What Now?

The last four days I've been breaking out in Hives and it is driving me crazy! Lately it always seems to be something with me, I feel like I can't catch a break and it is becoming a little depressing. In the last four months I've had what was possibly the H1N1 virus which led to an extremely bad case of bronchitis that I'm still not 100% over with (insane I know), I'm just getting over a sinus infection and have something torn in my neck! I hate to complain but I just need a few moments to vent.
Tonight I did a bunch of reading on the internet and read many different things on Hives and tried to pin point where mine are coming from, all I have to say is HA! lol... that is because I can pin point more than one thing lol. I could be getting hives from a viral infecting, the antibiotics I've been on, the pain meds I've been on, allergies or some people get them just because!
When I was a kid I was in a rare group of people who got hives from cold. I had to take a few different medications and wasn't allowed to be outside unless I was walking to the car and back. I don't recall much of it now but I think there was some concern with potential blocking of my airways. It only lasted one winter and hasn't shown back up since. I just hope that this isn't going to be one of those weird things again and goes away now that I have stopped taking the medications!
I have also heard that this year is going to be a very bad year for people with allergies so maybe it is a reaction to something. That would make sense too since all the plants are starting to grow. My son had his friend come over after school for a sleep over but I had to call his Mom to come and pick him up about half an hour ago because he couldn't breathe because his allergies were sooo bad! Poor Liam was so upset that his friend had to leave but Cole's Mom couldn't get him any meds due to all the drama going on with the pharmacies. His allergies were that bad, I feel so bad for the little guy, he was crying (I think he felt a little panicked).
Anyway, so I'm sure by now you can see why it would be hard for me to pin point what is causing it,,, if anything is even causing it according to some of my reading. All I can do at this point is wait 3 days and if I'm still getting them I know it wasn't the meds. Other than that I am just going to have to take my Benadryl and pray that this goes away in a few days... hopefully not weeks! I just hope more than anything that I don't have another funky allergy like I did with the cold that one winter and I hope it isn't chronic hives (lasting longer than 6 weeks). Anyone else deal with something like this? Let me know, and let me know how you coped.
Cheers all : ) 

Purina Maxx Scoop Small Spaces = Success!

For the past week I have given up my old kitty litter ways and have been trying something new! I am using Purina Maxx Scoop Small Spaces. Matchstick has given me the opportunity to participate in a word of mouth marketing program. I have been reviewing Purina Maxx Scoop Small Spaces cat litter for the past week which I got through Matchstick for free along with some other great products for cat owners! I just want to be transparent and let you all know that in no way is my judgment being affected and that I will only provide my personal opinion and honest review.

In my cat kit I was sent: 1 Cozy Corner Cat Litter Box, 1 Purr-fect Paws Litter Mat, 1 Rubbermaid Litter Caddy and Scoop, 3 Purina cat treats and 5 Full value coupons for Purina Maxx Scoop that I can share with other women who have cats and live in small spaces like I do! I have given out several of the full value coupons to other women and am looking forward to hearing about their experiences with this product as well. 

I think the most noticeable thing about the Maxx Scoop Small Spaces is the missing cat litter box odor in the air! I have 3 cats in my home but you wouldn't know it now, before it was the first thing you could smell when you walked in the door (not very pleasant). I always had to be so on top of cleaning out the litter box, you never wanted to miss a day. We were just gone for a few nights this past weekend and the Maxx Scoop did a fantastic job of keeping the odor of the litter box down while we were away! 

Another great thing about the litter is that it doesn't stick as much to the sides of the box as the other brands do. My husband is the one who first pointed that out to me! I have to admit that before I tried it I was a bit skeptical about it being 99 % dust free, so it was a nice surprise that I when I first used it I wasn't inhaling dust! 

