Master Cleanse & a Squirrel

i had planned to document my experience every single day, but of course life gets in the way!

i started my morning master cleanse. i loaded up my lemonade with cayenne...
then i hear the most awful screeching sound i have ever heard in my life!

eeep! eeeep! eeeeeep!
one of our crazy cats somehow chased a baby squirrel into our dining room.

poor little guy.

he was more than grateful when we took him up into our arms and away from the cat.

he made the strangest purring noise!

we googled everything we possibly could about baby squirrels to make sure he was okay.

my cousin helped me look up animal rescues in the area as well.

he is so cute.

but we are so scared to keep him!

we plan on keeping him comfortable and fed for the week,

and taking him down to a rescue.

as for my cleanse, it will start tomorrow!

i didn't eat or have a more than my morning glass of lemonade because of all the excitement!

I MEAN, C'MON... BABY SQUIRREL!

on that note, 

i am drinking my nightly senna tea now.

i prefer the peppermint flavor. 

the chocolate "smooth move" tea tastes like petrified goat ass,

 and the original is just o-k.

see you tomorrow!

have a great night! don't let the squirrels bite!

master cleanse

has anyone ever gone through with it?

i have a few times, and it always makes me feel like a million bucks!

i usually try to do one before i start dieting-- 

seems to make the transitioning to a new lifestyle easier.

the master cleanse itself is NOT a diet.

it is a detox.

you will gain back about half of the weight you lose...

once again, DO NOT do this cleanse if you just want to lose weight.

but you will FEEL great afterwards, your SKIN will improve, 

and you will have a much easier time when you begin your ACTUAL diet. 

but why, you ask... why are you doing it? you don't even eat meat...

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DO THE MASTER CLEANSE????

i have a multitude of physical ailments that effect my every day way of living.

i gained over 100 lbs when i was pregnant. HOLY COW, for real. 

my acne is out of control since the weight gain.

the weight gain is putting stress on my legs, which is horrible for my fibro.

no, i don't meat, but i am not exactly taking care of myself, either.

it is time to change that and jump start my lazy ass back into a healthier life.

for the next week (or two if i decide to do more than a week)

i will log my experiences with the cleanse. 

be prepared though, the descriptions of what i go through could be pretty graphic! 

now, the good stuff...

the recipe i am using for this particular cleanse is:

• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed organic lemon juice 
• 2 tbsp organic 100% maple syrup 
• cayenne pepper to taste (yum) 
• 1c filtered water
  
  

  
  
  DRINK 6-12 PORTIONS A DAY  and  ALL THE WATER YOU WANT!

• at night, drink a cup of senna tea.
• in the morning, you can do a salt water flush. 
  i will be drinking more senna tea, however.

there are many different variations of the original cleanse, 

so feel free to google away for more information. 

see you guys tomorrow morning!

That dirty "D" word

It is time to talk about that ugly word that no one seems to want to hear about...

Depression.

It is time to come clean with my blog audience.  I am a fairly new blog... no real "structure"... just an all-around good time full of recipes and reviews and rants.

Which is all fine and good, but I haven't been writing much lately.

You see those commercials with the people who are sad and lonely, but then they take a miracle drug and ALL IS BETTER?!  I seriously wish it were like that.

For those of us with chronic and severe cases of depression and anxiety, there is no insta-wonder drug.  There is a mix (or cocktail, if you please) that we have to find that keep us in check and on a seemingly level playing field. Combine that with therapy, and you can lead a pretty normal, albeit semi-complicated life.

Many people don't even believe that depression is a disease or even a long-term problem.  These are the ones who tell you to "lighten up" or "snap out of it" or "grow up, and get over it!"...you know what I mean.
For a lot of us who suffer from major depressive episodes, there is no magic light switch we can flick that will instantly erase our racing thoughts and make us joyful again. The smallest thing happens, and we sit there with that dirty little thought... and stew... and stew... and it turns over and turns over and gets coated with worry and frustration and sadness and it becomes this crazy pearl of an issue, so much bigger to us than it would be to a normal person.  You can see this in retrospect, but when it is happening, you can't think logically... you just know that something is gonna go wrong or IS wrong.  You feel helpless, sad... alone.

