Being checked for Lupus and other news...

Hello all! Long time no talk. So much has happened I have just not been able to keep up with the blog like I love to. Everything has been put on the back burner due to so much happening lately. So let's take a dive right in and I will give you all an update...

Let's start with the illness...
For about a year now I have been losing weight, which don't get me wrong, I have been thrilled about! I didn't think much of it because I'm a momma of 3 kiddos, I'm always busy, we moved to a place with stairs so a lot more up and down, I breastfeed, and I've just been more active than ever. Not only that but we started eating healthier (most of the time), and I eat less at meals than I used to.
Then I started getting weird rashes on my face. It usually appeared on my cheeks and bridge of my nose. I didn't think much of that either because I had been trying new facial cleansers and thought I was just having an allergic reaction. It would seem to come and go now and again so I didn't pay it much attention.
Well, the last 6 months I have been extremely tired now and again. Some days are harder than others. I again thought it was just my hectic schedule, life with 3 kids, etc. I also started experiencing extreme anxiety. Some days again are harder than others, but while I have always had a bit of anxiety it has worsened so much.
Then over the last few months I noticed a huge change in my hair. I have always had a thick head of hair. So thick that when I go to the salon to get a haircut or style they thin it out a little due to how much of it there is. That was the final straw in my symptoms. I started putting them all together.
Symptoms: weight loss, rash across cheeks and bridge of nose, off and on extreme fatigue, anxiety increase, thinning of hair.
I set up an appointment with the doctor who ran all sorts of tests. I honestly had googled my symptoms beforehand so I was going to request to be checked for a few things anyway. One being my thyroid, one being lupus, and then a few other menial issues.
When my blood work came back everything was mostly fine except for my ANA test which is what they run to check for autoimmune diseases (one being lupus). My ANA test was positive. The doctor talked with me a bit about my symptoms and said she highly suspects lupus, however, now it is just to figure out what KIND of lupus it is. So I go to a Rheumatologist in two weeks where they will again go over my symptoms and order more tests no doubt.
Thankfully I have some pictures of my rash and have been keeping track of my symptoms lately. I want to make sure I'm prepared.
Many people wonder what Lupus is. I wondered the same thing. In a short answer it is an autoimmune disease in which your body basically attacks itself. Instead of attacking the bad cells your body attacks the healthy cells. You can have flare ups which can really put you down, and then there are times the disease can go into remission and you will feel fine. People with Lupus often look very healthy on the outside, but appearances aren't everything because you can feel terrible on the inside. My mom has it so I'm not 100% clueless on it. But I was mostly clueless until I started researching it on google. The doctor gave limited information to me about it.  I will come back and update on this after my visit with the Rheumatologist, and after they get back the rest of my test results. I just wanted to keep you all up to date. I have come to terms with things though and if that IS in fact what is going on I cannot change it. I can only try to manage it. That is what I keep saying to myself to keep my stress over it down. I also joined a support group which has been so helpful with all of my questions, they have given me tips, and just been there. My husband and mom have been my rocks and they listen when I need to vent, or when I'm scared. But it's hard for them so I don't want to burden them too much. They would say I'm not of course, but I still feel like I am.

In other news...
We have reconnected with family members that we had lost touch with, and that has been very nice. We have been having more family get togethers, and just talking to each other more which has been great for everyone. We have been helping others a lot more as well which has kept us pretty busy, but it feels so great to help someone and know that you made things a little easier on them. You know that feeling? So good for the soul.

Hectic Schedules & Chores...
With everything going on lately our schedules have just been insane. We cannot seem to manage our time very well and I feel like I am doing chores or errands every second of the day, and we haven't been getting as much time just us and the kids as we need. I love spending time with other family members and it has been great having more get togethers, but every little family still needs that time of just them now and again as well.

It really comes down to poor chore/time management and trying to do too much in one day. So we are currently working on a plan of how to remedy that. I am actually going to be looking into the flylady method. Have any of you heard of it? Here is the website if you would like to check it out: www.flylady.net

I have heard a little, but am excited to learn more. Especially with zone cleaning. Now that my boys are a bit older I really think that can be helpful. They have chores currently, but most of the time they don't get them done like they need to and then I end up doing everyone's chores for them just because I want them done. Not good, I know, but it's a struggle. I'm sure all you fellow momma's out there know just what I'm talking about. Do any of you have any tips on getting your kiddos to do their chores? Or do any of you do zone cleaning? If so comment below and give me any advice, or tell me how the zone cleaning has affected your life. I would love to hear from you.