One concern I had that others might have as well was the concern that my cats may not take to the change so well. So far I don't think my cats have expressed a problem, they all seem to be going about their normal business. I'm sure that they appreciate the fact that they aren't inhaling much dust at all anymore and that this formula of cat litter has odor control. Sometimes we forget that our pets can smell too... 
Don't forget to go to www.trymaxxscoop.ca for your chance at a free full value coupon for this great product!

To Be?

So we get a phone call last Thursday telling us that Morgan is still on tour and that they would call us on Tuesday to fill us in with further details. Well it is now Wednesday evening and we still haven't heard a thing? Talk about leaving a family hanging! Like come on, it isn't exactly a nice thing to do, toy with the emotions of a family. I guess the best thing to do at this point is to prepare as if he is leaving and if he doesn't, well that is great! I guess I've been preparing myself for this for months, I'm not naive enough to believe what the military says until it happens, lol.
What many people don't understand is that it isn't like a normal job. Things change on a moments notice and a soldier is expected to be prepared for it... and if that soldier has decided to take on the responsibility of a family then he/she needs to make sure his family understands the way things work. I hear so many stories of wives and parents etc... giving the soldier a hard time for having to go as if he has control over the situation. I certainly understand people's frustrations, obviously we love our family member who is in the forces but I don't think it is fair to take out those frustrations on that person. It is a flow of emotions and making a soldier feel guilty or giving guilt trips for doing their job just disgusts me.
I just wish that everyone really could really understand how important it is to support our troops. I'm not just talking about families of the troops but the public as a whole. I don't care if you support the mission or not, just support our soldiers... and their families! I personally don't feel that the public really knows what it is like for a family... the anxiety and stress and the life style change. Think about it for a second... When my husband is gone it is going to be just me with 2 kids, 1 dog, 3 cats, a house to clean and a property to maintain along with EVERYTHING else... and no family living within hours of me! I know some people up here but not many, it is a little scary to be completely honest. Sure I have family who say if I need anything they will help and are supportive and so on, but what are they going to do from hours away? I totally get that people can't drop their lives on a dime because I'm having a bad day and need time to myself, or maybe I get sick and want to spend the day in bed. In a way it will be like being a single mom but I'm just going to be isolated from everyone. My only hope is that this will make me stronger and will also make my marriage even stronger, though sometimes I wonder if that is possible because it is so strong already!
To all of our troops who have started their journey to Afghanistan, have a safe trip! We look forward to having you walk on Canadian soil again soon!

Maxx Scoop Small Spaces

I've been given another really cool opportunity from Matchstick to participate in a word of mouth marketing program! And am 1 in 25 women in Canada who got to receive this great, free, Purina Maxx Scroop Kit which included: 1 Cozy Corner Cat Litter Box, 1 Purr-fect Paws Litter Mat, 1 Rubbermaid Litter Caddy and Scoop, 3 Purina cat treats and 5 Full value coupons for Purina Maxx Scoop that I can share with other women who have cats and live in small spaces like I do!
Right away when I saw the Cozy Corner Litter  Box I loved it! It has a very nice appearance to it and the fact that it fits into the corner is great since it takes up space but is still large enough for my big fat 16 pound cat Jack!

Today I picked up the Purina Maxx Scoop for Small Spaces kitty litter for the very first time ever. I am looking forward to trying it and seeing all of my cats (3 of them) reactions to it. I love that the Maxx Scoop Small Spaces is 99% dust free! I absolutely hate cleaning the litter and getting dust in my eyes! I am very anxious to see for myself that those days are gone! Plus who really enjoys the dust that the cats create on their own when they use the litter box? I sure don't. Well I guess seeing is believing so I look forward to getting back to you all in a few days to let you all know about my experience with this product and I am looking forward to it being a positive one!

I will be getting a few other people to try the Maxx Scoop Small Spaces with me and am looking forward to their feedback on this as well. I encourage others to try this on their own and comment on here to let us all know their experience as well! You can go to www.trymaxxscoop.ca for your chance at a free full value coupon for this product!!! Thanks everyone!

