Captain!

As many of you probably know, Josh and I have been anxiously awaiting the announcement of whether he would be awarded a Captain position.  I guess I’ll cut straight to the chase and say, YES! HE GOT IT!!! Woo Hoo!!!! I couldn’t be more excited & happy for him!

But let me just tell you...it’s been a loooong month!  We should have found out about 3 weeks ago...but due to many, many technical difficulties with their system, they continually delayed the final award list.  FINALLY, they released a statement saying it would be posted at 10:00pm on Friday, October 28^th.  So of course, when Friday night came around, Josh and I anxiously sat in front of the computer and watched the clock tick to 10 o’clock.  The clock finally struck 10, we loaded the webpage, and of course – there was no list to be found.

So we literally sat in front of the computer and hit refresh...refresh...refresh....for about an hour.  By 11, I was just pissed.  We figured there was yet ANOTHER “delay,” so we decided to just go to bed.

Well, I then proceeded to dream about this whole situation all freaking night!  I dreamt we never found out, I dreamt that we did find out, but he didn’t get it, and I dreamt we found out that he DID get it.  By the time I woke up, I had no clue what was really happening!   Once I pulled myself back into reality, I reached for my iPhone on my nightstand and loaded the webpage.  (This was at like 7:00am mind you and my eyes were barely working.)  Once I was able to focus, I realized they had posted the list around 2:00am... 

But I couldn’t just look at it!?!??  This was Josh’s job....not mine.  I couldn’t find out before him!  So I laid there, stared at the ceiling, and decided if I should wake Josh up or just let him sleep.  Take a wild guess what I did....

“JOSH...THE LIST IS OUT!  GET UP! WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT!!!” 

Of course his eyes shot open, he grabbed my phone and we loaded the list while laying in bed, haha!  He scrolled down and it said Captain beside his name!

We were sooo excited all weekend long...it was great J  We went out to Chili’s that night & celebrated and then came home & sat in front our fireplace.  Ahhhhh....it was such a nice weekend.  I want to re-wind the days! 

Anyways...that’s the story.  I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to update on this!  I’ll be posting more info soon...

XOXO,

Erin Condren Life Planner discount!!

I know, I know...everyone has been talking about the Erin Condren Life Planners.  And you're probably sick of hearing about them, but yet you secretly want one, right?!?

Well that's been me for the past several months, but I just couldn't justify spending $50 on a planner.  That sounds ridiculous.  But these planners are just different.  They're extremely personalized, colorful, tabbed, and filled with just the right inserts to get your life organized.  (stickers/labels included...ahhh!)  See pictures below! =)  Or stop by the Erin Condren website and see how great they look!

 Sooo...after waking up this morning and perusing the internet, I randomly found this great Plum District deal.  You spend $25 dollars for $50 worth of Erin Condren products.  PLUS, when you sign up with Plum District, you automatically get $5 subtracted from your first order.  PLUS, I found a Plum District coupon code that takes another 10% off your order.  Just type "fabulous" into the Promo Code section.

So my grand total was 17.50!  How awesome is that?!  

This really isn't a saving money/deal finding type of blog...but I know a lot women out there might be interested.  So if you are...here is the link:  Plum District: Erin Condren discount

Unfortunately, this discount is only good for 1 day and I've heard in the past that they can actually sell out.  So if you're interested...jump on it!  This discount can also be applied to her other products if a planner isn't really your thing.

Have fun!!

XOXO,

I'm back!

Hello again :-)

I'm home safe & sound from my San Francisco trip!  But really, I've just been slacking in the blogging world because I've been home since Tuesday morning...woopsssss

I've just been tired & pretty busy this week.  But anywho...

San Francisco was WONDERFUL!  I truly had an amazing time.  The city is absolutely beautiful, the weather was perfect, and it was great for us all to be together as a family.  Here are some pictures that highlight our trip:

Golden Gate Bridge...obviously.  All together again :)

 The Island of Alcatraz!  So cool...but SO creepy!!

 Inside the Alcatraz Penitentiary...ha!

 Fisherman's Wharf

About to get some yummy seafood! :)

 Blue Angels!  The airshow just happened to be in San Fran that weekend.  How perfect was that?!?  Josh was in absolute heaven.  And to be honest, so was I.  Seeing jets soar through the sky and knowing how much love Josh has for aviation makes my heart feel warm inside.  People need to appreciate flying more.   It's freaking sweet!

