Soda.

I have made reoccurring attempts to manage my weight. Especially during the holidays where the temptations are all encompassing. The most recent excursion is a "No Soda" pact...or agreement/challenge with my little sister. We have gone almost 2.5 months without soda (breaking only once for Thanksgiving Sparkling Cider).

Every time I am tempted to drink some I think of how my little sister is doing this silly challenge with me, and how I don't want to be the first to break. My competitive side refused to back down, and my compassionate side loved that we were doing this together.

It's not a big thing, you know...it's soda...

When I am on my own...I don't drink it, because I don't buy it. I don't buy it because I don't want temptations in my house...

Well...at home we have soda in the house on a very regular basis. When I came home the first thing I did was gain 5lbs...those 5 which I spent literally a hundred hours in the gym trying to work off...so this no soda gig was simply an attempt to manage the intake of temptation.

Well...tonight was pizza night... everyone crowded in the kitchen for pizza & soda... and she broke...my little sister decided she'd had enough of the no soda life and threw in the proverbial towel.

I agreed not to drink soda till May. Well...today I broke my promise too.

There it was... sitting on the counter saying, "I am yummy, drink up!"
...and I drank a sip.
One sip.

The taste was not good. It tasted like failure mixed with a hint of frustration, and a cup of sugar.

After that sip. I was quite discouraged that I would so easily falter at this challenge simply because I did not have a companion as back up. I can walk my own road. I can stand on my own two feet.

Well, after all the guilt subsided, I decided that I don't need to drink failure.

I simply don't need that in my life. Juice is fine. Water is Great!
So...until further notice...I am simply removing soda from my life.

I also found some interesting facts on soda to help inspire my decision:

"Drinking soda has been shown to contribute to tooth decay...the sugar consumption involved in drinking is cited for causing tooth decay. However, the acid in has been shown to erode tooth enamel, leading to dental cavities as well. In fact, the acid in soda can begin damaging enamel just 20 minutes after drinking soda... Another unfortunate health effect of drinking soda is the weakening of bones...Diet soda drinkers are still vulnerable to the acidic effects of soda. Furthermore, some artificial sweeteners, commonly used in diet soda, may contribute to serious health issues as well."
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-health-effects-of-drinking-soda.htm

"Soda is a mixture of high sugar & fructose corn syrup, which can be a reason for excessive weight gain and heart rate.
You can become a soda addicted because it contains caffeine content.
Excessive soda intakes can make you feel insomnia, stress, restlessness etc."
http://www.articlesbase.com/drinks-articles/harmful-effects-of-drinking-soda-850381.html


"Side Effects of Drinking Soda
Soda has been known to comprise certain chemicals that make you feel dehydrated. This is the reason why, even after drinking lots of soda, you continue to feel thirsty.
There is high sugar content and too much fructose corn syrup in soda. Too much consumption of it can easily make you put on excessive weight.
Soda does not have any nutritional value. Drinking it regularly means that you are just adding on empty calories.
Excessive consumption of soda can result in high blood sugar, which can lead to faintness, rapid heart rate, and dehydration.Since soda contains too much sugar and acid, it can play havoc with your oral health. Not only does it dissolve the calcium out of tooth enamel, but can also cause lots of cavities. Soda is also loaded with caffeine, which is a stimulant, the reason why it develops into an addiction soon. Caffeine removes calcium from our bodies. If you are drinking too much soda, you are also ingesting too much calcium, which ultimately will affect the strength of your bones.
Irritability, restlessness, tension, insomnia, excitement and gastrointestinal disturbance are some other side effects of caffeine, which often result from high consumption of soda."
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/side-effects-of-drinking-soda-2866.html


Caffeine content in beverages.
FROM THE : National Soft Drink Association, US Food and Drug Administration, Bunker and McWilliams, Pepsi.

12-ounce beverage AND milligrams of caffeine
Red Bull (8.2 oz) 80.0
Jolt 71.2
Pepsi One 55.5
Mountain Dew 55.0
Mountain Dew Code Red 55.0
Diet Mountain Dew 55.0

8-ounce Beverage milligrams
Hot cocoa 14
Diet Coke 45.6
Shasta Cola 44.4
Shasta Cherry Cola 44.4
Shasta Diet Cola 44.4
RC Cola 43.0
Diet RC 43.0
Dr. Pepper 41.0
Diet Dr. Pepper 41.0
Diet Sunkist Orange 41.0
Mr. Pibb 40.0
Sugar-Free Mr. Pibb 40.0
Red Flash 40.0
Sunkist Orange 40.0
Ruby Red 39.0
Storm 38.0
Big Red 38.0
Pepsi-Cola 37.5
Pepsi Twist 37.5
Diet Pepsi Jazz 37.5
Diet Pepsi 36.0
Wild Cherry Pepsi 38.0
Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi 36.0
Coca-Cola Classic 34.0
Cherry Coke 34.0
Lemon Coke 34.0
Vanilla Coke 34.0
Diet Cherry Coke 34.0
Canada Dry Cola 30.0
A&W Creme Soda 29.0
Barq's Root Beer 23.0
A&W Diet Creme Soda 22.0

While these sources are not completely credible sources, they are enough for me.
Kinda makes you want to brush your teeth huh?

