A New Kind of Normal

Keeping Pinterest A Place To Love

Jamee — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:29:18 +0000

If you have been a reader for any length of time then you know I could totally shout from the rooftops my love for Pinterest. Seriously! With the magic of a pin, I can find new gluten-free recipes, make-up tricks, and outfit ideas. Even more recently I’ve discovered so many awesome blogging and writing tips! It was if the site was created just for me! I know it wasn’t. Just humor me here

But of course with every wonderful thing in life, there are some downsides. Photos and ideas get replicated without acknowledging the rightful owner. Images get pinned from a Google search versus the correct source. You get the picture.

For more info, check out these awesome posts from my wonderful bloggy friends:

Dear Pinterest by LINKwithlove

Information for Bloggers & People Who Use Pinterest by Amy of Living Locurto

Pinterest Is Changing How I Blog by Amy of Living Locurto

How To See If Your Content Is Pinned on Pinterest by Melissa of Momcomm

Let’s spread the word so that Pinterest can stay a happy place to visit!

p.s. If you know of any other posts regarding this issue, please leave me a link so I can check them out!

A Somber Road Trip

Jamee — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:26:18 +0000

This is my first-ever blog post from the car! Don’t worry, I’m not driving

We are on the road north to Virginia to be with my family. My grandma is still in the hospital after her stroke on Monday. The doctors have done everything they could medically. She cannot speak but does respond and recognize her family. She has lost strength on her right side but her left side is strong. Doctors have said that her recovery will be a marathon not a
sprint. The part we worry about is the blockage that caused her first stroke will likely cause a second one. It could be next week or next year. We just don’t know and that part is hard. My grandpa is having a really hard time. They have been married 55 years and he has cried to the doctors and nurses to take care of her as she was his angel and his baby.

If you have a spare moment this weekend, my family could definitely use some prayer for my family both healthwise and for safe travels as we are going to spend some time with grandma.

Too Tired to Fight

Regrouping

Jamee — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:15:40 +0000

It would be an understatement to say that this week got off to a very rough start. Pain levels have been pretty high. Work was stressful. And to make my Monday even better (insert sarcasm) I got a call from my parents that my grandmother has had a stroke. By the time bedtime came I was physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted. Yesterday was a fail on multiple levels so I’m working very hard to get regrouped today and put myself in a positive place.

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was making the conscious decision to fight and not let chronic illness have the best of me. This desire to fight has become even stronger when thinking about my Grandma this week. She is such a strong woman of faith and is truly a fighter. While she may not have the physical strength she used to, she makes up for it in her faith and determination. I would like to think those traits have been passed down the gene pool and I have decided that if she can be a fighter, then so can I!

In addition of choosing to fight, I want to regroup how I view myself. I need to make better use of my time. This blog is very important to me and you readers mean more to me than you ever know. I want to focus on taking time to write quality posts. I’ve bookmarked so many helpful posts and I need to make the time to read them and implement them.

The other way I want to regroup how I view myself is in my appearance. Its so funny that when I dropped off doing the What I Wore Wednesday posts, I quit caring how I looked. I went back to frumpy and comfortable. I think taking that time putting outfits together really helped how I felt about my body. Especially since I’ve gained weight back, I really need that extra push to actually appreciate my body versus beating myself up when I looked in the mirror. I restarted Weight Watchers today and it is really something I need to do for myself.

I also need to regroup family time. I understand that (at least for now) I am going to hurt and there may be times that I absolutely will have to go to bed but I need to think of a way to spend more time with my family. Even if it means crashing on the couch so I can watch Abby play. I am so lucky to have the most wonderful husband in the world and I need to be more conscious of our time together and while we may not be able to add to the quantity of time, we can most definitely work on the quality of time we have together.

Just like my tagline states, I’m going regroup so that I may see the abundance of life that God has granted me.

via Spiritual Inspiration

No related posts.

Stopain Giveaway Winner

Jamee — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:07:10 +0000

And the winner for the Stopain Giveaway winner is:

CC from I’m On My Way!

Thank you to everyone who entered!

I will be back for an actual post later today!

Stopain Review & Giveaway

Jamee — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:34:17 +0000

For the past 8 years I have tried every pain reliever on the market I’ve tried heat packs, cold packs, pain patches, and every kind of gel ever made. So when I was asked to review Stopain’s topical pain relief products, I was glad to try it out.

The Stopain products come in three forms: gel, spray, and roll-on. I decided to go with the roll-on to try out!

I found the product to be helpful in relieving muscle aches and lower back pain. I would consider the pain relief results to be comparable with those with BioFreeze or MaxFreeze but with a few perks. The Stopain didn’t have nearly the smell of other topical pain relievers. I could smell it when I put it on but it went away quickly versus smelling like I took a bath in BioFreeze. I also liked the convenience of the roll-on! It was nice to be able to keep my hands clean so I wouldn’t smell it on my skin all day. Also, the roll-on was easy to toss into my purse without worrying about it leaking (which has been an issue in the past with other topical treatments I’ve tried). All-in-all, I was very pleased with the product and would definitely purchase it again once this bottle runs out!

