FROG HAT - It's not Tourette's!

It has come to my attention that I have not given a migraine update in entirely too long (remember, kids, if you don't post it on Facebook or Google+, it didn't really happen), and after last night's, this morning's, and this afternoon's events, now seems as good a time as any.

It started yesterday morning with some dizziness, head fog, some neck pain, and general "feel bads", but nothing severe - no clutching a trash can and praying-to-die type of pain. I was able to get quite a bit of cleaning done, laundry, general womaning, etc.

During dinner, the dizziness increased significantly. Throughout the evening the pain and head fog continued to become more severe. I went to bed early, only to later get up and try to find a more comfortable position - a process that was repeated several times throughout the night. I realized shortly before 1:00 this morning that any plans I had for today were going to go to poop emoticon .

At 5:30 this morning I checked my tablet and definitely knew it was only going to go downhill from there. Nothing made sense. I was looking at the words, but had apparently lost the ability to read (this is called "aphasia" and is a symptom of complex migraine with aura).

When Harold got up I wanted badly to explain what was happening, but every time I went to open my mouth, the only words that seemed to want to come out were "frog hat" (aphasia). This is something Harold has never been around whilst happening, and I was mildly afraid he might think I have Tourette's, so we played an early morning game of charades. I think it went pretty well, and he caught on pretty quickly.

But FROG HAT. This here is the silver lining. Other people would be really upset, but I find it hilarious. This isn't just silver lining, this is GOLD. From now on, when I have nothing I can add, or perhaps I need a bad word, I'm just going to say "frog hat". It's multi purpose even.

"I am so Frog Hatting peeved right now!"

"You know what? Frog hat. I'm done."

"Get the Frog Hat out of my face!"

Can't think of what to say? Frog hat.

Frog hat.

Less Showers Follow up

Minus the pictures.

Truth is, the results of not showering every day were not as impressive as I had hoped. Having said that, I will probably keep it up as often as it is practical.

If you're confused as to what I am talking about, please refer to my last post. We Americans shower way more than necessary in general. As an experiment, I opted for a more European lifestyle of showering every other day in the hopes of alleviating some skin problems I've been plagued with for some time.

The results are in: there was no reduction in eczema. In fact, I've broken out in a few places I've never had eczema before, but I've also been under more stress than usual which causes eczema breakouts.

However, my skin is much less itchy overall. The biggest bonus is having that extra 30-45 minutes I would be spending in the bathroom grooming. It may not seem like much, but a person can get quite a bit done in that time, or even better, get a quick nap. Plus, you're using less water which saves money and is better for the environment. Big win!

Conclusion? While I did not see super miraculous results, I'm kind of a fan, and I definitely recommend less showers for the average person.

Happy not showering!

Now For Something a Little Different

It's March. You should be incorporating some HIIT at least twice a week to get toned up for summer.

Seriously, that's not a lot.

But enough about that. We've no time to waste discussing what we already know. It's time to embark on an important mission.

I've been reading some reports that we shower too often in the US. I can buy that since I shower every day, and my skin is constantly bugging me, and it feels worse after a shower even after using various lotions and all the natural stuff that everyone says cannot possibly irritate your skin. Well it does. So much so that now I make my own so there is no question as to what is in the product.

Then I read this from a scientist, or doctor, or someone who knows:

"While your activity level and climate will affect how often you’ll want shower, you can probably skip the daily shower and take one every two to three days. "

Stop the record. Say what?! Two to three days? THREE?

Quoting Josh Clark, "Anytime you take a shower -- especially a hot one -- with soap and a scrubbing device like a washcloth or a loofah, you're undermining the integrity of your skin's stratum corneum layer. The soap and the hot water dissolve the lipids in the skin and scrubbing only hastens the process. The more showers you take, the more frequently this damage takes place and the less time your skin has to repair itself through natural oil production. What's more, this layer of your skin can be sloughed off by scrubbing, exposing the delicate skin cells beneath. The result of showering too frequently is generally dry, irritated and cracked skin."

Well, I cannot deny that sounds like my skin. And apparently the key is to shower/bathe regularly - just not necessarily daily, unless you are in construction or some other super dirty job.

Currently, I'm experiencing dry, itchy, very irritated skin with patches of eczema (likely caused by a milk allergy - another post for another day) that contribute to some unsightly acne on my back, shoulders, & chest. There are also some very itchy eczema patches on my face, even with a pretty good eczema lotion.

Grossed out yet? I am, but we're forging ahead, and we will be showering on workout days, but generally speaking, every other day, and I'm not giving up hot showers. I will be doing this through the rest of March and report back with pictures (not in the shower, freaks), maybe, so you can see how it goes. This would be much more interesting with tons of pictures, but I'm not a fan of pictures. . . so you'll get what you get.

Yours smellfully,

Sarah

Cute overnight bag or backpack (crochet pattern, easy!)

I know, I need to work on my photography skills.

I found the original pattern for this HERE.

My old bag finally gave out, and this was a perfect replacement!  I did make some modifications.  The original pattern was a little too small, even using the large size, so I used an "F" hook and added several rows to the top before adding the ruffles, and added an extra row of ruffles for balance on the larger bag.

For the strap, I chained about two yards then slipo ditched twice to create a sturdier strap, then sewed it directly to the bottom of the bag instead of using a ring.  I left off the beads and just used flowers at the ends of the strap.  I love the way it turned out, and I plan on making more in the smaller sizes.

You could easily modify this pattern for your own needs, add pockets - anything!

Enjoy.  

-  Sarah