I tried it!

Yes boys and girls - I tried the vinegar/water solution and let me tell you... YES, it works!  Love it and I cleaned the bathroom at MIDNIGHT a couple nights ago...  today... I cleaned the storm door and the living room ceiling fan.  Yes, I would LOVE for cleaning to be my new addiction.  Burns calories and my neat freak husband would be much happier. :)

I had an AWESOME engagement photography session last weekend.  Let me share a couple of photos...  Misty and Haven were such a sweet couple.  I absolutely had a blast with them.  I'll also be shooting their wedding in July and I just can't wait.  OMG, is it normal for the photographer to cry behind the lens?  LOL

I love love love the last photo.  Oh who am I kidding?  I love them all!!!  :) :)  And this coming weekend I will have the honor of doing a Senior Photo session with not only a Senior; he is a volunteer fireman and will be enlisting into the Military service!  Also, I will be doing Maternity Session 2, as well! :)  Busy, Busy!

So my doctor told me today that my "forgetfulness" issues could be due to my 4-5 hours of sleep per night.  I actually feel "better" when I don't have much sleep.  When I get 8 hours of sleep, I get that yucky pre-migraine headache.  However, doc says I may need to deal with that for a little bit.  Hmmm... something to ponder I should say... :)

Homeschooling was stressful tonight.  All we did was math... math... and math.  My daughter failed her test so she is going to be taking an alternate test tomorrow.  She missed so many problems but when I sat w/her and went over each missed problem, she knew exactly how to do them.  I truly think she deals with the "stress when tests" scenario...  I know when I take a test, especially verbal... I just can't think straight.  My mother says she freezes up during tests as well.  Hereditary?   Maybe.  

Another week gone...

I just read the most awesome blog on how to clean bathrooms like a PRO in just a few easy steps!  OMG!  Did I just say Clean Bathrooms??!   Oh no! I'm turning into my clean freak mother!!!   But it has some great tips that I actually can't wait to try. :)

How to clean BATHROOMS like a PRO! EASY!

So my husband is still on IV antibiotics, but will have that taken out in 2 weeks.  Today, he followed up with his infectious disease provider who released him to go to work tomorrow.  Yay!  He has been doing great; however, I do have to get onto him about not using his arm to lift heavier objects. 

My first photo session of 2012 was this past weekend.  I took pictures of my beautiful niece.  Here's a sneak peak...

I have an engagement session this weekend, then senior session, then family session, then toddler session... and the list goes on and on.  :)  Yay!


The past couple of days though I have felt very tired!  I hope I don't lose the energy I have found this month.  I know the B12 vitamens I've been taking have done wonders!   Let's hope it stays that way. 

Weight loss?  Well, so far it's more like weight maintenance.  I've not gained or lost anymore.  I didn't work out this morning because I was so tired last night.  But last week I did work out 3x.  I was really proud of that.  So maybe I can sneak a workout in tomorrow morning, Friday and Sat morning.  Let's hope.

What DIDN'T happen???

Where do I even start?  Last week, my husband, who was recovering from tendinitis surgery, had to be rushed to emergency surgery last Wednesday because a horrible staph infection called MRSA, yes, MRSA, decided it wanted to eat his arm off!  Yup.  Doc said if he didn't have emergency surgery, he could lose his arm.

To sum it all up, I stayed with the hubs from Wed night until Sat afternoon in that hospital.  I think I only came home to shower twice!  I know, nasty!

Now, life as I know it has completely changed.  I use hand sanitizer every 5-10 minutes.  I go around the house with clorox wipes, wiping down all the door knobs and refrigerator handles.  I'm also in charge of his new picc line, which is in his arm and goes thru a vein and stops next to his heart.  I give his twice daily antibiotics thru this line and flush it w/saline twice and heparin once. 

I have to admit, my husband has surgery on something every other year; whether it's back surgery, a hemotoma in his leg, hernia, etc.   And my husband can be a bit of a baby...  "can u get this for me? can you get that for me? oh i forgot to tell you to grab this while you were up.  I can't reach the remote, can you get it?".... this time is different.  I really dont recall him running me raggad this time.  However, I'm running around everywhere making sure dishes are out of the sink, laundry is done on time, kitchen counter is sanitized, lysol is sprayed on the leather couch, everything is vaccumed, the dogs are fed, the cat is fed, and even the ugly man himself... Arnie the hedgehog.  < Don't get one, all they do is poop and pee.  I have hand sanitizer in every room, Clorox wipes in three rooms, bleach is nearby... I'm making sure we are taking every precaution to get him better and to keep us from getting sick as well.

