Monday, February 2, 2015

Exhaustion to the max!

As a mom, being tired is nothing new to me. I'm used to waking up several times a night because someone had a bad dream or isn't feeling good. It still doesn't make me immune to exhaustion. I've been running on less than 4 hours of sleep. My husband got this picture as I fell asleep sitting up.
 Plus there's been work (getting ready to walk into a shift today too) and the Super Bowl party. After work the day before yesterday I came home, showered, and got dressed. I decided to nap a couple hours. My husband came in to make sure I woke up on time before my alarm even rang. I think I was going for a Princess Anna look.... 
Because this was what I saw in the mirror.... 
Of course, like any southern lady, just five minutes of mirror time and I was party ready. 
Yesterday after work, I came home to clean the kitchen. I guess even my dense husband could tell I was at my limit as he told me to go to bed for the rest of the day. So after a shower.... I slept the rest of the day. Finally woke up at 1 AM this morning. I suppose that this is normal for people my age. We should be able to handle sleepless nights and long days. A perk of our youth. I for one, however, don't want to get into this habit. It's a pain in the head and back! And it takes away from the enjoyment of life. I could barely listen to what my kids were sayingor didn't even have the desire to talk to a close friend of mine. Now that the sleep monster is satisfied, I feel a bit guilty. So tonight, even though I work in the morning, I'm taking the kids to the mall for the free Lego build! Check your local Lego store for their event starting at 5PM. Better get there about an hour early as the line gets long and the supplies can be as limited as 250 people only. This month, it's a space shuttle! 
Enjoy your day and get your sleep! 

Friday, January 30, 2015

Java Me Up coffee bar review via Shoplet.com

This was certainly a change as far as "office supplies" product reviews go for Shoplet.com. They sent me some Java Me Up coffee energy bars. Have "Coffee with bite"!
Not your average office product, yet something that is often needed around the workplace. These are a fantastic idea. Get your coffee in the form of a bar. You can avoid spilling, burning yourself, and its quicker to devour than drink. Each bar is equivalent to 1/2 a cup of coffee.
These bars are all natural with fiber and protein. They provide you the energy-inducing push in the form of a bar. Each bar is a combination of coffee, chocolate, almonds, and rolled oats. 

I took some to work to try with my coworkers. Getting up at 4 AM can be hard to do. And since most of us have lives outside of work, i.e. family, school, etc., we don't always get enough sleep. Some of us turn to energy aids such as energy drinks to get through the day. Side effects can be headaches, quickened heartbeat, and increased body temperature. Ingesting these bars didn't result in any of those. I'm not one for coffee in general. I'm that type that drinks it only when it's super sweet and therefore not effective. While these bars are covered in dark chocolate, they aren't overpowered in the chocolate flavor. The taste of rich coffee is quite prominent. My coworkers enjoyed them. The results of added energy varied. My own feelings were inconclusive as I was near the time for my second wind already. One of the guys reported feeling a super boost and it seemed to work. The other one stayed as mellow as he always is. Then again, I don't think he ever comes off as "energized" no matter what he takes. 
The texture and consistency were good. They aren't hard or too chewy. 
If you're a coffee lover looking to try something new and clean, this is it. Easy to take on the go, without making messes, and still helping to kickstart your day - these bars have my approval. They are $39.99 per pack which comes to $1.66 for each bar.
Don't forget to check out Shoplet.com for more than just office supplies. They now provide medical supplies, office stationary, and promotional products to get your business name out there.

A great month over all

January was pretty busy. Getting into the swing of the new year, making plans and even turning a year older. It seems to be flying by so quick. 
Work has been the craziest of all.
Preparing for our Bounce Back has made me seriously despise working in retail. 
I came up with a new creation of my own. Your mind can get quite devious when the cupboard is getting bare. 
I had pasta, diced tomatoes, sour cream and some velveeta cheese. Mixed it up for a sort of southwest meal. I think adding chicken or ground beef would be a good idea too. 
For my birthday, a couple of my coworkers treated me to their baking skills with chocolate mint cookies
and chocolate mint cupcakes.
I'm pretty sure that in two days time I've gained about 10 pounds, but the taste was divine so I'll survive. 
Instead of making my cake or my husband going out to buy one, I decided to get Krispy Kreme donuts. 
Why not? Especially when I got one free with a free drink from my birthday email. 
Which, by the way, Krispy Kreme has a deal if you're needing to buy more than 5 dozen donuts for parties or other events before February 12th... 
Or here's another Valentine's Day giveaway, that you might be interested. One of the local rock stations is giving away a divorce for Valentine's Day.
Yep, that's right. Divorce. So if you had enough (like me), you can sign up for a chance to win an uncontested divorce by local (Bexar county residents only) lawyer-assisted divorce. Happy Valentine's Day, honey! 
February should be fun.... 

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Guest post of healthier living by Mediterranean Snacks

Occasionally I received emails from Mediterranean Snacks that I feel are worth sharing. This is one of them. Let's stay healthy and live better, not just this year, but every year to come! 
 
3 Ways to Make This Your Best Year
 
1. Clean Eating: Here's the trick to shifting your diet to a more balanced and clean routine. 

Start small. Many of us go "all in" before really thinking through our goals and knowing what are the best steps to take. Jumping to extremes or going full force can make it harder for us to maintain.

We suggest you make a list of all the things you would like to work on, evolve, or change in your diet.  Maybe it's cutting out soda, swapping fried chips for baked lentil chips, eating fewer carbohydrates, adding more greens, or simply drinking more water.

After you make your list, pick the top 12 and use those as your guide, one for each month of the year.  So each month you make one temporary change with a goal to make it a habit. By the end of the year, you will have made 12 improvements to your diet, how awesome is that?


2. Get Active: How many times have you tried to get active, yet sometimes, you feel you may have failed? Same rules apply as in step 1. Start small and make it gradual. We also recommend focusing on your interests and find an accountability partner; a buddy to check in with weekly.

Start with getting active once a week for a month, then twice a week, then three times a week and so forth.  Make sure you and your accountability partner check in with one another to ensure success.


3. Stay Positive: The first two steps may not succeed unless you work to stay positive.

Change is not always easy, but if you want things to be different in your life, then being open to change is a great start.

Find your gratitude in each day and in each experience because this will open up your mind to new ideas and make it easier to stay positive. 

Make this your best year-you deserve it!