First thing in Life is YOU!

2012 Candie Ink Re-Launch

2012-02-13T12:24:00.000-05:00

Yup.. it is time.

I have been thinking about it for a while.

Now I have finally gotten my ducks in a row.

What do you think about my 5 first prints??

If you like what you see, please Like my Etsy.com shop so your Facebook friends can see it.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CandieInk?ref=si_shop

November Challenge

2011-11-01T19:17:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone.

I have just started my 4 week November challenge and I thought that maybe some of you wanted to join me in it. For the months of November and December it is not very wise to have a food restriction challenge, due to the upcoming holidays. But what about a little exercise challenge?!

For 4 weeks ONLY this is what I want you to do EVERY DAY (or at least that is what I will do):
Week 1 - 25 pushups + 20 min Cardio + 100 situps
Week 2 - 50 pushups + 20 min Cardio + 100 situps
Week 3 - 75 pushups + 30 min Cardio + 100 situps
Week 4 - 100 pushups + 40 min Cardio + 100 situps

This will add up to:
Total Pushups - 1750
Minutes of Cardio - 770
Total Situps - 2800

Let me know if you are GAME by commenting below.

Breast Cancer 2011

2011-10-31T11:17:00.000-04:00

It is predicted that about 230,000 women in the USwill get diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2011, and about 40,000 will die fromthe disease. Besides for being a woman, age is the second highest risk factor⁽¹⁾. Most women that receive the diagnose, develops the disease aftermenopause which is linked to hormone changes in the body. Without the menstrual cycle the body nolonger produces progesterone in adequate amounts and allows the estrogen levelsto rise above preferred levels in comparison - a high risk factor fordeveloping Breast Cancer. Using natural progesterone cream is one way of preventingthe horrifying diagnose.⁽³⁾

Vitamin D alsohas a crucial role in preventing Breast Cancer. We can see this in numbers thatshows there are less Breast Cancer diagnoses during the summer months, and thatBreast cancer more often hit women in the Northeast compared to the sunnySouthwest. The sunlight is our most important natural provider of vitamin D asthe body transforms the UV-radiation into Vitamin D in the skin. Studies haveshown that Vitamin D blood levels over 40ng/ml (100mmol/l) will lower the riskof Breast Cancer with 30%. And many cancer centers today are giving patients 5,000IU (125 mcg) of Vitamin D3 a day to boost their immune system.⁽²⁾

Get enoughsleep! Melatonin production has been linked to reduced risk of breast cancer.Melatonin is a hormone that is being released while you are sleeping. However,the hormone can only be produced under completely darkness, so sleeping withthe TV on or a light somewhere will inhibit the very important hormone frombeing produced.⁽²⁾

Whilethere are many risk factors linked to developing Breast Cancer not much is saidabout what affects the outcome. Many studies have shown that blood type ishighly linked to Breast Cancer outcome in the following matter:

Blood type O – Slightly degree of resistance, and lower risk of death
Blood type A – Higher risk, worse outcomes, and more rapid progression (Type Ais overly represented in Brest Cancer victims)
Blood type B – Slight degree of resistance, and lower risk of death unlessthere is a family history of breast cancer, higher risk of recurrence
Blood type AB – Higher risk, worse outcomes, and more rapid progression⁽⁴⁾

Generalrecommendations on diets are often given in order to prevent Cancer and otherdiseases. While we all need to eat more vegetables and fruits it is alsoimportant to understand that not all ‘good’ food is good for everyone.Different people thrive on different nutrition based on our genetic history;food can either make your immune system stronger or weaker. To blindly followinga, for example: “no red meat and more whole wheat” recommendation can bedestructive for some, while wonderful for others.⁽⁴⁾

Men alsohave a slight risk of developing breast cancer, although very uncommon. About 2,000men is predicted to get the diagnose in the US in 2011 and most of them will bebetween the age of 65 and 67. Men usually get the diagnose further into thedevelopment of the disease as men are less likely to have it medically examinedas early as women does.⁽¹⁾

Increasingyour awareness of breast cancer might save you from getting the dreaded diagnose,or help you recover from it. Make sure you take advantage of the knowledge youare given. __________________________________________
(1) Susan G. Komen forthe Cure, 2011
(2) Vitamin D Council, 2011
(3) Dr. John R. Lee M.D. “Hormone Balance Made Simple”, 2006
(4) Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo “Live Right For Your Type”, 2001

In the Making

2011-10-30T22:41:00.000-04:00

Working on getting the Yasmin & Yaz tee off to the printers.

Here is what it will look like:

A link to where you can order it will be here shortly!

And the WINNER is...

2011-08-21T17:28:00.000-04:00

A great number of votes have come in and the winning t-shirt wording was suggested by Martha!!!
Very creative - she will be getting a free t-shirt as promised!!!

Ordering procedures and price to follow soon...

YASMIN & YAZ SURVIVORS

Yasmin & Yaz T-shirt Suggestions

2011-05-29T11:55:00.021-04:00

Hello Ladies,

As so many of you have suffered from the birth control Yasmin and Yaz, or know someone who has. It is time we speak up. Here is a collection of t-shirt samples gathered by the suggestions of the women out there who is fighting to get their lives back.

We will ONLY SELECT ONE style t-shirt, except for when we are pill specific then we will have two (one for yasmin and one for yaz). So please submit your vote by making a comment here or send an email to yasmin_yaz@live.com on what t-shirt you like the best! Please respond by August 1, 2011

Once all the votes are in I will publish the result and we can start the pre-order process!

I SURVIVED YASMIN

I SURVIVED YAZ

ZAPPED

SISTERS UNITED

YOUR BODY

WHAT'S A NAME

WARNING FOR YASMIN

WARNING FOR YAZ

A WOMAN'S KILLER

Fabulous in a few months!

2011-03-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

Hey Guys!
It's been a while. I have been busy writing in my Blood Type Diet Blog that I have dedicated my new lifestyle to. My life has completely transformed! If you knew me back in December and saw me today you would not recognize me.

I have lost 10 lbs and I am fighting to break the 169 lbs mark, something I think will happen this week! I go to the gym 5-6 times a week. I have a personal trainer who kicks my a** when needed... No, let's correct that: I have a personal trainer who kicks my a** ALWAYS! I have almost no health issues anymore - and that is by far the biggest step, something I had almost lost hope on getting back.

My energy is top notch, my skin is almost 100%, my IBS issues are GONE, and I feel like a new ME! Not even a great old me - A fabulous NEW me!!

Sending you all many hugs!

4 weeks improvement

2011-02-18T22:49:00.000-05:00

So it has been 4 weeks since my first Nutrition Response Testing. As you might remember I had a major issue with my large intestine. Within 3 days of following the recommended supplements and also taking my new love FitLine I felt a difference. Yes, in THREE days!

Today, 4 weeks later I got the ticket of my large intestine being 100% recovered! I am so excited. My toilet visits are nicer and my acne is so much better!

Now my body is ready to start working on the next layer: Today we started to work on my cerebellum - hopefully with that my body can start to shed even more weight for my upcoming trip to Mexico in a few weeks. To see pictures of my 30 day update of following the bloodtype diet, taking FitLine "Cell energy", doing nutrition response testing, and exercising. Click here: One day at a time to perfect health

I am so happy that I have completely cut myself off from the traditional health care world, now I can finally heal my body and soul for real and all natural - the way my body intended.

FitLine - Boost your body's nutrition absorption!

2011-02-17T15:16:00.003-05:00

I figured I would share some information about FitLine, the products I have been taking since late December 2010.

FitLine is a German company that produces and sells supplements through network distribution. The US headquarter is located outside Pittsburg, PA. Many of their products are world patented for their delivery system technology. The products are produced so that it can be absorbed by the body both faster and better, and therefore the amounts does not have to be as high as they are in regular pills. The body can absorb about 20% of a pill; with this absorption technology the body will be absorbing about 80%+ of what you are taking!!! A far better and more advanced approached then what we can get from the numerous of pills and brands at the drug store.

FitLine has many products ranging from weight management products and protein to vitamin and mineral supplements as well as more targeted supplements for heart health or similar. On the surface some of their products may look like any other low potent multivitamin product, but what separates them from the rest is the great delivery and absorption system.

And on a personal level – these products beats them all when it comes to taste! I actually drink my morning mix as my breakfast juice; it is really THAT good. All of their supplements are either in powder form that you mix with water or liquid drops that you mix with water.

Cell Energy

One of their pack products is called the Cell Energy Pack. It contains three products called Activize, Basics, and Restorate and from my perspective they include everything a person needs every day on a first level. Activize is the activating vitamin mix, filled with vitamin B’s and antioxidants to keep you going the whole day. Basics is the basic nutrition your body needs for a good digestive system, including fiber and probiotics. Restorate is the product that is filled with minerals and vitamins that restore your body over the night and getting it ready for a new day. The Basics and Activize is taken in the morning for best effect and Restorate in the evening. You can also take Activize throughout the day if you need an extra boost sometime.

To learn more about these products or other products available at FitLine, visit my website at http://fitline.com/?TP=6098012&cid=223

You can live anywhere in the world to place an order, it does not have to be in the US. You can select to buy the products on a one time basis (Quick Order) or you can choose to have the products delivered to your address once a month (Autoship). Off course you also have the opportunity to become a distributor, and something I recommend if you are going to have the products delivered to you every month – just in case you like it so much and feel like sharing it with your friends and family. That way you can work towards getting your products for free and soon maybe also be getting some secondary income from this venue. It is all up to you! :)

Send me an email if you have any questions and I will be happy to help you. helena.mathis@hotmail.com

If you chose to call the company directly at 1(800) 686-1760 make sure to mention my Team Partner number 6098012.

And if you already decided to go for it and sign up as a distributor just go to this website and fill out the information and you are good to go (you can also send me an email so I know) 6098012.pm-quickstart.com (Off course you can end your membership at any time).

