Falling in love with Sasquatch!

No, I'm not a Big Foot fanatic. And my husband, while somewhat hairy, is nowhere near being considered a Sasquatch. He's too short. 

No, I'm referring to the pizza company!

We have tried, and now love, the Sasquatch Pizza Co. In our search for tasty pizzas, full of flavor, we tested out a variety. DiGiorno was our go-to for quite some time. But you get burnt out after a while. My kids always want Tony's (its like cardboard for me). Yes, they are weird ones. My husband discovered the joy of Screamin' Scicilian pizzas next. They have great toppings on theirs. We still love them, but they don't have as much of a variety as we would like. So on we went to try others.

We came across Sasquatch Pizza Co. A pizza that boasts a weight of 3 pounds! They weren't kidding. While most of the weight is in the crust, they have huge slices of pepperoni and chunks of sausage on their supreme version. My husband and I usually finish a whole pizza in one sitting. This one was so heavy, we only finished it because the kids helped! We were stuffed after just a few square slices. But it was so delicious! 
The crust is thick. The sauce has a slight sweetness to it. All the other toppings were in a decent quantity and tasted great. Quite pleased overall with this one! 

So far they only have three flavors, but we would hope to see more of a variety one day! If you happen to give them a try, be sure to share your 'Squatch sightings on their Facebook page! #SquatchOut They are a Walmart exclusive. 

Getting fit with Post-it!

Okay, so everyone might not be as thrilled as I am to have more Post-it Notes. I'm a bit OCD about my organizational skills. I love to have lists and reminders. My phone, my calendar, my fridge, my husbands desk... I keep notes and lists everywhere. Doesn't mean I always get those things done, or am on time with them, but I do try! And they are helpful. 

I was very happy to be chosen for the Chatterbox pack that promotes Post-it Notes. I was sent these products, free of charge, in order to get the word out about them. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed for my opinions! They are my own and honest to the fullest.

This little paperweight does more than keep my papers in place. It keeps my ideas on the roll!

I'm liking where they are headed with their ad for this product. Its all about setting up goals and working to reach them. What better way to do that than to leave notes about what you want to accomplish and give yourself some encouragement along the way! They have this idea to create a goal board. I love it! I have goals, but all too often I find myself giving up on them. I suffer a setback, a failure, or I fall short of what I aimed for. Next thing I know, I don't want to try anymore. I know that I have to push harder. That giving up won't accomplish anything. Without that steady push and encouragement, however, I slip into the rut of, "Why bother?"

These Super Sticky Post-it Notes can help with just that. They are 42% more likely to stick. So stick them where you know you will see them repeatedly. Where you have no choice but to read and see them often. 

I'm trying to lose weight. I want to do this to improve my health and get more energy. So I'm going to push myself and encourage myself with these. I'm going to place them on the fridge as a reminder to grab water instead of milk to drink.

On the pantry door, they can remind me to eat fruit or veggies or even some nuts before I grab the Nutella and crackers.

On the mirror, one can remind me to put in some squats while I brush my teeth.

And maybe one at the computer to remind me that I need to sit up straight with my feet flat on the floor while I type out my blog posts... 

I'm going to set my goals. And this time, I want to be a Goal Getter! What would you use Post-it Super Sticky Notes for?? 

Journey to Pain Relief: Hot and Cold

When we suffer pain, we often turn to heating pads or ice packs. But did you know that that might not be the best option? In some ways, it makes things worse. Let me explain. 
I've learned from various medical professionals, that heating pads are tricksters for your pain. It soothes the tension and the warmth lulls you into a false sense of being pain-free. In reality, its a mask that once removed, sends you spiraling as you feel that sudden jolt of sharp discomfort all over again. I do still use the heating pad. It has its time of being needed. My time for using it would be bedtime. I need sleep. I'm not a nice person when I don't get enough sleep. I'm grouchy and irritable. So when you add my lack of sleep to my daily, chronic pain... lets say that I make fire-breathing dragons look like kittens. 
So when I'm feeling especially bad, I will take the heating pad to bed with me. Sometimes, I even wrap it around my lower back, under my shirt to keep it in place in case I roll over in my sleep. 

The one I have, I love! I have the SoftHeat heating pad. Mine has three settings of heat. And it turns itself off after a while. The one I linked to, actually has been updated from my older one to have 4 settings of heat. Walgreens also has a deluxe model that straps on. Getting fancy! Though they cost the same. Usually, I'm asleep before it turns off. I also love that it has a washable cover that comes off with a snap. And the best bonus to this? Being a natural popsicle, this also ensures I won't be shivering in my bed! Hey hey! I like to turn it on, set it in bed under the blanket, get ready for bed, and finally lay down feeling warm. Just remember, I'm fully aware that my pain will return in the morning with my consciousness. For now, its a short term fix to get more, restful sleep. 

Now to talk about ice. Ice is actually better for your muscular pains. For me though, I feel like it freezes everything so while I'm on it, I have that same relief as in the heating pad arena. I used this when I would have to sit for hours at my desk job. The problem I had, was when I would try to stand up and walk after being chilled. I would tense up and stumble awkwardly until everything got loose again. 

How do we get these two to work in our favor? My chiropractor actually told me to alternate. You do 15-20 minutes of heat, then 15-20 of ice, and finish with 15-20 minutes of a break. It was a release pattern. Didn't help much, but I chalked it up to being pregnant and nothing would work during that time. I found this article that gives lots of details and information on making the most of your treatments with heating pads and ice packs. This type of treatment might not work for everyone. It sometimes does good for my back pains though. Always worth a shot, right? Let me know your thoughts on these methods in the comments below! 

Family Photos with Bast Creative!

This week, a friend of mine did something amazing. He took some family photos for us. Sure, anyone can use a camera, right? Hmm... no. Not in the way he did. Luis Basurto is an incredibly creative guy. Thus, he has started his own business, Bast Creative. He has degrees in Communication Design. And he is quite passionate about it. He loves it! And now he is finally branching out. Finally sharing his talent outside of his day job. 

He was incredibly patient. Setting up a time that worked with everyones schedule was tricky, but he made it work. We chose an evening and a destination, Hemisphere Park. He brought the gear, I brought the family.

He also captured my family as we are, and not as people think we should look for those "family pictures". You know the kind. Where everyone is stiff, posed, and "perfect". I'll be the first to admit, those pictures might look nice, but they aren't real. With four kids, it can be difficult. And chances of getting it just right are very slim. Luis let us do our own thing. And what came from it, was beautiful! It is us. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, these pictures tell our story. They show us, just as we are. I highly recommend Luis Basurto at Bast Creative. For photography, for design. He does it all. And he does it well. Check out his website here. He is also on Facebook. And don't hesitate to tell me what you think!