Day 16 {My Struggle With TMJ}

The Prompt for today is....Something Difficult about My Lot in life and what I'm doing to Overcome it...hmm, I wish I didn't have anything to write about for this one!

You may remember my struggle from my post awhile back about my TMJ {which I can't find for the life of me to link back to} but I am going to tell you about my "lot" one more time since it's the prompt for today.

I have TMJ, a horrible, painful, annoying jaw disorder.

My TMJ joints are "out of place" as it were and cause me a lot of discomfort, dizziness, off balance issues, headaches, and just plain feeling yucky.

Yes, I have been to dentists, cranio sacro specialists, chiropractors, physical therapy, massage therapy, all in the past four months.

I have been going to appointments once or twice a week and to tell you the truth I am pretty much going crazy!

I told hubby that I don't think I want another person to touch my jaw again for awhile!  Agggghhhh!

The worst part is that all of these people that are working on me keep saying they have never seen anyone as "bad" as me before.  {Awe, thanks people.  That really makes me feel better.}

Personally, I think that is just lack of education on their part, but it still kind of hurts when when the people who are working on you have no faith in your getting better either!

But...I am not quite ready to give up yet.  There is a specialist in Minneapolis {none around here in ND since we are in the boonies} and so that is my next thing I will "try".

I am hoping and praying that eventually something will work.  It would really be nice to feel good again. 

If that doesn't work there are a few "big" specialists around the country I could go to.  It's hard though since I am a mom and can't just take off and leave my kids all of the time.

If you have a minute, I would appreciate a prayer that something will eventually work for me.

Do you have something you struggle with?  I would like to hear about it.

I am sharing today at Story of My Life.

Guest Post {What Meegan Makes} Lemon Pepper Compound Butter

 I'm honored to be featuring a guest post today...Meegan from What Meegan Makes.   I adore her blog and her spunky personality! Thank you SO much for joining Sweet Little Gals today Meegan.

Hello all of you Sweet Little Gals fans!! I am Meegan from What Meegan Makes and I am honored to be guest posting for Sara today! Isn't she great! I just love her!!

 

I blog over at:

 

As you visit my blog, my hope is to help you be inspired, create timeless ideas, try new recipes and make your house a home.

I like to paint furniture, use vintage book pages, make crafts, and cook.

Today, here on Sweet Little Gals, I want to share a new recipe with you. It's easy and delicious for meat and fish.

{Meegan's Lemon Pepper Compound Butter}

Ingredients:

1 cube real butter (not margarine), at room temperature

Zest of one lemon

1 Tablespoon dried parsley, crushed in-between your hands to bring out the oils

3/4 tsp lemon pepper

Sea salt to taste

 

Grate your lemon zest into a bowl along with adding your softened cube of butter.

 

Using a fork mix the rest of the ingredients, until well blended.

 

Your butter will be very soft. Spoon it onto plastic wrap and roll into a log, wrapping it tightly. Place in a refrigerator for at least an hour. Or in the freezer for about 15-20 min.

 

(In this picture I grilled swordfish steaks)

Your Lemon Pepper Compound Butter is the perfect addition to any baked, grilled or pan seared meat or fish. It adds depth and flavor.

Keep it in your refrigerator for future use. It will last up to 2 months if tightly sealed.

Thank you Sara for having me today at Sweet Little Gals! You ROCK!!

I hope you will visit me sometime over at What Meegan Makes real soon!!

I also like to play on:

Pinterest Facebook Hometalk Google + Stumble Upon Bloglovin’ twitter Instagram Thanks again Sara! Make it a great day!!

Thanks again for sharing with us!!  So happy to have you here Meegan!

Day 14 {Ten Things That Make me Happy}

Wow, my first thought is "I have to narrow it down to TEN"?  I love so many things, it's really hard to choose.

So I'm just going to pick the first ten things that come to my mind.  Is that ok?

Here goes...ten {among thousands} things that make me happy.

1.  My family.  My babies. My friends.  All of the peeps that I love, make me SO happy.

 2.  Sunshine!  I love the sun.  I love how it makes me feel.  I love that I feel SO much happier when I am in it.  I am SO glad it's nice now.  We lived with winter for WAY too long.

3.  Pie.  I adore pies of any sort.  Especially rhubarb/strawberry pie, and pumpkin, and lemon meringue, AND every other pie I have tasted.  {Besides for cherry.  I hate cherry pie.}

4.  Books.  I wish I lived next door to a Barns and Noble bookstore.  I would love to live IN one.  REALLY.  Books are so much fun and bring such adventure and fun into my life!

