Nautical Themes

 A’hoy mateys!! <—–I’ve always wanted to say that

If you’ve ever lived in Florida, you know that there is no shortage of nautical and/or tropical themed decor. It can be found in clothing stores, restaurants, gas stations, rest stops, etc., While it can certainly be a feast to a vacationer’s eyes, it can also become an eyesore to a resident. I mean, how many pink and turquoise colored buildings do we need? Why do all of the seafood restaurants display shells and lobsters? And is that sand on the floor? Why do the ladies feel the need to wear the obligatory navy blue and white striped boatneck shirt? LOL

Now please don’t think I’m hating on anyone or saying these trends are bad, I’m just saying that like anything else, they can become tiresome. I’m sure every state has it’s own type of trend that the local residents wish would go away. When I lived in Florida, I wanted the nautical, tropical overload to go away. Far away.

Fast forward three years later. I’m now living in Virginia and I can finally look at nautical designs again without wanting to scream. Some of the fashion and home trends are a bit over the top {e.g., a chandelier made out of seashells} and some of the trends are quite lovely. Here are a few of those nautical/tropical trends that I love.

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Kimberly--Blog Owner

Blog Owner

Kimberly is a Multiple Sclerosis fighter, one of the many faces of MS. Before her diagnosis, she worked as a mental health therapist. Kimberly has two Master's degrees {in counseling and clinical psychology} and frequently finds herself psychoanalyzing people on Facebook and Twitter ;). Lover of books, animals, coffee, vintage items and tv. Mom to a college-aged daughter and five fur kids, wife to a feisty southerner, and saved by One.

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The post Former FL Girl Likes Nautical Themes Again! Home and Fashion #sealife #clothing #homedecor appeared first on .

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Great Food Deserves Great Dishes

I’m back with more Cascade Platinum news as I continue my position as a Cascade ambassador. I’m loving every minute of it by the way! Have you entered the Instagram contest that I posted about last week? I was just visiting Cascade’s page looking through some of the Instagram contest entries. There are some really great pictures in the gallery. I mean “wow” great. If you have a chance, take a peek and also see how you can enter {if you haven’t been entering already}. I’m totally excited about the prizes—->items from both KitchenAid and Cascade! Woot!

Earlier this year, my mom gave me a set of dishes that have been passed down from generation to generation. The dishes are clear, pink dessert plates and I just love them. I remember eating off of them when I was a kid. Instead of having the dishes just sit in the cabinet, I’ve been using them as often as possible. I’m not a fan of saving pretty dishes just for holidays.

My mom came over to my house today to celebrate Father’s Day with my dad. When it came time for dessert, I served her a chocolate brownie on one of the pink dessert plates. Mom actually asked me what I did to get the plates so shiny. Side note:  when she gave me the dishes, they definitely showed their age. They were dull and had some type of film on them. I told her that I ran the entire set through the dishwasher {even though she told me to hand wash them}.

Thank goodness I have a bit of a rebellious streak because those old dishes look better than ever thanks to Cascade with Dawn and Cascade Platinum.

Kimberly– Blog Owner

Here’s a picture of the chocolate brownies I made for Father’s Day:

and here’s the recipe!

Ingredients

3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Optional:  1 cup chopped walnuts or 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9×13″ pan or line with parchment paper.

Melt butter in a bowl in the microwave or in a pan over low heat. Stir in cocoa.

Remove from heat if using stovetop method.

Mix in sugar and vanilla then mix in one egg at a time.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Optional: stir in nuts.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Cool completely

Recipe modified from food.com

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions

Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cocoa in a medium sauce pan.

Whisk in the water.

Heat in pan over medium heat— continually stirring so it doesn’t burn.

When the frosting gets thick and starts to boil, allow to boil for 1-2 mins while continually stirring. Remove from heat before it gets too thick.

Stir in oil and vanilla.

Cool and spread on cooled cake.

