Welcome to my blog! I'm a 25 year old Texas native who is constantly on the run. In my blog I will show you how I balance my life between my work, grad school, marriage (pup included), weight loss and beauty. It can get crazy at times, but if you focus and work hard, you truly CAN have it all ;)
It's Christmas Day!!! It's the perfect time to cozy up and lounge around. That's exactly what I did today. I'm 6 days into my Winter break and I am enjoying every single moment of it. Being on vacation gives me the time to sit back, enjoy life, and be normal. I am able to get in the kitchen and cook up a storm. Speaking of kitchen, Santa was very generous and brought me a new, red cookware set. Such a thoughtful and necessary gift from Mr. Hubby Santa :)
Last night we had a delicious dinner and spent time with family. I am so thankful for being able to spend time with loved ones. My parents and sisters were missing this Christmas, but I will soon see them for New Years. I cannot wait to see them all and have girly time with my sisters.
The holiday season stresses me out and bring me tons of happiness at the same time. I am always low on cash during this time but full of love. These have been some of my "just see the positive side" days. As long as I have my loved ones next to me, with a roof over my head, and food to eat, nothing else should matter.
With that being said, I spent the majority of my day in bed watching Peaky Blinders, enjoying the simple things in life. I just finished watching the entire first season!!! If you have nothing better to do, watch this show NOW!
I'm about to get started on season 2 (taking vacay VERY seriously) to continue enjoying my Christmas. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that you are getting ready to take on the new year. I'll be posting again soon. For now, here are some of this year's Xmas pictures:
All this food made us drowsy, but we still look cute ;)
It's been about 8 months since I have posted anything on here. I got too caught up in too many things that I put the blog to the side, even if I missed it. Writing is one of the ways in which I can vent and get my thoughts together. I miss writing on here and sharing my ideas to anyone who decides to stop by.
With that being said, I'm back! Quite a few things have happened since April and I can't wait to share them with you.
Hi readers! I'm slowly getting my life back as the end of the year and the end of this semester are creeping up. My husband and I have been keeping busy that we've barely even had time to spend time together. Our schedules clash, so when he's busy, I'm not and the other way around.
We're anxiously waiting for the summer for three reasons:
1. This semester will be dunzo.
2. We can spend time with our family back home.
3. WE'RE GOING TO CANCUN!!!
Yes! We finally booked our vacation a few weeks ago and we are soooo excited :) We both love to travel, and even though our summer will be packed, we're going to end it with a nice serving of tanning and relaxing on one of Mexico's beautiful beaches.
With that being said, we have about three months to get our *&%$ straight and lose some weight. We've had some bad days, but for the most part, we've been cutting down on our food intake. My workout regimen has not been consistent as I'd like it to be, but testing is now done and I feel as if I have a piece of my sanity back. I'll be keeping you updated on my progress.
Last night I went on a mini Ulta shopping trip with the sole purpose of purchasing more NYX soft matte lip creams. I had purchased one a while back, but when my sisters came to visit I gave it to one of them. Although these lippies are affordable, my mom still has three girls at home, so I cannot imagine how much she might spend if she were to buy makeup for all three. That's when big sister, makeup lover and impulse shopper comes into play.
Ulta currently has a buy 1 get 1 50% off sale on NYX products. This sale was calling my name. I like to have shiny lips, but at times I want a matte look, especially if I have super glittery eye makeup. These lip creams are perfect for that. I've tried other matte products and they dry out my lips, BAD. These do not. They have a creamy consistency with a major color payoff. These creams are sooo pigmented! When you apply them they feel like a cream and then they dry, but they do not get cakey. Your lips still feel flexible and not like they're going to crack when you move them.
I purchased four different colors and I am so tempted to go back and buy the rest of the collection. I got Antwerp, London, Istanbul and Stockholm. This is giving me travel ideas!! haha
From left to right: Antwerp, London, Istanbul, Stockholm
They're very pigmented (excuse my hairy arms haha)
As you can see, these creams are so pigmented. My lips are naturally dark, so it is hard to find a product that has this consistency and doesn't require me to white out my lips in order for the color to show up. The only down side to the lip creams is that they do not stay on for a very long time. They don't fully adhere to your lips so they can smudge a bit (I'll tell you about this below). I try to use them only when I go out and not when I'm spending the whole day moving my mouth while I teach.
These lippies are only 5.99 and you can find them at Ulta, HEB and some CVS stores. If you don't have an Ulta nearby, you can always order them online and take advantage of their sale. I highly recommend them since they have a wide selection of colors and because they are very affordable. NYX is a brand that I have been loving ever since I've discovered it. So, go out and get them. You need them in your life!!
I was very happy with my purchase and I chose Antwerp to wear last night. My friends invited me to go to the Old Town Spring Crawfish Festival, so the best choice was to wear Antwerp since it's the closest to a crawfish color haha.
The festival is outdoors and pretty much consists of food, music, drinks and games for everyone. I had never had crawfish before, so this was the time to try it. I wore black to make sure that I did not get dirty; better yet, that any stain did not show up as it does when I wear light colors :(
I decided to wear my floral kimono-like cover up to stay fresh. The weather was super humid so I did not even bother straightening my hair. I paired my top with some jeans and my fabulous gold sandals that I found at Target for only $14.
