Ready, Set, Cut

We said goodbye to cable TV two weeks ago, and we have not looked back.  

I was happy to cut the cord (so to speak) and just tell our cable company to go and pound sand. 

We had a plan, as we had already installed our Roku that we scored on Black Friday for $25 and we are already subscribers to Amazon Prime and Netflix.  So, there was obviously some thought put into the breakup. 

I personally was fed up with the poor customer service, endless promo pricing gimmicks and incessant nickle and diming. 

It was also more of a decision for my well being.  I began to observe my viewing habits and quickly realized it was similar to being in an unfulfilling relationship that I had grown accustomed to. Did I even particularly like the television shows I was watching? Most often not, I had simply grown accustomed to binge watching what was on my DVR. There was very little thought and entertainment value when it came to what I was watching, it was more of a routine that I had grown comfortable with.

The first week was weird, so to say. I had grown accustomed to coming home from work, immediately turning on the TV to one of my many DVR'd television shows and cooking dinner. Mindless television watching with very little educational or entertainment value. I do not miss it, which means it wasn't very important to me. I instead relish in the mindfulness and quiet as I decompress from the workday.  

Don't get me wrong, we still watch TV. We have Showtime for our Shameless obsession and have developed a Downton Abbey obsession.  In addition, we still watch way too much news. However, we are much more mindful of what we are watching. I find in streaming TV you are able to pinpoint more of exactly what you would like to watch rather than mindless thumbing through channels or running your DVR on autopilot.  

The cost savings is an added bonus. I do realize our internet promotional pricing will not be this inexpensive forever, but with our cable and internet bill coming to a whopping $148 per month there is still quite a bit of a cost savings. 

Please send any documentary or streaming suggested television series my way!

Rest, Relaxation and a Cocktail or Two

We planned a short last minute vacation for this week after speaking to my RE and finding out that this would be a good time for us to sneak away. She actually prescribed; rest, relaxation and a cocktail or two. I plan to follow her orders.

Then AF decided to not show up and I had to hustle and bustle my ass to get some last minute blood drawn. I found out today I am not pregnant (duh!) and I did ovulate (wooohoo! body did something right).  I am starting Provera to induce a period. Isn't that funny? Who induces a period before a vacation? 

On a positive note, a late AF means - I will not be traveling with Lupron! When the needles are out of sight they are out of mind. Right? Well, I hope so. 

I am trying really hard to be positive. 

We are both looking forward to some quality time together.  I feel like we eat, sleep and breathe IVF.  Life at the moment is stressful.  There is no way around it, but the goal for this week is to rest, relax and reconnect.  Relish in the time that it is just us two because hopefully (God willing) we won't have a chance to next year. 

 

Fall Retail Therapy

I haven't been doing much shopping lately because HELLO! 

IVF and a chihuahua with a very expensive mouth

All of our big purchases have been on hold, and I am being a tad bit more conscientious of what I purchase. I am trying to make that saver of a husband proud. 

However, last weekend I developed a case of a Fall shopping bug.  

I haven't been feeling Fall, for more reasons than one. I decided to check out Pier1 to get myself somewhat in the Fall mood (still not quite there yet). 

I purchased new measuring cups and spoons. My husband complains about our measuring cups and spoons all of the time. Our spoons consist of mismatched sets with 1 tbsp missing and the cups we have are not quite cups but scoops. Anyhow, it was time for a new set of each. I picked up these copper ones at Pier 1. Fall means baking, and my husband is the baker.

I also picked up this very fall table runner at Pier 1. 

I picked up some tabletop pumpkin decor and a new immersion blender for soup making. 

Fall is not Fall without mums! I picked up a new plant stand for our awkward front porch and a nice full pot of mums. I also added a couple of hanging mum baskets to our shepherd hooks.   

A Weekend to Me

It's Sunday (boo!!)

This weekend was so simple but so needed.  I need my alone time. I am not one that needs to have a full schedule to feel content and last month was just too much for me.

Friday was spent walking the trails of our neighborhood dog park. I am trying to move more whether its fitting in neighborhood walks with my aunt, walking during lunch with friends or taking Baci for way more walks than usual. 

I woke up Saturday and had decided that I would do as I please this weekend. No pressure. No time constraints. I wanted to see where the day took me.  

