Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday ya'll!
I hope everyone is having a great week.  Mine is crazy busy with work but really productive also!

I must link up with Rebecca Jo for Thankful Thursday as always!!!

So...here we go!

I am thankful that tomorrow is Friday and I can work from home!!! I need a break from the depression in the office SOOO bad! Everyone is really down and negative except my group. We are crazy busy and don't even have time to think!  Also, it is 95 degrees in Pittsburgh today and the air conditioner in my building is not working - UGH!  I love hot weather if I am at a lake or the beach or a pool but not stuck in a building for work - ICKKKK!!!

I am thankful I no longer live paycheck to paycheck. I worked really hard to model my life to live within my means. That does not mean I am rich that just means I purchased a two bedroom condo since it is just me and the cats and I try to not overindulge myself with things I do not need.  I have no debt except my home and I love that feeling!

I am thankful for my family, my God, my friends (YOU), and my adorable cats! They make me smile everyday!

Gotta go get back to work in the ole' sweat box!

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend! HUGS!

Baby Feet and Botox Update

Update...

Hi everyone!

I figure I owe you all an update on the Baby Feet and the Botox..HAHA!

Here is the original Baby Foot Post and below are the feet...I used the product about ten days ago so the peeling is right on track. After about 8 days it started peeling a lot and now is almost done and my feet are DEFINITELY smoother!!!  My feet were very calloused and cracked! They could probably use another treatment so I will follow the directions and wait one month before applying again...

As for the Botox and Restylane...
Here is the original post and ...
I think my final results are still a few weeks away but I definitely see a difference already. I am not sure if it is worth the cost or not though...I will continue to wait for my final result and let you know.

Right now I would say it is not worth the money for the Botox part if the results are not more noticeable than they are now. The lines on my forehead have smoothed a little as well as by the corners of my mouth but not as much as I expected. I do, however, like my Restylane lips! It is so nice to be able to put lipstick on again and like how it looks without all the wrinkles, etc. I LOVE my top lip!



That's all I have folks...just wanted to give you a quick update...have a fantastic day!!!

HUGS!

It's finally Summer 2019

Happy Monday ya'll!!!

I hope everyone had the fantastic weather that we had in PA/OH over the weekend!!! It finally felt like summer - yippee!!!

Out speed boat is on the struggle bus lately. The steering is really tight and my father recently broke a rib (UGH!!!) so we are waiting until he heals a little before we tackle fixing the boat.

So.....this weekend we improvised and tried having the kids ski behind the jet ski! We had never tried this before and it actually worked! They had to hang on really tight initially as they drug a little more than usual in the beginning but once they were up it worked pretty great! HA!

Mom drove the jet ski and I rode backwards and worked the rope and spotted!

Here is Kyleigh....

And...heading into our dock...the kids love to ski into the dock area and let go...here is Kyleigh again...


And when she let go...they just slowly sink down into the water....HA!


And...here is Ryan behind the jet ski...


And closer to the dock area....


And...he let go...


The pontoon boat parade is two weeks away...this year we are doing the Safari Theme! I think it will be amazing!!!!

So, 4th of July weekend we will decorate the pontoon and I promise to get get pics for you...if you want to see our past themes...click below...
2015-Waikiki
2016-Jailhouse
2017-Tub
2018-Construction Site

My nephew took this enhanced picture of the lake this weekend...


And this is the UN-enhanced version...any question why I drive to my parents every weekend in the summer?!?!


My niece made these protein balls for everyone to try. They are chocolate chips, peanut butter, coconut oil, and vanilla...they looked delish!!! I forgot to try one! HA!

Sunday we started the day off at church and then to help my parents. The church built a new hall and my father helped a lot both with his time and his engineering skills. They had a tour for people to see the new hall after mass so we hung out and greeted people as they entered...oh, and ate a lot of cookies!!!




My niece had her earphones on for the ride home with her Taylor Swift music...I decided I needed to bug her so I used "Cabin Talk" to intercept the Taylor music with my rendition of "Shallow" by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. You can see by how she is covering her ears it did not go well....HA! That's my Mom on the right trying to stay out of it...HA!