Because I moved to a new state recently, I have had to switch insurances, switch doctors, and start all over.  Back to square one.  I hate talking to new doctors... it literally scares the crap out of me. I have lost that familiarity and comfort I had with my old therapist and psychiatrist, and I have to muscle up and try to put my faith and trust into someone else... something that I find extremely difficult to do. I am scared facing people in general.  If I could, I would live in a hole, cut off from all communication except my computer, and hide forever.

But that isn't healthy.  Everyone knows this.

This move also means a break in my medication. It means NEW medications... new scenarios, new mixtures and doses.  New headaches and side effects... and my family is going to unfortunately going to feel the brunt of this mess.  It really isn't fair, I wish I could change it, but I am so lucky to have that support.

So, here goes! I hope you understand what is going on a little bit better, and will wait for me to get back on track.  This was not an easy entry for me-- I know how stigmatized depression and anxiety can be, but I wanted to be honest. I am trying.  I will come back soon. I can do this. Wish me luck.

here are links to check out if you want to read up, or understand more...
Wikipedia: Major Depressive Disorder
Wikipedia: Anxiety Disorder
Wikipedia: Agoraphobia
Wikipedia: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

National Institute of Mental Health

Our DIY Nail Polish Rack Fun Night

My cousin and I kept tossing around the idea of making nail polish racks for our growing collections.

We found this awesome tutorial on the web,
and decided to make a go for it!

We bought pre-cut hobby boards
 at the local Lowe's.
I think we bought pine,
but there were other boards
to choose from.
We just wanted something economical!

We also purchased Gorilla Glue, screws, drill bits,
screw bits, anchors, and duct tape 

(yes, duct tape--you'll see!)
for our project!

How did  we know what sized boards to buy?
Well true to the blog name, we didn't measure--

we just eye-balled it and
brought along our tallest bottles
to gauge the spaces
we wanted between the shelves.

We also asked one of the salespersons
for their "expert" opinion, 

but I think they thought we were crazy
for wanting to make eight-shelf racks
for just bottles of polish!

The spouse decided to help us
with the power tools--

but we were very firm
on making them to our specifications!

Friday, the cat, supervised from her usually spot
as we lined-up our boards.

We turned on some Descendents, Box Car Racer,
and some delicious golden oldies

and drank copious amounts of beer...
...and then some.

Once the frame was complete,
we decided to color our shelves--

somewhat unconventionally!
(Ignore the other stuff in my apartment!
We still have stuff to unpack and build from the move!)

Because I have 140+ bottles of polish, 

I decided to "tier" the bottom three shelves.

We bought some extra boards
that were half the size of the shelf boards
to make a "step" in order to hold more bottles.

 I kept them in place with gorilla glue and duct tape.

Speaking of duct tape,
I decided to cover all of my shelves
in my fabulous leopard print tape!
The frame was covered in plain black duct tape,
and i marked the shelf distance
with a white nail polish pen.

We drilled, glued, and screwed
the shelves to the frame!

Because the fronts of tiered shelves

were skinnier due to the step,

I put my smaller bottles

and favorite indie polishes

on my bottom shelves!

The tops of the tiered shelves
still housed regular sized polishes!

It was so nice to be organized!
(No more shoe boxes!)

Last, but not least,

We mounted the shelf with the anchors and extra screws!

Ta-da!

What a fun night!

fibromyalgia and plant-based diets

this is a pretty interesting video! as you may or may not know,  i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia after almost a decade of misdiagnoses. a plant-based diet can cause significant improvements in fibromyalgia pain management. check it out!

SPONSORS!

wanna post an ad on my blog?!

i am now a member of the passionfruit ad possee!

i will be accepting orders for ads a.s.a.p.!

they will appear on my left sidebar and stay for a whole month!

ad-buyers can participate in my giveaways, and may be featured in a blog post if they so choose!

 40% off for a limited time if you use code TOXIE.

WANNA SWAP FREE ADS?!
use code SWAP
for any size ad you wish!

i cut it all off

springtime is time for change, right?

so i decided to hack off my long hair.

last night, i walked into a random salon, 

and $55 later, this is the end result.

what are new things are you doing for spring?

saturday challenge!

