Mar10

It’s In The Bag – Embroidered Beauty Edition

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It’s In The Bag – Embroidered Beauty Edition

Hi everyone and welcome to a new edition of It’s In The Bag! It’s been a while since I purchased a new purse and it hasn’t exactly been a priority of mine to get a new one until my latest online buy. My newest bag is from Imoshion and all of their products are made from PETA approved vegan materials which is very important to me. My Embroidered Beauty purse was unintentionally introduced to me by my mom who was showing me an outfit that she thought was cute in Redbook magazine. The outfit was fine but my eyes went straight to the accessories. A gorgeous dusty teal, floral embroidered, fringed purse better known as Imoshion’s Bertie style bag. Take a look:

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^^^ SO. PRETTY!

Like all things in my wardrobe from clothing and shoes to accessories is that when I see something, I know right away if I like it or not. If I don’t like the item, I won’t even give it a second glance. However, if it falls into the like category, there’s a ninety-nine percent chance that the heels, hat, or bangle bracelets are going home with me. This beautiful bag definitely fell into the more than like category because I freaking loved it.

What sold me initially on the bag was actually the color. I have another purse that is a similar shade to my Bertie bag and it is one of my favorites. You would be amazed at how difficult it is to find a purse in that hue so when I first saw it, I was instantly drawn to it. The amazing embroidery, fringe, and somewhat bucket style shape was just a nice afterthought. The fifty dollar price tag was also something that I considered really reasonable and the free shipping was a great added bonus.

It took a little over a week for my bag to arrive all the way from LA to little old Akron, Ohio and the anticipation was freaking killing me! So, needless to say, when my package from Imoshion arrived yesterday, I was over the moon. I was really impressed with the care that they took to pack the bag safely in the box. It was kept inside a laundry style bag and tucked inside hot pink tissue paper and bubble wrap which made me happy. There’s nothing that I hate more than when a company does a poor job on shipping their products so Imoshion definitely gets an A+ in that regard.

So the shipping was great but the beautiful bag that was hidden beneath the paper and bubble wrap was simply divine. The quality of the purse was so high and it was just beautiful to look at. The suede was soft, the embroidered flowers were vibrant, and the teal shade of the bag was even more amazing in person. As soon as I walked in the door with the package, I was already dumping out everything in the purse that I was using to transfer into my new bag. I am SO excited to have such a stunning accessory hanging from my hip and I am prepared to recommend the Imoshion website to everyone who compliments it. I would without a doubt shop with them again and their Bertie bag is truly the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

So there you have it, the latest issue of It’s In The Bag: Embroidered Beauty Edition! What is your favorite store to shop at for accessories? What does your favorite purse look like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar10

Smarter Living: The Priorities Of A Modern Homeowner

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Smarter Living: The Priorities Of A Modern Homeowner

A happy home environment is a platform for your entire family to enjoy life to the fullest. That means that it’s your responsibility to ensure that the right steps are taken so that you’re getting the most out of your property at all times. Before doing anything, it’s imperative that you have a suitable plan of action. By focusing on the most important things, the home will become a far more accommodating venue for the whole family. Let’s take a closer look at where your priorities should lie:

Put Safety First: This doesn’t simply mean investing in CCTV and childproofing the living room and bedrooms either. Things like knowing how to spot the signs of damp at an early stage is vital. Likewise, carbon monoxide detectors and other potentially life saving instruments are key. Making those purchases may feel like a hassle but one mistake could put your whole family at risk. If that isn’t an incentive to cover all of the bases, then I don’t know what is!

Focus On Practicality: You aren’t building a showroom; you’re creating a home. Turning an unused guest room into an office or playroom can give the home a greater sense of function. Meanwhile, boosting the shower pressure could save you a lot of time in the mornings. As a busy modern family, those direct benefits can be massive. Finally, space-saving furniture and storage facilities can offer greater versatility. They will make the home feel bigger, too, which will enhance your relationship with the property greatly.

