note... I also planted blackberries and strawberries about a month, month and a half ago.

We also planted this pretty lily.

I took this as the "before" picture, and they all still look exactly the same. I don't think I'll be getting my strawberries and blackberries! :( The lily was pretty for about a day, then we had a tornado warning and the wind ripped all of the flowers right off the stems. Sad day.

Fingers crossed that my vegetables do better than my fruit and flowers!

Netflix Docs {Part 2}

Here are five more of my favorite Netflix documentaries!

1. The Price of Gold

This documentary is about the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding drama where Harding was accused of injuring Kerrigan in order to ensure her own gold medal performance in the 1992 Olympics. This was a completely riveting drama that did not actually feature Nancy Kerrigan. Tonya Harding had a whole ton of crazy and it all comes out in this documentary. 

2. Crazy Love

Okay, I really don't want to give away spoilers but this story is CRAZY. This documentary is a little slower-paced than some of my other favorites but the story is so compelling that you don't want to turn it off. 

3. Imposter

Basically, this kid went missing and a random guy pretended to be the missing kid who turned up years later, fooling the actual missing kid's family and friends until the FBI got involved. 

4. Hotline

This one goes behind the scenes of various telephone hotlines, like suicide hotlines and teen help hotlines. It's really interesting to see what the volunteers go through just by trying to help those in need. 

5. Love Me

A documentary about American men trying to find Russian mail-order brides. My favorite part features a Ukranian woman who moved to Australia with her husband and now has a Ukranian-Australian accent. CRAZY.