I also have been booking quite a few photography sessions through July of this year!  Oh, did I mention I'm a photographer on the side?  LOVE my side job!  :)  I'm excited about that because I have two maternity sessions coming up, a toddler session, senior session, family session, prom session and a wedding!  Oh... and I shan't forget... a NEW business opportunity which includes Pageant photography!  I'm nervous but excited at the same time.


During the past week, I have gotten addicted to a few new websites.  I have put them on the sidelines of my blog called Salty's faves...   LinkedIn... a networking site, Pinterest...I can't explain it to where it sounds right but you create bulletin boards of all your favorite stuff from the internet and you can see all kinds of stuff that your friends have and learn a whole lot, see beautiful new photos, laugh more... etc.  It's actually addicting.  And another big fave is Flickr!  You have to go and check out my photos...  Can you guess which ones they are?  :)

I went to my doctor appointment last week and told them I wanted to be tested for Alzheimer's or Dementia.  Yes, I actually said that.  Instead, my doc opted for me to be tested for ADD.  Since my daughter has severe ADHD, the apple probably doesn't fall far from the tree.  Know what I mean?  But my forgetfulness has gotten out of control!  Also, my blood pressure is still not at a normal level.  Doc said to lose 10lbs in 2 months or I will have to be on blood pressure meds.  So far this year I have lost 6lbs.  I wonder if she is counting that?  lol

The good news is that I was a little ahead of the doc.  A co-worker and I have made plans to work out at the gym at work 3 days a week.  I did 40 minutes of cardio on Tuesday morning and I'll be doing cardio tomorrow morning.  I'm not as excited about it as I first was... but that's OK.  To have a friend there actually helps keep me accountable and the feeling of accomplishment in the morning is wonderful!

So tomorrow is Friday... I have overtime to do on Saturday (which I dont mind because that's extra money in my pocket - probably to pay off the medical bills I'll get from my husband's hospital stay).  And then off to Georgia to photograph a baby shower and maternity pictures.  :)  Until then...

Life's Little Curve Ball

On Wednesday, life through me a little curve ball.  I had just, literally just made plans to work-out 4 days a week with a co-worker of mine.  Then I got a call from my husband...

Three weeks ago, my husband had surgery on his elbow due to tendinitis.  Surgery went well.  Three days before getting his stitches out, an infection set in.  Three doctor visits later of constant draining of this infection caused the following to occur:  Emergency surgery or my husband will lose his arm.  We were floored. 

My husband just got released from the hospital today.  The infection was MRSA staph.  It is very contagious and could have been caused by the surgery or my husband could have been carrying this infection in his body for a while.  So I am going to be stocking up on Lysol products, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, bleach, etc.  My husband has to wear a pick line for the next 3-5 weeks and this is the reason also for the necessary steps to keep everything sanitized.  I have spent the last 4 days in the hospital with him, only going home briefly two times. 

So where do my workouts fit in?  Well, before I get there, I had a PCP appointment yesterday.  I have had high blood pressure for the past couple of months (that I am aware of).  I know my life consists of busy this and busy that, so I thought stress was a big factor.  It was, but after making some changes within the past month, I felt happier and healthier.  But my blood pressure has not changed.  Hmmm...  Now the doctor says, lose 10 pounds in two months, or get on blood pressure medication. 

Incentive? Absolutely!  Let's begin our weight loss journey again... starting tomorrow!  (I can't start in the middle of the day!  LOL)

A 1 Year and 2 Month Goal...

So lately I have been cutting back.  I actually lost 6 lbs last week... that is, until Friday night and we went to Western Sizzlin and ... no... I didn't eat a buffet.  I had steak, baked potato and a salad.  Oh yeah, and Ice Cream.  I didn't eat much during the day... and the next day I gained 3lbs!  I didn't think much of it though.  So the next day I didn't eat much thru the day... and my husband decided he wants Mexican.  MEXICAN!  Probably the best thing since sliced bread!  So we went... and the best part of the dinner was the 2 SALTY Margaritas...  Yum.  But the meal was just as delish!  And... behold, I gained 1 more lb by this morning.

