Monday Madness…As Usual!

June 4, 20123 Comments

Hello my loves!

So again, slackin’ on my blog mackin’, but I didn’t forget you!

Let’s start with an inspirational photo, shall we?

This is my mantra for this week! WOOO!

The past weeks have been full of shenanigans and I must admit, I’ve been pretty productive! I started a new position at work (in my own office), and I have been working as hard as possible to make the transition a smooth and efficient one for all parties involved. The car situation has been BEYOND stressful, but thanks to the amazing people in my life, I haven’t had to use public transportation once (what is that about? Seriously…when you’ve had a car, the bus is like the WORST thought ever. Lol). Sean and I attempted to install my newly purchased radiator Sunday, but we had a nightmare of a time just trying to get the plastic piece that shields the radiator off! So, we called it quits, and after a mild emotional freak-out, and Sean getting kinda crazy on me and telling me I need to calm the heck down, I contacted a friend who works on cars, and he is coming over tomorrow to fix Dulce so I can get her back on the road!

After that was all set,we headed to Temecula to two awesome wineries and went to Lucille’s BBQ for dinner. All in all, it was a lovely day. If you’re ever headed to Temecula, I strongly suggest hitting up Keyways Winery. Sean and I are big on sweet wines, Moscato especially, and Keyways has what is now our new favorite! You can check them out at KeywaysWine.com. They have live music and lunch on weekends in their gorgeous outdoor patio area. Our server, Tiffany, made the experience beyond enjoyable with her expertise, and her ability to tailor to our preferences. She also encouraged us to try new things out of our comfort zone, and we had a blast(along with just a bit too much wine, for this tiny-stomached individual). We also went to Wilson Creek Winery, after Alex told me about chocolate shot glasses with chocolate wine (DUH!), and while it was a bit too crowded for my taste, we did have a Chocolate Zinfindel that blew our minds, and Sean bought a bottle. I am very excited that we now have a bottle of Moscato and a bottle of chocolate dessert wine to add to our evenings in. Our last night in consisted of cheesy RedBox flicks, homemade baked ziti and garlic bread, and a red wine we weren’t crazy about! Moving on up? Definitely!

We have already planned our next Temecula wine tasting outing, and we will be heading to South Coast Winery first to do a sixty-minute winery tour that ends with a wine and cheese pairing. I am super excited! After that, we are heading to one of the other boutique wineries on the De Portola wine trail, and then driving to Laguna Beach to check out some art galleries, and eat a sunset dinner. June 23rd can’t get here fast enough!!

I managed to lose another pesky five lbs since the last post, and now officially just need to lose 30 more to hit my goal. For every 5 lbs lost, I will be rewarded with a new accessory from Forever 21. Sean is also starting his own weight loss journey, and for every 10 lbs he loses, he is putting $2o in his goal jar that I made for him.

Made from a 2 lb protein powder container, of course!

I know it looks a bit girly, but I sent him a photo, and he claimed to be excited…so I will take that! Clearly, he is a too-good-to-be-true boyfriend, but I don’t think he’d lie to me about that. Lol. I have volunteered to match his contributions when he hits goals, and the total will be put towards some additions to a new wardrobe for his handsome self! YAY!

I am so happy to have someone in my life that is not only one of my best friends, but someone that supports my every endeavor, and strives to make big moves in life with me. It’s something I never had before, and I can’t imagine life without it.

That is my recap for now. I totally skipped my 30 Day Challenge for May, but seeing as the scale wasn’t budging, you didn’t miss much. I won’t let June pass without one! 🙂 This will be another crazy month, what with work events, potentially taking on more work, making time for my relationship, and baby showers, bonfires, and more this month! Whew! But I will post at least weekly.

If you haven’t yet, please check out the guest post from Jillian McKee on the link between nutrition and cancer!

Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start. The year is already half over! CRAZY!

‘Til Next Time!

XOXO

GUEST POST: “The Link Between Cancer and Nutrition”

June 4, 20122 Comments

After participating in Relay for Life this year with the American Cancer Society, the fight to raise awareness and promote prevention for cancer has become very important to me. Jillian, who wrote the following article, reached out to me and asked me to share with my readers. I am honored to be considered a writer who can help effectively spread the knowledge!

Read on, and feel free to comment. Contact me if you’re interested in contacting Jillian, as well!

Cancer And Nutrition Information

By: Jillian McKee

Eating healthy is one of the best things anyone can do, especially those who are dealing with or have been impacted by cancer. Anyone who is in remission or has been recently diagnosed should know that the body can benefit from the life giving nutrients that healthy foods provide.

Research is just beginning to uncover the medicinal benefits that many fruits and vegetables provide, and it may be a long time before we are able to break through and develop natural cures for cancer. In the meantime, it simply makes sense to give our bodies what is good and wholesome. Our bodies thrive off of the nutrients that are found in most healthy foods, and the more we eat, the more of these nutrients we absorb.

When our bodies feel well, our minds are generally happy as well. Plus, eating healthy is easier on the body when it comes to digesting and processing our intake. This can help the body devote more time and energy to fighting the cancer and building immunity as opposed to digesting fats and complex carbohydrates.