Cut The Waste Wherever Possible: We live in a time damaged by a culture to throw things away needlessly. In many cases, furniture can be restored with a little TLC. Oxalic Acid Wood Bleach removes tough stains from wood to get those items back to their best. Similarly, repairing kitchen appliances is often cheaper than buying a new one. Combine these ideas with a little upcycling to save time, money, and hassle.

Aim For Energy Efficiency: Green living has become an important priority for modern homeowners and not only because it helps the environment. But you don’t need to use solar roof panels to see those benefits. Energy efficient toilets can cut water usage by over half. Likewise, switching to LED light bulbs can save electricity in a truly effective manner, too. Those savings can be put towards the bigger TV or luxury items to encourage even greater enjoyment for the whole household.

Comfort Is King: Stylish appearances are great but they’ll count for very little if you aren’t able to enjoy it. Creating a bedroom that allows you to sleep and relax is crucial because the repercussions of failure are huge. Meanwhile, ensuring that the insulation and air ventilation are of the desired standard will make a telling impact, too. Simplicity is imperative and, as they say, comfort is king.

While it’s easy to associate comfort with things like the temperature of your home or a nice soft mattress, comfort also includes the size of your house. It can be hard to relax if you have a large family and it feels like you are constantly bumping into each other or thwarting arguments between siblings sharing a room. If this is the case for you, it might be time to consider a move to a larger property or have one built. Should you choose the latter, you can deck out your home with the latest in smart technology and energy efficiency. To get started, simply enter a search for “Luxury Estate Builders Flordia” (or your local area). You will experience the epitome of comfort when everyone has their own space. Who knows? It might just bring your family closer together!

Master each of those five elements and the home will become far more inviting and user friendly. And when your family feels happy at home, their entire lives should look far brighter, too. Job done.

Featured Image By: Google

Mar9

New Hello Kitty Pink & Black Nails

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New Hello Kitty Pink & Black Nails

Hii everyone and happy Thursday! I just returned from a lovely afternoon at the salon because homegirl needed a fill. After going to a different salon to get my set of acrylics on, I returned to home base and went back to my normal salon for the fill. I don’t know, I just wasn’t feeling the other one. 1) The lady was scary. 2) She hurt my nails like a mother. 3) They charged five dollars extra for long nails, which is annoying. It felt good to be back in familiar territory and I think that my nails turned out really nice! I went with the light glittery pink from OPI’s Hello Kitty collection and, of course, BLACK! Take a look but bear in mind that pictures really don’t do them justice:

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Not only was it nice to see all of my favorite nail techies again but it was also fabulous to get my middle finger crosses back! I missed them!! If you recall from last time, I was too scared to ask the lady who did my set for it. Yikes! I do miss my former nail tech, Vinny, terribly but good ol’ Steve did a bang up job so my tried and true salon is where I will stay forever and ever, amen. ❤

What color of nail polish are you currently wearing? What is your favorite color of polish to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar8

How To Improve Your Physical, Mental, And Spiritual Health

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How To Improve Your Physical, Mental, And Spiritual Health

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it can seem almost impossible to find the time to look out for Number One: Yourself. Creating a healthy lifestyle not only for your physical well being but for your mental and spiritual self, as well, can only benefit you in the long run. In this article, we will explore some simple changes that you can employ for a better, healthier you:

Your Physical Health

Start Eating Well: There’s nothing better for your health than making sure that you eat good food cooked from scratch. Convenience foods may be handy but they often contain more sodium and sugar than you should be eating, which can affect your fitness and moods. Start meal planning so you don’t get stuck for what you should have for lunch or dinner and make sure that you eat breakfast so you aren’t tempted to snack on candy and junk food during the morning at work.

Get Physically Fit: If you don’t feel as though you’re at peak physical condition, now is the time to change that. You don’t necessarily have to go to the gym every day after work – instead, start walking more and make sure that you start to take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you can. Start a class like yoga or Zumba – you could even take a friend along with you for moral support and a good laugh!

Take Care Of Your Senses: As much as we may rely on them, we often overlook our senses when it comes to making positive changes for our health. Ensure a routine hearing check to get the full scope of your hearing health, and to see whether you might need hearing aids or not. Make appointments for eye tests, as well. As we get older, the chances of changes to these senses increase exponentially, so we have to be proactive in addressing them.

