© Stained Life

Dave and Busters.... "You rought your baby to a bar" and other important stories.

2016-08-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

After my husband and I went to the meet and greet with SKILLET, yesterday and while we were already out and he had the day off of work already, why not squeeze some fun into your day!! When couples stop being friends, it's over. FACT! We try to do things as much as possible, concerts are my favorite thing to do. (if they aren't priced too high) That is another important part of marriage or any relationship for that matter.... compromise. I got lucky that I married my best friend so we like the same things, also kinda important if you ever want to see them. :) I got off track, lol, anyway after the meet and greet we went to Dave and Busters, I got drunk of their very good Long Island Iced Tea and we headed for the games. I was disappointed at the amount of kids that were there. I thought Dave and Busters was for grown ups. I was sadly mistaken. Of course I am wearing my shirt that says Polite as Fuck and there are kids everywhere. I couldn't help but think of that movie, Sweet Home Alabama with Reese Witherspoon and she's all.... "You brought your baby to a bar!!" I laughed several times and then I thought, wait a minute. These drunk parents are going to be driving their poor kids around soon. Sad thought. Cops need to leave some shit be and go after idiots like that. None of my business. If I were a cop, I would be sitting my happy ass outside of Dave and Busters in Little Rock Arkansas and wait for the minivans to start coming out and get em. They think they are hiding behind their SUV's and child seats but they are not. It was sad. I guess I have turned this into a review unintentionally. Leave it to me. lol. Well in that case, they were understaffed and it showed. I thought the employees were supposed to invoke fun by having fun themselves? I never even saw one smile, oh wait one did but she was getting sent home early. The bartender wasn't a bartender, the food looked like bar food on a five star price list. So we didn't eat, we thought hey surely they can't fuck up drinks. I still played it safe with the Long island Iced Tea. You can't go wrong, if it's gross, it's still all mainly booze so just jug and walk away. He didn't know how to make any drinks so the bar area was scarce. Ironically, I applied for a job there because I thought it would be fun and I work hard. Too bad, they missed a good, loyal, cross-trained, money needing me!! Anyway, we had fun and I got drunk and bought another dress from a gas station. LOL. This is becoming a thing.

Skillet was awesome and down to earth

2016-08-11T21:41:00.001-07:00

I got to meet Skillet today. They were all really cool. Especially Korey Cooper but I love her. She's an inspiration. They performed at the local radio station and I won an invite. It was great to be able to see them in a small setting. I felt special. There were only 15 people who won... Badassery to the fullest.

Skillet!!! I Won off of the Radio, Thanks to The Edge 100.3.

2016-08-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

I never win anything and I always say that if it wasn't for bad luck, I would have no luck. I went to work with my hubby and while I sat bored in his truck, I was listening to my favorite radio station, 100.3 The Edge, I have been listening to them for longer than I can remember. They have a hilarious morning show, Corey and Patrick in the morning, it is hilarious and really makes it easier to start my day. I was listening and they did a contest to be the tenth caller with the code word on Matt Cruz's blog. I had it, I called... Matt answered, caller 4 try again....caller 7 try again. AHHHHH I screamed several times. Then it was over, I lost. No meet and greet and eat with Skillet. I was super bummed. An hour or so later they did it again, I had the code word again and I was determined this time. My send, end buttons on my phone were in perfect sync, I couldn't be stopped. It rang.... caller 5.... AAAHHHHHHH.......I called again.... busy......again..... busy. Finally it rings and I am thinking that surely it's over and no one will answer but to my grateful surprise, I hear Matt Cruz on the other end asking, "Do you have the code word?" I was stoked and I knew it, PANHEAD I shouted. I was right, I finally won. I get to eat lunch with Skillet and hear an invitation only acoustic set and meet and greet. Autographs and photographs!!! My two favorite graphs, LOL. I'm giddy with happiness. I can't wait. It's tomorrow so I will update you guys later. Panheads Unite.

