Just Rambling...

Today I am taking a break from the home updates and inspiration posts.

Today I am just rambling about the things that keep me up at night.

Did you ever notice you tend to take on the personality traits or mannerisms of the company you keep?

You better chose wisely about who you spend time with, because they can really influence your thoughts, actions, etc.

We are all technically responsible for ourselves.

But I feel that if you are around someone for quite some time you can start to think, act, and talk like them.

You may even start comparing your life to theirs.

Don't do it friends!

It is a dark, dark place from what I'm told.

I'm not really sure if it was something I was taught as a child, or something that just has always been in me.

I don't really understand jealousy.

I don't understand the want to out do someone and rub their nose in it.

I never felt I had any more or less than anyone else as a kid.

As an adult I know that is how life is, but it doesn't faze me.

Why get worked up if someone has a bigger house, a nicer car, a picture perfect spouse, is skinnier/prettier, etc.?

Why are so many people focused on the haves and have nots?

Why does it matter what religion you are or political party you side with?

None of these things mattered to you as a kid...so why do you let that control you now?

I try to keep things light hearted around here, but these kind of things just eat at me as I scroll through social media or just talk to friends.

What prompted me to share this with you all instead of letting it just stay inside my head?

I was flipping through the channels on TV the other night and I came across It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!

I remember every year as a kid being so excited when the holiday episodes of cartoons and such would air on TV.

I am still happy to see them come on each year.

As I sat there and casually watched this cartoon for what felt like the millionth time in my life I listened to the words.

This part (minus the pumpkin) is what I have been saying my entire life.

Enough rambling for one day.

I appreciate you all just letting me be myself and speak what I feel.

See you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites :)

XOXO ~ Vanessa

What Brings You Joy?

There are quite a few things that bring me joy...

Watching my favorite TV shows 📺

A Million Little Things is easily by favorite show these days!

Do you watch?

All Things Christmas 🎄

 Christmas trees, lights, the music, etc.

I just love it all!

Working out 💪

I have Beachbody On Demand and it is great!

I have access to all the workouts anytime I want!

I constantly change up which workout I am doing to keep things more fun!

Watching my Cleveland Browns come away with a Big Win! 🏈

Did any of you see that game yesterday???

Eek!

My Family & Friends 💕

But the things that get me smiling from ear to ear every time is dancing to music! 💃

I have always loved to dance!

As a kid I would make up my own dance routines to my favorite songs all the time.

As I got older I would have all the dances on MTV memorized.

And now I just dance anytime I get the chance!

Can't wait to dance away the night for my birthday this coming weekend!!!!

What things bring you joy???

In other news.....I winners of my Favorite Things Giveaway are....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will be contacting you all today!

Thanks again to all who entered! 😘

Linking up with The Blended Blog today :)

XOXO ~ Vanessa

What's wrong with me?

Last fall I noticed a few things that were out of sorts for me.

An overload of stress.

Excessive weight gain.

Extremely tired all the time.

Extra moody.

Etc., etc., etc.

Honestly, the list goes on and on.

No matter how much I worked out and ate right, things just weren't changing.

Of course adding even more stress.

I decided to go to the doctor to see if we could figure out what was going on.

After some blood work, an EKG, and such everything appeared as though I am in perfect health.

At that point my family doctor thought it was best to try a low dose anxiety medication.

Since I felt like I was at my whit's end I was willing to try anything.

In the beginning I did notice a slight change in my mood.

Things that would normally get me extremely worked up, didn't bother me as much.

However, new things started to arise.

Night sweats!

Holy moly!
This is a serious side effect and highly annoying!

Other side effects...
Even more exhausted feeling than before, yet can't sleep through the night.

And excessive yawning all day long.

Along with a few other things.

I kept my workouts up, and continued to be very mindful of what I was eating.

Now don't get me wrong, that didn't mean that I was going to just cut out all fun things!

So from late September to now I have been on this anxiety medication.

And while this particular medication isn't supposed to cause weight gain, I have continued to gain weight.

