Beware of nail salons!

Ok, so picture this.. I am in KC, I want to take my daughter to do something special, so I take her to the nail place to get her nails painted, and me a manicure.

She grins with joy the whole time we are there, excited to pick out her colors. She choose golden (more of a neon yellow if you ask me), and hot pink. Two of her favorite colors right now.

I had them cut my cuticles, and paint my nails a soft pink. We left feeling a little pampered and grateful for the time we spent together doing something "girly". Fun right?

Well, little did I know, this innocent nail outing would turn into me on antibiotics for 10 days, and a COMPLETE LOSS OF MY FINGER NAIL!!

Yeah so probably a few days after our manicures, the cuticle on one of my fingers started getting a little red. Didn't think much of it. It got more and more red, so I looked online and tried some at home remedies such as soaking it in Epsom Salt, applying topical antibiotic cream, and maybe a few other things. Nothing was working. It was getting more sore and the redness was spreading up my finger.

I called the nail salon to ask them what the hell was going on with my nail and what I should do. At this point I knew what it was, but just wanted to see what they would say. The man on the phone didn't skip a beat in telling me "go to the doctor and then call me back and I will give you my insurance information".. I asked if this happens often and he said it sometimes does, but not often.

Mind you, this place did not appear dirty, or run down. It is a very busy nail salon in the middle of a upper class neighborhood. Im just saying, this place was probably one of the nicer ones out there and this can happen anywhere!

I told the man I was not looking to have them pay any medical bills or anything like that, but I wanted him to know it happened at his salon and he needed to have a more sanitary cleaning process in place. He assured me he would speak with all his employees about the importance of cleaning all instruments. I was satisfied with that knowing it was all I could do at the time. (although I did have some random thoughts of picketing his place of business, going in and passing out flyer's with a picture of my nail to all the customers getting theirs done, and other more anger driven responses~lol)

After that I put a call in to my Uncle Don, he's a podiatrist and I knew he would be able to call me in a script. He knew exactly what I was talking about. There is a medical name for it, and can happen for various reasons to finger and toe cuticles. Basically a cuticle infection...One way it can happen is from dirty instruments at a nail salon.

Moral of the story….

*Take you own instruments when you go get a manicure or pedicure. Or don't go at all and just do it yourself at home*

I am hoping it grows in normal, but if it doesn't I'm OK with it ..shit happens I guess. I'm just thankful the infection didn't go systemic and that my daughter didn't experience it.

fun pics!

march 2014 update

So, I haven't been here in a while and I have been thinking about checking in for a few days now. I keep having the thoughts "oohh I should blog about this, or that".. So, here I am and I just want to give an update on us. Joe is going on a motorcycle trip through Central America here soon, and so it will be just the kids and I for a while. At first I was a little nervous to be with the kids by myself for so many weeks without the help of family, but Im good with it now and know it will be all good. My kids are awesome and I love being with them everyday so that helps:)

The weather here has been a little rainy and cold(er) lately. I like waking up and wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts. Its all nice and cozy. I get my tea going, breakfast for the little girl and we snuggle under covers for a while before starting our day. We do miss going to the beach in the hot sun, but I am appreciative of the milder weather and loving every minute of it. I did stop at a great beach today for kids and we swam for a bit. The sun was shining and it felt great to get in the ocean. I feel so blessed to live where I do and encourage anyone who has ever contemplated moving some place tropical, to do so. Its not for everyone, but it sure is for me!!

I have been doing something new which I absolutely love and don't ever want to go without again…every night I go into my room and for like 30-45 minutes I do some yoga stretches and then I meditate. At first I just did some short guided meditations on you tube, and now Im up to doing 20-30 min ones. I really love it and feel it has helped me to be more relaxed and trusting of my life. I don't let things get me stressed or let the fears and anxiety take over anymore like I used to. When that starts to happen I am now able to stop the negative thoughts and ground myself back to that peaceful, loving state. Its amazing!