Anniversary turned into "take your wife to work day"

2016-08-08T12:26:00.001-07:00

A lot of people don't understand married life, most of the people who don't understand it aren't married. I like to be around my husband, I like to go to sleep when my husband does. Today is our 7 year anniversary of being married and since he couldn't get off work for the day I decided to go with him. After some hot morning sex of course. He installs internet for a company and climbs very tall cell towers to fix stuff for people. It is kind of cool to watch him work, though it scares me a little bit to see him so high up in the air. Maybe I should take out a life insurance policy? LOL. It also adds a new hotness to him that I never noticed. To see him not afraid to climb something so high and do something for so little money inspires me, and it makes me feel more love for him. Besides he looks really sexy in all of his climbing gear. With his long hair flowing in the breeze. It's going to be a nice anniversary. And if you truly love someone it doesn't matter what you do on your anniversary as long as you're together.

Life, Death and Drugs Made me who I am.

2016-08-07T19:49:00.001-07:00

This is a true fact, if you have a life then you have no reason to sit in front of a computer spatting nonsense for other people who have no life to read. It's a vicious cycle of losers. I have no life, it is a Sunday night, the night before my 7th wedding anniversary and I am typing nonsense about my stupid life. I used to be normal, death and drugs have left me a dark lonely soul with no plans for the future because we are not promised a tomorrow so why bother? That is why I have no friends. No one understands me. I don't like to make friends because I know I will just let them down with the person that I am. The friends that I lost knew me before I was the nutcase that I am now, they didn't care to understand me or even bother to try. I used to be fun and outgoing. On the weekends, I went to clubs and acted a fool. I had lots of friends and we hung out and did things. I am not sure exactly what happened but I changed. My first love killed himself in 1999 and it fucked me up. I started drinking way too much, I would do any drug you put in front of me, as long as it was free. I wasn't a very happy person for a long time. I stopped making plans, I said fuck it to my future and did whatever the hell I wanted. I would pay for that choice forever.

I was Considering an Annonomous Blog but Decided Fuck it, You can Handle it.

2016-08-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

I am Polite as Fuck!

I have always wanted to be a writer, any kind, I don't care. I started this blog with the pure hope that someone, anyone would notice me, think I was witty, want me to write for them and pay me to do so. Well that has not happened and in all reality, it won't happen. So fuck it, shit is going to get real. I am tired of hiding behind who I am and who you want me to be. There is no middle ground. I don't care about followers or views. I just want to be honest. I am a woman who is confused, married, hurt, scared, and so many other emotions flowing around like craziness in my head. I have lost some of the best people that I will ever know and loved to suicide, my mother to cancer, and myself to the world. I am terrified of what will come next. I don't plan, because I am afraid that I will just let people down if I can't stick to it. I have lost all of my friends for a stupid reasons. I was a whore when I was younger, I had one night stands with people that I didn't know, I did lots of drugs and did a lot of stupid shit. I have always loved sex, I have never been good a relationships of any kind. I am afraid of commitment yet I am married. I am totally fucked up. Hope you are ready for some brutal truths.

A Few of my most Favorite Photographs taken by Me.

2016-07-24T03:17:00.000-07:00

Mirror Split View

Nashville Bash on Broadway 2016

Dark sunlight and Lake

Country Living.

Reflection.

One of my Favorite Places ever!

Beauty in disaster. Flood 2016

I love editing photos. It brings me so much joy to freeze time.

The road ahead is yours, take it and go get what you want.

Dandelion Dreams.

Flooded Irony.

Women Should Empower Each Other, Stick up For One Another, and Quit Being Cruel.

2016-07-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

We as women have come a long way. We can vote, we can stand on the supreme court yet we still can't get along and we continue to put each other down and say stupid shit. I have heard girls say this all the time.... "I don't like other girls, they're bitches". Do they even hear the words that are coming out of their ignorant mouth? You are a girl, how can you not like other girls? It makes no sense to me. If girls can't stick together, then what the hell are we doing? Women should help each other, we already get paid less than men yet we pay more for hygiene products, cars, cell phone bills and tons of other bullshit that Google will find for you. I wish all people could get along and help their fellow man when needed but everyone seems to be too busy judging others instead of helping. It makes me sad.