Pain Management: If your aches and pains feel constant, it is not only a huge deterrent to your physical health but mental health too. This is not something that you should simply live with but find a way to improve. Clinics like next pain management roswell (or something similar in your local area) can provide personalized treatment plans to help you get back to feeling your best. With excellent pain management, you will notice a boost in your energy levels and overall sense of well being.

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Namaste!

Deal With Your Chronic Conditions: If you have any chronic conditions, then it’s important that you deal with them carefully and that you get healthy to whatever extent that you can. If you have asthma, make sure that you use a preventative inhaler to stop yourself from getting tight chested and suffering from asthma attacks – Ventolin can be ordered online. If you suffer from chronic pain, make sure that you stay active and do gentle exercises to help ease the tension in stiff joints.

Your Mental Health

mental2Pretty!

Learn Coping Strategies: If you suffer from panic attacks or depression, then it’s important that you try to learn coping strategies that will help get you through every day. Learn to identify issues that will affect you – perhaps you don’t like crowded trains or there are certain things that your boss says that rattles you – and focus on how you can better deal with them. Breathing deeply often works wonders as well as giving yourself plenty of time to deal with anything that might arise.

Go To Your Doctor: If you think that you may be suffering from mental health difficulties, then go to your doctor. It’s an illness like any other and you shouldn’t feel ashamed if you’re affected by a condition like depression or anxiety. They can negatively affect a lot of areas of your life, which means that you need to get them sorted out as quickly as possible. Therapy can help a lot of people, as can medication. Remember, you’d medicate a physical health ailment so why not your mental health, too?

Sleep Better: It’s very difficult to get much done during the day if you aren’t sleeping well. If the light comes into your bedroom in the morning and wakes you up, then why not invest in blackout blinds? You should also make sure that you turn off all of your technology like your laptop and phone before you go to bed, because they can keep you awake. Instead, use the hour before you go to sleep as an excuse to have a lavender scented shower, read a book, or light some candles and meditate.

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Zzzzzz…

Your Spiritual Health

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 Pexels Image

Learn To Be Alone: If you don’t spend much time by yourself, now is the time to start. Learning to love yourself begins with realizing that you’re an interesting person to be around. Make sure that you indulge yourself in your hobbies – you can go to see movies alone, you can go to galleries, to shows, to concerts. Take a solo vacation and luxuriate in the joy of having only your own whims to attend to.

Be Around Good People: One of the battles of everyday life is instantly won when you’re around good people who truly listen and want the best for you. If you have any old friends who don’t make you feel good anymore, it’s okay to gently phase them out of your life. Friends who challenge you and make you think are great but if your friends don’t support you, they might not be a healthy fit for your current lifestyle.

Be Kind To Yourself: Finally, you need to make sure that you treat yourself with as much kindness as you treat others. Cut yourself some slack – make sure that you have a night in by yourself if you feel tired and worn out by other people and don’t beat yourself up too much for any little embarrassing moments. We often tend to treat ourselves a lot less kindly than we would treat others so try to remember how supportive you’d be for someone in your situation and treat yourself the same way. And remember: You’re one hundred and fifty percent totally awesome.

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Take some you time!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Mar8

Simple Changes For Better Spring Cleaning

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Simple Changes For Better Spring Cleaning

Famously, around this time of year many people often go to work on cleaning their houses as good as possible. Of course, in real life you need to do this much more often, but it is still worth having one really deep clean around this time of year. Even if it is just to make yourself feel better in the home, it is totally worth it. If you do it right, you will probably find that everyone who lives there is much more relaxed and able to feel comfortable in the new found cleanliness, so for that reason alone it is worthwhile. If you are about to embark on your own spring cleaning project, make sure you bear the following in mind for a better, cleaner result:

Declutter First: To clean your house in the best way possible is to be logical about the order in which you do it. This means that you should make an effort to clear anything that doesn’t need to be there first. Decluttering is something that people often skim over, thinking that they are doing it right, when actually their methods are not anywhere near as effective or lasting as they could be. Consider that, although it is perfectly fine to simply stow things away in clever storage spaces, it is even better to get rid of anything that you might be able to part with. You might choose to sell such belongings or give them away to charity; either way, this is a much better long-term solution to your space problems.

