Taking some time to BREATHE

I'm so bummed I wasn't able to post for so long.. but work has seriously been WAY overwhelming. I have been working my butt off (for no particularly good reason) and putting in some serious hours at the office but now it is finally Christmas weekend and I have some time to breathe. I have the next 6 days off (PRAISE THE LORD) and I will be blissfully parking my behind on the couch enjoying every single one of them. I'm seriously over this job but hey I should be lucky to have one right?

RIGHT?

Now I can breathe....

The Fire has been put out.... PHEW.... It may take a few days to calm my nerves.

Good thing the rest of my week is looking not too shabby.
*Tomorrow my boss is working from home so that means a relatively stress free day for me.
*Thursday is the Mass Conference for Women which will be fun and interesting.
*Friday = OFF!!!!! Although my boss already told me she will make me work from home if something comes up.. gee thanks lol.

Tomorrow I am going to the gym on my lunch hour.. I set a goal to work out atleast 30 mins 4 times this week. I have already worked out twice (Sunday and Monday - although Monday was only 20mins - still better then nothing).

Tomorrow I will post my Christmas Wish List (heads up... it's REALLY long lol)

Have been working for 72 hours straight.. and I'm still going strong!

Work is a living NIGHTMARE this week. Our Dec. 30th deadline was pushed to.. you guessed it.. TOMORROW. I am tired, grumpy and feeling rather puffy (why thank you stress eating).

Hopefully the rest of my week winds down and who knows.. maybe Friday off? (YAH, right).

 

So as you can imagine I'm in no mood to make up a really engaging post today. It was hard just brushing my hair this morning. So I stole a post from my favorite blog (and inspiration) Table for MORE

http://www.tableformoreblog.com/

 

I found it really interesting that we pretty much can't eat anything these days without fear of killing ourselves from poison and chemicals. Oh well.. I think I have eating almost all the 7 "deadly" items today.. WHOOPS.

 

Enjoy :) (And thanks, Allie!!)

 

Here is the list

7 Foods You Should Never Eat

By Prevention Magazine Published December 02, 2011

Food scientists are shedding light on items loaded with toxins and chemicals--and simple swaps for a cleaner diet and supersized health. 

Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing. Often they're organic, and rarely (if ever) should they contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today's food producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering what's safe--or not--to eat. We asked them a simple question: "What foods do you avoid?" Their answers don't necessarily make up a "banned foods" list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you better health--and peace of mind.

1. The Endocrinologist Won't Eat: Canned Tomatoes

Fredrick Vom Saal, is an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A.

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.

Budget tip: If your recipe allows, substitute bottled pasta sauce for canned tomatoes. Look for pasta sauces with low sodium and few added ingredients, or you may have to adjust the recipe.

Pile Your Plate with These 25 Nutrition Superstars

2. The Farmer Won't Eat: Corn-Fed Beef

Joel Salatin is co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming.

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. But more money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. "We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure," says Salatin.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers' markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It's usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don't see it, ask your butcher.

Budget tip: Cuts on the bone are cheaper because processors charge extra for deboning. You can also buy direct from a local farmer, which can be as cheap as $5 per pound. To find a farmer near you, search eatwild.com.

20 Ways to Save At The Supermarket

3. The Toxicologist Won't Eat: Microwave Popcorn

Olga Naidenko, is a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group.

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize--and migrate into your popcorn. "They stay in your body for years and accumulate there," says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

Budget tip: Popping your own popcorn is dirt cheap

Top 10 Food Mistakes Your Making

4. The Farm Director Won't Eat: Nonorganic Potatoes

Jeffrey Moyer is the chair of the National Organic Standards Board.

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes--the nation's most popular vegetable--they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. "Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won't," says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). "I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

Budget tip: Organic potatoes are only $1 to $2 a pound, slightly more expensive than conventional spuds.

What to Really Look for on a Nutrition Label

5. The Fisheries Expert Won't Eat: Farmed Salmon

Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany, published a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.

The problem: Nature didn't intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. "You could eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer," says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. "It's that bad." Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.

Budget tip: Canned salmon, almost exclusively from wild catch, can be found for as little as $3 a can.

6. The Cancer Researcher Won't Drink: Milk Produced With Artificial Hormones

Rick North is project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society.

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. "When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract," says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. "There's not 100 percent proof that this is increasing cancer in humans," admits North. "However, it's banned in most industrialized countries."

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.

Budget tip: Try Wal-Mart's Great Value label, which does not use rBGH.

7. The Organic-Foods Expert Won't Eat: Conventional Apples

Mark Kastel, a former executive for agribusiness, is codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods.

The problem: If fall fruits held a "most doused in pesticides contest," apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. "Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers," he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease.