Ouch!

So for the past 10 days (give or take) my neck has been so very sore! It feels like someone punched me in the left side of my neck and I can't move my head properly : ( I have no clue how or why this has started but it is pretty bad at this point, it feels like it is running my life now. I'm scared to move in certain ways, can't sleep the way I would like to or even bend over and pick up my baby.
I've tried everything, hot and cold on the spot, muscle relaxers, advil, hot bath/shower, massage, adjustment to the back and neck. Anyone else got any ideas? Whatever is pinched isn't letting up!
Tonight I woke up in bad pain so instead of going to the walk in clinic, where they can't give you anything or really do anything for you anyway, I went to the hospital. The Dr. there said by my symptoms (the pain, the location, the cold and numb feeling) would suggest to her that something is pinched and she tried to explain to me what probably happened. She seemed to know what she was talking about. She didn't think it was likely that a disc had slipped or anything but did say if in 5 more days I have no relief from the meds she gave me than to go in during the day and get xrays. Ugh... that means waiting!!! I hate going into the hospitals during the day, it takes forever!!! Oh well if that is what I need to do than I will since I want this to stop. I've pulled things in my neck before, but nothing has ever lasted this long. I should have asked the Dr. if maybe I am lacking something in my diet that could cause something like this to linger... potassium maybe? Maybe I should stock up on bananas? Couldn't hurt to give it a try I suppose! Something for me to google in the morning... well it is morning but the meds are kicking in and I'm going to be out soon. So on that note I'll keep you posted. Chow :)

To Be Or Not To Be... That Is Still The Question

Tour... I'm sure some people are still wondering... Well so am I. My husband goes back into work on Monday so we hope to find something out then. At this point I don't have a clue what the military has planned for him. He may be put into the 10 percent pool which means that he would be "on call" if they needed someone to up and go overseas in a moments notice or maybe he will still be going in May (which we haven't heard anything so it doesn't seem too likely right now but I guess with the military you never know) or maybe nothing?
I've asked my husband how he feels about this... not what he thinks other people think he should feel but what he feels (I find he needs to separate the two sometimes since he always seems to be too considerate of other people's feelings rather than actually saying what he feels). Of course like I knew part of him wants to go, he wants to be there... He is a soldier through and through. On the other hand he is a Daddy and that is the most important thing in the world to him. Missing time with your baby is something that money just can't buy and it isn't like he hasn't done his time there... 3 tours and all. But there is always that big part of him that feels he needs to be there, to help his "brothers" out. He does not like the idea of staying behind but he also doesn't like the idea of leaving us behind. I guess that is a lose-lose battle for him... and for me.
Of course I want my husband to be home with me and the kids but I could never make the choice for him. He needs to figure out what he needs to do... either way I'll be here... probably planning more things for him to renovate lol. But it is not a choice I feel is in my power or should be in my power. Sure I give an opinion... a positive and negative to each side to be fair. I guess my way of thinking is that whatever choice he makes I don't want him being able to blame me for making the choice for him if it was a wrong one.
Well maybe Monday will tell a story of what is to come... Whatever happens my support is where it belongs.

Almost There!!!

After almost two months of being showerless I finally had a shower tonight! Not to say I didn't have a bath during that time period, but being without a shower is a lot harder than I thought! The bathroom is almost done, we are inches away from the final touches... I almost think I am dreaming this up!
The final things we have to do are: the grout on the floor, baseboards, install the sink, and decorate! This should all be a horrible memory by Friday lol. Well the nightmare isn't over yet... There is still the matter of the hardwood floors... ugh! But that should move along much faster than the bathroom did. Morgan is getting a couple of his buddies to lend a hand, one who just recently did his entire house so really knows his stuff! I'll be buying them lots of beer and food to make sure the job gets done.

Well there is my update! Enjoy the before and almost done pictures! Isn't the old bathroom awful?! LOL