Deep Washing: The main thing to remember about spring cleaning is that it needs to be as deep as possible. This will probably mean, in most circumstances, that you will need to use equipment and tools which are different than the ones you normally use. If you are used to using usual household products, then you might want to think about trying to use something different for your spring cleaning. For example, getting your hands on a decent pressure washer to clean the carpets with is likely to be a great idea, as it will pick up dirt that you didn’t even know was there! If you have never used one before, don’t worry – you can learn more about pressure washers here before you start!

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^ So thankful for my dryer!

Room By Room: Another major mistake that people make is to clean the whole house in one go. This might seem to make sense, but it is much more effective on the whole if you simply go from room to room, fully cleaning each one as you go. You need to make sure that you are happy with one room before moving on to the next, as this is how you can ensure that you have cleaned all of the necessary areas as deep as possible. With any luck, you won’t need to do so again for quite a long time. Now, get to spring cleaning!

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Looks like a successful spring clean to me!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Mar8

Jetting Off To Sunnier Climates? Make Sure Your Home Is Safe and Secure

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Jetting Off To Sunnier Climates? Make Sure Your Home Is Safe and Secure

With January and February out of the way (easily the dullest and most depressing months of the year!) many of us are looking forward into 2017 and planning some of the fun things that we want to do. For some, this will mean an annual summer holiday, a week or two of great weather, delicious food, and plenty to see and do. However, as a homeowner, there’s always the major worry of home security when you go away. When your property is left unoccupied for a period of time, it dramatically increases your risk of a break in. Here are some of the ways that you can protect against this and get your home safe and secure by the time your summer vacation rolls around:

Get a Burglar Alarm Installed: If you don’t already have a burglar alarm installed, this should be high on your list of priorities. Not just useful for vacations but for day to day use, too. Did you know that most burglaries take place in the daytime? Being able to set the alarm when you go to work will thwart thieves who simply won’t stick around once the noise starts going off. It’s worth doing some research on the best home security systems and seeing which one suits you best.

Do you want an alarm that’s monitored? This means that if it goes off the security system call you (to see if it’s a false alarm) and if it’s not, they call the police. There’s a charge for this, but if you believe yourself to be especially high risk, it’s a good investment. Do you need an alarm which can be used with pets? This means that you can set it and your cat or dog won’t set it off. Either way, having a look at what’s on the market is your first step.

Invest in a High Quality CCTV System: CCTV is useful as it deters burglars (who want to minimize their risk of being caught) and if someone does try it, you have evidence. CCTV is also useful if you have vehicles outside of your home because if any damage or theft occurs, you will have video proof of what happened. Go with a system that records footage to a cloud-based server. That way if someone breaks into your home, they can’t just take the computer that the footage is stored on. You need a camera that records clearly because police won’t accept grainy recordings if you ever need to use it as evidence.

Consider Smart Lighting: ‘Smart home’ devices are becoming increasingly popular. Lighting is particularly useful from a home security perspective as it allows you to turn the lights in your home on and off without you being there. You control everything from an app on your phone so that you can give the illusion of someone being home and moving around in the property. Alternatively, you could use classic timer switches which are a much cheaper option. You can set lamps, televisions, and radios to go on and off at different times to further enhance the “I’m here but secretly I’m not” appearance.

Featured Image By: Wikimedia

Mar7

Spring Surprise

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Spring Surprise

Hiiiii! This morning as I was leaving the house, I caught a little pretty something out of the corner of my eye while I was in the car. Among all of the brown leaves and dry grass, a little yellow crocus was popping out to say an early spring hello. I didn’t have time to snap a quick pic then but as I was taking the dogs out this afternoon I just had to take one! It was so cute and wittle and it made me so happy to see! Take a look:

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After kind of a blah few days, it was so nice to see a tiny pop of color as a Spring Surprise and a preview of hopefully some lovely blooms to come. There’s nothing like a brave little crocus showing off its petals to brighten your day and get you hyped for warmer weather, all floral everything, and a new spring season here on lifewithlilred!

