The Picture Where I Look Like a Man

My BFF and I recently helped out at another friend's wedding. And by helped out, I mean we did a lot of work, including intense manual labor where we actually used a sledgehammer. Be impressed. Another friend took some pictures of us in action doing various things. After those pictures were reviewed, it was discovered in one that I look like a creatine-laden-workout-addict with popping veins - aka, a man. Don't believe me? I'll let the photo speak for itself.

Yikes. Mark assures me this is not how I look normally. I just thought I would share this "believe it or not" photo, since I don't really any good material. (-:

~Kathryn

Happy April!

Well, hello friends. First of all, I want to give people an update on my joints - some of you have asked how I am doing since I reacted terribly to my antibiotic. I am doing okay. Not great - not terrible. I had a bit of a relapse this past Thursday and am still having joint pain/fatigue. It travels to random joints - today it was hip, shoulder, jaw, knees, and feet - not severe, and not all at the same time. Yesterday my hands hurt pretty badly. At this point I'm more depressed than anything. The pain would be more bearable if I knew when it would go away and if I knew why I was hurting. I haven't gone to the doctor yet but will if I am still having problems in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, I have been doing a lot of antibiotic research (which I am going to have to stop, because it's not giving me a lot of hope - yikes!) and it's amazing how many people have major problems with so many different kinds of antibiotics. PLEASE be careful when taking medications. Ask for smaller dosages and safer drugs.

This month is my favorite other than December. Why, you ask? Well, my birthday is this month and I am excited, as always. Can you believe I will be twenty-seven years old? I can't. Ha. But I'm thankful for every day in those almost twenty-seven years.

This weekend a sweet friend and I got to lead worship at a women's retreat. We had a great time, were well received, and left refreshed. It was awesome. Here are a couple pics:

Is anyone planting a garden? We have ours planted! This year, we have two different tomato varieties, a couple jalapeños, bell peppers, kale, broccoli (Karlie's pick), mint, and basil. We are very excited. Someone has been eating the kale though - I think it's Bella - through the fence. I'm not very happy about that, obviously.

Our rose bush is growing in the front yard! I am so excited! I planted this a  year ago, and last year we got one measly rose after the original ones fell off. This year the bush seems to be thriving, with one rose today and more coming in. I'm very excited. (-:

I guess that's all for now - I am doing a giveaway soon. So stay tuned. (-:

~Kathryn

Arthritis 2012

I have to document what recently happened to me on the blog because it has been the absolute strangest and most awful thing. As you may or may not know, some people consider me a "hippie" of sorts because I don't like taking medication unless absolutely necessary, I buy antibiotic-free grass fed meat, eat organic, use paraben-free hygiene products, make my own laundry detergent, use aluminum free deodorant, and clean my house mainly with vinegar, water, and essential oil. So yes. I try to avoid chemicals in my life as much as I can control, but I try not to obsess about it. You may also know I had to get a root canal done last week.

This is quite a quandary. I had a root canal, including a tooth infection - so my dentist prescribed me an antibiotic. I know tooth/mouth infections can be dangerous due to their location, so I started taking the antibiotic on Monday afternoon, with instructions to take it four times a day.

The next morning I was walking down some stairs and I had the feeling that my right knee was going to hyper-extend. "That's weird," I thought - and I shook it off. That afternoon I noticed that I had pain in both of my wrists. Again, I thought it was weird, but kinda shrugged it off. I kept taking my antibiotic. That night, right after I took my last pill of the day, I was taking a shower and as I was standing in the shower I felt like both of my legs were going to buckle under me. And immediately, it hit me. It was the antibiotic. I got out of the shower, feeling sick to my stomach, and looked up the medication. And there, in black and white, was the following:

"Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: joint pain/swelling..." 

And I was so upset. I wanted to throw-up the pill I had just swallowed, but it had been about thirty minutes and I knew it was too late. And so there was nothing I could do but wait. I laid in bed, my legs screaming and my brain kinda freaking out, wondering what that medicine was doing to my joints and bones. The next morning I woke up and I could barely even walk. I felt like I had arthritis in nearly every single joint. I worked a part day, limping around, wondering what was happening inside my joints. I washed my hands and my finger joints hurt. I held my phone and texted and my wrists ached. I couldn't stand up straight without having pain. My feet, along with basically every other joint, popped regularly. My hip would hurt if I had a sudden movement. Driving was painful. Holding something in the crook of my arm hurt my elbow.

Get the picture? We're talking really really really terrible crippling side effect from this drug. I texted my doctor and told him I was having joint pain and he said it should go away in a day or two. Of course I had stopped taking the medicine immediately on Tuesday night.

