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!