~~I guess thats all for now~~

Ask, believe, be patient and you will receive

I got a random e-mail yesterday from this blogger lady Kris Karr. I usually just erase the emails I get from her, but this one I started reading for some reason. It led me to read the whole blog entry which discussed something cool that happened to her and she wanted to share. She had been reading a book about the power of our thoughts and how if we start to think about and express what we WANT in life instead of what we don't want, we will see miracles happen. The book had an exercise where it asked the reader to pick some they wanted to happen to them in the next 48 hours, ask for it and then wait to receive it. She made a request and of course it was granted. I decided to try it out. I decided that within the next 48 hours I wanted to be the recipient of a random act of kindness. I asked for it to happen, believed it would, and it did! On the second day, I was walking into the grocery store with my daughter and a woman stopped us and said "here this is for you", it was a beautiful red hibiscus flower. Hallie was too shy to take it so I did. Immediately, I was like, "that was kind of random"..then I remembered my wish and smiled the rest of my grocery trip knowing that it really does work! We can literally create what we want for our lives by our thoughts. Its a pretty deep concept and most can't wrap their minds around it, but once you do, your life will change for the better. There will be less stressful moments, and more moments of gratitude. You will start to see the good in every situation in life! You will start to feel as if your in the "flow" of all good things! Its amazing to have this gift and know that it is real. I feel very blessed to be where I am at in life and I Thank God everyday for the blessings I have manifested and received in my life.

Here is a picture of me with the beautiful red hibiscus that was given to me. So pretty!

"NO GMO"

So lately there has been a ton of hype regarding an issue which I feel is of upmost importance to every singe person alive.

GMO"S (genetically modified organisms)

I have so much to say on this topic, but I am going to try and say what I want to in a "nutshell", an organic non-GMO nutshell..lol

Ok so, I am not an expert on this topic and do not claim to be. I have not sat down and done tons of research on GMO's, but I have read a shit ton of articles in the last few years on the subject, and will be basing my knowledge off of what I have learned and retained.

GMO's are genetically modified organisms, which in essence means it was made in a lab. For instance, they take corn which is genetically modified as a seed, they grow it in mass quantities and for cheap, they harvest it, use it to make harmful ingredients such as corn syrup, then they put corn syrup in almost everything you see in the grocery store today.

I remember back in my high school days (in the 90's), hearing that "they" (scientist) might have come up with a way to clone a sheep. Do you remember hearing that?

The chatter among people I was around at the time was something like "hey did you hear they might be able to clone a sheep now"? "Really whats that mean"? "Oh, that means they replicate the exact sheep, DNA and all, to reproduce another sheep just like it"? "ooohhhh.....hmmm I'm not sure I agree with that". "Yeah me either, its kinda weird", "Yeah, can you imagine if they cloned ME" "haha yeah that would be funny"..............

Moved on and didn't think much about sheep cloning after that convo.

Looking back, the messed up part is at that exact moment, when I am hearing rumors about sheep cloning, and being introduced to the facts of science possibly becoming too big for itself, what I did not know or realize was that I, and everyone else I knew, was actually EATING and DRINKING products of whom's ingredients were made in a lab!

In essence, I have been raised on food that was made in a lab, by scientist, with chemicals...CLONED FOOD!

And what really sucks is that now almost everything is GMO!

Over 80% of processed foods are GMO, not to mention the cotton we wear, the lotion and soaps we use.

From what I have learned, in most developed countries, they either have strict restrictions or a complete ban on all GMO products because they are thought to be unsafe and cause a lot of health issues, as well as environmental.


Fast forward 10-15 years from my high school days, and the conversations are now like this....

"Man, its so weird how there is so much disease now days", "Yeah, I know, its crazy"!, "I wonder where all this cancer and shit is coming from"?, "who knows..could be something in our food, could be something in the environment, could be, could be, could be...who knows" ........ all the while not even knowing that the food we were eating WAS and IS a huge cause of disease, cancer and sickness.

There are of course other factors in people getting sick, but I have come to the conclusion that what we put in our bodies is going to effect it. Positive or negative..it matters. Food does matter.

