Month: December 2018

The Little Things That Bring Me Joy

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Tearing the piece of card board off for the opening of a tissue box

Getting correspondence from folks: postcards, cards, letters, snapchats, direct messages, etc.

Crawling into a made bed

Twinkle lights

Drinking a cup of hot chocolate during the refreshments scene in The Polar Express

Feeling sunlight on my face

Resting in extended child’s pose after an expense yoga session

Seeing kids at the museum so excited that they run for the exhibits as soon as they enter the door

Hearing from my partner that he really enjoyed the meal I prepared

Taking small side adventures when you find an extra trail on your hike

Seeing the change of the seasons

Doing something thoughtful for someone else

Hugs

Breathing in the cool morning air when I take a walk

Samples or small plates

Decorating for Halloween

Walking around shopping areas without buying things, I love the energy

Being outside

Eating a soft pretzel with most of the salt rubbed off

I could go on and on, but I hope all of you are finding joy in the little things today and everyday. Happy New Year!

 

 

Enjoying the Holidays

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This year is different without going home to see family in St. Louis, but we are trying to embrace it. Enjoying the holidays to me is about not thinking over every detail of what, when or how we do things.

I have been busy with work, especially gift memberships. There have been so many cookies and cakes at work, one had me wired until I cleaned the whole museum.

We went to Vermont earlier this month for a few days (awesome experience) and traveled down to NYC for a night to check out the holiday glory all over the city. It has been fun, exhausting and different.

I do really miss my family though. Happy Holidays!

Loss

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Last night I heard from my best friend that her dog died.

It was a typical work day until I saw my bestie’s text. My heart sank and I have been thinking of her non-stop since. I am also thinking about this possibly being the first loss their 2yr daughter will experience.

I recently was reminded of one of the hardest losses for me. It was a sudden death in the family. Someone so important to me. I tried my best to hold it back and to be strong for everyone else. I crumbled at the funeral. It is still something hard for me. I have had many losses at this point in my life and I accept that they are a part of life.

However, I do not choose to forget them or ignore them. When someone is so important to you, you remember them. And while it is sad that they are gone. I feel blessed to have had them in my life. Thinking of them might make me shed a few tears, but then I think of all the wonderful moments I have had with them.

*Uncle Andy and I sharing a birthday celebration every year and him telling me crazy stories from his adventures*

*Chasing my dog, Rosie, because she would never let the ball go once she got it.*

*My Great Aunt Helen giving us cookies and cutting my hair, while Great Uncle Stanley tickled me each time I gave him a hug*

*Aunt Marilyn making me breakfast when I stayed at her house and dancing to Christmas music in her living room*

*Dugan licking my hand with his little tongue forever and never letting his size be an issue*

The Trouble With Staying Well When Working With Children…

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I have been sick WAY too much since I started this museum job. It has been occurring after ovulation each cycle and I am sick of it. I know my immune system takes a big of a dive then, but I never got sick this often before. So I have been looking into measures I can take to secure my wellness. They include the following:

  • Stay hydrated with water and herbal teas throughout the day,
  • Wash all reusable drink containers daily and disinfect weekly,
  • Wash hands or use hand sanitizer hourly at the very least,
  • Do not touch my face while at work (meaning you should use your elbow, a tissue or clothing to cover your mouth when you sneeze and cough),
  • Do not use hands to eat,
  • As soon as I get home, I should change clothes and wash from my hands to my elbows before doing anything else,
  • Have designated outerwear for work and wash it each laundry day,
  • Disinfect my entire home once per week (including your purse/wallet),
  • Eat plenty of nutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E, Zinc and beta carotene,
  • Move regularly throughout the day (A.K.A., get that movement or workout in),
  • Take time to relax daily,
  • and finally, get plenty of sleep.

Hopefully, I will be able to report no illnesses next cycle. If you have any additional tips, please share!

Resources:

Short Luteal Phase

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I have been tracking my circle for a year now since I got it back December 2017 as a blessed holiday present. I use ovagraph to track my fertility and read the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which completely changed my understanding of how my body works. I feel like every woman should be provided this knowledge. But I digress.

My periods have been irregular and I did miss one month (April 2018). However, my luteal phase has been short. Now you might be asking yourself, “what the devil is a luteal phase???” Well, a luteal phase is the time period between ovulation and your period. This is when the female body produces more progesterone than estrogen to prepare the body for pregnancy if the egg has been fertilized and is trying to embed itself in the lining of the uterus.

My body has either not quite healed enough for it to produce progesterone as it should or I am like some percentage of women who suffer from short luteal phases, which there may or may not be a good reason for. I am trying to see what I can do about it though. My research has shown that increasing your consumption of micronutrients such as vitamin C and B6 can help. Also, avoiding foods containing plant-estrogen’s, though overall research is inconclusive of plant estrogen’s impact on our hormones.

Note: All of the studies claiming foods like soy are bad for our hormones are funded by the meat and dairy industry and the interpretations are questionable when actually read the studies in my opinion. Again, I digress. There are many foods that contain plant estrogens or phytoestrogens, however, so how do I avoid them all?

I am not stressing about it though. I trust my body will heal as long as I participate in supportive activities just as eating whole foods as much as reasonably possible and practicing yoga and meditative exercises. I will keep you posted on how it goes.

Resources:

https://natural-fertility-info.com/luteal-phase-defect.html

https://www.ovusense.com/us/blog/2015/11/03/how-to-increase-your-luteal-phase-naturally