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Visit A Southern Girl Designs – Now on Skreened! Click HERE to browse all shirts. New designs added regularly!
Ok, first my disclaimer.. I am the Mom that takes pride in making little goodie bags with my son to take to class parties.. I decorate pumpkins with cute ribbon at Halloween… and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t considered (although, not for long) making my own laundry detergent.. Don’t get me wrong.. I’m a pretty crafty chick. I enjoy a good Pinterest project as well as anyone, but… I do have my limits. Some of the things that people repin on Pinterest has me thinking.. do these people have really have time for this crap. I mean, I’m sure making your own marshmallows taste better than Stay Puft, but seriously?
By all means.. let me take 12 hours out of my day to make my own freaking sprinkles? Or spend the remaining 12 making my own confetti. I am not trying to bash those who think these projects are great.. but don’t your hands cramp up? I mean, you are stamping out all of these little tiny circles with a hole punch.. for hours.. and hours… You can stamp away if you like.. but I think I’ll just head to the party supply and buy mine thanks.
Let me start by saying, I am soooo NOT a runner. I had the delusion of attempting the C25K last year, but failed miserably. That being said, last night I signed up for a 5K. WHAT? I know, right. It wouldn’t be a big deal for most people, but for me, it’s terrifying.
Let me back up.. for a while I have wanted to learn to run. I say ‘learn’, because it is indeed a learned skill for 34 year olds who have never been able to do so.. I mean, never. I recall in horror my 4th grade year PE class, in which we had to run for 15 or 20 minutes along the fence surrounding the playground every couple of weeks. I. Would. Puke. Every. Time…. EVERY time…without fail. MORTIFYING. I was your typical 4th grader.. average height, average weight.. I wasn’t a fat kid trying to run while eating a bag full of powdered donuts or anything close to it. For THAT kid, of course puking would be expected. So.. running has always been something I have dreaded, but at the same time, deep down something I always wished I could do.
I have always had a love/hate relationship with exercise. I feel so great after I do, but getting the first foot out the door is the hardest step to take. There’s always an excuse as to why tomorrow would be better than today. I even have a membership to the YMCA that I’ve used a handful of times over the past year, but I refuse to cancel it.. instead I pay each month for a membership I never use… I haven’t crossed the threshold in months. In my twisted way of thinking, by keeping it, I haven’t completely given up on becoming healthier and possibly fitting into the cute jeans I haven’t worn in years. A security blanket of sorts.. if I keep it, I haven’t truly failed… again. Crazy logic I know.. and my husband also thinks I’m nuts, but he’s been entirely too good about not bringing it up… much.
Ok, so back to the 5K… Yesterday, my sister called me and the first words out of her mouth were, “Man, I want to be a runner…” and then the proceeded to tell me about a couple of people she saw running by her work. We talked about it for a few minutes, then went on to discuss other things… once I hung the phone up, it was forgotten… until… Last night a friend of mine posted a link on Facebook for the Color Me Rad 5K. My first thought was, wow.. that looks like fun.. but it was immediately followed by.. you could never do that.
The little voice in our heads can either be our best friend or our worst enemies. Well, I finally told that little voice to screw off.. I was doing it. Granted, it didn’t take it lying down.. its been talking back quite a bit.. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t in somewhat of a panic, but I can do this. I will do this.. and what better motivation to get my butt to the gym. I don’t think anything happens by accident. There was a reason my sister and I had the conversation we did yesterday, and there was a reason I saw my friend’s post. I’m going way out of my comfort zone this time, but to become someone you’ve never been.. you’ve got to do something you’ve never done.
I was meant to do this…
MIRACLE IN A JAR!
We’ve all experienced it.. you’ve got a cold, bronchitis, etc.. you may start feeling better, but that nagging dry cough, tickle in your throat keeps you from sleeping at night… not to mention your significant other may be secretly plotting your death from the other side of the bed due to your constant hacking… Well, I have read about this trick several times online over the past year or so, and thought, “No way.. it can’t possibly be that simple.” Well, let me tell you IT WORKS!!!
The trick:
Rub Vicks Vapor Rub on the soles of your feet and then cover with a pair of socks before getting into bed at night.
I was desperate last night.. I grabbed an old bottle of Vicks that I’ve had since Lane was a baby.. didn’t even know if it was expired or not, but it’s all I had. Much to my amazement… I did not cough one single time after slapping this stuff on my feet. Not sure why it works, but it does.
The next time you or your kiddos are coughing at night, try it.. you’ll be a happy camper and so will they.
It’s that simple.. all the years I’ve suffered.. all the sleepless nights.. who knew?
