Master Bedroom Inspiration

Josh has been working hard upstairs and I can finally start to visualize our 2nd floor as livable space.  I want our master bedroom to be light and airy, like a giant cloud I can fall into after a long day.  We found our dresser and chest of drawers, but still need to come across the right bed.  Upholstered or metal?  Here is some inspiration I found on decorpad.com

And a sneak peek of our new furniture, straight from the craigslist ad:

Eating Clean & Updates

Quick Update:

I finished chemotherapy at the end of January and radiation mid March.  I had a CT scan done in May and that was all clear!  I have a residual tumor in my chest that is 5cm, made mostly of scar tissue.  Besides getting my port flushed every 6 weeks, I am done with doctors until November!  Hair is growing, I'm back at work (part time-ish), and I'm using my extra time to focus on my health and piecing my life back together.  

The cousins (and my handsome hubby) on vacation.  Me sporting my new pixie.  :)

I've been taking steps to reduce my future cancer risk: switching containers to BPA free, exercising, and eating "clean".

Although I still eat meat, it's mostly chicken, fish or turkey.  I've added a lot of fresh fruits and veggies to my diet.  And the hardest part, I have been working on reducing my sugar intake.  I will never give it up completely (is that even possible?) but I certainly don't eat as much as I used to.  (Except the other day at work when the break room table was covered in cookies.)  

For the last couple of months, my diet has mostly consisted of spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, sweet peppers, green beans, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, bananas, quinoa, oats, greek yogurt, eggs, almonds, beans, salmon, chicken, and turkey.  

Here are some examples of what I eat:

Oatmeal covered in blueberries.  I've been using the packaged sugary ones to help me transition, because I am just not an oatmeal person.  

Plain greek yogurt drizzled smothered in agave nectar.  This was my go to meal after I had my wisdom teeth removed.   Packed with protein (23g in one cup).

I try not to eat very many "packaged" meals, but this cereal brand is all natural  and preservative free.  It's called "Mom's Best Naturals" and the grocery store usually has it on sale 2/$4.  This is the Blue-Pom shredded wheat.

Quinoa, 1/2 avocado, spinach, hardboiled egg, and a drizzle of salad dressing because it's all about baby steps.

I eat spinach almost everyday.

See?  I put it on sandwiches and turkey burgers or eat it as salad.

I snack on fruit, strawberries are my fave.

More berries!  

<3 Strawberries

I drink a ton of lemon water.  "They" say it helps cure many ailments and helps beautify.  

I drink green tea hot and usually plain.  You can add a bit of honey or agave if you like.  I also brew it for iced tea. 

Smoothies with more berries.  I make it up as I go.  Greek yogurt, almond milk, berries, banana, whatever I have on hand.

And occasionally I go cray cray and eat one of these.  Can you blame me?!  

Hope this helps someone who is looking to eat healthier.  Have a fabulous weekend!

Happy Earth Day!

Relaxing with the lights out.

Succulents

Every March, early in the Spring season, I have good intentions of creating a luscious green garden, full of flowers and vegetables.  I spend hours in the sun, pulling weeds and turning dirt.  I wear holes into my gardening gloves and stains into the knees of my pants.  But the truth is, my thumb is black as night.  I can kill evergreens and mums, the hardiest of plants.  I decided to try succulents last spring, and I'm happy to say that they have made it through an entire year with me!  

They even survived during chemo, when I would forget to water them for weeks (maybe even months) at a time.  In fact, it's easier to over water, than it is to under water these plants.  You should let the soil (special for succulents and cacti) dry out before watering, and succulents should never be sitting in water, as this can cause root rot. 

In the winter, watering about once a month should be fine.  In the spring and summer, they should be watered every 1-2 weeks.  I don't bring these outside, but you can if you want to.

I got these tiny planters on clearance last year, but I think vintage tea cups or other pottery would be cute too.  The ones I have are a little larger than my coffee cups.  I just filled them with the potting mixture, planted the succulents, and watered.  

I got my plants at Lowe's, they had about a dozen different species to choose from, and they were only a few dollars a piece.  

I love having a little touch of "spring" year round, so I picked up this old, chipped up table at a thrift store for about $10.

I keep a stack of books, mostly vintage, that remind me of warm, sunshine-y days.

 

This old wooden box holds a small watering can and vintage binoculars, for my Gladys Kravitz moments.  Just kidding, I actually used them last summer to spy on my tomatoes when I was too tired to go outside and take a closer look.

If you don't have much time or energy for gardening, but want a touch of green, I strongly recommend giving these a try!

Quotes for Spring

"Expect to have hope rekindled.  Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways.  The dry seasons in life do not last.  The spring rain will come again." -Sarah Ban Breathnach

"It's spring fever...you don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" -Mark Twain

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." -Anne Bradstreet

"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." -Hal Borland