YouTube...
So I have been really into watching vlogs lately. It has not only really motivated me on some stuff like cleaning (I am obsessed with the clean with me, speed cleanings, power hours, etc), but it is just so nice to see other moms and families out there. I have made lots of new friends, and found a lot of favorite channels. I won't be doing vlogs personally at this time. I am considering it possibly in the future, but I am thinking of posting the occasional video now and again starting soon. The videos will be posted here as well as on youtube. Especially of grocery hauls, dollar tree hauls, clearance hauls, that kind of thing. I love watching those, and it gives me a lot of ideas on meal planning and stuff too!
I will also be switching around the look of my blog and adding a list of favorite YouTubers, and list of favorite bloggers I follow. That way if you would like to check out what I watch or read you can. :)

A new normal...
And now I'm hoping to settle in to a new normal for our family. I will be working on schedule changes, cleaning routine changes, and blog routine changes. I have missed it here, and I don't want to go so long without posting again. I want to get back to my reviews, posts, and I plan to include a lot more pictures. My new camera finally came so I'm trying to get used to it.

Until next time readers! Have a great week!

Update!

It has been a long time since I've written a personal post. Too long if you ask me. Life is always busy, and I find myself missing my blog more and more. I miss jotting down feelings, what has happened in a day, joining in with Happy Homemaker Monday's, etc.

I'm hoping to go back to normal on blogging. Just when I seem to begin too our schedules aren't working out and we have to try to find a new groove. We just haven't been able to find a good groove yet, but I do feel as if we are close to finding one. In the meantime time seems to be just flying by so quickly it is unreal. Sometimes I find myself wanting it to be the next day or the weekend, and then when it arrives I am like: "Wow! How are we here already!?" And while I look forward to some days more than others I still cherish every day with friends and family. Especially with the children who grow so much with each day. I can't believe how much they have grown already! It's unreal to me sometimes.

My oldest love has started second grade, my middle love is on his last year of pre-k, and my littlest love just turned 7 months! Time goes by so quickly! I just can't believe it!

Second grade at my oldest loves school seems to be a bit better for him than first grade. For one he isn't having to deal with a constant bully situation as he was last year. For two while he does still have homework every single day through the week it doesn't seem as strenuous on him which is fantastic. Last year he had to do a lot of extra's though such as extra reading in addition to the usual, speech work (which he has now graduated from), and whatever homework sheets the teacher sent home. This year it is thankfully just some reading, and various homework sheets per day. But it takes him half the time as it did last year which means he isn't getting as burnt out as he did last year, and he gets to enjoy some of his day after school instead of it just being filled with homework and chores.

My middle love cannot wait to start kindergarten. He is already asking me at least once a week when he will get to start at his brothers school with him. Even though they will be in different grades just being in the same school with his older brother whom he admires so much makes him so excited.

My youngest love just turned 7 months and is everywhere. While not crawling just yet she is scooting on her belly all around and rolling when she can't scoot. It's very cute to watch, and I'm very proud of her. She also talks more and more and we love her sense of humor. We are still breastfeeding (which I also did with both of my sons when they were babies, and I usually go at least a year and a half), and she also is eating baby cereal as well as baby food which she loves. We haven't found anything she won't eat baby food wise yet although I would have to say her least favorite so far is green beans! lol She loves sweet peas and carrots, doesn't care much for peaches, but loves bananas, apples, and blueberries. She is curious about all and pays attention to everything.

Hubby is in transition for a promotion at work. He is on a new schedule which has made things very hectic and he is gone more often. The promotion is great because he is excited about it and has worked hard for it, but at the same time we are really missing him around here. He has to unfortunately miss out on a lot of school events, doctor appointments, family time, etc. His options for trade are few and far between. He says this is only a temporary schedule but so far we have heard nothing of a change so I guess we don't have much of a choice in the matter. While his last position offered more time at home, the time at work was rather brutal on him. He was always exhausted on work days and now he seems more upbeat on work days so I guess the pros outweigh the cons.

I am juggling a lot right now, but loving it. I'm still doing book and product reviews. I took a break from that for awhile, but I honestly love sharing my opinion with others and finding new products or deals.
Mommy's Musings also has a Facebook page here, which I will start sharing on more often. You can keep up to date with my blog posts by liking it as well as find some good recipes, ideas, tips, coupon deals, etc. Please feel free to go give it a like.
I am really into trying new recipes right now which is something I used to love doing but took a LONG break from for awhile (our kiddos went through an extremely picky streak and just opened up to trying SOME new foods here and there). Not to mention hubby, whom I dearly love, is a bit of a Plain Jane as I like to call it. He doesn't mind trying new things but he also isn't much on various spices or flavors. When he cooks he will rarely even add salt or pepper to anything! I'm often sneaking in and adding a little of this or that and he doesn't even know! Which is why I think he really does like different things (as long as he doesn't know what is in them haha). A lot of dishes I've made have various spices and unless I tell him and as long as they aren't too powerful he doesn't even know and usually loves them!

