Sugar Waxing: A Lesson in Self Control

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Let me preface this by saying, there is going to be some inappropriate talk about hair in private places, also I’ve never gone to a salon and had any part of my body waxed, so I truly have nothing to compare this experience to. I tried using Nair wax strips once when I was 20, to do my bikini line and it ended with me showering, praying that the strip would release because I just couldn’t do it.

About a month ago, I started thinking about trying waxing as a means to cut back on shaving (pits, legs, bikini). In true 2021 fashion, I started getting targeted instagram ads for Sugar Waxing. The one that always caught my eye was a cute and witty commercial for Sugar Me Smooth and hooked me in. I was successfully influenced & knew I had to try it. I went back and forth about what kit I should get, but I ended up getting the bikini, because that’s the most annoying area especially in the summer.

It started easy enough. Watched the video, did a test on my leg, got the hang of it, and so I went for it. Let me say, it’s not pleasant. Not even a little bit. You know the scene from 40 Year Old Virgin? There were definitely moments I wanted to scream out “KELLY CLARKSON!” I tried to make mine a more enjoyable experience, so I put on a good tv show, poured myself an alcoholic beverage, and took my time.

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I started with doing only the bikini line, sides, maybe a little off the top, but it soon turned into a topiary lesson. The more I did, the stranger it looked, so I just kept going… and at the moment I wanted to quit I looked in the mirror and I knew I had to finish. It would be like shaving your head and facial hair, but leaving a sideburn. ONE SIDEBURN. Granted, people see your head/face, and nobody but my husband will see this hack job… but I just knew we wouldn’t be able to stop laughing if I left it. So. I put on a meditation, took the last swig off my drink, said a few Hail Mary’s and muscled through.

On a scale of one to child birth… It’s about a 7 or 8. I’ve been told that the more you do it, the easier it gets, and the less and less it hurts. So. fingers crossed for that. Anyway, not having anything else to compare this to, I’m happy with the product I chose to get! It’s the bikini kit from Sugar Me Smooth. Apparently sugar wax is supposed to be less abrasive than regular waxing, and you won’t get burned, because you don’t need to heat this up. Apply it to your hair, going against the flow of the hair, then remove it with a flicking motion with the grain of the hair. This is supposed to make it less painful, but what you need to know is, its going to hurt and possibly bleed. You’re removing the hair follicle, and for some of these hairs, they’ve never been pulled out before. Ouch. There is a reason why people pay other people to do this, because it’s unnatural to PURPOSEFULLY inflict that kind of pain on yourself, and to keep doing it, over and over and over until you’re done.

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ANYWAY, I hope you got a good laugh at my expense. I’m sore, slightly embarrassed, but hopeful that next time won’t be so traumatic. (Meaning, I’ll do it again). And if you don’t plan on joining the ranks of the Brazilian people, I’d say, overall, this isn’t that bad!

My Current Podcast Line-up

Within the past two years, I’ve been falling more and more in love with Podcasts. There is seriously something for everyone, and I adore that. The common trend with women of my age, are crime junkie podcasts, but I’m going to be real with you… letting that type of evil into my brain is not good for me on so many levels. I notice how depressive it can be for my spirit, so I try to avoid anything that is going to exacerbate my anxiety and stress levels. That being said, most of the podcasts I listen to tend to deal with “self help” or my faith as a Catholic Christian, but there are a couple that are just because I have a weird sense of humor and like the Office.

Minimalism & Clutter Control:

My First & maybe my favorite podcast that I BINGE when I need a real kick in the pants to get to cleaning and decluttering my house, is A SLOB COMES CLEAN with Dana K. White. She is an author and mom, who gives your realistic goals for cleaning for people who really hate cleaning. Some of her concepts were already things I was doing on a weekly basis, but listening to her podcasts really gave me a lot of Lightbulb moments when I realized that you can’t organize anything until you CLEAR OUT THE CLUTTER, otherwise you are just “Stuff shifting” and that doesn’t solve anything. Hello! Her voice is so soothing, and its easily something I can listen to while I make dinner or :gasp: clean and organize my house.