My husband was in a good mood and we had a mini photo shoot!
I had a lot of fun at the crawfish festival and I'll be taking my husband with me this coming weekend so we can both indulge in tasteful mudbugs. Sooo, what I was going to tell you about the smudging. I got home and my husband opens the door and says, "Who were you making out with?!" I was like WHAT?! Super confused with what he was asking. Well it turns out my lip cream was smeared around my lips and he wanted to be funny. Obviously I was not kissing anyone but the crawfish since I was sucking the juicyness out of them. So, don't wear the lip creams when you're going to eat crawfish. It'll look like you did something else haha.
FYI: My husband is not a jealous freak. We're at a point in our relationship where we can joke about these things since we both know what we're about. I'm about him and he's about me. End of discussion :)
Well it's time to get another work week started and I've got one last assignment to turn in for my research class. I'll be sipping on a tasty glass of red wine and typing my fingers away.
I hope my review on the NYX soft matte lip creams can be useful for you. Let me know if you've tried them or will try them and what colors you like. I'll be posting up more beauty reviews in the future. If there is something you'd like for me to try out, let me know in a comment and I'll do my best to try it before you actually have to buy it.
I have not posted anything in about a month. I'm not proud of that, but things have been pretty hectic. I started this blog to show people how it is possible to juggle many things at once, but the blog was something I had to let go of for a bit. State testing ends this week, therefore I will not feel an insane amount of pressure as I have for the months leading to the tests. It's not free time after the exams, but it I will have more peace of mind knowing that it's over. Also, this semester's courses end in two weeks, so that will give me more time to dedicate to the blog.
With that being said, I want to let you know that I have many blog post ideas that will be coming your way very soon.
Now it's time for bed and time to complete the second day of testing. Yay :(
It's Monday!!!! I'm not a fan of Mondays, especially when it's the Monday right after a relaxing and much needed vacation. I had the hardest time getting ready for work today. I was taking my sweet time and I'm surprised I even made it to work on time!
As you may already know, I am working on my Master's degree and it is a load of work, especially with the job that I have. I truly think that anyone can get their Master's as long as they have graduate level writing skills and are able to manage their time wisely. My brain is usually running a million miles per hour with all of the things that I have to get done. What helps me sort everything out is a planner. Now I know that people might think that a paper planner is old news, but I am one of those people that likes to see things mapped out in front of me in pretty colors in order to feel organized.
At the beginning of this school year I purchased a teacher planner from www.erincondren.com. I loved it, until I realized that the way my district submits lesson plans was easier to follow than to pass it over to my planner. I planned for a few weeks, and then I let it go. I wanted to take this planner everywhere to jot down important dates for school and work, but it was not the best idea since the planner is quite bulky. There just came a day where I stopped using it. Do not get me wrong, it's a great planner, but it was not for me. I loved the checklist in the back, which is where I put in my grades. Other than that, I found no more use for the entire planner.
I've been going for months without a planner and I feel like my brain is frazzled. After seeing a lovely youtuber (Belinda Selene) and her new life planner, I knew I had to get back to my planning ways. This time I ordered a life planner, which is smaller and has more of what I need. I am currently waiting for my planner to arrive, so when it does I will give you a full view of what's inside of it. I'm so excited because Erin Condren's products are so gorgeous and I know I'm going to put this planner to good use!
On to "Meatless Monday." I have been seeing several pins and posts about Meatless Monday and I have been intrigued. I'm not meat's biggest fan, so leaving meat out is no biggie for me. Today I decided to whip up a simple recipe using eggplant. Everytime I go to the grocery store I see this plump, purple mass and I just want to take a bite out of it. It always looks so delicious!
I have only had eggplant once in my life in Italy a few years ago. I ordered a plate that had pasta, cheese, mushrooms, cream, tomatoes and eggplant. That plate was ridiculously delicious. The flavors were so fresh and and the eggplant taste was something new for me. I would like to show you this dish, but all my Italy pictures are stored on a computer that has permanently messed up and has no charger :(
So today I will show you how I made my eggplant delight. I will tell you, eggplant has a bit of a tangy taste and the skin is quite tough. I cooked the meal with the skin, but you are welcome to take it off.
What you'll need:
1 eggplant (sliced in half)
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 small tomato, diced
2 tablespoons of feta cheese
drizzle of olive oil
1 clove of garlic, sauteed (not burnt!)
Mrs. Dash Onion & Herb seasoning (it's salt free)
(garlic not pictured)
Get cookin'!
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil paper.
3. When the eggplant is cut in half and the ends are off, scoop out some of the flesh on each half so that you are able to place the other ingredients in there. It's kind of like if you're making a little bowl.
4. Place the diced onion and diced tomato in the "bowl" part of the eggplant.
5. Add the onion & herb seasoning.
6. Drizzle with olive oil to keep the eggplant moist.
7. Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes. The eggplant should be soft when you poke it with a fork.
8. Sautee one clove of garlic in oilve oil and place the sauteed garlic on the eggplant pieces.
9. Top it all off with a tablespoon of feta cheese on each half.
* I made the tiny mistake of adding the cheese in the beginning so it came out super crispy. If you're okay with that then do what you'd like.
All done and ready to eat. I added a side of fresh greens and shredded carrots with lime juice and a tiny drizzle of olive oil.