Unreachable Lonely Seat.

Mobile Strike is My new Favorite Game and I Hate War Games.

2016-07-21T10:41:00.001-07:00

I know you have all seen the commercial with Arnold Notevengoingtotrytospellhislastname about the game Mobile Strike, well I downloaded it, but only because it gave me points on another app to download and open for 30 seconds. In that short time, it caught my attention so I checked it out again before planning on deleting it and damn if I didn't have fun. Months later I am in an alliance with really cool people from all over the world and it's not at all the way they make it out to be. I have been playing for almost a year now and I love it. The comradery that we have is amazing. The other players help each other and it's so much fun. So there's my big secret. I am a gamer now. Damn it.

Exercise That is Fun and Guaranteed to Work. Say Goodbye to Your Fat.

2016-07-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

I went through a period after my mother died where I was in a very dark place. I hid my feelings and hid from life. I gained around 30 pounds during this time and I felt awful about what I saw in the mirror, I started to close my eyes when I entered the bathroom and even began to stop wearing makeup and let my roots grow. I just didn't even care.

Long story short, after 2 years of trying every diet, not eating, feeling disgusted and not being able to fit into any of my clothes, I said enough is enough. Something had to give. SO.... One month ago I started my new diet and workout plan that works for me. I have lost 12 pounds so far and I feel amazing already.

I want to share this with you all because I am a pretty lazy inactive person and I really don't like to exercise or sweat for that matter. With that being said, I really feel like I finally found something that works for me and I hope it works for you.

This is what I did in order!!

I figured out where I want to lose the weight from, in my case it is my stomach, thighs, butt, flappy arms and a little toning won't hurt. I looked online for target area exercises that worked for me and wrote them down. You need to see where you stand in each area of exercise so you don't kill yourself. Example, I chose squats, (legs) sit-ups on my exercise ball, (belly) leg lifts and leg raises, (thighs and butt). I did as many as I could of each until it started to hurt, then I wrote the number or reps down. I made a list for each exercise and I do them daily for 3 days, then I move up 20 or 30 reps, sometimes more depending on what exercise. Repeat until you get to your target weight achieved and then modify it for 3 to 4 times a week to keep you moving. This will even motivate you to do more, I promise. The first 3 days I thought I was going to die but I kept going. By day 5 I was feeling great, drinking more water, eating less, no eating 4 hours before bed, lots of water and healthy snacks.

Here is my plan for an example.

Day 1-3 --- 50 squats, 30 sit ups, 25 leg lifts on each leg, 15 front leg raises.
Day 4-6 --- 75squats, 45 sit ups, 40 leg lifts, 25 front leg raises.
Day 7-10 -- 100 squats, 65 sit ups, 60 leg lifts, 35 front leg raises.
Day 11- present ---- 150 squats, 80sit ups, 80 leg lifts, 50 leg raises.

I do not like breakfast so I bought some Carnation instant breakfast to add to skim milk to at least get my vitamins. I know they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day so I try to compromise, lol. For lunch I have Tuna with mustard only or some kind of protein and fruits.
For dinner I eat whatever I want but I eat way smaller portions. This has worked for me and I hope it works for you. Comment if you have any questions and I'll get back to you asap.

Join me on Flipboard magazine!! Informative and fun

2016-07-17T23:41:00.001-07:00

Join my Flipboard magazine, Stained Life, to collect and share stories together: http://flip.it/SyJ9B

Otis loves bathtime.

2016-06-23T21:02:00.001-07:00

My baby boy Otis loves to take a bath, all I have to do is run the water and tell him to jump in. He stands there and lets me scrub him down. He loves to be rinsed and most of all his favorite part is when I break out the blow dryer, he absolutely loves the warm air. I have spoiled my dog to the fullest and I love it. He's so sweet and loving.

The Box (poetry)

2016-06-23T20:53:00.001-07:00

The four corners of the photograph create a unity. Colors bleed together like the puddles from the rain. The smiles on their faces show no signs of pain.

Blue shirt, pink lips, long flowing hair. Together in this box that is a picture, we are a perfect pair.

His eyes smile deeply though his face does not. I'm fortunate that he took a chance and gave me a shot.

This simple square in which we lie, holds our secrets that will stay untold. We are cut off from the world that we know and we are all alone.

Just two people so in love, holding each other in this perfect box. No one can change it, no one can erase it.

Fearful Heart (poetry)

2016-06-23T20:37:00.001-07:00

I open my heart with hopes for acceptance.

I know nothing of love, I'm only an apprentice.

I don't think...I'm reckless.
I don't care... I'm a menace.
I don't feel...I'm senseless.
I'm lonely... I'm friendless.

Time to start new somewhere where I'll have no resentments.

Close my heart back up and reinforce my fences.

My Favorite Kevin Spacey movie. (no spoilers, so don't worry)

2016-06-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

I love a good movie, especially the ones where the characters end up crossing paths and their lives are forced to intertwine in some cool way. I am a huge Kevin Spacey fan, his acting skills are incredible and he is so versatile, that you know without a doubt that whatever role he plays will be a good one. He never ceases to amaze me.

I don not own the rights to this photo at all so please don't sue me. ;)

SHRINK: This amazing movie came out in 2009. It is labeled as a comedy/drama and I agree. It stars Kevin Spacey as L.A's top shrink to the stars and Robin Williams plays one of his patients. His character suffers a tragedy and questions his ability to treat his patients so he turns to marijuana to try and cope.

This movie is everything you could want in a film. It's funny, it's real, it's raw, it's full of emotion with twists that leave you satisfied with every scene. I won't spoil the movie because I really hope you watch it. I had never even heard of this movie and I was surprised of the lack of advertisements, especially with Kevin Spacey in it. Anyway, I won't tell you how awesome it is, watch it. I found it on Netflix so check there. The short version .....He plays a psychiatrist with a recent tragedy that makes him hide from his life while trying to keep it together with his patients. It's almost like 3 different characters story told separate and then they come together at the end in this big fate feeling, warm fuzzy awesome way. I won't say anything else, I just had to tell you guys about this movie because I really liked it and I hope you do too.

XOXO

My Own Personal Therapy.

2016-06-09T21:29:00.001-07:00

When I am feeling depressed, want to rip my hair out, punch someone, throw my phone, lie down screaming like a 2 year old, hold myself underwater, run into traffic.... I think you get the point. After years of therapy that I paid for, I had an ephiphany one day at work. I was having a shitty day dealing with asshole customers taking their bullshit all day. I went to the bank to drop off the deposit and really didn't want to go back so I thought I would go for a drive instead and kill some time. The music Gods were with me that day and every song was a good one. It was a nice sunny day and there are lots of backroads in my town with beautiful scenary, old barns, ponds, rolling hills and lakes. I

Go out and see the beautiful things that you miss because you're busy.

Music soothes the souls and lets you not only feel an emotion but hear it. That's a very powerful thing. Nothing feels better than driving down a pretty road with the windows down, air blowing through your hair and jamming to your favorite songs. I ended up showing up back up to work way later than planned but it felt amazing and I was the manager so ya know. ;)

One of the music related pictures that I made.

Rearview mirror picture with landscape

The main point is to leave all of your bullshit in the rearview mirror and cleanse your soul with music that makes you feel better.

Depression is Taking Over my Life.

2016-06-08T14:54:00.001-07:00

I haven't talked about my depression and anxiety on my blog because I guess I was embarrassed. I can't hide anymore. It's time to talk about it and hopefully help someone that feels alone not to anymore. I have been there, I am here now and I still have work to do.

