Friday, March 30, 2012

Weekend Links 3/30/12

Life
Espresso In My Bathroom - (in)courage
What To Do When Life Throws A Curve - inspired to action
Why I'm Glad We Are Quitters - inspired to action
5 Ways To Make Your Wife Smile: #1 leave her love notes - the gypsy mama
Taking Care Of Mom After Baby's Arrival - Keeper of the Home
Parenting Without FEGO (fear + ego) - The Happiest Mom
Why Do I Hire Help? Because I Want To, That's Why - The Happiest Mom


Eating Disorders and/or Self Esteem
Helping Women Manage Eating Disorders During Pregnancy - baby zone
Mommyrexia: Moms-to-be Striving to Stay Skinny - baby zone
75 Bold Tips for When Fear Grips Your Mind - The Bold Life
Mirror Mirror - Guiltless
Eating Disorder Parity: what people don't get about Binge Eating Disorder and the "war on obesity" - we are the real deal
Are you In-Secure? - (in)courage


Food and/or Recipes
Birthday Cake Batter Popcorn - eat live run
Lemon Cornmeal Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce - eat live run
DIY Frozen Breakfast Burritos - iowa girl eats
Pasta With Asparagus - Skinnytaste
Cinnamon Bread Biscuits + Honey Butter - edible perspective


Home and/or Organization
Why Clutter Is Bad For Your Bottom Line - Live Your Way (Full)
30 Things To Declutter - Organizing Your Way
"Spring into Organization" Home Tour - i heart organizing
Our Painted Entertainment Center Reveal and How To - i heart organizing
Reader Question :: Decorating With Bulky Sofas - Nesting Place

Does anyone know why some of the links come out blue while others grey? I have tried and tried to figure this out but obviously no luck.

I have been lacking in blog content over the last week but I am not stressing because my blogging philosophy has always been "post/write when something hits me" instead of forcing words just to hit publish and check it off my list. Blogging is supposed to be a fun, creative and therapeutic outlet so I am not going to let a little writers block get me down. What about you? Do you feel pressured to post x amount per week? Or do you just write when God gives you a topic?

That said...Up next week: Nature Box review and coupon code for readers + my 36 week pregnancy update! Every day is one day closer to meeting my little girl. :) Have a great weekend!

Friday, March 23, 2012

Weekend Links 3/23/12

Life
Un-Invisible - (in)courage
The Need for Margin - (in)courage
tips for cleaning with small children - Rage Against The Minivan
How to find true freedom with food - Simple Mom
Nothing is ever as easy as it seems, especially not that - The Gypsy Momma
Where Does The Time Go - Motherhood Your Way
How To Experience God Through His Word - Inspired To Action
We Cut The Cord. And We're Still Alive - Life Rearranged

Home & Organization
A Little Desk Update that Made a Huge Difference - I Heart Organizing
10 ways to host a party without breaking the bank - Organizing Made Fun
A Renter's Laundry Room Makeover - nesting place
Reader's Space: A Nursery to Heart - I Heart Organizing
Productivity Simplified: 5 Ways to Add an Extra 30 minutes to Your Day - Life Your Way

Eating Disorder Recovery and/or Self Esteem
Eating Disorder Relapse: Get Back Up On That Horse Girl - We Are The Real Deal
Hey, what's up with the lying? - We Are The Real Deal
Why Carb is Not a Cuss Word - August McLaughlin's Blog
5 things not to say to someone with an eating disorder - Psych Central
The Naked Face Project week 8 - Healthy Tipping Point


Recipes 
Mushroom Pizza Bites (For The Mushroom Haters!) - Iowa Girl Eats
Crusty White Potato and Ricotta Loaf - Writing Chapter Three
Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread - Blue-Eyed Bakers
Chocolate Buttermilk Scones - Blue-Eyed Bakers
Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes" - Steamy Kitchen


Enjoy some blog reading and have a great weekend! Britt. :)

Saturday, March 17, 2012

A to Z

Get excited... I did another pointless but semi fun survey after seeing it around the blog world. Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Don't forget to relax, hug yourself and someone else, and laugh today!

A is for age: 29
B is for breakfast today: Bowl of Fage Greek yogurt mixed with Kashi Go Lean cinnamon crunch and a scoop of Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter. Heaven in a bowl. 
C is for currently craving: Just had breakfast so nothing at the moment but at the Rodeo yesterday (10am-4pm!!) I was totally craving a diet coke or like soda. 