So, here we are in the year 2013, and people of America are finally starting to WAKE UP!

We are becoming more aware, informed, and educated on important topics some of us were never even aware of.  Its awesome! And feels amazing!!

I now choose to eat organic, non-GMO foods which have made me feel tons better and get sick less often.

I was once unaware of the corruption going on around me, the lies being sold to my kids and I, and the effects that it had on our whole entire world.

I was not aware that eating McDonalds, Cheerios, Rice Chex, Lunchables, potato chips and goldfish could actually be dramatically increasing my family and I's chances of getting cancer or other disease. I did not know.

I knew it was unhealthy and could make me fat, but I did not know that it was and still is, causing cancer and disease in not only humans, but animals too.

Have you noticed how many dogs die of cancer these days?

Did you know that lab rats fed GMO's grew humongous cancerous tumors?

I did not know that the chemicals used to make the ingredients, the dyes and other harmful additives to my food was reeking havoc on my body and the body of my child.

Well now I do.

I now understand that what I put in my mouth is very important and is a choice that I need to mindfully make everyday.

I now know that food dyes and GMO's are proven to cause behavior problems in children.

How sad is that? That we parents uknowingly feed kids food which will biologically mess them up enough to cause behavior problems.

Its unfair.

I really feel like we have all been duped.

I get that we could have and should have been more aware and responsible for researching and knowing what what being put into our food, and bodies..but, I just feel like it was kind of done in a sneaky, shady fashion and that my parents, nor Grandparents were properly informed about these ingredients, the potential side effects and long term effects.

So what can we do to help repair our damaged food system?

First and foremost, try your best to start thinking about the foods you buy and eat.

Shop local and organic.

Look for the green and white "USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC" label on the foods you buy. Next time your in a grocery store, go to the "health food isle" and just browse. If you see something interesting, get it and try something new!

Grow your own food, but try and make sure your seeds are non-GMO.

Buy organic meats. Or buy meat from a local farmer if possible. That way you know that the cows, pigs and chickens your eating were not fed GMO food and do not have antibiotics and hormones in it, which non-organic meat is full of. (gross right?)

Another thing you can do is contact your local legislature and let them know you want GMO's LABELED.

As of right now there is no law stating that these companies who manufacture these products have to label them as GMO, and therefore they choose NOT TO LABEL them.

If they had confidence in their product, then why not label them?

This not labeling GMO's is a part of the reason why so many Americans are still not even aware of the dangers of feeding these foods to their family.

You may think its alot to take on at once, and there will be a hundred different excuses why you cannot do it..but think about this..cancer is expensive, it takes up alot of your time, it effects your family, its painful and can actually kill you. 

Its all baby steps in starting to live a more natural, healthier lifestyle, but every step is worth it for the long-term health of you and your family.

If you would like to learn more about Genetically Modified Foods, google it:) read about  Monsanto...they are evil. Do not believe a word they say. Its all about the money for them. Watch the documentary Food Inc, or  Food Matters. Or click on the link below...

http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/

Once we are all better informed, we can start to make the necessary changes to live longer, happier and hopefully disease free!

Sudden trip

(started to write this back in July)
Well, we have left the Garden Isle, and returned to the Land of Oz!! I have been saying for a few months now that I wanted to go back to KC for Hallie's 3rd birthday, not knowing I would be coming back on different terms. I hadn't booked a ticket, when I got a call that my Dad had fallen on his afternoon walk, and was in the hospital. All I knew was he couldn't feel his legs. Talk about feeling FAR AWAY FROM HOME!! At that moment, all I wanted to do was be there with my family, hear the doctors speak, and find out the expected outcome of my Dad's condition. My girlfriend from high school had just gotten to Hawaii to visit for a week. So, its not like I could just jump on a plane and go. When I found out that my Dad had hurt his neck, was going to need surgery, but was expected to recover nicely..I decided to wait and fly back with my friend 5 days later. Being the only girl in the family, with 4 brothers, I have always been very involved in my parents medical care and I'm the "go to" person when there is a family issue. It was hard for me to not be that person, but allowing my brothers to be there for my parents felt awesome. I have to say, they have all impressed me with their loving and supportive nature. My oldest brother, Casey, has power of attorney over my Dad's medical care, which takes a great strain off my Mom. Casey knows my Dad very well, and knows what he would want. Kelly, Zach and Chase have all been visiting and helping whenever possible. When I arrived in KC, I picked up my car and headed to the rehab hospital where my Dad is at. It was very hard to see him in the state he was. The first few days were the worst because he was just so confused, defiant and not understanding the severity of the accident. For him to heal, his mental state had to improve. Finally, over about a two week period, it slowly got better and better. He started walking with a walker and feeding himself with the use of an assisted device.