It started off with my husband and I foraging through our poorly maintained garden and picking oodles of tomatoes. Needless to say sauce will be made this week. I also quickly meal planned and planned my week ahead. I absolutely adore my Happy Planner. 

Happy Planner

I wound up stopping off at Naperville's Farmers Market prior to my 9 am appointments. It was my first time, and I loved it.  It was full of flowers, veggies and fruits rather than miscellaneous stands with a few fruit/veggie stands strewn in between.  I will definitely be returning.

My chiropractor and acupuncture appointments were divine - per the usual. I always feel ridiculously relaxed after acupuncture on Saturday mornings.  Even more relaxed than my weekday appointments.  

I decided to do some grocery shopping at Whole Foods and a neighborhood produce store because I am officially obsessed with Lemon Drop Melon. I took my time and didn't rush. I perused the aisles picking up much more than I needed, but this my friends is enjoyment for me.  Judge away. 

I stopped back at home to retrieve my IVF meds from our doorstep because (HOLY ANXIETY that is a lot of money on our doorstep) and take Baci for a long walk around the neighborhood.  

I then felt the need for some retail therapy and visited the Promenade where I picked up a couple of items from Macy's and a few of the book recommendations I had received on Instagram (Divergent, Still Missing, The Husband's Secret and Crazy Rich Asians). I was bummed none of the memoirs that were recommended were available, but its probably best I get through these first. 

I went back home just in time to make dinner (tacos, of course!) and my first try at homemade pickles. 

I slept in on Sunday morning, well later than usual (7:30 am). Thank you acupuncture! We decided a morning trip to Target was in order where we filled our cart with nonsense and sipped on Starbucks (my weekly tall iced coffee with coconut milk).

Followed up Target with a trip to Downtown Naperville.  It was the perfect time and day - early and not so perfect weather.  The crowds were minimal.  We stopped by Snap Kitchen.  The place is ridiculously awesome, but a bit pricey.  I absolutely love the concept (fresh, healthy takeaway) and hope to try more of their goodness out soon.  This time I picked up two soups.  The soups were priced reasonably when compared to a can of Amy's and look much more appetizing. 

Butternut Squash Soup & Spicy Coconut Chicken Soup 

Sunday has been spent doing laundry and tending to a broken freezer (yes, again!)  I am currently waiting for G to come home, as we have dinner plans at a local tried and true restaurant. 

Relaxed and revived for Monday which happens to be my first day of stims. 

Guilty Pleasures

I have never been a big fan of movies. I never saw ET, Goonies, or any of those old favorites that you will quote and then look at me as if I know what you are talking about. Although, I did watch Dirty Dancing a ridiculous amount of times.

My attention span is that of a kindergartner.

This was one of the first "signs" of which I knew G was the one. I cannot tell you the amount of times in our early dating months where we were on the way to the movies (because hello that's what dating couples do!) and in unison looked at each other and said, "Do you really want to go to the movies?" We have been together almost six years and I can say we have only watched a handful of movies in that time.  We have wasted much more money renting movies from Red Box, never watching them and forgetting to return them. Luckily for me he has developed a love for some of my favorite trash/reality TV.  I won't say which ones.

I may not watch movies, but I am a huge *gulp* fan of bad TV, or should I say my DVR.  My attention span is not a fan of commercials.

I cannot pinpoint the reason I love reality/rash TV.  It's mindless and does not utilize much thought. It's the perfect thing to watch while folding laundry or making dinner because if you look away for a bit there is a good chance you didn't miss much.  In addition, I like a voyeuristic view into other people's lives whether they are little people, polygamists or ridiculously rich dramatic housewives. I am nosey.

Is all reality/trashy TV created equal? I think not.

I recently stumbled upon "Married at First Sight" and may have watched every episode on "On Demand" in a Sunday.  Synopsis:  Three couples go through tons of different psych evaluations/personality tests/etc and promise to marry their match who they will not speak to or meet until at the alter.  They will then honeymoon, live with each other and after a month decide if they will remain married or divorce.  The intermittent relationship expert sidebars were interesting and helpful.  Some of them totally had G and I thinking.

Then there are television shows like Sister Wives, My Five Wives and Little Couple.  They have definitely opened my mind to other people's life situations.

Then there are my other favorites Real Housewives of New Jersey, Little Women of LA and Shahs of Sunset and these are truly just that Trash TV but whats life without some guilty pleasures?

What are some of your guilty pleasures?