The eggplant was filling and tasty. I was tempted to add some Sriracha, but I need to lay off of that. It's too addicting.
This was my meal after my 1.5 hour long stay at the gym. I walked on an incline, ran a little, hopped on the eliptical and did the arm workouts that my trainer taught me along with the ab exercises. I can't believe I still had energy to buy some groceries after all that.
Little tip: Since you know I'm always running, I used my time wisely and cooked a pound of turkey meat while the eggplant was baking in the oven. I'll use the turkey meat throughout the week and it will save me a ton of time since it is already cooked. All I have to do is whip it up with something and eat it.
I've been feeling great and I know it's because of the changes I've made. I'm not dieting nor am I starving myself. I'm being wise about what I consume and trying to fill my body with things that are nutritious and won't go straight to my huge hips! Writing this out truly keeps me motivated because I know people are watching, and even if some of them don't know me, I don't want them to see me as a failure. I'm taking medium steps (not baby) to get to where I need to be. Someday I'll be there, but for now I've got to keep working my behind off!
It's already 10 and I need to start getting ready to go to bed. I know that if I sleep late I will NOT want to wake up. I'm signing off for now, but as always, feel free to comment or subscribe to my blog. I'll be talking to you soon ;)
Currently istening to: Maisey scratching the life out of our sofa =/
It's dinner time and I'm about to post a breakfast recipe. It's okay, you can have it ready for tomorrow morning's breakfast ;)
Before I do that I will let you know that I had my first training session back with my trainer at the gym. I started my sessions in October, then my great-grandmother passed away so I was depressed and stopped going. Then I went again and from one day to the next I had to have my surgery. Thankfully that is all put behind me and I am ready to get back at it.
Just like the last times, I get excited to go to my session, then as soon as I'm about to get out of the car I want to turn back and walk away because I know the torture that this guy puts me through. He's the only trainer I've had and I think he's great. He's very respectful and motivates me without going all "intense" on me. He compliments me when I push through a hard exercise and he is very clear on what I need to work on (pftt...EVERYTHING haha) and what I'm good at.
So today I had my session at 6:30 a.m.! One thing you must know about me is that I HATE waking up early with a passion!!! If it were up to me I would have a job in which I could wake up at around noon, but that's not possible with the career I chose. This quote really got me to get up out of my comfy bed:
(I found this somehwere on Instagram)
Anywho, today was full of arm and core exercises. He made me do planks, push ups, medicine ball lunging squats, full body pull ups on a machine, individual arm exercises and assisted crunches. I was dead after the session, but I felt good knowing that I had made it through. My next session is on Friday night and I will be sure to let you know how that goes.
Now to the food!
I decided to make an English muffin with egg whites, spinach and green bell pepper. Something you must know about me in the food department is that I LOVE bread. I can eat it on its own. Honestly, I would be happy eating bread and drinking water. That's how much I love bread. It's hard for me to completely let it go. I have found an alternative to this bread obsession I have and it is Ezekiel bread. This bread has no flour and is made from sprouted grains. It has a high amount of protein, amino acids, vitamins and fiber. This has been the best alternative to using actual bread.
It takes a while to get used to the texture and flavor of the bread, not because it's bad, but because it's different. Once you get past that, you can enjoy the flavor of it along with it's benefits.
For this recipe I used the Ezekiel bread in english muffin style.
What you'll need:
1 Ezekiel bread english muffin split in two
2 egg whites
handful of spinach
2-3 slices of green bell pepper
avocado slices
non stick cooking spray
garlic pepper seasoning
Get cookin':
1. Toast the english muffins.
2. Turn the stove on to medium heat & spray the nonstick cooking spray on a pan/skillet (whatever you call it/use)
3. Separate the egg whites from the yolk and set aside.
4. Add the handful of spinach to the skillet to begin cooking it.
5. Add the egg whites to the spinach and cook it until it becomes tender (a few minutes). Season with garlic pepper seasoning.
6. Remove the egg/spinach mix and place it on top of the toasted english muffins.
7. Add the avocado slices and the green bell pepper slices.
8. Enjoy (you might want to add Sriracha)
(Everything was falling off)
And there you have it. This took me only a few minutes to prepare and it kept me full for quite a while. It was tasty and I did not have to feel guilty about eating bread. I will try some new ideas with this bread and let you know how that goes.
That's all I have for now. It's Friday and I'm waiting for my husband to get home so we can do something. I start work again on Monday and I need to enjoy this break to the max! Have a great Friday night and I will talk to you soon.
**Feel free to subscribe to my blog with your email address so you can have updates on my posts. Also, don't hesistate to leave a comment, even if you do not have a blogger account. You can also check off whether this was funny, interesting, inspiring or delicious.
Currently listening to: Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz
It's a mini-vacation! Technically, I've been on vacation since Friday at around 3:00 p.m. ;) My break came a week after others, but I cannot complain when I am able to have one entire week to myself.
On Friday my husband and I drove to Austin for what was left of SXSW. It was our first time going and we had sooooooooo much fun! It's crazy to think that there are so many bands and so many things to all day long. We attended a party hosted by The Chive where everything was free. EVERYTHING! The trick to this was knowing about the party. People would pass by and I would wonder if they knew that drinks/snacks inside were free. They seriously missed out :/
(whenever I'm having a good picture moment, he makes a funny face)
On Saturday we stopped by an open ground/party hosted by AirBnB (something like that) and once again, everything was free. It took a while to get in, but it was worth it. The entire place had a hippie vibe to it. #flowerpower Then, we went back to The Chive party. Woo!