The lovely gal at Artsy Anthropology has challenged bloggers to accept her

dum dA DUM...

Well, I accept!

SO THERE! 

☆☆☆

1. Say something nice about 2 different people that 

you've met through blogging, shop ownership, etc...

a) Paige from Artsy Anthropology rocks my socks! She is extremely nice and helpful-- I am kind of a blog dummy and she is always patient with my questions!  She is also mad talented at creating bags and other sewing projects.  I am SO in love with the diaper bag she made me-- I tell everyone about it!

b) The owner of Shimmer Polish-- I don't know her personally but by golly... her custom polishes are AWESOME. My cousin and I love ordering special made colors (and naming them after our favorite things!) The owner is so polite and sweet and listens to your wants and needs-- and is full of ideas to make your custom polishes even BETTER.  LOVE this shop.

2. Do something nice for a complete stranger.

No!  Just kidding.

I helped a lady carry a bag to her car even though my own hands were pretty full!

3. Say something good about yourself.

Uh. Uhm. Err. I am extremely generous. I like to buy and make things for people just because and I have a bad habit of giving things away just because someone says they like it.

4. Be thankful for something.

I am thankful for my bad ass new apartment!

5. Treat yourself to something - 

a bubble bath, a coffee without distractions, something - 

just take time out for you.

RESIDENT EVIL 6

6. What was the highlight of your week, 

share it with us!

My son has learned how to "fix things" 

and tries to get into his dad's toolbox to be a "big helper"... 

it is pretty damn cute!

☆☆☆

Would you like to participate? 

Head over to Artsy Anthropology

and grab the button and post!

did you have a very veggie halloween?

any vegans or vegetarians give out candy or snacks? what kind? i am curious!

did anyone go trick-or-treating? how was the loot!

my son made out like a bandit!

or like a skunk...

i am stinky, mommy!

we kinda live in the middle of nowhere and no one comes knocking on our door, 

so we went to a friend's neighborhood for some halloween treats. 

it was his first time out trick-or-treating, and he had a blast! 

he kept trying to squeeze by everyone and run into people's houses, though haha. 

i would love to hear (or see pictures) of how your night went!

leave me a comment!

vegan halloween candy and some music!

i have temporarily added some spooky music at the bottom of my blog's sidebar.

just some of my personal halloween faves-- i think i have it on shuffle,
but you can pick any song on there you want =]

(nothing is too obnoxious-- i left off anything too screamy or loud) 

ANYWAYSSS!

YES, there is such a thing as vegan halloween candy!

check it out-- you might be surprised! 
which is YOUR favorite?

VEGAN HALLOWEEN TREATS
(compiled from PETA and other random sites and company pages around the web
if you see something that you know is incorrect or no longer vegan or want to add to the list, send me a message!)

airheads taffy

atkin's peanut butter bars

annie's bunny fruit snacks

bazooka bubble gum (not gumballs)

big league chew

blow pops

brach's cinnamon hard candy

brach's dem bones

brach's hi-c fruit and orange slices

brach's root beer barrels

brach's star brites peppermint candy

boston baked beans

bottlecaps

bug city

charms lollipops (without gum)

cherry heads

chewy atomic fireballs

chocolove dark chocolate bar

chocolove cherries and almonds dark chocolate bar

chocolove crystallized ginger dark chocolate bar

chocolove orange peel dark chocolate bar

chocolove raspberry dark chocolate bar

chick-o-sticks

cracker jack

crows

cry babies

crystal light candies

dots

dubble-bubble

dum-dums lollipops

endangered species dark chocolate

ferrara pan anise bears

ferrara pan cinnamon hearts

ferrara pan gum drops (regular and halloween)

ferrara pan spearmint leaves

fireballs

fluffy stuff cotton candy

french burnt peanuts

fruitabu

ginger people ginger chews

gobstoppers

goldberg's peanut chews (original)

grapeheads

hot tamales

hubba bubba bubblegum

jelly belly (only if you are okay with beeswax)

jolly ranchers hard candy

jujubees

jujyfruits

laffy taffy (only some flavors)

