It’s the Little Things…

I bought this dress for $16!

I recently began a new job! I’m working 22 hours a week in my neighborhood. As parents we are already busy, so anytime you add in something, you have to take something off your proverbial plate or make adjustments to keep your family centered. I refuse to have one of those chaotic families who don’t know which way is up (that could have spiritual parallels)!

Here is an overview of some of the tweaks and tricks our family has implemented:

1. Although soccer practice is twice a week, we only go to one practice-that way we have a weeknight with no after school commitments.

2. I sneak in a twenty-minute nap almost daily, that way when my kids and hubby come home I’m not too tired to be nice.

3. I hired a middle-schooler to fold ,hang and put away our children’s laundry-this is the best practical decision I have EVER made! My Bella is a punctual, local and polite magical fairy who I NEED in my life (kids have other chores)!

4. On the same topic, I make Bella and our family’s life easier by buying one style, size and color of socks for the kids This may seem insignificant; but these little things streamline our lives! No wasted time matching pairs!

5. We have at least four family dinners a week, this way we have time to reconnect and laugh and learn about each other, we usually top it off with a family board or card game.

6. We have no pets. My theory is that I have enough breathing beings to look after. My son hates dogs so there is no issue there, for my daughter, we foster dogs sporadically during the summer to scratch the itch to own and help save a life (all while accruing volunteer hours for the young-ins)! Boom!

This $5 box from Container Store is a way to quickly assemble snacks and salads

7. My husband and I have committed to one night away at a hotel each month. This helps me have something to look forward to and keeps our marriage at the cornerstone of la familia!

8. I wear dresses almost everyday-“One and Done!” Dresses are the easiest piece of clothing to wear; there isn’t a more simple way to get dressed. I feel polished everyday and I spend no time deciding on what to wear. I add leggings, boots and a cute jacket in colder weather. If you are not a “dress person” (try to be ;), decide on a daily “uniform” that flatters you and makes you feel and look good!

9. We alternate between Blue Apron and Hello Fresh for meal delivery. This forces us to have family dinners and gourmet meals on the regular. This is a great investment in your life management!

10. Last but not least!- I start my morning by meditating on the verse of the day on my You Version Bible App; by adjoining a quick prayer, it allows me start from a centered place and conquer the day. Before I go to sleep I read a daily passage from “My Utmost for His Highest”. This is a devotional classic! I go to bed with a right mind and some Bible teaching.

Bonus: I swear by adding Benefiber (generic version, which is only corn fiber) to almost everything I eat and drink! I have it labeled “Magic Fairy Dust!” and keep it in a sugar jar from Home Goods to pour easily. I sprinkle it on food and stir it into drinks. I keep a vial in my purse to use at every meal.This makes me feel satiated for many hours and reduces my net carbs. It balances my blood sugar so I don’t get hangry and keeps my weight in check so I don’t have to “work out” (I walk daily).

Do you have some tricks up your sleeves that keep you grounded?

TRANSformed

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This post is months in the writing. I have been pondering how and when I should compile it. Here is a warning: do not read any further unless you are willing to expand your ideology and attempt to receive a different perspective on a highly controversial topic.

At the end of last school year I had a “chance” meeting with a mom I had never met. She came up to me and said “I’ve seen you around at school and events and wanted to introduce myself”. I was thrilled with her kind (and sadly rare) initiation and proceeded to exchange the regular questions; i.e “what grade are your kids in, who are their teachers, names, etc. When she told me her child’s name I asked if it was short for something. Mom replied ” Oh, you don’t know?!

“Know what?! , I asked. She began to explain to me that her daughter is transgender. Being new in town; I had been tipped off to this during a brief conversation about a transgender child being disallowed to participate in a gender-divided group discussion at school-but I had never actually seen or met the child. This encounter was about a week after Caitlyn Jenner’s Vanity Fair cover; we laughed that she was “on-trend”.

I was curious to learn more about their journey and she graciously obliged. Mom shared that from the time her child was a toddler she exhibited female personality, behavior and characteristics. As a small child she was perpetually sad and always felt she was in the wrong body. Like any parents, mom and dad were confused and wanted to help their child. They joined a support group to access more information regarding the situation.