Next up. THE COZY MINIMALIST, MINIMALIST MOM’S PODCAST, WITH INTENTION & WANNABE MINIMALIST. These four are great, but I’m not as quick to click on them because I have so many new podcasts that I’ve been listening to lately, and not a ton of time. But they are good and have a lot of great content. I started focusing on Minimalism a couple years ago when I realized that living with less was a really good idea as we were fighting hard to pay down debts and manage the stuff that was already in our house.

The Cozy Minimalist is great if you don’t have a lot of time and just want short bursts of inspiration. (Her earlier episodes are better) Recently, it feels like she is having trouble distinguishing herself and letting the negative comments get her down.

Minimalist Moms Podcast is great because she talks to a lot of other moms who are dealing with the day to day life of managing kids and a house in addition to working, etc. You get to hear what works and doesn’t work for them. I love to weed through and see what things I can try to implement in my own life, and then go from there.

With Intention Podcast, recently changed to this name, but she focuses on living with intention and will talk about a lot of minimalist ideals. Lots of great ideas to slow down and enjoy the inbetween.

Wannabe Minimalist is also great because it just hammers home this idea of getting away from the consumer mindset and how to look at your house with fresh eyes to pair down on things you don’t use or need.

Life & Self Help

The Chalene Show is my current favorite podcast. She talks all about living with ADD & ADHD and all the ways you can uplevel your life, break bad habits, start new routines, etc. She’s so smart and funny and gets right to the point. A lot of her content is science based, and I’m currently working through her Decluttering series from the beginning of this year. SO MUCH GOOD INFO.

Fresh Exchange is by a Michigan mama, who lives very simply and talks about enjoy the season she is in. She is also talking ALL about gardening and her process behind how she plants and learns in nature. It’s a breath of fresh air from the constant RUSH RUSH RUSH mindset of so many, and I adore seeing the beauty of Michigan through her eyes.

The Mary Marantz Show is solid gold. All of her episodes are amazing and will make you feel like you can take on anything you set your mind to. Mary is an AMAZING interviewer and doesn’t ask superficial questions, but really digs deep and gets to the nitty gritty stuff. And Mary is a wonderful human being in real life as well.

Modern Manners for Moms & Dads is a new one for me that I’ve been really digging through. I heard these ladies on another podcast and was so intrigued by their stance on parenting. It has really made me take a step back and reevaluate myself and my approach to how I react to situations as a mom.

The Purpose Show with Allie Casazza is great for moms who feel like they are stuck in the trap of “Suffering through motherhood”. It helps you realize that in order for us to be our best version of ourselves, as women and mothers, we need to take better care of our mental and physical health first. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Spiritual Health

Being a Catholic Christian is a big part of my life. It shapes not just how I spend my weekend, but also how I view the world and all aspects of my life. My three favorite podcasts are ironically by the same person.

UMD Newman Catholic Campus- Father Mike Schmitz. He is a priest/campus chaplain at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and before the pandemic, I would listen to his weekly homily on his podcast because it would always dive SO MUCH deeper into the readings than what my own local priest would do during mass. When all the churches closed in March 2020, he took to Youtube and offered weekly mass for his “virtual front pew” as he called us.

The Bible in a Year- In addition to his homilies, he also has a new one that started on January 1st, 2021 and it comes out every morning and Fr. Mike is reading through the entire Bible. There is a whole reading plan based on Jeff Cavin’s study of the Great Adventure Timeline, that addressed the story of Salvation and how we fit into that story. It’s amazing and I have listened every single morning since Jan 1. I make sure that my brain is fully listening and comprehending what I’m hearing, so I do it while I get ready in the morning alone in the bathroom.

Fr. Mike Schmitz is basically the audio from his youtube channel for Ask Father Mike. Where he will address questions or subjects that people ask him about from a Catholic perspective.

Comic Relief/ Favorite TV Shows

Fake Doctors, Real Friends is a hilarious podcast that is basically Zach Braff & Donald Faison shooting the ish, talking about current events, and occasionally they talk about their old Tv Show SCRUBS. (Which I loved that show in high school/college and owned all the seasons on DVD) yeah, i’m old(er). They are definitely vulgar and talk about a lot of really bizarre things, but I listen when I just need to take my mind off of the crazy and have a good laugh.