Recipe modified from food.com

Thankfully, by following Gail Simmons tips, I’m improving my food presentation. I normally don’t take pictures of my food but as I’ve been participating in more food related posts, I’m getting my practice in. Gail,  a Top Chef  judge and editor of Food + Wine magazine recommends drizzling bright sauces on sparkling white plates or layering desserts in crystal clean glassware. In addtion to sharing food presentation tips, Gail has been kind enough to share a few of her recipes:

Sugared Doughnut Holes With Raspberry Compote &amp; Caramel by Kimberly Saving More Than Me

Ginger Panna Cotta With Rhubarb by Kimberly Saving More Than Me

Bumbleberry Summer Sundae by Kimberly Saving More Than Me

Which one of Gail’s recipes would you like to try? I think I’m going to give the Bumbleberry Summer Sundae a try next weekend.  I love fresh berries—especially when it’s so hot and humid outside.

Next week will be my final post in the Cascade Platinum series. I’ve learned so much and I’ve had tons of fun so far!

Don’t forget to enter the Instagram contest! You still have an opportunity to win!

Until next week…

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Kimberly--Blog Owner

Blog Owner

Kimberly is a Multiple Sclerosis fighter, one of the many faces of MS. Before her diagnosis, she worked as a mental health therapist. Kimberly has two Master's degrees {in counseling and clinical psychology} and frequently finds herself psychoanalyzing people on Facebook and Twitter ;). Lover of books, animals, coffee, vintage items and tv. Mom to a college-aged daughter and five fur kids, wife to a feisty southerner, and saved by One.

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The post Great Food Deserves Great Dishes {Chocolate Brownies Recipe} #sponsored @MyCascade #MyPlatinum appeared first on .

I’m a huge Johnny Depp fan so I can’t help but see a bit of Captain Jack Sparrow in Johnny’s portrayal of Tonto.

How about you–do you see a resemblance?

 From producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Gore Verbinski.

On July 3, 2013, Disney’s The Lone Ranger will open in movie theaters nationwide. Woot!

Wondering what The Lone Ranger is all about? Here’s the scoop:

Native American warrior Tonto (Johnny Depp) recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid (Armie Hammer), a man of the law, into a legend of justice—taking the audience on a runaway train of epic surprises and humorous friction as the two unlikely heroes must learn to work together and fight against greed and corruption.

The Lone Ranger also stars:

• Tom Wilkinson
• William Fichtner <—-love, love, loved him in the tv show Prison Break
• Barry Pepper <——–soooo excited as Barry is one of my favorite actors. I loved him in We Were Soldiers, Saving Private Ryan, and The Kennedy’s}
• James Badge Dale
• Ruth Wilson
• and Helena Bonham Carter.

Now let’s get to the movie trailer shall we?

If you’re excited like I am about the upcoming release of The Lone Ranger,

be sure to like the official facebook page, follow on twitter, and check out the official website.

You don’t want to miss a thing!

Disclosure:  The assets in this post were provided to me by Disney Studios. I have permission to share. No compensation of any form was received in exchange for this post. All opinions are 100% mine. 

Author information

Kimberly--Blog Owner

Blog Owner

Kimberly is a Multiple Sclerosis fighter, one of the many faces of MS. Before her diagnosis, she worked as a mental health therapist. Kimberly has two Master's degrees {in counseling and clinical psychology} and frequently finds herself psychoanalyzing people on Facebook and Twitter ;). Lover of books, animals, coffee, vintage items and tv. Mom to a college-aged daughter and five fur kids, wife to a feisty southerner, and saved by One.

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The post Johnny Depp + Armie Hammer As Tonto and the #LoneRanger: New Movie Trailer #disney appeared first on .

I’ve searched the internet and compiled the latest multiple sclerosis news from this past week. I don’t know about you but I like to stay up to date with the research studies, clinical trials, and the person-centered stories.

This first news story has me highly irritated as there’s just no excuse. The head of GlaxoSmithKline’s Research and Development department in China has been fired for misrepresenting data. The recently published study centered around T cells removed from persons with multiple sclerosis. As a result of the scandal, another researcher has resigned and three employees were placed on suspension. Nature Medicine published the study and you can read their response posted on their blog. Regarding the researchers and their lies, I think it all comes down to one word—greed.

Starting next year, the Affordable Health Care Act sets maximum limits on how much consumers can be required to pay annually out-of-pocket. But some people with high drug costs may find the limits don’t protect them yet.  According to Bari Talente, executive vice president of advocacy at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society:  ”People living with multiple sclerosis and other chronic illnesses have been counting on this annual out-of-pocket limit coming, and now that may not happen in 2014.”