Wednesday came and went. And Thursday. And Friday. And I started adjusting. I used a stool when I was cooking. Mark helped me get up. I rested a lot. This actually happened after I stupidly thought I could grocery shop by myself:

I started popping probiotics like they were candy and drinking water like it was... well... water. Ha. I got come Joint Comfort tea, and some Emergen-C Joint supplements:

And today is Sunday. My hands hurt when I held my microphone while singing this morning, but I do believe today is the first real sign of improvement. When I woke up today, the pain wasn't nearly as bad, and I feel like it really maybe getting better for real. I don't want to get ahead of myself, as it does seem to fluctuate throughout the day, but I really think I am starting to get better. This has been terrible.

So, that's my rotten story. While I certainly believe antibiotics save lives and are sometimes absolutely necessary, please be careful about what you put in your body and know the side effects so you could recognize them immediately if it occurs. I only took this medicine a day and a half. Could you imagine if I had taken it longer? Yikes!

Prayers are appreciated, friends. I have been praying Psalm 118:1-17 (NLT).

Happy Sunday!

~Kathryn

The Mystery of the Greasy Scalp

Okay, I know. The title is, well, disgusting. But you guys. Seriously, it has been quite a life-altering mystery. But since as of Friday it has been solved, I feel secure enough in my self-worth to share.

It all started a few months ago. I would wash and condition my hair and then blow-dry, as I had every day since like 9th grade (late bloomer, I know). But then one day a few months ago, there was this oily spot right on the crown of my head - right after I washed and blow-dried. I was like, "What the heck?" So, I talked to my fancy Aveda salon hair lady and she suggested that I only put conditioner on the bottom half of my hair, we got a different shampoo, etc etc and..... no change. In fact, it started getting worse. Now, this had never been a problem for me before. I've never dealt with an oily head. But in the last two years I have switched to a more natural shampoo with much less lather, so I was guessing it had something to do with the shampoo.

So what did I do? Confession: I started using baby powder. I know. Shame of all shames. But you guys. I had no other option. I could NOT get my hair un-oily. And the baby powder was a good temporary fix. It soaked that oil right up... for a while.

These shenanigans went on for several weeks until one day I was sitting in my boss's chair at work, you know, wearing the boss pants, and diligently working. (Okay, he may or may not have been standing over my shoulder telling me to do stuff.) Ha. Anyway, the ole boss man is rather tall, and with me sitting down, he had quite the bird's eye view of the top of my head. And let me tell you, that was NOT a pretty picture. I had used significantly more baby powder that day because, well, pardon the pun, it was all coming to a head and the oil was getting out of control.

So what did my ever-encouraging boss say to me after looking at my head? He said, "What is UP with your HAIR?!"

And that, my dear friends, is when it all hit the fan. I was found out. A fraud. I had a disgustingly oily head. And I was disguising it with baby powder - apparently too much baby powder.

I had no choice. I had to come clean. I told him what I had been doing, thus explaining the white gunk that had built up on the top of my head, that clearly I couldn't see, but he could.

He did what every other good boss would do and started looking up "oily scalp" on google. Let me tell ya, do not look up your symptoms on the internet, unless you want to be diagnosed with 1. cancer, or 2. an incredibly rare skin disease. By the end of the day, I was convinced I had a serious medical condition.

So the next day I wasn't going to let the oily hair win. I washed my hair MULTIPLE times in the shower and used NO conditioner. And what happened? Nothing. Well, Oily Scalp Award happened again.

I knew this called for drastic measures. Forget the natural shampoo; this was a crisis. So I bought Classic Pantene. I washed my hair at night and again the next morning, more than once. And I scrubbed. And lathered, rinsed, and repeated. And... voila. No oil.

Seriously you guys. No oil. So, I thought, maybe my hair just needed to be stripped of that oil and then it would all be okay. But as soon as I went back to the fancy shampoo, the grease ball made another appearance.

So this Friday I went to my hair lady and told her that we have a problem. I told her the story. I told her about the baby powder. She was my priest; I was in confession. I could tell she was trying to maintain an "everything you are telling me is completely normal" face while inside she was screaming "YOU PUT BABY POWDER IN YOUR HAIR AND ARE USING PANTENE?!!!!" But, she knows that this whole fancy salon concept is rather new to me, so she graciously asked me how much shampoo I was using. I said I was using a nickel size amount or so. And there you have it.

