Feel the burn...or not??

            I'm sure y'all can tell from the title of my blog that I live in Texas. I don't know how many of you reading this are living in or are from Texas......but Homecoming is a BIG DEAL here! I mean, huge! The Homecoming game is THE highlight of the football season. Well, unless you make it to State! Our local homecoming game was this past Friday. I was working, from what I understand the kids played hard, but couldn't bring home the win. There is always next year!

            So, with the annual Homecoming game comes......another Texas tradition.....drum roll please................. the Homecoming Mum! What? What is a homecoming mum you ask? A homecoming mum is a gigantic display of school spirit with a burst of individuality mixed in that is worn to school on the Friday of the homecoming football game. They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the mum pays serious homage to this slogan. The bigger, the better! They range in size from Mini Mums for the elementary and middle school kids all the way to triple (or larger) mums for the high school girls. Don't worry, the boys are not left out. There are garters for them to wear, mostly on their upper arms. These don't get nearly as large and showy as the mums the girls wear, but they are still a sight to behold.  See some examples below!  The large triple was worn around the neck, and the singles were pinned to the shirts of those wearing them.

Large Triple for a High School Sr.

Same mum as above, just shown with lights on. Yes, lights!

Regular single hippie themed mum

Large single in school colors with some turquoise thrown in

 

 

 



            So, the construction process for these babies includes a great deal of two things. Staples and hot glue. It is the hot glue that leads me to the topic of this post, feel the burn! I was working on a super mini garter for a 1 1/2 year old boy to wear in support of his favorite football player when the inevitable happened. Tiny craft object, my big fingers and hot glue do not make for a winning combination. I had placed some glue on the cardboard backer that holds the flower in place. There is a small hole in the middle that the stem of the flower sticks through before it is trimmed. Right through said hole into my fingers fell a huge, smoldering hot glob of glue. Said glue fell right above my wedding ring. Just as quickly as it fell I brushed it off with one of my other fingers because I didn't want it damaging my ring. Probably not my smartest move, because that poor, helpless finger became the casualty of the evening.  Even though I wiped the glue off on my pants as soon as I could, a good size bright white blister had already formed where the glue had landed.  Instant blister!

            Talk about burn! That stuff hurts!! If you've never had the 'pleasure' of being injured by a hot glue gun, I suggest you NEVER try the experience. It is not pleasant. Don't say I didn't warn you! Being fair skinned and red-headed I am no stranger to blisters. Every summer for longer than I can remember I would spend a few days nursing at least one major sunburn that blistered my shoulders and upper back. You do NOT put cold anything on blisters. It just makes them worse. No, I had something else in my arsenal that I was pretty sure would help in a big way. Turns out, I was right.

            Enter Lavender and Frankincense!  I raced to my Young Living Premium Starter Kit and grabbed the two bottles that would lead to relief from the horrible burning on my finger. I twisted the caps off and applied one drop of each. The relief, it was almost instant! It was amazing!!! I quickly finished up the mini garter I'd been working on and cleaned up. It was very late and I needed to hit the sack since I had to be up early the next morning for an appointment. Before bed I applied another drop of each essential oil to the blister, which kept the pain at bay long enough that I could fall asleep. I woke up in the morning to find the blister still there, but the pain was gone. A few days after that, the blister it self was gone.

            I have to say, I never ever thought that these oils would be so useful! It seems like every week I'm finding yet another use for them.  Want to find out what oils can do for you? Interested in a more natural, holistic approach to some of the curve balls life throws at you! Feel free to contact me, I'd love to talk you about what oils can do you and your family!

Life sucks when you can’t breathe!

              Yes, it does. Add in the fact that I have a very tiny nose, and that makes it even worse! A few weeks back my husband and I had to make a trip to Florida. I don’t know what happened to the air while we were gone, because the first morning back in Texas I woke up and couldn’t breathe through my nose. I had so much pressure under my eyes and in my nose, it felt like someone had my sinuses in a vice!  I spent two days trying nasal sprays, decongestants and the like. Nothing helped. I couldn’t get any relief! Then I remember that a good friend of mine had given me some gifts for Christmas, and I was pretty sure one of them was for respiratory support. At this point, I was willing to try anything. I mean, I had tried everything else I had available, why not try this?  I found the bag of Christmas goodies, and low and behold I was right! So, I got out the roller ball, rolled a little over what I later found out is the Maxillary Sinus area (about ½ a pinkie length under your eyes, right across from each side of your nose) and went to bed.