 And last, but certainly not least, The Painted Ladies.  Yes, this was from the opening credits of Full House, aka: Best TV show of all time.  This was probably my favorite spot in the entire city.  It shows such a nice contrast between the old & the new.  A line of Victorian Homes with the skyscrapers as a backdrop.  

And yes, I did see the original Full House house.  BUT...it was while we were on a tour and we were just driving by.  I tried to snap a picture super fast but it didnt really come out.  How lame.  But at least I was still there!!!  for a second

I'm really sad our trip is over, but honestly, it just made me want to start planning our next vacation asap.  I'm thinking a Mediterranean cruise in April!  How awesome would that be?!  It would start in Rome, Italy and then go to Sicily, Turkey, and (Athens) Greece.  What are your thoughts?  I've never been on a cruise before, but that sounds like an awesome way to see some beautiful places.  I feel like Josh and I need to get one more big trip in before we have a baby.  

Okay...so on a completely different note - Josh STILL has not found out if he's been awarded Captain.  I mean seriously.  This is getting ridiculous.  Ugh...whatev.  Hopefully I have some news on that subject soon.  

XOXO,

Guest Post #3 - Happy List

Hi Friends, I want to say thanks to Shea for giving me the opportunity to post on here today. I really enjoy reading her blog, and I'm sure she's having a great time in San Francisco. (I LOVE SF)

My name is Tammy, and I blog over at Lemons, Avocados, and the Bay. My blog is all about my sweet man, our San Diego adventures, fashion, travel, good food, and well the things that make me happy. Speaking of "happy", I thought it would be fun to share with you a list of some of the simple things that make me smile.

1. Quiet Saturday mornings all to myself. This past Saturday it was just the couch, magazines, my kindle, and some Sex and the City. You can read more about that here

2. This guy right here. He makes me laugh, is always there for me, and just wants me to be happy (I could say he always listens, but let's be real... he's a boy and he doesn't always listen =P)

Photo by Josh Sudock

3. The arrival of seasonal drinks at Starbucks. Seriously, why can't they have Salty Caramel Lattes all year?

Source: momdot.com via Katie on Pinterest

4. Living in San Diego. Seriously there is just something so sweet, calm, and relaxing about living in this beautiful place. If you haven't been here, come visit. :) You will love it.

5. Learning about a new yoga or pilates reformer pose and deciding I really want to figure out how do the pose.  Working on reaching the pose, finally doing the pose, but knowing I have a long way to go before I am able to master it. I've been told that yoga is all about the journey, and not the final destination. I think I have to agree.

Source: yogaprivatelessons.tumblr.com via Betsy on Pinterest

6. Reading, and especially that bittersweet feeling I get right after finishing a great book... Just finished "The Help" and loved it!

7. Attempting to bake, and somehow ending up successful. Last week I made pumpkin bread pudding and it was soooooooooooooo good. I found the recipe here.

It may not be the most beautiful bread pudding you've seen, but it was yummy ;)

8. Traveling! There are few things that make me happier than exploring a place I have never been to before.

On top of a waterfall in Maui

9. Riding down the boardwalk on my beach cruiser, and ringing the bell. It's bbbrriinnnggg always makes the tourists smile.

10. This little blog of mine, the time and dedication I have put into it, and what it is becoming. It's funny how this little hobby has turned into something I absolutely love and am becoming pretty passionate about.

Thanks for taking the time to read about the things that make me smile. I hope my list made you smile a little too. Interested in writing your own happy list? You can link up to my happy list on Thursday at Lemons, Avocados, and the Bay.

Have a great week,
Tammy

Thank you so much Tammy for taking the time to guest post for me!  I really appreciate it :-)  I love your blog and I'm excited that I'm currently in your HOME STATE having a *wonderful* time!  

XOXO,

Guest Post #2 - Fall Trend

Hello there Flying Through Life readers!  Ashley here from Places To Go, Things To Buy and I am sooo excited that Shea has allowed me to do a guest posting on her fabulous blog! She and I have become bloggie friends (the best kind of course) and today I thought we’d talk about one of fall’s hottest trends…..RED!

Color has totally invaded fall this year.  Goodbye traditional fall colors like brown, black, and beige. Hello bright and bold colors!  For me, this is a welcome surprise because I love color!  Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the neutrals, but I will always love a good pop of color.  And what better way to do it then with red!

