Tuesday, February 28, 2012

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2012: Q&A session w/ Sarah

Like I mentioned in this post, during my early days of recovery I researched, read books, news articles and ED focused blogs to help spur my recovery in a positive direction. I have no idea how I came across certain ED recovery blogs but I just so happened to stumble upon Sarah's blog. Sarah posted about her ED past, recovery, body image, and how her life is better NOW that it ever was living with her anorexia. I wanted that life. I kept reading. It was a long time before I ever commented on her blog (a few years!) and as it turns out we now both read each others blogs and email from time to time. 


In honor of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week I asked Sarah if she would do a Q&A session with me for the blog. She happily agreed. I hope the questions and responses will give you just a little more insight into the life/mind of one who is struggling with an eating disorder. 

(Disclaimer: I was contacted a few weeks ago by a Missouri high school junior who was working on an ED focused research paper. She asked is she could interview me and I agreed. I thought many of her questions were well stated and highlighted important issues as it relates to various ED's, therefore I used many of her original questions for Sarah, while some were altered slightly.)
________________________________________

How old were you when you began dealing with “disorderly eating”, anorexia, or bulimia? How old were you when you began recovery?
I experienced my first bout of anorexia at 14. As a child, I was slightly overweight and generally miserable about my appearance. The summer before my freshman year of high school I decided to lose some weight. I started out by cutting calories and exercising and, like so many girls who start to struggle with disorderly eating, I spiraled out of control. I lost about 60 pounds in two months by drastically eliminating most food (and calories) from my diet. My mom was obviously worried about my weight loss and took me to a nutritionist who helped me get back on track.



I did extremely well with recovery until my sophomore year of college. A close guy friend (who my best friend and I ate most of our meals with) started making comments about girl’s bodies at the dining hall. He called several girls my size overweight, and it triggered my relapse. Thus began a seven-year battle for my life. I was definitely more reluctant to get help and to get better at an older age. I also dropped down to the lowest weight of my life- at one point I weighed 89 pounds, and I’m 5’8.”

In retrospect, I wish that I would have separated myself from my friend’s negative body talk right away, but I honestly don’t think I realized what was happening at the time. I almost think a relapse was inevitable for me because I didn’t deal with many of the psychological issues related to my disorder at a young age. Also my mother spurred my recovery at age 14 whereas my most recent recovery was brought on by myself and my desire to live. That variance is definitely important. I have done a tremendous amount of work and introspection to get better.
Take me through a typical day for you while dealing with the disorder: your thoughts, how you ate, your interactions with others, etc. 
My life was so sad while dealing with anorexia. I had to weigh myself immediately after I woke up. I would pee (to make sure that I didn’t have any extra weight on me) and then step on the cold, metal scale. If I weighed less than my norm for that day (and this norm varied as my weight dropped lower and lower), I was in a fantastic mood. If it was higher, even by a pound, I was a miserable grump. After weighing myself I’d get ready for work, stare at the bony ribs protruding through my skin a few times in the mirror to make sure I looked skinny, and then eat an apple for breakfast. Since I didn’t fuel myself properly, I found it difficult to concentrate at work. My mind was foggy, and my stomach was empty. Eventually I’d go home for lunch and eat 10 wheat crackers, 3 slices of turkey, and a few carrots and celery sticks. (I was still understandably hungry after this measly lunch.) After work, I’d rush home and take an hour and a half long walk to take my mind off of my hunger. I rarely joined my friends for dinner plans or drinking dates. And if I did, I would stick to a glass of water and be subjected to many stares. Eventually I’d eat dinner by myself. It was usually a large salad of romaine, carrots, and tomatoes with some chicken and no dressing.