I hid my depression from everyone, I didn't want to be seen as weak or different. I didn't tell employers or fear that they would fire me. I would just have times that I disappeared into the bathroom for a bit. I would tell lies for my hiding times; I felt nauseous, headache, dizzy, anything but the truth. I am tired of living a lie, I am no different than anyone, I just suffer from anxiety and depression. It's not my fault, it would be like telling someone who has Lupus that it's their fault, it's ridiculous. I hate it when people say that we are only faking it and we can choose to be happier. That's a big pile of horseshit. No one wants to feel this way and if it were as easy as a switch that could just be turned off, trust me I wouldn't be writing this, I would be outside somewhere or surrounded by friends at a local bar. The problem is, number one, I can't go outside because it's too far to walk and there is no reason. I would make it all the way out the door only to find a reason to come back inside, and number two, I have no friends. No one wants to take the time to get to know me deep enough to see past my pain.

Almost Famous is One of the greatest movies ever!!

2016-06-01T13:55:00.003-07:00

There are not very many movies that you can watch more than ten times and still love as if it were the first. The joy you felt, the tears you cried, and the laughter. It all sweeps over you every time I watch it. Almost Famous was written, directed, and based on a very important part of Cameron Crowe's teenage years. It has everything you could possibly want in a movie. Even though I could review this movie and recite most of it, I am not going to. I will give nothing away to the people who have not watched this movie. I own it and I watch it once a month at least and I still gasp and tear up when William introduces Penny Lane to Russell unknowing of their history. It's absolutely beautifully written and Kate Hudson shows perfect emotion in every scene. She makes you feel like it really happened to her, not just for the movie. Her acting skills are beyond awesome and no one else could play Penny Lane like Kate Hudson did.

This is one of my many favorite parts of the movie. They are on the tour bus and Penny Lane is waving at a group of girls running. The girls excitedly wave back realizing it is the band Stillwater so she flips them off.

I could never pick just one favorite scene, that would be impossible. This is another of Penny Lane dancing alone happily by herself after a Stillwater show.

"It's all happening" One of the most used phrases in the movie and one that will be tattooed on me soon. This phrase has meant so many different things to me over the years so it means a lot to me. This is a wonderful, one of a kind movie that if you haven't watched it yet...... GO.

Alisan Porter Won the Voice but did she Play the Mama card to put herself Ahead of Laith?

2016-05-31T02:01:00.001-07:00

The voice season ten was one of the most exciting seasons so far. The talent was the best that I have seen in a long time and I have watched The Voice since the very beginning. A lot of contestants stood out and the mix of genres kept us anticipating the song choices and performance each week.

Alisan Porter was a front runner right from the beginning. She won our hearts with her fairy tale childhood as Curly Sue and then fed our guilt with her short lived movie career. Don't get me wrong, her voice was amazing and I knew she would be a good competitor. She never let us down and continued to mix it up each week showing her vocal range.

Photo rights: Paul Drinkwater/ NBC

It wasn't until the top ten that she really started playing the mamas can still follow their dreams card. I don't think it was fair because it gave her a advantage in my opinion. She beefed it up every week claiming that her quest for the win was for mothers everywhere to show them that it's never too late to follow your dreams.

Photo rights: Getty

I am not saying at all that I disagree with her about her mothers can do anything thing at all. I am only stating that in my opinion it wasn't fair for her to use any advantage, even by accident or personal beliefs. Especially when more women watch the show then men. The voting aspect is a whole different story. Men usually don't vote on voice competitions so what did poor Laith have as his "advantage" or anything said while on the show or off that could even possibly waiver anyone's opinion of him or his deserving to win? Nothing, because he didn't need it, he was stand alone amazing and that's all he needed. That's all that should count anyway.

Photo rights: NBC

Laith al-Saada was the epitome of the show, The Voice. He came out in the blind auditions and blew our minds. His voice, his range, his rasp, and last but not least those amazing guitar skills. He was different than anyone that has ever been on The Voice. As the weeks went on he continued to give me goosebumps and his guitar skills.... holy awesome batman. I was for sure that he would win and then BOOM, Alisan popped out the mama stuff and I knew it was over for poor Laith. He never gave up, he continued to entertain everyone.

The season finale was exactly as I thought it would go but I must add that I am tired of the coaches performing, the teams performing with their coach, etc. I don't watch the show to see the coaches perform, I wanna see the contestants. No need for a two hour damn finale. Another rant, I hate the long pauses by Carson Daly when announcing the winners, come on, is that really necessary? It doesn't build anticipation if that's what NBC is going for, it pisses people off and that is how remotes get thrown into shit.