The solution: Buy organic apples.

Budget tip: If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them. But Kastel personally refuses to compromise. "I would rather see the trade-off being that I don't buy that expensive electronic gadget," he says. "Just a few of these decisions will accommodate an organic diet for a family."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/12/01/7-foods-should-never-eat/#ixzz1ffS9DrA1 

I need to find my happy place

OK - I totally had a post yesterday and I was all ready to post and BAM.. my computer shuts off randomly.. I check my drafts and only 1/4 of it was saved. TRY NOT TO FLIP OUT.

My boss asks me to work late last night and come in early today.. ok that's fine.. Come into work today and I get a nice phone call (she gets to work from home on Friday's.. I do NOT) "ohhh I need you to work this weekend too.. THANKS"... TRY NOT TO FLIP OUT

Now I am working on this project and I am dealing with Microsoft 2010 and finally get this stupid presentation put together.. get an e-mail.. "Heather this won't work.. try again"

FLIPPING OUT

To my defense - I only got like 3 hours of sleep total last night and had the craziest dreams ever.

Maybe I'm not cut out for this kind of stressful environment. Thank god I have this blog to vent and not go stuff my face with 900 cookies. Kind of funny - yesterday I was contemplating putting off a family since I was having a good day at work and was thinking I would miss my job. Then today came around and I remembered everything I can't stand about corporate America.

I should have been a farmer or one of those people who sells bracelets on the beach..

Well that is my rant today... Not having a very good morning as you can see but here's hoping for a better afternoon! :)

11 Layers of Heather

LAYER ONE:
Spell your name with animals.
H- Hen
E- Eagle
A- Alligator
T- Tiger
H- Hippo
E- Emu
R- Rabbit

LAYER TWO:
Name: Heather
Birthday: April 20th
Nickname: Bean
Current Location: Work (whomp whomp)
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: dark brown
Right or Left: Right

LAYER THREE:
Shoes you wore today: my FAVORITE black flats from Target.. I could live in these things
Your perfect pizza: cheese from Papa Ginos, Buffalo Chicken

LAYER FOUR:
Best holiday: Christmas (love the hole season)
Most missed memory: Being a little kid

LAYER FIVE:
Pepsi or Coke: Diet Pepsi (the big ones from the movie theatre)
McDonald's or Burger King: Burger King - Big Mac
Adidas or Nike: Nike for looks and Asics for running (did I spell that right?)
Lipton Ice Tea or Hot Chocolate: depends on the season
Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate

LAYER SIX:
Curse?: &^*^&*%% *&^*(&^ *&*(& I need to work on that
Do you sing?: I try - not very good tho haha
Want to go to college?: Just graduated and I think I'm good for now lol
Get motion sickness: If I sit in the back seat of a car or read in the car
Think you're a health freak: I try to be.. lately not so much - need to step it up pronto
Play an instrument: Guitar only lasted a few months

LAYER SEVEN
In the past month. . .
Drank alcohol: A little tooo much.. ugh
Gone to the mall: Of course!
Eaten an entire pizza: Nope--- would LOVE to
Been on stage: No
Gone skating: No
Made homemade cookies: Yes

LAYER EIGHT:
Have you ever...
Been in big trouble with your parents: ha ha all the time.. sorry mom and dad
Lied about your age: My life from 18-21
Used a fake ID: Not a very good one

LAYER NINE:
Age you hope to be married: Married at 22.. I always thought it would be later but when its right.. its right!
Number of Children: Two maybe three MAX

LAYER TEN:
In a girl/guy..
Best eye color: my husband has brown so I'm going with that :)
Best hair color : Dark
Short hair or long: Short

LAYER ELEVEN:
Number of people you could trust with your life: Seriously? Prob. 2?
Number of CD's you own: pretty limited amount thanks to my ipod/iphone and ipad
Number of tattoos: 3
Number of piercings: Just my ears.. tattoos were so easy but a belly button ring PETRIFIES me lol

How My Dog Is Preparing Me for a Child

I never really got those people who dedicated their whole life to there dogs/children. That was until we brought home Martha, an adorable black lab. My god you would think I actually gave birth to this fur ball the way I obsess over her. My husband and I have never really been pet people but I guess we still aren't just because our dog is pretty much our child.

HOWEVER... this dog is literally a CHILD. Well, hopefully our child doesn't eat the walls or rocks but to be honest I have heard weirder stories.