UPDATE: My Mom, brothers and I have all been there as much as we can and are doing everything possible to help him improve. I am back in Hawaii so I can only do so much, but I do call my Mom alot to talk and see how things are going. We got them a patio furniture set for their birthday's, which they have been thoroughly enjoying. Thankfully I can say he has come a very long way in the last 2 1/2  months. It is crazy how life can turn around in a second. I trust that everything that happens is supposed to happen, and there is always good in the (seemingly) bad. This accident is going to allow my Dad to slow down in life, appreciate his family and friends, and live happy and healthy for hopefully another 30+ years. God sure does have a way of working things out. It has been shown to me numerous times over the past few years. My prayers have been answered in so many ways and I just know that things will all work out with my Dad. My brother took over my his Chiropractic office and is loving it! I miss my parents everyday, but I am so thankful they are both here to Skype and talk to anytime I want  <3

Our new home away from home..

Dang! Here I thought I was going to keep up with my blog, and its been since May that I last posted.

So much has been going on. We bought our very first home on Kauai!! It has been taking up most of our time, I will get to that in a minute. Leading up to finding this wonderful piece of property...Joe and I had thrown around the idea of buying a home here. We love it and he is committed to his job here for a few years, at the least. So, a few months prior to us finding this house, we would randomly go look at houses that came on the market in our price range, both for fun and with the thought that if the right house comes along, we might want to buy. Well, Joe brought me to a house and told me to try and "look past all the crap".. Well, that meant look past all the trash, birds, dogs, nasty everything!! I was not completely sold on the home, although I did see the potential right away. The one thing I wanted to think long and hard about was the location. It is not on our ideal side of the island (or so we thought our ideal was). We went back a few weeks later to view the house again. After many discussions, we decided to put in an offer! Long story short, they accepted our offer and we closed on the house in May 2013!

We had all our stuff from the mainland shipped over here to our small piece of paradise in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. After months of construction on the house, we finally are moved in! We have not unpacked all of our boxes, but that will come in time. We had the interior painted,  hardwood floors put in and our kitchen cabinets painted GREEN, which I am in love with. I feel we have done a pretty good job manifesting all the things we dream of having in life! About a year ago, I made a list of things we wanted in our future..I found that list a few days ago and probably half of them were crossed off or in the near future going to be crossed off. We have our home, on land, with an outside shower, room for a porch swing, ocean view, and bigger space than we have been living in. We have yet to cross of the garden, but I am pleased to say we have plans for a kick ass garden and also we have fruit trees already on the property which we are giving some extra special love to in the hopes of getting better fruit from them. I have always made lists of the things I want to have or acquire in the future, and I love looking back at those list and seeing that they have come to fruition. It is proof that we really are capable of anything we set our minds to. What we think about comes about, so think good thoughts. I am looking forward to our future here as a family. The kids have a wonderful piece of land to call home the most beautiful island in the world. What a blessing it is. I am excited to see what the future brings us. I foresee our yard becoming full of yummy fruits and veggies, a swing-set, motorcycle track, my parents and other visitors coming out and maybe another little keiki running around in cloth diapers:) lol That one is a shot in the dark as I think my husband would agree we have our hands full right now, but in my heart I see it and believe it, and therefore I embrace it.