Even though things have been hectic for now I will try to do my best to keep up with blogging, but at the same time I refuse to let myself get too stressed over it. I want to enjoy my time on my blog instead of making it all about work and getting burned out on it. So if I take a break here and there I will for sure be back with another post, review, recipe, etc. Sometimes you may find I'm posting daily while others it may just be weekly, but I'll still be here. And I still enjoy going through and visiting with all of you if you are also a blogger! I have met so many wonderful friends, made so many great connections, found great books, products, recipes, coupon deals, gotten mom advice, etc., on this blogging journey. I am thinking of starting a recipe column also. I used to have one but then deleted it and don't even remember why! I would love to share some recipes that we have tried, what we thought, some of our favorites, etc.

Anyway that is all from me for now. I will be back later this week to post some reviews, and share some tips and tricks. :)
Hope you all are having a fantastic week so far!

Kroger's Time Saving Meals

Life as we know it can be extemely hectic at times. I'm always having those types of days where there just isn't enough time in the day to get done what I need to without worrying about preparing a meal. As a mom of two I'm always seeming to run here or there, doing this or that, and there's some days where dinner just seems to stress me out. I used to go to fast food places once a week or once every couple weeks (depending on what was on the agenda for said week), and realized how much we were spending on food we knew very little about. Even though we tried our best to keep it healthy you can't always put much stock into fast food places.
I love cooking for my family, sitting around the kitchen table, and talking over a nice home cooked meal. However, sometimes there just seems so little time for that. But as a BzzAgent I've found another way!
Kroger Skillet Meals, Kroger Garlic Bread, and Fresh Selection Salad Kits have easily solved my dilemma. Kroger Skillet Meals come in many varieties including (but not limited to): Tuscan-Style Penne, Sausage Rigatoni, Penne with Grilled Chicken, Shrimp Lo Mein, and Chicken Fajitas. They take only about ten minutes to cook and come with a healthy two servings per bag. Now if your a family of four or more then I highly suggest getting an extra bag, but you will be glad you did because the ingredients are so fresh and tasty.
Pair them up with Kroger Garlic Bread and Fresh Selection Salad Kits and you have a full meal in under 30 minutes that you can cook right there in your own home. So no more sacrificing dinner around the table with your family members and stressing out about the cost of out to eat.
Kroger products are very fair on pricing which I really like, and my kids love the Kroger Skillet Meals, Kroger Garlic Bread, and Fresh Selection Salad Kits. I loved them as well. So fresh and tasty, priced decent, and a brand I've come to trust explicitly. I highly recommend them, and couldn't wait to share the news with all my fellow moms out there who have those same stressful days where nothing seems to be getting done. This is an easy quick solution to those dinner dilemmas, as I like to call them. No need to sacrifice quality and taste when you don't have to! Our lives are hectic enough! But so worth it! :)


Disclaimer: I received the above mentioned products for free or discounted in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Momaholic Book Review

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849947367
• ISBN-13: 978-0849947360

::From the back of the book::

Every mom has felt the need to be perfect.

MOMAHOLIC is one woman's private, dramatic, and often comical invitation to peek inside a time in her life where everything fell apart and she had to take an honest look at what she was doing right and what she'd been doing terribly wrong. With this simple discovery, her whacky family's season of becoming unraveled found a new glue (other than her blood, sweat and tears) that would re-bond her family and unite them in a deeper and more functional way than ever before.  

 The real life characters:

• A MOM who is literally the head writer of a network soap opera… at work and at home
• A HUSBAND who expects perfection from his kids and his wife, but who has the wisdom to know he's being unrealistic and yet, can't help but scratch his head in frustration as his family's troubles seem to spiral out of his control
• An autistic SON
• A popular DAUGHTER who is suddenly pregnant
• An ADOPTED DAUGHTER pulled from the jungles of Vietnam with no leg below the right knee and fingers fused together
• An ADOPTED SON from Ethiopia, rescued from the streets at the age of 9.

