We are still the same person.

Anna: (paraphrasing) I got this awesome bathing suit at Torrid today.

Me: If it is the same one I got yesterday I would laugh my ass off.

We exchange photos at the same time.

Anna: Oh my F’ing God! So you got that in the store and tried it on? We have the same goddamn bathing suit.

Me: Yep.

Anna: As a friend unit, we are so goddamn extra. 😂

That we are, friend, that we are.

This is my life.

UGHHHHHHHHHH. I was SO excited to get these new info cards I made to send with orders…and just look. JUST LOOK. All 200 are cut off.

I really should have known better but I trusted that the crop lines Snapfish provided were legit. Plot twist — they weren’t.

They’ve given me credits for my next order but I’m NOT wasting these so I’m still sending them out!

A new way to stop hiccups!

I just googled how to stop hiccups in case there were any new methods I didn’t know and found these (all ways you can try to release the pressure):

  • Holding your breath (for 5-10 seconds)
  • Bearing down (for 5-10 seconds)
  • Gargling with cold water
  • Swallowing air
  • Pulling on the tongue
  • Pulling the knees up to the chest for up to a minute in a seated position
  • Pressing firmly on closed eyeballs
  • Biting into a lemon
  • Spoonful of sugar

I hadn’t seen the eyeball thing and it sounded ridiculous so of course I tried it…and holy crap it worked!!

https://www.prevention.com/health/a42420343/how-to-get-rid-of-hiccups/

A COYOTE IN OUR YARD!

So this coyote was just in our back yard…playing with and pulling the stuffing out of a stuffed dog toy that our girls left out there. I wish I had gotten a picture of that — but by the time Katie saw it and told me, it had already jumped the fence (this pic is our neighbor’s yard)!

I have definitely seen coyotes around, but they’ve all been small. Tom said this one was HUUUUGE!! Now we really have to be on the lookout when the dogs go out.

Allergy testing!

Here we go! I’m hopefully going to get some answers to why my eyes (and face) have been red, dry, and puffy.

I confirmed that environmental intradermal testing is first. Then a patch test (for chemicals, etc., at another date), and then it’s a discussion with the doctor of we want/need to try foods.

Everything they’re testing today!
That was painless! And it took like 30 seconds to do the whole thing! So cool! Now we wait.
No super terrible reactions… But actual shots are coming with the things I was slightly allergic to.

The first tests were just a simple pinprick. The follow up are actual under the skin shots. I need 19 of the 21 available.

By the time she was done with all 19 individual shots, this is what it looked like…and then 30 minutes later.

The shots are going to be freaking annoying since I have to do them there. Either once a week for 9 months or once a week for 9 weeks (sped up process in which I get two shots pet visit with a wait in-between). I have to call insurance to see what’s covered.

5 Cottonwood tree
6 Oak tree
10 sagebrush/mugwort weed
12 Alternaria mold worst
13 Aspergillus mold
14 Helminthosporium mold
16 DP Mite worst
18 Feather
19 Cockroach
20 UF dog
21 AP cat

So, I wasn’t super allergic to anything…which is technically good, but rather disappointing because that means it wasn’t an easy answer to what’s been going on.

This is what I’ve been dealing with since February.

You might not think this picture looks really bad, but it is in person.

Look at how red and puffy my eye area is?! And you can’t really tell in this pic but my eyelids are so dry and scaly it’s awful—I stopped using any of my skincare on it because nothing was helping so I thought maybe I’d become allergic to something and I was making it worse. But that didn’t help. Some mornings I wake up in my eyes are so puffy it kind of blocks my vision!

I’m so glad I have my allergist appointment tomorrow to hopefully get some answers.

Aaaand they’re with Grannie!

Tom took the kids to the airport this morning for their spring break flight to Florida! This was their first trip flying alone, though they had a flight attendant babysitter (for an additional fee, of course).

They had a few snafus (Owen forgot his meds so they had to turn around and then it took forever to get to the gate due to the clueless United employee helping them) but they made it.

Their plane coming in (Lin could meet them at the gate).
I was following them on Find My Friends.

Float therapy!

I’ve always wanted to try a float tank…and today I finally did it!

First you shower and wash your hair. They provide earplugs and a cool foam ring headrest.

I didn’t take my phone inside the sensory deprivation tank, so I didn’t get “during” pictures, but I took this one after

It was really disconcerting to step into a tank of water that was only about 8″ deep knowing you’d be floating in it. It was a little slippery.

You could either be in total darkness or have pinpoint stars (my choice) as well as silence or relaxing music (my choice).

And you really did float! Nothing ever touched the bottom of the tank! It took awhile to actually relax and figure out where my arms felt best—I had them above my head but that ended up feeling weird so I put them at my sides and they floated out away from me.

It was also weird having earplugs in—because it makes everything louder in your head and you hear your breathing and realize you’re breathing faster than you need to. I wasn’t nervous, but it was a weird sensation to get used to. I tried to take consistent breaths and just let my mind wander. I was warned it was possible to fall asleep and I didn’t think it would happen…but I must have dozed off a few times because I woke up a few times. Again, weird.

Before I knew it the announcement was playing telling me my time was up. I got out and showered again. I did feel calm and relaxed. I’m not sure I got any definite health benefits out of it, but I think I’d like to do it again—now that I really know what to expect, I might relax sooner and get more out of it.