Without going into all the details, I am currently a few pounds away from my 9 month pregnancy weight!!!

That scares the crap out of me!

And my body feels it!

The aches and pains, the sore joints, etc.

I know I am getting older, but this is nuts!
Even the clothes I just bought in early June for my girls trip don't fit me right now!
Seriously!
Cue even more stress :(

So I decided to get a few more things checked out after hearing a few other ladies talk about having thyroid issues, and even testosterone issues.

Side note: I contacted my family doctor about running more tests and they questioned me on why I thought I needed them.
I explained what was going on, and they still questioned the idea of the getting more blood work.
That was very strange to me.

So this time I headed to my OB/GYN to get a second opinion on the matter.
They ran some more extensive blood work for me and the results are in...

Nothing is wrong.

WHAT???

They stated that things look to be in "normal" ranges.
(I look at these levels and they don't all seem to be in the normal range to me, but what do I know?)
Everything except my Vitamin D which is really low.
Not terribly surprising since I sit in an office with no windows most of the day,
and this summer working from home I am still cooped up :/

Other than that....nothing.

I am so confused!
And I have no idea what to do next.

She did mention possibly getting tested for allergies since one of the symptoms I have is a sore throat.
I have had this sore throat since early fall.

Silly side note: You know how I can tell something isn't right with my voice/throat?
When I sing in the car my voice goes out.
Like hoarse goes out.
This has been for months!!!!

After these blood results came back my doctor mentioned maybe I would want to get allergy testing since the throat deal doesn't seem to go away.
Other than that I am left with a ton of questions still.

Has anyone else been through this?
Do/did you have any of the same symptoms? If so, how are you handling them?
Any other suggestions for me?

My plan as of right now is to continue working out each day,
eating small portions/healthy eating, etc.
My weaknesses are pasta and salty things, but I have really limited those.

So for now I guess I need to just come to grips with the fact that I am just getting older,
and not able to get in shape/lose weight like I used to despite having all these symptoms that don't make sense :(
That is definitely a hard reality to face.

Let me ReIntroduce Myself & A Giveaway

New around these parts?

Let me introduce myself.

Been here awhile?

First...THANK YOU!!!!

Now let me reintroduce myself to you :)

People change.

I am definitely not the exact same person who started this blog 5 years ago.
5!!!
Wow!

So first up, here is the face behind the words...

I was born and raised, and lived all but 2 months of my life in Ohio.
(I tested out the waters in Florida for those 2 months and couldn't get back to Ohio fast enough!)
I am 39 years old, but definitely don't feel that way.
Some days I feel 22, some days 82, and other days 12 :/

My husband and I just "celebrated" being together for 17 years and we have been married for 11 years this past October.
We actually met working together in the Cleveland area.
I asked him out him out about two weeks after he started working with me, and we have been together ever since :)
Now I won't sugar coat things for you about our marriage.
It is rough.
It takes work.
But we put in the work to make it work :)

I am also a mommy to (IMO) the cutest little boy to ever walk the earth ;)
X is 6 and going on 16, and all boy!

Name a sport and he probably has played it or wants to play it....right now.
He definitely gets his lack of patience from his mom :/
And he doesn't like to lose. He gets that from his dad :/
And he is a perfectionist like both of his parents :/
But he is also sweet, caring, fun, and WAY smarter than I remember anyone ever being at 6 years old!


Mic and I own our own financial planning business outside the home.
(Yes, we work together --- remember that is how we met, so we know it works for us)
Meaning, I work outside of the home M-F, just about 8 hours a day.
I say just about, because some of those days I may not log a full 8 hours because I am also a taxi driver to X.
I take him to school, pick him up from after care in the evening,
take him to basketball, baseball, soccer, etc.

I am a sports fanatic, especially Cleveland sports.
I grew up on Cleveland Browns football (my dad has had season tickets before I was born).

Meaning, I know how to lose ;)
I will choose going to a sporting event or watching one on TV any day over going shopping, watching the Oscars, or some reality TV show.