Apparently I should be using a half- to dollar sized amount. Apparently I should also be getting my hair so wet that as soon as I put the shampoo on I can get a good lather. Okay, who knew? All I knew is that this shampoo was expensive and if I was going to use it, I was going to have to make it last. I could make a little bitty bottle last several months, people. I am a penny pincher deluxe.

So I went home after that haircut, put a big ole dollop of that shampoo in my very wet hair, and glory be, I had a really soapy lather. I rinsed. I blow dried, and I swear to you, I could have been on shampoo commercial. I'm pretty sure there was cheeseball music playing in the back ground as I finished my hair with my texturizing product. I might have danced around. I might have screamed. It was such an out of body experience, I don't even know remember what I did. What I do know is that the crisis is solved - my hair was no longer oily. At all. In fact, it looked pretty awesome. Thank you, Lord.

I also know this post is ridiculously long and pretty out of control. But I had to share just in case I could change someone else's life.

One question: Has anyone seen the show "New Girl" on Fox? OMG I LOVE it. K thanks.

Happy Tuesday!

~Kathryn

Healing Waters

If you have had acne problems and can't figure out how to deal with them, you should definitely read this.

I have finally solved the mystery of my skin problems. I'm guessing you didn't know that I even had skin problems, because well, it was pretty terrible and I if I talked about them without light at the end of the tunnel, this blog would get really depressing really quickly.

So here's the dealio. In the beginning of October I started having facial skin problems, of the pretty serious acne variety. Now, I've always had skin problems, and have pretty significant scarring, but it's always been relatively manageable, especially might my awesome make-up skills. But this... this was different. This was like my skin declared an all out nuclear war on my face. I mean, I couldn't believe it. It was painful. It hurt to touch my face, it hurt to change clothes, and sometimes it hurt when I talked. My Prescription for Nutritional Healing book tells me that acne ends at 24. Well, folks, I'm 25, and I had never had anything like this.

So what did I do? Well, first things first, I tried a new face wash. That didn't work. So I tried a hair, skin, and nails vitamin. That didn't work either. So I got microdermabrasion done. I bought skin masks. By the way, while I'm trying all of these things, my skin is getting progressively worse. My mom suggested perhaps it was stress - you know, recent pneumonia, new house puchase, opera busyness, etc - I was stressed. But I didn't feel stressed now. And my face was still getting worse. I switched to an acne skin care set - nothing happened. Then I thought, maybe I'm gluten intolerant. So I tried a gluten free diet for a couple of weeks. Nothing.

The acne was spreading all over my face and so I thought, what in the WORLD could be causing this? So I talked with Mark and I was like, okay, this started right after a haircut I got at the end of September (weird that I know that, but I know) and I was like, what else happened then? Hmm... we moved into our new house! And so I thought, "What if I'm allergic to something in the house?"

So I got on the trusty 'ole world wide web and looked to see if environmental allergies could cause acne. Crickets. (Not the insect, like the www was completely silent.) Then I typed in "I just moved and now I have acne" and tons of stuff came up. I wasn't the only one. So I was very intrigued. It was people just like me. People in their 20's and 30's who had only ever had slight acne had terrible acne since they moved to a new place. What was the common denominator?

The water.

Yes, folks. H2O. The stuff you WASH YOUR FACE with. The stuff you SHOWER with. The stuff that contacts your face a lot. The water.

So after some further research, I bought three water filters, one for each of our shower heads and one for a sink faucet. And I started washing my face out of the sink facuet and showering with the new filters.

And lo and behold, my face started getting better. Every day it improved. It was miraculous.

I took before pictures, but the problem is that even though my skin is now WAY clearer, I have some pretty significant new scarring all over my face and so from a picture you probably wouldn't be able to tell much of a difference. But there is such a difference. It's not perfect yet, but it never was, and it is definitely SO MUCH BETTER. We eventually plan on installing a whole house water filtration system, because I don't want to have to be replacing external shower head and sink filters every three months!

So that's my story. The story of my skin problems and the mystery behind it. I just got the new filters a couple weeks ago, so I'm really hoping it keeps improving. I'll keep you posted.

Oh, and I totally worked out tonight. (-: I think I'm going to be way sore tomorrow. (-:

~Kathryn

Hello from Home!

Well, hello, everyone!

I apologize for my hiatus. You see, apparently, pneumonia really kicks your butt. I have been VERY tired the last week and haven't been too up for blogging. But, I am feeling a little better every day, and so I thought I would share an update and blog a little.

First of all, I am so thankful to be home from the hospital. Granted, everyone there was so nice (except the one respiration lady that told another respiration lady that I get, and I quote, "irate", if I don't get my breathing treatments on time. Apparently, if I very politely go to the nurses station and ask if I am getting a breathing treatment since mine was two hours late, that means I was irate.) Whatever. Anway, everyone except her was very nice. Ha.

Mark just LOVED the hospital food. Everyday they would call and say "What would Mrs. Johnson like for (insert meal)?" and Mark would say something like "Mrs. Johnson would like chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, a side of macaroni and cheese..." And I would yell at Mark about what the food people would think of me for ordering all that, and then the food would come and Mark would eat it. And I would have a banana. Ha

Oh yeah, apparently you don't get very hungry in the hospital. I lost six pounds. Six pounds. I don't think I have weighed what I weigh right now since like middle school. But don't worry, I've already eaten two cookies and some lasagna today, so I think we're on the way up. (ha... weigh up... like on the scale... pun).

Melvin has been a very sweet get well friend. He likes to sit by me on the couch or play with his toys all day long. Oh, I don't think I've shared on here yet. I am going to be devoting a whole post to it, but we lost little Miguel while I was in the hospital. He had to be euthanized on Saturday morning. He had started having seizures about a week ago. He had one that lasted a few hours on and off while I was home sick on Tuesday, before I was in the hospital, but I clearly was too sick to deal with it. Mark took a break from the hospital Friday night and went home and stayed with the dogs, and Miguel woke up at 4:00am having a seizure. It lasted all night until Mark took him to our vet at 9:00am. Around 9:30 they put him down. While that I was going on I was in the hospital getting xrays again. Needless to say, it has been a very rough week on our family, and Miguel is a sweet little friend that will never be able to be replaced and we miss him so much. We are very heartbroken. If you want to know more about Miguel, you can read this past post, here . More to come later.

My very strong and super expensive antibiotic has made everything taste really weird. Foods I usually eat do not taste the same. It's been quite a bummer. I got some chips last night and I was eating them and I thought they were salt and vinegar flavor and I looked on the bag and they weren't and I passed them to Mark and I was like, "Do you taste vinegar?" and he was like... "No." Stupid medicine! Even my beloved Java Chip Frappachino from Starbucks tastes bad. )-:

I have had so many visitors and lots of flowers and cards. I plan on taking pictures of what I still have so I can put it on here. I am very blessed and felt very loved during my recovery.

So, how am I feeling? Well, better, for sure! The only thing still sticking around is an occassional headache and occassional right lung pain, and the need to take really deep breaths. Other than that, I am good. I even went out yesterday and didn't need a nap. Although, I did sleep for 12 hours last night. One day at a time. I go back to my doctor on Monday morning and plan on going to my work Monday around 11:00 to work a partial day. I also have a breathing mask to wear when I have to go near the construction site. So, I am definitely so much better now!

I think that sums everything up for now. I am behind on reading blogs, too! I try to read what I can from Mark's blackberry, but that's not easy.

Thank you so much for your prayers while I was in the hospital. That means more to me than everything. So what have I missed? What is new with you guys? (-:

~Kathryn

Hospital Day 3

Here is the video from day three that I promised.

I just woke up an am waiting for my xray. I hope I am better and I want to go home. Thank you for the prayers. We will keep you posted!



~Kathryn

"O LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
 Many are saying of me,
"God will not deliver him."
 But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
 To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill."
Selah

~Psalm 3

Hospital Day 2

Well, I am really on day three in the hospital, but I'm a day behind on blogging. So, I am going to put my video up from yesterday.

I am feeling better today. Today was the first day we got a good report and it really made my heart happy. This has been no fun, my friends. The hospital is not a place of rest. I am getting poked and prodded at all hours of the night and am on my iv right now and get breathing treatments every four hours.

The doctor today said my xrays look better and my lungs are sounded better, and it's the first day, praise the Lord, that my temperature has been normal. You guys know the song that goes, "Hey, 98.6, it's good to have you  back again..." I've been singing it all day.

I also listened to my ipod today and took a nap. That was nice.They said that if my xrays tomorrow look good and if my bloodwork is good I might get to go home tomorrow. Pray for that!

I drank a gallon of water is 28 hours. I am working so hard to stay hydrated because they said it will really help my lungs. I had 22 visitors yesterday and 13 today. I am so thankful for each one.

Here is a video from yesterday:



I promise I am feeling better than I was when we took the video. It seems kind of pathetic.

~Kathryn

Natural Cleaners

You have heard me allude to "natural cleaners" and perhaps have sensed a soapbox (no pun intended) coming as I have talked about conventional cleaners. So, I've decided it's time share the cleaners I have found and love with you in case you are considering transitioning your home to a chemical free one.