Total weight loss for Week 1:  2 lbs. 

The reason for the 1 Year and 2 Month goal?  It will be my 10 year anniversary with my husband AND we're going on a cruise.  So I have to be in the BEST condition I have ever been.  Seriously the sexiest, svelte body you have ever seen.  Even on TV!  I want a body that puts Jennifer Aniston's to shame.  LOL  I have never been a trophy wife, but I certainly want all men on that cruise ship to secretly wish I was their wife. 

So how much weight do I have to lose to get there?  Hmmm... let me attempt some Math....
Oh wow!

Happy with my weight goal: 56 lbs to lose
Pre-pregnancy weight goal: 66 lbs to lose
Super Confident weight goal: 76 lbs to lose
Trophy Wife - Svelte body weight goal: 86 lbs to lose

So the numbers look massive!  This is the first time I've looked at them.  And to be honest, my pre-pregnancy weight goal is my lowest weight as an adult.  Now, I don't have to be the lowest ever, but why not?  Why can't I have the awesome body for once?  So this is my attempt... 

Watch Your Back When Going To Work

I want to VENT..... Why OH Why are employers so adamant to find employees that are working, doing something wrong... and praise the ones that aren't working???? I am a telecommuter and STILL know more about what's going on in that company! I mean, for real!

If you see someone working honestly and know that they are doing it wrong, tell them! Educate them. Don't sit there all day and spy on them to try and get them in trouble when you have other people not even working that aren't getting spied on!

Let me say this... you look for something wrong, you're going to find it because no one is perfect. But what happened to individual encouragement? Team Praise? Goals and education? It's all about spying to get someone in trouble. Ugh.

Sorry... this was on my mind after work and had to let it out. :)

Salt Here!

Welcome to our First Blog!  My name is Salt and shortly, you'll be seeing a post from Pepper.  We hope you enjoy seeing the different perspectives and opinions from two women who are friends, work together, in our 30's, consider ourselves twins - yet have a mass array of differences as well.  We want to join you to comment and/or just invite you to share with us as we talk about different topics and we may even vent at times.

First, I want to tell you a little about my personality.  I am first and foremost, a Christian.  I believe God sent his son Jesus to die for my sins.  But I have lived as a carnal Christian this year.  Something I am not proud of.

I consider myself a workaholic and lazy at the same time (Is that possible?).    I am insecure about my weight, my looks and my friends.  I think I am either suffering from ADD or Altzheimers, or both.  No, I am not a hypochondriac.

One thing that I do love about myself though... okay two things... I am a very goofy person.  I love to make others laugh by just being dumb.  I even crack myself up. LOL  And I also love the fact that I realized my true gift:  photography. 

I want to say that I am GLAD 2011 is coming to an end.  Personally, I had to deal with a lot of stress, depression and anxiety dealing with my career, family and hobby.  I look forward to making some new resolutions for the 2012 year:
1.  Lose Weight/Exercise/Get Healthy
2.  Become More Organized
3.  Keep in Touch with Friends

So #3 doesn't sound so hard, does it?  But here's my problem.  Working in customer service for 9 years has made me hate talking on the phone.  I hate it.  I'd rather email/text any day.  Well, this year, I started working from home so I am by myself a lot.  I put myself in a position where I was waiting on my friends to talk to me and invite me places.  Instead, I was too lazy to take the initiative myself.  So I've noticed a lot of my close friend relationships have faded...  and I want them back. 

#2 will help me tremendously with the fact that I home school my daughter after work and then I edit photography.  Sometimes I don't give myself a break to make time for "family", clean the house as often as I should, or even sleep.  I have been putting my customers as #1 priority.  They are important, but I need to make sure that I am putting God 1st and Family 2nd and Myself 3rd.  I need more sleep!  A recent doctor's visit revealed that my lack of sleep is putting my body is stress mode, which is causing cortisol to settle and thus, I'm becoming more and more overweight. 

And finally #1, I need to lose, literally, like 55lbs to get back to pre-pregnancy weight.  Can I get some followers to help motivate me along the way? :) :)