                I figured that worst that would happen is that, well, nothing would happen. If nothing else, I would at least smell good while I slept. Within 10 minutes, I felt a little bit of the pressure dissipate. I could even begin to smell hints of the wonderful fragrance of the oil mixture on my face. Within 20 minutes I could almost breathe like a normal human being, the pressure was almost gone. Now, I’m not saying that everyone will experience results that quickly, I’m just sharing my experience with you.  I again applied the mixture when I got up, and again when I went to bed for the next two nights. It really, really helped.  Not only did it help, the solution wasn’t a pharmaceutical one, it was an all-natural one. How wonderful is that? Would you like to find out more? Check out my website or contact me directly. I look forward to helping you with a more natural lifestyle!

Just one of the AMAZING oils in the sinus roller ball!!

Toxins, be gone!

  Toxins? Yes, toxins!

               Toxins are everywhere, and we don’t even realize it. Most people don’t realize how bad they are for you. We use them because we’ve seen other people use them, without knowing what we are using. I’m NOT going to get into the chemical makeup of every cleaning product out there. That would be BORING and take a long time. What I am going to do is give you a link so that you can look into them for yourself, if you are so inclined. THEN I am going to tell you what I’m using instead of all of those products we grew up with. Go to www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners and type in whatever cleaner you’d like to look up in the search bar near the top of the page. I just went and typed in Windex. Everyone knows that Windex is used to clean…….windows! I’ve used it forever!  I grew up watching my Mom and Grandmother use it. Two of the components of that product score an F on the EWG’s scale of A-F, an F!!! Two other components score D’s, 4 score C’s, 2 score B’s and 2 score A’s. This gives the product an overall score of a D. D, on a scale of A-F isn’t very good is it? Nope!!  What if I could tell you there is a product out there that is formulated with 100% plant and mineral based ingredients, is biodegradable and complies with EPA standards?

                Enter Thieves Concentrated Household Cleaner!!! Now, believe me, I was very skeptical at first. Especially since it is not only good for you, but much cheaper than regular cleaners when you break down what it costs you to make 1 bottle. I believe a 14.4 oz bottle of the concentrate will make about 30 bottles (based on a 30 oz squirt bottle) of  all-purpose cleaner. That is like $1.59 cents per bottle of cleaner. Now, if you buy the larger container, I think it makes each 30 oz bottle like $.88 cents!  I know that none of the products I was using before Thieves Household Cleaner were that affordable! 

                But does it work? That is what you are all asking, right?? YES, it works!! I wouldn’t be telling you about it if it hadn’t tried it! I was blown away by how well it worked. I mixed up the all-purpose cleaner, which is 1 cap full of concentrate and about 30 ounces of water when I cleaned my house this past Monday. All my counters and the stove got Thieves Household Cleaner. My house smelled great, and the counters were clean. No nasty, filmy residue was left behind. My counters were clean. They just felt clean! There were a couple of spots where things have obviously been spilled, and didn’t get cleaned up. I literally let the cleaner sit for 5-10 seconds, and with minimal elbow grease everything was gone.

                I also used Thieves Household Cleaner on my floors. Those who know me know I have dogs. A few dogs. Ok, A LOT of dogs, sheesh! I used to hate cleaning my floors with regular floor cleaner and then having my dogs walk all over it, getting all those toxins on their feet and skin. And lets not even think about one of the licking the floor right away! Gross!!! So, I mixed up the floor cleaner, and went to work. I have two different surfaces in my house, laminate and linoleum. The Thieves cleaner did wonders on both! I walked across both surfaces after they had dried, and just like the counter tops, they felt clean! No residue or sticky filmy feeling. They felt clean, and looked clean. My linoleum is the cleanest it has been in months! I wish I had before and after pictures for you guys. But trust me, it was clean. Not only did the floors get clean, the house smelled great! No chemical hospital smell. I don’t know about you, but I hate it when my house smells like that. I know, some of us associate that with clean. I used to be the same way. Now I associate that with toxins and Thieves with clean!