One of my fall fashion buys were these red work pants from Express!  I absolutely love them and I got so many compliments on them the other day!  They fit like a dream too!

A tried and true classic is red nail polish, and nobody does it better than Chanel of course!  Whenever I see someone with red nails or lips, I always swoon!  There is just something so eye-catching about it!

These red suede booties from Nine West are adorable! What a great way to add a pop of color to an outfit…..just throw on a pair of skinny jeans, white t-shirt, and a black blazer and your good to go!  These are definitely on my fall wish list….

And last but not least, can we just take a sec to admire how gorgeous this JCrew red winter coat is? It’s a bit outa my budget…..($350)….BUT this would absolutely make a statement walking down the street! Go big or go home, right? It’s such a gorgeous shade of red and I love the military style buttons!

So remember….don’t be afraid of color this fall and when it doubt….wear red! Thanks for reading and please stop on over to my blog, Places To Go, Things To Buy. I’d love to meet you all!

Ashley - I love your style and actually don't have much red in my wardrobe...but you've definitely inspired my next shopping trip!  Thanks so much for your willingness to guest blog!..I'm so happy we've become bloggie friends :-)


The third and final guest post will be on Monday from Tammy @ Lemons, Avocados, and the Bay.  I hope you check it out!

XOXO,

Guest Post #1 - Mama Laughlin

Hello all you FTL readers! 
I am Mama Laughlin. Now, brace yourself for some inappropriateness... that's sort of my thing.

I'm not the wife of a pilot like Shea- my husband is an electrician if you MUST know. But I am mom of soon to be 2 boys.
Shoot me.
Okay, don't really. I seriously have the cutest kid in all the lands. (What? I do!)
See!

And I'm pretty sure this next one is going to be equally as good looking.
He get it from his mama. :)
But in all seriousness, I love my son more than anything in this world and can't wait to expand our family!
This is our family last Christmas.

I know what you're thinking, and you're right, I WAS skinny. 
I worked my ass off to be that skinny. Literally.
Because before I got pregnant, I actually looked like this.

And then I got pregnant in 2009. Delivered my son weighing in at 217 lbs. 

And then I became an obese, 200 lb. mom. Something I'd always feared. 

And then one day when my son was 6 weeks old I said "ok, I think I want to be skinny". And from that day forward, I worked my butt off to be just that.
It took me nearly 10 months to lose 60 lbs. 
It is one of the best things I've ever done for myself and one of the things I'm most proud of.

I kept track of my weightloss on my blog and posted pics with each 10 lb. loss. 
I didn't take a magic pill, follow some ridiculous diet, or have surgery. I did it the old fashioned way- I put down the fork and picked up my tennis shoes.
I truly believe the key to weightloss is hard work and consistency.
If I can do it, ANYONE can.

Now days, I look more like this.

I have had a fit pregnancy this time around and am still feeling great at 34 weeks.
I truly believe that's because I've continued to eat mindfully and stay active throughout this pregnancy. 
I also know that post-baby body won't be NEAR as bad as it was last time and for that I'm thankful.
I will, however, be documenting my post-baby weightloss again on my blog and hope you'll stop by to watch this mama get fit again!
And say hello if you're new, I love meeting new friends!

Until next time, 
Peace, Love, & Baby Fat

Mama Laughlin

Thanks so much Mama Laughlin!  I love your blog & I'm so excited that you were able to do a post for me!  I'm honored :-)  

Tomorrow's guest post will be Ashley from Places to Go, Things to Buy!  I hope you stop over!

XOXO,

No Update...

Yesterday evening, Josh was supposed to find out if there was a possibility of him upgrading to Captain.  Well....yesterday came and went...and no list was released.  

So dumb AND typical!  Ugh!!

I seriously predicted this would happen.  I really don't want to bash his company especially since they haven't ever screwed Josh over (and sometimes that's normal for an airline to do) and his job is pretty stable (something to be cherished when working for an airline).....

BUT

His company is always late with everything!  Putting lines (AKA: schedules) out, seniority lists, the new contract, and now I can add this to the list...  which of course is the one that we're most on edge about.  Apparently the system that was supposed to compute the entire realignment just didn't work.  Wonderful.  You would have thought they'd do a trail run first??  Hopefully they get it figured out soon!