Sunday on the lake was spent paddle-boarding and floating...the weather was beyond perfect! Here is Kyleigh...


And another mid-spill...


And then finally...the aftermath...HA!


And here is Ryan...


We did a family cheers to Summer!!!!


And spent time after dinner on the patio watching the hummingbirds...I tried so hard to get a photo but this is the best I could do...see him/her?!?!


I hope you all had a great weekend and got a fantastic start to your summer!!!!

What is your favorite part of summer? What is your favorite summer recipe? How is life? Is it Summer where you live?

HUGS!

The Beetles Suck

Hi all!!!

Well, it is Thankful Thursday!!!

Today I am joining Rebecca Jo and I am going to tell you what I am NOT thankful for!!!

I am SO stinking angry! I planted five basil plants and the dang japanese beetles ate EVERY ONE them! They chomped on all the leaves and left this icky black stuff all over ALL the plants! They were so destroyed I have to rip them all out! I am so angry!!

They are SO super gross!!

There is nothing I love more than fresh basil to enjoy throughout the summer! UGH!

I purchased a bug bag on Amazon and I plan to run my the plant store to see if anyone has basil plants left to purchase.

I will hang my beetle bag and re-plant hoping the beetles will leave them alone and get stuck in the beetle bag.

Anyone out there in blog land have tips for me!?!? Obviously I cannot spray anything since I eat the basil...please help!

Thanks in advance for any tips you have on keeping Japanese beetles away!?!?!?!

And...in closing...I am thankful for all of you, my family, friends, my pets, my home and never having to struggle to  find something to eat. Basically thankful for EVERYTHING in my life today EXCEPT the stinkin' beetles!

HELP!

Botox Anyone

Well guys! I am surprised to be writing this post but here we go...

I have been thinking a lot lately about Botox. I have a few friends at work that get it all the time and it looks great on them. 

When I got my hair cut this last time; my hairdresser mentioned that she gets Botox and fillers. So I decided it was time to at least check it out!
I bought a Groupon for a local place...crazy cheap...like $156. After the purchase I booked my appointment and then went to their website to get the address. When looking for the address I began to read the reviews like "Never get Botox here", "never trust these people with your face" and "Stay Away! I have a droopy eye forever because of this doctor". Also there were many comments about the questionable cleanliness, etc. I immediately called and cancelled my appointment and got a refund for my Groupon. Lesson learned-you will get what you pay for!!

So, then I called my hair stylist for her recommendation. She has been going to the same doctor for years, Doctor Vinarski at Feel Nu in Robinson Township PA, and I love how natural she looks so I decided to make an appointment there.

Well, last evening after work I went!!

I had a consultation with Dr. V (we are that close now - HA!) and we talked about what I was looking for and she mentioned what she though she could do to help. I was worried I would not be able to get the injections due to being on the medication Stelara but the doctor said it was perfectly safe even on my medications. She took a lot of time with me and I appreciate not feeling rushed or hurried at all! Also, she answered every question and calmed every fear I had.

Finally, I decided on Restylane filler for my nasolabial folds, lips and cheeks and Botox for my forehead and crows feet.

I had no idea what to expect but I will show you what happened.

Here is my filler product...

And here is my before treatment photo...



She said the filler in the lips hurts when injected so they numb it as much as they can with lidocaine cream. Here I am sitting with the cream. They do not numb the areas for Botox injection. She told me to lay back into the exam room table and relax for a few minutes while the lidocaine went to work.

She did Botox first which just felt like little pinches and went very fast.

Then we moved onto the Restylane filler. She said I would want to kick her when she inserted the needle and it definitely did hurt! This was the one part that made my eyes water!! It definitely hurt but is so worth it if it gives my lips! HA HA!



And.....

You can see the little needle marks across the top of my forehead and in the middle of my eyebrows in the photo below. She told me just to leave the spots and not rub or clean anything until later.  She also did Botox on the outside of each eye for the crows feet. The lips and around the lips are where she used the Restylane filler.