I can only speak for myself - but I really like these products.

My first NRT visit

2011-01-28T21:30:00.001-05:00

So, last Saturday I had my first Nutrition Response Testing; an experience I have a hard time describing. It is so strange to me that my body can "speak" to the NRT technician with so little effort... My body did not only tell her what my issues were, but also what it needed in order to heal properly.

The part where my body told her what supplements it needed and how much of it, it wanted was over the top for me... It was a little too much "hallelujah" for this non-religious mind. But that didn't stop me. I decided right then and there to at least try it, if it works who cares how it works!!!

It is almost like the fact that just because we can't see it doesn't mean it is not there. And that is the way I have chosen to look at this experience.

My liver, stomach, and large intestine was the three organs that needed help and just how I just described how I look at my body as an onion, so did my body. It wanted me to focus on the most distressed organ first, which happened to be my large intestine. So now I am on a detox, some artichoke drops, high potency pro-biotics, digestive support, and some kind of yeast. And off course I am still on my blood type diet, something they were maybe 70% for and 30% against. They wanted me to not eat any soy products, and east some red meat a few times a week - and for now that is an advice I am going to ignore as I wanted to give the blood type diet at least one month. And so far it is wonderful!!!

Back to the NRT. Their promise is that you should improve 30-50% every week (if following their supplement regimen).. so for my next appointment on February 4th I should at least be 60% healed.. That is a very EXCITING thought.. now we just have to hope that it is going to be that way!!

Like an onion

2011-01-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

I have stared to look at my body as an onion... with MANY layers. Each layer represent an issue and not until the first layer/issue has been resolved can we work on the second layer and so forth. Each issue is not equal to a specific symptom; which is something that is easily forgotten - as we are normally treated for symptoms and not the underlying issue. A series of symptoms can come from the same issue and the tricky part is to figure out the REAL underlying issue.

Each body is unique. We all have our own little list...
Our issues may be related to hormone imbalance, poor digestion, diet, family history, allergies, poor nutrition absorption, or whatever else our body can think of... the only issue is that our symptoms may not lead us to the real cause. Poor digestion my look like acne on the surface... just to give you a crazy example...

So after using myself as a guinea pig for over a year now I have decided to get some help. I have decided to try nutrition response testing, something I should have been doing a long time ago - but there is no time like the present right? I have my first appointment on Saturday and I am both scared and excited to hear what is going on. (For those of you who don't know I am still struggling very hard with my weight, something I NEVER had an issue with before, and I have bad acne on my face). It may sound like small issues, but after a year those extra pounds (20lbs to be exact) is no small issue anymore.

I have completely changed up on my diet - from being on a low carb diet for as much as I have been able to handle, to getting into what is called the Blood Type Diet. A diet based on your blood type. I am still not convinced it is the best way, but I am willing to give it a try, mostly because it is so different from what I have been eating (I am a type A and have been eating more like a type O).

So, ok ok.. I am still trying.. can't give up on HOPE right?!
Anyway... I just wanted to say hi, share some thoughts, and also see if there are any one of you who have tried the Nutrition Response Testing and the blood type diet who would be willing to share?

Another Sex and the City Dress

2011-01-15T21:39:00.001-05:00

A dinner and a few sips of some red wine I have now decided to go with yet another Carrie dress for the wedding next month. I even found it for sale.. for a mere $325! It is a Halston Heritage dress.

I think I will be going to JoAnn's or if I am lucky I might have time to go to NYC and Mood next week to find a good fabric.

So this will be the dress - I have no pattern but I think I should be able to figure it out...
Color, not sure.. blue is in my head right now. It will not be peach... peach is just not my color

It's Wedding time

2011-01-15T20:10:00.002-05:00

Going to a wedding in about one month and I have NO idea what I am going to ware. It is a very traditional catholic wedding, if anyone can give me some tips. See the only real wedding I have been to as been my own wedding and since that wedding was a backyard wedding / BBQ / Pool Party - there was no really dress code. People came the way they felt like, some in dresses and some in shorts and t-shirts.

But this one is FORMAL. I have really no clue what to ware. I have a black dress in the closet, but I am afraid I can't ware it anymore, and also questioning if it is a bit too short?!

And I watched the Sex and the City 2 Movie just a few days ago and I am absolutely obsessed with two of Carrie's outfits:

Are any of them appropriate for a formal wedding???
I especially LOVE the purple dress from the scene at the spice market...
Advice?

Unorganized

2011-01-10T14:56:00.000-05:00

Last night I was laying in bed trying to come up with a good post for this blog... but everything in my mind is blood type diet related and since I already opened a new blog for that I don't see a point in talking about it here too.. I started today with some lemon in warm water. Something I thought was going to be strange but it turns out it wasn't so bad!

My mind is so focused on getting this to work that there is no room for any other thoughts, haha! And I also have a Mexico trip to look forward to in March. My poor body needs to get in some kind of shape or this girl is walking around in a big sheet the whole trip! Now, I know my ultimate goal is to be healthy, not skinny... but going to Mexico is making me so aware of how I look and the thoughts of me putting on a bikini among many of our friends is making my stomach a little weak...

I can only say that this will work...

The blood type diet

2011-01-08T23:17:00.001-05:00

A word from another world
For about three years I have been living on a LCHF diet. In other words; low carb high fat - a typical Atkins diet... but I have been doing worse and worse on it without understanding why at all... I mean it is the same diet as the superstars are eating, right!?! Why didn't it work on me??

Then I got the book Eat Right for Your Type - talking about eating according to your blood type, something that sound so absurd at a first glance, but now I am starting to think that this is what I need... But have no idea.

For all of this time I have trained my brain that bread and grains are terrible bad for you, and that you need to eat meat, meat, meat... Something that I have enjoyed even though I have been longing for the potato, pasta, and bun on the burger.

Now, I have learned that my blood type is A
A blood type that for their own good should be a vegetarian, according to this theory! Vegetarian - me???!! I have never even tasted tofu or soy milk!

Today after writing a very long list with names of food I have no idea what it is even, I went to the grocery store to try to figure it all out. I felt I was in a different country completely without a map or compass! But on the other hand a map would have done me no good since I don't even know where I am going...

I think you can tell I am confused... even though it is starting to make sense to me I still have about a million of questions visiting my brain every second. I am starting to understand that the Atkins diet works so well for so many simply because there are more Type O people out there. They don't have to worry about their blood type...

But even though I am still confused and really have to learn things over again I am hopeful and I am ready to through myself in this with my entire body and soul. There is no time to waste doing it half, because if this is not going to work I will notice it faster and IF IT WILL work I will notice it too... and that is what I am really hoping for.

I am going to use this blog to write about my journey, all the new foods I will try, and also about the struggle on how to cook for two different people; I am a type A and hubs is a type O - the complete opposite! I am a very bad cook in the first place so sticking to recipes will be a must for me... If you have been through this journey I would love to hear your input.

Hoping for a great 2011!

Happy 2011

2011-01-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-23T21:05:00.000-05:00

I am writing you all an electronic Christmas letter this year because I forgot to mail it out to those of you who normally receive one – however, this is a more environmental friendly way of doing it and we all have to cheer for that, right. And I can reach so many more of you!

This year as been a big year for Paul and I. We have accomplished a lot and have asked more questions than someone would consider normal. On December 1st we bought our first two houses that we now rent out. I must say it feels very strange to own two houses yet not live in any of them. Much of our spare time this year as been spent learning about real estate investing and we are happy to see our hard work paying off. Now we just have to continue to grow and nurture it to make it into something bigger.

Next year we will most likely start hunting for a house that are for us, because we grew out of our one bedroom apartment a long time ago. And it would be nice to have a room for guests when they come and visit too.

We have enjoyed some trips this year: Last Christmas holiday we spent together in Sweden and loved being able to snowboard in the Norwegian mountains. In April we went to Orlando, Florida and spent much time with Paul’s favorite pastime – Golfing. We also visited Universal Studios, something I really enjoyed even though I got sick to my stomach after the Hulk roller coaster.

Trysil Norway Winter 2009

Golfing in Florida Spring 2010

Over the summer my sister visited and we took her to Baltimore and Washington DC for a few days, along with some day trips here and there. Having visitors from home is not something you get spoiled with when living on the other side of the pond; so every moment is treasured!

Sister and Paul in Baltimore Harbour

I went to my first American Halloween party this year; it was an 80’s theme and I had only a day to figure out what I was going to do (also called procrastination) so I decided to do Flashdance. I was happy there was a bonfire at the party or I would have frozen my a** off! Unfortunately Paul was not able to attend, maybe next year?!

Flashdance for the 80's Themed Party

Thanksgiving we spent at the Owen’s as usual. And as usual it is an amazing day and night with much laughter, great people, and very good food. It is like Christmas for my dear Hubs and to make it even better our first snow of the season fell that morning making it a tiny bit better.

Happy Thanksgiving

This year’s Christmas holiday we are spending it apart. I am in Sweden and Paul is back home. Not the ultimate set up I have to admit, and I hope it does not have to be this way ever again. With the tax credit to home owners getting their house more efficient as far as energy, climate control, and water, Paul has been busy the whole fall with getting this done before the new year, without any chance of getting time off. All I can hope for is that he gets a good rest with the few extra days he will have off during the holidays.

As most of you know, my health has been a little rocky and I am planning to start off the New Year trying both Nutrition response testing (Kinesiology) and the Blood type diet as a new step in finding a way back to good health. I am very hopeful and know I will learn a lot more about myself and about health in general going through this process.

2011 will be an adventurous year it feels like, and I am looking forward to all the challenges it will bring. I hope to grow as a person, business owner, wife, and friend, and I also hope to learn more about holistic health and real estate investing.

