Liebster Award

I can't believe it's already that time of year again! My friend PackerFan4Life nominated me for the Liebster Award!

The Liebster Award is passed along from blogger to blogger in a way to recognize bloggers with less than 200 followers and get to know one another better. Each blogger answers 11 questions, tells 11 random facts about themselves, nominates other bloggers and poses questions to the nominees. So let's get started!

Questions posed to my by Packer:

1. What is your favorite thing about your life right now?

I would have to say that I  am self employed. It is difficult because everything falls on me but it is rewarding because when we are doing well, it's all because of my hard work and that is very satisfying. Plus I work from home!

2. When you're having a bad day, what is the one thing that is guaranteed to lift your spirits?

My animals! They are so sweet and loving and I always know that when I am having a bad day I can just snuggle up with one of the dogs on the couch and they will give me love and comfort. Tully isn't very cuddly, but she's always good for a laugh when she runs and trips over her feet or frolics around chasing bees or butterflies :)

3.What is your main purpose in blogging?

At first it was just to keep a timeline of events. After a while, it evolved into a way to try and stamp out the stigma that surrounds IF. I also use my blog to provide information on different supplements people can use in conjunction with treatment.

4. What is your favorite book?

My all time favorite is Tess of the D'Urberville's by Thomas Hardy. I had to read it in college and fell in love with it. It was one of the required reads that I read in two days (I barely slept) because I found it so interesting.

5. What is the last thing you bought for yourself?

Burt's Bees shampoo and conditioner, face wash and night cream! I threw away all of my products containing phthalates and parabens and have been slowly replacing them. Btw, their face  wash smells so good, I want to eat it!

6. If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

I would go to Ireland. My grandparents were born there and came to the US when they were young so I still have family living there. I would love to go meet them and see my country of origin :)

7. You have 20 extra minutes before work, what do you do?

I go on FB to check in with my IDOB ladies and of course hit up GBCB on proboards!

8. What is your favorite animal?

Sloths. Definitely sloths. I want one badly!

9. What is your best trait?

My eyes. They are blue, green and orange (around my pupil) and I think they are stunning!

10. We all have them, what bad habit can you not seem to quit?

I bite my nails. I used to bite them down to nubs but I have gotten a lot better and they are actually pretty long but when they get too long, I bite them down rather than getting nail clippers. DH hates it!

11. If you could push through any political reform, what would it be?

I would push through the mandate that requires insurance companies, in all states, to cover treatment for IF, including IVF. I think it's ridiculous to pay over a thousand dollars a month for insurance that doesn't cover the one illness that I and many others have.

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. I currently have 14 animals (dogs, cats, horses, goats and chickens)

2. DH and I got kicked off our local golf course for racing the golf carts.

3. I love brussel spouts and eat them at least one day a week.

4. I am obsessed with the snowman song from Frozen. I sing it all the time and have for months! I usually dance around when I sing so the puppy has associated the song with playing. When it comes on, she runs around and jumps up and down.

5. My favorite dinner is breakfast. I love a good scramble or some waffles for dinner and it's my go to when I don't really feel like cooking.

6. My original career choice was teaching. I have a master's degree in education and a teaching credential for high school English.

7. I lost 70 lbs three years ago and have kept all the weight off.

8. I like to dye my hair funky colors. I started going grey when I was 25 and since then have died my hair every "natural" color there is and have even died it purple and blue.

9. I really want a pig as a pet but DH won't let me :(

10. I grew up in the city (SF Bay Area) but have always been a country girl at heart. We now live on 24 acres in the Sierra National Forrest.

11. I'm a prepper!

And the nominees are:

1. ttuprincess

2. Naria Dreaming

3. megrae1225

Packer nominated the other people I would have chosen!

Questions for the nominees

1. What is your dream career?

2. Who do you always turn to when you need support?

3. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

4. Big or small, if you could change one thing that is wrong with the world, what would you change?

5. Who is your hero?

6. What is one thing/person that has had the most influence on your life?

7. What is your favorite food?

8. What was your favorite thing to do as a child (trips, games, activities, etc.)?

9. Would you rather read a book or watch a movie/tv show?

10. What is the most exciting or out of the ordinary thing you have done?

11. If you could travel to any place in the world, where would it be and why?

Healthy Eggies

Lately I have been making some big changes in my life to help my body produce better eggs. I figure that while we are saving for IVF, I need to do something and I definitely want to go into our first IVF cycle knowing that I did everything I could to contribute to a successful outcome. This all began when I read, "It Starts with the Egg." There were tons of things I didn't know about egg development and I am thankful the book was recommended to me by a friend.