Some of you may be thinking that it sounds expensive. Or that it sounds granola. Or you may be thinking, those cleaners don't really work.

On the other hand, you may be thinking, "I remember getting headaches sometimes when I do deep cleaning", or you may know of someone (I know of several) that has had minor to major health problems due to harsh chemicals in cleaners and/or mixing them. Perhaps you have always wondered if there was a healthier option that was actually a possibility.

Well, I've got great news for you: the cheapest, easiest, and most effective cleaners are things you probably have right now at home.

My tried and true cleaning supplies have been vinegar, water, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and lemons.

I'm telling you, vinegar and water works wonders. I add some lavender essential oil to it to make it smell better, but once the vinegar dries the vinegar smell doesn't stick around anyway, so if you don't have essential oil it's okay. Once you put some vinegar and water on your windows or mirrors, you will never again buy regular window cleaner. I'm telling you, it's life changing.

Also, a regular 3% hydrogen perodixe solution is a great disinfectant. If you wipe your counter with the hydrogen peroxide solution and then use vinegar and water, your surfaces will be more disinfected than if you have used the vast majority of conventional cleaners, PLUS, you don't have to worry about inhaling chemicals, or mixing them. How great is THAT?!

Baking soda is great on carpets, and also works as a paste if you need to do a little scrubbing. I really like baking soda on carpets, since bare feet walk around on that. I wouldn't want me, my dogs, or my future kids getting chemicals and on their feet/hands/in their mouths. Lemons help with scent and with cleaning as well. There is a actually a book, Salt, Lemons, Vinegar, and Baking Soda, that has all kinds of ideas for cleaning with those basic household things.

But, perhaps you don't want to make your own cleaner. You just want to go out and buy something. I understand. I have also found a great line of cleaners that you can find at some health stores. I really like their effectiveness (especially the mildew cleaner, and who doesn't have a mildew problem?), and their packaging is so cute (since that matters so much). Their website is http://www.naturallyitsclean.com/ - I tried to get their company to do a giveaway of some sort, but they weren't feeling the love. But since I really like their products, I'm getting over my bitterness and recommending them anyway. (-: They have a cleaner for everything. Literally. Floors, toilets, kitchen, tub and tile, carpet, mildew, glass, etc, etc. I have almost every one of them.

And I still recommend my gold standard book, Super Natural Home, for cleaning facts and tips as well.

So, there you have it. You now know about natural cleaners that are plant and enzyme based, not chemical based, that will leave your home sparkling clean, not smelling like chemical fragrance, and not putting toxins everywhere for you to touch and inhale. And you can make your own for super cheap!

Does it get any better than that? I submit that it does not. If you have questions on anything, feel free to ask!

~Kathryn

We Love Whole Foods!

As you may have gathered by now, we love Whole Foods. It's one of my favorite places to be. It's a very relaxing shopping experience. If you have never been to one, hopefully this post will encourage you to check out your nearest store. (-:

I thought I would highlight in this post some of our favorite things about Whole Foods.

We will start by showcasing the buffet line. I really like this because sometimes I will go straight from work to Whole Foods, so usually I'm pretty hungry. In that case, I will start out my trip by going by the buffet line and getting a meal to eat while I shop. Mark did that tonight since he hadn't eaten. The food is all really yummy, too. Here is Mark with his dinner:

The next item is something that I had no idea I would appreciate as much as I do. It's the filtered water. For whatever reason, our tap water is DIGUSTING, not to mention whatever kind of junk is flowing through it. But worse than the tap water is our ice. Our ice machine makes this ice that smells TERRIBLE. Like I don't even like drinking ice water because it smells and tastes so weird. The freezer even smells weird. So, at WF, you can get a gallon of water for $0.39. We have three gallon jugs that we refill regularly. The water tastes so good, or I should say, it doesn't taste. Which is wonderful. We even got ice cube trays and now our ice cubes are CLEAR and taste good as well. It has revolutionized our lives. You can choose between two different types of water - we choose the reverse osmosis filtered water. Also, I have a Klean Kanteen, which I LOVE. Here I am with a Klean Kanteen like mine standing by the water filter.