A picture from my childhood bedroom window... it is really cold here right now!

I wish all of you out there a wonderful holiday no matter what kind of them you celebrate and I hope you feel hopeful about the New Year.

Much love

First thing in life...

2010-12-17T11:16:00.000-05:00

My blog title says "You" ... but is it really?
I mean; it should be but sometimes we forget how to take care of our selves. Yet, we all know that we can care for others much better when we are healthy and happy.

I am still struggling, as you all already know and am really looking forward to when I go back and have my nutrition response testing in January (I am now in Sweden for the holiday with my family). And along with it, I am going to start "eating right for my type" which is a diet based on what blood type you have. This is a completely new chapter in my life and I am hopeful and scared. Hopeful that I will finally get well but scared that I will fail on myself.

I don't know enough to say that the NRT and the blood type diet works, even though I have heard many people swear by it. I can only hope that it will work for me. It for sure is going to be an interesting learning experience and journey that I am looking forward to.

"Live Your Dream"

That is the text on a new ring I bought for myself. I have always wanted to have something that can remind me of how important my health is to me. First I was thinking of a wrist band, but they always get in the way when I sit on the computer at work all day long so this ring works perfect! I have stepped beyond the need to become skinny again, I just want to get well! And that is my new years resolution to myself, what is yours?

If you want to get a ring just like this, or pick from other wonderful rings that can give you some hope, joy, or comfort click SANCTUARY ~ GIFTS THAT INSPIRE ~ MARTHA'S VINEYARD

Yasmin Story on Video

2010-12-08T21:30:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMMo_a_0Lkg

A story from my past

2010-12-07T11:55:00.001-05:00

Someone that has never been through the same thing as I have might wonder why on earth I stayed on Yasmin or any other birth control for so long... but it wasn't that easy - nowhere did I get the support I needed to get all this figured out. This is a short summary of some of the things I experienced while on Yasmin with numerous issues:

No, it is not related – it is just you, you stupid little girl

She told me I was making a very adult decision by sticking with birth control pills after she had pointed out that it was 99% safe. She wasn’t concerned about any side effects – as the worst thing that could happen to me was that 1% chance of getting pregnant. I trusted her, I trusted my gynecologist.

I had been taking different types of birth control pills for four years up until that point. But since nothing had really worked for me as I was having heavy bleedings in-between periods on every pill I had tried I was told that Yasmin was the new and great pill. I was told it was so good and safe that I had to go with it. There were really no other options left for me in the way my gynecologist was speaking to me. You would have thought that she could have recommended me to use any of the non-hormonal options that are available but that was not even discussed. At that point however, I did feel hopeful; a new and improved pill...

That new and improved pill, Yasmin, soon became the one and only reason I visited doctors with all sort of specialties, only I didn’t realize it. I did not understand that it was all linked to the pill, how could I when it had nothing to do with my cycles or uterus?! My bleedings had become a little bit better so in my mind this new and wonderful pill was truly much better than the rest! And no doctor even raised an eye brow when I told them I was on Yasmin either so it never even occurred to me.

Unfortunately the real truth was that I had started to have heart palpitations, insomnia, and became extremely depressed and sensitive. But at the same time I was also very busy with college and I blamed it all on school. I used to lay awake all night listening to my heart beats and was so afraid of falling asleep in case I would not wake up. When the morning came I used to open my dorm room door wide open and fall asleep so that in case I didn’t wake up, someone would find me.

Every time I went for an EKG my heart beat was ok, go figure, so instead of being a patient that needed help I soon became a hypochondriac in the eyes of the doctors and my complaints were ignored. I never knew what to do about my insomnia besides for let myself fall asleep whenever I could, which wasn’t long or often but it was the best I could do. The depression and sensitiveness grew on me and I didn’t realize it – I thought it was just the new, more adult, and mature me.

Then the bleedings came back full force. I was bleeding more than I was not in every cycle. Having a relationship was hard and embarrassing for me as I felt extremely dirty all the time. I went back to my gynecologist who sent me to a specialist and after doing the examination he found nothing wrong with me but prescribed me two different antibiotics just in case and before leaving the room the specialist looked at me and said these exact words: “your bleedings are probably caused by you being depressed, go and do something fun”.

I felt so worthless after that point and was embarrassed of being me. I started to shut down. I would not tell anyone how I was feeling even though more and more symptoms grew on me. But still I had no idea that it was related to Yasmin, in my mind it was all just me; something that was pretty much verified by the doctors I had been seeing… So I kept taking Yasmin for another five years and became a person that was more or less a shell of the old me...

Yasmin user from 2002 to 2009

Flu, my favorite subject!

2010-12-07T00:43:00.000-05:00

I despise all ads about medication in general but the flu vaccine ads actually makes my heart beat a little faster and I get angry! Yes, I get angry.. they are painting up this picture that the flu is the worst illness in your life and that you just HAVE to get vaccinated to be responsible. You have to protect your family, your co-workers, and others... or you are not a good citizen!

On top of that they say that getting the vaccine is really the ONLY way you can be safe and flu free for yet another year. They even have a dot-Gov website for promoting it!

What happened to the "eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, get fresh air, take some supplements, stay clean" idea?! I bet we are a few people that can prove that it works pretty good! In fact, I think we can prove that by going about it the natural way we will be able to build up our OWN immune system and if we get the flu anyway, it would be easier handled by our body. With every flu you actually get your immune system will build up immunity to that flu for a LIFETIME - not just a year like the vaccine.. Now, isn't that a better deal?!

No artificial injections, no money paid, no possible side effects, and immunity for a life time. Who can beat that?! Not this stupid vaccine, that's for sure.

Off course, getting the flu sucks, I am not going to deny that - I have had it in the past and it is a pest.. but just like a regular cold, it passes.

I wonder what would happen if people just stopped getting this vaccine, would the world collapse? Would we loose so much tax money from all of these paid shots, would people loose jobs, would we all walk around and be sick all the time? Yeah, this flu is dangerous alright.. just not in the way you would think.

Nutrition Response Testing

2010-12-06T21:43:00.000-05:00

My chiropractor recommended me to look into something called Nutrition Response Testing so I have taken the first step of making this happen. As time is running out I have decided to do it after I come back from my holiday vacation to Sweden rather than try to squeeze it in before, putting more stress on myself.

I really have no idea of how it works besides from what I red on the link attached above, but I am hopeful. This is not conventional medicine, this is holistic and natural down to the bone.. I like it and I appreciate it.

If anyone of you have tried it, please share your experience. I will for sure keep you posted!

NO No noooooooooo!

2010-12-03T15:03:00.000-05:00

Got the test results back yesterday, but the nurse who I spoke to on the phone earlier yesterday actually thought she was speaking to someone else... so that was good because what she said to me over the phone did not make any sense to me.

Not that my test results made any sense to me.. well at least not all of them.
It showed low levels of TSH but normal levels of T4 - which points toward a syndrome that is called "Subclinical Hyperthyroidism" (I did my own online research when I got home).

My A1c was slightly high on the test, too high for my liking. This is a sign that verifies my suspicions that I do have some kind of insulin issue...

My cholesterol was a little skew, my good (HDL) was too low and my bad ones (LDL & TriG) were too high. But I have nothing to compare it with since it was the first time I took it. I am a little against measuring cholesterol because I don't think it really shows a good picture of your health anyway.. we need the lipoproteins in order to tell a better story. But it is a starting point.

So here are my thoughts
I have been thinking for a while that I was having thyroid issues because I have such a hard time loosing weight and have gained so much since coming off the birth control over a year ago now, and on top of that I am having a very low basal temperature in the morning, over one full degree of what is considered 'normal'... But all those issues point toward Hypothyroidism and not Hyperthyroidism! How can I be still FAT while I have a hyper thyroid?!

Second, doesn't the thyroid and insulin kind of go hand in hand? Can you have hypoT with high levels of TSH? I mean, off course you can, but does it really make sense?

I have so many questions that I think I need to speak to a Endocrinologist... I don't think my levels are alarming of any kind, they are very manageable but I still want to be able to understand it a little bit better. The doctor did not want to see me yesterday, it was just the mistake of the nurse. But then she said: "He wants you have to go on a strictly diet, and we will take your tests again in February"...

Now to someone that has no idea what low TSH, high LDL, Low B12, Normal T4, Low D3, High A1c means - what kind of a diet is that person suppose to go on. Because I am PRETTY darn sure different people call different thing a diet. Weight Watchers, Jenny Graig, Atkins, South beach, GI, No Gluten, LCHF, Count Calories... just to name of few - which one is a diet in your mind? And which one would in your mind make the best impact on the above test results???

Well, I know which one I am going to pick - and I would have done so no matter what the doctor said, but what about other people. What does 'Going on a diet' mean?? Just as what does 'I eat healthy' mean???!!!

Off course I am struggling with the questions if this is by any chance related to Yasmin... In my mind it is.. I found this article where they say "...TSH may be unintentionally suppressedduring hormone replacement therapy in about 20% of hypothyroidpatients..." http://www.eje-online.org/cgi/content/full/152/1/1
I simply think that my 11 years on birth control has destroyed parts of my body's own functions and while I was on it, it was simply hiding those issues. But I might only be looking for something else to blame than myself...

And another journey begins...

Call Back

2010-12-02T13:22:00.001-05:00

I never thought that would happen... Never even crossed my mind...
I was at my family physician last Monday for some tests. I just basically wanted some updated numbers from last year on my Thyroid, Vitamin levels, and I also asked for Cortisol levels because I have been having some issues related to insulin.
Today they called and wanted me to come back in to discuss some abnormal levels. I tried to have the woman tell me what it was all about - and off course she is not allowed so she simply said: well, I don't know how to read this stuff. And would not fax me the results... So I have no idea, I can't prepare...