The Office Deep Dive with Brian Baumgartner is a new one, but it’s the actor who played Kevin from the Office, talking to all his old castmates about their time on The Office. It’s just fun and mindless to listen to, and I’m enjoying so far.

Office Ladies with Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey is great and they really break down every episode. It’s so fun to hear these ladies talk about the show and what was going on behind the scenes as they filmed all of this. Talking about what was improvised and who wrote what lines. No Joke, The Office is my ALL TIME FAVORITE show, and before Netflix took it off, Ryan and I would watch it almost every night.

Okay Folks, That’s it. That’s my current lineup on podcasts. If you have any that you think I might like, leave me a comment below, because I’m always looking for new things to listen to!! Thanks friends and I hope this was helpful!

Super Greens- Because Why Not?

DISCLAIMER: I am not a dietician or medical professional, just someone who is passionately curious about making healthier choices for myself and my family. Please do your own research and make decisions based off your personal health.

A common stereotype I get from acquaintances or doctors is that I eat a lot of salads and greens. I even had one doctor tell me “You don’t take me as the burger and french fries type of girl…” and I usually just smile and agree, but the truth is… talk to me about 6-7 years ago and all I wanted was Pizza Hut, KFC, McDonalds, Wendy’s… you name it. I was thin, but UNHEALTHY. Then I had a baby and my gallbladder removed in the same year and my digestive health took a HIT. (read my post from Jan 7th)

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I’m currently two weeks in to cutting gluten and dairy from my daily diet, and I’m feeling so good. And before you say “but I could never give up cheese, or ice cream, or bread….” believe me, this choice is not for everyone. It isn’t a “DIET” for me to lose weight, it is merely a choice because I’ve come to learn that my body just operates at peak performance when I eliminate those things. Okay, I could go on and on about why this helps me, but today I wanted to talk about the new thing I’ve added to my daily nutrition.

Super Greens. After some research and coming to the realization that GF/DF is what needs to happen again, I realized that my diet is SERIOUSLY lacking from leafy greens and other vegetables. Truthfully. I hate vegetables. I used to say “lettuce belongs in a salad, not on my sandwich”. Yes, I know I’m still a child.

Leafy green vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They're packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber but low in calories. Eating a diet rich in leafy greens can offer numerous health benefits including reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and mental decline. Because of their highly concentrated nutrient profile, supergreens are believed to help boost the immune system, reduce inflammation, detoxify the body, and promote healthy digestion. Some studies have indicated that supergreens may help regulate cholesterol as well as reduce the symptoms of arthritis.

Sounds good right? To Clarify: THIS IS NOT BEING ADDED TO LOSE WEIGHT. Purely to help me be a healthier human being. The nutrients and plant compounds in greens powders may support overall wellness when used in combination with a healthy diet and lifestyle.

About two weeks ago, I put up a question box on my instagram stories looking for recommendations for Super Greens based on what people have used and liked, and these we the top. A lot of repeat answers for these. After talking it over with Ryan, comparing prices and ingredients, we ordered one of these. I’m not ready just yet to give you my full review on it, because I don't feel like I’ve been taking it long enough to give an opinion. But from what I can gather, the more natural and pure these are the better. You don’t want something that puts a lot of Additives in there, or filler grass.

I’ve been adding mine to my smoothie bowls along with a Pre & probiotic. (recipes for those coming soon). I hope this helps, and if you have any questions, please feel free to leave me a comment!

No, I Don't Want Zantac...

It started late one night, I woke up in extreme pain, telling Ryan I couldn’t breathe while clutching my right side. Being six months pregnant with my first baby, I was very confused about what it would feel like to go into labor, but I had a pretty good feeling, this wasn’t it. I called the on-call nurse and she told me I needed to go straight to the hospital to be monitored.