Another reason to like Stopain products is that they donate a portion of every purchase to the Arthritis Foundation

Now its your turn to try out Stopain products with a giveaway! One winner will be drawn on Wednesday morning!

To enter:

1-Visit Stopain and tell me what version of the product you would like to try out!

2- Like A New Kind of Normal on Facebook and then leave a comment telling me you did!

3- Like Stopain on Facebook and then leave a comment telling me you did!

Good luck!

**Disclaimer: I was provided with the Stopain Roll-on product to facilitate this review but no other way. Opinions are 100% my own**

MyMemories Giveaway Winner

Jamee — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:14:29 +0000

And the winner of the MyMemories Digital Scrapbook Software is . . .

Shari from Rain Into Rainbows!

Thank you to everyone who participated! Even if you didn’t win the giveaway, you can still get a great deal on the MyMemories software by using code STMMM29015 which not only gives you $10 off the purchase price but also includes a $10 coupon to MyMemories store!

Giveaway My Memories Digital Scrapbook Software

Jamee — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:00:34 +0000

What better way to kick off the week than with a giveaway!

If you have been a reader long, you know that I love pictures! Especially after being gifted my Nikon DSLR. Whether its formal shots (like at a studio) or snapshots around the house I love them all! I think its a trait I inherited from my mom. She could totally be on hoarders for pictures of the grandbabies. She talks to them and kisses them. Maybe we need to sign her up for Intervention instead. Now y’all know where I get my craziness from but I digress.

I have two problems that interfere with my love of pictures:

1- An almost 3 year old who doesn’t slow down long enough to snap a shot or she will be doing something cute (like singing) for 20 minutes but as soon as the camera comes out she stops. She’s realized that our phones have cameras too. Nuts.

2- Energy or lack-thereof. When I first became a mom, I went crazy buying scrapbook supplies to start Abby’s lifebook. Not sure where I thought all my free time was going to come from but I had good intentions. Unfortunately those scrapbook supplies sat in my closet for months. Oops. I did manage to get some money back when I sold them on Craigslist when I accepted the fact that I would never be a scrapbooker or so I thought…

Then I heard about a wonderful invention called digital scrapbooking software. It is a great way to create a scrapbook of your memories without the hassle and expense for traditional scrapbooking. Another perk of digital scrapbooking? No clean-up or storage required! I loved how completed scrapbook pages looked but I hated dealing with finding a place to store the papers, embellishments, scissors, etc that would be organized and convenient. I would have much rather spent the time I took to unload and pack up my supplies with my family so when I was contacted by MyMemories to try out their software I was stoked!

MyMemories Suite is a “complete digital scrapbooking solution that provides a comprehensive powerful set of creative tools no other scrapbook software can offer. With its intuitive workspace and enhanced time-saving features, this application is perfect for a beginner to create a complete album in minutes, or to empower the design pro to build a scrapbook album masterpiece.”

I love that this scrapbook software is completely customizable to your skill level! You can choose to build your pages from professionally designed templates or create completely on your own using a wide variety of papers, embellishments, and text! Here is a sample of what I was able to create in a matter of minutes:

I loved that there was a wide range of paper, fonts, and embellishments available so I was able to put my personality into the layout. I would classify myself as a girly-girl but not a sweet girly-girl if that makes sense. I love pink but like to take my pink with a little edge on it! Grays and black of course are other favorites! I chose to not go with pink on this page because I loved the blue matched up with the gray houndstooth! I am officially in love with this software! Did I mention that there was nothing to clean up?

Now its your turn to have some fun! One lucky reader will win her own copy of MyMemories Suite Software! Here is how to enter:

1- Check out MyMemories.com and then come back here and tell me what digital paper pack was your favorite! **MANDATORY**

2-”Like” MyMemories on Facebook and leave a separate telling me you did!

3- Follow MyMemories on Twitter and leave a separate comment telling me you are now following!

4- Tweet about this giveaway! *2 additional entries.

Winner will be drawn Friday February 10th! Good luck!

Upcoming Attractions

Jamee — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:22:18 +0000

I’m really excited about some things that may be happening in the not-so-distant future and so happy to share them with you!

First off, my wonderful designer April from April Showers Blog Designs is going to help me spruce things up around A New Kind of Normal! I’m really excited to freshen up a bit! My design as stayed somewhat the same through the last several years and while I don’t want to completely abandon the current design (such as the colors which fit me perfectly) some change will be a good thing. So here is where I need some opinions from you beautiful readers – Keep the illustration in the header or ditch it? Any other suggestions, such as ways to make the design/layout easier to navigate, are welcomed!