Sunday afternoon we had a cookout with my brother in law and his roommates. Back home it was very common for my dad to be cooking out (by very common I mean almost every single weekend!). It had been a while since we had fajitas, sooo... we had fajitas! It felt great to eat good food and relax with fun people.
Overall it was a fun weekend and it continues to solidify our thoughts on moving to Austin in the future. We love Houston, but Austin feels more like a place we'd like to conquer and settle at in the future. We'll see what happens :)
Since the weekend was full of late nights out with friends, my skin decided to act up a bit. Whenever I stay out too late or I forget to take my makeup off because I'm too tired, I begin to break out. I don't mean breakout as in massive pimples ( I hate that word), but I get small "blemishes."
Washing my face like crazy and scrubbing it will not work; It will only make it more irritated. To cure this problem, I have found a mask that has become my lifesaver. I present to you Mask of Magnaminty by Lush!
I've had this mask for about two months and I still have some product left in it. This is a gentle, exfoliating mask that can be used when your skin is acting up or as part of your weekly routine. The mask is a bit grainy, since it has natural exfoliators, and it smells like an earthy, choclatey mint.
How to use it:
(I would not recommend you use this mask daily since it will probably dry out your skin.)
1. Apply the mask to your clean face with your fingertips.
2. Do NOT apply it on your eyes or lips!
3. Wait 5-10 minutes for the product to dry up and do it's thing.
4. Rinse with warm water.
5. Enjoy your soft, fresh skin.
The easiest way for me to wash off the mask is to apply it 10 minutes before I'm going to take a shower. This allows the mask to work and then I'm able to wash it off while I shower and not having to worry about making a green mess all over my sink.
Do not expect for your face to go from full blemishes to baby skin in 10 minutes. The reason I use it is because it helps my skin get back to normal and it smells incredibly delicious. I have to remind myself that it is NOT food haha.
Mask of Magnaminty is a great product, but it is not cheap. I chose the smaller size just to try it out and I love it. Next time I will purchase the full size which is about $25. Let me know if you have ever tried this mask and what you thought of it. Was it worth it?
Well, my skin feels back to normal because of the mask and because I'm back to my regular skin care routine. Finally, we're back on track!!
Today I hit up a morning Zumba class at the gym and I followed up with a healthy breakfast that I will be posting up tomorrow.
I have so many things to talk about but I will bore you to death if I type it all out now. Here are some ideas I have for upcoming posts:
*skincare routine
*what I'm doing at the gym
*what I'm eating
*product reviews (makeup, shampoo, lotions, etc..)
*life updates
Come back tomorrow for my healthy breakfast recipe and keep coming back for more interesting stuff. See you soon!
Currently listening to: Lessons in Love by Neon Trees/Kaskade
I was at my doctor's office for a checkup and I had to get an ultrasound done. When I looked at the screen I saw little objects hanging around in what was my ovary. The technician took about a million pictures from every single angle and I began to get scared since the picture taking was so intense. I asked the technician if the black specks were new cysts, and of course, she said she could not diclose that information and I would have to wait for the doctor.
Once the doctor took me in he confirmed my fears. The cysts were back and two of them were in my right ovary. Now I know you might be thinking I'm dramatic since it's not like I received a deadly disease diagnosis, but you have no idea how painful my past experience was. It is something that I wish to NEVER feel every again.
Instead of being proactive, my doctor was very calm and said to just check back with him in six weeks. I thought he was crazy! He just drained a massive cyst and a few weeks later two of them are hanging out in my ovary?! How is that something to be calm about. His solution was just to have the same procedure done and he implied that it would continue to be done for as long as I had cysts. Really?! I was going to keep getting cut open and blown up every 2 months? I don't think so! It was time for plan B!
I have a doctor in Mexico that I had visited previously. I drove back home to visit my doctor in Mexico and let me tell you, SHE does the ultrasound and SHE explains what's going on RIGHT AWAY! There is no time for waiting or games across the border. I walked in, told her everything that had happened, and within 10 minutes I had an ultrasound with a complete explanation of what might have happened and what needed to happen. I even got to keep three snapshots of my lovely cysts.
My doctor gave me a treatment that she utilizes to diminish cysts along with birth control to prevent my cycles from acting on their own, hence not allowing the cysts to form. I did as she asked and when I went back the cysts were still there and they were growing. I followed up with her for another visit and she let me know that they were big enough to be removed. She did not want one of them to burst inside of my ovary. I had already been feeling a bit of pain so she was taking all precautions with me.
I drove back to Houston with an ugly feeling because this was going to be a legit surgery. Complete anesthesia and 6 weeks of recovery time. My husband and I talked about it and we decided that it was the best option for me. I had to remove those cysts and hope that my ovaries would be healthy from then on.
I planned my surgery for December 20 but when I talked to my coworkers I realized it was best to have it sooner so my students would not miss too much instruction in January (test season kickoff!). My surgery was rescheduled in a day and I had to drive back home the following day to get my blood work done and submit it to my doctor. My husband was not able to go with me since he had to work. I will admit I felt weak because he has become my rock and my right hand, but I knew I would be with my family and that they would take care of me in his absence.