Ok, just warning you now.. I’m getting ready to go on a rant. A year ago this past September, my Mom was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast cancer. (I know the ‘c’ should be capitalized, but I refuse to show cancer that respect) After a lumpectomy, several rounds of chemo, and radiation she is now cancer free. Thank God! The diagnosis alone is terrifying. Then, you set out to learn as much as possible about this horrible disease. Time and again, when you search ‘Triple Negative’, you will see it described at the ‘DEADLIEST FORM OF BREAST CANCER‘. I used all caps because that’s exactly how it jumps out at you from the page. Ok, we know any form of cancer is potentially deadly. Duh. Yes, Triple Negative is a faster growing type, that leaves the doctors with fewer treatment options.. mainly chemo and radiation.. but it is VERY responsive to both of those things. Granted, it’s a rarer form, and has a higher rate of recurrence, but that is hardly a death sentence. Don’t get me wrong.. I am absolutely not one of those people who wants all bad news coated in a nice layer of sugar.. but really? I wish the people who write these articles would stop and consider the woman who has just been given this diagnosis.. each and every case is different and the last thing you want to see when you set out to learn about this horrible diagnosis is ‘deadliest’.
I’m still.. at times… afraid of the dark. Once in a while I dip my french fries in my chocolate shake, because it tastes better that way. Music is the one thing that soothes me when I’m angry, can make me cry when I least expect it, and can zap me to a distant place in time that was once long forgotten. Tornado sirens freak me out… seriously.. when the weather is bad, I need a babysitter. I hate my hair.. no matter what I do, how it’s cut or colored.. I’m never happy with it. I can be painfully shy at times.. and that’s often mistaken for snobbishness… It’s hard for me to allow myself to get close to anyone… only the select few I let into my ‘circle’ actually get to see the real me. The sun rises and sets in my little boy’s eyes. He’s my world. I cuss entirely too often. I’m culinarily challenged. I sometimes laugh when I shouldn’t. When I do laugh, there might even be an occasional snort. I’m a jack of all trades, but a master of none. I have an addiction to sweet tea and chocolate and sometimes even enjoy them together. I can be insecure, insensitive, and intolerant. I love to make people laugh. I suffer from insane road rage… at least drive the speed limit people.. is that too much to ask? I’m generous to a fault, but can be terribly selfish. I’m a peace maker, fire putter outer, and smoother overer and sometimes even the glue. I care what other people think.. probably more than I should. I have OCD tendencies, striving for perfection.. when it isn’t even possible. If I’m not good at something the first time I try, I get mad and want to quit. It’s something I’m afraid I’ve passed on to my son… sadly, he shows all the signs. I hate hearing my voice on a recording, it makes me cringe. As bad as I hate to admit, I can be judgmental, but I’m working on it. There are times I talk when I shouldn’t, or I’m quiet when I should speak and I have a knack for saying the most inappropriate thing at the most inappropriate times.. what can I say.. it’s a gift. I fill out Christmas cards, but never mail them… no really.. it’s the thought that counts, right? I get cranky when I’m tired. I don’t handle stress well… I’m surprised I made it to 30 without suffering a stroke. I can’t burp, my Mom can’t either, so I’m assuming it’s hereditary. I care too much.. and then not enough. I own way too many bottles of nail polish. I would consider a nose job, because I think mine is too big. I have expensive taste.. and it’s a curse. I am admittedly shallow and superficial at times and even a little petty. I am a walking contradiction most of the time and can change my mind at the drop of a hat.. or before it even hits the floor. I’m a germophobe… we go through a lot of soap in this house. I don’t take compliments well.. brushing them off when I should just say “Thank you”. Bad grammar rakes my nerves… Speaking of, I have way too many pet peeves. So, I’m sure I’ll be adding to this more later.. but thought my ‘about me’ section could use a P.S.
Once in a while a movie comes along.. that even if you’ve seen it a gazillion times, you still laugh as if you are watching it for the first time. For me.. Dazed and Confused is definitely one of those movies. It’s in the same category as any John Hughes/Brat Pack movie, as far as I’m concerned. Back in 1993, when the movie was released, no one had heard of Matthew McConaughey, or even Ben Affleck for that matter. This hilarious movie is a cult classic… and one of my all time favorites.
We were in Austin, Texas last month and I couldn’t resist checking out some of the filming locations for the movie. With the help of my husband… who laughs right along with me, and our trusty GPS, we found most of them and had a total blast from the past.
First stop, Robert E. Lee High School.. which is actually Bedicheck Middle School.
Had to see where the freshman hazing took place.
“Fry like bacon you little freshman piggies! Fry! Fry!”
Next stop.. Top Notch for some Jalapeno Burgers and soggy fries.
(Actually we had a burger and onion rings… and it was really good)
“Hey batter, batter, batter…”
These were a little tricky… there weren’t any open gates, so I had to James Bond myself into the dugout through the fence.
On to the Emporium… Looks a little run down 🙁
“I get older.. they stay the same age…”
Surely this qualifies me for Mother of the Year.
And last, but certainly not least… I had to do it.. I had to get it… the 50 yard line shot.
This was the one that had me sweating bullets.. because trespassing is obviously illegal… and I do not condone such behavior. However, I had to get the picture… couldn’t leave without it. Mission accomplished. 🙂
So there it is… my ‘Doing Dazed and Confused‘ tour.. we really did have a lot of fun.
Don’t own the movie? Grab it here.