5.  Pioneer type movies.  I love watching shows like Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie, Road to Avonlea, Dr. Quinn, and Christy.  {I know, all of the ones that everyone makes fun of.  Who cares?  I love em!}

6.  Flowers.  I love so many kinds of flowers.  I love to buy them and make up bouquets for my house.  Especially in the middle of winter.  They bring so much cheer to my life.  My recent favorite is tulips.

7.  I ADORE the color turquoise!  If you haven't noticed that around here lately, you mustn't have stopped by very often!  I love anything turquoise.  Turquoise makes me feel happy.  I especially love turquoise combined with vintage. 

8.  I love photography.  I love to take pictures.  I love to edit them.  I love to experiment with them.  Taking pictures makes me so happy.  

9.  Horses....I adore them!  I love to ride and let the breeze blow through my hair.  I love to write music while riding.  Riding is simply inspirational.  And dreamy.  Horses are dreamy.  

10.  I love the piano.  I love music.  I love to play.  I love to compose and write music.  Music inspires me with love and beauty and I love so many kinds of it.  I can never get enough of it.  Music is what keeps my life interesting.

Do you have ten things in life that make you happy?  Join in on the Blog Every Day In May Challenge over at Story of My Life.  I've been having a blast, how about you?

Trendy Tuesday #36

Welcome back to Trendy Tuesday!!  SO happy to have you here as always. 

I've been having fun blogging every day since I joined the Blog Every Day in May Challenge.  It's been a lot of fun and you can still join if you'd like!  I enjoy having something different to write about every day and it keeps the blog fresh and exciting with new stories.

I love this adorable DIY Cupcake Stand over at Nifty Thrifty Things.  So simple yet gorgeous!

 

Ok, time to party!!  Can't wait to see what you all have been up to this week!!

Grab a button and share please!

 

 

<center> <a href="http://sweetlittlegals.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa388/saericks1/trendytuesday-2.jpg"/></a></center>

 

 

1) Please follow Sweet Little Gals
2) Link up your projects, one and all, big and small :)
3) Try to comment on at least two other posts.
4) PLEASE grab a Trendy Tuesday button on the sidebar so you can share the fun with others.
5) No giveaways or shops please.

 

 

 

Day 13 {A Public Apology}

A Public Apology written especially to my house...for years of neglect.

Dear House,

I write this letter with my deepest feelings and my most sincere apologies for all that I have ever done to hurt you.  I don't expect you to forgive me, but I do want to let you know that I am truly sorry for all of the times I have neglected you.

I am SO sorry for leaving dirty dishes in the sink, sticky food on the counter, dried noodles on the table, and putrid leftovers in the fridge.  I know it is disgusting and I have no excuse.

I'm sorry for all of the times I've left toys scattered all over the floor and for the books that fall out of the shelves endlessly.  I feel so bad for leaving popcorn scattered on the carpet and forgetting to vacuum it up right away.  

I'm sorry for leaving the beds unmade, the laundry unfolded, and clothes on the floor.  I feel so bad for not being a better housekeeper.  I must try to do better from now on.

I'm so sorry for not sweeping the garage, not cleaning the shower, and leaving the bathroom sink filled with makeup, face wash, cotton balls, and tweezers.  I didn't mean to, honestly.  

But often time just gets away from me and demands that I do other things like um, take care of my babies, which I admit is one of my very favorite things to do these days.

I used to take care of you, and I truly do TRY to take care of you still.  It's just that I have neglected you so long, that I am thinking it will take a lot of time to renew our relationship.

Will you ever be willing to forgive me?  

All of my promises are so weak.  It will take me some time to recover and be able to pay attention to you again.  I will though, someday, I really will.  

I will have time again someday when my babies get older.  Until then, I will be found in the chair reading and rocking my babies to sleep.

Sincerly, 
A Frazzled Housewife


Join me in the fun Blog Every Day in May challenge at The Story of my Life.  It's a lot of fun!

Day 12 {What I Miss the Most}

Picking just one thing in my life I miss, is absolutely impossible!!  More than anything I miss all of my loved ones who are no longer here.  I can't even begin to describe the feelings I have when thinking of them.