                I will admit, I was very skeptical about this product when I was told about it. So skeptical that I bought the smallest bottle I could, even though the bigger bottle was a MUCH better deal. I didn’t see the point in spending the higher amount for the bigger bottle, even though it was a better deal, if the stuff didn’t end up cleaning my house the way I wanted it to. I NOW wish I’d bought the bigger bottle!! Interested in trying it out for yourself? Check out my website or contact me  and I can tell you how to get some!

               

                The next adventure for my Thieves Household Cleaner? Laundry soap. Yep, you read that right, laundry soap! I don’t know about you guys, but I have super sensitive skin and finding a laundry soap that doesn’t irritate it is difficult. I have a recipe for laundry soap, and as soon as my current soap is gone I am going to try it out. I already have all the ingredients, and my bucket! Stay tuned to find out how it works!!!

Back from a Blogging Hiatus!

               Y'all, I've been gone a LONG time! Too long!!  Truth is, I didn't have much to blog about. Life was just a chugging along like usual here. Well, until recently. I just HAD to come back and tell you allllll about it!!!

               We’ve all had friends who have jumped into those “pyramid companies” (as so many people refer to them) that try to sell us things. I am not an exception to this statement. I’ve had many friends who’ve done Tupperware, Mary Kay, AdvoCare, Beach Body, and the list goes on.  I love supporting my friends, and have consequently had many “parties” over the years to help them out.  While I have tried MANY different products, and have enjoyed most of them, I’ve never found anything that I just felt like it was life changing enough for me to get into. Until now.

 

                Let me start off by saying, I am NOT in this to make money. I will be using these products for life. I’d love to expose you to the benefits of using them also. If I earn some free products or a few bucks here and there, awesome. If not, that is awesome too! The fantastic thing is that you will have that same opportunity.

               

                So, what is the wonderful product that I have found and enjoy using so much I want to share it with you? Essential Oils! Young Living Essential Oils, to be precise.  If I were to tell you about ALL the products and ALL the benefits in one post, I would be typing for hours and you’d be reading for the same. So, here is what I am going to do. I am going to post individually about a few of the products I have used and how they have helped me. From there, you can decide if you’d like to try them or not. If not, you don’t have to read another post about them. If you do, please contact me and I can give you the information you need to either add a few items you’d like to try to my monthly order, or to get signed up with a membership yourself!!  Stay tuned to my blog over the next few days to learn a little bit about a few different products I've tried and how they are making a difference around my household every day!

 

                If you care to read a little bit more about this wonderful company, check out their Seed to Seal Promise. Young Living sets the standard when it comes to essential oils, and this website explains why this is true.

 

Give Away!

Check out the awesome give away over here at CRAVE Photography folks! Woohoo!!

7/13/2013 - UPDATES

Well, I know that I owe two more ride posts since the last post.
I don't really remember, at this point, much about them.

I do remember that the first one included some moments in the arena where I thought Cas was really testing me. He walked off from the mounting block like a champ, but stopped and refused going forward when I was in the arena a few times. Nothing major, just enough that I felt it.

The second ride was uneventful, I guess, since I can't remember what went on.

Since then I've been plenty busy at work, and at home.

I had a sick dog 2 weeks ago, and an event on 7/10 that I can't even begin to think about without getting teary eyed or becoming a blubbering idiot. I think I should write about it, soon. They say getting it out is therapeutic. I'm not convinced yet. We will see how a feel in a few days. I'll sum it up to say we are one critter short around our place these days, and the loss has been devastating to myself and dh.

Hope everyone is doing well. I'm chugging along........it can only get better from here.

Cas is GOOD at getting time off!

I don't know what he did.
 Maybe had the fairies come and sprinkle magic dust around that has been making things happen which have prevented me from riding. Maybe it's just MURPHY making my life miserable? Who knows. What I do know is, I AM RIDING IN THE MORNING. Yes, I am putting my foot down and riding dang it! 