lemonheads

lifesavers (hard candy, not gummies)

mamba fruit chews

mary janes (regular and peanut butter kisses)

mike and ikes

nabisco oreos

nerds

now and later

nutter butter bites

orangeheads

panda licorice

paul newman's orange dark chocolate

pez

pure fun chocolate meltdowns

pure fun fruit rocks

rainblo

red vines

ring pops

rose city vegan chocolates

runts

saf-t-pops

sjaak's chocolate

sjaak's peanut butter bites

skittles (except for crazy cores)

smarties 

sorbee butterscotch lites

sour jacks

sour patch kids

squirrel nut zippers

starburst (jellybeans and hard candies)

sunkist fruit gems

super bubble

surf sweets fruity bears

swedish fish

sweet tarts

tropical source chocolate bars

twizzlers

whizzers chocolate beans

yummy earth gummy worms

zotz

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE HALLOWEEN!

does anyone actually get prizes from these blog giveaways?

the answer is YES!
YES YES YES YES!

most important rule:
after you have been contacted by email,
make sure you respond in the designated time!

ALWAYS read the terms and conditions beneath the rafflecopter or website--
some websites don't let people from the same household enter!
this means that if your roommate or sister already entered from your IP address,
they might delete your entries!
(not on my blog though! roommates and whoever lives with you can enter, too!)

also, check that the pictures in the blog post are relevant to the prize being offered.  

you may see countless pictures of diamond rings, but if you read the last sentence, 

they are giving away thumbtacks, not diamonds lol.


ALWAYS check to see if they are covering prize shipping!
if you win a gift card to an online store,
more than likely you will have to pay for item shipping after you redeem it.
it is pretty rare for gift cards to cover shipping costs.

and lastly, make sure if you enter multiple giveaways, that your entries aren't being wasted.
some blogs only allow you to win one prize in a certain period of time.
(not here!-- you can enter every giveaway and try to win as many as you can!)

some of the stuff i have won from blog giveaways:

*kindle fire
*nail polish
*indie nail polish
*eyeshadow
*make-up brushes
*shampoo
*body wash and scrub

*a vegan conscious box
*dog lover's cravebox
*vegan cookie sampler box
*necklaces
*custom compact
*pillbox
*awesome rings
*giant box of samples
*baby bedding
*baby onesies
*purses
*hair ties
*coupons for free food
*personalized jewelry
*gift certificates
*t-shirts
*ad space
*web design help
*candy
*dvds

*coupon for almond milk

*perfume

*discount coupon for a diamond candle
*kid's halloween shirt
*moisturizer
*baby eczema cream
*dog bandana
*baby sling
*handmade candles
*custom reusable sandwich bag
*handmade cat toys
*8" bundt cake
*handmade bib
*handmade cat toys
*vegan cookbook
*make-up wipes
*custom painting
*argan oil
*nail striping tape

some of my friends win tons of electronics-type items.  

you just have to look and enter contests for what appeals to you.

make sure you also keep the original "you won!" email and keep track of what you have received.  it is common courtesy to email the host back and thank them and let them know when you received your item.  some of us worry that you never get anything!

if you DON'T receive an item, let the person know in a polite manner-- sometimes it is NOT their fault.  they may just be hosting the giveaway, and forwarding your information to a sponsor.  just let them know so that they can contact whoever is involved.  sometimes the sponsors are just overloaded. this has only happened to me once... i won a box of sponsored prizes and never received a thing-- but it was NOT the hosts fault. sometimes it happens and you have to shrug your shoulders and move on.

HAPPY ENTERING!

p.s.  you can follow me on twitter
if you wanna see all the giveaways i enter.

i am a giveaway hound (especially indie nail polish)

labeling recipes

i am going to start labeling recipes (just have to figure out WHERE exactly) as either...

  gluten-free, obviously

 kid friendly, or geared more for kids than adults

 vegan & vegetarian

 just vegetarian, not vegan

what do you guys think?  

should i put it at the very top of each post, the very bottom, 

or right before i start typing the ingredients?

comment or email me and tell me what you recommend!

p.s. thanks to artsy anthropology for the labels =]