#tomboyhere

But that doesn't mean I don't like fashion!
Believe it or not, most of my life I had planned/hoped/dreamed of going to school for fashion design.
I used to draw up new things all the time!
I even had a portfolio that I kept all my drawings in :)
As a kid I was even in modeling for quite a few years.

Fast forward to my senior year of high school and some how things completely changed (I think my dad was involved some how), and I decided to go to school for radio and television broadcasting.
Strange, because at that time I still was pretty darn shy!
They only time I wasn't shy back then was a cheerleader or when I was playing softball.

Long story short...surprisingly I fell in love with radio while at school.
Unfortunately, Clear Channel was buying everyone out at the time so jobs weren't available.
I went in a different direction after school, met Mic, and work in believe it or not my favorite subject...Math!

I grew up in a small town right on Lake Erie, about 30 minutes west of Cleveland and 45 minutes east of Cedar Point (Sandusky).

Oh, that is another thing...Most people from Ohio talk distance in time vs. miles.
So 30 minutes would be equal to roughly 30 miles.
I left my hometown a little over 15 years ago and moved south to what I deem the country.
I am an hour and a half (about 80 miles) south of my family, and
about 45 minutes north of Columbus.
And there is pretty much nothing between here and there :/

Other Random Things About Me

I am a graphic tee junkie

Feet creep me out - and they must be washed before getting into bed at night (not just mine!)

My favorite color is Red

I would wear a hat every day of the week if I could

I have a really hard time not blending in

But I am also super set in my ways, aka stubborn

I am pretty competitive, but I can't stand when people try to one up each other

I LOVE to dance! I used to watch the videos on MTV for Britney, NSYNC, etc and be able to do them all (and then daydream of being a back-up dancer)

I am addicted to all things camo print

I could go on and on, but I would love to hear from you!
What do you want to know about me?
Ask away in the comments below or shoot me an email at leota6@gmail.com :)

Linking up with The Blended Blog today!

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It's Gonna Be A Good Day!

Linking up with Erika, Narci & Andrea for...

X was on Spring Break all last week, but Mic and I had to work :(
We did adjust our schedules to take Friday off so we kicked off the long weekend by heading out to dinner and then grabbing a treat on the way home :)

That kid loves donuts!

#hedoesntgetthatfromme

Meanwhile, I decided to grab a Girl Scouts Thin Mint Latte to try.

I don't know why I bother....Dunkin Donuts always disappoints me and this time was no different :(

We woke up on Good Friday and was greeted by a Goo Mail Day!

Honestly, it was all little things..but still fun!

Like this new sunless tanning foam I picked up on Amazon.

At the time of typing this I haven't tried it yet, but it is supposed to be compareable to St. Tropez without the price tag.

I snagged this mitt and mousse for $9.99.

Update!!!

I tried this sunless tanning foam and mitt last night and I love it!

It was super easy to apply, no harsh smell, and has a brown tint so you know exactly where you put it!

I applied a light layer of it, I slept with it on, and just showered in the morning.

I love the glow it gave my skin!

And NO STREAKS!

Grab it here (medium or dark) for only $9.99!!!!

This next item actually came the day before, but I am including it with all my good mail :)

Sheaffer posted that her sister uses this lash serum and loves it!

I have been using the R&F Lash Boost for quite a while and love my results, but would love something that I could just order from anywhere.

I was looking this one up when I found a deal on Overstock for just $55!

I quickly took advantage of that deal and it arrived a few days later!

I will let you know how it compares to Lash Boost soon :)

I decided I wanted to give the 80 Day Obsession workouts a try (not following the meal plan 100% right now, but close) so I needed to add some sliders and resistance loops to my gear.

So I hopped on Amazon and this set arrived 2 days later :)

Jen at The Sister Studio shared that this set of earrings were a $10 deal on Baublebar last week and I decided to give them a try.

While there, I found this wishbone choker for $10 as well and added it to my cart.

These earrings are super cute and really go with everything.

The last item I received in the mail was all of these goodies from WM Nutrition.

I have taken the same supplements and such for years, but just felt my body wasn't reacting the same to them lately (just add it to the list).