  Ohhh well, time will tell.  Enough of my complaining!  Until then, I'm sure Josh will be compulsively checking his crew account to see if they've released anything.  

Keep keeping your fingers crossed!!! :-)

XOXO,

Captain Spot?

So this should be quite an interesting week...

This post may get a little complicated and piloty...so if it bores you, I won't be offended.  But after all, this is a blog of a pilot's wife!

A few weeks ago, Josh's airline announced a "Realignment" notice which basically gives the pilot's the opportunity to "bid" to fly other planes.  Since his company recently merged with 2 other companies, there are now a total of 4 different types of planes.

Contrary to what many people think, pilot's just don't wake up each morning and fly whatever plane is lined up for them.  They are assigned to and trained for a specific aircraft and that's what they stick to unless they bid to fly something else or they are hired by another airline.

  So because of this realignment and there being new planes to bid for, Captains might choose to fly something different.  In turn, that may create a few open Captain spots.  If things work out just right, Josh could maybe, just possibly be awarded a Captain.  ...which would be crazy/so exciting!

But honestly, there are just too many things that have to work out perfectly.  At first we were quite hopeful, but the more Josh ran the numbers, the more doubtful we became.  We just keep telling ourselves that if it doesn't work out this time around, it's for a reason and his time will come when it's right.  On the bright side, if some people upgrade to Captain (but not enough for him to be reached), he'll soar in seniority and hopefully get better schedules.  

Ughh...who knows.  This pilot business is just too complex. 

One thing I don't like about the airlines is the fact that everything is based on seniority.  Although it makes everything "fair", it's not based on merit.  In other words, Josh could be THE BEST pilot in the entire world, but he wouldn't be awarded a captain spot until everyone hired before him got it too.  I don't like it!!  I like my job where if you do really well...you are given a promotion or somehow rewarded.     

Anywho...the list showing if anyone was awarded a Captain spot comes out Tuesday evening.  However, we can't even get our hopes up because that's just the "Initial" award.  If anyone wants to make changes or decline anything, they can.  For example, if a Captain changes his mind about going to a different aircraft, they can decline and then that open spot goes away.  The "Final" list comes out Thursday night and that's the important one.  If his name is on there, then we're off to celebrate!

So if you all could just cross your fingers for him, that would be wonderful.  I'm really not expecting him to actually get it...but we can at least hope, right?!?

Whatever happens, happens.  But I'll definitely keep you all posted!!  Think happy thoughts! :-)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm linking up with Jamie for What I'm Loving Wednesday!

1. Carmex

Regardless of the season, temperature, weather - my lips are almost always chapped.  It's kind of ridiculous.  So throughout the years I've become an expert on good chapsticks.  Carmex is by far the best chapstick out there!  So next time you're standing in line at the grocery store and you're in the mood to try something new, grab one of these suckers off the shelf!

2. EverSleek Shampoo

I really try to be as healthy as I can, but when I think of being "healthy," food and exercise usually come to mind.  But we have to remember that our skin is the largest organ of our body.  So anything we slather onto our skin/head will immediately be absorbed into our bodies.  I recently purchased Loreal's Eversleek shampoo because it's sulfate free.  I was kind of nervous at first because I know they put sulfates into shampoo to make lathering easy.  But I was pleasantly surprised!  It lathered quite well and made my hair feel extra soft.  Good purchase.

3. Strawberry-Pretzel Salad

O-M-G.  I'm sure many of you are quite familiar with this dessert...but I made it over the weekend to take to a party and it was probably the best dessert I've ever made.  You can find the recipe here.  It was a pretty simple recipe...just a few separate steps.  It's always a crowd favorite...  YUM!!

4. Josh is HOME! 

I'm LOVING that Josh is HOME and it's Wednesday!!!!  As soon as I'm finished typing this post, we're going to make dinner and then spend the evening together...I feel like a real married couple, haha.  I'm really not sure why he's home (some random thing with this week's schedule), but he'll leave again tomorrow morning for just a few flights that day and then return home tomorrow night.  All in all, this week won't be too bad.  And then at the end of next week... SAN FRANCISCO!!!  Woo hoo!!

Have a lovely evening everyone!

XOXO,

Looking for Guest Bloggers!

As some of you know, I will be in San Francisco visiting my brother October 7th-10th.  Soooo, I was hoping a few of you might be interested in guest blogging!

I'm open to all topics...but my favorites are beauty, fashion, money-savings, pilot lifestyles, healthy living, etc.  