D is for dinner tonight: Something delicious I am sure. Let's see if I can convince Brandon and/or my fam to go here
E is for favorite type of exercise: Power walking (like how I make it sound official by placing the word "power" in front)
F is for an irrational fear: Geckos and lizards.  Will leave it at that. 

G is for gross food: Cilantro (more of a flavor than food I suppose) and currently salmon (just a pregnancy thing)
H is for hometown: Thousand Oaks, California 
I is for something important: My Family
J is for current favorite jam: Blueberry 
K is for kids: Clara, 33 weeks 1 day in utero :)

L is for current location: Couch 
M is for the most recent way you spent money: Payless Shoe Source - the only place I know to find a cheap 7.5 WIDE pair of shoes to wear to my baby shower today. Oh how I love pregnancy swelling. FYI the shoes are not cute but at least they don't cut off my circulation. 
N is for something you need: Haircut.

O is for occupation: Nanny... love it! 
P is for pet peeve: Paper piles on kitchen counter 

Q is for a quote : Psalm 73:28 "But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds."
R is for random fact about you: When I was growing up I wanted to change my name to Kelly (thanks to endless episodes of Saved By The Bell). I named my childhood cat Kelly as well as almost every doll I owned. 
S is for favorite healthy snack: Clementines or hummus with veggies 
T is for favorite treat: Pizookie from this restaurant or a bowl of goodness from Swirl 
U is for something that makes you unique: I started getting grey hair in college yet have only dyed my hair once. 
V is for favorite vegetable: Roasted broccoli, brussel sprouts or sweet potatoes. Roasted = delicious. 
W is for today’s workout: Nothing yet. Who am I kidding? Will not be working out today. 
X is for X-rays you’ve had: Teeth, tailbone, and my womanly insides during my fertility journey
Y is for yesterday’s highlight: Spending the entire day with my niece and two nephews at the Houston Rodeo (kids carnival/area) and then coming home, eating dinner w/ them and helping with bath/bed time. Oh and seeing my 4 year old nephew grin from ear to ear after feeling Clara move in my tummy. Cutest. Moment. Ever. 

Z is for your time zone: Central

Friday, March 16, 2012

Weekend links 3/16/12

Just for fun I thought I would share some links from around the internet, both old and new blog posts, that I enjoyed reading over this past week. Hope you have a great weekend!! 


Life
The Shampoo Hoarder 
Detour Ahead
What I want you to know: hope and healing for attachment disorders - an interview with an adopted child and her mom
What would you put on an Elephant List?
What women moms want
Getting things done
My Littlest Big
Hope For Marriages 


Home & Organization
You Asked: Organizing Cords 
DIY Fabric Boxes
11 Ways to Organize on the back of a door
31 Days To Cheaply Organize Your Home


Recipes
Frosted Molasses Cookie Bars 
Roasted Salted Almond Butter
Steakhouse Pizza
Pork Chops with Pineapple Fried Rice

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

What not to say. . . to someone dealing with an eating disorder, infertility or pregnancy loss

I get many questions regarding what people should or should not say to someone who is struggling with an eating disorder, specifically anorexia. I also get the same question as it relates to someone who is experiencing infertility, fertility treatments and/or a miscarriage. These are tough questions for several reasons.

1 - everyone is different
2 - a statement or question that is triggering to me might not be triggering to someone else
3 - I have only experienced one miscarriage - loosing a twin while simultaneously pregnant with the other baby
4 - I am not a licensed therapist or specialist in any of these fields and thus can only answer based on my personal experiences with each topic




So with these in mind, here are a few things I would suggest you NOT say to someone who is struggling with anorexia, infertility and/or pregnancy loss: 


(And just b/c you are wondering - yes - many of these are statements people actually said to me)


Anorexia:

  • Just eat more - If only it were this easy. Newsflash - eating disorders are NOT about the food (maybe to some extent but there is usually, always, an underlying issue that needs to be addressed and the sufferer finds the only way to control the underlying issue is by controlling his/her food intake). 
  • You should probably be praying more often - Yes it is a good idea to pray. Prayer works wonders and even while I was suffering I knew this but honestly, I was not at a place where I wanted to pray or approach God at all for that matter. Making statements such as this will only push the sufferer farther away from finding God again. At least that was my experience. You MUST wait until THEY are ready. 
  • Wow. You need to go eat a pie. - Ironically, this statement was made to me at church. I recognize that the person was just uncomfortable and most likely, wanted to say something out of concern but did not know how so this was an easy out. But really? Please refrain from "funny" remarks like this one. 
  • How do you think God feels? Or. . . Do you not know your body is a temple? - Please refer to comments under the second bullet point. 
  • I know how you feel - Please, unless you have first hand experience with an eating disorder AND are willing to share said experience, refrain from making this remark. Being trapped by anorexia is awful and unless you have BEEN THERE, you really have no idea the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual battle one faces each and every day. 

