WOYWW 247 - I am back

I cannot remember whether I only missed one week of 'What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday' (see Stamping Ground for more details), but it seems like ages since I joined in with our favourite tour/snoop of crafty workspaces. 

Life has been full of attempting to sell excess craft stash from my over-full craft room.  A lot has gone (but there is still more, so get in touch if you would like anything - got lots of Kanban cardstock and topper sheets, a few stamps, a whole of box of Xmas stash etc, etc, etc!), but I am now just listing the bigger items on Ebay (Inkadinkado Stamping Gear packs at the moment) rather than wasting my valuable time on Facebook. 

My craft room is a lot clearer now and I can start to concentrate on cardmaking for family/friends/charity, getting my sewing machine in use again (joined a monthly club where they send me the materials for a project with instructions - go to http://www.seamstar.co.uk/craft_club.php), scrapbooking (I start a fortnightly workshop at a local craft shop on Friday), journaling, and continuing my quest to learn new craft techniques (at the moment that includes parchment craft, paper cutting and also got a magazine with quilling to try).  Busy, busy, busy!

Blogging has taken a back step, but I will try to do regular posts of what is going on in my life.  My health has improved 'sort of', with painkillers being taken rarely rather than several times per day.  However, my hip is the issue, flaring up if I try to do too much, which is not enough in my thoughts!  Very frustrating when the weather is improving and I want to be out training my pony, walking the dogs and getting on with jobs around the house/yard.  Oh well, at least I get to spend time in my craft room 'resting'. 

I will have a good read of other blogs later - another excuse to 'rest', but hope that everyone is well and happy.

My photos this week show a really cute origami dog card I attempted for the first time (you can get the download from https://www.printableheaven.com/) and also my little collection of crafty books.

The other big piece of crafty news is that I treated myself to an Ebosser (after my little Sizzix machine proved too small for a project yet again).  It is waiting patiently to be unpacked and a permanent home found for it where it will be convenient for me to use it.  I love new gadgets!

Ali x

WOYWW 244

Firstly, I hope that everyone around the world is surviving the horrible weather.  Here, in Pembrokeshire, we have had a bus knocked off a local road by a huge wave (the jury is out as to whether that bus driver should have attempted the road!), several roads closed due to flooding and our daily lives on the farm made more difficult by strong winds/rain most days.  Spring seems a long way away - was watching 'Escape to the Country' last night, filmed in June, and it was hot and sunny - what a dream!!  Moving to Lanzarote or Spain seems more attractive by the day.  Anyone else want to join me?

Secondly, What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday is explained and the linky thing provided over at Julia's Stamping Ground

My photo this week shows what Create & Craft delivered to me yesterday - some very useful additions to the stash for my new addiction, Parchment Crafting!  A selection of embossing and piercing tools, a piercing mat and a selection of printed parchment - whoops, just realised they call it 'perforating' - note to self: must get the 'lingo' correct!

I am also 'busy' creating a selection of Valentine cards.  No, I do not have lots of secret lovers, but I have had some orders for cards - and I am making a few so that each person can select the one they like best.  So difficult to make a card for such a personal occasion, when the brief is 'cute, but not too cute'.

Well, I must leave my cosy craft room now and head downstairs to continue the morning routine, before dressing in several layers to go outside and feed/muck out ponies etc.

I have started 'juicing' and really enjoying my liquid creations, plus my health is continuing to improve, with no painkillers at all taken yesterday.  If I am like this now with the cold and damp weather, I hope that in the summer I will be able to ride my pony again.  Everything crossed.

Happy WOYWW to everyone I do not manage to visit in the next few days.

Ali x

WOYWW 243

Well, I am here - but a little distracted (looking for cheap pony rugs on Ebay!).   Was absent last week, as we went away for a few days on Thursday and had the usual extra stuff to deal with before we escaped!  We didn't go far - stayed at a couple of hotels west of Cardiff, including Cowbridge (our first visit and loved it there).  One day was spent exploring the Cardiff shops (well, some of them, we mainly stayed inside the shopping centre) and a rare trip to the cinema (Wolf on Wall Street).  I was so proud that I managed to walk around a lot and cope with eating out, mainly without painkillers.

For anyone who does not know what WOYWW is (What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday), take a look at Julia's Stamping Ground.