Now that I've gotten in the habit of riding, I honestly do miss it. Will we ever be seriously riding, working on things for competitions? I doubt it. I am about ready to head over to the BRC and take in some trails though. I think Cas will enjoy that too.

I should be home a bit after 6am. The weather should be 'cool' and Cas hasn't worked in FOREVER! SO, he needs to. I should also be able to ride both Friday and Saturday morning. Sunday is questionable, as I'm covering for a co-worker Saturday night shift.

Cas hasn't worked since the 14th, so I'm sure I'll get the EVIL EYE when I hoist the saddle up on his back. It'll be ok. He will get over it!

6/14 - day 17 - ride 4

Wow, 17 days? That is pretty good, don't you think? I mean, he hasn't worked every one of those days, but we are chugging along.

After a less than stellar performance the day before, I was a bit apprehensive about how things would go today.
I got up at 5:30 am and went out to get Cas ready. I wanted to be working him as early as possible, as the weather has been ghastly. The AM's had been about 15-20 degrees cooler, but these past two days the heat index when I went out was already almost 90. Not good for 6am!

So, out on the line he went. Less antics today. I had to really push him to keep him in the lope/canter. He wasn't feeling like it today. When I stopped working him on the line, it was 6:30, and DH wasn't home yet. Dang it! Wanted him to be home, just in case Cas did act a fool and something happened, I'd have someone there to help out. OH well....not wanting to wait any longer (I'd already done some flexes on the ground,  both sides) I sent a text to JenJ and let her know I was about to get on and ride, and that I'd txt her by 7 when I got off. :) You can never be too careful!

At the "log" (aka mounting block) Cas didn't even move. No moving his hindquarters to the right when I put my foot in the stirrup. So, that's progress, right?

After getting on, I again did some flexing both sides. OH, I did take the curb strap off the bit. When I tried flexing yesterday (which I forgot to note) the left side kept getting hung up/stuck. I had to reach down and fix it several times. So, I figured we'd give it a try sans curb strap. This one attaches with little metal clips that, no matter how you attach them, are very capable of poking the horse in the face. I'd like to add a simple leather piece under there, to keep the bit in place better.

With the flexing out of the way, and the "you don't move off right after I get on" lesson refreshed, it was time to move forward. I was a bit apprehensive, I'm sure. I asked the beast to walk forward, and I got 2 steps backward. Not what I was going for. A thunk to his right side, and I got a pinned ear and a head toss. Oh no you don't! I pulled him around, forcing him off balance and making him step to the side. A couple of those moves and a couple more thunks into his barrel and we were in the arena.

 He balked a bit more over the next 25 minutes. All I asked for today was a walk. We changed directions, A LOT. This way, that way, 1/2 circle, full circle, diagonal, serpentine. Stop, flex, walk off again. I sent JenJ a txt about 6:57 and let her know we were done.  It was much more humid when we ended, and the beast was indeed sweaty when we finished.

His sweat marks under his saddle however, didn't look even to me. SO, I snapped some photos on my phone and sent them to JenJ. She's had some saddle fit issues with her critters and is a PRO at saddle fitting and issues and what sweat patterns should look like and what they shouldn't and what to do about them :) Yay!  As I feared, they didn't look right! I did tell her that I felt my saddle was a little further forward today then in past rides. SO, I'm going to pay better attention to saddle placement when I ride Monday or Tuesday am (I know, this will be the longest time between rides, but I have a busy weekend ahead) and take more photos and send back for further analysis!

So, bottom line....Cas "acted" up, but I was able to push him through it and end on a good note. Hope he retains this lesson for the next ride!

6/13 - Attitude

I really could have just sat in the chair, and waited for DH to get home. I could have waited, and made him feed......or I could have just gone to bed. But a little 'bird' chirped a text to me, telling me to have a good ride. Now, how could I be lazy and stay inside after that?

Ugh. I mustered up what little energy I had left, and went out to get Cas ready. With my lateness in getting out the door, I didn't start to lunge him until 6:40am. Much later than the usual 6:10-6:15. He ran around a bit on the end of the line once asked to canter, but slowed down after he realized that was just TOO much work!

