CRASH.........boom, bang

If you have been keeping with this ole blog here, you will know that I went to the doctor recently and she told me that I needed to cut back on my artificial sugar and aspartame. Well, I have done, just that. I have cut back from 4 or 5 Diet Mountain Dews a day to one and a half. Talk about SHOCKER!!!!!!

I could not for the life of me figure out why everyday when I get home from work, I would just CRASH, I mean knocked completely out, until about 8:00 p.m. I mean, I haven't done that since I was first diagnosed in "04.  Then, it hit me...I am coming off of artificial sugar. So, what does everybody do when they don't know what it going on, I googled it!!!! Sure enough, that was it and I was going about coming off of it all wrong. Instead of cutting back from 4 a day to 1 a day, I should be cutting back to 3 a day for a week, 2 a day the next week, and so on and so forth!!! Boy, am I glad I found that out!!! Maybe I will be able to enjoy my family tonight instead of sleeping!!!

Wishing you a pain free and happy Wednesday!!!


Cheers!
Tiffany

OOTD

(Disclaimer: Sorry it's so dark. My overhead light is out in my bedroom :))

Sweater: Boutique in Auburn

Belt: Target

Pants: Kohls

Boots: Belk

Necklace: Can't remember

I need ENERGY!!!!!!

I am having one of those mornings where I need energy!!! I take a B complex vitamin and a D3 vitamin. Those were recommended by one of my doctors to take for energy. I have also heard of a drink called Spark that several people that I know of that are doing the Advocare cleanse are drinking. What do you do for energy?? I hope to goodness that you all have some great ideas of what to try, because come about 1:00, I am ready to lay across my desk and take about a two hour nap. I also get in such a bad mood!!! I am the she devil!!! I call that person Tiffaker...lol!!!!

I hope you all have a pain free day that is full of life and energy!!!

Last, but not least the OOTD and a picture of my princess!!

Cheers!
Tiffany

My princes!!!!

Shirt: Wet Seal (old)

Pants: Belk

Necklace: Forever 21

Earrings: I don't remember :)

Weekend Photo Dump

I have had a super busy weekend!!!

 First of all Em J and I learned to grind our own coffee at Sam's.....Yes, we didn't know how!!!!

 She's the best!!!! Please notice that she doesn't have any shoes on!!! She went around all night like this...Teaching in high heels takes a toll on you  :)

 She found this awesome apron at Target on the 70% off clearance rack and it matched her kitchen, so she just had to wear it around the store to decide if she wanted it or not..lol. She also liked this shower curtain and wanted me to take a picture of it!!!!

 This is my favorite purchase of the weekend!!! I am "girlifying" my house and I found this awesome bench at TJ Maxx!!! I loved it so much after I got it home, that I went back and bought the other one!!! So, now I have 2!!!

 I love this man!!! Our local high school pageant was this weekend and my Daddy was the Emcee (sp?) Isn't he handsome?!?!?!?! 

I also, received my pill bag from Despite Lupus!! It is Wonderful!!!! It holds 6 pill bottles and even has room for more!! I loaded it up and it goes with me everywhere. Go to despitelupus.com and pick you one up!!!!

And finally the OOTD!!!!! 

Shirt: Marshalls

Pants: Target

Shoes: Target

Watch: Fossil

Necklace: Forever 21 and the monogrammed one was a gift from the hubs.

Bracelets: Brighton and Forever 21. I also wear 2 awareness bracelets: Lupus Awareness and Praying for Gabbi.

Happy Monday!!! I will catch you lupies tomorrow!!!

Cheers!

Tiffany

"Gotcha"

I, like many other young women with lupus, struggled with the decision if I should try to have a baby. Well, after much consideration, the hubs and I thought we would "try" to have a baby. The months came and went, but there was no baby made.

We were surprisingly calm about it and just went about our normal, everyday, life. I went for my check-up at the OBGYN and discussed my options with her. My mother went with me to this appointment because we were even discussing her as being a surrogate. The doctor recommended that I go see a fetal specialist at UAB. We made an appointment and off we went.

The second the doctor walks in and in huge red letters on the cover of my file read "HIGH RISK" I looked at the hubs and we were both like, OH MY!!!!

After a long discussion with the specialist, she told us that she couldn't tell us we shouldn't, and that she couldn't tell us we couldn't, but she wanted us to understand the risks to myself as well as the baby. We said we would give it another 6 months and if it was meant to be, it will be.

Long story short, we do not biologically have a child of our own. However, we do have a beautiful daughter that we adopted at a year old. She is perfect and couldn't be anymore ours than if I had birthed her myself.

We brought her home one year ago today. So, we refer to this day as her "Gotcha Day." We celebrate it as her special day. She gets to pick dinner and the hubs even brought her flowers.

Happy "Gotcha" Day to my princess!'