If you're interested, please comment below or send me an e-mail at mrspilotwife@gmail.com and we can work out the details!

Thanks so much!  I've never done this, so I'm kind of excited ;-)

A Wicked Weekend

Many months ago, my awesome mother surprised us all (me, Josh, my mom, & step-dad) with Wicked tickets.  I'm sure many of you are familiar with it already...but in case you don't know, it's a Broadway show and it's fabulous.  We didn't travel to NYC...the touring company just came to Pittsburgh.

Our Friday night:

Wicked is based around what happened prior to "The Wizard of Oz."  Therefore, to fully understand the story line, you need to be pretty familiar with Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Wicked Witch of the West, etc.  Needless to say, (for Josh's sake) we watched the The Wizard of Oz on Friday night in preparation for the show on Saturday....haha.  But wow...I am REALLY glad we did.  I forgot how many references there were and he probably would have been pretty confused.    

Our Saturday:

We woke up early Saturday morning and met Josh's parents at our favorite (breakfast) restaurant, Perkin's.  That was nice since his Gram was in town visiting and we don't get to see her as often as we'd like.

After that, we pretty much rushed home and got ready since we had tickets for the Matinee show.  Usually I prefer going at night, but my mom was able to get much better tickets if she chose the earlier show.  Good decision on her part because we had wonderful seats...about 10 rows from the stage.  Just far enough back that we could see the entire stage perfectly. 

As I mentioned above, Wicked was fabulous.  Like, so freaking good.  However, it was my second time seeing it and it will never compare to my first time.  I was fortunate enough to have seen the original broadway cast in NYC with Kristin Chenowith and Idina Menzel.  That night was magical.  I was pretty worried I was going to be disappointed with the traveling company, but I wasn't.  Their voices were SUBERB and they completely lived up to my expectations. 

Josh also loved it.  Let me just say, I am very thankful to have a husband that actually enjoys these kinds of things.  There are so many guys out there that would just refuse to see a musical with their girlfriend/wife because it's too "gay" or boring.  So thank you hubby - you are awesome.  

After the show, we all went out for dinner at Max & Erma's which is a fun restaurant that's right across the street from the theater.  It was nice to be on a "double date" with my parents...albeit different, but nice.

Our Sunday (today):

My former boss had a party at his cabin.  We got there at about noon and stayed until mid-afternoon.  No joke...it was by far, the nicest cabin I've ever seen in my entire life.  It was something you'd see on HGTV or something.  I really wish I would have taken pictures...but then again, it may have been weird if they caught me taking pictures of their bathroom.  It was right along the river too, so the view was just breathtaking.  

After we got home, we did our usual get-josh-ready-for-his-trip routine and now we're both curled up on the couch watching the Steeler game.  Ahem...Go Steelers!

So overall, this past weekend was wicked fun ;-)

My First Blog Award!

Yay!!!  I received my very first blog award!

Thank you Miranda from Aimless Translation!!  You definitely made my day.  

The rules of this award are to say 3 random facts about yourself and then pass the award along to 5 other bloggers.

My 3 random facts:

1.  I have a step-brother who currently lives in San Francisco and we're going to visit him in October!  I am so excited AND I can fly for free. Seeeee...there are definitely perks to being a pilot wife ;-)

2.  I am obsessed with the TV show Full House.  I have every. single. episode memorized.  This ties back into my random fact #1.  If you don't already know, that show was set in San Francisco.  In other words, I will actually get to see/take a picture/hyperventilate/whatever else IN FRONT of the ACTUAL FULL HOUSE - HOUSE.  Shea=Pumped.

3.  I played piano when I was younger for 7 years.  Yep...7 freaking years.  And do I have anything to show for it?  Nope.  Playing piano was one of those things my mother made me do because she insisted that I would appreciate it later in life.  But my heart just wasn't into it.  I had no desire to play and therefore, no motivation to ever practice.  I'll be turning 25 in a few months and I still don't care if I can play or not.  It just shows that if you don't have a true determination to do something from within yourself, you're probably not going to accomplish very much.  

Here are the 5 fabulous bloggers that I pass this award along to:

Momma St.J Says...

Hey, Belly!

The Smelly Life
Daddy...Daddy, Come Back!
Blue-Eyed Blog

I absolutely LOVE these blogs. I can't say enough nice things about them...so you should definitely check them out.  I get beyond excited when I see they've written a post.   Thank you all for keeping me entertained!