Swiss drugmaker Novartis has announced some promising results from it’s Phase III Transforms study. The study demonstrated how prescription drug Gilenya (fingolimod) was effective against four key measures of disease activity in multiple sclerosis:

• brain volume loss
• lesion activity
• relapse rates
• and disability progression.

Improvements were seen in patients who switched from standard interferon treatment to Gilenya within 12 months of the switch and up to the end of the 4.5 year extension study.

A medical test previously developed to measure a toxin {acrolein} found in tobacco smokers has been adapted to measure the same toxin in people suffering from spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis. Acrolein is produced in the body after nerve cells are injured which then triggers biochemical events that worsen the injury’s severity {nice right?}. Researchers believe that acrolein may play an important role in multiple sclerosis and other conditions.

This is a bit controversial but interesting. At the joint meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers and the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, investigators reported that a goat blood product called AIMSPRO helped a significant number of patients with secondary progressive MS. The goat blood drug was given to patients via subcutaneous injection ranging from twice a week to once every two weeks.  Would you consider taking a drug that consists of goat blood?

The words in the graphic below are my own. I’m calling it the MS Warrior Motto.  

Pin it, tweet it, or facebook it but please just share it. 

Until next time my fellow warriors…..keep fighting.

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Kimberly--Blog Owner

Blog Owner

Kimberly is a Multiple Sclerosis fighter, one of the many faces of MS. Before her diagnosis, she worked as a mental health therapist. Kimberly has two Master's degrees {in counseling and clinical psychology} and frequently finds herself psychoanalyzing people on Facebook and Twitter ;). Lover of books, animals, coffee, vintage items and tv. Mom to a college-aged daughter and five fur kids, wife to a feisty southerner, and saved by One.

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The post Latest MS News: Gilenya, Goat’s Blood, + Greed + Please Share My #MSWarriorMotto #curems appeared first on .

Disclosure: I received complimentary items from Purina in order to facilitate my True Nature Of Cats journey. No other form of compensation has been received. Regardless, all opinions expressed are 100% mine and are accurately reflected in this post.

In my first True Nature of Cats post, I introduced you to the journey I’m on with Purina One to learn more about my cats’ behaviors. I experimented with the placement of the food dishes in the kitchen and discovered that my cats do not like change. Now, I’m on a new mission. I’m determined to discover when each of my cats is the most active so I can schedule play time during that time.

I have also been working on Gracie’s eating habits. Not only does she eat too fast but she eats too much. Gracie has gained a considerable amount of weight since she was spayed. Purina researchers understand that weight gain can occur after spaying/neutering. This is one of the many reasons they created Purina One Healthy Metabolism. Gracie is being fed both wet and dry Healthy Metabolism. She has also started using the Tiger Diner {more on this later} and we are working on increasing her activity level.

I would be remiss if I did not tell you that since my last post, my sweet boy Zeus passed away. Zeus had an untreatable and malignant form of cancer that eventually overtook his body. He stopped eating, drinking, and had difficulty moving. It was obvious he was in pain. As a result, my husband and I made the VERY difficult decision to have Zeus put to sleep. Zeus was with us for 16 years and he never met a stranger. When I’m able, I plan on writing a special tribute post to Zeus. The emotions are still too raw right now for me to compose such a post. Until then…RIP my sweet boy.

Kimberly– Blog Owner

When Purina researchers observed African cats in the wild, they noticed that the majority have ideal body weights. This is probably due to the fact that African wildcats have to hunt for their food so they only eat when hungry. They’re also quite active in the wild. In contrast, our house cats have food available to them 24 hours a day, no hunting required. Even though Gracie, Bear, Bandit, and Spitfire don’t hunt for their food, they still exhibit hunting behaviors. Have you ever seen your cat crouch down and act like he’s stalking his prey? Those are the hunting behaviors that cats innately have.

To encourage physical activity, Purina researchers recommend using toys that bring out cats’ hunting behaviors. Gracie’s favorite toys are her catnip stuffed mouse and a fishing pole-style cat toy.

Gracie likes to play in the afternoon and evening times. She loves using her paws to capture the feather on the end of the pole. She will jump in the air and gladly chase after the feather. She’s too cute when she leaps around!

