Saturday, February 21, 2015

Changing the Focus: Same Blog, New Title

Originally this was supposed to be a blog chronicling the crazy army life we live. But eventually, I simply ran out of things to talk about. And seeing as our army journey could be coming to an end soon(ish), our army life is winding down. Which is ok! But I miss blogging and I wanted to have some accountability... for running. Being 5 foot nothing, you can imagine how NOT built for speed I am. I HATE running. But I LOVE how I feel afterwards. I LOVE the way it makes my body look and really that is enough for me to keep doing it. But of course when you hate doing something EVEN when you KNOW that afterwards you will feel amazing, it is sometimes challenging to get yourself out the door. So this change of focus is to help me stick with it!! I am also going to bring you the:
 
The Spring Sports Challenge!!!
 
This is for me but if you want to participate, you are more than welcome!!
 
You can run/walk/bike/swim...any exercise that gets you mileage. From March until June! And here are categories (keep in mind these are my goals. You can change them to fit your needs.)
 
GOLD MEDAL: 180 miles
SILVER MEDAL: 150 miles
BRONZE MEDAL: 120 miles
BLUE RIBBON: 100 miles
 
I am shooting for gold. My goal is three 5k's a week... yikes! You have no idea how this is going to push me!! But because I have posted for the world to see I am holding myself accountable. Here we go!!

Sunday, February 8, 2015

This Week on Facebook: Feb. 1-7

It has been a LONG time since I have written on my blog. I need to get back into this because I LOVE it. It is so easy as a wife and mother to stop doing some things you love! Between running my own business, husband just getting off of night shift (thank goodness!), kid's being sick... It's been all I can do to keep my head above water!! But hopefully the worst is behind us. Now on to the post!!
 
 
Do you ever notice a theme in your Facebook newsfeed each week? This will of course differ for each person because each person follows different things. Here are my thoughts on the trends that hit my newsfeed:
 
 
 
Are leggings and yoga pants...pants?
 
You may have heard about a wife and mother who wrote a post about no longer wearing leggings. This caused quite a stir among my friends! Why? Because most of us fall into an age group and category of avid yoga pants wearers! But to my surprise, there seemed to be a 40/10/10/40 split (official stats right here!) of opinions:
 
40% Were absolutely against the wearing of yoga pants or leggings. Sighting that they are too tight and in that essence revealing. They really don't leave much to the imagination. Just pretend their flesh colored and you are basically picturing the person pants-less. Posts by these friends spurred debates about modesty stating that they wouldn't want to be a stumbling block for men.
 
10% Were ok with leggings or yoga pants so long as the lady's top covered the buttocks. Because it seems across the board that appears to be what everyone is concerned about.
 
10% Were ok with them as long the lady's top or skirt hit the knee. (A Mormon standard for modest dresses or skirts.)
 
40% were unequivocally in support of leggings and yoga pants. Many stating that men need to learn to control their thoughts and that women are not responsible for what they think.
 
What do I think?
 
Well first off I should admit that I am a yoga pants wearer. It's once of my vices...one of my many many vices. I personally don't wear leggings because I have no intention of reliving the 90's. And for some reason leggings feel more revealing to me than yoga pants. I hope we can all agree that tights, aka panty hose ARE NOT PANTS. But here is my final say in the matter:
 
 My boys will be taught that they are in control of their thoughts. Women are people and not pieces of meat no matter what they are wearing and they are expected to treat them as such.
 
I also believe in being considerate to others. Here is the thing. Porn addiction is real. I would hate something I was wearing be a trigger for an addict who is trying to recover.

 
 
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate?
 
A measles outbreak from a person who went to Disneyland has caused quite a stir!! And once again I feel like social media is beating a dead horse. Why? Because quite frankly the studies and statistics from both sides are so staggeringly contradictive there is no way to really know what is right!! You have both sides using scare tactics. On the one hand you have the mom from down the street telling you your child will be autistic if you vaccinate and on the other you have doctors telling you your child will die from some disease that is perfectly preventable if you vaccinate. You will hear terms like "herd immunity" and you will be asked to weigh the consequences. Someone posted this: "When it boiled down to it, I would rather deal with my child being autistic than them getting the measles!"
 
Uhhhh... That doesn't sound right too me!
 
Where do I stand?
 
Vaccines aren't perfect. The last 3 years of getting the flu vaccine and we still get the flu and a myriad of secondary infections and my youngest's asthma pays us a visit! However my children are up to date on all their shots. We waited with our oldest till he was two to begin vaccinations, much to the support we received from our doctor who also did the same thing with her children. After much prayer and consideration we felt that was right for him. In thinking about when to vaccinate our youngest we had no such feelings and proceeded to keep him on schedule. Are there adverse reactions to vaccines? We would be dumb not to think so. People react all the time to western medicine. I and my two kids are allergic to Amox. And let's just say that morphine works maybe a little too well on me. My oldest reacted very badly to one vaccine. He got really sick and his leg swelled up like a balloon. People can have a bad reaction to any of the chemicals in vaccines. There is a reason why babies can not have the measles vaccine. The risk is too great. HOWEVER, I do believe in vaccines. I believe that it is because of them this outbreak isn't taking over our country. And I feel better knowing my children are to some degree protected. We are social beings and can't just lock ourselves away from the world. My kid goes to school and my husband goes to work. And they bring it all home! I don't even want to know the horrors being passed around an elementary school or a job where getting a sick day is near impossible. You had better be dying to get that sick day and thus my husband works with sick people on a daily basis. I am not in support of those who refuse to get vaccinated because they believe that since everyone else is, they don't have to worry. That isn't fair. Because you are putting babies and the elderly at risk, not too mention people who have compromised immune systems like cancer patients. But at the same time I am for people making their own medical choices. So if you don't vaccinate, I support your right to choose. I just may not like your choice.



How much sleep should you be getting...

Have you heard that the powers that be have changed the standard on how much sleep you should be getting? All of my friends on Facebook have! I didn't look into it... because not being able to rise up to meet such lofty standards depresses me. I would rather keep trying to slothfully go about my day not knowing that my children are killing me with their inability to sleep through the night most nights. Or that my husband's erratic and insane hours likewise but me in harm's way. (Seriously he went to work at 2:25 am this morning... Is it nap time yet?

 
 
Jamberry has announced the designs that are being discontinued!!
 
I am shocked by some of these! The Icy Polkas for one!! Get them before they are gone here!!!