And then on top of that I had my yearly PAP today... any woman doing that knows that it is not the greatest moment in a year... In the examine room the gyno and I are talking about the FAM method as a birth control method. And she agrees that it works if you are educated on the method... She had one woman tell her that they were doing FAM for pregnancy prevention and said "I have not gotten pregnant yet"... Sounds like that person didn't think it was going to work! LOL!

So as I was walking out of the office I asked my gyno if she heard many women complain about yasmin... and she just said "oh no... what they complain about is the ads they see on TV... and that is just attorney's wanting money... any reason why you ask?" I didn't say much because I was taken by surprise and I felt that she was a little rushed. I guess the only symptoms she think I had on Yasmin was my bleeding... and I guess it makes sense. She has not been with me from the start, but now I am thinking I should write her a letter of some kind just to inform her what I went through... or this ignorance will never stop...

Market your Online Biz

2010-12-01T21:38:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I just updated my shop on zibbet.com a little - decided to try a premium account for a few months and see if it will do me any good.

But the real trick here is not to have a premium account or a great looking shop online. The MUST when selling something is VISIBILITY! If no one knows where to find your stuff, then you are most likely not going to succeed. It is easy to set up a website, it is a little bit trickier to get people to visit your shop, and another jump to get the ones who visit the shop to actually BUY something.

So, I have to really target the people I try to advertise to - they have to be in the right demographics for my stuff. I know who they are - now I just have to find them. Mommies, Grandparents, and other people that would buy gifts for babies and children. They can't be that hard to find right?! No they are not, those people are EVERYWHERE - the hard part is to make them pick your store before anyone else. To look at it on a bigger picture, I am even competing with Macy's when it comes to some things, and maybe Walmart when it comes to other things. How do I make them realize that buying from me is original and not something you will find everywhere?! How do I make them come to me?

Many Projects

2010-11-30T11:14:00.000-05:00

You can tell when Christmas is around the corner at my house. I have million ideas that I want to take on. Both for myself and to give others. But I have a feeling there will be not much of either this year. I have started to make a purse for myself, the first one I have ever attempted... and it looks like it is going to be a little too big! I do like big bags - but I don't know if this is a little too big!!! We will see... I am going to finish anyway, but maybe not before christmas.

I want to get some screen prints ready - I bought some organic cotton canvas bags at BB&B a few days ago and have decided to give some away. I designed a print that involves my family in the shape of a heart... I know my family already have numerous of canvas bags for when they go to the grocery store, we have been doing that for years over in Sweden, but it can't hurt to have one more... right?!

I am also planning to print a t-shirt for my brother's step son with a retro feel. I was hoping to find a tee with some nice print on it and simply just print his name with a cool font over the original print.

I will have to take pictures of all of this once it is done. My trip back to Sweden is on December 15th so I will need to get this taken care of pretty soon. December 1st TOMORROW!

And on top of all of this, hubby and I are buying 2 houses tomorrow. We are buying them and will rent them out, in fact they already have tenants in them! Cash flow from day ONE!

So I am a little busy.. ;p

More Animals - Candie Ink

2010-11-27T20:46:00.002-05:00

Here are the rest of the animal prints that I have uploaded to my Zibbet Shop, might try to get one or two more up this week it depends on everything else I 'have' to do...

BeYaz - When your birth control fails...

2010-11-26T23:10:00.000-05:00

In the medical world, the meaning of a failing birth control is equal to pregnancy, and not a long list of possible side effect. After all they never promised you that they would keep you happy, healthy, or even sane... Just that you would not get pregnant.. at least 99% of the time.

So now they have come up with a new trick... they have added a sprinkle of Folic Acid to the pill IN CASE you are one of those 1% that do get pregnant - then your fetus will be better protected against certain birth defects... whohoo!! I am so happy... now we can all safely start shewing the pill every night again!! (Hope you realized I was just kidding there)

Please remind me; who is FDA working for again?!

Find the whole article here: BeYaz

Paxon Turtle

2010-11-22T22:52:00.002-05:00

I feel like I have opened up my soul to everyone to look, judge, and reflect on who I am... I just put one of my original ideas of my Candie Ink business up for sale on my new Zibbet.com Shop I have no idea what the reaction should be but to me it is like my baby - I will love it no matter what.

I may not sell one, but I might sell a few... the future will tell. I will be happy no matter what.

Were did I go? - Times Sqaure!

2010-11-22T16:25:00.000-05:00

Ok, I guess I can't just put that up there with any further explanation where I have been hiding the past month...

Life has been busy! And I have a long list of things I want to share with you all. Here are some examples: My view on the vaccine Gardasil, Some more on birth control (off course), Fertility awareness method, Some projects I have been working on...

I will have to get to it when time allows.

My best friend was here for a few days a few weeks ago and I loved every single moment of it!

Here we are posing at American Eagle and they put our picture on the big screen

- all we had to do was to buy something! Pretty Cool.

BIG screen on Time Square!

Trying Zibbet.com

2010-11-22T16:09:00.001-05:00

Since my Etsy.com listings ran out and the competition on Etsy was just too much to handle I have decided to give Zibbet.com a try instead. They don't have close to as many sellers (probably not as many buyers either) but hopefully I can get something happening over there.

I am uploading some things tonight I think - that was my originally thought of Candie Ink... Kind of scary to put it out there, what if people don't like it.. A well. If I don't try - I will never know!

Birth Control Side Effects

2010-10-27T23:16:00.001-04:00

Birth control is a subject that has become a mission bigger than myself... I feel a need to spread the word to everyone I speak with and I wish someone could have shared with me ten years ago what I know today... But on the other hand if someone would have done that - I would not have been here today, trying to work so hard for it.

Birth control in the form of IUD, Pill, Implant, Shot, Ring or Patch are a hormonal form of birth control. They are accepted as the NORM by many; including our parents, friends and doctors and are not questioned enough. What we learn about them are the so called benefits and not side effects - and in many cases the side effect is looked upon as that X% chance of getting pregnant... Off course getting pregnant will change your life forever no matter what you decide to do when you find out that you are pregnant and I am not trying to hide that... but there is so much more than that. So much that not many speak about, or even acknowledge as being related.

More often than NOT are our symptoms ignored, laughed at, or treated with medications that most often fail. Why, I do not know - but I am sad that it has to be that way... there are so many young wonderful women out there that need the support that are left alone to think that it is all in their heads.

I am here to tell you that it is NOT in your head - your symptoms are very much real and are related to hormonal birth control, (or hormonal treatment during menopause if you are at that stage in your life):

Hair loss
Heart Palpitations
Vision blurres
Astigmatism
High Blood pressure
Allergy reactions
Sinus problems
Vaginal Dryness
Depression
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Insomia
Symptom of Hypothyroidism
Low tolerance to carbohydrates
Poor nutrition absorbtion
Diarrhea
Dizzyness
Alcohol and/or Caffeine sensitiveness
Feeling faint
Weight Gain
Weight Loss
Low or no sex drive
Spotting in-between periods
Irregular Bleeding
Cold sores
Low immune system
UTI
Memory problems
Bloating
Mood swings
Migraines
Head aches
Weepiness
PCOS
Sensitive to the sun
Nervousness
Chronically tired
Changes in skin
Muscle cramps or pain
Heart attack
Stroke
Blood clot

As you can see most symptoms have nothing to do with your reproductive tract (vagina, uterus, menstruation)... and they may be overlooked by yourself even, as a symptom of your birth control method. And if you suspect that it is linked you must prepare yourself that your suspicion might be dismissed by the doctor or gynecologist. You must listen to your body! Taking beta blockers, anti depressants, and/or use Rogain shampoo will NOT treat your real underlying issue, only hide it - if you are lucky - and then you should also hope for no side effects of this options. The only way you are truly going to get rid of this is to get off the hormonal birth control, and by that I mean GET OFF, not try another one, and restore your body's natural hormone balance; which could be a trip to hell and back but worth the ride in the end!

Your health comes first! It is really that simple. Without your health in tact you cannot care for your loved ones in the best possible way. Take care of YOU first! If you are taking hormonal birth control you should really sit down and ask yourself if it is worth the risks when there are so many other available options out there that does not include hormones when it comes to birth control (something I will be talking about in a later post). If you are a man reading this - I have only one thing to say - Please support your woman when she does not want to use hormonal methods of birth control, I beg you.

No Ovulation

2010-10-25T17:00:00.000-04:00

Just as I thought everything was FINALLY over for all my symptoms I have now realized that my cycles are not as normal as they should. More then half of them happen without me getting ovulation! That basically means that the body will keep producing estrogen all the way through the cycle giving me a nice flashback of my years on the pill!

I get amazed by everything new that happens to me.. what if we could ALL learn these things when we are in high school instead?!?! So we don't have to play this guessing game with ourselves all the time! I am getting a little discourage...

So I have already figured out that my body does not make enough progesterone and my body was 'infected' with estrogen... well now on top of that it does not ovulate either every month. Which makes the progesterone deficiency a little bit worse. What happens is that I get all the nice symptoms of too much estrogen.. weight gain, tired, carb sensitive, and weepy! Lovely!!!

So now I am going to work out that part too.. Herbs - here I come!
Just ordered some herbs I have never tried before from iHerb.com and feel hopeful that they will work. Even though I am not looking to get pregnant, I want my body to FUNCTION like a normal woman's body and have ovulation every single cycle - is that really too much to ask??!

So I have now ordered the following herbal supplements:
False Unicorn Root - Sounded so mystical and wonderful.. :) and it will help getting my cycles back on track and heal my uterus.
Siberian Ginseng - for some energy and Adrenal function
Smilax / Sarasparilla - for hormone balance
Licorice Root - Adrenal health and hormone balance

Anyone tried it?