Happy Tuesday!

Mar7

Sore Throat When You Wake Up?

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Sore Throat When You Wake Up?

Do you wake up from a refreshing night’s sleep only to find that your morning has been ruined before it’s even got started as you feel that familiar pain when you swallow? Having a sore throat in the morning is a fairly common complaint and although it’s irritating, it is rarely a cause for concern. Of course, just because a sore throat isn’t going to kill you doesn’t mean that it can’t be really annoying when it happens, which is why you need to know what you are dealing with so that you can put your morning sore throats to bed once and for all. Here are some of the most common causes of sore throats upon waking:

Snoring: When you snore, your mouth is open and your throat can get quite dry because of all the air that you are taking in. If you wake up only to find that your throat is hoarse and dry, it could be that you are snoring and should try to record yourself sleeping for a few nights or ask your sleeping partner to listen out, if you have one. If you are snoring a lot, take a look at http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/easy-snoring-remedies#1 to sort the problem out and start waking up pain-free.

Dehydration: If you don’t drink enough fluids before you hit the hay or if your room is too dry, you could become dehydrated through the night. This, like snoring, can cause your throat to dry up and become sore.

Acid Reflux: If you wake up not only to a sore throat but also to an unpleasant sour taste in your mouth, there is a good chance that acid reflux could be the problem. Acid reflux is a condition in which the acid in your stomach partially comes back up through the esophagus. It can cause stomach pain, heartburn, and sore throats (and bad breath!!). You can deal with acid reflux by following the steps at https://chriskresser.com/get-rid-of-heartburn-and-gerd-forever-in-three-simple-steps/. If reflux continues to be a problem after this, see a doctor

A Swollen Uvula: The uvula is that small bit of skin that hangs down at the back of your mouth. It can become inflamed and swollen when you are sick with a virus or infection, or when there is too much bacteria in the area. Although you are likely to experience throat pain all day when you have a swollen uvula, it could be the case that some of the other factors mentioned in this post can increase your throat pain when you wake up in the morning. You can find out more about the uvula at https://safesymptoms.com/swollen-uvula/ .

Upper Respiratory Infection: If your upper airway is infected, your nose will begin to produce more mucus than before as a form of defense against the invading virus. Sometimes, this mucus trickles down to the back of your throat when you’re sleeping and it can inflame, irritate, and dry out the area – meaning that your throat will be pretty sore in the morning.

If you continue to experience a sore throat upon waking for a prolonged period of time, you should definitely have it checked out by a doctor. Chances are it’ll be nothing serious, but it’s always best to know. And waking up ache free at the start of your day will also be an added plus!

Featured Image By: Flickr

Mar6

My Unhealthy Obsession With Social Media!? Likes & Dislikes

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My Unhealthy Obsession With Social Media!? Likes & Dislikes
Hi everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you are having a wonderful start to your week and are not suffering from the Monday blahs too much! If there’s one thing that’s important to me, it’s featuring guest bloggers on my page. I want lifewithlilred to be a place for everyone. Whether it be via random articles or a full on guest bloggers series, if someone feels so inclined to want to be on my page, who am I to deny them that?
The article below is written by a young lady who’s new to the blogging world, Janicia. Please be sure to check out her page and give it some love and encouragement because even the most experienced bloggers were new once, too!