DH jumped on the tractor when he got home and made a few passes around the arena with the drag, and hung around to watch the ride. Since it was a bit warmer than it had been, I only planned on walking Cas in the arena. I also planned on lots of direction changes, circles, serpentines, etc to keep it interesting.

The plan was fine and good, until Cas got a case of the "I don't want tos". After I mounted, I did some neck stretches each direction. He's a good boy about NOT taking off the minute I get on, and I want to keep it that way. The neck flexes/stretches give me something productive to do with him while we are standing there waiting a while. After about 10-12 each way, I asked him to walk off. He balked, and started to back up. At one point, it felt like he kicked out. I took into consideration that Hannah (our neighbors JRT) was standing near his backside, and he's fairly anti dog. I chalked it up to her being there, and DH grabbed him and pushed him forward to the arena. No big deal.

Once in the arena, however, he decided he wasn't going to walk. Then he wasn't going to turn. Then he wasn't going to trot. Butt head! So, he got lots of direction changes, lots of stop and go, and some trotting. He also got some pretty good thumps on his side with he calves/heels. Silly horse! He's testing me, I know this.

After the issues, he worked for about an hour. He was pretty sweaty and gross when we were done. DH even helped me hose him off, which was nice.

I was a little anxious about our next ride, hoping the attitude of today's ride didn't carry over........

Routine....out the window

6/11 & 6/12 - no riding. I'm not 100% sure I remember why at this point......

6/11 - I think I got home late this am from work, and it would have been super late to ride by the time I did get home

6/12 - this may have been a case of the lazies, but I don't remember......

note to self, make notes about why you don't ride......you know, so I don't forget!

6/10 - i see a routine here

Yes, yes I do. I think it's safe to say we are on the every other day plan. Why? I'm not sure, it just seems to work out this way.
Keeping in mind that I'm on my 6 days off out of a 7 day week, I think this is good. We will see what happens on Saturday AM when I've started my working 6 days out of a 7 day week. I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up the every other day thing, but we will see.

On a side note.....I've started a new hobby/business. Things have to stay hush hush for now, but I will unveil my designs soon. I hope to have some items completed by July 1st, and a blog page and Facebook page up and running by then. I'm working on getting a logo designed as well. Anyone out there design logos? I'd love to talk to you about my ideas and price. Thanks!

6/9 - day 12 - Ride 2

I headed outside before daybreak. I wanted to get Cas worked and ridden before it got too hot.

He didn't seem like a big fan of the tom thumb bit I had ridden him in Friday, so I broke out his new headstall and reins (both  were 2012 bday gifts from JenJ) and attached his "new" Myler bit to it.  I hoped this would make him happier.

Warm up was the same as usual. Bed and flex on the ground before lunge, lunge, and mount up and ride! His lunge contained a bit more cantering than last time. After his first few minutes of walk right he decided he knew when and where to change direction. He got a quick turn around and with a pop of the lunge stick he took off at a canter around the arena. NO problem big boy, you wanna go? We can go! So, canter he did until I thought he got the point. I had a much more obedient Cas after that.

Still had a couple issues mounting. He skedaddled to the right a few times as I put my foot in the stirrup, but understood that the point was to stand still quicker than Friday morning. Once aboard, he felt a little sticky walking back to the arena. Almost like he was planning a little " I don't think you are confident enough to make me do this" fit. He soon learned that momma WAS going to make him walk and trot around the arena.

We worked on some bend/give saddled and mounted. First attempt found him spinning in a circle. He quickly realized this was just like me being on the ground, stood still and gave very well to both sides. Some directional changes at the walk, and also at the trot. He wasn't sure he had to continue trotting through the changes, but I insisted and he complied.

He did seem happier with his new bit. He was more realized through his neck, and more accepting/giving of contact by bending at the poll.
All in all, Cas had about a 50 minute work out. I'm planning on making his lungs shorter so his ride time can be longer. That's the plan anyway. We will see how things go! Another few weeks of riding at home, and maybe we will be ready to tackle a trail at BRC with JenJ and her Trusty Steed MO!