Dear Santa.

After reading Natalie's 'Dear Santa' I pondered on the things that might be on my christmas list this year. Here is the result:

Dear Santa,

I have not been the best this year. I tried. I studied hard, and around every corner tried to combat stress. I hope you will overlook my flaws as you read this letter.

Please santa...if it has to be winter...I can take the snow...but this cold is unbarable...is there anything you can do about that?

Also...I seem to have lost my "secure" job for january, and need a replacement. I am pretty sure that student grants are in the same isle as jobs, so while you are there can you pick up some of that too?

It might be more beneficial for me to ask for a husband while I am feeling so needy. Nothing too fancy, but choose with care.

I wouldn't mind if you slipped some confidence into my stocking beside my orange and apple. Please no candy...I can't handle the temptation.

That is all...wait...one more thing...could you bring my family happiness...It seems we have been blessed with abundant stress, and we need some happiness to counteract it.

Also...as a small side note...I know that money does not buy happiness, but I'd be willing to test that theory!

Thank you, and have a Merry Christmas.
AmyJo

Painted Pumpkins!

I love painting/carving pumpkins.
We decided we didn't want the mess of carving...but that we could handle the mess of painting. We have most of them done...there are two more in the works done by Matthew & Michael...but here are the finished products for the others.

This one is Elena's. She wanted something scary...
So she painted the Joker from Batman

This one is Mindy's. It's the clock tower from Cinderella...and the picture does not do it justice. the texturing she did...is nothing less than amazing.
and. last but not least...this one is mine. This is my sorry attempt at creativity...it was actually supposed to be a night sky scape with the spider web on the bottom...but when I did one of the moons I thought that it'd be funny to have the spider coming out of the pumpkin's mouth...and the pumpkin was going to turn into a bat...thus the fangs...but I got lazy & didn't want to paint anymore. ha ha...

More pumpkins to follow...they will be posted as soon as they are finished!

Teeth Trauma!

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/36372

So. I just want to put this out there...
maybe there is a reason I am not a mother yet.
and that is...

I just can't handle it...yet!

Well...Here's the story

I was called Sunday afternoon to cover at an in home daycare for a very good friend of mine. I need the funds, so I immediately accepted. Babysitting = easy.

We made these little birthday hats. Awesome, awkward, cute, and random hats with ribbion woven in, and glitter glue swirls. We had made them early in the morning, which by the way went extremely smooth...I even had a chance to sit the kids down and play the piano for them while they sang row your boat, and Mary had a little lamb. The Kids waited all day for the hats to dry so they could wear them. Finally after lunch, and after movie time...during nap time for some they were ready. While the kids had been in napping & having their afternoon movie I had made sure the kitchen was clean, and all the toys were neatly put away and ready for attack after afternoon snack. I carefully prepared the hats to be sized and glued together, so that the organized chaos of the 6 (very)youngsters would not take up too much play time. My plan was to get them on, and occupied with a small parade of musical instruments. While sizing up the hats one of the youngsters swung on the cupboard in such a way that he lost his balance, and regrettably face-planted into the linoleum floor. There was blood coming from his nose and mouth. My heart definitely skipped a beat. I rushed to his side to see if we needed to rush him to the hospital. His immediate reaction was to cling to me. When I was able to pull him away to look at his mouth I could see that much of the blood was coming from a fresh vacancy next to his brand new permanent teeth. My heart skipped another beat, and I picked his tooth off of my shoulder where he had been clinging. Luckily, it was not one of his new permanent teeth. After a few phone calls and some tylenol, and several otter pops I discovered that this tooth was indeed as I prayed a baby tooth that was already working on coming out.

I have never had anything like this happen while I was watching someone else's kids. EVER.

Panic. Worry. Stress. Slightly Panicked. Almost in tears. Empathy for the pain. Focus.

I am actually surprised I was able to keep it together as well as I did...The great thing about stress and other such reactions, is that you stop focusing on your own feelings, do not pass go, do not collect $200, Go Directly to needs.

And at that moment I needed nothing more than to help that child, but I wasn't even sure how. Other than to apply paper towels to the damaged areas, console the child, and call someone.

I am led to believe that this experience will most definitely come in handy when I someday approach the adventure of motherhood. I will know that otter pops are a sore lip's best friend. I will know to grab the paper towel as I am leaning down to the child, so that spurting blood does not leave teeth on my shoulder. I will know to expect the unexpected.

I may not be at the stage in my life where I can have children, but I definitely feel that I am wantingly or not being prepared. - "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear"