Five for Friday

Fall is my favorite season. Aside from the shorter days, I don't think there is much that I don't like about fall. So, this week's Five for Friday is in honor of the first day of Fall!!! Here is a list of my Five Fall Favorites!!!


1. Halloween
This is by far my favorite holiday! I love the decorations and can't wait to actually get my house all decorated up.


2. Thanksgiving Weekend
Who doesn't love a 4 day weekend? And this year, I am taking Wednesday off as well, so I will get a blessed 5 day weekend!! Not to mention the Thanksgiving Day Parades!! It isn't Thanksgiving without them.


3. Crisp Fall Mornings/Warm Fall Evenings
The weather is so nice this time year as the last warmth of Summer shares it's rays with us.


4. Fall Foods
I love candy corn, caramel apples, apple dumplings, pumpkin pie, etc.


5. Fall Fashions
Fall clothes are comfy and warm, but there isn't so much to them that you feel completely bundled up! I especially love that I get to pull out my boots!!!



What are your fall favorites?

Five for Friday

The Great State Fair of Oklahoma started yesterday, so I thought I would dedicate this Friday's list to my favorite things at the fair!!



Five Fair Favorites
1. Poncho Dogs
These are not your ordinary corn dogs. And...not all dogs at the fair are created equal, we make sure we are getting the right ones!


2. Roasted Corn
I love the hot, sweet kernels and the butter dripping off my elbows!


3. Silver Dollar Cinnamon Roles
Uh huh!


4. People Watching
There is nothing quiet as entertaining than the people you see at the fair. Love, love, love it.


And last but not least....
5. RAIN!!!
It never fails, when the fair rolls into town, it inevitably brings the rain. And this year, the rain is a welcome sight!!!


So, what do you love about the fair?

Five for Friday

Do you have any silly, little things that you just cannot do? No matter how hard you try? No matter how much practice? They are just things that are beyond your ability. Well...I DO! And some of them are so simple, it is ridiculous that I can't do them.

Five Things I Just CAN'T Do
1. I can't play an instrument. Unless you count chopsticks on the piano.

2. I can't whistle. I can a high pitched screeching sound, but I can't really call it whistling.

3. I can't raise only one eye brow. Tony can do this and it just irritates that snot out of me. It is a great way to make a face at someone and I just can't do it.

4. I can't ride a bike. I was able to as a kid, but the ability has eluded me since becoming an adult. Tony and the kids swear they are gonna teach me how, but I am so afraid.

5. I can't walk in a straight line. No kidding. I better not be asked to walk the line for a sobriety test...I will fail. If you walk next to me, I will almost always end up bumping into you. You should see me on a treadmill...It is a very funny site.

So, what can you not do?

Five for Friday

That's right! Five for Friday is BAAAACCCKKK!

How best to kick off a 3 day weekend than with a list of the five things I plan to do.

1. Tonight we are kicking off the weekend with a girls night. Tony is at work and Quinn is staying at a friends, so I'm sure Ashton and I will be able to find something awesome to fill our time.

2. My favorite niece and nephew are coming in this weekend! Of course, I am looking forward to seeing my sis and b-i-l too, but those kiddos will be the highlight of my weekend.

3. We will spend Sunday at my parent's house in Shawnee and the weather is supposed to be beautiful.

4. Monday's temperatures are supposed to be in the 80's so I plan on enjoying a little shopping. I thought maybe we could even venture out to the new outlet mall.

5. Ashton and I are doing Wine and Canvas together on Monday night. I can't wait to share our pictures with you. Lots of momma/daughter time this weekend.

Five for Friday

It's HOT!

I'm not talkin' run of the mill summer kind of hot either.

I'm talkin' surface of the sun hot....core of the earth hot....depths of hell hot!


We darn well better break the 1980 record of 50 days over 100 degrees. Otherwise, all this suffering was for not.


So, how are you beating the heat? Well, my Five this week is the ways I am beating the heat! And with POTS, this is a very, very hard thing to do.

Five Ways I'm Beating the Heat
1. First and foremost...I stay in the air conditioning as much as possible.
2. If I have errands to run, I do them early in the day.
3. If I have to go out in the heat of the day, I have a cooling bandanna that has come in REAL handy. It may not be fashionable, but if it keeps me cool. Sometimes, I will just have to forgo fashion.
4. I sip on cold beverages ALL DAY long.
5. If I get too overheated, I get in a cool shower or tub of water. I never thought I would ever utter those words. Hot baths and showers used to be my favorite, but not any more. It's all about staying cool now-a-days!