Some crafting has occurred in my craft room, but not a lot.   After my husband's first grandchild was born early on Sunday (Lily, 8 lb), I had to rush to make a card when we returned from Cardiff on Sunday evening.  Yes, should have been organised and had one ready, but one of the new Bebunni CD-Roms saved the day and I made a super-cute card in record time.

This is my main desk this morning - all of the usual essentials (I keep saying I am going to clear my desk, but then I realise I love having all of this stuff in front of me!) and some printed/cut out extras for creating a few cards.

This week will see me getting Valentine cards finished, attempting some parchment craft for the first time and getting on with my journals.

Hope everyone is well and happy.

Ali x

Final Thrive update - and not a happy ending

Well, I was so excited reading all of the wonderful testimonials about Thrive and really hoped that I could have a similar positive experience.  However, as usual for me and my strange body, it has not worked out - in fact the capsules gave me some nasty side effects, which were getting worse.  Therefore, this morning, I have not taken any - and my large orange box is now available to anyone else who would like to try the system.  Already feeling more human.

I am glad that I did give it a go.  I am always a 'glass half full' sort of person and having Fibromyalgia/Hyper Mobility Syndrome/Hip Bursitis/Psoriasis (and the myriad of nasty symptoms that come with these) is turning me into someone who is constantly searching for the help that is not available from the doctors.

I had already changed the way I ate most of the time last year (Food Combining), which reduced my IBS a lot, but after indulging over Xmas on 'normal' food (ie processed, sugars, grains .....) I was suffering again, and there was no way that I was going back to the times when I avoided travel (worried that I may become truly agoraphobic).  Not sure when I first saw it, but Paleo suddenly came into my life.  I saw the sense of it, loved most of the recipes and became excited about food for the first time in ages.  Not completely there yet, but slowly the grains/sugars will disappear from my life most of the time (I will admit that there may be some weaknesses involving toast and butter occasionally, or a chocolate when offered one!).

For those who do not know what Paleo is - 

Paleo Leap
Nom Nom Paleo


Along with drinking more water, turning off tv/internet an hour before bedtime, using my 'rebounder' every day and continuing to be active (with 2 dogs, 2 ponies and various cats, plus a large house, I have no choice!), I am hoping that eating whole/nutrient dense/unprocessed food will improve my general health and eventually I will sleep more/better. 

Well, no rest for the wicked, off to try a recipe I have just seen - mash a banana up with 2 eggs and cook as a pancake - and also sort out the rubbish (we get our black bags collected fortnightly now, and TODAY IS THE DAY!!).

Hope that everyone is well and happy.

Ali x

ps   My flu bug is easing slightly and looking forward to not having a headache.

WOYWW 241

Another cold, dark and windy Wednesday morning.  Go to Stamping Ground for more information on What is On Your Work desk Wednesday.

I continue very slowly to clear out my craft room, and have been selling on Ebay.  My photo today shows the pile of stash that I will be listing next (also on Facebook - will put a link on here).

I have had a nasty flu bug since Saturday, so no crafting has happened.  Got the 2 journals to add to, Valentine cards/gifts to make for a craft fair I am attending on 2nd February, a commission card and various swaps.  Really need to feel stronger.  With regard to that, I have been trying the Thrive supplement for 4 days.  I have been able to cope with less painkillers, but there have been some horrible side effects that were worse this morning, so giving up on it.  I will concentrate on improving my diet - focussing on Paleo.

Happy WOYWW to everyone I do not manage to visit this week.

Ali x

2nd Thrive Day

Well, I continued to feel like I had flu and a stomach bug yesterday.  High temperature, headache, sneezing, nausea etc.  Whether any of this was due to detox symptoms, or whether it was just a Fibro flare/bug, who knows?  The main exciting thing is that I have not taken a codeine painkiller since Saturday night!  I did take ibuprofen last night because of the high temperature.   I usually take 3 or 4 painkillers at least, so this is amazing for me.

I just took one capsule again this morning and felt light-headed again, but was ready for that.   I had the bright idea of mixing cocoa into the shake, and then managed to drink nearly 2 thirds of it.  The new patch went on easily on my other shoulder (yesterday's was still stuck securely after 24 hours).

Today I am feeling rough on and off, drinking lots of water, resting more than usual and eating regular small and plain meals (if anyone can cope with the shake as a meal replacement, then they are stronger than me!).

Will update again tomorrow.