Then there's the coffee. Mark loves coffee and considers himself to be somewhat of a coffee snob. He drinks it every day. I, on the other hand, only drink coffee on cruise ships or ocassionally with a fancy desert. It's an addiction that I've tried to avoid. Mark grinds his own coffee at home every couple of days, so his is very fresh. He really likes the whole bean coffee from Whole Foods. When I asked him if he could tell me what he likes about it, he said it has "an intensely rich flavor and aroma".... hmm.... so anyway, here's a picture of him with the coffee:

A very creative thing WF has that I LOVE is the "Try Something New" cheese section. It is small samples of cheeses that are under $3.00. You get to try all kinds of fun new fancy cheeses in small portions for not very much. I always try to find the biggest piece I can find for the smallest amount of money. (-: My plan was to remember the cheeses I've tried so that I could go back and get them later, but the problem is that I have liked every cheese I have tried and haven't written any down. Fail. I mean, who doesn't love cheese?

Next we have the bulk section. I LOVE the bulk section. I love the bulk spices because I mean, if a recipe calls for one teaspon of some odd spice that you will ONLY use in that recipe, instead of paying four dollars for a container of it that will go bad by the time you make that recipe again, you can buy one teaspon of it for like a few pennies at WF. How brilliant is that? You can get only what you need. I can get specialty flours, oats, sugars, grind my own peanut butter, get 1/4 cup of a certain nut I might need, trail mixes, and oh, the granola. I love me some granola. The staple items I always get to snack on at work are the pumpkin flax granola and the cranberry harvest nut mix. It's so good. Here I am, hugging the bulk granola section.

I just realized that in this post I have said "I LOVE" three times. I'm glad I'm using my extensive vocabulary.

Next we have the Whole Body section, which again, I LOVE. Specifically, I love Dr. Bronner's. It's a brand of a non-toxic, chemical free soap that is so wonderful and smells like I think heaven might smell. The particular version I love is peppermint. OMG. It smells so good. I use it for hand soap, and soap in the shower, and they even make a shaving gel. And I love that when I use it, I am not putting parabens, phalthates, or any other gross stuff on me. You should totally check it out. You can even dilute it and clean with it. Now THAT is multi-purpose. Here I am, loving on a big tub of the stuff.

And finally, we have the bread and the bread card. With the WF bread card, after every 5 loaves of bread, you get one free. We only have to buy one more and we'll be up for a free one. WOOT! (-: The particular bread that we love is called "Seeduction". I have NEVER heard Mark talk so much about bread as he does about this. Actually, I'm not sure that I have ever heard him talk about a food product as much as this bread. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's good, but he's more than slightly obsessed. So I let him take a picture holding his favorite bread in one hand, and the bread card in the other. They also have a vitamin card, which is a super good deal. You buy 5 vitamins that are at least $4.99 in price, then you get your sixth for free, up for $20.00. How cool is THAT?!

 

The other things we love include the helpfulness of the employees, the deli meats and cheeses, the coupons and special deals they have, their vast variety or organic produce and foods, their beautiful flowers, and that I know I will be able to find things that I would never be able to find at Wal-Mart. Plus, if you bring back your paper bags and re-use them, you get a ten cent credit for each one. WOOT! I also love the quality of the things I get there. I like knowing the meats are not pumped with antibiotics, and that I can't let them sit in my fridge for extended periods of time because they don't have preservatives. I like that I can buy local things there. I like that when I ask someone a question, they can give me a very knowledgeable answer, and believe me, I ask some hard questions. I love that I don't have to stand in line for thirty minutes and inevitably face a machine failure when it's finally my turn in line.

The only thing I don't like about it is the price. Some people refer to it as "Whole Paycheck". It is definitely more expensive than Wal-Mart, but actually, I think EVERYTHING is more expensive than Wal-Mart. So, I try to be smart in my shopping. I buy whatever apple is on sale each week. I stock up when my favs are on sale. I use the coupons and the special deals they have, I buy the sale meats, and starting in April I will be putting my part time job paycheck toward my grocery budget. So, it's something that I have to sacrifice a little to do, but for us it is worth it. Kind of like an insurance policy.

So, all that to say, we love Whole Foods. You should check one out. Until we get a Central Market, it is my favorite grocery store. TRY IT!

What about you?

I Almost Died

Catchy title, eh? I haven’t been really sick since 2004, so since I have been in pretty bad shape the past few days, I have to milk it for all it’s worth. I didn’t really almost die, but I sure felt like it.

I realized on Friday that I had a urinary tract infection. I decided to try and treat it naturally if I could, so I got some cranberry juice, some other supplements, some pain killers, and tried my hardest to fight the infection. I talked with a local pharmacist who told me I was doing all the right things, and I knew what to look for as far as the worsening of the condition. I felt better on Saturday, so I got rid of the pain meds, and then Sunday I felt the same as I did Saturday.