Five for Friday

I've had a hard time coming up with a Five for Friday list this week. So, I decided to tell you five myths about POTS and give you some insight into the truth and how I have experienced these things.

Five Myths
1. Myth: POTS symptoms only occur while standing.
Fact: Many patients report symptoms occurring while sitting or lying down. Standing does exacerbate symptoms.
My experience: This is certainly true for me. I get the really bad symptoms while standing, but I also can feel dizzy while sitting. And sometimes it even feels like the room is moving. So, this myth is definitely FALSE for me.

2. Myth: Everyone with POTS faints.
Fact: Many people with POTS have never fainted.
My experience: I have never fainted (outside of being induced to faint). I have had to sit down in the middle of the floor or I have fallen down due to a lack of equilibrium, but I have never fainted.

3. Myth: POTS symptoms are present at all times.
Fact: The symptoms of POTS can vary greatly from day to day and hour to hour.
My experience: This is 100% accurate for me. I feel great one minute and the next plummet down hill...and vice versa. The worst part of this for me though is the "not knowing". I never know how I will feel the next day or if I'll feel like doing things after work. So, it is really hard to plan my life and you guys know I am a planner.

4. Myth: Most doctors will be competent in treating POTS patients.
Fact: Some doctors have never even heard of POTS. It is essential to one's well being to seek out a specialist.
My experience: I was shocked to find out just how much doctors DON'T know about POTS. When I first had my tilt table test, the tech doing the test, immediately said...she has POTS. I hadn't even been hooked up and standing for five minutes yet. So, just having him immediately know, I just knew doctors would know too. But they don't. I am currently on a quest to find the right specialist to treat ME and my POTS. Wish me luck...specialist in autonomic disorders are few and far between.

5. Myth: People get POTS because they are lazy and deconditioned.
Fact: People can get POTS symptoms due to prolonged bed rest, however the symptoms will diminish as the person becomes more active. The origins of chronic orthostatic intolerance are certainly distinct from laziness or deconditioning.
My experience: I would love to just be lazy and deconditioned. That would mean I could make the decision to get up and go the gym. But unfortunately, I am not. While you may see an able bodied person, what is going on inside has nothing to do with me mentally deciding not to feel this way. In fact, early on, I would "push" through and "make" myself do things, but after putting myself in bed for a couple of days after, I realized that this is not in my head and this is definitely something REAL.

To learn more about POTS and maybe better understand me, you can click HERE.

Five for Friday

The List!
Who has one?
Come on...You know what list I'm talking about.
The list of celebrities that would be "legal" if you were to ever meet them, but since you probably won't, it is okay to have them on the list.

Now, go ahead and fess up, you know you have one. It really is funny when Tony and I talk about who is on our lists. But last week, I absolutely stunned Tony with a different kind of list. Yes, I have the list of 4 or 5 HOTTIES, but I also have a list of those "rather unique" celebrities that I have crushes on too. So, for today's Five for Friday, I am putting myself out there and telling you who are the Five Rather Unique Crushes that I have.


Five Rather Unique Crushes
1. Jack Black
I used to not be able to stand him. But when he was in The Holiday, with Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, and Jude Law, I totally became smitten with his quirky attitude and sense of humor.


2. Kevin James
I think he is just absolutely adorable. He seems so down to earth and sweet and cuddly.


3. Hugh Laurie
Maybe it is just his rough character on House, but I think he is just darn HOT! He would probably be on my bad boy list, huh?


4. Steve Carrell
Steve is another one of those guys that I adore. He is hilarious, but can also play such sweet caring roles too. I fell hard for him when he was in Dan in Real Life. I cannot wait to see him in Crazy Stupid Love later this month. The previews absolutely make me swoon for him (and Ryan Gossling of course, but he is on the other list that I talked about before).


5. Jason Segel
His smile is just too sweet. He is awesomely hilarious and he just looks like he would be a fun guy to hang out with.



Well...since I have outed myself about my "crushes", please don't leave me hanging here all by myself. I know you have a few of those "crushes" that embarrass you a bit...but it's okay. You can tell me. I won't laugh.

Five for Friday

I guess after last week's post, I should confess to my "As Seen on TV" purchases and if they lived up to their commercial or not.


Five "As Seen On TV" Purchases that I've Made

1. Ped Egg
This didn't work as well as it looked like it would. It did "sort of" work, but not enough to write home about.

2. Emory Cat
Sookie won't even consider using this thing. We even put all of the catnip on it. It just doesn't interest her one bit.