Since reading the book, we have eliminated all plastic cups and food storage containers, changed all of our cleaning products, changed all of our personal care products including makeup, soap, shampoo and deodorant and changed our diet. I'm also taking the right kind of CoQ10 in addition to my PNVs and Pregnitude.

Overall, the changes haven't been too hard, changing our diet meant learning a lot of new recipes but that is actually fun. The only real challenge I have had is with Shampoo. I went super crunchy and in an attempt to save money, I bought castille soap online and made my own shampoo. I do not recommend this. My hair was ok after the first washing and I figured it wasn't a big deal. I could handle it. I could not. After the second washing, my hair felt coated in wax. By the third washing, it was a waxy tangled mess. If I had short hair, I could probably get away with it but my hair is very long, down to the middle of my back long and my castile soap shampoo was not gonna work. So, I ordered some Burt's Bees shampoo and it is much better. My mom promised me some honest company stuff for my birthday too so I'll have that as an alternative.

I'm on my way to making good eggies for IVF. Even if these changes don't make a huge difference, at least I'll know I did everything I could!

Still Here!

I know it may not seem like it, but I am still here! It's hard to update an IF blog when nothing is going on. DH and I are still trying for a miracle and saving up in the meantime. We have had a lot going on with the puppies and family visits and drama with his side of the family so I have only been online to do work and keep up with TB and IDOB.

I just finally finished reading "It Starts with the Egg" and boy am I in for some lifestyle changes! DH and I eliminated all of the plastic in our kitchen and I (begrudgingly) parted with all of my makeup and hair care products. I am massively guilty of making a completely processed food full dinner one day a week so we are eliminating that as well. Our monthly grocery trip is going to be very different. Since DH is allergic to fresh fruit and veggies, it will be hard to try and make separate dishes for each of us for dinner, but I am going to try. Shampoos without all the bad stuff are expensive and we are on a strict budget so I am going to attempt to make my own shampoo this weekend. It can't be that hard, right? I already make my own soap so shampoo can't be that hard. We shall see how it goes. It kinda makes me feel like a "crunchy" but whatevs! 

The puppies are eight weeks old and ready to go to their new homes! It's crazy to think it's been eight weeks already. Two pups left on Wednesday and all but one will leave this weekend. Part of me is SO ready for them to go because they are so much work and part of me wants to keep them all! I will definitely miss their sweet little faces.

Here is one of the boys:

Excuse the non-IF related tirade I am about to go on, lately I have had a lot to process with DH's family and I just need to get it out. Feel free to skip it!

DH's family is a mess. Remember the meth addict SIL? Well her fiance got arrested on NYE for possession and driving while intoxicated. I don't like to make assumptions and usually give people the benefit of the doubt, but in this case I will not. If he is using again, so is she and it's unacceptable. I've never met an addict who can have someone living with them, who is using and not use themselves. I will never understand how it is that she can have kids (two amazing, wonderful kids) and I can't. I feel like I am a good person, I always try to do the right thing. What is wrong with the universe that allows such terrible people to be parents?

DH's dad (adoptive) is a terrible person. Terrible. We found out some facts about his past that are truly stomach turning and we want no part of him in our lives. We have long known that he had an affair when DH's mom and dad were first married. What we didn't know is that the so-called affair was actually him molesting a young student while he was a pastor/teacher. We also found out that he is suing us for property that we own that he lived on. Who does that?

I feel bad that I don't feel bad that I told DH that we are done with his family. Finished. I do not want to speak to them, see them or have them near either of us. They are truly poisonous people and I cannot have people who behave the way that they do, in my life. I have an extremely long fuse. I am patient and forgiving and for 14 years I have continued to allow these people into our lives and home, regardless of their transgressions, but his sister's drug abuse and dad's disgusting behaviors are not something I can continue to tolerate. The only thing I do feel bad about is the fact that he keeps apologizing for me having married into the mess. I jokingly said, once, that if I had only known... but have since changed my response to, but then I wouldn't be with you. I hope it gives him some solace to know that I don't blame him, he was adopted into the mess!

I hate to play to comparison game (my family is better than yours) but really? I thought my family was a little BSC. I had no idea what a BSC family really was.

So that is what's going on in these parts! Not much on the IF front but we'll get there eventually!