 This is a story showing the speed with which a "normal" family can fall apart.  No one dies.  No one gets kidnapped.  They just have to deal with each of their own issues….and then one unwanted and unplanned pregnancy.   This was a church-going family whose kids were taught abstinence until marriage. With the family running around as the tornado sirens roared warnings to take cover, mother, Miss Drama, becomes the biggest mess of all and ends up finding a whole new freedom for her soul.

::My thoughts::

I was drawn to this book because it said: "Crazy Confessions of a Helicopter Mom" on the front cover. As a mom myself I always like to learn about other moms, and there's just that connection as well that plays a huge factor. What I really enjoyed about this book is it isn't an ordinary self-help book. I wouldn't even really categorize it as a self-help book at all really, but the author does give some meaningful advice in tidbits throughout the novel. Mainly this is just the author telling her story about how her life spiraled out of control, and how she took back control. It's not a lecture, it's not a self-help, it's just confessions of a mom that got a bit overwhelmed. 

Head writer of Days of Our Lives Dina soon finds out that her daughter is pregnant and engaged! Did I mention the daughter just barely started her college journey? She also has an adopted daughter that has to be carried everywhere due to a surgery, an adopted son who is very active, and a biological son with autism. Of course it would be easy for her to get overwhelmed! I can't believe she held it together as long as she did to be honest! But of course things began to unravel eventually. I will let you read the story yourself to see how things unfold, and how she copes. I would recommend it to all moms out there who feel that we have to constantly be perfect. I learned a lot from this book, but mainly I learned that by trying to be a "perfect" mom and a "perfect" wife is highly impractical. We can only do our very best. And sometimes we just have to relinquish control for our health and our families.

This book is told from a Christian perspective, but in no way preaches. As a matter of fact the author points out that many of their close friends come from all types of backgrounds and beliefs.

The only thing I did not like about this book is the fact that it seemed as if the author was a bit harsh when mentioning her son Conner, with autism, at times. Of course maybe it's just my perspective of things. But of course her love for all of her children shows throughout the novel so I don't want it to sound as if I'm bashing in any way.

I still think this book is a fantastic read for all mother's, it is easy to relate to and you can snatch some snippets of wisdom here and there. After all who doesn't get stressed out a bit from juggling the world of being a wife, mommy, homemaker, employee, whatever your occupation? There's even a neat quiz at the end of the book that helps you discover if your a helicopter mom (one who hovers over her children and feels the need to do everything) or not.

(Incase your wondering I took the quiz, and I guess I'm a bit of a helicopter mom)

This book is available in~    ::Paperback::    and     ::Kindle::

Check out my review on Goodreads...I rated this book:

DISCLAIMER: I was provided this book for free through Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review. Opinions expressed are mine alone.

Mother's Day

        Well, it’s Mommy’s Day tomorrow! I can’t believe I’m a mommy myself! Life goes by so quickly! It is truly a day to be celebrated. Not many people realize all that mother’s go through for their children physically, mentally, and emotionally. We carry our children, have them, work for them in any way we can throughout our lives. We love them, we worry about them. It truly is a never-ending job, but it’s one that no matter what we wouldn’t change it for the world.
I salute all the mother’s in the world that do their best by their children and love them with all their heart. Without us, where would the world be?
I read on a friend’s blog where she posted about stay at home mom’s. This is what she posted on the subject:

A stay-at-home mom works many jobs throughout the day. She's a nurse, chauffeur, chef, teacher, playmate, housekeeper, laundry attendant, accountant, babysitter, and MORE all rolled into one. She doesn't receive a paycheck for the 24 hours a day, 7 days a week she's on duty. She doesn't get a pay raise, sick days or 401K plans. She is a mother, the most important job in the world. The glue that holds things together.
Now I am a stay at home mom myself, but I would just like to apply this to all moms because we are all special in our own ways, so to all you stay at home moms, work at home moms, or work out of the home moms Happy Mother’s Day!!! We are all mother’s 7 days a week. There isn’t a moment where our children aren’t on our minds, when we aren’t worrying about them, or thinking of them.

So to all the unselfish moms out there who traded sleep for dark circles, salon haircuts for a ponytail, long showers for quick ones, late nights for early mornings, and designer bags for diaper bags, and wouldn't change a thing. To the moms who don't care what they gave up and instead LOVE what they got in return...............Happy Mother’s Day!!!
　
　
For today’s quote in honor of Mother’s Day I am adding 3.

“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” ~Tenneva Jordan

“Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love.” ~Mildred B. Vermont
"May she who gave you birth be happy."
-Proverbs 23:25


As my oldest son likes to say when he wakes up in the morning and looks out the window: "It's gonna be another great day."