So my husband and I commute about 1-1.5 everyday to work and obviously this little monster can't be trusted within feet of anything that can be chewed so we have developed a little routine. Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays Martha is dropped off at Doggy Day Care for some fun time. (Yes I'm effing serious and guess what.. dog care is more expensive then child care. Needless to say if I decide to stay home when we have kids that will be the first thing to go.) Tuesdays and Thursdays the little beast takes over our downstairs "play room" and we baby gate her off from the rest of the house. You would think that this would be a good solution - NOPE. This little biotch eats the walls.. eats her bed.. pees on her bones and runs in her poop. She has a designated "waste" area that she uses when she is free and she is very much house broken.. she just chooses to express her anger with us leaving her home this way.

So ANYWAYS I get home from the longest day ever at work and Jake is driving home from NH so I am on my own to get everything all set with the dog, lunches for tomorrow and dinner. I have to scrub and sanitize the whole downstairs since she made the biggest mess EVER (she was especially pissed today because we had been home with her for the past 6 days due to the holiday) and while I clean up she is jumping all over me FILLED with energy and knocking everything over in sight upstairs since she is running around the house like a crazy person.

Dinner was fairly easy since we cooked up a 30 lb turkey on Sunday (I LOVE turkey dinner leftovers) but some how Martha finds a way to make it a living hell for me. She jumps up on the counters and tries to pull the turkey down (which thank god I gracefully saved) and while I'm trying to clean the floor which is now covered in turkey juice and Martha fur - the potatoes boil over and start going all over the place. Martha sees this as an opportunity to jump up and grab her big bag of treats on the counter and make an even bigger mess.

Now mind - you we took Martha to doggy kindergarten and tried to teach her to be an obedient and respectful puppy.

Her response: OH HELL NO.

She is kind of like her mommy - she marches to her own drum.

One thing is for certain - our dog is a fantastic snuggler and she loves her parents and we love her.

So quick overview of how my dog is preparing me for motherhood:

1. Before my dog I have never really had the responsibility of feeding, caring for and cleaning up anyone else besides myself - she is completely helpless and will never not need me to care for her

2. She poops non-stop and I always have to clean it up - OK my husband is really the main care giver in that sense

3. Her food is organic and effing expensive. Jake and I will eat mac and cheese just so this dog will get her healthy food for her over active stomach.

4. This dog will look at us funny and we will rush her to the animal hospital... we finally decided to get her pet insurance because it helps make her million doctor trips cheaper

5. Daycare - absolutely ridiculous for a dog.. NECESSARY for our sanity

6. We put on animal planet when we are cooking because it keeps her busy and she barks at the other dogs and birds on the TV. She's really not TOO bright.

7. We no longer plan trips to Miami for vacation.. we now go to pet friendly resorts on Martha's Vineyard or New Hampshire.. anywhere where she is welcome and we can keep her busy

8. No matter what she chews or how bad she is being or how much she pisses us off.. we adore her and couldn't imagine our lives without her

OK - I know I sound like a crazy dog person but really I'm not.

This dog just makes me so happy... no not all the time.. it's not like she is a purse or anything.

I know that once we start having kids our poor little Martha will have to take the back seat (I mean this literally as well as figuratively) and we understand that. But for now.. she is our little girl.

Martha the first day we brought her home .. Makes me so sad to see how much she has grown :(

Just lounging

All pretty from the groomers

Nap time

Martha's first vacation to Martha's Vineyard with her new "Baby"

To this day she drags this stupid stuffed animal everywhere - yes like a child
(Yes she is named after the island.. she is a Black Dog hellooo)

My First Post!!

I have been wanting to write my own blog for a while - have a place to vent and share my thoughts and memories and have something to look back on and reflect to what my life has been like before it completely flies by.

My husband and I have decided that we would like it to no longer just be "us two" and start to fill the rooms of our new house with BABIES. Its funny how I never really saw us being that kind of couple who gets married and instantly rolls out the strollers - but here we are. I am scare sh**less about what comes with the greatness of being a parent but I guess you will never know until you try. Plus, our spare bedroom should really be used for more then just box storage.

Anyways, today is a REALLY boring day. It is the Monday after Thanksgiving and the office is beyond slow. I'm not really complaining too much - I love when it's quiet. But I find days like this just tend to dragg and make it more painful to sit behind a desk. To be honest I have been focusing my day on trying to figure out our new budget. We are trying to pay off all our debt (lovely school loans and those magical cards my husband calls credit cards HAH) before we start adding more. Things I used to take for granted (like buying 3 types of organic rice to have sit in the pantry) will have to come to a screetching halt and I will have to learn how to become *GULP* frugal. This is a task in itself. Growing up I took finances with a grain of salt. I never cared ever. And now that we have bills, mortgages and all that fun stuff  - it is time to join the real world and start living in our means. Any tips you guys have would be GREATLY appreciated.

OH and we just put up the christmas decorations.. It's our first christmas in our house so I'm trying so hard not to go over board with buying every festive decoration in sight lol.

I'll keep you guys posted ;)