First time iHerb customers will get $5 off; use the promotion code HIS994

Hormone treatment can mean more than one thing

2010-10-20T16:27:00.000-04:00

As I was laying in bed this morning I had the Early Show on and I was only paying half attention to it until they started to talk about risks with hormone replacement for women going through menopause. Thankfully many women select to not receive any hormone treatment when they go through it, but others feel that they have no option, or don't really know what they are getting themselves into...

This is a written piece on pretty much the same interview Please Click HERE to see the original post and recording:

(CBS) Since 2002 when the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study showed an increase risk of breast cancer for women using estrogen and progestin, hormone use has dropped off. But the debate still rages on about just what the risk is.

Now, new findings in a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) further clarify that risk.

The study found that, compared with women who had never used hormone therapy, women who used estrogen therapy for more than 15 years had a 19 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer.

Women who used combined therapy with estrogen plus progestin for 15 or more years had an 83 percent greater risk. Breast cancer risk was highest among women who used the combination regimen.

Other important findings :

• Risk varied according to Body Mass Index (BMI), with greater risks for thinner women.

• Longer duration of hormone therapy increased breast cancer risk.

So what should women take away from this new study?

According to CBS News Medical Correspondent and OB-GYN, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, this study looked at women taking hormone replacement therapy, also known as HRT, over a certain period of time and then helped to stratify their risk of breast cancer.

While we already know HRT increases the risk of breast cancer, Ashton points out this study focuses on duration of use and combination of HRT, including estrogen and progesterone.

The findings that women who used combined therapy with estrogen plus progestin for 15 or more years had an 83 percent greater risk raises a lot of concern, "Early Show" co-anchor Erica Hill pointed out.

"If taken for more than 15 years," Ashton reiterates. "Remember, if it was 100 percent risk, that would be equivalent to doubling your risk. This 83 percent is actually very similar to what came out in 2002."

Therefore, length of time is important.

"Length of time, longer risk associated with higher risk. Women who took HRT for about two years really showed a minimal increase in their breast cancer risk, so that's important.

"Women who took both combination, as we just saw, estrogen and progesterone, had a higher risk. And women who took what we call continuously without a break also had a higher risk. So that further delineates what the risks are. So like anything, (it's about) risk versus benefits. You want to be able to stratify those risks as much as possible," she added.

Weight also plays a significant role, but the results are surprising.

"Usually we hear obesity can contribute to the risk of breast cancer. This study found thinner women had higher risk," Ashton explained. "It's important to remember, again, this needs to be individually discussed with your doctor, that WHI study from 2002 actually found hormone replacement therapy can lessen the risk of colon cancer. So, if that's a bigger risk for you versus breast cancer, you want to discuss that with your doctor. It's not a simple equation."

What do I think about it... Well, first I think we need to separate the term "hormone treatment" a little bit more. What they in this case are referring to is synthetic hormones, estrogen and progestin.. those found in regular birth control pills. They are dangerous! No question about it... and in combination they are a secured road to many complications now and later on in life. The hormones used is not natural even though many doctors will refer to it as natural hormone replacement.

What we need to focus on is NATURAL ways of reaching optimal health - something that in many cases will not be supported by your doctor because he or she can always refer to it as "there is no proof". But remember that just because it is not published in the big medical journals does not mean it has not been researched, only thing is that most of the natural methods does not have the big medical companies backing them up with a big fat pay check and getting them in publications can be a little hard. But that does not mean that they don't exist.

This is were every woman needs to take an active decision in her life. Is she going to educate herself or is she going to let someone use her body as their personal guinea pig? But here is the second hurdle - how do you know you are learning what is right and most beneficial for you?? At first everything is going to look the same. But you want to look for words as holistic, natural, and reformed. Starting out by reading any of Dr John R Lee's books about hormones will give you a giant leap compared to others just like you... You will know so many things that your doctor may or may not even know, and if they know they may chose to not share it with you.

I am even here willing to say that hormone treatment is beneficial for you, if you need it, but you need to know what hormones you need and where to get them. If you received them through a prescription from your doctor a RED light should go off... Natural Progesterone Cream is good, Natural Vitamin D3 is good, and Natural herbs to stimulate your adrenal gland and your cortisol levels are good!!! And that to me would also classify as hormone treatment - right?!

Love your Boobies

2010-10-14T23:36:00.002-04:00

It is hard to ignore the fact that it is breast cancer awareness month - even during the football games every Sunday we see more pink than we do in our every day life. It is an important effort to reach a better solution for so many women that have suffered and for those who have lost a loved one to breast cancer.

I do however think that there is a lack of information to the public about the progress and what every woman can do for herself to try to stay away from it. They breast cancer industry live and feed off of our fear of getting it... and that is bad, really bad! It is a money machine in both a good way and a bad way...

I want to send this note out - and encourage every woman to read this book. It is all about taking charge of your destiny and not putting your life in someone else hands.. because you never know what they will do with that privilege.Read the book and start supplementing with Vitamin D3!!!

Love your boobies, love your life

do yourself a favor and take action today!

Link to book at Amazon.com

1 year anniversary

2010-10-07T18:33:00.001-04:00

So today is my one year anniversary off Yasmin (birth control). I am celebrating it with every living part of my body! Looking back - I am so thankful I figured it out. I have no idea of what shape or form I would have been in today if I would have still been taking the pills... I don't want to think about it, the last month I was taking it was bad enough. I honestly though I was going to die. I was even afraid to fall asleep in case I wouldn't wake up... It is so crazy what a pill can do to you. It truly messes with your body and mind. And on top of that, the whitdrawl effects makes you wonder if it may not be just you after all... Thank god I stuck by my words of never going back, never give up, and always look for new answers!

As you already know this has become something bigger to me than just my own health. I want to help every girl and woman out there that might suffer like I did. Nothing is going to stop me in that effort. I only have to work harder on my speaking abilities regarding it. So many people I talk to turn down my ideas with rolling eyes and disinterest, and that makes me a little unsure to continue for some reason... I want to work on that. I should have a practiced speech in my head all the time. You never know when there is an opportunity to present it. Right?!

I have been contacted by a law firm just a few days ago to help them in the effort of getting this off the market. I am not sure of any details but the offer sounds incredibly interesting and I am willing to do what it takes to take this message to the next level. I will update you on what this might bring.

Much love and health to you all

Ryder Cup

2010-10-03T20:11:00.001-04:00

My hubby LOVES golf - and when I say LOVES golf I really mean it. He could spend every day for the rest of his life on a golf course! He would miss nothing...

So over the last few days we have been watching the Ryder Cup - he cheering when team USA score and I when team Europe score. He cannot really understand why I want Europe to win, because I don't really know any of the players... then I try to explain to him that he would cheer on team USA no matter what sport or who it is that plays... It is called patriotism!

Anyway I strongly recommend the team USA attire crew to go and find themselves a new designer. Their clothes stinks! They are horrible!! Nothing matches and they look silly! Or what do you think?

Off course it is nothing like the spectacular outfits that were featured in 1999 Ryder's cup...

Blood Sugar Testing

2010-09-30T12:06:00.000-04:00

So I am back on testing my blood sugar again... but I must have picked the worst day ever to start...
For lunch we went to a Thai restaurant and I ordered a curry pot with coconut milk (without knowing it) and rice. So my blood sugar went for a ride!

60 minutes after lunch - 193
90 minutes after lunch - 217
2 hrs after lunch - 258
2.5 hrs after lunch - 140

I was getting a bit worried - numbers like that is just not normal... But I am also trying to figure out if I forgot to take my progesterone yesterday morning... and if that had anything to do with it?

I wish I could have the same food today just to check, but I will do it next time I'm there instead and keep this one for the record. So today I am going to continue sticking myself in the finger multiple times, and this is the start:

Fasting at 7.45 am - 89
30 minutes after having my protein shake at 9.30 am - 106
1 hour after having a Diet Coke (yes I am going to check everything today) at 11.00 am - 96

And my testing will continue...

Good guidelines to live by is:
Fasting: 79-99 mg/dl (3.9-5.5 mmol/L)
Postprandial (2hrs after eating): 70-145 mg/dl (3.9-8.1 mmol/L)
Random: 70-125 mg/dl (3.9-6.9 mmol/L)

Red Shoes

2010-09-23T16:40:00.001-04:00

I am not much for wearing red. I don't feel that it is my color. I have made a gown in red once, but that is different - that is 'Pretty Woman' style and every girl looks nice in a full red dress...

But other than that - I normally don't ware or buy red clothes.

So today as I was shopping for a gift for my friend I found these red shoes - She LOVES red and I know she has said that she wants to own a pair of red shoes one day - and I thought these would look perfect on her.
I found them at Macy's for a bargain! Then I tried them on in my size... and I loved them.

Should I get me a pair of red shoes too?!?!!

Cleaning Up

2010-09-22T22:04:00.001-04:00

As you already know; I am a complete scatter brain! I have ideas that grows to mountains one day and falls to the ocean foor the next. Nothing wrong with that - it is just hard to keep up with it.

In late March I opened up my Etsy shop for baby and toddler clothes and was so ready to do it full out, and one month later I started investigating in Real Estate Investing... My Candie Ink business kind of died out. And with me not getting any sales really I couldn't keep it up. Now I am focusing on real estate and have my sewing and printing as a side hobby, but who knows what tomorrow will bring?! You never know with me ;)

So with that said I have been trying to keep blogs separate with different themes.. This blog was originally for health... then I opened one for sewing, then another one for weight loss and then I have one for dancing, and then a blog I write in Swedish in for my Swedish friends... It just got a little hard to keep up with, both for me and the readers.

So I have decided to combine my blogs - so this is now HELENA - EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN... or whatever I decide to name it. With the change I also updated the look a little, and I am still working on getting all my labels organized.. it will take some time but at least I have a plan.

So stay tuned...