XOXO,

Fall Bucket List

I saw this great Fall Bucket List floating around the blogger world and I just had to snatch it up!

I seriously love every single activity on this list.  I want to do everything!!

Especially the corn maze!  I've always wanted to do one and every single year it somehow slips by unaccomplished.  This year will be different.

If you can think of another fall activity that this bucket-list is missing...leave it in the comments section!  (Except Haunted Houses...I'm a chicken and refuse to subject myself to that kind of terror.)

Finding the Joy

Hi Ladies!

I am thrilled to be linking-up with my dear friend over at Momma St. J Says... for Finding the Joy Friday.

Today I'm finding the joy in:   

Fall, Fireplaces, & Pumpkin Pie

As I type this, I am curled up on my couch in front of my fireplace.  I'm so cozy!  There's a chill in the air and I love it.  We bought our first pumpkin pie of the season and I fully intend on enjoying it as soon as I'm done typing this post.  YUM :-)

My Hubby's Hard Work

Today was Josh's first day off from his trip, but instead of relaxing, he worked all day on our house project.  When we first bought our house, every room was covered in medium brown/oak trim.  It did look nice - but we both really love white trim/doors.  So, we reluctantly took on the project of repainting everything.  Oh. My. Gosh.  This project sucks.  We finished with the first floor, took a few months off, and now we're back to it again.  I came home from work today and was pleasantly surprised by how much he'd done.  Thank you again sweets!  I really appreciate it.

One of these days I'll do a house tour post!

Monkey Balls

Do any of you know what these amazing things are?!?!  Ok, so their real name is "Osage Oranges," but for some reason everyone refers to them as Monkey Balls.  I'm not sure I want to know why...

Anyways, they keep spiders out of the house!  They're pretty hard to find each year because it frosts too early/too late (can't remember which one, but the timing as to be just right).  But I was driving home tonight and I saw a woman selling them along side of the road!!!  I immediately stopped the car, turned around, and filled a plastic bag up with monkey balls.  Good times.

Now I'll just hide them around my house & be free of spiders this fall/winter.  Yessssssss :-) 

I'm grateful for so much more, but I really just want my pie...so I think I'll stop here.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

XOXO,

Miscellany Monday!

Here are my randoms for this rainy Monday...

one.

We attended a wedding over the weekend and it was *beautiful!*  My co-worker had been planning that day for over 2 years and I was there for her the whole time.  I wasn't a bridesmaid, but I sure felt like one!  The decorations/details were perfect, the DJ was amazing, and we had a fabulous time!  Congrats to the newlyweds!  Here are a few pictures of our night :-)

two.

Sunday was the start of Pittsburgh Steeler football!  Although the game turned out pretty badly, it's only week 1 and I still think we're a pretty good team this year.  I have faith!  We actually watched the game at a friends house which was really fun!  We recently started hanging out with this couple and it's been great having double dates.  All of our friends live soooo far away, so we're really excited that we now have some friends that live close (literally 3 minutes away) and we both get along with them really well.  

three.

I finally got a new lap-top! Yayyyyy!  No more broken letter "D!"  It's an HP ProBook with some really cool features.  I'm still getting used to it...but so far, it's been great.

four.

Yesterday we watched a lot of the 9/11 specials and it was so surreal and incredibly sad.  I just can't even imagine what those people had to go through on that horrific day.  Being married to a pilot makes it even more strange.  As a pilot's wife, I actually don't worry about Josh having to deal with terrorist attacks...but maybe I should?!  Ugh...I don't know.  I just pray that God will continue to protect him.

five.

This week should be easy-peasy.  Josh leaves tomorrow (Tuesday) morning and comes back Thursday afternoon.  So he's only gone 2 days!  I'm excited :-)

That's all for now!  Hope you're all having a great start to your week!

XOXO,

Tooth Update

So here is my lovely tooth update...wait until you hear this story!

And yes, this would only happen to me.  Anything that could possibly go wrong with someones teeth, will most likely happen to me.  

My appointment was scheduled for yesterday at 2:40pm, so I had to leave early from work to make it on time.  However, when I first woke up that morning, the pain was just gone.  I was pretty surprised - wasn't complaining of course - but after 3 straight days of pain, I was slightly confused.

