Need to Vent!

I know that life for many moms isn't what they thought it would end up to be and many times it is one of those things you just don't talk about...but I need to and writing about it helps a lot sometimes. Today's issue? The husband.

I probably had made one of the worst choices that I could have when it came to choosing a partner. Over all the years we've been together it has come to light that he is bipolar and associated with that is some type of hypochondriac mindset if it's not a legitimate chronic pain (or just plain laziness). I'm not sure what it is but O M G, this guy never stops complaining that he's in pain of some or any sort. Since he lost his job it has gotten to the point that he can't do anything at all (which is what makes me think it's mind/stress related)! He hasn't been to a doctor to be thoroughly checked over so I have no idea what the actual problem is but the last time he was checked out there was nothing wrong with him. Because he hasn't been diagnosed with anything yet he has no income at all and doesn't qualify for state disability insurance because he hasn't worked in a long time. If there is something really wrong I'm hoping that we can go through a company like Allsup since they have a great track record with people applying for social security disability (we all know what that process can be like). That would help tremendously with all the bureaucratic run around that you end up dealing with.

Regardless of his situation, I'm fed up. I'm the one that has to work but can't take care of the baby and him and me and our son and work at the same time! DUH! UGH. It's such a frustrating thing. I wonder how many other women find themselves in a position like I'm in?

Man, I Wish!

Wow, don't we all wish we looked like this lady?! LOL! That's a problem I wouldn't mind having. Anyway, I forgot to mention that my weight has gone up in the last month. Heat/swelling, stress, and poor eating has counteracted my weight loss pills and I've gained at least 5 lbs. The funny part is that I can't really tell how much I've gained because I think the batteries are dying and I don't have any right now. Some days the scale will say any where from 2-20 lbs...I think 20 is a little bit too much. LOL! Now that the weather has cooled down I should be able to get back to normal soon, not to mention I will be more active!

Saving $ by Eating Green

Myself and some of my friends are having a hard time cutting costs lately. Sometimes it seems that there aren't any more corners to cut. The main expenses that most households have are energy, water/sewer (sometimes), and food. IT seems that food prices never really did come down and instead, companies cut the package sizes instead (that's another post). All kinds of magazines and TV shows will suggest that everyone eat whole, natural foods to save money. It doesn't seem like it would help upfront but really, it will.



Not only is eating healthier good for you and may help you lose weight, the cost of natural foods is a lot lower than processed in the long run because you naturally will not eat as much of it. I think that it is the "American way" of thinking that we are getting more for our money buying manufactured foods but if we were all to buy fresh veggies and such there would be no tax along with a lower consumption rate. Meat should always be eaten in proper portions and if it were treated that way, we wouldn't have such a high food bill at the end of the month. Well, I know which way I'm headed!

Side Effects

There are always tons of commercials for lawyers looking for "victims" of prescription side effects on TV. Most frequent are the ones for Mesothelioma cancer for people that were exposed to asbestos. Every time that one comes on I end up having a hard time breathing until it's over. I couldn't imagine my lungs looking like this!

There was one for people that have taken something for indigestion or something called Reglan and the side effects sounded horrible! The condition involved having irregular movements in the abdomen, face, and even tongue! It was pretty crazy. It makes me wonder what the FDA really does do to prevent this happening to people that already have a bad condition to begin with.

I Miss Shopping :o(

I haven't been on a good shopping trip in FOREVER since we have gotten into a crummy financial state. Well, it was never THAT good to begin with but this is pretty bad. I miss being able to run all over looking for the best bargains on stuff, clothes, and women's shoes. I LOVE shoes! I'm one of those accessory women that can never have enough shoes and bags. I've been really good and have narrowed down my shoes to about 20 pairs and the only bags I've kept are my designer ones like Juicy and Coach. I don't even look at ads or go to stores anymore so that I don't get depressed that I'm missing out on all the cute things. Ther nice part is that I've weeded through all my stuff and realized how bad my shopping addiction really is. There's a plus!

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Vietnamese summer rolls are often served more as an appetizer than a meal but they are a must in this house when the heat is on. When it's hot, many times we don't feel like eating let alone cook so these are a perfect go between (although ice cream isn't always a bad option, LOL). Making these is pretty simple once you get the technique right as the rice paper can be a bit tricky. You can fill them with whatever you want but shrimp, rice noodles, lettuce, a veggie like bean sprouts or carrots, and mint is customary. Here's a pretty good recipe I found for the dipping sauce, although you can always stick to a thinned out version of hoisin and peanut butter.

3 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1 small garlic clove minced

3/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon tomato paste

3/4 teaspoon sugar

Feeling Ick!

My friend has been super bloated this last two weeks. She's not sure if it's the heat or physical problems (she's laid off starches and salt) but it's kind of strange that it's lasting so long. She was considering one of those colon cleaser things to clean herself out like Colonix. She's read some good and bad reviews like anything else and I think she's going to keep digging to make sure it's a good product. From what she read it's okay but there's always a few that aren't so great.

When ever you consider taking something it is a good idea to consult your doctor to see if it is something that's right for you. Customer feedback is a BIG help too when you're making a decision of which one to buy. I'm sure that colon cleansers are helpful to many people and it's just amatter of doing your research. I'm sure she'll find something suitable for her since I'm sure she doesn't want to keep walking around looking like this guy. LOL!