Infertility and/or pregnancy loss:
  • It has only been x amount of months, it took us five years to get pregnant - Ok, while this comment is meant to be encouraging (translation = It's still early and we got there eventually!), telling me that it took 5 years to get pregnant is not really helping the situation when I am only so far into the process.
  • You can always adopt - I love adoption and I am a firm believer that it is a GREAT option for SOME people. I worked in the field for 6.5 years for goodness sake. That being said, adoption is not right for everyone and therefore it is not always an "easy solution" for those struggling to conceive. Adoption is a life long decision and couples who look to adoption (specifically due to infertility) have a lot of grief and loss they must work through prior to adopting. Adopting a child as a means of "replacing the biological child that never was" is never a good idea. 
  • At least you have the other baby and/or your other child - This is a true statement but it still hurts. Yes, I lost a baby at 8 weeks all the while I was still pregnant - a blessing indeed. But you know what? It still hurt. Bad. I still cried for that little heartbeat that I was no longer able to see on the ultrasound. I still had several weeks to wrap my mind around having twins, mothering twins, etc and then boom... that image was gone. So please refrain from trying to "encourage" someone in this way. A loss is a loss and it takes time to process and heal. This does not mean we are not thankful for the other baby inside or the child that already lives in our home. 
  • You didn't really want twins anyway - I was truly amazed at how many people said this to me. They would continue to explain why having twins would be SO hard and how life would be SO much more complicated, difficult, and overwhelming and why it was really a blessing in disguise that I will now only have one baby. Ok I agree - raising two babies at once would be extremely difficult but does that mean that I really didn't want baby #2 to survive? I think not. Far from the truth. 
  • At least you never knew your baby - This comment, in my opinion, just negates the loss a person feels when loosing an unborn child. Yes - I agree it would be much harder to loose a child that I have held in my arms or a child that has spent several years in my home. Agreed. BUT please don't tell me I shouldn't feel pain because my baby was "never real." While I never held my baby I saw that heartbeat for several weeks and, at that moment, I allowed myself to begin "knowing" that child. 
These are just a few examples of statements I would encourage people not to say. I am sure there are many more and for those of you who have dealt with any of these issues can, most likely, add your own list to mine above. 

While I sit here and caution you in what you do choose to say, I do encourage you to say something. Or just show that you care. Write an email. Send a text with a simple "I love you and I'm here for you." Make a phone call. Give a hug. Sit and listen. . . and I mean truly listen. Tell someone that while you have no clue what they are experiencing you indeed care deeply for them and their situation. Ask how best you can encourage and actually follow through with their response. Don't let the fear of what to say keep you silent. Just please take time to think about your words. 

If you have ever experienced an eating disorder, infertility and/or a miscarriage, what would you encourage people not to say? What comments were the most helpful in your healing process? Please share your thoughts. We all have unique experiences and can continue to learn from one another. 

Friday, March 9, 2012

32 week pregnancy update . . . squash baby

Can't really believe that I am now 32 weeks along in this pregnancy. Only 8 weeks to go! (Maybe more or maybe less... who knows!) I have this feeling I will deliver sometime in late April - not really sure why but just a gut feeling. Here's this month's update:

Your baby at 32 weeks (Source):
She's getting ready for her descent -- she's likely in the head-down position now. And she's probably feeling a even more cramped.

At 32 weeks, baby’s birth still seems kind of far away, but you and baby are physically ready in a lot of ways, just in case there’s an early arrival. Baby may have turned so she’s in the head-down position by now, poised for her trip down the birth canal. And you may have noticed your nipples looking darker. That’s so a preemie can see them for breastfeeding -- isn't your body so amazing? Intensity might be building in the symptoms department, as heartburn and contractions intensify around week 32. But we’re guessing you’re so excited about baby’s impending arrival, they’re not slowing you down much.
Your baby's the size of a squash!
Still growing, your baby weighs in at about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds and measures about 15.2 to 16.7 inches. 