I'm cool and I still love the show and will continue to watch as long as it's on, complaints and all. I am happy for Alisan Porter and I know Laith will have an amazing career. I can't wait for his album to come out.

Personal Hour, Mad at the Husband.

2016-05-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

It's hard to get excited about anything anymore, the things that used to make me the happiest now I could care less about. I love music more than anything, I used to go to at least three concerts a year but now I give two shits. I am always let down by my non concert loving husband. He doesn't appreciate the music like I do. If he appreciated me, he would want to make me happy. Music takes me to a place where I am not so alone, I don't feel judged, I feel nothing but joy. I don't live in a big city where music is everywhere so when it is here, I want to go. It's always a money issue even though he knows months in advance. It hurts. Fuck it.

I just reread this and I kind of sound selfish and shitty, LOL. In my defense there is a lot more to the story, it's not just lack of concert anger, it's more. This was just bitch fest. We all need it sometimes.

DIY Shoe Stretching with Household items. No More Fear of Buying Shoes Online!

2016-05-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

I can't be the only one that is nervous about buying shoes online because you can't try them on. I have found the fix and am so impressed with my findings that I will order shoes online whenever I want with no fear.
I saw the cutest stiletto heals online for only $15 and I wanted them so bad. I couldn't pass them up so I took a chance and bought them. When they came in, I was so excited. I was like a little girl on Christmas morning ripping them out of the box and immediately put them on. They were too small, like a whole size to small. I was crushed, they were beautiful but too tight. I went to the shoe store the next day and planned on getting a shoe stretcher and as my luck would have it, they were out. I am a very patient person but damn it those shoes were hot and I wanted to wear them now. So what I did was look online for ideas and I came up short, I decided to use my redneck ingiunity to get the job done.

This works for all shoes, even fake leather, although real leather stretches easier. I talked to a shoe store owner and he said all shoes were made to give a little, especially to make them last while wearing them. I was concerned because these shoes were at least one size smaller if not more.

Ok, heat helps stretch shoes so what I did was dampen two washcloths with hot water and I crammed one in the toe area and the other in the heel. I used a tablespoon wedged real good in between the two washcloths to act as the stretcher. I repeated it for the second shoe and left them overnight. I must add that it was not easy getting the spoon in between the two cloths but if you want them to stretch right, use your muscles or ask a strong person to wedge that thing in there.

The next day, I removed the contraption and tried them on. Oh so close I kept saying to myself so I just repeated the process for one more 24 hour period and now my shoes fit perfect. Never again will I pass up a sale on a pair of shoes just because they are a size too small. I will fix them. :)

I hope this helps anyone who finds themselves in my shoes.... LOL, Pun intended. Good luck and happy shoe buying.

2 warm damp wash cloths crammed in both ends and held tight for 24 hours.

Warm washcloths damp not wet, crammed into the toe and heel and pushed in with a big spoon.

Country Creatures That are New to my City Girl Ass.

2016-05-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

So after moving to the sticks in December, Shit has thawed and the creatures of the back country are
my biggest enemy.  Number one would have to be the flies. Holy huge corn fed country flies batman. What the hell is going on out here? They are huge, and fast fuckers too. I think they are on steroids or some crazy shit. We went total redneck and hung those sticky fly strips from the ceiling in various locations. Nothing now but to happily wait and watch the little bastards get stuck.
After only a couple of days, the adhesive strips are now adorning the ceiling with decorative dangling fly carcasses.  Art if you will.

My next enemy are the fire ants in the backyard. I'm not much of a shoe person in the summer, I wear flip flops or nothing.  These little bastards hide in the yard and wait for me to go outside with my dogs to play. It never fails that I end up stepping on a fire ant mound. The neighbors probably think I have lost my mind.  Here I am outside jumping on one leg, no balance at all, hopping around to get away from them and attempting to knock them off of my feet at the same time.  Them little assholes burn like hell when they bite and it stings for long after you rid yourself of them. I am not a violent person and I even try to take bugs outside instead of killing them but these ants are testing me. I am not sure of the proper way to rid my backyard of these pesky pests and with my 3 dogs and two cats that play outside, I have to be careful about what I use as my murder weapon. I think I will try to drown them with the water hose and float their asses elsewhere. We shall see, but I wanted to share my new country living dilemmas with my favorite people.