I miss my pets that have died and are irreplaceable.  I miss the times at home with my family.  I miss my friends, and I miss my cousins.  I miss all of the times in life I can't relive ever again.  I miss them because they were so special to me and are what make me who I am today.

So...since I didn't have a chance to get pictures of everyone and everything together {because it would have taken months!}  I will focus on a time period in my life that I recently miss the most instead. 

College was one of the most awesome experiences of my life.  I majored in music education and the moment I stepped into the music department, I knew I was home.

I fit in SO well and everyone else was SO much like me.  It was like heaven.  Seriously.  I never wanted it to end.

Yes, there were hard times, and hard classes, and tough experiences that I had to go through.  I didn't adore every day I was there.  There were classes I could have done without.

But as a whole, I loved the college experience.  I loved that I lived right by my friends.   I could knock on their doors and run down to the Kwik shop for a late night study snack.

I loved that I could go to church right on campus.  I loved the praise teams, vespers, Bible studies,  and the spiritual experience that I got there.

I loved that college offers so many opportunities for personal and educational growth.  They are all around you.  You don't even have to go looking for them.

I loved that I could practice on ten different gorgeous grand pianos and daily pick which one I wanted to play.  I loved listening to my piano teacher jam late at night in his office.

I loved my janitor job at the music department, strange one I know, but so true.

I loved my night monitor job there too.  I loved that every time I worked I could hear ten different songs playing at the same time. 

I loved playing in band, singing in choir, and accompanying vocalists.

I loved meeting my hubby there, and all of the fun times we spent on that campus.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to attend college.  I know that not everyone does, and I'm always so thankful that I did.

Anyone else here that loved college as much as I did?

I would love to hear about it.

And if you are enjoying these posts, join me in the blog every day in May challenge at Story of My Life. 

Day 11 {Sell Yourself in Ten Words or Less}

Hmmm...now that's a doozie.  We'll see how I can do on this one. Ha!

I am...
creative, loving, 
easy-going, loyal, 
friendly, caring, 
generous, sensitive, 
crazy, and sweet.

How about you?  I would love to hear how you sell yourself?  

Leave a comment and I'll come and check out your post.  PROMISE.

Also, hope you can join in on the blog every day in May challenge with me.

It's been a blast so far!

Day 10 {My Most Embarrassing Moment}

I remember that day very well.  I was rushing to get ready for work without much time to spare, and grabbed my shoes from a dark closet on my way out. 

I was positive I had grabbed the correct ones though I couldn't see them in the closet.  For some reason the light bulb in the closet had gone out and I didn't have time to change it.

Halfway to work, WAY too late to turn back, I just happened to look down at my feet...and to my surprise, I saw one black heeled shoe and...gasp! one brown heeled one!  Not even two different black ones...it HAD to be one brown and one black one!  And they didn't look a THING alike!  Even the heels were different heights.  WOW! 

I have never felt that way in my life!  How in the WORLD could I have been so careless?  I am SO picky and never make mistakes like that.  Everyone knows me for being impeccable with such details! 

Worse than that, I was a music teacher at the time, and was not sure how in the world I would hide such a mistake for a whole day from rooms filled with gawking little and big kids.

I kept thinking maybe a pair of shoes would show up in the back of my car, or somehow it would work out that I would be forced to take off my shoes that day, but no such luck!

I was stuck for the day with a pair of mismatched shoes.  Me, the person who NEVER EVER makes those kinds of mistakes, was forced to be humbled in a way I had NEVER experienced before!

I tried to act cool and calm as I stood in the door welcoming my students, as I put one foot behind the other to try to hide my awful mistake.  A few of the students DID notice though, and thought it was hilarious!  I never did figure out if the whole bunch of them noticed.  If they did, they were sure a lot nicer to me than I thought they would be!

I told the secretary about my plight, and she saved me for the afternoon with some of her sneakers.  I still looked totally stupid for the whole day {Seeing sneakers don't really look that great with black dress pants} and vowed to NEVER leave my house without checking my shoes again!

Moral of the story?  Make sure you ALWAYS check your shoes before leaving the house!!

You can join the fun Blog every day in May challenge over at Story of My Life.  I've had a ton of fun with this challenge so far!
 

Day 8 {A Piece of Advice}

My piece of advice to you is...

Take time to enjoy each stage of your life.  Don't try to rush and wish for the next phase.

Each stage in life has its pleasures and joys.  Take time to relish them and revel in them, because someday you will be wishing for that stage to return and it can't.