Melea posted about these products and was offering a HUGE discount on them, I decided to give them a try.

I ordered this kit and here are the flavors I picked out..

Appetite Control Caffeine Free - Key Lime Pie

Appetite Control - Strawberry Daiquiri

Sleep It Off

PreWorkout - Sour Strawberry

All Natural Protein Powder - Blueberry

I have been using them for a week today and I am liking them so far.

My biggest problem I face on a daily basis is boredom/mindless snacking.

I use two of those appetite control packets a day and so far they have really been helping!

And those preworkout packets have been a nice bonus before my workouts too!

I keep you posted as I use them more as to how I am feeling, etc.

Have you hear of WM Nutrition?

Do you use any of the products?

A couple of friends and I talked about taking the kiddos to the trampoline park or the Little Buckeye Museum, but them we found out the guys could get into the high school gym to practice before the tournament on Saturday.

The kiddos loved that they could shoot around as well!

And I loved it because it was free :)

#imcheap

I didn't take a single picture the rest of the evening :(

We just hung out at home with a couple of friends, ate some pizza, let the kiddos run around, and just enjoyed each others company.

It was great :)

We were all up early on Saturday morning for the dad's to show off their basketball skills ;)

It was the first annual Lexington Alumni Basketball Tournament.

Mic was actually the "big guy" for the jump ball. lol!

It was so cute looking down during one of the breaks and see these two sitting together :)

And how cute are all these kiddos sitting on the bench together watching their dads????

Insert all the heart eye emojis here for sure!!!!

Mic's high school basketball coach from 20+ years ago even drove into town to watch the guys play.

These guys ranged from about 35-42 years old.

They won their first game by almost 20 points against a team that graduated in 2015!!!

Unfortunately, I think their age/stamina/etc caught up with them during the second and third games.

They lost to the 2014 kids and then to the 2013 kids.

And I say kids because...they are :)

Someone even mentioned how all the kids of the guys on Mic's team were older than the amount of years the kids they played have been out of school.

It's true!

Win or lose, we had a great time watching our guy out on the court.

We can't wait for next year!

And Mic even said he was happy he played and was glad I talked him into it!

There was about an hour break in between a couple of the games, so the girls headed to The Blueberry Patch for a sweet treat.
If you are local or just driving through the area, I suggest you stop and grab a blueberry donut.
You won't be sorry :)

I truly love getting to spend time with these ladies :)

The next morning was Easter!

X forgot for a moment when he woke up, but once he remembered he was on a mission to find his basket!

When I was a kid that was one of my favorite things to do!

My basket was hidden under the sink, in the shower/bathtub, behind the couch, etc.
It was so much fun trying to figure out where it was hidden, so I try to do the same thing with X.

He found his basket and he was super excited to see a couple of Nerf guns in there.

He doesn't like chocolate or much candy for that matter, so instead of wasting my money I bought some things he needed or could play with now and into the summer.

After picking up my groceries I ordered online (Thank you Clicklist!),

we headed over to my in-laws house for a late lunch/early dinner.

But first we had to take a couple of pictures ;)

I absolutely LOVE these pants from Old Navy!

We unintentionally all wore white shirts and blue pants/jeans, so we really had to snap a pic! lol!

#whiteandbluesoundsnicemakeittrice ;)

#nellyfantilidie

This kid and I couldn't wait to dig into that ham!

I had a couple ideas for dessert, but my MIL asked me to make this trifle.

The original recipe called for regular Oreo cookies and all green pudding/cool whip.

I changed the colors to be more Easter like, and we changed to the vanilla Oreo cookies since X doesn't like chocolate.

I must admit, I am not a trifle fan but it was pretty good.

No complaints from anyone else so I'll call it a win :)

And just like that the weekend was over and Monday was here!

I talked about all things Spring with The Blended Blog for their monthly Ask Series.

And I shared some of my latest Amazon Prime Finds on Tuesday!

Just a few Instagram favorites for you this week...

I am trying to convince myself that I don't need that graphic tee, but I am having a hard time! lol!

And that is it for the week!