Exercises that make you lose weight for lazy people who Hate exercise but still want to lose weight. Whew long title.

2016-05-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

I hate to exercise, I can come up with a thousand good excuses not to and I have. I am out of excuses so it's time to be honest with myself and respect my body enough to give it a chance to stay around longer. The honesty is out, no more denying it.... I'm lazy. I am not working at the moment so I wanted to lose weight. A little over a month ago, I started making up my own routine to get fit. I decided it would be best to weigh myself once and then put the scale up. Scales only discourage people when they don't see results quick. Your scales should be put away until at least week 4. Then weigh in once a month, record it and move on. Don't stop if you don't see immediate results, stay in there and dig deep. We have become the nation of now, no one has any patience anymore. To lose weight healthy, you cannot expect it to be an quick fix. You must have some kind of rules in place that you must follow and a routine. I will put my routine and my rules at the bottom of the page as an example. Make yours work for you and your schedule.

Of course the first week was playing around with times and searching for the best exercises for what my needs are. I took well known exercises and flipped them into "lazy" exercises. It always helps to break your exercises into a few minutes at a time instead of thirty minutes or more. You don't want to wear yourself out, that will only make you quit. Choose days that work for you. Don't set some crazy unattainable goal, shit, don't set any goals, you don't want to set yourself up to fail. Go easy on yourself but be tough.

The way my routine is set up, I can exercise everyday but that will change once I am employed. I will tell you how I do it and you change it to your needs.

RULES

1. Depending on when you go to bed, Do not eat anything 5 hours before you go to bed.

2. If you get hungry before bed, drink a huge glass of water or 100% juice, It will confuse your body into thinking that you are full.

3. I know it sucks but cut out as much sugar as you can but stay away from diet drinks, they are just as bad, hiding their evil behind the word diet.

4. Cut out as many carbs as you can as well.

5. Read labels and stay away from processed food.

6. Remember and obey that breakfast IS the most important meal of the day. I get it, I don't like breakfast, I am never hungry in the morning but I found a Dr. approved alternative to breakfast. Drink a Slim fast drink, mix instant breakfast with 1% milk or soy milk and drink that but you must eat breakfast or all of this will be for nothing.

7. Drink lots of water!!

MY ROUTINE

* I get up early and after my cup of coffee I fix me a large cup of 1% milk and mix in Carnation instant breakfast in chocolate...Yum.

* I watch T.V and during every commercial break, I exercise. It's three minutes of straight work out then rest time. I stay seated and stretch at first of course. The next commercial break is a step up and so on.

* I turn everyday household chores into exercise, I do leg lifts while doing the dishes, lunges while vacuuming, squats as I fold laundry. The list can go on and on to fit your individual needs. You make it work for you, everyone is different.

* I never miss my favorite daily shows like Dr. Phil, I simply do any exercise while the commercials are on then back to rest.
* I use every trip to the bathroom, kitchen or anywhere around the house as a chance to exercise too.
With each step, I do a high step and bring my knees to my chest and then I come down into a lunge with the other foot and so on. I look stupid as shit but who cares, I am at home.

If you add up every time you exercise during commercials and around the house, you will be surprised at how those 3 minutes here and there add up to hours. I am on week 5 and have lost 16 pounds and 3 inches off of my waste.

EXERCISES THAT I DO. All DURING COMMERCIALS

1. Squats

2. Use vegetable cans as weights and do arm curls

3. Front leg lifts

4. Side leg lifts

5. For my butt, I lay on stomach and do leg lifts

6. For cardio which is needed, I do jumping jacks.

7. While sitting, I do heel lifts, than I switch to toe lifts for calf muscles

8. Arm rolls

This should get you started I hope and you can make up a routine that works for you. Stay strong and stick with it. I am looking forward to losing more weight and at this rate, I will.