The moment of finality came after their child blew out his birthday candle, when asked “what he wished for”, his somber answer was “to be a girl for just one day”. That’s the moment he became she. I asked Mom what it’s like being in such a small town like ours and going through this transition. She insinuated that it had been a disappointing experience.

We walked side-by-side down the park hill to join the school group. My heart connected with hers and I shared that I am a devout Christian. I empathized that people can be really unkind and it’s mostly because they are uninformed. We gave each other a big hug as if we had known each other for years. I insisted that as Christians we are “to love first“! “Love”! The Bible asserts that “this is how people will know us”! “It’s by the way we love”. (1Peter 4:8) It is that simple. You don’t HAVE to understand being transgender to show love.

As we approached the large group of parents and students I discreetly asked if Mom could point out who her daughter was; as if on cue, her child, adorned in a flower crown came skipping up and wrapped her arms around her mother.

I was dumbfounded!

This child looked JUST like a little girl! Had I not known I would have never guessed she was transgender.

I felt so privileged to have run into Mom that day. Of course in life there are no coincidences. I was meant to just “grab something out my car” at the same moment she approached me.

While watching a recent episode of I am Cate -Jenner’s docuseries; Caitlyn’s friend, when referring to dating said, “we live in a world where we don’t belong”. My heart sank. The suicide rate is astronomical in the transgender community. Some argue that it’s because they’re struggling within themselves. This is partially accurate. Based on primary accounts, the direct correlation is linked to how others perceive their gender status.

Jesus was notorious for communing with those society deemed “the untouchables”-like lepers. In 2015, transgender people would fit this description. Jesus said “whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.” (Matthew 24:40) I’m exploring how God can use me to show love to these sons and daughters and help them feel like they do belong.

Crying over Candy

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Yesterday, I was at The IKEA “Mecca”. It is located in Orange County, and is huge! Instead of a food counter they have a full-on restaurant. We all ate for less than $20 and that included a full rack of yummy ribs. The only weird thing is that the cinnamon rolls my son loves are on a different level.

After lunch, while Hubby and the kids were in line for rolls, I wandered off to the side to check out the Swedish marketplace. I found myself in front of a “wall of glory”-at least it is for a kid. It was a floor to ceiling display of all this candy that I remember from my youth. I spent six years of my childhood in Germany. Europe holds for me idealic memories. The wall was called Lordagsgodis, this is Swedish for “Saturday Candy”. The idea is that Swedes would visit an old-fashioned candy store for a weekly treat.

I was entranced by the polychromatic bins eagerly seeking to find the favorites from my youth; gummy cherries and blue sharks were two of my faves that I did see. I didn’t see the little gummy bottles of Coke I remember-probably because these were technically Swedish picks;not German.

Suddenly, my eyes got misty. I started to think about how simple and sweet my life was as a kid holding a baggie of delight. At age six or seven I wasn’t worried about how the treats would affect my blood sugar or how many I could have in relation to the amount of sit-ups I was willing to do. My life was pretty divine then. On the whole, my current life is glorious in many ways, but there is something about that innocent time where you have so little to plan for, worry about, budget for, even pray for.

A worker asked me if I needed help with the rainbow-ed confections I told him “No, I ‘m just standing here crying over candy!” He laughed, and listened to my explanation, also sharing his beloved memories from a trip to Germany. He said “You should really get some!”

I told him “I would, but I have a temporary crown in my mouth and I can’t have sticky foods!”

Grown-up problems.

Curried Egg Salad

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Ingredients:

2 hard-boiled eggs

1 Tbl.of mayo

1 Tsp. of mustard

a few turns of lemon pepper

1/2 tsp. Curry powder spice

capers (optional)

2 slices of bread

Pulse all ingredients (except bread and capers) in a mini processor. Spread on two slices of toast of your choice. Sprinkle curry powder and capers to taste. You could swap out relish for capers. Add a simple side salad for a cheap, easy meal!

P.S. I add a tsp. of tastless fiber to my wine to decrease absorption and prevent a sugar spike.

