Waiting is the Hardest Game

Hey guys! I haven't been writing much. Too much going on, and can I be frank for a moment? I've been working through so much in my life these days. It's a new year, so new me, right? Except, the new me thing isn't what I hoped for. This year started off great, and don't get me wrong, is still going great! But I'm struggling with some heavy personal changes. For starters, who I am. I'd love to say that I'm still the sexy, biker chic who knows what she wants from life that I was 14 years ago. But I'm not. Nor will I ever be again. Heck, even the me of 2016 isn't here anymore! My life has changed so drastically and quickly that sometimes I don't know who I am outside of Mom and Wife. Those zones are totally outlined. No questions there. But who am I when I'm alone? Better yet, who do I want to be? Hmm, now there is the enigma. 

Who am I? 

First and foremost, I'm a Christian. A follower of Christ. And I try to be the best in that area as I can be. And let me tell you something... God is truly testing my patience. Okay, not testing it. He is working on it to make it stronger. How? Through my medical condition. Want to know if you have the "patience of a saint"? I wish I'd never been described as having that... Have your health fail on you. Long term. You will meet a whole new you. A side of you that cries yourself to sleep. A side of you that hates looking in the mirror. A side of you that feels lost. A side of you that can't stand being around other people no matter how much your heart loves them. Oh yeah, that side is there. You just can't see it until something forces it out in the open. And it is ugly.

Well, God decided my patience needed some more work. Let me back up a second here though, I'm moving ahead of the context. I'm in pain. All day, every day. For most days, I can get by. I smile, I laugh, I talk. The only person in my life who sees me cringe is my husband. He sees me when I'm trying not to pass out. He sees me when I grab my side or back and wince. When my migraines strike, more than once a week. He's the only person I can't, and really don't want to, hide from. Hard enough hiding from everyone else. Even my kids rarely see my struggle. And I do everything I can to keep it that way. For as long as I can. Lately, I've been avoiding going to the doctor. After all, the last time I went I was told that I would not get better. That surgery wasn't an option. That I needed to "learn to live with the pain". After that, I became legally disabled. And my husband permanently took away my car keys. I will not be allowed to drive. Ever. At 32, that is not what you want to hear. Not when you are insanely independent. Some days I feel like I'm going crazy. Shut in my home. May as well have bars on the windows and doors. So you can imagine my frustration at finding that feeling of something being terribly wrong hitting my gut. Somehow, I just know something isn't right. 

Sickness that just won't go away.

We started the year with a visit to the ER for a severe migraine. There was the flu. A sinus infection. Some allergies. More sinus infection. I haven't been 100% for the entirety of this new year. So I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that the doctor diagnosed me with bronchitis today. Yep. Inflamed lungs. She said it usually fully recovers in about 3 months, providing I don't get sick again. Yay me. The reason I made the appointment was to diagnose rib pain. A fizzy feeling in the left lung when I breathe in and severe pressure in the right ribs, usually when I'm sitting. Sometimes a stabbing feeling. And she finds bronchitis right off. That was just the x-ray. She's running a liver enzymes test and I have to go for scans to see if my gall bladder is to blame. If there is a malfunction there. But those scans aren't happening until the end of this month, so.... waiting game anyone? Shall we take bets on what body part will fail me next? (My husband hates that joke.) I didn't even get to ask her what is causing the daily headaches-migraines. That will have to wait until my next appointment. 

In the meantime...

She also says other things have to change. I have to take a high dose Prilosec daily while changing my diet. No more tomato sauces. No more fatty foods. No more fried foods. There goes my homemade pizza. Burgers are out. Mmm, hash browns on breakfast night! Spaghetti and meatballs has been banned to me as well as meatball subs. Egg rolls on Chinese night. Just a few of my favorite things that I will no longer be eating. I take this as a sign from God that I wasn't losing those extra pounds fast enough. He's thrown me a way to do that. A way that I can't talk myself out of anymore. 

So how do I wait?

Not easily. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41) One of my favorite verses to go to is:
Psalms 27:14 - Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Waiting is not easy. It is hard. The hardest. I know I'm not the only one feeling that way. Someone I love dearly is waiting for an important test result that will determine... well, life or death. And to think that they have had a longer wait than I do. So, I wait. I have kids to tend to. A husband to love. Some editing work to complete. And I need to figure out the new me. Who am I? What more do I want from this life? And how do I accomplish it? These questions used to be so easy to answer. Now, they need time. Patience. Prayer.

Time to Party With Restickity!

I love decorating our home with pictures and posters. But living in places that we rent makes it tricky. You never want to put too many holes in the walls. Hanging frames requires being able to find the stud and lining it up just right. Overall, it can be quite the hassle. Which is why I jumped at the chance to try out a new product by Restickity!

*Disclaimer: I was sent these products free of charge in exchange for my honest review. I hosted a party, giving out the coupons. All opinions are my very own. I was not otherwise endorsed.* 

Who is Restickity?

A brand new company that was started by a mom and daughter team! They saw a need and came up with a great solution. They created restickable photo stickers. Redecorating means things move. As you rearrange, you might decide that even the pictures need to be relocated. But that means more holes in the wall, more leveling and in some cases, more frustration. Well, not anymore! 