Inexpensive Facial Products that work better than the Name brands.

2016-05-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

I love saving money but I also like to have the latest products that actually work. The best wrinkle cream that I have found is actually the Walgreens brand. I did use the Oil of Olay collection but didn't see the results that I wanted. I was short on money so decided to try the store brand. It's called Derma/E from Walgreens. It comes in a 2oz size jar so all of the product can be used. I never buy any kind of facial treatments or makeup that come in a glass pump style bottle. Once it's empty, there are really several more applications inside but you can't get to them. It's frustrating.
I always try and get the stuff in the plastic tube, that way when it is empty, you simply cut the end off and use a Q-tip or your finger to scoop out several more days worth.

I have adult acne and I hate it, I have tried everything, literally. I have used Proactive, X-out, and anything over the counter that was available. Now I am using the store brand Noxema only because it's cheaper than the real stuff. I have used Noxema but the Kroger brand called Clarify deep cleansing skin cream. works better than the real stuff. Same blue plastic jar that we are used to seeing. I have been using it for 2 weeks now and my face is completely clear.

Everyone needs a good mousterizer and I found the best for less. We all know the benefits of vitamin E and even purchase vitamin E filled lotions for face and body. I just cut out the middle man and buy some cheap vitamin E capsules from Dollar General. They are inexpensive and you just poke a hole in the capsule and put it where you want it. I use it under my eyes and on the tops of my hands, people forget how your hand wrinkles add years to your life. This time I happened to be at Kroger so I purchased the store brand called Replenish in a 1oz glass jar. It is non sticky and absorbs quickly without leaving you greasy. My face has never looked or felt better. I hope this helps and I have more tricks up my sleeve that I will tell you all about later. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments.

No photo-shop, I have a zit on my shoulder that you can clearly see, lol. My face is clear though. :)

Nashville New Years 2016 with Chris Stapleton was a blast! (Pics Included)

2016-05-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

Due to my ongoing anxiety and depression, I was terrified when my friend asked me to go with her to Nashville for the annual Bash on Broadway for New Years Eve. I really wanted to see Chris Stapleton and attempt to get over my fears, even if only for a day. So I said screw it, I have nothing to lose so I went with her and it was the most fun that I have had in a long time. They shut down Broadway street and had it all closed off for the people and food and drink vendors. I didn't know how many people where there until after but it was so crowded that I knew it had to be a lot. On the news the next morning it was reported that 150,000 people were there and I was one of them. It was so much fun, everyone was so nice and I didn't get robbed or murdered so that's pretty awesome. With that many people, I expected something bad to happen but nothing did. It was a peaceful event with no craziness, no drunks, I mean there were plenty of drunks but no idiots, and everyone having a good time. I mean we were all drunk but everyone became friends for the night and there was no fighting, no shootings. I rang in the new year in my favorite Nashville bar, Honky Tonk Central. Everyone sits together and gets to know each other. You come in alone and leave with friends, it's amazing how cool and chill the people of Nashville are. I was getting out drank by a sixty year old calling me a wuss. It was great. I would love to plan a trip every new year because I have never had more fun with stranger and I came home with friends. I must include this as well. I am not a big country music fan so I was expecting Nashville to be all cowboy boots and yee haws, but I couldn't have been more wrong. They have everything there, it's not the country version of L.A (Like I have heard it compared). It is the Music City of America, all music not just country. I loved every second of my time in Nashville and I still have to go back and do the things that I didn't have enough time to do the first two times. Here are some of my favorite places and pictures that I took while I was there.

Greatest bar in Nashville, well one of them.

The stage from the front.

The closing of Broadway.

150,000 people crammed in one area on Broadway.

Chris Stapleton on the big screen.

The AT&T building. AKA The Batman Building.

These steps lead to the second level at Honky Tonk Central. Not fun after drinking. ;)

The beautiful original pews at The Ryman Auditorium

My pointy toed shit kicker and the Broadway street tile thingy.