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Weirdo

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Turban kind of day.

After watching a trailer for a supposedly “must-see” movie, I don’t even think I smirked. My sister was shocked saying that I am such a “weirdo” because everyone thinks this comedienne is hilarious. I told her “I am a weirdo”, and always have been! I rarely like what everyone else thinks is great or “trendy” (Hello! harem pants! NO!) and frankly I like it that way.

I thought it would be fun to write a list of some of what makes me strange!

1. I hate and always hated the fourth finger nail polish embellishment.

2. I’m obsessed with fringe society groups like polygamists, Amish, Gypsies…

3. I don’t like onesies on anyone at any age and I don’t like leggings as “pants”

4. I must sleep on a fitted sheet that is clean and pulled taut, I also cannot sleep with socks on or an open closet door., actually all cabinets must be closed after use, always!!!

5. This is all stems from my hyper-visual brain, I need things to “look right”! i.e, crooked pictures have to be straightened.

6. My car and purse are always ready for anything, I mean anything.

7. I hate vitamins and don’t take any.

8. I study the faces of everyone. In my mind, I am unconsciously accessing for the “Golden triangle”; always.

10. I read everything! I mean everything, always! One time at a novelty store I read a super long writing written on the wall that was many topics long and the font got smaller and smaller-the last sentence said “if you actually read this in its entirety, claim your prize at the counter”. Of course I hailed a clerk to find my “golden ticket”. He told me I could choose any candy and let me know I was only the second person EVER to actually read that nonsense!

That’s Me!

I want to hear about your weirdo-isms, hit me up in the comments!

They Grow Up So Fast!

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Father’s Day 2015 on the trolley

Last night, hubby and I were chatting about how much our children have changed and grown. He was telling me how he doesn’t notice major changes until they have arrived because he sees them everyday. I explained to him that every mother has been advised by the little old lady at the mall or grocery store that “they grown up so fast”. I shared that it is such a conflicting concept because the younger years can be difficult and tiring which makes you want them to grow up faster, then when they do; you want to put the pause button on.

We recently visited some relatives that were eager to give us unsolicited advice. I was not prepared for this block of questioning and was later annoyed when I realized it was a planned discussion. The topic was me getting a full-time government job -thus securing my personal financial future and allowing us to own a home; that would in some way set up our children to own a home too.

My hubby was trying to reassure me later that I have to push the thoughts I had about being railroaded out of my mind because these family members aren’t going to budge from their ideals. I felt insulted by the discussion because I feel that by insisting that we do something other than what we are doing is saying that what we are doing is wrong. I tend to analyze conversations.

Here is what I know. My kids are halfway to adulthood now. They will only be kids for a short while. We will all be adults for scores-God willing. No government job or retirement planning is going to have me miss their youth. I am privileged that I can work part-time while my kids are in school and be there everyday to greet them and hug them at pick-up.

One day this past spring at pick-up, my daughter crumbled in my arms because she was upset about a lunchtime citation she received.She never gets in trouble and was embarrassed and confused. I can’t imagine if I wasn’t there to scoop her up and console her. And would a caregiver know to skip the usual after school plan to go to a math center and take her home to where she felt emotionally safe?

I will never regret the years I spent caring for my kiddos. I will never regret whooping it up at the glow-in-the-dark Dance-a-thon or panning gold for Gold-Rush week; or springing my daughter and her friend from school for lunch on her 10th birthday and zipping around town for ice cream and shopping. I’m never going to regret watching my son’s power-point presentation about soccer in class or helping his classmates come up with blessings to write on their paper turkeys last November.

I always knew this was the life I wanted to have and the mother I wanted to be.

Hormones, explained…

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As promised, I mentioned that I would give a more in-depth explanation of what hormones I use in my post Hormones and Heebie-Jeebies. It all started back in 2004. My first pregnancy ended in miscarriage at age 21. I was devastated! My mother intuitively told me (she has the Heebie-Jeebies gift) that she believed I had low progesterone. I did some research and learned it is one of the most common reasons women miscarry. Essentially progesterone is like the glue that keeps the embryo attached to the uterine lining. If you are deficient you will likely miscarry before 14 weeks.