How does the service work? 

Quite simply. You go to their website HERE, upload your photos, choose the sizes, add in the desired edits, and voila! Order your photos. They will get them printed and shipped to you. Now, here is something you need to know. They are a brand new company. Just getting on their feet. So they print only 1-2 times a week. However, the plus side is that they ship via Priority and comes with tracking. They will email you as soon as they are shipping. They will also update you when it is delivered. 

What next? 

The fun part! Hanging your photos are easy now. Unpeel and stick. Not happy with it? Unpeel and restick! Move them whenever and wherever you want. They are printed to last. Make sure you hang on to those backs though. The paper the stickers were on are reusable. When you are moving or heading back home from your dorms, just unpeel and restick to the backings for easy transport. 

The Party

I had a blast sharing information with my party guests on Restickity. They all got to take home restickable calendars, coupons, and information cards. I was able to demonstrate the great photos they had sent me. And even better, I was able to raffle off a gift card! Our family teacher will be able to make something awesome for her classroom that is easy to take down when she has to make changes or when school breaks occur. 

 Are they affordable? 

I think so! And shipping was only $2.25 for all of them. I got an 8x10, 2 5x7 and a 4x4. 

I highly suggest you check them out! Whether you rent, live in a dorm, have a classroom, or just don't want to damage your walls and deal with hanging frames - these are perfect for you! Give them a look and let me know what you think!

Scrape-A-Round Makes a FUN-ctional Gift Idea!

Winter brings a lot of challenges. Especially when you are located in a place that has snow and ice. How many times have you gone out to your vehicle, only to find that you can't see out the windows because they are frozen over? Having an ice scraper is your best way to deal with it quickly. But only if it works well. Which is where my latest review comes in! 

*Disclaimer: I was sent these products for free in exchange for my honest review. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are strictly my own.* 

Scrape-A-Round ice scrapers make getting the windows clear so much easier! We have been using ours for a couple winters now. They come in a 3 pack. And the best part? They are the only ones that are cone shaped and made in the United States. The softer plastic conforms to the windows curvature. 

They also function as funnels!

 They stack easily, are designed to get your windows cleaned as quickly as possible and even come apart to create funnels! Multi-use tools that deserve a place in your car. 

Perfect gift idea! 

You can create quite the gift basket with these. Functional and cute. They had ideas on their blog. We chose to give some to family members with a gift card tucked inside.What do you think? Are these useful where you are? Let me know in the comments below!

Spin Master Party Games for the Win!

When it is too cold outside, you.... Have a game night! My family loves playing board games. There is always something new to try. Being chosen to host a Spin Master Holiday Game Night party, I was able to introduce our family to 3 new ones! 

*Disclaimer: I was sent these games for the sole purpose of hosting a party and sharing my opinions. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are strictly my own.* 

Time to get together!

You know that old Christmas song about the weather outside being frightful? (I imagine Dean Martin singing it - Let It Snow). Well, while we don't get much snow here, the weather gets frigid. The wind blows. And I don't want to go outside. If we had a steady supply of wood that didn't cost a fortune, we would have a fire going. All. The. Time. Hot chocolate and eggnog drinks. Home baked cookies. And board games! Who needs to go outside when that is the dream come true?! 

Families are getting together for the wonderful Christmas holiday. But what should you do during the slow times? For some of us, we have whole weeks to fill. What better way than try out some new games? Spin Master has 3 that our family has enjoyed. 

The Sock Game

We tried The Sock Game first. As described on the box - it is the ultimate race (in a sock). This one is fast paced. Each sock has items poured into it. There is a spinner that has the items around a circle. You can play with two players or create two teams with multiple players. We had teams. My husband spun and called out the item to be found. Each teams player dug in the sock, feeling around and trying to find that one item among the many! First one to find it, got a point. I will admit, this one was tough! Bigger hands had a hard time in the slender socks. The kids enjoyed it most of all. 

Reverse Charades

Next came Reverse Charades. I don't think I'm very good at acting out in this one! But it was hilarious nonetheless. One person has to interpret the entire groups acting to figure out the words on the cards. You have an hourglass timer set, so call out those words and guess them correctly as quickly as you can! This was the favorite game in our party. Laughter rang out through it all. Definitely suggest adding it to your game shelf! It is even on the holiday toy list.

Hedbanz

I have to admit, we have not been able to play this one yet. Didn't have time at the party and have been dealing with sicknesses since. But the kids can't wait! So instead of telling you what we thought, I can tell you what it is about. 
In basic terms, it is a "What am I?" game. You wear a headband and your card is tucked in front where everyone else can see it, but you can't. You have to ask questions to figure out what is on your card! You can even download an app that enhances the game play. This one is also on the Holiday Toy List this year.

                                                     Where can you get yours? 

Best bet is Amazon. Target doesn't have some and Walmart was more expensive. You can check here for them! Amazon - The Sock Game, Hedbanz, Reverse Charades

Let me know what you think about these games in the comments below! I love hearing from you all.