During a particularly dark part of my disorder, I did start to struggle with episodes of binging and purging. I’ve heard this behavior is quite typical for girls and women battling anorexia. You’re just so hungry that it becomes hard to resist food. So you eat too much, feel guilty and sick, and then throw up. Contrary to popular misconception about purging, I didn’t stick my finger down my throat. The purging was actually my body’s response to eating too much food at one time because my stomach shrunk significantly.
Sometimes, girls who struggle with eating disorders who have lost an immense amount of weight still think they are “overweight” or “fat.” Did you feel like no matter how much weight you lost, you were still never “skinny enough?” Please explain. 
I find this question to be very interesting and important. As I started to lose weight, I knew that I was skinny. At several points I even knew I was too skinny. But it was the fear of gaining more weight that caused my weight to plummet and my disease to get worse. I could never imagine myself being a normal weight. I had to be skinny. And I had to stay skinny despite how sick I got.
Were you open with your peers, family members, etc, about your struggle? If not immediately, at what point were you able to honestly discuss your struggle?
By nature, I’m actually a very private person. (I speak openly about my struggles on my blog because I want to help people and truly believe it’s necessary to erase the stigma associated with eds.) I was honest with my mom primarily because she knew that something was wrong. Eventually two of my close friends from high school called me out about my weight, but I remember feeling sort of angry about it. Not because I didn’t know something was wrong. I did. But because they didn’t understand what I was going through. A lot of people talk to women with eating disorders like they’re dumb. I can’t tell you how many times people told me to “just eat.” If it were that easy, I would have done just that. As I started to take steps toward my own recovery, I did open up to my one best friend and Dennis, my current boyfriend of four years (who I started dating at the beginning of my recovery). To this day, I haven’t discussed my battles with many of my close friends, although I’m sure they knew what was going on by my extreme thinness and behavior.


Did the media have any effect on your development of the eating disorder? If so, how? 
No, I really don’t think the media had much of an effect on my disorder. Although I was told several times when I was super skinny that I would make an excellent model. I still find it quite disturbing that emaciated frames are so frequently featured on the runway and in high fashion magazines.


At what point did you realize you needed to recover? Or decide you wanted to recover?
My turning point came after a very scary incident when I ended up in the ER. I honestly thought I was having a heart attack because my chest had stabbing pains, and my left arm became numb. It turned out that I was severely dehydrated, and my electrolytes were dangerously out of balance. I talked the hospital into letting me go home instead of admitting me, but I did have to have a follow-up appointment with my general practitioner.  He was the best doctor that I’ve ever had. He was the only one who addressed my ed and told me that he knew something was wrong. (Two other doctors before him acted like my weight was normal.) He assured me that he could help me find treatment and that things could and needed to get better quickly. His words and foresight sparked my efforts to actually recover.


Best/worst thing your family/friends did for you during your struggle? 
As I mentioned, my mother was very supportive. It was very important that she let me talk and call her whenever I needed her. People telling me that I was gaining weight, although they meant to be complimentary, was destructive to my recovery. It became very triggering for me.
What got you through the hardest recovery days?
I have always been very ambitious and hard working. And I have big dreams. Knowing that I could get my life back, that I could return to my true self, got me through my worst days. I wanted to live my life. I didn’t want to be stuck in a world where everything revolved around food and my rigid behavior. It’s only now that I finally feel like myself again. I have passions- like writing, singing, dancing, and acting- that make me so happy. I’m only glad that I can now do these things without feeling stifled by my disorder.
If you had to give someone struggling with an eating disorder just one piece of recovery advice what would it be? If you had to give one piece of advice to the family of someone with an eating disorder what would it be? 
My greatest piece of advice is simply that life without an ed is far better than a life with one. Even on my worst, most trying days. I’d rather be where I am today than trapped by anorexia.
For families and friends, it’s so important to be supportive. Most likely you don’t understand what your loved one is going through, so you need to be loving and non-judgmental. There are points when a person with an ed needs extra help whether that is a nutritionist, psychologist or a stay at an in-treatment center. Anorexia and bulimia are deadly diseases, so family and friends do need to be aware of situations when their loved one’s life is in severe jeopardy. NEDA is a great resource for those times.
Was recovery worth it? Please explain. 
Oh, my goodness. Recovery was definitely worth it. I am so much happier now than I’ve been in years. I really do find so much pleasure in things that scared me to death when I struggled. I love cooking delicious meals for Dennis and me and actually eating the food I cook. I like going out to dinner with friends. I don’t have to eat the same thing every single day. I have energy to do the things that I love. And I have the hope that I can make a difference in the world. I never felt that way when I was sick.

Anything else you would like to add? 
Even though I am in recovery and have been better for several years, I don’t know if an eating disorder ever goes away completely. I constantly need to question my behavior and make sure that I don’t fall into many of the traps of my past (like allowing negative body comments to affect me or to restrict my caloric intake). I try to live a balanced life, which includes healthy eating (and treats!), exercise, and a great deal of introspection.
___________________________________________


A big thanks to Sarah for her willingness to participate and share part of her story!! Don't forget to check out her blog Check out more of her specific posts on recovery & body image by clicking here. 


I hope and pray that you are taking some time this week to reflect on these topics and issues. Please. . . if you suspect that you or someone you know is struggling with any type of eating disorder please do not hesitate to reach out for help. It is not too late to reclaim your life. Recovery is worth it. I promise. 

Sunday, February 26, 2012

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2012

Today kicks of National Eating Disorders Awareness week. A week dedicated to shedding light and awareness on eating disorders and eating disorder recovery is near and dear to my heart so I hope to post a little this week on the topic. This year the awareness week runs February 26, 2012 - March 3, 2012. For more information on the main National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) click here


Some quick info on The NEDA (Source) :

  • Organization = The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders. We campaign for prevention, improved access to quality treatment, and increased research funding to better understand and treat eating disorders. We work with partners and volunteers to develop programs and tools to help everyone who seeks assistance. Since 1999, our national toll-free helpline has assisted families,  friends and individuals find appropriate treatment. NEDA is proud that our website serves as an entry point for people around the globe to find information on eating disorders. We serve as an important and welcome first stop for those searching for resources.
  • Mission = NEDA supports individuals and families affected by eating disorders, and serves as a catalyst for prevention, cures and access to quality care.
  • Vision = NEDA envisions a world without eating disorders.
  • History = NEDA was formed in 2001, when Eating Disorders Awareness & Prevention (EDAP) joined forces with the American Anorexia Bulimia Association (AABA) – merging the largest and longest standing eating disorders prevention and advocacy organizations in the world. The merger was the most recent in a series of alliances that has also included the National Eating Disorder Organization (NEDO) and the Anorexia Nervosa & Related Disorders (ANRED). 

To kick off the week I thought I would link up to a few sites that share some insight on eating disorders and/or thoughts on body image: 

Whether you, or someone you know or love, has directly experienced an eating disorder, I hope you can take a few minutes to reflect this week on the significance of the illness and how it is, unfortunately, far too widespread in todays society. Taking just a moment today to reflect on the issues could prevent a lifetime of hurt and struggle. Remember how special you are, how much you are loved and, most importantly, how much God values YOU for who you are TODAY. 

More to come this week. . .  

Friday, February 17, 2012

5 year anniversary + babymoon surprise

This past Friday (2/10/12) Brandon and I celebrated our five year anniversary! I knew Brandon had something up his sleeve when he asked me "What time do you get off work Friday?" followed up by "Well... can you get off any earlier?" Long story short Brandon ended up emailing the family I work for and asked if I could get off by 2pm, so that we could head out of town. Anyways, Monday - Friday of last week Brandon had a bunch of our close friends text me with "hints" about where we might be going to celebrate our anniversary. Everyone had an assigned day to send their text. I had everything texted to me from camping, to traveling to Abilene to stay at a bed and breakfast, to Fredericksburg, to Oklahoma, to Alabama and a general road trip. I was fooled with the very first text thinking "Oh my gosh... they ruined the surprise!!" Yet once Tuesday rolled around and I received more messages like the first, I knew he was just trying to throw me off. Thank goodness, because I was not really looking forward to going camping being 28 weeks pregnant and all! :) Call me crazy.

I got home from work Friday and Brandon had the car packed with the necessities (I checked high and low for sleeping bags. . . none to be found!) and a cooler filled with food for the weekend. He had actually taken the day off to prep for the trip. We headed out and after a few minutes I had a general guess that we are heading to Austin. I still wasn't sure exactly where and knew that some bed and breakfast establishments have a full kitchen for guests so that option was still a possibility in my mind. After a few minutes I blurted out "You are taking me to Katherine's parents lake house in Austin!" Brandon just smiled this little smirk but I wasn't sure if it was a "you are right smirk" or a "you have no clue smirk."

Ends up I was right in my guess!! Brandon had arranged with our college friends for us to use their parents lake house, on lake Travis, for the weekend. It is a VERY nice, luxurious house, that we have been to several times with a big group of college friends. I immediately became SO EXCITED! If I could pick anywhere to relax and do NOTHING it would be this lake house.

We arrived about 7pm Friday night. When we arrived we were greeted with the package and note below from my friend Katherine and her momma, Millie. They were so sweet to come up before we arrived and drop off some candy and a baby present for Clara. So special!


We got settled and made a pizza and salad for dinner. After dinner Brandon pulls out a basket full of goodies for me. Check out the stash below. A ton of stuff for pampering myself all weekend - a face mask, epsom salt to soak my swollen ankles, foot cream, a back massage brush, nose strips (yes, I think these things are cool) and these Flex-Tastic gel things you stick between your toes to help with overall foot circulation (which was perfect considering my left foot was enormous by that time at night).


Here I am putting the mask and Flex-Tastic to use. I was in heaven. We watched Iron Man (well I watch some of it) and passed out by 9:45pm. I know... party animals.


Brandon told me to wake him up Saturday morning once I was hungry because he had breakfast planned. I was up by 5am and by 7am was famished so I took his advice and woke him. :) He proceeded to make whole wheat blueberry pancakes, topped with maple syrup and peanut butter (have I mentioned I have a PB problem? I know... it's bad). He ate 1/2 of one pancake. I ate 2 + his other half. Don't judge.

We lounged around for the majority of the morning and eventually ventured out to do some shopping at an outdoor mall, the Hill Country Galleria. We arrived there at 11am and I was already starving (imagine that) so we headed straight into Panera Bread for a quick lunch before shopping. Thanks Brandon for snapping a picture of me stuffing my face with soup & a panini sandwich. Had to get you back. 



After some shopping (only walked away with a magazine and discounted book from Barnes and Noble) we headed back to the lake house. I promptly plopped myself back on the couch, feet propped up, blanket in place and just made myself comfortable. Brandon then asked "Hey - I packed some 'healthy' brownies for us. Want me to make them?" Um yes please. (Healthy meaning they were lower in sugar, that's all!) That question quickly lead to the following along with the movies You've Got Mail and The Devil Wears Prada . . . 





We played a little ping pong. . . 



And then I played some old school piano. . . you know, songs I learned in 5th grade. . . I'm cool like that.


A while later we decided it was time for some dinner. Brandon had packed lots of options for us and we decided on grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, and some sautéed onions and bell peppers along with brown rice. Was delicious except I had to abort the shrimp after the first few bites. Totally started to gross me out (a pregnancy thing). Does it look like all I did was eat all weekend? If so, it's because I did. Don't worry, I managed to resist eating yet another brownie after dinner. 




After dinner we started the movie Music & Lyrics with Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant. It was just ok in my opinion. But then again I really can't give it a fair rating since I, once again, fell asleep mid way through. Surprise surprise. 

Sunday morning/early afternoon we just hung around the lake house until about 1pm when we headed back home (sigh. tear).  We somehow managed to balance my Iphone on the coffee table to take a pic together. 


By Sunday when we left my ankles were less swollen than they have been in a LONG TIME. I was so relaxed. It was the perfect anniversary present + babymoon. We figure this to be our babymoon also since we don't really have any trips planned before Clara arrives. 

A HUGE thanks to Brandon for planning the perfect getaway weekend. It was so fun to get out of town and relax/hang out together. Happy 5 years Brandon, love ya! You are the best! 

Monday, February 13, 2012

My Dear Body Letter

Dear Body,
Wow... what an adventure we have been on over the last few years. It is amazing for me to think what all we have been through together. Some highs and some definite lows but through it all you were STRONG and remained faithful to me. Thank you just doesn't seem to cut it but. . . thank you.

I need to start off by saying "I'm sorry." I'm sorry for all the junk I put you through when I was acting selfishly and denying you proper nutrition and sustenance. I took you for granted, day after day after day. God made you perfect, in His image, and I treated you like you were nothing more but a screw up. It makes me sad to think of how my actions, behaviors and thoughts came across to you. You gave me some warning signs along the way, to let me know how my choices were directly effecting you, but I didn't listen. I saw the signs loud and clear but actively made the decision to ignore you. I am sorry for that and I understand why, as a result, I have endured some consequences. I tried to control you as a way to cope with underlying feelings and emotions that I did not know how to work through on my own. I vow to no longer manipulate you, ever.

Fast forward a few years. . . we are working together as a team and it feels SO good. I wake up everyday with a fresh perspective, ready to tackle and take on the day full of motivation and joy. I feed you well and in turn you provide me with energy to power through whatever God brings my way.

I love watching you change as I carry my little girl. Watching you change, stretch and ultimately grow a human being is more than amazing to me. And to think there was a time that I would rather starve you than be blessed by all of your God given instincts. I pray for you everyday. I pray that you will continue to remain strong over the next 12 weeks as I continue to carry Clara to full term (Lord willing).

I only have one of you and thus will embrace ALL that you can do and ALL that you are (curves included). I will speak kindly to you and treat you with the respect you deserve. You are strong. You are beautiful. You are an amazing blessing. Let's celebrate life together.

Love,
Brittnie

Did you write a Dear Body Letter? If so, please link up in the comments! Would love to swap letters and to see how God is working/worked in your life through the Love Yourself Challenge. 

Related posts:

Saturday, February 11, 2012

28 week pregnancy update. . . eggplant baby

A lot has happened over the last four weeks and since the last pregnancy update! We were blessed to have another ultrasound preformed (during week 25)  just to make sure Clara's growth was on target and thankfully she is looking perfect and growing well. I also passed my glucose tolerance test so there is no concern for gestational diabetes. I am not at the point where I will be seeing my Dr. every two weeks. We are very thankful! 

Week 28

Size and development of baby:
Baby's lungs are mature enough that, if born right now, she has a pretty good chance of surviving (with help from medical technology). Her skin is still pretty wrinkly (one byproduct of living in amniotic fluid) but will smoothen as fat continues to deposit. 


Our little girl is currently the size of an eggplant. Crazy, right? I can definitely tell that she is growing as I can feel her move a lot more often and the movements feel harder and stronger. I love feeling her move! Makes it all SO real. I feel her the most at night, after dinner, and really early in the morning. Brandon can also feel her if he puts his hands on my stomach and we can both see my tummy move around from time to time, which is equally amazing.

A few pictures from our ultrasound, three weeks ago:




How I am feeling and how I am changing:
For the most part I am feeling great. The biggest issue I am dealing with (probably since week 26) is swelling in my feet and ankles. The bruising around my ankles, and up my legs, is also spreading and at times seems to be darkening. If I sit or stand for too long of a time period my legs start to feel really tight and the swelling gets worse. I have taken several pictures of my feet/ankles mainly because I cannot believe how BIG they get but I will spare you most of them. I will post one (mainly b/c I want to remember at what point it got bad) but if pictures of swollen extremities freak you out just scroll down really quick to avoid any nausea.  

Puffy/swollen ankle... pic taken during week 27

The picture doesn't really do the bruising justice. I frequently look down and laugh thinking "Are these really my ankles???" Praise God for flip flops. Ha! Anyways, my blood pressure is fantastic and I have no protein in my urine so my Dr. is not at all concerned with the swelling at this point (no concerns of preeclampsia). I am basically just one of the lucky women who experience extreme swelling during pregnancy. Yay for me. My Dr. mentioned that the swelling and bruising will subside after delivery. Until then... just grin and bear it while upping my water intake, limiting my sodium intake, and elevating my feet when at all possible and especially at night. Really, it could be a lot worse. Despite tight legs and puffy/bruised ankles I am SO thankful that this is the only "negative symptom" I have encountered thus far. Even more so, I am just thankful to be pregnant. I am truly blessed.

My tummy has also grown quite a bit since my last picture. I have gained a total of 17 pounds, which my Dr. is very happy with, as am I. 

Here is the latest. . . 

28 week belly shot  

What I am eating and what I am thinking:
What am I not eating? Ha. That is the real question. 
Anything and everything sounds good these days. 

Here are some of my current favorite eats:
cold cereal, hummus, this Chickfila Southwest Salad (of which I must admit I eat at least 2x a week...notice I said at least), chickfila nuggets, red meat, chips & salsa, basically any peanut butter from this company,  kiwis, clementines, apples, cashews, trail mix, dark chocolate anything, homemade pizza and homemade stir fry bowls. I will stop there but I could probably go on and on and on. 

Foods that sound disgusting:
Salmon and various other seafood (Notice this list is not very long) 

I think a lot about what Clara will look like. Will she have dark hair at birth or will she be bald? Will she look like me, Brandon or will it be hard to tell? I also wonder about her demeanor and personality, both as an infant and older child. 

I bought the paint for the nursery but have yet to start actually painting. That's next on the agenda. I am excited to start working on the nursery. 

I am also PUMPED about my last acupuncture appointment. I haven't been since week 12-14 of pregnancy (I believe) and I go again during week 32. I don't remember why but my practitioner does not practice on pregnant women during this timeframe. I could research it for the blog but I am feeling a tad lazy. Anyways, is it weird that I highly enjoy laying on a table being stuck with a million needles? Seriously... it the most relaxing thing ever. If money was not a factor I would go weekly... for the rest of my life. 

That's all for week 28! 
Have a fabulous weekend!

PSALM 139:14
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, 
I know that full well.

PSALM 13:6
"I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me." 



Thursday, February 9, 2012

I've been tagged. . . have you?

There are many blogs that I love to read, all for various reasons. One that I recently added to my google reader is Feeding Five. Marie, the author of the blog, is a wife and momma to three adorable kiddos. Her family resides in Southern California. She is funny, witty, fun loving and has a heart for her faith and family. I hope you check out her little blog space.


Marie recently tagged me in her latest post. I was excited to be tagged for this little Q&A sesh. I was a lot excited to be honest. So here are her questions and my answers!


1.  Has your blog changed since you first started blogging?
  • Not really - I blog about whatever crosses my mind in regards to eating disorders, eating disorder recovery, infertility, my current pregnancy, faith, encouragement, God's promises and just about anything that revolves around upping and promoting positive self esteem. 
2.  Tell me about the most expensive shoes in your closet.
  • Um this is pretty funny. I do not own expensive shoes. For real. I think my most expensive pair of shoes are my Toms that each cost about $40.00. I have two pair. Beyond that I get shoes at Target or Payless. :) 
3.  What did you have for breakfast this morning?
4.  Ever chopped your hair super short?  Pictures?
  • Yes. . . in 3rd grade and again my sophomore year of high school. Pictures are not necessary. Let's just say my super thick hair is not meant to be worn that short. Trust me. 
5.  How often do you fly?
  • A few times a year although I would love to fly/travel all the time if money, time and pure reality were not an issue. 
6.  Favorite TV shows?
  • Parenthood, Modern Family, Desperate Housewives (this last one is my guilty pleasure. . . please don't judge)
7.  Speak another language?
  • HA, NO. I got my first C in college, my senior year, when I had to take a Spanish class. Apparently the online babel fish translation is not as accurate as one would like to think. 
8.  Musical artist you can listen to over & over.
  • This changes frequently but right now Brendan James (ask me next week and I'll have a different answer)
9.  What brings you inner peace?
  • Prayer and trying to reflect daily on God's promises. I am also working on living in the present moment and not stressing about tomorrow and what it could/might bring. 
10. Tell me something you're good at.  C'mon, brag!
  • Helping others and listening to others - AKA social work
11. The love of your life/ideal man in 5 words.
  • God-fearing, funny, humble, generous, compassionate 
So now it's my turn to tag some of you! Below are the rules:

Rules For Bloggers: (you must repost these)
1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them that you’ve tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about ‘you are tagged if you are reading this.’ blah blah blah, you legitimately have to tag 11 people!



11 Random Things About Myself:

  1. I am a morning person. My favorite time of day is super early in the morning. I am usually awake by 5:30am.
  2. I am obsessed with peanut butter. I eat it almost everyday, in some form. 
  3. I have been asked, many times, about my heritage (from random people that I do not know)  - specifically if I am Hispanic or Native American. Not sure how people think this since I am as pale as a ghost but it is humorous nonetheless. 
  4. I am currently eating a bagel with peanut butter - one side with regular Jiff + honey and the other side with Dark Chocolate Dreams PB&CO. Please refer to #2.
  5. I am an awful swimmer.
  6. I have an intense fear of geckos and lizards. This is for real. I once did not come in our bedroom for 20 minutes because there was a gecko in the bathroom. I was freaking out until Brandon showed me the evidence that gecko was no more. 
  7. If I have cash in my wallet I have no problem spending it on anything. I am much more hesitant to use my credit card. 
  8. When I moved to St. Louis for graduate school I did not meet my roommate until the day I moved into her house. We are now great friends!
  9. I hate walking around without shoes or socks on my feet (even in my own house).
  10. In my dream life I would love to own & work at a mom/pop coffee shop or mini bakery. 
  11. I only wash my hair 2-3x a week. Don't hate. 
My questions for YOU:
  1. Describe yourself in 3 words
  2. What is your dream vacation?
  3. Most adventurous/daring/risky thing you have done, in your opinion?
  4. What brings you joy?
  5. If could only eat three foods for the rest of your life what three would you choose?
  6. Describe your family growing up
  7. Favorite way to spend a Saturday with nothing to do?
  8. Have you ever been hospitalized? If so - for what?
  9. Three things you love about your spouse/significant other/or best friend
  10. Did you go to college and if so, what did you study?
  11. If you could have ANY job in the world what would it be? Think big people - sky is the limit here and money, reality etc is not an issue. 
Bloggers I tag for the above 11 questions:

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Love Yourself Challenge. . . week 6


This past Sunday kicked off week six of the Love Yourself Challenge. This is the final week of the challenge and it sure has flown by for me. I hope those of you who have participated have been challenged in a good way, a way that will make you think twice about the way you think about yourself, treat yourself, view yourself, and speak to yourself.


WEEK 6: Loving yourself is not impossible 

Did you participate in any part of the challenge? 
If so, what week did you enjoy the most? 
Which week was the hardest? 
Did God open your eyes in a new way?
The challenge doesn't stop here, friends. It takes work to keep it up. Every. Single. Day. 
But YOU are worth the fight. Why? Because God doesn't make mistakes and if He hasn't given up on you, why give up on yourself?


Blessings! 
Related posts:
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