And just a side note...since I have so many issues with my teeth, I'm constantly researching dental problems, scenarios, procedures, etc...I'm basically a wannabe dentist.  I even give advice at work. Ha...

For those of you who don't know, once a tooth starts really hurting, you're probably doomed for a root canal.  Contrary to popular belief, regular sized cavities don't hurt.  But once they get deep enough, move beyond your enamel & dentin and reach the "pulp" (AKA: nerve), that's when you feel the pain.  Once you feel the pain, the nerve is already infected and you need a root canal.

Back to my story:  So when I woke up yesterday morning, I was pleasantly shocked!  Teeth don't just stop hurting?!  So I went off to work pretty much expecting the pain to return sometime before for my appointment.  Well, I got to my appointment and there was still no pain.  My mouth felt completely normal.

My dentist searched all around my tooth, gums, and nearby teeth and couldn't visibly see anything wrong.  He then decided an X-ray would be best since there might have been an infection or something going on inside the tooth.  

So after the X-ray I wait...and wait....................and wait. 

Finally he comes back, holds the picture up to the light, and says, "Welp, I've been staring at this this for awhile now and I can't find anything wrong at all.  But I do see a little inflammation along the side of the tooth...so I think you pulled a ligament. It's pretty rare...but it does happen. Typically the pain only lasts 2-3 days, so that's probably why it's feeling better."

I PULLED A LIGAMENT IN MY TOOTH?!?  WHO DOES THAT????

Shea.

Shea does that.

And NO - I had NOT been pulling ligaments by using my mouth for "inappropriate" acts.  Come on people, let's keep this PG!

So overall, my appointment went much better than I expected and for once, there really wasn't anything wrong.  Yay!  ...no $1,000+ root canal!  Who knew I would be able to add "pulled ligament" to my list of mouth problems.  At least it's a good story :-)

Tomorrow is Friday and I am pumped!  Josh and I have 3 full days off together.  We're pretty busy each day, but it should still be fun!

XOXO,   

Toothache...ugh!

I have another toothache.  Let me just stress how incredibly MAD, upset, and frustrated I am with this.  No matter what I do, I always have teeth problems.  If I go to the dentist and I don't have any cavities, I'm actually surprised.  I brush my teeth twice a day, floss every single day, use mouthwash, and chew gum that's supposed to be good for your teeth.  I also had a root canal last year which was really upsetting to me because 1.) it's so unhealthy for you and 2.) and its SO FREAKING EXPENSIVE. 

I was just at the dentist 2 months ago and he actually said everything looked good.  I was shocked!  But now, my bottom front tooth is hurting and when I look in the mirror, I can see a dark spot.  If I end up needing a root canal (which really wouldn't surprise me), I'm going to be so bummed.  I don't know what else I can do to stop this from happening?!?

So I called the dentist this morning and it figures, today is a holiday and they're not there.  Now I have to worry about how quickly I'll be able to get in there and what they'll tell me.  When things like this happen, I just obsess over them until I find out what's wrong.  I really wish I could just let it go and not care.  I know I'm not dying from a toothache, but I can't help but worry what the outcome will be.  I just don't want another root canal!

Sorry I'm rambling and complaining so much.  I'll probably get an appointment for sometime this week, so I'll be sure to keep you all posted.  

Hope you all are having a better Labor Day than me! :-(

Hair Before & After!

Just got home from getting my hair highlighted and thought you guys might want to see the finished product!

Just a little history first:

Back in high school I was quite blonde.  I would get highlights regularly every 6 weeks and as a result, I became more and more blonde.  At the time, I really liked it - but looking back, it was probably a little too much...see below.  Eeek.

When I went off to college, I started fresh by dying my hair back to dark brown.  This may or may not have been to save a little extra cash :-)  Fixing those roots was quite expensive!!  Anyways, my hair has been dark brown ever since and although I think I look good as a brunette, I've just been longing for some dimension/contrast to my hair.  I'm tired of just one color.  

So after months and months of deciding whether I really wanted to take the plunge back towards blonde, I finally made the appointment for this morning.  

I think it turned out really well.  I emphasized that I didn't want it to be too blonde and no crazy platinum streaks.  I think she pulled it off!  So here are the before & after pics.  (They're really not the greatest pictures...but I couldn't get the lighting right.)

Before:  

After:

So there you have it.  I think I like it! :-)

Hope you're having a great Saturday!

Love,