VMA and Progesterone Cream

2010-09-12T22:18:00.001-04:00

As I am sitting and watching the VMA on MTV I am also now rubbing my boobies with my second batch of progesterone cream for today. I decided to go for 1/8 of a teaspoon twice a day instead of 1/4 once a day because you should use it in different places every time you use it for better absorption and 1/4 is too much to put in one small area. And on top of that only a few areas on the body are 'better' than others. This morning I used the inside of my right arm... now it is time for my boobies!

Also prepared my pill boxes for the week so I have that under control... Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Kelp, B-vitamins, Magnesium, Fish Oil, Calcium... and a pray has been added to the mix too!

Only a few more days

2010-09-10T20:38:00.000-04:00

This coming Sunday, September 12th - I will start my first progesterone cream treatment. I still have NO idea if it will help or not - but I am hopeful. It feels like this is one of the missing pieces of the puzzle.

Today I also called a Holistic GYN - that I feel I could trust with symptoms and recovery techniques far beyond the regular medicine world. But I have not decided if I should go for it now or not. It will most likely not be covered by my insurance and the first visit is $280... that is almost half a ticket to Sweden over Christmas.

I don't know what to do. Maybe I can go to my regular doctor and have them do some hormone testing on me and that will give me a starting point? But that will mean that I need to get in on Monday so that the progesterone cream does not give a too false starting point. And maybe after a month on the cream if things are still the same I might look for more answers. I don't know... I would love to have someone to talk to that I trust and that would understand...

This past month have been a little set back month for me. I have experienced minor anxiety, heart palpitations, gas, depression, insomnia. food cravings and my cycles have not been on the mark lately either... and I ask myself if it is because I am truly getting a little worse as far as hormone imbalance or if it is because I have been slacking with my supplements eating habits and exercise regimen?! Can it be a little bit of both??

Sunday will be a whole new start for me. I am not only going to attack my issues with the progesterone cream, but also start taking my Thyroid supplements, Vitamin D3, Fish Oil, Vitamin C, and Magnesium along with eating less carbs and sugar and jump back on my exercise schedule again... I have to make it work, I just have to!

Back on track

2010-09-09T16:47:00.000-04:00

Mood called me Friday last week after receiving my letter with a piece of my fabric and told me that they will be shipping some more!! And I received it yesterday. I hope to be done with the dress over the weekend and have decided that instead of doing a short sleeve I am going to make it long and fold it up when needed.

Hopefully there will be enough fabric over for me to make a skirt I was looking at, at GAP:

And on the health aspect of my life I am trying something new and would appreciate any comments on experience with progesterone cream from everyone that have tried it. Please click here and leave a comment, I would really appreciate it.

Mood-y

2010-08-30T20:51:00.002-04:00

So I went to Mood with my sister and got this super great shirt fabric that I started making a shirt dress out of 2 weekends ago and was going to finish up yesterday.

I should add to the story that I usually NEVER follow a pattern I buy 100% - I always need to change something here and there... but buy the pattern that is closest to my own designs, I usually only have in my head so my progress is a step by step thing.

So I bought this pattern: Vouge V8613

But this pattern calls for a fabric with a light stretch - I was using a 100% cotton fabric with no stretch so I had to use a size bigger than what I would have picked normally and I wanted the buttons and front opening to go all the way down the skirt as well... I was planning to change the oak as well but changed my mind as it was just a little too much fixing back and forth and I just wanted to get the dress done before summer is over.

So last night when I was cutting the skirt parts out I was running a little short on fabric so I had to use all the tricks I knew to get the most out of it... and I got it all on there... except for that I cut out two right sides instead of one right and one left.... whaaaaat?!?!?!!

My mojo just disappeared and I was so upset - now what!?!
Today I called Mood and will send them a little sample of my fabric and HOPE that they still have it and can send me some more because I simply LOVE this fabric and I need to have this dress done!

I hope this is it

2010-08-30T20:26:00.002-04:00

I think and I hope, even pray, that I have found the last piece to the puzzle when it comes to my recovery from yasmin (birth control).

It is hard to know for sure, and before testing I can still only hope and pray, but I think that I have excess estrogen and not enough progesterone in my body and that combination is making me gain weight simply by blocking my perfectly healthy thyroid to perform what it is supposed to do. And that will make the body store estrogen in the fat tissue making it even harder to lose, and will keep me feel like I have blood sugar issues. I say that it makes me feel like I have blood sugar issues because I feel really shaky and warm from some kind of foods high in sugar but every time I test my blood sugar, it is perfectly normal...

And I have stopped looking for answer at the doctor's office. If my thyroid test comes back normal then it is 'just me' and I have to 'get used to my new body'. Well gaining 25 lbs in less that 2 years (where over 15lbs happened in just 2 months) is NOT normal no matter if I still look like a 'normal' woman. Even the most ignorant person should notice that... but no... unless I am half dead no one will even pretend to be concerned.

I would LOVE to hear from anyone that have tried natural progesterone cream, both good and bad experiences are welcome. Please?

Baby Model

2010-08-19T23:03:00.003-04:00

I just have to post some pictures of when I had a little baby girl wearing my clothes. She was a great model and here are some samples:

This dress is not for sale on my Etsy store yet - so if you want to buy it you can send me an email at CandieInk@live.com - Sizes range from about 9 months to 2 years (I will give interested specific measurements)

This one is also unavailable on Etsy for now, so once again if you want one - send me an email.

Sizes available are: NB, 6M, 12M, 18M, 24M

Also available in Baby Blue for the boys

Soft Jean Romper - fits so great!

Sizes and more picture available at my Etsy shop

Could it be?

2010-08-16T15:52:00.002-04:00

Last post I wrote was about that book recommendation... today's post will have something to do with it. Many women are suffering from different things without having their symptoms confirmed by a test of some kind which throws these women in a bracket of "it is just in your head - you are doing fine". Making us think we are crazy.

Now, I do admit - we have our crazy moments just because we are women, we can go crazy over a pair of shoes and we feel complete with a fancy Coach bag on our shoulders... but that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about constant pain, physical or mental, that is just there without reason or explanation.

I don't believe that I am sitting on the answer but the book I recommended have a lot of information that might clear things up for you or someone you love. The book is a great investment! But if you are not sure yet if it will speak to you and your symptoms, why don't you first take this online test to make sure!?

Hormone Balance Test

New Book Recommendation

2010-08-14T21:47:00.004-04:00

For all of you women out there I have to recommend ONE book and I want to say this with it:

If you or someone you know is suffering from ANY of the below listed symptoms - read the book!

Acceleration of the aging process
Allergy symptoms, including asthma, hives, rashes, sinus congestion
Autoimmune disorders such as lupus, erythematosis and thyroiditis, and possibly Sjögren’s disease
Breast Cancer
Brest Tenderness
Cervical dysplasia
Cold hands and feet as a symptom of thyroid dysfunction
Copper excess
Decreased sex drive
Depression with anxiety or agitation
Dry eyes
Early onset of menstruation
Endometrial (uterine) cancer
Fat gain, especially around the abdomen, hips, and thighs
Fatigue
Fibrocystic breasts
Foggy thinking
Gallbladder disease
Hair Loss
Headaches
Hypoglycemia
Increased blood clotting
Infertility
Irregular menstrual periods
Irritability
Insomnia
Magnesium deficiency
Memory loss
Mood swings
Osteoporosis
PMS
Polycystic ovaries
Premenopausal bone loss
Prostate Cancer
Sluggish metabolism
Thyroid dysfunction mimicking hypothyroidism
Uterine cancer
Uterine fibroids
Water retention, bloating
Zinc deficiency

The book is: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause - written by Dr. John R. Lee M.D.
Dr John R Lee website

First Visit to Mood

2010-08-14T21:25:00.000-04:00

My sister was here at the end of July and we did our required visit to NYC - I absolutely LOVE that city and to be there with my sister just made it even better! I had promised to show her SoHo but we just had to stop at Mood. I am ashamed to say it, but I had never been there before this summer... and I was overwhelmed! I absolutely loved it. I didn't really have a plan in mind of what to make so my mind was spinning in millions directions when I was looking at all of the wonderful fabrics! I ended up buying just one... but that is ok now I know what to expect when I go next time.

Even though I have never really done any major interior designs - the fabrics that I was the most crazy about was the interior fabrics - there was so many of them, and they all could have made any home a fabulous home!

The fabric I ended up buying is a blue and white striped fabric for dress shirts and I plan to get inspired by Ralph Lauren and make myself one of my favorite attires for the moment: a shirt dress! What do you think?!

My Sexy Jeans - Here I come!

2010-08-14T14:07:00.000-04:00

It has only taken me a few weeks, maybe even months.

Sis was here and I enjoyed every little thing I really should not eat, but I let myself indulge... ice cream, cheese cake, fries... you name it I have had it all... But it is now time to say good bye to all that.

If you are ready to join me then let me know - I even started a separate blog for it Sexy Jeans Body - 30 Day Bootcamp Check it OUT!!! My start date is August 16 - which date is yours?

Weight Struggle - Want my Sexy Jeans Figure Back!

2010-07-08T14:23:00.000-04:00

All of you that are following my blog know that I have been trying to lose wight for a while now and the struggle is hard. I have not given up, but I am almost running out of options it feels like. I used to shed weight only by thinking of it... well to be honest, I have never deeded to lose weight before but once I tried I would always succeed with little effort.

I feel a boot camp is needed in this case! A strict boot camp. The same boot camp I did before I got married... But I ask myself if I can, if I have the energy to do it. Back then I only worked 4 hour days and was able to concentrate on my training and diet with full force. Will I be able to do it again? Without a wedding and a wedding dress at the end?? What motivation should I use this time? My favorite pair of jeans that I haven't been able to ware for years?? (Yes I still have them and I brought them with me to the US when I moved too).

