4 Things.

 

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I am longing for spring!  It's hard to believe that it is "spring" because it sure still feels like winter.  Hopefully the above picture will remind you that we won't have to don our down parkas for too much longer....

-Being a bit cooped up for recovery from surgery over the last few weeks, has given me a serious case of wanderlust.  Oahu, Hawaii looks like an amazing place to visit!
-This Crepe Paper Pom Pom Garland looks easy and so festive!  Would be perfect for any spring or summer party.  Perhaps if you're hosting Easter brunch?
-Since I have grass allergies, perhaps this isn't the best thing for me to grow in my home, but I love the way these wheatgrass planters look.
-I may not be in my 20s any longer, but I promise that no matter your age, this list of 19 Things to Stop Doing In Your 20s will make you think. 
(And one bonus link, since evidently I can't count...  And it's a good one!)
-Planning to dye some eggs?  Here's my favorite way to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs.

4 Things.

This is new to me.  Have I been living under a rock?  I just realized that you can watch instant videos on Amazon.com.  I discovered this by being disappointed by the selection of movies at my local redbox, realizing that my cable wasn't hooked up correctly for "on demand" movies and being frustrated by the slow download time on iTunes.  The rentals really are instant and less expensive than on iTunes!  Oh, technology.  You never cease to amaze me.

Kate Spade is launching an affordable clothing line called Saturday! 

Tina Fey's secret to success, "Say yes, and you'll figure it out afterward."

And finally, did you know that Easter is March 31?  Right around the corner!  Take a look at a few Easter craft round ups found: here , here and here.

My Convalescence.

And just like that, I find myself at the end of medical leave.  A lot of people have asked me what I've done during my time off. The short answer: sleep. That first week was really hard. I didn't know what to expect and it was definitely much harder than I would have imagined.  I was in a lot of pain (5 hours of laproscopic surgery makes your abdomen very sore).  After I was released from the hospital, I basically slept and read back issues of Better Homes and Gardens for the first three days.  In between walks around my grandma's house.  That's one thing I definitely didn't expect.  They insist that you walk A LOT post surgery.  (In fact, they had me up and walking probably an hour after I woke up after surgery.)  It keeps you from getting blood clots and fluid in your lungs and helps your systems get back to working again.  It was really cold that week, so I couldn't go outside.  So, I did laps up and down the hallway and up and down the stairs.  (Then I needed a nap.)   After that, I started to come out of the fog a little.  But still slept a lot.  I think my body was just taking time to heal.  I didn't like it one bit, all of that sleep is really not like me.  Sometimes, you just have to listen to your body and try not to feel like a complete sloth for sleeping for a 12 hour stretch then needing a 3 hour nap in the afternoon.  I am happy to report that those days are now behind me.  Finally, by Thursday morning, the pain had subsided a lot, I really felt more like myself and I officially started to feel pretty bored.  The fact that it took me almost two weeks to feel bored is truly a testament to how much I needed this time to recover.  Thank goodness this whole ordeal is over.  I had my post-op visit with my doctor just this afternoon and can return to work on Monday, a whole week earlier than expected.  I am so thankful for my quick recovery and especially for my heath! 

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But since there was quite a bit of downtime, I did watch quite a bit of TV and a few movies. 
-I watched almost the entire series (thus far) of Elementary on CBS.  Such a good show!  I had been DVRing the series but hadn't had time to watch yet.  I highly recommend it!
-I watched "Letters to Juliet", from ABC Family that I had also DVRed.  Certainly not an academy award winner.  In fact, a completely and totally predictable plot and screenplay.  But a good light hearted romantic comedy.  The perfect thing to watch while cooped up inside. The cinematography was unbelievable.  I must find a way to get to Tuscany.
-I also watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  It's based on a novel of the same name by Stephen Chbosky (he also wrote the screenplay).  It's about kids in high school in the early 90's.  (Not unlike me.)  They went to the Rocky Horror Picture show.  They exchanged mix tapes.  Ahh, the humble mix tape.  Those were the days.  There were some great quotes in this movie.  "You see things and you understand; that's a perk of being a wallflower."  "We can't chose where we come from but we can choose where we go from there."  This was a great movie although a bit dark and a little sad.

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When I wasn't sleeping or watching TV, I was reading.
-I read lots of magazines.  (I think I was given 5 different ones.)  I adore magazines and happily read them cover to cover.  It was the perfect thing to read between naps.
-I also read "Hearburn" by Nora Ephron.  I had watched and loved all of her movies but had not read any of her books.  This book was written in 1983.  Apparently it was adapted for the screen, although I haven't seen the movie.  It was also a precursor to her Academy Award winning screenplay and one of my favorite movies of all time "When Harry Met Sally."  I even recognized a few lines from the movie in this book.  And it's sort of fun to read a book where someone types on a typewriter.  This book was just like Ephron's screenplays, funny, sad and true.  Here's an article from the Huffington Post where the late Ephron discussed her divorce and writing Heartburn.
-I have started reading "Paris in Love: A Memior" by Eloisa James.  I think that memoirs may be my favorite book genre and this one has not disappointed me one bit!  It's about a women who sells everything (after her recovery from breast cancer) and moves with her family to Paris for a year.  I'm only about half way through, but I highly recommend this memoir!  (And I must get to Paris.  Apparently recovery has given me a serious case of wanderlust.)

I also had my fill of crafting.  Months ago, I purchased this embroidery pattern from Pam Garrison's etsy shop.  It's a rather intricate design, so I've only almost made it through the script in the center.  I only hope that I keep at it when I return to work! 
I also made (and promptly forgot to photograph) a set of Olliblocks for a friend's baby shower that I sadly cannot attend.  Before my surgery, I took the downloaded file to a print shop to have printed onto good paper with a laser print (a home printer would not have stood up to the decoupage process).  I had also previously ordered the actual blocks on line.  So all I had to do was cut up the papers and decoupage onto the blocks.  It took a little while for the glue to dry between layers but it was very simple!  I can't wait to see these stacked on a bookcase in her nursery!

As I told my doctor today, I feel better today than the day before my surgery.  I honestly didn't realize how horrible I had felt and how much pain I was in before surgery until just a few days ago.  I am so happy to have all of this behind me.  A big thank you for all of my friends and family support during this ordeal.   I hope for this blog to return to regularly scheduled programming next week!

Preparing Food for Recovery from Surgery & Freezer Meals

In preparation for recovery from surgery (I was told that I would be home from work for about 3 weeks), I did quite a bit of cooking and freezing.  I was told that I would not feel like cooking (or cleaning, although who ever feels like cleaning) and that I should have a few meals in the bag.  I avoid most traditional frozen foods because of my allergies to preservatives (except for frozen foods from Trade Joe's and plain frozen vegetables, those are safe for me to eat).  Therefore, had to make my own.  I knew I had to make meals that were low-fat (for general health reasons and because I no longer have a gallbladder), high fiber and high in protein.  I still don't have much of an appetite or much energy and am so thankful that I had the forethought to plan ahead.  I made two different soups and two main dishes. I also was taken to the grocery store before coming home where I picked up skim milk, whole wheat bread, raw vegetables and a roast chicken (you can eat off of one of those for days!!).  I had cereal and lots of fruit (my mother sent me a fruit basket) as well as some shelf stable snacks at home. 
Here are the recipes that I made to freeze:
Honey Garlic Chicken  I'll make some rice in my rice cooker and frozen broccoli to serve with this. 
Shepard's Pie  This recipe even lists "freezer directions."  I froze it in my 9" x 9" pyrex dish and can just pop it in the oven when ready to eat, after thawing.  (This is the first thing I defrosted and it is very good!  Lots of flavor!)
Slow Cooker Lentil Stew
Tortilla Soup  Inspired by this recipe.  I actually made this in my crock pot (those Midwestern roots run deep) and added chicken (high in protein). 
I also have frozen berries, frozen bananas, frozen spinach and pomegranate juice so that I can make smoothies.  I like these recipes from Whole Living Magazine. 
And while I try not to use these normally, I had a good supply of paper plates and plastic cups on hand.  No need to do dishes!

And finally, I am not great at drinking water.  I know, I know.  It's not that I don't, I just don't like it.  So while I do drink lots and lots of water, I also have lots of herbal tea bags on hand, bottles of Yumberry Pomegranate SoBe Lifewater, lime Perrier and San Pellegrino Limonata sparkling water.  Here's the recipe for my favorite mocktail.  It's pretty easy.  Fill a glass with ice, fill mostly with Blackberry Raspberry sparkling water and top with a splash Cran-Raspberry juice.  Delish!

What To Bring For A Surgical Hospital Stay (A Brief Story of My Recent Medical Issues.)

I'm home!  Where have I been?  Long story short, I had surgery, just one week ago.  I had two issues that needed to be addressed, gallstones and an ovarian cyst.  Does anyone really want to read my long story of medical diagnosis?  Probably not, but just in case someone out in the internet land can gain something from my experience...  In September I started having pain in my right abdomen, coupled with spotting.  After an ultrasound, I was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst.  But there was a good chance it was dermoid (very good chance that it was benign). There was some hope that it would just go away by itself.  Followed with a 2nd ultrasound as well as a CAT scan, only to find that it still remained.  The CAT scan also showed that I had lots of gallstones.   I have a family history of this issue so I wasn't too surprised.  And that also further explained the right abdominal pain.  After seeing quite a few doctors, I finally found two surgeons that were willing to work together to remove both my gallbladder and my ovarian cyst at the same time.  This is not the most common thing to do.  And I had to work with surgeons to coordinate the whole thing.  The greatest lesson I've learned through this whole ordeal is that you really have to be an advocate for your own health and to trust your instincts.  Really trust your instincts. I knew that the best thing for me was to have both surgeries at once and had to really beg my primary care physician for a referral to a general surgeon.  She was sort of taking the gallstones situation lightly.  But in the end, got in touch with the right surgeons, who provided me with the best care.  And am feeling better each and every day.  Since I don't live near my mother or sister, I was lucky enough to have my grandma and uncle take me in for a few days post surgery.  (They only live about 40 miles away.)  They took great care of me and I will be forever grateful for their kindness and care. 
And finally, for the practical part of this blog post.  Before I had surgery, I looked on line for some tips on what to take to the hospital.  (For full disclosure, I was originally told that I would have at least one night's stay in the hospital.  That's when I got these things together.  When the hospital coordinator contacted me, she told me that the surgery would be Out Patient, so I didn't actually bring these things with me to the hospital.  In the end, I was admitted and wished I would have brought my bag along.)  The only information I could find on line was for hospital stays for giving birth.  So, I thought I would share what I would have packed to bring along to the hospital, for a surgical stay.

 I don't believe that I have had any experience where people have told me what to expect more.  And let me start by saying that they have mostly been wrong.  Just know that your experience is your experience.  And don't believe everything that non-medical advisees tell you.  First of all, keep in mind that you aren't going to a hotel.  They might provide you with morphine, but not usually shampoo.  (At least this was my experience, your hospital may be different.)  I would suggest you bring the bare minimum toiletries.  Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, chapstick.  If you are a contact wearer like me, a glasses case for whoever comes with you to keep your glasses in.  (You can't wear contacts during surgery.)  Some reading material.  Just a couple of things.  You'll probably sleep that first night, but may feel up to some light reading in the morning.  If you're in for more than one night, you'll want to bring shampoo and body wash.  They did offer me towels.  Don't forget the flip flops.  You'll want them for the shower.  (I hate to say it, but hospitals are crawling with germs.  The bad stuff.  Like C-Diff.)  Also, bring your phone charger, a comfy going home outfit and extra underwear and socks.  (Don't bring valuables!  I was lucky enough to have a private room, but that may not always be the case.)  That should cover it.  Hope this helps!

4 Things.

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(Ok, I was wrong.  The Academy Awards aren't until February 24th.)   It's Oscar weekend!  My own personal Super Bowl.  I love fashion, movies and celebrities, so it's the perfect trifecta.  What are your Academy Award plans?

Here's a list of the nominees.  Have you seen any of the nominated movies?  I saw Les Misérables
I really want to see Silver Linings Playbook and Argo and might try to sneak one of them in this weekend.

Try this Oscar Ballot and Bingo Game from How About Orange.

I LOVE movies.  I'm particular about them, can't stand a bad one, but love a good one.  Here are 12 Movies to Look For that premiered at Sundance.  From Entertainment Weekly.

In the same vein, did you happen to see Before Sunrise and Before Sunset?  These romantic movies starred Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke.  I used to be obsessed with Before Sunrise, it definitely led me to have romantic notions about all things involving train travel and Europe.  In fact, I couldn't stop thinking about it during my recent European travel.  Unfortunately, I didn't have any romantic encounters. (I can't believe that movie came out in 1995!!)  There's a third movie in the series that premiered at Sundance, Before Midnight.  (Reviewed on A Cup of Jo.) I cannot wait to see it!

4 Things.

Ravens Fever has definitely hit Baltimore as we prepare for the Super Bowl vs. the 49ers this Sunday.  This city is bathed in PURPLE!  Everyone is very excited, even this fair weather fan!  Here's a picture of Federal Hill (right near where I live) painted with the Ravens logo.  The excitement is infectious.  Go Ravens!!

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And now, on with 4 Things for this week....

Here's a fun take on winter nails for kandeej.com.
I made this soup over the weekend and have been enjoying it for lunch every day this week.  I keep getting compliments on how good it smells.  It's delicious and oh so easy!  From Skinny Taste.
This is a little more complex for a tutorial that I would usually take on, but I really like this DIY Constellation Scarf from A Beautiful Mess.
Who wants to think ahead to spring?  I do, I do!  My summer wadrobe is much more exciting than my winter wardrobe.  Full of lots of bright colors and lots of statement necklaces.  I always like to make a few new pieces, so I might try my hand at this DIY Cobalt Blue Cluster Necklace.  You could make this in any color.  From My Girlish Whims.