Bear and Bandit are both senior cats so they seldom engage in play with me. Before his fur brother passed away, Bear used to play with his moo-moo {stuffed cow toy}. He hasn’t played with it since Zeus died. Bandit will play with a catnip toy if she’s by herself and no other cats are around. When she does play, she uses all four paws and really gets into it. She gnashes on the toy with her teeth and throws it up in the air and then pounces on it.  She’s a natural hunter if ever I’ve seen one!!

Spitfire….my poor boy . He was really close to his buddy Zeus. Since Zeus’s passing, Spitfire walks around the house howling, scratching at closed doors, and refusing to engage in any of his regular play behaviors. Our veterinarian assures me that this is a normal grieving reaction in cats. It breaks my heart.

Ever since Gracie was spayed, she has easily doubled her weight. We have tried limiting her access to food but in a multi-cat household it is very difficult to do so. She also overeats, and then she vomits, and then she eats some more. I have seen this behavior in shelter pets before. It’s a learned behavior and is related to feelings of food insecurity. Since I want Gracie to be healthy, I’m really working hard on portion control and weight loss. This past week I introduced her to the Tiger Diner.

She has been eating from it all week {I’m happy to say}. It has definitely slowed down her gorging habit. The proof is in the numbers——>Gracie lost one pound!!

Kimberly– Blog Owner

I definitely recommend watching this short video on Healthy Metabolism for Spayed/Neutered Cats. It’s quite informative.

Would you like to learn more about the true nature of your cats? Join me in the journey. You can sign up for free.

Until next week, Gracie, Bear, Bandit, and Spitfire say meow {what else did you think they were going to say }!

Author information

Kimberly--Blog Owner

Blog Owner

Kimberly is a Multiple Sclerosis fighter, one of the many faces of MS. Before her diagnosis, she worked as a mental health therapist. Kimberly has two Master's degrees {in counseling and clinical psychology} and frequently finds herself psychoanalyzing people on Facebook and Twitter ;). Lover of books, animals, coffee, vintage items and tv. Mom to a college-aged daughter and five fur kids, wife to a feisty southerner, and saved by One.

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The post Encouraging Play In Household Cats and Reducing Overeating #cats #truenatureofcats #sponsored appeared first on .

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

 Cascade Platinum Dishwashing Pacs

Last week I was excited to announce to you all that I had been selected as a Cascade Platinum Ambassador. This week, I get to share my experiences with you after using Cascade Platinum for the very first time. In addition, I’m going to give you details on how you could win great prizes just by sharing photos on Instagram. When I say great prizes y’all, I mean great prizes!!

For the past several years, I have been using Cascade Complete Gel Dishwasher Detergent + Cascade Rinse Aid. I’ve been very happy with both. The only time the product didn’t get my dishes clean was when my husband burned eggs on our stainless steel pan. Yikes. It took a lot of scrubbing to remove the dried egg and black burn marks so I certainly don’t blame Cascade for this one incident.

As previously discussed, I’m a third generation Cascade user and I’ve already converted the fourth generation. When my daughter was visiting from college a few months ago, she asked me what type of dishwasher detergent I use because “your glasses are always so clean Mom.” I had to remind her about that green bottle under the sink.

As a faithful Cascade user, I was truly excited to test out the new Cascade Platinum. The first time I used Cascade Platinum, I pre-rinsed my dishes. Why? Because it was drilled into my head growing up to pre-rinse, pre-rinse, pre-rinse!! Anyway, I popped one pac of Cascade Platinum Lemon Burst Scent into my dishwasher and waited to see the results {well, more like I watched tv while the dishwasher ran}. Guess what? No food stuck on anything anywhere! I expected this from Cascade but on to the next test.

What if I used Cascade Platinum without pre-rinsing my dishes? Surprisingly, suppressing the urge to pre-rinse was very difficult {thanks mom} but for the sake of product testing, I gave it a whirl. So…what’d I find? Clean dishes except for one lipstick stain stuck on a white mug. It was the long-wearing type of lipstick by the way.

That leftover lipstick stain is no big deal to me when you consider the fact that one little pac of detergent cleaned my non pre-rinsed dishes! Seriously. I could get used to this.