Maybe I CAN do it... Maybe if I got your help... Maybe I should start a SEXY JEANS BOOT CAMP on Facebook?? And people can join and we can fight together??? What do you think - would you wanna join me? Would you want to have a whole group of people trying to reach the same goal?? - Heck LET'S DO IT!! I will post a link to the webpage when I have it done! I need you guys, together we might reach better success!!! I am excited!

Sexy Jeans Here I Come - Again...

Messy weekend

2010-07-08T13:32:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone... sorry for my absence.
Hope your July 4th celebration was superb! I enjoyed way more Mike's Lemonade than I should have had.. but that is what happens sometimes and it is all good - I had fun!

We did have a little incident in our kitchen though before the weekend: On Thursday morning when I woke up I noticed that there were some spots in the ceiling but didn't think too much about it and left for work. Thursday night when I came home from work the spots where still there, and in fact - they had gotten bigger... so we called our landlord to let him know. He planned to stop by after the weekend and that was fine with us.

But when we woke up on Friday our kitchen floor was full of water and a steady stream came poring out from underneath the cabinets at the same time as it was dripping heavily from the ceiling... GREAT!

6:15 am - we found our kitchen in distress
6:20 am - trying to wake up our neighbor above by knocking on her door
6:25 am - no answer from her, we called our landlord
6:40 am - our landlord comes and starts knocking on her door - still no answer. I should also mention that we know she is home because she has her car parked outside.
6:45 am - our landlord calls the water people to have them come out and shut off the water
7:00 am - the water people comes and starts knocking on her door because they can't turn off the water without her knowing. No answer, and they call the cops because they need to be there for them to turn off the water to her apartment.
7:10 am - police comes by and they also starts knocking on her door, even kicking on her door... by this time the whole building is awake and wants to know what is going on - or at least the two crazy old ladies that lives there do. They are full of ides of what we should do... one says that we should call the cops while the cop stands right there...
7:30 am - the police keeps knocking on her door and by this time we all start to wonder if something has happened to her, or if she is away.. so now we need to get in to her apartment. The police calls a locksmith..
7:45 am - the locksmith comes and before they open up and go in they bang on her door a few more times... no response. They walk in and guess who walks out of her bedroom wearing only a sheet?! Yup, our neighbor!

The cops tells her why they are there and all she says is "why didn't they tell me"? There could be no response to that, we were all amazed that she was still in the apartment sleeping during all that banging on her door... luckily the cop find some words and say "we have been trying for almost 2 hours, mam"...

So... our kitchen now smells like wet drywall with stains all over and hopefully our landlord is going to pick the contractor who thinks we should tear it all down and redo it.. He brought two over and one said "let's just paint over it"... can you say MOLD asswhole?!!

Two Years goes by fast

2010-06-28T12:59:00.001-04:00

But I love him more today than the day I married him.
Happy Anniversary my One and Only

Happy Anniversary Honey

2010-06-28T12:56:00.000-04:00

Today is the day... 2 years ago... Mmmmmm.... I want that moment back so bad. It was so much fun and so romantic.

I was thinking that I should try on my dress just for fun, but have decided against it - It will not fit even a little bit! And it will not be a motivator at this point, I am just too far away from getting into it again. I know I will one day but not yet. So today I am just going to enjoy watching the pictures of our wedding from two years ago.

Love you my dearest!

iHerb $5 Coupon

2010-06-25T11:32:00.001-04:00

I am so glad to share this with you all!
I am, as you all know a strong believer in supplements - but the right kind of supplements. There are so many scams out there since there when it comes to supplements. In fact, the products does not even have to contain what the ingredient list says it does. And when it comes to many people we don't know what type of the specific supplement that is good... we just go and grab something and think that it is good.

Synthetic is bad - and taking synthetic supplement might do you more harm than good...

I found iHerb.com to be very diverse - meaning that I don't think that everything they have is good, but they have some diamonds in the rough, you just have to know what you are looking for!

I have so far bought a thyroid supplement containing both kelp and some b-vitamins. I feel so great when I take it, I take one capsule in the morning and one for lunch. (I also supplement with only kelp in the afternoon and evening to reach my level of 600mcg of iodine per day). It keeps my blood sugar stable, and my energy UP! I love it!!

I also bought some Magnesium. Previous I was someone that thought, just as I described above, that all magnesium is the same... sadly that is not true. Magnesium is a mineral that is pretty hard for the body to absorb - but also a vital mineral for many people. I started to take it as I was having heart palpitations due to yasmin (birth control) and was from the beginning taking magnesium as magnesium oxide. I have to admit that I was surprised that nothing happened, I didn't see the improvements.. but since I started taking the high absorption magnesium / chelated magnesium I haven't had one little incident!

I recently placed an order on that organic whey protein that I talked about in the previous post and at checkout they gave me a code that I can share with anyone! The coupon code gives all new customers $5 discount!!! And if you spend $40 the shipping is free too (within the US).

Protein Shakes - Watch out!

2010-06-22T16:56:00.001-04:00

Time really going too fast one second and too slow the next - I can't keep up.
I am still working on my colon cleanse and I feel great about it and plan to once I am done to start drinking protein shake in the morning instead. As I was doing research I found a pretty disturbing article about the brands: 'Muscle Milk' and 'EAS Myoplex' apparently they are pretty dangerous to your health!!! Not because of the protein but because of some other horrible ingredients, that is not listed on the package:

EAS Myoplex Original Rich Dark Chocolate contain in 3 servings: 16.9 mcg Arsenic and 5.1 mcg Cadmium.

Muscle Milk Chocolate Powder and Vanilla Cream contain in 3 servings: 5.6 mcg Cadminum, 13.5 mcg Lead, 12.2 mcg Arsenic, and 0.7 mcg Mercury!!!

WOW - and just imagine - some pregnant women are taking this just to try to stay healthy without knowing what it really is! (Find the Report by Dr. Mercola - Warning: Some Protein Drinks Could Poison You).

Dr. Mercola in his article off course offers his advise and tell the reader to buy HIS whey protein... but there is no place where you can read the ingredients... so I decided to look for an organic whey protein somewhere else. This is what I found: Whey To Health by iHerb.com I think I will try it soon...

As far as my weight loss - it is still slow but I manage to break 165 lbs the other day which was a nice step... It goes up and down though and some days I get up to 168 lbs and some down to 166 on a regular basis. I believe that some more protein is what I am missing here. So that organic whey protein might help me out!

A Royal Wedding

2010-06-21T13:34:00.001-04:00

Finally - our Princess finally got her Prince!
Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria got married on June 19 with her Daniel and I just wanted to share some pictures with you all as this is big in Sweden. I bet at least 50% of all people were following the whole thing on TV from beginning til end.

Younger sister Princess Madeleine and the Queen Silvia arriving to the church

The Groom Daniel who with this wedding becomes a Prince, here with Prince Carl Philip the Best Man

Crown Princess Victoria arrives to the church with her father King Carl Gustaf

Walking down the isle

She is yours Daniel...

Exchanging Rings

Emotional...

They just love each other so much

Married; time to party!

Throw Stockholm to say hello to the people

Boat Ride, Stockholm is built up on islands

To the castle

Congratulations from her brother

Sister Hug

"Thank you all for giving me my prince" was her words to the Swedes

So great... what a feeling!

Dinner and Prince Daniel gave the best speech of them all

Cutting of the over 3meter tall wedding cake

Looks pretty good!

Wedding Dance

The King and Queen during the wedding dance

Let's hope for a Happily ever after...

Random things

2010-06-15T16:11:00.000-04:00

This is a summary of what is going on in my mind these days... It has been a lot and it does not slow down. I like it that way, but I tend to overdo things when I get started on something new.

So, since the reprogramming of my brain over the first weekend in June I am starting to grasp what is going on. We are about to start our next step in our journey and tonight is the first online session of a course called Rich Investor. It will basically help us build our Power Team - the people we need around us to succeed fast, safe, and legal. And tomorrow we are meeting with a CPA to set up our business.

Next we need to find an Attorney, then a Real Estate Agent, Mortgage Broker, Community Bank... and the list goes on. We are also looking for Rehabbers in the Philadelphia area, or someone that wants to buy a 'handy man' house.

On the baby clothing part of my life, a life that is getting drastically smaller, I finally got a hold of a baby girl to do some pictures with. I will post some of the items soon on my Etsy shop.

My weight loss is slow but I am still working out 5 days a week and have finally reached 60 minutes on the elliptical. 60 minutes feels like an eternity but lots of calories are burnt and I feel great! I keep my LCHF up and have become a little stricter with what I eat during the weekdays.

I also experienced some horrible bloating and cramps - not sure if they were feminine related or not so I decided to do a colon cleanse and it seems like it is going just great...

That was my random things for today... I just wanted to give you an update. I didn't want you to think that I had given up on things.. I am just busy trying to do everything I need to get done.

New Beginnings

2010-06-08T15:36:00.000-04:00

My husband and I have had a life changing weekend. This wasn't a 'light bulb' moment but rather a million of spotlights... I feel so overwhelmed but so excited.

Things really have a strange way of finding ways to get your attention. What is happening now is all because of that flight back home from Florida being late a month ago... I have a hard time explaining what is going on mostly because my mind is still smoking from the deep fried I experienced over the weekend. It was system overload! My little brain had to be re-programed into something new. Something that can see opportunities in what is going on in this economy... It has opened my eyes to a whole new world - A world I knew existed but never knew how to get my hands on... now I am beginning to know.

If you have to read only one book in your life, you have to read 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' by Robert Kiyosaki. It won't make you an expert of any sort but it gives you an idea of what you are missing... then the choice is up to you on how to move on from there. I have chosen, and I have chosen to become the person of my dreams!