The day of my surgery my mom took me to the hospital at 6 a.m. and waited with me until I was admitted. I felt way too many emotions at that time. I was nervous about the surgery, upset about the situation yet happy because those nasties would be out.
Finally it was time to go in. I met the anesthesiologist and the nurse that would be helping out my doctor. They talked to me for a while and before I knew it I was gone. I woke up during the surgery, but not fully awake. I was having a c-section so my bottom half was covered and the entire bottom part of my body was completely dead. My doctor was talking to me and asking me how I was feeling. I guess the anesthesia turned me into a chatty box and clown because I remember them laughing at stuff I was saying. I clearly remember telling them that I disliked my previous doctor because he promised he would show me pictures of what I had inside me and he never did. Right away my doctor pulled part of the curtain and said that she would not do the same. She picked up a purple/gray mass and said, "Here it is, your cysts." I asked her if it was really mine and she said it was, along with my ovary. I remember feeling a burning sensation when she said the word ovary.
The plan had been to remove the cysts, but the cysts were embedded onto my ovary and it would only be a matter of time until I had some issue with it. I fell back asleep and I woke up in the recovery area. The only thing I could think of was that I was missing a part of me. A part that makes me a woman. A part that could one day make me a mother. Just like that it was gone. Now I know I have one more ovary left, but that's not how I came to this planet.
I tried my best not to think about it but I could not help it. What if this was it and I could not have anymore babies because my other ovary doesn't function? I know there's other options, but that was not my focus at the moment.
My night at the hospital was horrible. My body was soaking up the medicine too quickly and my stomach was so gassy from the anesthesia. The next day I was able to go home. My dad helped me get up and held me for about 10 minutes because I felt nauseous. The nurse helped me shower and she dressed me to be on my way home.
I had great nurses at my mom's house (my sisters, grandmas, mom and dad), but I missed my husband. I told him over the phone about the ovary removal, but I felt like I needed to see him and cry with him to let it all out once and for all. He came to see me as soon as he could and about 2 weeks later I came back to Houston.
Up until this day, I do not know how I feel about losing an ovary. I'm glad that it's gone because it was the only one giving me problems, but I'm terrified of not being able to have children. Infertility is a symptom of hypothyroidism, so when that is paired up with just one ovary, I feel like I'm on the losing end.
My doctor recommended that we have children in 2-3 years and that when we're ready we'd work together to make sure everything was working fine. Children are not in the near future for us, but I also don't want to wait too long for another problem to occur. I try not to beat myself up for it but it's hard to not let this affect you when you're the one who will carry a child in the future. If I couldn't have children I'd feel as if I'd let my husband down. He married me because he saw a future with me and because he saw me as the mother of his future children. I do not want to be the reason why those hopes do not come true. I know I'm too harsh on myself sometimes and I'm trying not to be. As of now, everything seems to be okay so we're hoping that things stay this way until we are ready to have our children. For now I will continue getting my checkups and trying to keep a positive mindset. Things will happen when they have to happen.
Since I had a c-section, my recuperation was for about 6-8 weeks. I finally feel better and I've had no pain when bending down or doing any other movements. Sooooo this means that I'm finally ready to get back on track to the plans I had before all this mess. I am going to keep my head up and forget about what has happened and let go of my fears because they only hold me back. It's time for me to do what I've always wanted to do: lose weight. Despite my thyroid not working and my sometimes uneven levels of energy I'm going to get to work!
I prepped my meals for the week last night and I started off with light jogging around my neighborhood. I'll finally be going back to the gym and starting my weekly training sessions. I truly am excited and I'm ready for this change because it's very needed. I'm ready to feel good about the way I look and to be able to wear clothes without worrying if I look fat or not. So here is to day 1 of this new beginning. Let's see what I can accomplish!
*Currently flashing back to: It's Too Late (Ride On)-Evermore (Dirty South Remix)
I've never been the "skinny girl" and I have never wanted to be. I have been given Hispanic curves that will never allow me to be that skinny-mini. I always thought I was huge in high school, but now that I look back at pictures, I was actually a decent size.
When I graduated from high school I was able to maintain my "figure" and I was pretty good about going to the gym. I would get together with a friend of mine and we would workout for a good while and it became our thing. I enjoyed working out and spending time with one of my closest friends. Time went by and we stopped going to the gym. My metabolism was working well I suppose because I was still at the same size I had been.
About a year after that I began to gain weight little by little. It was never noticeable like if I had eaten a massive pizza, but it was adding up. I began going to the gym again and stayed at a comfortable place. The rest seems likes a blur up until the time that my husband and I first met. I had been gaining a bit of weight, but I blamed it on eating habits and staying out late on the weekends. When my husband and I got married, I ballooned up. By ballooned I seriously want you to picture my face as a balloon because that's exactly how I looked. I know we were not eating healthy, but it was ridiculous how much weight I had gained. I think I gained like 20 pounds in a few months.
People actually thought I was pregnant or that I had gotten married only because I was pregnant due to my massive weight gain. No, that was not the issue.