3. Total Pillow
I love, love, love this pillow. It is perfect at home and in the car. It has really helped when I am hurting and need extra support for my neck.

4. Kangaroo Keeper
This is okay. It isn't great, but I think in the right purse, it would be wonderful. It just doesn't work well in "sack" style purses.



5. Bottle Tops
These are fantastic, especially if you drink a lot canned coke, but aren't good at drinking it all. Just pop one of these on the can and you can save the leftover without it going flat.


Do you have any confessions you would like to share with the class?

Five for Friday

I have a confession to make, I LOVE info-mercials. I am a total sucker and believe that all of those products will do exactly what they say they will. I just love the "As Seen on TV" section in Walgreens and other stores. So, this list is dedicated to the Five "As Seen on TV" Items that I am dying to buy (and these are in no particular order).



My Five "As Seen on TV" Obsessions
1. Cami Secret


2. Big Top Cupcake



3. Neckline Slimmer



4. Shake Weight


5. In Styler


So, have you ever sat with the credit card in one hand and phone in the other? Dying to dial that number and order that product? If you have..you ARE NOT alone. What items would you buy? (Maybe my next list should be a confession of the things of I have bought??? Hmmmmm.)

Five for Friday

There are a few things in my ever day life that I would be lost if I did not have. Some are trivial and some are vital. But none-the-less, they are all important to me. So, here are the....

Five Things I Can't Live Without

1. Our Perpetual Calendar
I love our calendar and with two kids and a husband who has a rotating schedule, I rely on the calendar to tell me when and where I need to be at what times. Our calendar is magnetic, but did you know that not all stainless steel appliances are. So, when we first got our fridge, I was lost. I tried putting the calendar on the side, but I need it front and center. So, I used some of my creative ingenuity and used Velcro to attach it to the fridge.


2. My Medicine
This week, I found out just how much I need my medicine. For a test that was done yesterday (I will tell you more about it later), I had to abstain from all of my meds for 48 hours. I also couldn't have caffeine, Tylenol, Advil or any other anti-dizzy/pain meds. By the morning of the test, I was in severe pain and my body was telling me just how much my medicine really is helping, even if it doesn't make me feel 100% all of the time.


3. Chocolate
I literally crave chocolate each and every day. I don't require lots of it, but it makes me feel so much better if I can have just a bit each day.


4. Powerade Zero
Each day I drink at least 32 oz. of Powerade Zero. POTS suffers must, must, must get all of their fluids in and stay hydrated. Dehydration is VERY bad for us. So, I make sure half of my fluids are water and half are Powerade. The added sodium in the Powerade really helps me out too.


5. DVR
Tony begged and begged for a DVR for years. I was so resistant because I didn't need a reason to watch even more TV, but as soon as got one, I was addicted. I absolutely refuse to watch TV live...it is awesome to be able to get through an hour long show in 40 minutes or less.


So, if you could make a list of five things you can't live without...what would they be???

Five for Friday

SUMMER!!!

It is here and in full force!


I love the songs that SCREAM summer, so thought I would give you a list of my favorite five!

Favorite Summer Songs

1. Under the Boardwalk by Bette Midler


2. In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry


3. Wipe Out by The Surfaris


4. Cruel Summer by Bananarama


5. Summertime by Will Smtih


This list could go on and on, but I figured you would get tired of it.

So what summer tunes do you walk around singing?

Five for Friday

"Oh, the places you'll go." This is one of my absolute favorite Dr. Seuss books and for some reason it has popped into my mind several times over the last few months. So, along that same line, my Five for Friday will be the places I've gone...North, South, East, West and Home?...


1. North
The furthest North I have traveled is Kansas. Oh my! That sounds pathetic.

2. South
The furthest South I have traveled is Mexico City. I visited there twice in high school. Once on a Spanish Class trip and once for a mission trip with my youth group.

3. East
The furthest East I have traveled is London, England. My senior year in high school, I was blessed with making the UCA Allstar Cheerleading Squad. We traveled to England for a week right after Christmas and through New Year and we performed in The Lord Mayor of Westminster's New Year's Day Parade.

4. West
The furthest West I have traveled is California. I have only been once when my parents took us to Disneyland while I was in Jr. High. A return trip to this beautiful state is long, long overdue.

5. Home
The furthest I've ever lived from my hometown is only an hour. I grew up in Shawnee and lived in Edmond during my freshman year of college. I only survived a year that far from home. I didn't ever move back to Shawnee but I did move a little closer.