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After a 30 min drive to the hospital, an hour of monitoring, and being told “You’re not going into labor, the baby is fine. Drink water & Try to rest.” And I was sent home with no answers. This happened five more times, each time with no answers. Flash forward to after I gave birth to Jonathan, and I was up late one night breastfeeding. That intense pain came over me again & I could barely even function. Before I would get some relief by taking a hot shower and letting the water beat on my back, so I handed the baby off to Ryan and jumped in the shower. I was laying on the floor of the shower crying and praying when it was almost like someone said it clear as day “look up gallbladder attack symptoms".

DING DING DING. We have a winner folks. I called my doctor in the morning and she scheduled me for an ultrasound of my gallbladder. And I wasn’t surprised when they told me it was full of gallstones and that they would recommend removing it. “There are RARELY complications with this surgery, so you should be able to resume normal life after this.” the surgeon told me after surgery, and so I did. I went back to eating all the same stuff I was eating before… lots of greasy food, soda, ice cream, sugar, heavy food and spent the next year and a half popping imodium, gasX, lactaid and the last straw being prescribed Zantac.

Is your stomach hurting yet? I was haphazardly diagnosed with “dumping syndrome” or “Possibly IBS” but there is no definite answer, and then prescribed a daily zantac. I don’t fault my doctor for giving me a prescription in order to fix my problems, because it seems like that is what MOST people these days are looking for. They don’t want to dig deeper and find the root of the problem, they would rather take a magic bullet that would quickly make them feel better. But all the Zantac did for me was (To put it delicately) give me constipation, and then I would eat food I knew would send me to the bathroom just to find some relief. Rinse. Repeat.

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I was gaining weight at an alarming rate, I was a few pounds away from being the weight I was when I gave birth. I was bloated. My face was puffy. My skin was awful, and the exhaustion was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I knew SOMETHING needed to change, I just didn’t know what. But I knew that taking Zantac wasn’t the solution.

And then I realized something pretty important… and if you take anything away from this, take this… “Just because something is made and is available for you to consume, DOES NOT mean it's actually safe and healthy.”

Don’t get me wrong, I make unhealthy choices all the time, but the frequency in which I was consuming pop (Or soda), candy and other processed foods, was pretty amazing. For me, it started with being mindful about WHAT I was actually eating. I decided that I would start by cutting out ALL POP. Small steps. After a few days without stomach issues, I realized that I was on to something.

The next month, I decided to do a complete detox from gluten, dairy, soy, legumes, alcohol, refined sugars and caffeine. It was tough. Like seriously tough, especially because for a full week of that detox I was out of town staying in a hotel with my almost 2 year old, as Ryan finished out his Master’s degree. But I set myself up for success and found safe snacks and food. After the detox, I added back a few things, but realized just how good I felt and that was something I wanted to hold on to.

Have I stayed completely devoted to a gluten and dairy free diet? Nope. Since that detox, I’ve added two other humans to our family, and those restrictions went out the window as I survived pregnancy, post partum & breastfeeding. But it is something I easily come back to because I know just how much better I feel when I stick to a (mostly) gluten and dairy free lifestyle.

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Is this for everyone? Nope. Is this going to fix your own personal stomach issues? Maybe? It’s hard to say THIS is what is wrong, and THIS will fix you, but it has worked for me. And I’m such a huge advocate for doing YOUR OWN RESEARCH. My doctor was giving me a prescription to fix the problem I complained about, but there was a much bigger problem that she couldn’t have know because she wasn’t in my kitchen when I drank another can of coke, or in my car as I stopped for my 2nd mcflurry of the day. She saw a “Thin” person and assumed I ate a well balanced diet, and out of my own shame, I didn’t correct her.

Which leads us to today. I spent all last weekend in sweatpants, feeling uncomfortable, because my stomach felt bloated, my body felt sluggish after a month of enjoying the holiday treats. Here we are in January with another sweets addiction, snacking on anything and everything, not giving my body what it actually needs. (More water and nutrients). But with the crystal clear realization that it’s time to make some better choices. Be an advocate for yourself. I’ve spent the past 365 days doing the best I can to take care of myself but the biggest thing is I don’t feel like I’ve deprived myself of ANYTHING. But more on that another day.