About a year later we move to Houston and my weight was alright. I had "deflated" and was yo-yo-ing as I always have done. One day at work I began to feel really sharp pains, like cramps. I began to feel dizzy and the pain kept building up. My students left the classroom at the end of the day and I found myself hurled over behind my desk because I could not take the pain. I felt as if sharp pieces of glass were being pushed out of my lower abdomen. The pain would come and go and I finally got up and headed home. During my hour drive back home, I got the pain again, WHILE I WAS DRIVING! Thankfully there was a lot of traffic so I did not have to be driving 60mph with this pain. I was so confused as to what it was.
When my husband came home that night I talked to him about it and we decided we would go to the doctor to check it out. I had a feeling it was my ovary but my husband said I always jump to conclusions (extremes).
At around 11 p.m. that night I had the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. The pain was so strong I was paralyzed on the bed crying hoping it would go away. My husband was already asleep (he's a HEAVY sleeper) and he did not hear me. Minutes passed by and I was still in the same position, unable to move or breathe correctly. I woke up my husband and asked him to take me to the emergency room. He got ready in a flash and helped me walk out. Once we arrived at the hospital my pain had passed by.
After waiting for the LOOOOONNNNNGGGEESSSTTT time I had a CAT scan done. That showed that I had a mass in my lower abdomen. After that I had to have X-rays to see what that mass was. It turns out to be that I had a large cyst hanging out in my uterus. It was about as big as a grapefruit! My extreme conclusion was right.
Since there was no gynecologist at night and this happened on a Thursday night, I had to wait until Friday to make an appointment for Monday. I spent that weekend curled up on the couch because the pain would constantly come and go.
Monday finally came and I visited the gynecologist that was recommended to me at the hospital. I had blood work done and the doctor confirmed that he would have to do something to take this cyst out. I had a follow up appointment with him to set up the cyst removal procedure date and to review my bloodwork.
The doctor asked me if I had been struggling to lose weight, if my hair had been falling out alot, if I felt exhausted and if my skin was dry. My answer was YES to each and every single question he asked. His response was that I had a faulty thyroid.
Hypotyroidism is what I have and it just means that my thyroid does not produce the necessary hormone to function. Everything made sense and I felt better knowing that the reason I had gotten so big was because of my thyroid. The doctor prescribed me a popular thyroid medicine that would help me regulate my thyroid and it worked. I was not falling asleep on my way to work and I began to lose some weight.
Although my condition was serious, I was in a dilemma. My husband and I had bought tickets to see Swedish House Mafia in Los Angeles. My dream has always been to live in California, so visiting California was something I HAD to do. After long conversations we decided to go. I was not going to let this ruin the one trip I had been looking forward to for so long. I took my pain killers with me and just hoped for the best. Thankfully I had no pain while we were in L.A. We had the time of our lives. I did not want to come back because I knew what the reality was. I had to have surgery despite how well I had been feeling.
A day after we came back from L.A. I had my procedure done. It was time to get rid of that nasty cyst. My gynecologist performed a laporoscopy. He blew me up with nitrogen and inserted a little device to look inside and drain my cyst. I had two small incisions, one in my belly button area and the other by my bikini line.
The recovery was not too bad, but it was my first surgical procedure, so I felt a little funny. I was out of work for three weeks meanwhile I healed. After my procedure everything seemed to be okay. Those sharp pains were gone and I had energy thanks to the thyroid medicine. My follow up appointment went great and the doctor asked me to stop by again in June/July for another checkup.
I did as my doctor asked and I was back in the office that Summer. I had X-rays done again and when I saw the screen I began to get scared. Things did not look good....
Stay tuned for the second part of my health setback. It's wayyyy too much to type out in one post. Meanwhile, enjoy some pictures from our Los Angeles trip. I cannot wait for us to go back!!!
We had such a blast, but I'm still bummed SHM is not together!
"Everybody goes to HOLLYWOOD"
A picture outside the theater.
A Japenese novelty/comic book store in Santa Monica.
I'm baaaaack!!! I went away for a few days because I was overwhelmed with work and school. School work piled up and work at school is getting crazy. In case I have not mentioned it before, I'm a teacher and we are beginning with test season..WOOO!!! (not) I feel like I've had time for nothing so I've been trying to make time for my husband and I. Our schedules do not work too well, so any chance I have I spend my time with him.
On Saturday, my husband and I had a romantic date night which was long overdue to ease up all of my stress. There are times when I miss being boyfriend and girlfriend, not because I hate our marriage, but because I like to remember the feeling I would get when I knew he was mine, but not according to a legal document. I still get that giddy/weak feeling when I see him and am with him, but I know now that he's not going ANYWHERE hahaha.
Anyways, so we went to the Legendary River Oaks Theater and it was the perfect setting to our date. This theater is sooo old and it gives you the old school theater vibe.
We saw Dallas Buyers Club and O-M-G...it was soooo good! I LOVED it!!! This movie is a depressing because of the content since it gives you an insight of the struggles people with AIDS have. The movie does have its good laughs too.
Sunday night I saw bits and pieces of the Oscars and... Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey won! I think they truly deserved it, but I felt so bad for Leonardo DiCaprio. He has been my teen crush and I think he's a great actor, but I think McConaughey is on top of his game right now. But, that's just my opinion.
