Newly Gluten Free

I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't have stomach problems, headaches, migraines, and fatigue. I've always just told myself to tough it out, that I just had a sensitive stomach. Most doctors just told me to eat better and exercise more (duh). I've only ever had one that took me seriously and actually ran some tests, and even had me have an MRI. Everything came out normal (yay!). Recently though the headaches and migraines had been getting more and more frequent. Finally, rather than thinking of myself as weak, and trying to convince myself that it was all in my head, After reading an article that talked about all the symptoms of gluten sensitivity that aren't as well known as the stomach problems, like anxiety, migraines and headaches, depression, I decided to take action. I can't say that I have Celiac, because I've never been tested. And I know people that do have it, and my symptoms are not so severe. But a gluten intolerance of some sort was a definite possibility. Why not give up gluten for a while and see what happens? 

I in no way expected this to be an easy task. I don't have the best eating habits, and never have. I grab and go a lot. And I happen to LOVE bread. All kinds of bread. And baked goods. Cookies, cake, donuts. How could I possibly live without white bread and donuts? I've actually kind of suspected gluten to be the culprit for my issues for several years, but tried very hard not to think that seriously about it, because I would NEVER be able to give up all my favorite foods. It seems like the gluten free products have really stepped up their game over the last few years. I did some research, read a lot of blogs on the subject, and decided to go for it. 

Today marks two whole weeks since I put this into action. The first week was surprisingly easy! I had to put more thought and effort into what I was eating every day, but it went pretty smoothly. And y'all, I felt great! I can't attribute that to cutting out gluten necessarily, because this process has forced me to eat healthier in general, but I liked how I felt, and wasn't missing certain foods as much as I thought I would.  Week two was a little tougher, but still not that bad. I didn't feel amazing like I did week one, but I did feel good. I tried a few new gluten free products. Some I liked, others were pretty gross. My favorite pizza place, Pieology, has gluten free crust, and it was just as good as the regular crust. Yay! I tried a French baguette by ....... , because I couldn't find the exact brand I was looking for, and was not a fan, But Udi's brand dinner rolls were awesome! 

They actually tasted like bread! Yay again! Also, Betty Crocker brand gluten free brownie mix was a definite winner. 

The fam actually liked it better than the regular kind! That one will stay on my list for sure. Over the weekend we made pancakes using Krusteaz gluten free mix, and I was pleasantly surprised! 

The texture was just a little bit different than what I'm used to, and I may add some vanilla and maybe cinnamon next time for some extra flavor, but overall not bad! I'll use it again. There are a few other products I bought that I haven't had the chance to try yet, but I'll keep you updated on those. It seems easy 

So, two weeks is not enough time to really know how my body will react to being gluten free. But so far I haven't had any stomach issues, no migraines, and only one headache. When it came on I started double checking the ingredients on what I had been eating lately, and found that a French onion dip I had had two days in a row did in fact contain gluten. Hmm.....Got rid of that one, and no more headaches! Interesting indeed.

So, I'll be keeping track of this little gluten free experiment on the blog. So far so good. But I know that long term this is not going to be as easy as it seems now. I'm excited to try more products and recipes though, and eventually add in some gluten here and there to see how my body reacts to it. Wish me luck! And I would LOVE to hear your stories and suggestions! I'll take all the advice I can get!



On a different note, sometimes you just throw on an outfit quickly and don't put any real thought into it, and it ends up being super cute. I love it when that happens! I'm a big fan of simplicity.

T-shirt Dress / Hat- similar here / Bag - cute option here / Shoes - similar here / Necklace - Summer Smith Designs / Bracelet - similar here

xo, Summer




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Lilly for Target Love

So, I braved Target this morning for the Lilly Pulitzer for Target Collection. I didn't attempt the online thing last night, which I kind of regret. My mom was able to get a few items that way. I got up early and planned to get to the store about 15 minutes before they opened, thinking that this being Vegas and not somewhere Southern, there wouldn't be a crowd. As I was getting ready I was scrolling my instagram feed, and suddenly me plans changed. The pictures people were posting of lines wrapped around buildings, empty clothing racks, and crazy crowds of people made me nervous, so I decided to go ahead and head out. 