I went to see Dr. Uzzi Reiss in Beverly Hills. He began as an Obstetrician-gynecologist, but now does only anti-aging and hormone therapy. Dr.Reiss utilizes a compounding pharmacy that creates hormone creams, suspensions, etc., like estrogen and progesterone made of plant-based ingredients like yams. These are not synthetic hormones like Premarin.

I use both progesterone and estrogen. When I had my blood test it showed my hormones were super low. It is just that way from genetics. So like a vitamin, I’m putting back in what my body needs. I started taking progesterone by mouth in an olive oil emulsion after my pregnancy loss and used estrogen cream on my forearms. I conceived healthfully two months later. Like a yin and yang, you usually need both to balance your body. I later started taking a progesterone cream that I also rubbed on my inner forearm. This is totally safe when pregnant, in fact the only known side effect is higher I.Q. in children!

After Ethan’s birth when I was certain I wasn’t having anymore births. I began taking progesterone internally. This administration has a neat bonus in that it provides a contraceptive.This is not an “approved” method, meaning the FDA won’t let him call it a contraceptive. The suppositories I insert every night make it so those little swimmers have no vehicle to travel in by removing the mucosa typically found near the cervix. Like most hormonal birth controls you can eventually stop having a period and ovulating. With natural hormones this is totally fine. Remember, the purpose of a period is to prepare your body for conception. If you are not conceiving this is totally safe! I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW AMAZING THIS IS! Someone asked me for a tampon last year at my yoga retreat, I seriously had a moment where I thought “what are those and why would she ask me that!”

Most PPO’s will reimburse these prescriptions. Also, it can be a medical tax deduction. Most doctors like Dr. Reiss don’t take insurance up front. Every year I have to see him in person for a 15 min consultation to renew my prescriptions. There is no other expense besides food that is more important to me. When I’m feeling hormonally balanced, I feel happy, and when I’m happy, my family is happy, and when they are happy, I’m happy, and so it goes.

Any questions?

www.uzzireissmd.com

I’m happy to answer….

Chai Tea glazed Donuts!!! Oh Yeah!

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So I had no idea to today was National Donut Day when I decided to make some homemade.

SO AMAZING!!!

Here is the recipe

INGREDIENTS

GLAZE:

I used the package of Chai Tea frosting included in this Chai Tea cupcake mix from Archer Farms at Target

http://www.target.com/p/archer-farms-chai-latte-cupcake-mix-22-86oz/-/A-14772576

BATTER:

1.5 quarts of vegetable oil, for frying (that’s a full standard bottle)
1 cup milk
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Add the vegetable oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. (There should be at least 2 inches of oil in the pot and at least 2 inches between the top of the oil and the top of the pot.) Attach the deep-fry thermometer to the pot and begin heating the oil over medium heat to 350ºF. Line a slotted pan with foil or wax paper underneath.

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and the egg.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir the milk-egg mixture into the dry ingredients, then stir in the melted butter, mixing until a soft dough forms.

Scoop out batter onto a floured surface. I like to put on latex gloves at this point. Roll into ball, cut in half, then repeat cutting in halves until you have at least twelve sections. Take each section and form a donut shape. Use a round press like a measuring spoon and notch out a hole. Flatten a bit. Use flour as needed to reduce stickiness

Makes about 12-15 donuts.

If you don’t have a thermometer drop a raw grain of rice in oil, if it floats up within 8 seconds, oil is hot enough, if it floats up in less than 8 or not at all, oil is too cold, if it floats up within 1–4 seconds it is too hot.

Once the oil has reached 350ºF, use a slotted spoon to drop up to three donuts into the oil, careful not to overcrowd the pan.

Fry the donuts, they should start to rise to the surface within 5 seconds, let them cook about 2 minutes until golden brown underneath, then flip them and let them cook another 2 minutes until they’re golden brown on the other side.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the donuts to a slotted pan.

Allow the donuts to cool slightly, then one by one, spread glaze over top with the back of a spoon. Serve immediately.