So to relax after a hecting and tiring day I decided to cook. Cooking and baking help me de-stress after a rough day and I cooked up a storm in my kitchen today! I had been craving fried shrimp so I decided to take a healthier route and lose the fried part. Soooo, today I have a yummy recipe for you. This is my new creation: Spicy Garlic Lime Shrimp and Quinoa
Here's what you'll need: Shrimp:
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
2 teaspoons of I can't believe it's not butter (separated)
1 pound of raw shrimp
juice of 1/2 of a lime (the green ones, yellow are lemons!)
dash of salt/garlic pepper
a squirt of Sriracha
Quinoa:
1:2 ratio
1 cup of quinoa
2 cups of water
salt/pepper
Let's get cookin'
1. Turn on your stove to a medium heat.
2. Melt one teaspoon of "butter" on the pan. When it is heated, add the finely chopped garlic.
3. Move the garlic around so that it does not burn. (about 1 minute-1 and a half)
4. Add the salt and garlic pepper to the shrimp and place it in the pan.
5. Allow the shrimp to hang out for a bit and then begin to move them around so they all get cooked thoroughly. I let the shrimp cook for about 6 minutes. Be careful not to let your shrimp burn.
6. Add the juice of half a lime.
7. Add a squirt of Sriracha.
8. Mix together and let it hang out off of the stove.
9. Add the shrimp on top of the quinoa and enjoy!
This is not THE healthiest dish, but I was careful enough to cut down on the scrumptious shrimp and have a larger serving of quinoa. I would tell you how to cook the quinoa but I toss it in the rice cooker and wait for the clicker to say it's done. What I will tell you is that quinoa is a much healthier alternative to rice and I personally enjoy the taste so much more. It has a slight nutty taste and it has kept me full for quite a while. I plan on taking some left over quinoa and shrimp and tossing it on my spinach/romain/kale salad with some avocado and hummus as a dressing substitute. I'm already excited to have tomorrow's lunch hehe
I know that many people are either allergic to shrimp or simply do not like seafood, so I'm sure that this could be done with chicken. The only thing that would change would be the cooking time. Cook it until it's white and you'll be fine.
My kitchen is a mess and so am I so it is time to clean up and get ready for bed. I will finally go to sleep early tonight since every single night has consisted of me sleeping late.
If you do decide to try out this recipe, leave me a comment to let me know if you liked it, hated it or made some changes to it. I would love to hear your feedback. Have a marvelous Monday night and I'll be seeing you soon :)
Welcome back! How has your week been so far? It's only Tuesday and I feel like Friday needs to be here NOW! It is one of those weeks where I just want to come home and snuggle with my puppy. It doesn't help that I've been feeling sick and my throat has been killing me, but I'll survive!!!
I am going to dedicate this post to the furry baby that fills me up with happiness and joy (sometimes a little bit of anger). Maisey! Maisey is my one year old dachshund puppy. Growing up my parents did not allow us to have dogs inside, so as an adult I wanted to do the opposite.
Since my husband and I moved to Houston, we have been far away from our family that lives about 6 hours away. My husband's aunts live about 30 minutes away, but it's quite a drive so we do not see them every weekend.
I come from a house of six, where I have 3 younger sisters. Growing up with them was tough at times, but now that we are older we are able to appreciate each other so much more than when we were little and fighting over dumb things. It was difficult coping with not living with them since I got married and then moving so far away from them. Being the oldest, I kind of feel like I am responsible for them, even though they are not my children.
These emotions took a toll on me when we moved to this city and at times I felt lonely. My husband's schedule did not work well with mine, so when I was home, he was out. After much thinking, I decided I wanted a puppy. Having a baby is not in our timeline at this moment, so the next best thing was to own a dog.
I was fortunate enough to overhear a coworker say she had some free dachshund puppies. After speaking to my coworker, she assured me she would give her to me for free as soon as she was 8 weeks. I did not know what to buy or what products were reliable since I had never gone through this experience. Thankfully my husband's aunts are dog lovers and they helped me narrow down my list of things I needed to purchase.
The day before my birthday I picked up Maisey. She was a tiny little black jelly bean that was clinging to my shirt because it was cold outside. I fell in love with her since that moment. On the ride home she cried and peed about two times. Distances are ridiculous in Houston!
When I brought Maisey home my husband and I were amazed with her, just staring at her. She was so calm and she quickly took a nap on the carpet. Our initial thoughts were that she was going to be a sweet little sleeping angel. And then, she woke up! PLOT TWIST!
Maisey is NOT a sweet little sleeping angel. She is an energetic, wild, attention-seeking pup!!!! As soon as Maisey woke up we knew we were in trouble. She began running and biting like if she had known us for days. Since we brought Maisey home, she has been keeping us on our toes. We cannot leave ANYTHING on the ground because it becomes hers and she might find it tasty enough to eat it. We've had health scares with her, just as if she was our baby.
I know Maisey is a dog and not a human, but believe me, this dog has done enough to make us think twice about having children. She's that crazy!!! Obviously we will have children SOME day, but for now Maisey will do. She is always here to greet me when I come home. She wakes up in the morning and turns around so that I can give her her morning scratchies (belly rub). When I'm tired I can pick her up and snuggle with her. She has grown up to be an amazing companion to us and we feel like we are a little family of 3. We spoil her as if she was our child and we try to give her the best life we can.