My Unhealthy Obsession With Social Media!? Likes & Dislikes

There is this constant battle and argument on whether social media has enhanced our lives or totally hindered our mental state. The question is. Where do you stand? Are you that person who is constantly switched on to the latest celebrity gossip and social media trends? Or are you someone that has the capability to put their phone down without having FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)? Unfortunately, I fall under the FOMO side of things!
The unfortunate truth is that social media isn’t all glitz and glam. The divide between reality and fiction is often blurred. There is another universe within our devises which exists and it’s kind of scary! We’ve been given an illusion, a distorted vision of what is true and what is false. Why is it, that we always chose to follow people who portray a perfect life? Is it because we’re envious or is it a form of encouragement? Perhaps they are just GOALS. As soon as we come across an attractive picture or person, the first thing we do is stalk their page and one hour later we’ve traveled ten accounts too deep! Are you lost? Or do you follow my gist? It gets to a point where you’ve pretty much found your future husband, met your in-laws, his relatives, and his two best friends John and Matthew! We’ve all been, there, right? Right? (I totes have…multiple times! -Sarah)
There comes a point, after having seen so many pictures of perfection on various profiles, that we begin to analyze our own lives and current situations. “How did they acquire all this success”, we ask. “She looks amazing! I wonder how much it would cost to get that body sculpture”. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it! It is a new phenomenon in our society, especially in the entertainment industry, where women are paying for the perfect body. If you had the money, time, and energy to do so, wouldn’t you do it too?
That said, social media has narrowed the borders of our vast world significantly. You’re now able to connect with people all over the world who have similar interests as yourself, which is fantastic! All you do is click follow and you are friends…well, virtual friends! You now have access to private and intimate images and videos of people you would never have seen otherwise. If you are an entrepreneur, you have direct contact and access to your target audience by sending out tweets, Instagram pics, and Facebook posts to the world at no cost of your own. The uses of social media are endless, it is how you exploit it that will either hinder or better your agenda.
I, like most, will continue to spend 50% of my day glued to my phone, computer screen, or tablet while surfing on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and my favorite: Google! The struggle continues and hopefully one day we (and I!) can find a healthy balance. A happy medium that gives us the opportunity to spend a lot more time away from our screens and more time living and enjoying our actual lives!

^^^ Thank you so much to Janicia for her insightful and humorous guest post! Who suffers from FOMO without being glued to their smart phone? How has social media impacted your life? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Interested in guest blogging for lifewithlilred? Shoot me an email at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com! ❤

Mar6

PMS? Or Just Pissed?

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PMS? Or Just Pissed?

Heyy everyone and happy Monday. So thanks to a not so subtle title, I’m sure you guys can all gather that it’s my “time of the month”. TMI? Maybe. But, it is my page which sometimes doubles as an online journal for when I just want to shout out to the void of the world wide web and be petty. So, let’s play out this new game show style segment and see what happens…

Sarah’s Bad Mood:

Is It PMS Or Just Pissed?

The Symptoms:

Well…Let’s see:

  1.  For a snack last night I ate three pancakes, two squares of Ghirardelli chocolate, a bagel and butter, a bowl of fettuccine noodles, and a delightful couscous salad.
  2.  I just told my dog who offered me a toy to “go away”.
  3.  My stomach feels like somebody is Mortal Kombat punching it.
  4.  I am SO freaking irritable that I seriously think I could Mortal Kombat punch a hole through the wall.
  5.  Did I mention that all I want to do is eat?
  6.  I literally think that if somebody looked at me the wrong way right now that I would scream and then immediately start crying.

Now, I’m no Web MD specialist but my conclusion to this riveting (admittedly TMI) new segment is…

PMS!

You know, when I was a teenager, my periods never bothered me. They were more of a monthly annoyance than anything and that was it. No pissy moods, no cramps, no wanting to eat everything in a twelve foot radius, no mood swings, no nothing. But now, as a twenty-two year old, my periods are the biggest pain in the ass on the planet. Cramps like a mother, my mouth turns into a vacuum that consumes literally ALL the food, and mood swings that would make Ohio weather seem normal.

I’ve mentioned this to a lot of my girlfriends and about three fourths of them have similar sentiments to mine. As if being a young twenty something pathetically floundering her way through life wasn’t hard enough already, mother nature gives me a week of torture monthly. I swear guys, I legit feel like I’m going crazy and it’s just exhausting! I don’t know why but today is just wearing me out and I’m already so ready for a drink and Netflix in bed.

Sorry to the people who read this that are grossed out by periods or whatever but sometimes being a girl really sucks and mama needed to vent. Besides, now we can all rest easy in knowing that it’s PMS rather than Just Pissed! 😉

Okay, now for some questions. Ladies, how do you deal with PMS? Gentlemen, what do you do when a lady in your life is PMSing (Staying away is not an acceptable answer!!)? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah