Just Being Real

I never thought I would say this, but I am becoming an extreme couponer, and I LOVE IT! Here's why: 1. It is fun, challenging, and a great way to save your family money. 2. We have more food and snacks in our house than usual, including fun products that we don't usually buy. I am spending less money and getting MORE FOOD! 3. It's a great way to GIVE! I have only been couponing for two months and already have excess in some areas. It is so fun to give away extra stuff you have! One myth is that it takes too much time. Not true! It takes me about 30 minutes a week to organize new coupons (you can do this while watching TV), and an additional 30 minutes to make my shopping list for the week (sometimes I do this in bed - I think it's fun to plan out all of the deals I'm gonna score!). If you knew how much money you could save, finding this time wouldn't be an issue at all! If you're interested in learning how to become an extreme couponer, I hav...

Hello, friends! I am so glad that so many of you have found my blog! I hope it has been helpful in at least some capacity. I wanted to update everyone on my situation now that our baby is here and almost 4 months old! I have a few minutes of my own to write so HERE GOES! I still have pain in my left foot from what I believed to be a P90X injury in 2011. The pain is less severe than it has been, but pain, nonetheless, and I'm very tired of having it! Quick recap - The first orthopedic doctor I saw said I have AVN (avascular necrosis) of the sesamoid, which means there has been a loss of blood flow to that bone. His take was that if I wait it out, the bone would be absorbed by my foot and heal itself (really?), OR I could have surgery. I wanted another opinion so I saw another specialist last week (there was a VERY big gap in time from the first appointment until this one because of the arrival of our new baby!). The specialist's name is Dr. Brodsky at Baylor Dallas. Appar...

This post is very uncharacteristic for my blog but I wanted to write about a condition I have been dealing with in order to help others who are facing the same thing. After a lot of searching, I realized there's not a whole lot of good information out there and I want to prevent others from being discouraged, and let you know that you're not alone! So if you've stumbled upon my site while searching for help, here is what I have learned. Condition : Avascular Necrosis of the Sesamoid (This means one of the little sesamoid bones in your foot is decaying). Onset: After visiting an orthopedic specialist, I found out this is a very random and unpredictable injury. In my case, I landed on my foot the wrong way during a P90X Plyometrics workout. After the initial injury, the onset of pain was gradual, until one day it became unbearable. I discontinued my workout program and stayed on the couch frequently with an ice pack. Ibuprofen alleviated the pain slightly, but not much...

Some observations. 1. New Years Resolutions are notorious for packing out gyms and boosting diet program sales across the country for about.... a month (and that's if you're really motivated!). 2. We tend to make a LOT of resolutions (lose weight, spend time with family, make more money, go on a vacation, cure cancer, etc. etc.). 3. I don't think I like resolutions because I never seem to resolute them. (I don't know if that word works there but it sounds cool). My beautiful and loving grandmother (Mimi) went to be with Jesus this past weekend, and it has made me do a lot of thinking. It is strange that so many people are making plans to better their life when others have just finished their last breath. Life keeps on going. The sun keeps on showing up each new morning just to come back again the next day. And when each new day comes, what are we doing to get the most out of it? Resolutions are great. It is important to set goals for ourselves so that we sta...

You know that one time when you drank too much, and you said you'd never do it again, and then you did? Well, I am super patient with you. You could do it a million times and I'd still love you the same. (But that's probably not a good idea). And that one time when you said harsh things to your friend about who he's chosen to love? It was upsetting to me, but I still want to be kind to you. And to your friend, as well. Remember that financial decision you made that put you and your family in a real crunch? I could have said "I told you so!" but instead I want to help you clean up the mess. Sometimes you argue with your brothers about what it takes to have a "righteous" relationship with me. That stuff wears me out. I'm not a proud God who insists on doing things by the rules. Seek me with your whole heart, even if it looks different than what your neighbor is doing. I remember one time, you had a hard time finding me. You said things abou...

I was going to write this post as a story from one of my friends, but I think you could figure out by the cupcake part that it's me, so I'm not going to hide it. If you are reading, please know I am recounting this experience because of the tremendous impact it had on me, and not to flaunt a good deed. I wish stories like this were a frequent occurrence in my life, but as of now they are a rarity. This was a gift that God gave me, a brief moment where He allowed the love in my heart to direct my actions. Yesterday I met Lyn. Today I call him my brother. I left work with a box of cupcakes, hoping to give them to some of my friends at the coffee shop when I met up with my husband. Come to find out, he had relocated to the bookstore (surprise!) and wanted to meet up for dinner. I was oddly upset that I couldn't give my cupcakes to anyone now, and I definitely didn't need to have a 5th cupcake that day. Oh well, I guess I'll just throw them out. So I headed ...

Life is real. Life is fast. But sometimes it seems too slow. And when it does we click it away Just to watch it GO. We want knowledge, we want it now. And tell me what's after that! We'll walk alone in the midst of a crowd, each underneath our own headphone hat. Unplug for a minute and what would you see? Colors all made anew, and a wonderful fellow once called a friend is waiting with a smile to be with You.