There are limitless resources available for anyone who wants to learn more about how nutrition impacts health and well being. The value and the simplicity of making dietary adjustments cannot be stressed enough, especially for cancer patients. So, even if it is hard to think about this kind of a lifestyle adjustment, doing so can have major benefits to your overall health.

Nutrition for mesothelioma or other forms of cancer is just beginning to become more integrated into treatment strategies. Unfortunately, not every oncologist puts enough emphasis on this safe and natural way to compliment other methods. That being said, developing a nutrition packed dietary strategy can only serve to help cancer patients, while offsetting some of the side effects during treatment.

Becoming educated and informed about the spectrum of benefits that eating nutritious foods has on the body is one of the best things that any cancer patient can do. Our bodies need a steady supply of nutrients in order to be as strong as possible when it comes to fighting off an illness and maintaining health.

If cancer is a part of your life, learn how healthy foods are one of the best things that can be given to the body. Some of the world’s best medicine is found in natural foods, and the more we eat, the more nourished our bodies will be.

Relay for Life 2012: Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back!

April 22, 2012April 22, 20121 Comment

Wednesday before last, I joined a Relay for Life team with The American Cancer Society.Due to a combination of joining late, and past experiences with fundraising….I am ashamed to say I set the bar kinda low and set a goal to raise $150 before the event on Saturday. 10 days, $150. Seemed like something I could certainly pull off.

The following Monday arrived, and lo and behold: I had raised over $200 already! Then, I attend the team meeting, and our team captains informed us of a new challenge: They started us at $0, and were awarding the person who could raise the most before Friday night at 10 pm. Between Monday and Friday of last week, I sent emails, I used ACS fundraising scratchers, and appealed to every person whose child I ever bought wrapping paper from.

Friday night at 10pm, I had raised a grand total of $532. Ten days. $532.

At the event this past weekend, I tried my best to walk the entire 24 hours, as I promised all of my amazing donors that I would. At the conclusion of it, I am proud to say I walked roughly 19-20 hours overall. We took a few brief meal/body icing/sunscreening breaks, and I ended up napping for about 2.5 hours at around 3 am this morning. We figured out that the track was .25 miles around….and that we were completing about 3.5 mph. With that being said, it is safe to assume that I walked a minimum of 66.5 miles over the past 24 hours. That doesn’t, presumably, include the walking to the car up a RIDICULOUS flight of stairs and around a bend to the parking lot. Lol.

Overall, this was a pretty emotional event for me. Although I have lost some family members to cancer, I can’t really say I knew them all too well. I have been blessed to meet survivors along the way, and they have inspired me beyond words. However, one thing about this event really struck a chord with me: the statistics revolving around Cancer, regardless of what type it is, are terrifying. As I become a “grownup,” I am more cognizant of the fact that the people who have raised and shaped me are growing older. I fear that this disease will continue to take my family from me….particularly, my father. My grandfather died of lung cancer in 1998. My father smoked for the better part of his life, just barely quitting in 2002. However, he continues to struggle with Alcoholism.

I have a strange relationship with my father. His disease put our family through more despair and disappointment than I care to remember most of the time. He went from being the man I loved the most, to the man I feared more than anything. His disease caused him to become someone other than the guy who used to rescue me from the neighbor’s treehouse every afternoon, to the man who fell asleep on the couch all day with his sunglasses on. He went from the man who took us to amusement parks, to the man who took us to the bowling alley, because they had a bar there. The man who joined a CD club because we shared a love of music, to a man who only seemed to liked me when we were at karaoke bars together.

When I was in middle school, I’d have to make sure I slept in whatever room our phone was in, because I was used to the police department calling the house to confirm that in fact, the drunk man they were detaining actually had kids to get home to. I left home when I was 15, because I knew that if I woke up to being hit again, I might not make it to see 18. I turned 21, and got a call from the police to pick my intoxicated father up 30 miles away from my home, because he had fallen asleep on a bench at a bus stop.

I will never stop loving this man, nor will I ever stop hoping that he somehow finds it in himself to beat this disease, no matter how functional he may be with it. Some of the statistics I learned with the research I did on the American Cancer Society caused a deeper fear in me. The same bad habits took my grandpa away from my dad. I can’t deal with my dad on a daily basis….in fact, I am almost ashamed to admit that I prefer not to. But my unconditional love for him is unwavering, and I know that God heard the prayers I sent up on the track this morning when I did a few laps alone.

Seeing all of the survivors on that stage did something to me. It happens every time I see or meet someone who has a victory to share. Whether the fight is “over,” in progress, or has just begun…I can see the blessings. I am looking forward to joining a friend again this fall in Balboa Park for a breast cancer event, and I am seriously considering doing the Susan G. Komen 3-Day event as well.

I am fearful….but I am far more inspired than anything. I will continue to support the efforts made to cure this disease. I don’t want to lose anyone else.

Again, I want to extend an ENORMOUS thanks to every single person who contributed to my fundraising goal, and everyone who couldn’t give money, but gave me support and encouragement. I was not only walking for my loved ones, but for yours as well.

And so, in an effort to get some sleep after all of this craziness, I shall leave you with some photos.