Rocker Chic
I never thought that I would ever feel the way I do about Maisey, a dog, but honestly, sometimes I like Maisey better than some mean people out there! Maisey has taught me how to be patient and caring towards animals and I cannot imagine what our life would be like without her.
Our little family
It's time to sign off and take care of this gremlin. She's currently bothering her dad while he's trying to complete his homework.
What kind of dog do you own? Feel free to share your doggie stories. I would love to read them!
Until next time :)
With her daddy's sock.
Let's see how long this toy lasts.
Thinking...
A relaxing Sunday morning
I make this shopping bag look cute ;)
Currently watching: Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (love this show!)
Hi again :) I'm back with a yummy recipe for you. I woke up semi-early to purchase a few ingredients for this recipe. I stopped at Whole Foods and at Kroger. I prefer going to HEB than Kroger, but I spent tooooo much time at Whole Foods so I just went to Kroger since it is literally in front of where I live.
So today I fixed up a chipotle turkey burger and it was delicious! When I think of turkey my mind goes straight to Thanksgiving. I would think, "How can people eat turkey when it's not Thanksgiving?" Turkey meat is a lean protein that you can substitute for beef. I'm fortunate to not have high cholesterol, but honestly, I'm not a huge fan of meat. It kind of grosses me out at times. But back to the turkey, it's good! When I'm craving a burger I go for the turkey because I do not feel like I need to roll over to the couch once I'm done. I am full and feel like I can still carry on with the rest of my day.
First I'll give you the ingredients, along with a picture and a follow up with the steps to this burger masterpiece :)
For this recipe you'll need:
plain turkey patties (or ground turkey that you formed into patties)
whole wheat bread
avocado
onion
shredded cheese (I used lactose free since the husband and I are lactose intolerant)
spinach
broccoli sprouts
garlic pepper seasoning
nonstick cooking spray (I use Smart Balance)
For the sauce, you will need:
2 table spoons of greek yogurt
2 teaspoons of chipotle sauce (or mashed up chipotle pieces)
a squirt of Sriracha (obsessed with this!!!)
The spinach and cooking spray are not pictured here, just close your eyes and pretend they are!
Talk about a close up. The seasoning is not this big haha.
Before I start cooking anything, I like to prepare my dressings/sauces just to have them ready. Place the 2 table spoons of the greek yogurt, 2 teaspoons of the chipotle sauce and the squirt of Sriracha in a small dish. Mix it up and voila, that's your sauce. You can add more chipotle or Sriracha if you want.
Your chipotle sauce should look like this.
I would suggest for you to cut up the onions and the avocado before you start cooking so you can have everthing at hand. Have the bread, spinach, broccoli sprouts and cheese ready as well.
Once you've prepared the sauce, it's time for the cooking! Turn on your stove top to medium heat. If you get it too hot, you'll burn the patties and the meat will be hard and nasty. Once your skillet is ready spray a thin layer of the cooking spray. I am not a fan of using oil, so I use cooking spray instead. It also makes it easier to clean the skillet. Before you place the patties on the skillet, make sure they are seasoned. The garlic pepper is delicious and it saves me from adding salt to the meat.
Once the patties are seasoned, take one and place it on the skillet. Cook one side for about 3 minutes and flip. Do not try to flip chef style or you'll end up with a torn up turkey pattie! Let the second side cook for another 3 mintues and at the end squeeze out the "juices" it has. I like to do this to make sure I have as much grease out of the meat. Be careful with the cooking time. Remember that all stoves and pans are different.
Now that your patties are ready let's prepare them. Heat up the bread if you'd like. I simply place them in the toaster for about a minute. Spread the chipotle sauce on the bread. Place your turkey pattie on the bread and follow with the cheese. The cheese I used is lactose free and it tastes pretty good. I highly recommend it. After the cheese place the onions, avocado, spinach and broccoli sprouts on top. Pile it all on!!! Then cover it up with the top bun, which has chipotle sauce on it as well. Give it a quick squeeze and you're done!
I had one of these burgers and I was full. A good kind of full. I ate my burger with the comfort of NOT feeling like my arteries were clogging with every bite that I was taking. I will also add that it tasted amazing. I love how the turkey, chipotle and avocado flavors work together.
I have a few patties left over, so I'll take one for lunch tomorrow. I'll top off my spinach/broccoli sprout salad with the turkey pattie. Yum!
For dessert, I treated myself to a watermelon/agave frozen popsicle that I found at Whole Foods. I'm usually not a big fan of watermelon flavored things because it tastes weird when it is artificial. These pops are natural and are sweetened with agave nectar. By natural I mean there were a few white little seeds in there. REALLY natural. I highly recommend them for a fresh snack.
I hope you enjoy this simple, tasty, healthy and delicious recipe. Let me know if you tried it out or tweaked it to your liking. If you have any questions on the products I used or maybe a step that wasn't clear, don't hesitate to leave me your question in a comment.
Have a relaxing Sunday afternoon and stay h-a-p-p-y! I'm a little obsessed with Pharrell and his song "Happy." It makes me want to get up, dance, clap my hands off and smile 'till my cheeks hurt :) Enjoy this song and the rest of your day! I'll see you soon :)
"Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth"
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