A few things I learned are:

The filler you notice right away after it is injected but it takes 2 weeks to a month to see the final results. The final results will last up to a year for the Restylane.

The Botox takes up to 3-5 days to start working and then 14 days to a month to see  your final result. The final results will last from 4 months to 6 months for the Botox.

Here is my photo an hour after the procedure...





I was expecting bruising. etc. but I do not think I have any today at all. My new doctor rocks! My lips are a little tender and swollen so they are larger than they will be once the swelling goes down.

Here is a picture comparison below...I would assume my lines will fade more in the next two days as the Botox takes effect so I will give you an updated comparison on Monday...HA!



The only difference I really see so far above is my lips. They are definitely bigger - yay!

Any questions ya-ll, just ask!!!

Every try any cosmetic procedures? Which did you like and which did you not? Afraid of shots? 

Baby Butt Feet!

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is having a fantastic day so far!!!  

Today is going to be a very random life post! HA!

I made a purchase last week from the "Deals and Steals" programming from our morning show here in Pittsburgh, PA.

It is called Baby Foot and they swear it works.  It put the per-moistened bootie over your foot and sit for 1 hour.After the hour, wash your feet with soap and water and wait 8-10 days.

Here is the package information...


And - here are my feet prior to the treatment.

This is the left...


This is the right...


I see nothing different since I wore the bootie for an hour but it says it takes 8-10 days for the peeling of old skin to start. Interesting right!??!  And so easy if it really works! I promise to keep you updated and show you the after!!! Fingers crossed it works!!!! 

I can't go another day without posting a few of my furry cuties...here are Faith and Nermal snuggling in my lap-please disregard my love handles - HA!


Here's a little interesting tidbit. At the beach farm market a few weeks ago I bought some lychee fruit. It is delicious!!! I brought a few home that were left over home and put them in my refrigerator. They got pushed to the back and I forgot about them until this morning. I brought them to work for my after lunch snack.

Here is a lychee...it is a little larger than the size of quarter...


Here is the lychee with the skin peeled off...


This is the seed in the middle of the lychee fruit. You just pop the whole fruit in your mouth and eat the fruit from the seed. YUMMY!


I am going to experiment and plant this seed when I get home! I will then begin praying for my lychee tree to grow bug and strong! HA!

I hope everyone has a fantastic week!!!!

HUGS!

Ever have a lychee? What is an exotic fruit you have eaten? 
 

Happy Father's Day Weekend

Happy happy Monday ya'll!!!

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and I hope everyone threw a little love and appreciation to that person they see as a father!!  I know not everyone has a fantastic father like me; but I hope you all have someone you respect and admire in that way. And special prayers to those that have lost their father; I am praying for your comfort.

Here are the two people that made me...I love them so much more than I can say!!!

And here they are when all four of us kids were little...


And here we all are in 2015 at their 50th anniversary dinner...


Since I spent the weekend with my father we had a little lake time too.

It was a dreary and rainy weekend but we were able to squeeze in a little tube time for the kids in between rain storms...

Here is Aly and Brody...


And Madelyn and Kyleigh...


Our fearless boat driver and my "little" brother Matt...


And I got a little selfie off the front of the boat with Aly...HA!


I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and prayers for a great week!!!!!!!

HUGS!

How was your weekend? Who do you think of when you hear the word Father? Ever eaten a real lychee?

Thankful Thursday

Today I am joining Rebecca Jo for her Thankful Thursday. It has been a while and I am excited to join in the fun and gratitude today!

I am so thankful for fresh hair color!!! I am soooo grey and it does not suit me well. I had been using "crack spray" on my part to cover the grey but "the crack" (roots growing out) got to be 2 inches long and I HAD to get to my hairstylist! I go to Cheveux Impressions Salon and Spa and Ann works wonders!!! I have followed her around for over 15 years now and she is a miracle worker with hair!!! Cheveux is her own salon that she opened a few years ago - if you live in the area I promise you will love her!  She is an amazing stylist! She was able to fit me in last night and I am sooo happy!!! Yippee...fresh cut and color!!!