6/8 day 11

After being up most of the night with an upset tummy, I figured it was probably best to give the beast another day off. It wasn't going to hurt him. He had already proven that he was not going to give me much trouble. Not like I'm riding a green broke 3 year old or anything!

Who's nervous?? 6/7 - day 10

I got out of work a little late, which didnt make me happy!!! I wanted to be home early, I had a pony to torture!!
DH had a rough day Thursday, and was exhausted. He passed out after he got home and fed the critters Thursday evening. So, in addition to working Cas I was on am feed duty ! Threw food at the dogs, let them out and went to get Cas ready.
He was a good boy on the lunge line. His only hang up was his changing directions. I know that this is a problem of his, and we will keep working on it. I let him/made him lope a bit longer than usual.... I had my helmet on, and had dressed Cas in a headstall with a tomb thumb, the reins were draped around my neck in anticipation of the ride that was waiting at the end of Caspers lunge.
He stopped like a gentleman at the end of the line, turning slightly inward and waiting as I gathered the line and made my way to stand next to his handsome head. I grabbed the reins from my neck and clipped them onto the end of the shanks of the Tom Thumb. As we walked together, to the tree stump that would be my mounting block, I tossed the lunge line off to the side so he wouldn't get tangled up in it as we rode. I positioned him at the stump so that I coul get in his back, his left side closest to the stump. To say I wasn't slightly nervous would be a lie. I was. I hadn't ridden in a long time, and Casper hadn't been ridden in a long time. I mean, really ridden. Sure, he's the horse that gets every child and adult who comes over that has an inkling that they want to ride tossed onto his back, but that is without saddle and bridle. They ride bareback and have me leading them around. This is different.
I click the connector on my helmet together as I stand In front of the stump. I grab the reins that are resting on his neck in my left hand, and step up onto the stump. My heart begins pounding a little harder as he turns his big blue eye  my way to see what in doing. I scratch his neck for a second and tell him he's a good boy. Leaning forward I put some weight onto his back, to make sure he isn't going to freak out. You never know, he is a horse after all. After a few minutes I'm pretty confident he won't panic. Still a bit scared, but I am sure this too shall pass. I lift my left foot up and into the stirrup with a deep breath and put weight into it. He doesn't move. I take my foot out, wait a few seconds and try again. The second my foot hits the stirrup he moves way right, making it impossible to keep my foot in. I hop down, move him over and try again. Same result, he spins to the right. I get down, move his hind end in some right circles to the left and try again. We repeat this a few times before he is standing still again when my foot is in the stirrup. Any confidence in him that I had was gone by this time. I had pretty much convinced myself that I wasn't going to ride today. We'd made progress with him standing still, and I thought that was good. I'd talked myself out of riding until tomorrow. Then I remembered that a really great friend had told me " you can dooooo eeeeet", and I couldn't let either of us down. I summoned all my courage and with one smooth motion I put my left foot in the stirrup, put my weight in it and stood up. I swung my right leg over and grabbed the right stirrup. I was on. I was sitting on Casper's back! Score!!!!!!
With some calf pressure and a gentle cluck he moved on and we circled around and headed into the arena. I think we were both nervous, but we made many many laps around at the walk, and 1-2 around at the jog each way. We change direction some and did some figure 8's and serpentines. He stopped immediately when I said whoa and put my hand on his neck. I dismounted, and as I did my phone, the one I had used to take a short video clip while I was riding (I needed proof ya know) fell on the ground, 2 steps in front of Cas's left front hoof. He took one step forward as I stopped in front if him, hurrying my phone in sand and dirt. Thank goodness for my Otter Box!! It was dirty but undamaged.
I walked Cas to the tree and un-tacked him. Hosed him down and let him cool out before breakfast.
It was a good day. A productive and successful day! I had ridden for the first time in forever and Casper was a good day!! I plan on riding again Saturday, although I'm sure my back will object. Chiro appointment on the 18th, so I need to baby it until then.

Down time 6/6

Knowing I am planning on riding Casper this weekend, I though it would be best to give handsome the day off. I think 3 days in a row is good, and since I plan on working him Fri, Sat and Sun.....he's got today off. :)