Featured at Domestically Speaking!

 Woohoo! My Tree Branch Curtain Rods got featured by Maryann over at Domestically Speaking!Click the image above to check out the feature! Thank you so much, Maryann!

Day 26: Vitamin C

I hope everyone knows the one major benefit of Vitamin C: an immune system booster.

Maybe if I had been getting more Vitamin C, I wouldn't have gotten pinkeye, a sinus infection, and pharyngitis.

Yup, all three...

Why do I need it?

1. Works as an antioxidant

2. Boosts collagen formation (buh-bye wrinkles!)

3. Breaks down cholesterol

4. Boosts metabolism

5. Helps heal wounds faster.

How much do I need?

All women age 19 years and above need at least 75 mg per day.

If your a male reader, or just trying to get your spouse on the right track, men need about 90 mg per day.

Can I take too much?

YES! Do NOT take over 2,000 mg a day. It becomes toxic! If you are taking a Vitamin C-enriched daily multivitamin, don't start hoarking down oranges and chewing those (yummy) Vitamin C tablets.

How can I get it?

Check out this chart from Anytime Health to keep track of how many mg you are getting.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) - Anytime Health: "FoodServing sizeVitamin C content (mg)

Strawberries --1 cup --95mg
Papaya --1 cup --85mg
Kiwi-- 1 medium--70mg
Orange  1 medium  70mg
Pepper, red or green, -- raw½ cup--65mg
Broccoli, cooked--½ cup--60mg
Cantaloupe--¼ medium--60mg
Kale, cooked--1 cup--55mg
Brussels sprouts, cooked--½ cup--50mg
Orange juice--½ cup--50mg
Pepper, red or green, cooked--½ cup--50mg
Mango--1 cup--45mg
Grapefruit--½ medium--40mg
Snow peas, fresh, cooked--½ cup--40mg
Grapefruit juice--½ cup--35mg
Artichoke, boiled--1 medium--30mg
Sweet potato, baked with skin--1 medium--28mg
Potato, baked with skin--1 medium--25mg
Avocado--1 medium--24mg
Pineapple--1 cup--24mg
Cauliflower, raw--½ cup--23mg
Snow peas, frozen, cooked--1/2 cup--20mg


Doesn't seem that hard of a number to reach, hey?

Day 25: Take Care of Yourself When You're Sick

"Do as I say, not as I do."

My dad's favorite saying =).

In a perfect world, we would sleep our sicknesses away. People would wait on us hand and foot, bringing us chicken noodle soup, breakfast in bed, hot teas. Mmmmm...

I'm EXTREMELY sick right now. I've had a sore throat for the past week, but it turned into something epic.

Not only is my nose dripping goo, but my eye is, too!

Ick, enough of the graphic details.

Anyways, unfortunately, this isn't a perfect world. I had to get up early this morning to study for an exam tonight. Afterwards, I have to read 2 chapters, write a paper, and submit it before my class tomorrow morning. That means it will be a late night tonight. After my class, I took a coworker's shift. Then I work all day Saturday.

Blah.

BUT I know how important rest is when you're sick, so my husband has been extremely cooperative with waiting on me. He's running my errands, taking care of the kids, cooking, and cleaning.

He's my hero <3

So, though it may seem hypocritical to "demand" that you take care of yourself when you're sick, when here I am with an insane schedule, I'm just reminding you to enlist help when you can.

Now excuse me while cuddle up in my Snuggie with some Chai Tea, school books, tissues, and Vicks.

Give me some "Get Well Soon" comments to cheer me up and I'll throw your name in to the giveaway for all this free stuff!

Day 24: Laugh Every Day

Laughter.

So good for the soul.

It's a calorie burner, that's for sure.

Not only that, but laughing more reduces your risk for heart disease.

I'm lucky that I have a funny family. Especially my son, John.

Mom: John, who do you want to invite to your birthday?

John: Ava, Claudia, Zoey A. and Zoey T.

Mom: What about Joseph? Isn't he your best friend at school?

John: Yes, but he's just my school friend. I don't want him to come to my birthday.

Mom: But he can be your friend after school, too. Let's invite him.

John: No, I want only GIRLS to be at my party!

Mom: Why?

John: Because they're cute.

I guess Joseph would be competition for the ladies, haha! Yeah....he's only turning 5.

What a kid...

Tell me the last funny thing you heard or saw. You'll be entered into my giveaway!

I'm thinking about throwing another item into the giveaway, but I'm not sure what yet...

Tree Branch Curtain Rod

If you're here often, you may remember me mentioning that I whittled on my birthday. Yep, whittled.

You may also remember that I had a nasty storm come through my area this winter, and it took down part of my tree. I used up all the tiny branches to make winter boxes, but I still had a large branch left.

It was destined to go into my fire pit.

I was staring at my curtains in my dining room. A boring curtain rod with a scarf that doesn't even touch the floor.

Then I saw this on this Internet.

Source

Hm, I can do that!

So I sawed off the branches, leaving a few stubs. I whittled the bark off, and began shaping it.

I spray-primed and spray painted it white.

After re-mounting it, I bought another scarf to make sure the the bottoms pooled elegantly on the floor.

Of course, it's not as bold as the picture from the source, but I don't want it bold.

I love my dining room because it's a bit modern, a bit classy, and a bit rustic.

These curtain rods bring modern (being stark white), and of course elegant rustic to my dining room.

I'm smitten <3

See? Not in-your-face-noticeable. Just a touch of whimsy. Just how I like it =)