If you are a teenager, enjoy living with your parents.  ENJOY your life.  Enjoy the fact that you don't have to take all of the responsibilities by yourself.  Actually, you have NO responsibility right now.  You pretty much have THE LIFE.   Your parents wait on you hand and foot.  {And if you are laughing at me now, they do. You'll understand someday when YOU are the parent, waiting on your teenager.}  Enjoy the fact that you don't have to drive everywhere.  Enjoy the crazy times with your friends when you don't have to pay the bills.  Trust me, you will wish for these fun times of utter bliss even though you think they are absolute torture right now.

If you are in college, ENJOY it.  This is going to be one of the BEST times of your life.  All of your friends live right next door to you.  Everyone is helping you accomplish your goals.  You have every opportunity for success right there within your reach.  Your classes might be difficult, but you will wish you had a chance to take another class someday.  Trust me.  You will.  This is YOUR time in life.  And there's nothing quite as beautiful as college life.

If you are dating, ENJOY yourself.  Don't try to rush it and get married right away.  Enjoy the sweet talks, the nightly strolls in the park, the fun dates, your first kiss, your first love.  Your guy/gal is entirely focused on YOU and there will never be another time in life when you get to have that luxery.  

If you are newly married, ENJOY.  You don't have kids yet and you get to experience life together for the first time.  You get to enjoy that fact that you never have to be all alone again.  Everyone tells you how life "will be" someday.  How you are so "in love" and that doesn't last forever.  Don't believe them.  Love doesn't go away, it just changes as the years go by.  Don't have kids right away.  Revel in the fact that it's just the two of you.  You'll appreciate it someday when you are trying to kiss your spouse in privacy and there are little eyes looking from all corners of the room, watching your kiss.

If you are a mom or dad of some cute little babies, ENJOY them.   Enjoy your crazy, wild, no sleeping, baby crying, diaper changing, clothes washing, nose wiping life.  Your babies will grow up some day and you will wish you could go back in time and have just one more time to rock them to sleep.  Don't try to rush them into growing up.  Don't stress about the messy house.  Enjoy it.  Someday you will wish you had a baby to clean up after.  Trust me, you will.  


And now friends...this is where my advice has to stop.   This is where my life is right now, so I can't give advice on the rest of it just yet.  {grin}

I do have a feeling that since I have felt the same way about every stage SO FAR, I will probably feel the same way about each of the upcoming ones as well.  

Relax, enjoy and don't rush!  Life is right now, and there are so many things to enjoy about it.  Don't lose sight of them while you are busy looking to move to the next stage.  

You will thank yourself for it someday. Trust me.


If you want to see other posts like this join the challenge over at Story of My Life.

Day 7 The Thing {s} You're Most Afraid Of

I just happened to find this challenge this morning, so I'm behind a few days, but thought it would still be fun to jump in and join the fun.  I really need blogging inspiration right now and maybe this will help.




Anyone else want to join me?  I am still going to continue my regular posts, and just add these in every day for fun.

So here goes.  The Things I am most afraid of.

SICKNESS.  Disease.  Illness.  Creepy sicknesses that won't go away.

Bugs that come and burrow in my skin.   Strange and disgusting rashes.  Unexplainable bubbles that appear in a day and won't leave.

Getting pneumonia, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, or having a stroke.

Losing my legs, arms, nose, eyesight, or hearing.

Waking up in the morning and not being able to move and being confined to the bed for the rest of my life.

Bleeding, uncontrollable pain, Arthritis, MS, Lu Gehrig's Disease, yellow fever, tuberculosis, hand foot and mouth disease.

Doctor books, yes I despise looking at Doctor books!!  The creepy pictures of deformities beyond repair and bumpy red skin.  Looking at pictures like that makes me wonder if I'm coming down with something.

AND...makes me itch.

Bird flu, mad cow disease, HIV, Hepatitis.

Rabies, High Fevers, Deep Gashes,  Seizures, Menengitus.

YUCK, yuck, and MORE YUCK!

Writing those words makes me shudder.  Sick to my stomach. Makes me want to hurl.

Yes, sicknesses are my WORST ever fear in the world.

And even more than that, I fear my kids getting them.  I can hardly stand the thought.

Anyone else have a fear of illness like I do?

Tell me about YOUR worst fear.  Or better yet, join me in the May challenge to blog every day! 

Hope you all have a healthy day!