No naps......What the???????

So, I went to the doc today for a follow up on some new meds she put me on for my lupus fog. Bottom line....meds are working great; sleep-yeah, not so much!!! I discussed with her how I feel like I crash right after lunch and she said I needed to cut back on the artificial sweeteners. Soooooo, you know what that means???? I have to cut back on the Diet Mountain Dew!!!!!! What!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can have fully leaded soft drinks all I want, just not Diet!!! She also suggested that my protein may be low and suggested that I drink a protein shake in the mornings and eating frequent snacks. All of that I can handle, but then she dropped the bomb. She said, try not napping during the day. Has she met me??? I live to nap!!!! I will make no guarantees, but I will try if she thinks it will help!!!

What do you do to get over that time of the day when you "crash", and how do you feel about the "no nap" idea? I'm not going to lie...I am kinda nervous...

Have a great night lupies

~Tiffany~

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

I have been writing about the negative effects of lupus and what it has been doing to me, and that is no fun. So, I thought I would share with you a few of my favorite things that I look forward to and have made me happy this month.

Shall we begin:

 This is Phoebe girl!!! She is my first born and will be 8 in May. She is always by my side!!!

 I love the fact that my students are so passionate to find a cure for cancer. We support a young girl by the name of Gabbi and hope she will be cancer free and well soon.

 M & M's are my saving grace about 1:00!! As you can see I was out, but I can promise you that it was re-filled the next day :)

 My foundation primer!! It smooths out my face and makes my pores not to look like sink holes. This is a sample, but I will be buying the full size as soon as I run out of this.

 My Christmas turned Valentine's Day tree!! The kids love seeing the tree and the way it lights up the room during out power point presentations.

 My birthday was the 11th and I had happys waiting on me when I got to work!! P.S. I have the best hubs ever!!

 I know I have posted about this before, but I just can't get enough of it!! I tried some Clinique this past weekend, and I think I may try their BB Cream when I run out of this. I will keep you updated. I just don' t know of anything that can cover my butterfly rash better than this!!!

 My princess's birthday tea-party!!! What a great day to celebrate her turning 5!!!

 This picture sums it all up!! I am in love and cannot go a day without my apple devices, Diet Mountain Dews, and if I could, I would wear my red high heels every day!!!!!

 I have been noticing a few fine lines and "jiggly" eye lids lately. I didn't think that I wouldn't need age defying face products at 32, but the more research I have done, the more I have learned it is never too early to start. So, I bought a sample from Sephora of the Philosophy brand and it made my skin feel unbelievable!!! So, I bought the full size. I hope it last me a few months, because this stuff about broke the bank....lol!!!

 If you haven't figured out yet, that I am a sample junk, well I am. I got this sample of Benefit's They're Real mascara and OMG!!!!! It is amaze man!!!!!! Cut my time that I take to put on mascara in half!!!

 Once again another sample, that when I run out I will buying the full size. It is Benefit's What's Up highlighter. It is a small tube that takes the place of a highlighting powder under your eye brows!! It brightens up your eyes like a light bulb!!

 My new monogrammed lifeproof case!! It came from Boutique Me and I had it within a week of placing my order....love, love, love it!!!

And finally, the beginning of "girlifying" my house. I am beginning with the master bedroom/bathroom. The hubs is going away to medical school for 3 years, and it will just be my daughter and myself here. It is going to be drab enough without him here, I wanted a bright and happy home for us to come home to. This is my first purchase, a new new comforter and new throw pillows. I am going to be adding yellow and white chevron euro pillows to it as well. There will be more on this later!!

I hope I haven't bored your too much with some of my favorite things....but these a few of the things that make me happy, look forward to, and help me make it through my life with lupus!!!

What makes you happy?

Have a great week lupies!!!

~Tiffany~

Attention all the lupus ladies

Doesn't that make you start singing "All the Single Ladies"???? Haha!!!!

Just curious.....when I apply my concealer in the a.m. it burns my butterfly rash like crazy!!! This is even after I have put on my primer and BB cream. I use MAC concealer. Do the make up products you use burn your face and if not, what do you use?

Now on the birthday party update...It was wonderful!!!! I knew I wouldn't feel like or have the energy to do the party myself, so the hubs and I hired a children's shop to have a princess tea party for her in their shop. They did fabulous!!!! We had cake and cookies on China, and then the girls got makeovers!!!! It was so much fun, and to be honest, it was not that more expensive than if I had done it myself!!! For sure the way to go!!!!

Just a heads up....when this little ole blog reaches 25 followers, I will be having a give away of one of my favorite things!!! Stay turned for a blog of some of my favorite things!!!

Here is a picture of the princess and myself right before her party!!! As always, follow me on twitter @tiffanyfaith and on Instagram @tiffanyadonnan. Happy Thursday lupies!!!!