Monday I still felt the same when I woke up so it was getting discouraging. I mean, I’m pretty sure I had drunk like 5 million gallons of cranberry juice, and it was like the legit juice that I had to dilute and sweeten. Not the best. Then, around 10:00am I started getting some pretty strong pain in my lower back, which is a sign of the onset of a kidney infection, so I called my doctor and scheduled an appt for that afternoon. As the day progressed I started feeling really badly. The pain was getting pretty strong, and I was just really not feeling well at all.

When I’m in pain, which isn’t really that often, thankfully, it’s kind of hard for me to think clearly. When talking about how I was feeling at work, I actually told my boss that I thought my uterus was going to fall out. First of all, who talks about their uterus? And second of all, who talks about it to their boss?! And thirdly, what does my uterus have to do with my kidney? What is wrong with me? And it hit me later Monday evening as I was laying on the couch. I pathetically looked at Mark and said, “I think I told my boss that my uterus was going to fall out.” He was like, “You said that?” Yes. I did.

So. I went to the doctor and told him about my ailment. They did a urinalysis, and my doctor said it was “a sheet of white blood cells”. Which is apparently not good at all. He thought that my infection was maybe working into only one of my kidneys, since my pain was mainly in one side. He prescribed me an antibiotic for ten days, gave me some tips, and told me to go take one immediately, and take another that night.

On my way to the drug store, I called Mark, then my boss, and then my mom to give them the update. Then, after hanging up with my mom, I thought I hadn’t called Mark, and I felt really awful about it. So, I called him and I told him I had just left the doctor’s office, and he was like “yeah….” And then I realized I had talked to him about 5 minutes previously. Wow. So, I high-tailed it to the drug store, took a pill, and high tailed it home and chilled on the couch, waiting to feel better and regain my sanity.

Around 7:00pm I started feeling terrible. It came on really quickly. Like, we’re talking excruciating pain, in BOTH sides of my back and lower abdomen. No position I got in was comfortable, and believe me, I was rolling around enough to try to get comfortable. But I couldn’t. So I just got in the fetal position, rocked back and forth, and cried. It was a very sad moment. I can’t imagine how bad it would have been if I didn’t get the antibiotics when I did. And so my sweet husband went and got me some painkillers with a sleep aid. I took a hot bath, and my medicine, and told Mark who should get each of my belongings in case I was to die. I mean, I have some pretty cool stuff – have you seen my headbands? So, I wanted to make sure everything would go into the right hands. (There is clearly never any dramatizing of a situation at my house).

Shortly after the painkillers and the sleep aid, my pain was lessened enough that I could drift off to sleep. I woke up Tuesday about 12 hours after going to sleep, feeling incredibly exhausted, but only slightly in pain, so I headed to work, where I managed to have a somewhat productive day but don’t know that I will remember much of it after another night’s sleep.

So, thankfully, I am on the mend. Here is a picture of me, where I have been hanging out most of my time at home the last few days. I’m hopeful that I will be back to my self tomorrow!

~Kathryn

PS  Mark got me that cute heart pillow for Valentine's Day. It also came with a matching blanket. He's a keeper. (-:

The World's Weirdest Deodorant

Happy Friday, Folks! As you may well know, Mark and I have been trying to be more natural in the things we put in and on us. One of the things that I have been trying to change is deoderant. Why, you ask?

Well, in a nutshell, regular antiperspirants contain aluminum, which is linked to Alzheimer's (check out this article here) , and some people are linking the parabens found in some deodorants to breast cancer, as parabens act like estrogen (very interesting article here). So, what's a girl to do? I decided to look for a natural deodorant that is paraben and aluminum free.

After a couple that were no good, I asked my local Whole Body worker at Whole Foods what she would recommend. To my surprise, she pointed me to a crystal deodorant, and said she has been using it for years and had great luck.

What do I mean by crystal deodorant? Am I the only one who had never heard of this before? Anyone?

Like a rock. Seriously. It's like a crystal rock. It reminds me of a salt rock. It is the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. It was about $6.00 so I said, what the heck? I'll give it a try.

I took the deodorant home and I looked at it and I was like how in the world is this crystal supposed to be applied?

See that white rock? Yeah, that's it. And nothing rubs off of it. The directions said to wet the crystal and then apply it. So, I did what I was told. And I also proceeded to do a lot of research on the internet about it, and about how it works. It seems to work well for most people, but for some people it doesn't work. (You can't expect EVERY person to love it.) But also, I think their lack of luck might have to do with them not using it properly.