The second awesome thing around the bend is Endomteriosis Awareness Month! We have 27 days until the kick-off on March 1st and we are hoping to take the blogosphere by storm! I am working with a couple other lovely bloggers to create a Blogging For Endometriosis Awareness campaign and we would love for you to be a part of it!

If you would like to take part in the planning process, drop me an email! Otherwise, we will be posting all of the events as awareness month draws closer! We hope to kick off the month by turning social media yellow for Yellow Shirt Day on March 1st! Don’t have a yellow shirt? Sounds like a great opportunity to shop! You can also grab the badge on the sidebar to help spread the word!

Choosing To Fight

Jamee — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:28:23 +0000

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that I had a not-so-hot doctor’s appointment yesterday morning. This past weekend was the worst flare I’ve had to date. I was in bed pretty much from 5pm Friday until 7am Monday. Nothing, I mean nothing, seemed to be helping the pain. Even my prescription medicines were not touching it so on Monday I started calling doctors. The pain clinic was my first call and since prescriptions cannot be changed over the phone, the nurse set up an appointment for 8:15am yesterday. I also called my rheumatologist who tweaked my dosages of my medications for fibromyalgia (we had discussed the possibility of needing to up the dosage at my last appointment so we both felt comfortable with phoning in the change versus needing to drive an hour for an appointment). I see my primary doctor next week so I knew there wasn’t a point in calling because there was no way I would be able to be seen before my scheduled appointment.

The visit to the pain clinic was supposed to be a short one which turned out to be not the case. Thirty minutes after my scheduled appointment time, the doctor finally came in and being as I was the only patient there I was already frustrated. The gist of his response to my pain-filled weekend was to be thankful that the flare didn’t last any longer than it did. I just need to come to terms with major flares being a part of my life and be ok with not having medications to treat the pain. He did not want to increase my dosage (although we had discussed the possibility at my last appointment) however he agreed to give me a extended release pain medication to help prevent pain from waking me up in the middle of the night. The catch (there always has to be a catch, right?) is that for now he wants to go back to seeing me every 30 days versus 90 for drug tests and pill counts. On the way out the door, he let me know that I was overweight.

Needless to say, I left the appointment angry, frustrated, and defeated. I was angry that it seemed that he had no concern for my quality of life as a patient. I was frustrated that, even though it was never said, he seemed to be thinking that I was exaggerating my pain in hopes to get more medication. I was defeated as it was if the prescription he handed me said really said “give up hope for ever having a normal life.” The twenty minute drive to work seemed to last an hour as I attempted to process everything that had just happened. When I pulled into my parking space, things changed.

As I took the keys out of the ignition, I looked down and saw the word “fighter.” It served as a powerful reminder and I made the conscious decision to not go down without a fight. I am not going to accept that my life is over and any hope of relief is gone. I am not going to allow one jerk-faced doctor take my dreams from me.

I can and I will fight. I will fight knowing that my God is bigger than my pain and He will provide strength to press on. I will fight knowing I have an amazing family loving me through it. I will fight knowing that I have strong and inspiring women who are traveling the same road fighting alongside of me.

(review) Mr. Chewy = Happy Dogs

Jamee — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00:31 +0000

If you’ve been a reader of my blog for any length of time you will know that my dogs play a big role in our family. They are our four legged children (often referred to as our girls) for better or worse and I cannot imagine our lives without them! Charlie has been my sidekick for almost ten years and has been a therapeutic presence in the midst of my illness. Chloe provides comic relief and is Abby’s partner in crime.

So when the opportunity to check out the new site Mr. Chewy I was totally excited! I think the girls may have been even more excited when the box came in the mail! Mr. Chewy is a one-stop shopping experience for dog and cat owners that includes pet food, treats, and toys! With over 70 brands, you are sure to find what you are looking for! They also provide a subscription service that creates hassle-free delivery of your favorite pet products!

In our house, we have to be choosy about dog food and treats and Chloe does not tolerate corn well so we typically need to buy grain-free products which can be difficult when you live in a small town so I was very impressed with the wide selection of grain-free products that Mr. Chewy’s had to offer:

The girls were very willing to drive right in and start reviewing products!

Charlie took the sitting approach:

While Chloe preferred to stand:

As someone who has shopped many times online for dog food, treats, and toys, I have been very impressed by Mr. Chewy in both product selection and customer service. When I placed my order I had forgotten to enter my promo code and contacted customer service. Within minutes my issue was resolved in a efficient and courteous manner. Shipping was free on orders over $49 and my products arrived on my doorstep within two days! I will definitely be a returning customer!

**Disclosure: This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. While I was provided a credit to MrChewy.com to facilitate the review, all thoughts are 100% my own.**