Ahhh

2010-06-03T10:34:00.000-04:00

I feel like a balloon! I had pasta on Tuesday night and I still feel like shit from it. On Wednesday when I woke up I was up to 172 lbs (higher than when I started my diet). I feel like a failure right now... It is horrible.

I am not giving up, not at all - I am just learning my lesson all over again - NO WHEAT for me!!! Not even my favorite kind of wheat. I love pasta and I try not to eat it too often but sometimes I just have to have it... well maybe next time I will think more than once before going for it.

So the battle continues...

I am trying to drink more water then I normally do in hope of my extra weight is water weight and drinking more might help my body not retain so much of it. I don't know.

My lower back has also been bothering me horrible. Waking up, sitting, walking, working out on the elliptical... yesterday I finally went to my chiropractor, or NUCCA specialist at Bucks County Spinal Care and he made the pain go away with his magic. I am not kidding I step in there and explained where it was bothering me, he did his thing and as I was laying there I could feel my spine slowly adjusting to something new. When he was done he asked me to move around to feel it... I started by bending over to reach the floor with my hands touching the floor.. As I was going down the first time I still could feel the pain a little bit but I was able to reach much further than I have been in weeks... and then I did it again and I could not believe what I was feeling - NOTHING! The pain was gone, really gone!

Later the same night, by the time Flyers was playing the muscles in the area was getting a litte sore from the adjustment and today I can feel it too.. But being sore from that is much better than being in pain! Now I only have to wait until it settles down and enjoy exercising again.

I do not want to feel like a balloon much longer! As a matter of fact I don't want to feel it at all...

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-01T15:42:00.001-04:00

Ohh... I think that we all can agree on that ONE single day extra off is amazing and does so much for your soul. I spent most of my Saturday to clean up the week-mess that I always have. Clothes are all over the place and dirty laundry is taking up the whole basket, the refrigerator is empty... you know, all boring things. But then I was free... Sunday and Monday the bikini did it's premier in day light. It is strange but I really don't like showing myself in that bikini at this point. I hate my body! I know I am basically showing my body to the whole world by having it on my blog, but it is not the same. You guys know I am trying to lose weight and the pictures actually shows my progress and/or set backs. It is an inspiration to both you and me... But having people stand there and look at me, who knows what they are thinking... "she really shouldn't wear that bikini" "did she look herself in the mirror"... and all those nasty things people can think or say to each other.

I know I am not pretty, I know I am not the size I want to be, I know all that, I really do. But I have the right to relax by the pool while I am working at it without people judging me. Or maybe the only person judging me is me???

Anyway I enjoyed the long weekend and I hope to be able to spend many days by a poolside this summer. And every time I should be a little bit slimmer.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-28T13:11:00.000-04:00

For me the Memorial Day Weekend does not mean that much. I just remember the first time I was in the US for the memorial day. I was living in Detroit Lakes, a small town in north-west Minnesota, at the time doing an exchange year during my Junior year in high school. The year was 1998 and I was 18 years old.

I remember driving by a cemetery with my host dad (or American dad as I call him, he was actually the one walking me down the isle at my wedding so he is just not a 'host dad' to me) and I could see all these flags everywhere. I had gotten used to seeing the American flag on a daily basis but not like that! That was just crazy - it was beautiful in some way...

Today when I think about it I have more compassion... I realize that most of these people died young, in another country without their loved ones because they wanted to do something good for their country, or the world... It is hard to think that they will never be able to tell their story, the story beyond the media, the story beyond the war...

Bless those many lost souls...

As I wish it

2010-05-28T11:40:00.000-04:00

Been looking at tickets to Sweden this past week... it is so expensive to fly over the summer. I hate it! I still want to go but I might wait and go at the end of August instead of in July. It will not be as warm out and people will be back at work and school, but maybe that is ok... I have to ask myself if it is worth $300 more for me to be able to go in the middle of the summer.

Don't get me wrong I can come up with millions of excuses why I have to spend $300 more just to be able to go a certain time of the year.. it is easy! ;) I just miss everything so much right now. Sweden is where half my heart is and it needs to be filled at least twice a year.

I talked to my BFF yesterday and she told me she is planning to visit me around halloween!! YEAH - I know it is forever until that happens, but that gives me so much to look forward to. And if I get to see her over the summer than it will not be that long until I get to see her again.

We for sure will be visiting NYC and will pay for a few dance classes at Broadway dance academy...

BFF Anna

Summertime

2010-05-26T16:19:00.000-04:00

Summer time is around the corner and I start to think about Sweden. I love Sweden in the summer. It is my place to relax and be myself. Hang out with friends, listen to how the language sound, look at the new fashion trends that will come to the US within a year or two, eat things I can't get here, walk in parks and enjoy people watching, see my family, enjoy watching all red cottages, see more blonds in a day then anywhere else, enjoy the sense of style in men, dance at my favorite club, walk in grocery stores and being able to trust the labels, stay up all night because it never gets dark, laugh until I cannot laugh anymore...

Yes, I miss my Sweden!

Week 3 update - Miss my BFF

2010-05-25T09:16:00.002-04:00

As you already know I forgot to give you a week 2 update... so here comes the week 3 instead. Last week I was still experience my lower back pain and after every session on the elliptical I curve myself up like a ball and roll my back on my yoga mat for probably 10 minutes to stretch and massage that area. I truly miss my best friend who is a fabulous massage therapist, she has helped me with some of my worst pains but she is on the other side of the Atlantic...

Weight: 75.75 kg / 167.2 lbs [78.0 kg / 172.1 lbs]
Fat: 21.10 kg / 46.5 lbs (27.9%) [22.45 kg / 49.5 lbs (28.8%)]
Water 52.6% [51.9%]
BMI: 25.0 [25.8]

Chest: 98 cm / 38.58" [101 cm / 39.76"]
Waist: 78 cm / 30.71" [82 cm / 32.28"]
Stomach: 91 cm / 35.83" [97 cm / 38.19"]
Hips: 107 cm / 42.12" [111 cm / 43.70"]

[original/starting measurements]

Going back to Dermalogica

2010-05-24T15:38:00.000-04:00

I have given up hope on AHAVA products right now. I still like the bar soap but I am not seeing any improvements at all by using it or any of the other products that I have from the same brand. After my facial on Thursday I received some tester bags and as I kept using them my face kept improving. But over the weekend I used a lot of them up and now I am back to using my ahava moisturizer and my face is back to looking as a teenager.

I don't think that it is the ahava products that are bad, they are just not what my face need right now. I need to get something stronger for my acne, or for my skin infections as they are truthfully... I know; it sounds so much worse but that is what it is, no point in lying to yourself!

I saw incredible impact in using the 'Dermal Clay Cleanser' - it was a bit uncomfortable on my skin, but it really made an impact. I also am looking into getting the 'Active Moist' day cream and the 'Overnight Clearing Gel' I just feel that I am spending so much money on it... but if it works I really have no other choice... And I rather spend some money than look the way I do right now.

What is your favorite brand?

Lights went out

2010-05-20T12:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was goooone... I had my morning meeting with my elliptical at 5 in the morning and then off to work. I was so bored at work that I ended up leaving a little bit early... I was just thinking about everything else I needed to get done that sitting in my cube was driving me crazy... Then there was the highlight of the day - FACIAL time. I have had issues with acne for maybe four months now and I am trying to find the right products and the right way to take care of it without taking any drugs. It is a very slow process and I am not sure what to do next except having facials. They do make me look a ton better but it only last for so long.

Those 60 minutes of pampering makes me so relaxed and by the time I got home and had dinner I was out! It was only the 3rd inning of the Phillies game and I fell asleep on my hubby's chest... I woke up and it was the 7th inning.. I moved to the other sofa and tried really hard to watch the game but out I went...

Hubby woke me up a little later and off to bed we went. I don't know what happened after that but off I went again! When my alarm rang this morning at 4:50 am I turned it off and fell back asleep again. I was just completely wiped out!

I have been having some horrible cramps and feeling almost like I have had a fever so maybe I needed some extra sleep... I would say that by now I should be rested.

Last day of teaching dance classes tonight, feels strange but nice. I need the break, or I need the time I spend on that on other things for now.

Forgot the week picture

2010-05-20T12:06:00.000-04:00

I totally forgot to take a picture on Sunday, and to do my numbers.. it is not like I don't step up on the scale about 5 times a day but I want to stay consistent. I don't want to report my Wednesday number as my Sunday number so I am going to give you an update after 14 days instead of 7 this coming Sunday.

But what I have seen on the scale as been a lot of ups and downs. I have been down to 166 lbs and I have been up to 170 lbs. It all depended on what time of the day and what I was wearing. My officially weigh-in time is at night, since I weigh the most at night time and I weigh myself without any clothes. I would love to do it in the morning, but that would be a fake number to me.

I work out on the elliptical as promised and I have noticed that I no longer can count on 30 minutes to give me a good sweat, but I need to increase it to 40 minutes. I hate the elliptical - it is boring, even if I am reading and listening to music at the same time, and my lower back is hurting so much from it... but I will stick it out because I know it do me more good that bad! And I love getting in shape.

I had a work colleague telling me, when I showed the picture with me and the airplane telling I will own one of those one day, that I will need to keep my good looks and get a little bit more money... Well, good looks will fade with time but money will grow with time... so JUST WATCH ME SUCKER!

Model found

2010-05-18T15:29:00.000-04:00

Reaching out on Facebook is a good thing! A friend of a friend is letting me take pictures of her baby in my clothes - it is going to be so exciting!! I hope to get it done on Saturday.

My weekend is pretty much booked up, but I will make room for this! On Sunday I have the dance recital for NAC where I have been teaching dance since September last year. It is finally time for the recital. All the kids are so excited for it - not all might be ready, but they are excited!

I am even going to be on stage dancing. It has been a while but I am sure I still got the touch... after all I LOVE being on stage!