I got to my Target an hour before opening, and there was not a person to be seen. Only a few cars were in the lot, belonging to employees. Awesome! I was so excited! I just thought I'd sit in my car for a while and casually stroll in and have my pick of the loot. 

A little bit later I noticed that a couple of people had arrived and were waiting outside the door, so I went ahead and joined them. We were soon joined by a few more, but it was still only a group of half a dozen or so. Everyone was so friendly, and we all chatted about the crazy stories we had already seen online about the madness in other areas, and everyone agreed that we were civilized people, and there would be no pushing, grabbing, or hoarding. This wasn't going to be so bad!

Well, about 5-10 minutes before the store was scheduled to open the masses started to show up. All of a sudden there was a line all the way across the front of the store. Now I was starting to get really nervous. You could feel everyone's excitement, and I wasn't so sure my little group of "civilized" early birds were being joined by people of the same mindset. 

Let me just say, that I love a bargain, and I'll go out of my way to get one. But I don't do Black Friday, or sample sales, or anything like that. I'm just not cut out for that kind of thing - I'm too timid. Hence my nerves this morning. I knew there was no way I was getting a dress if someone was actually going to grab it out of my hands. Do things like that really happen? I haven't witnessed it, and I was still optimistic.

When they unlocked the doors at Target we all filed in. No one was running, but we were walking VERY fast! I made a beeline straight for the women's clothing. It wouldn't have been that bad, but leave it to one bad apple (or a few) to ruin it for everyone else. One (very mean!) lady pushed past everyone in her path to get to the racks of clothes, grabbed literally everything she could hold, and took off. Everyone was stunned. I don't know why - we totally should have expected this kind of behavior. But experiencing it in person is just so much different. A couple of women asked her if she was seriously going to take all of it, and she didn't even make eye contact or say a word to anyone. You don't need 3 of the same dress in every size. Really. We know you're just going to go sell them on eBay for 5 times the price Target is charging. Way to ruin it for the rest of us, lady. I just can't even. 

So I grabbed a couple of things in my size (there were only a couple left), and wandered over to the girl's section. Not much left there, but I was able to grab one jumper in Mason's size. Now on to the home section. The plates I had my eye on were gone, as were the trays, but no biggie. Because after the HORRIBLE  lady almost ruining my faith in people, the rest of my shopping trip restored it. There was a camaraderie between all these women I met in line, and everyone was sharing, and trading, and just really trying to help each other out and be NICE to one another. I loved it! The Lilly fans in Las Vegas are fantastic!

So, in the end I only got a few things, despite being one of the first people through the door. Like I said, I'm just not cut out for cutthroat shopping! My mom made the trip in her neck of the woods and got more stuff than I did, plus was able to score a few items online early this morning. Between the two of us we did OK! There were plenty of other goodies that I REALLY wanted, but the fact that we got anything at all makes me happy! Here's our haul.......

So, when the next Target collaboration happens, will I try again? Well.....maybe. Depends on the designer! :) Were y'all able to snag any Lilly? Any good stories to tell? 

xo, Summer

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I Finally Tried Pure Barre...And LOVED It!

But also kind of hated it. But mostly loved it. Ask me again tomorrow when I can't walk....

I've been dying to try Pure Barre for the longest time. I'm not really sure why I haven't up until now, but I am sure glad I finally bit the bullet! It helped that a couple of my girlfriends were game for checking it out with me. 

I just want to say, that this workout is not easy. I know a lot of people seem to think it is for some crazy reason. Those people have obviously never been to a Pure Barre class. It will kick your booty! In the very best way of course. I have a gym membership, but it's easy to get in a rut. I sometimes get bored with the same old routine, so this was a great way to change it up. Even though I probably looked like a fool, my abs were on fire,and my legs were shaking like crazy, I can't wait to go back! If you haven't tried Pure Barre, I highly recommend! Happy tucking!

xo, Summer

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OBSESSED With the Lilly Pulitzer Collection for Target!!!

I love when designer do affordable collections for Target, my favorite store in the world! When I found out about the most recent collaboration with Lilly Pulitzer I was SOOOO excited! Then I saw the pieces, and Oh. My. Gosh. I'll take one of everything please! The bright colors and fun patterns are just perfect for spring and summer. The women's collection is full of comfy dresses, jumpsuits, and cover ups among other things. There's also precious items for little girls! Literally, the most adorable things ever. If that wasn''t enough to fill your cart, there are some amazing home decor items as well. I will be there bright and early when this collection launches on April 19th! 

Here are some of my must haves. It seems like a lot, but it was actually really hard to edit my favorites!

You can preview the entire collection here. I am seriously dying over the Kelley green and navy blue patterns, and aren't you loving all the cute rompers?  I have no idea how I'm going to choose which items to buy. What Lilly for Target pieces are on your list?

xo, Summer

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Help! My Child Won't Take Her Medicine!

As I write this post I am sitting downstairs in my dining room listening to my daughter alternate between sobbing and screaming at the top of her lungs from her bedroom. I am both furious with her and worried for her, and also heartbroken at this situation. I'm trying my hardest to stay calm in front of her and not break down, but it is so hard I have to just walk away many times. Maybe some of you can relate, and might have some advice. Maybe if you read this you've experience something similar and will know that you're not the only one out there. Here's the deal:

Currently my 9 year old daughter has pneumonia. She hadn't really been feeling great for a few weeks (which has contributed to me not doing any blogging whatsoever), and I chalked it up to allergies and a little bit of drama. Total mom fail. I finally took her to the doctor on Tuesday, and he said pneumonia. We got three different prescriptions and instructions to limit activity for a while. Scary, sure. But manageable, right? We hit the pharmacy, got some froyo and headed home. That's where it got tricky.

Medicine time. Ugh. Most parents hate this I'm sure. Seems like most kids out there are not big fans of taking medicine. Mine never has been. It's always a fight. But this time was just......crazy. I don't know what else to call it. So, she did Albuterol just fine. She did the Prednisolone liquid with some drama, but got it down. Next came the Amoxicillin. Oh. My. Gosh. In all of my research the last few days, I read that most kids actually like the taste of Amoxicillin! Mine is not one of those kids. Go figure. She started out pretty normal She smelled it, made a face, smelled it again, started whining. Dragged out the process for about half an hour. Finally swallowed half a dose, then promptly threw it right back up. Crap. This is going to be harder than I thought. Now she's starting to panic. Shes shaking and crying, and breathing really hard and fast. Sobbing that she just can't do it. We tried explaining to her that she had to take it if she wanted to get better. That it would only taste bad for a second. She could wash it down with ice cream if she wanted. We went round and round like this for about an hour. Finally the hubs made a deal with her. If she took her medicine, he'd take a shot of Jack Daniels (at this point, I could have used that shot, and I don't really drink). For some crazy reason this worked, and with a little more prodding, she finally got the dreaded medicine down. And hubs took his shot like a champ, by the way. :)  This whole process took a couple of hours, and by the end we were all drained. I thought the worst was over and it would be easier from there on out. Ha! Silly me....

Look at this sweet face! How could anything this adorable cause this much chaos? I love her so much it hurts.

Wednesday morning comes. Here we go again. Just as bad this time. Worse actually. She threw up the first attempt-again. So what is the best way to handle a child that just refuses to take medicine? I tried patience and sympathy. I tried tough love. I tried bribery. I tried threats. I tried disguising the medicine with every kind of food or beverage I could think of. She's totally panicking again. I don't think I've ever had a panic attack in my lifetime, but I imagine this is what it looks like. So eventually I gave up. Later that afternoon, and again that evening I tried again, with the same result each time. It was a very long day filled with chaos and screams, and tears from both of us. So we decided to call the doctor and get a new prescription, this time for pills. All afternoon we practiced swallowing things. We started with nerds, then moved on to M&Ms. Then we tried making small balls with American cheese, figuring we could wrap the pills in the cheese to make them easier to swallow. I was optimistic! Silly me.....

The pills were a no go as well. We broke them in half, wrapped them in cheese, wrapped them in fruit roll ups, crushed them up in ice cream, nothing worked. I tried crushing it up in the syrup on her pancakes Thursday morning. I tried mixing it with chocolate milk. More tears, more crazy anxiety. She had cried so much at this point she looked like she had two black eyes. And now not only am I worried about her being sick, I'm also worried about this anxiety. It doesn't seem normal. She says she'd rather have a shot than take the medicine, in any form. Back to the doctor. The doctors all seem reluctant to give the shots unless it absolutely the only option. Apparently it's super painful, and you have to go in three days in a row to get them. This time the doctor told us about a chewable option of a different antibiotic. He gave us a sample in the office so we could make sure she would take it before he wrote the prescription. Guess what? Success! Hallelujah! She had teary eyes, and made it clear it did not taste good, but she swallowed it right there in the office with minimal drama. Score! I was so relieved finally! Silly me....

We had barely made it out of the parking lot before she started getting hysterical again. I told myself if she could chew the medicine in the office she could do it at home, and went ahead and drove to CVS to fill the script. To add more drama to an already rough situation, No CVS in town had this particular medicine in stock. We were at the store for 45 minutes while they checked. I had to get this poor sick girl home, so we let it go for the day.

Friday morning I spent hours on the phone with just about every pharmacy that our insurance will cover. No one has this elusive medicine! GRR, So annoying. Back to the doctor's office, thinking this time it will be the needle. Instead, they were gracious enough to give us some samples of the chewables. Awesome! This is good. These are only a once a day thing. Surely we can handle it after all this. Silly me....

I think Friday night's meltdown may have been the worst since this started. We went in circles for hours. There were calm moments in the midst of the madness, but then they would turn back to the crazy and we would start all over again. "Unhinged" is a word a friend of mine used on facebook, and it's the most accurate I can think of. Friday night was not a good night y'all. There aren't words.

So, today is Saturday, and I didn't push the issue today. She just took her other meds and rested. Hubs and I were, however, able to sneak half a crushed up tablet into her sweet and sour sauce without her knowing! Don't tell, K? A small triumph, but I'll take it, considering the couple of moments I merely mentioned the words "sick" or "medicine", she totally freaked out. I am so tired, and so sad, and so worried, and so lost. I just don't know how to help this kid right now. I feel so helpless. So she's still upstairs, hopefully calming herself down, and I am trying to pull myself together by writing all this out.

Here's my thing. There's stubbornly not wanting to take medicine and making a big dramatic moment out of it, and then there's my child. In my eyes, this is not normal behavior. It scares me. It seems like an anxiety issue that she can't control, rather than a power struggle with a child trying to assert their independence. How do you tell the difference? Seems like most people I know feel like, I'm the parent, I should just be able to make her take the medicine for crying out loud! Trust me, I wish I could. It seems like most people feel like I'm being too soft on her, or that I'm being a pushover and letting her manipulate me. Listen, my daughter is such a good kid. She is so sweet, and wickedly smart. But she can be difficult. She's very strong willed and stubborn, and she does push her boundaries. Quite often in fact. But this feels different to me. This feels like she can't control it. She doesn't want this to happen. She just wants to be well and go about her normal everyday life. And I feel like punishments and negativity are only making things worse in this situation. As moms (and dads), when our kids hurt, we hurt just as bad, if not worse. We just want them to be happy and healthy, and when they're not it breaks our hearts. So, what causes this issue in children, and what can I, as a parent, do to help her?

Getting so personal about my family on this blog is kind of uncomfortable for me. It's scary to put this kind of thing out there. No judgements please. I'm just hoping some of you may have some advice, or stories of your own to share.  If you do, I'd love to hear them! Or maybe you've had a similar experience, and reading this will help you to know that you're not in it alone. Either way, sometimes it just feels better to write things down and share them. I'll keep you updated on our situation. We gotta get this girl well! Now I'm headed upstairs to hug and love on that precious little one.



xo, Summer



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