How I am feeling & How I am changing:
I am feeling great at 32 weeks pregnant. I am definitely more tired by the end of the day and doing things with the two boys I nanny is getting progressively more difficult (ex: getting up & off the floor in a timely manner, pushing them on the swings for 30 minutes and feeling tired, etc, you get the idea). I went power walking with a friend on Monday for a solid hour and by the end I was wiped out. Oh how things change. How in the world do women run marathons in their 3rd trimester? Oh I know. . . they actually work out pre-pregnancy and then just continue on in their fitness routine. Power walking are the only two words in my "fitness routine." :)


Let's see. . . My back, sides and tummy itch All. The. Time. My sleep is sporadic. One night I will be out cold all night long (Monday night = 7:30pm-5:30am!), and the next I will be up every hour staring at the ceiling (Tuesday night = up 11am, 12am, 1am, etc etc). My hair doesn't seem to be falling out at the rapid pace that I previously mentioned. It actually seems to be growing stronger, and same for my nails, which is a nice change. Heartburn = yes. Braxton hicks contractions = not yet, at least not any that I have noticed.   

The swelling that I mentioned in this post is about the same if not worse. It is quite humorous I must admit. The swelling is much more significant in my left leg & foot compared to my right. The bruising is also much worse on the left side. During church two weeks ago Brandon looked down and started laughing. I whisper "What???" He then replies "It looks like your skin is seriously overtaking your shoe." Aww. . . How sweet. And that was the last day I attempted to wear flat, closed toe "semi nice" shoes. Flip flops now appear  daily, even on Sunday morning. I have no shame. I don't really even qualify for the category of cankles anymore. By 9pm I no longer have a cankle but more like one continuous leg. Need some proof? Here's some pictures just for kicks. Enjoy. Or be grossed out.  Your choice. I really can't tell which pic is the worse... Ok maybe the last one? I shudder just looking at it.

See that indention in my left foot in the last picture, under my big toe? Yeah. . . that's from my flip flop. Awesome. I had my Dr's appointment yesterday and my blood pressure is fantastic (and no traces of protein in my urine) so the Dr is not concerned at all with the swelling. 


I have gained a total of 22 pounds, which is fine with me and the Dr. I do wonder how much of the gain is from the crazy swelling vs a normal gain if I was not swelling so severely? Doesn't matter but I am curious. 


My feet/ankles/cankles/legs are not the only thing growing these days. My tummy has definitely made some progress over the last four weeks. I love it though. . . I really do.

32 week belly shot  


What I am eating & What I am thinking:
No major changes in the food department. I'm still enjoying cold cereal in the mornings and this Chickfila Southwest Salad any chance I can get! Smoothies sound good and basically everything I mentioned in this post  regarding food still holds true. Bring on the tortilla chips, cashews, dark chocolate and peanut butter. And yogurt and ice cream! The only thing that (still) sounds gross is various types of fish/seafood. Sometimes shrimp will sound OK but then halfway through a meal I have to abort ship. Nasty. 


Thoughts: Thinking about our baby shower coming up on Saturday, March 17th! So excited to celebrate with lots of family and friends. Oh, we just now started working on the nursery. A big thanks to Brandon and my brother for painting last weekend. We have quite a bit more work to do but it will all get done eventually. (Side note: the Benjamin Moore paint color "Tasty Apple" is much brighter on an actual wall than on a sample.  Just saying... my brother feels "tennis ball" is a much better description.) Like I said... we have a lot of work to do. 


A few weeks ago I had a very vivid pregnancy dream. I was in labor for three days (say what???) and for some reason not a lot of progress was being made. My Dr. kept calmly & gently telling me "Brittnie, you need to push harder or she will not come out." He basically repeated this a million times in my dream and I must have believed him b/c I actually woke myself up from a dead sleep b/c I started to actually PUSH. When I woke up I was a bit confused and it took me a few seconds to realize that indeed I had just been dreaming. 


Clara is moving A LOT these days which is amazing and of course makes me think of her every time I feel a kick, punch or roll type movement. Lastly, I think a lot about what Clara will look like - eye color, hair color (if she has any), facial features, etc. Counting down the days until I can see for myself!  


That's all for week 32! See ya in four weeks! 


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." 

24 week pregnancy update 
28 week pregnancy update   

Friday, March 2, 2012

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2012 . . . a few videos

(Source)

(Source)

If you or someone you know could be suffering from any type of eating disorder, please don't hesitate to get help. We are talking about a human life. A. Human. Life. You are worth fighting for. I think so. 
God thinks so. I hope & pray you do too. 
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