I am thankful I have finally made the decision to go full out on the Nutrisystem program! I will keep you posted on my progress! I have no self control so I am counting on sticking to their portion control! The cheese puffs that were my snack at work today were awesome!!!! 
Fingers crossed my willpower holds out!!! HA!
 



If anyone else is interested in checking it out; here is a 50% off link!!!

I am thankful that my new shower curtain arrived!!! I love flamingos ever since my trip to Aruba this last time...you can see the pictures HERE!!

So, for my birthday my family got me these adorable flamingo towels and I decided to go all out with new decor for the bathroom. I will do a post when it is totally completed.


Today I am thankful that I have a grateful heart. Sometimes I am not as grateful as others but today I am very aware and grateful for all I am blessed with - including blog friends, family, my health and so much support and inspiration daily!


I am sending out huge hugs to you all! If you wish to join in; go connect up with Rebecca Jo! Also, thank you to Rebecca Jo for hosting each week and reminding s of what we have to be grateful for!

What are you thankful for today?

Quick beach trip to Stone Harbor, NJ

Happy hump day!

I hope everyone is have a fantastic week!!! The weather here in Pittsburgh is so nice...it finally feels like summer! Yippee!!!

Today at work we are having an employee appreciation picnic...so excited to sit outside and enjoy the weather at lunch time!!! Ahhhhhh.....

So, last weekend was awesome!!!!! I got home from my trip and then called the cat sitter to come back again and went on ANOTHER trip! HA!!!

My little sister had their family vacation last week and invited me down to hang with them for the final couple days. We normally all go together but this year the only time her family could go (due to sports and summer camps) was June and no one else wanted to spend June at the Jersey shore (the water is freezing then) so their went alone and my older sister and I popped in for a few days when we could.

This is Saturday when I arrived...I LOVE the beach, Stone Harbor, NJ...the sound alone is sooo relaxing to me (gulls, ocean waves, laughter)....serenity!

It was a little cold...as you can tell by my older sister. It was not as cold as she is making it seem but according to her she was "freezing"! HA HA! We still got tan though - HA!


This is my adorable nephew making friends with the planter frog in a store in Stone Harbor.


I went for a walk early Sunday before anyone else was up and got this beautiful sunrise picture!!


Another sunrise with the dunes...


Sunday morning we all walked down to Coffee Talk. We love this quaint little coffee shop (their oatmeal is delicious!!!). My niece loves it because Taylor Swift goes there with her family...see the pic in the background. Kyleigh is a HUGE TayTay fan!!! 

Next door they also have a fresh juice shop called The Juice Girl.  It was great for fresh cold pressed juices and smoothies!! I got an apple cider shot and green veggie drink and the kids all got smoothies - both were awesome!!!!  YUM!!!


Here is the little sister and her family toasting with their coffees and smoothies in Coffee Talk!


My niece Alyssa was shopping and saw this magnet. She bought it for me and then they stuck it on my car when I was not looking! HA HA! I love it so much!!!


As quickly as I got there; it was time to begin the 7 hour drive home. It was totally worth the drive to be able to spend time with my adorable nieces and nephew on their vacation! 

I was stuck in stopped traffic leaving the beach when I spotted this cool nest on top of the power lines. I think it is an osprey but I am not sure of that...so cool though!


My favorite purchase I made over the two day vacation was an adorable striped, short sleeve cardigan that goes perfectly with all my simmer dresses for work! Yippee - it was a great deal for something I can wear almost every day! Here is a picture from my desk at work...


I hope every is having a fantastic week. Please heed my warning...life is SOOO short...if given the opportunity to go somewhere or do something (no matter how short the duration or long the drive) DO IT! I drove 7 hours each way to spend 48 hours at the beach and I am so happy I did! We had so much fun and made so many memories!!! I want to be a part of as many happy and awesome memories as I can for my nieces and nephews!!! Spend as time as you can with those you love...life is short!

Every drive really far for a short amount of time? Taking a vacation this year? Where are you going? Do you go to the same place or change it up every year?
 
HUGS TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU! Thanks for reading!