So I told Mark about it, and he was very skeptical and said he would try it after I did. Ha, thanks, Mark. (-:


The key with the crystal is that you have to apply it right after you get out of the shower while you are all fresh and clean. The crystal has mineral salts in it that prevent bacteria from forming and it is completely odorless. You also still sweat, since it's not an antiperspirant.

But I have to say, after my fourth day and some stressful moments in traffic, I'm a convert. Mark tried it and he likes it, too!

And every once in a while we talk about it and we're like, "Isn't it the weirdest thing you've ever seen?" And we get a befuddled look on our faces and then just continue on our merry way with our new, natural deodorant.

Oh and something else that's cool? It lasts about a year, but some people said their's has lasted three years or more. Yeah. One crystal lasts a really long time. So it's pretty darn cheap.

So, I thought I'd share it with you guys because it's so quirky and yet it works so well. If you try it, let me know. Here's their website in case you are interested: www.thecrystal.com

Happy Weekend!

~Kathryn

I Thought Eating Breakfast Was Supposed to Help you LOSE Weight

I. Am. Starving.

See that face? I'm about to eat my fingers.

Why I am so hungry, you ask? Because I ate breakfast.

I'm one of those people that doesn't really eat breakfast. Not that I don't like breakfast, or breakfast foods, but I just don't have time. I would rather sleep more than wake up early enough to have breakfast. Kind of pathetic, I know.

So, I don't usually eat breakfast, and I go to work and I'm usually feeling pretty good until noon or one, and then I start feeling slightly hungry.

But, in an effort to be healthy and try something new, on my most recent grocery store trip I got some new cereal. It's this healthy organic flax cereal that has raspberries and strawberries in it. It's not incredible low calorie, either. And let me say, that stuff is de-lish. So, this morning, I had some cereal and skim milk and it was really good. I ate probably around 8:20am or so. Fast forward to 9:00am.

I am hungry. Like, stomach talking, hunger pangs hungry. How is this possible? I'm never hungry, and then the one time I decide to eat breakfast, I'm majorly hungry within an hour.

A friend was telling me it has something to do with your body thinking more food is coming - must be that metabolism thing kicking in. But here's what I don't understand: how is eating breakfast supposed to help you lose weight if you

1. intake more calories at breakfast, and

2. intake more calories at lunch because you're starving?

This math just doesn't add up for me.

Organic Omega Flax Berry Cereal... why are you so good? I can't resist you, yet you make me so hungry. If I get fat, you will never be consumed by me again.

HELP!!!

~Kathryn

I Don't Use Microwaves

****WARNING - This post might make me sound like a hippie (not that there's anything wrong with that). I am keeping it real and hoping you won't judge me!!! (-: ****

Are you shocked?

Perhaps you think I'm joking. Maybe you've seen me use a microwave. Or perhaps you don't understand how it is possible. Since we've been talking about being healthier (I don't know who this "we" is, I guess it's just "me"). So, anyway, microwaves.

It all started a year or so ago. I had a friend over at my apartment with her sister and we were having dinner. I had made a casserole the day before, and didn't have time to reheat it in the oven, so I put it in the microwave. Before I could even turn it on, my friend yelled, "Don't put it in the microwave! I don't use microwaves!"

I, of course, raised every eyebrow that I had and asked why in the world she didn't use microwaves. She began to tell me about some research that had been done on microwaves and how they aren't perhaps the best thing for people to be using for their health's sake.

So, she ate her food cold, I microwaved mine, and I began to question the quirkiness of her conviction. I consider myself to be very inquisitive. So, I spent a good amount of time reading about microwaves.

I won't go into all the research; if you are really interested, you can look into it for yourself. But, a few things that I did find is that apparently intaking foods that have been microwaved alters blood, including decreases in hemoglobin values and cholesterol values, and a short term decrease in lymphocytes. Again, I'll let you do your own research. (I just googled "microwaves health concerns" and several things popped up, and I weeded through trying to find reliable information.)

Now it's not that I NEVER use a microwave. I will eat food that someone else makes in a microwave, or   on a rare occasion that I'm in a bind, I might use one. But basically, I don't use one.

But you know what? To me, food tastes a lot better to me if it's warmed up in an oven. And the texture is usually a lot better. So, why not use an oven? Or a beloved toaster oven? Especially if it's healthier. As it was once phrased to me, "Why would you want to radiate your food and then eat it?" hmm....

So, the whole microwave research thing caused me to start looking at the things I put in my body, the things I put on my body, etc. I'm by NO means a picture of health, I mean, me and the gym are not best friends, but, I have a growing awareness of being healthy and it's really interesting.

These are the things that float in around in this goofy brain of mine. So do you love microwaves?

~Kathryn