'Chocolate' shake

Le-Vel Thrive - starting on a journey?

Well, I first heard about Thrive (go to aliwade.le-vel.com for more information) via Facebook a few months ago.  Several friends had posted links to testimonies from people with all sorts of health problems that had found it transformed their lives.  Then, I had a link from a friend saying that it would be launched in the UK soon.  I clicked on this and it was free to sign up as a Promoter, so I signed up after watching various videos and reading more testimonies.  In the back of my mind was the thought that it sounds too good to be true, if it is so good why is it not prescribed by doctors .....?  Obviously I wanted to try it for myself - and the lovely lady who linked me up with it arranged to send a sample, which then turned into a 30 day supply.  I had to wait nearly 2 weeks for it to arrive from the US and then I had to go to the delivery office to pay a customs charge, but I thought well if it works then it will be a small price to pay for a better lifestyle. 

Here is the lovely orange box.

You have to take the various elements first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, so I left it until the next day.

These are the contents - capsules, a powder mix and patches.  There are different versions of the capsules - for men and women (I love that the women's version comes in a purple box!) - and you can buy packs with the capsules and shake sachets (there is a pink limited edition to help raise funds for charity) together, and also the patches can be added on as a 'premium' addition. 

Well, the next morning came (today).  Unfortunately, I had to go to bed early last night with a Fibro flare (I get very tired and feel sick with that, and had a nasty headache - possibly a migraine) and some IBS issues (could be something to do with the slice of raspberry/white chocolate cheesecake that I couldn't resist fairly late in the evening!).  I did not have a good night and woke early (which is usual for me) in a lot of pain.  What I wanted right now was one of my IBS tablets and a ginger biscuit (ginger always helps me), but knew that I should give the Thrive a proper go. It recommended to just take one of the 2 daily capsules if you are not used to coffee/'sodas'/energy drinks.  I had one lovely purple and white capsule (quite big, but I am used to taking medication, so not a problem for me to swallow) - and I will admit that within 20 minutes I was feeling quite 'strange' - dizzy, a bit sick, not quite right.  It could be my Fibro/IBS, but don't think it is a coincidence that it came such a short time after taking the capsule.  It does contain caffeine, which I do usually have issues with (I do not drink any coffee/tea or cola), but it says is only a percentage of what a coffee contains and a more natural version. 

OK, now I need to go back downstairs to the kitchen and prepare my 'shake'.  You are meant to have it on an empty stomach within 20-40 minutes of taking the capsules.  I had been worried about this, as I guessed it would be milk based and I cannot tolerate milk by itself.  It is not an actual food intolerance, as I can quite happily eat cheese/cream etc and also milk within recipes  - but milk by itself or anything like it (ie milkshakes) literally make me throw up (when I was a young child, I had to have an orange juice substitute drink and could not have the daily bottle of milk at school).    I wanted to make it as concentrated as possible, so I didn't have too much to get down, so used the minimum amount of water.  This made almost a cupful - and it tasted fine at first - but for me it was just like a very sweet milk and I could only manage a few mouthfuls.  For 99% of the population, this shake would probably be quite pleasant - so please do not judge it on my experience. 

(hope you love my cow whisk!)
It says you can add fruit/ice to turn it into a smoothie, so out came the food processor (which had not been used for months!) - this is just after 6 am and I am not feeling brilliant, so by now I am just wanting to give up.  After 15 minutes of struggling to remember how to use the blender and making lots of mess, I am left with a lot of smoothie (the pineapple and grapes I used were full of liquid).

I go and sit down in front of the tv with a large glass full, and manage to drink about half of it.  It still smells like milk powder and I struggle to stomach raw fruit anyway, plus it is early in the morning, and I am still in a Fibro/IBS flare.  Oh well, it says it is 50% of the system, so just having a capsule and then using a patch, will help me if it is going to work for me. 

I go and stick a patch on my shoulder - that is easy - and then tackle all the washing up/cleaning the kitchen!!

I am now back in my craft room with my heat pad and got a slight headache/nausea/dizziness.  It may well be my flare and being more tired than usual, but it will be interesting to see how I feel later on.

Part of me thinks I should just abandon the shake idea, but I am also thinking I should not give up and perhaps tomorrow I will try it with half water/half orange juice, so I do not have to get the food processor out and it may make a smaller drink that I can force down!

Will keep you all updated.

Ali x