Kimberly– Blog Owner

So why did Cascade Platinum work so well for me? It might have to do with Cascade Platinum’s Triple-Action Formula:

Cascade Platinum features a premium, advanced triple-action formula specially designed to deliver Cascade’s best-in-market performance:

1.  Increased enzyme power delivers better tough food cleaning than Cascade Complete Pacs.
2.  Unique liquid-top dual surfactant system delivers exceptional shine for the dishes.
3.  Specially designed chelant and polymer system helps prevent hard-water film build-up on your dishes, glasses and even the interior walls of your dishwasher.
4.  The chelant is designed to fight Calcium that comes in with hard-water and food to help deliver virtually film-free dishes wash after wash.

Now that you know how to get your dishes sparkling clean, do you know how to present and plate your food so it dazzles? I’ll admit that I’m still a novice in this department which is why I’m so glad to hear that Top Chef  judge and editor of Food + Wine magazine, Gail Simmons, has partnered with Cascade to discuss why food presentation is just as important as preparation. You can watch Gail in action on Cascade’s YouTube channel.

Do you remember those great prizes I talked about earlier? Here’s what Cascade is giving away in the “My Platinum” Instagram contest:

•  (1) GRAND PRIZE:   A KitchenAid kitchen makeover and a year’s supply of Cascade Platinum (awarded as twelve (12) bags) and Cascade Complete Rinse Aide (awarded as four (4) bottles). Winner will select a Fridge, DW, Micro & Range/Oven that best suits their kitchen layout, not to exceed the $10,000 limit. Cascade will be fulfilled as a twelve (12) bags of Cascade Platinum Detergent.  Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”):  $10,111.84.
• (8) WEEKLY PRIZES: A KitchenAid dishwasher model #KUDE70FXSSand a six (6) month Supply of Cascade Platinum Pacs (six (6) bags) and Cascade Complete Rinse Aide (two (2) bottles). ARV: $1,802.86

Did I say KitchenAid? Oh yes I did!! Each week, Cascade will have a #MyPlatinum theme and Instagram users can upload photos related to the respective theme. To enter, you must first register. If you don’t register and submit a photo on Instagram, your entry will be disqualified so register first please.

Once you’ve registered, check out that week’s theme, take your photo, include the hashtag #MyPlatinum, and post on Instagram.

Here are the weekly themes:

• My Platinum Bite {Entry Period: 6/10-6/16}–>Show us your best bite and most creative use of sparkling silverware.
• My Platinum Clink {Entry Period:  6/17-6/23}–>Show us how you serve up creative concoctions in sparkling glasses.
• My Platinum Table {Entry Period:  6/24-6/30}–>Show us your sparkling tablescape for your most special celebrations.
• Grand Prize Winner will be selected from all eligible entries.

I would love if one of my readers won something in the #MyPlatinum contest. Sprinkling you all with good luck dust! Until next time….

Kimberly– Blog Owner

Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed are 100% mine. Cascade and sponsors are responsible for prize fulfillment in the #MyPlatinum Instagram Contest. Please read the official contest rules before entering. 

Author information

Kimberly--Blog Owner

Blog Owner

Kimberly is a Multiple Sclerosis fighter, one of the many faces of MS. Before her diagnosis, she worked as a mental health therapist. Kimberly has two Master's degrees {in counseling and clinical psychology} and frequently finds herself psychoanalyzing people on Facebook and Twitter ;). Lover of books, animals, coffee, vintage items and tv. Mom to a college-aged daughter and five fur kids, wife to a feisty southerner, and saved by One.

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The post Review-Cascade #MyPlatinum + Instagram Contest Details{Hint: Think KitchenAid} @MyCascade #sponsored appeared first on .

Author information

Kimberly--Blog Owner

Blog Owner

Kimberly is a Multiple Sclerosis fighter, one of the many faces of MS. Before her diagnosis, she worked as a mental health therapist. Kimberly has two Master's degrees {in counseling and clinical psychology} and frequently finds herself psychoanalyzing people on Facebook and Twitter ;). Lover of books, animals, coffee, vintage items and tv. Mom to a college-aged daughter and five fur kids, wife to a feisty southerner, and saved by One.

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The post Book Review: Catch A Falling Star by @bethvogt {sponsored} #books appeared first on .

When I open my eyes in the morning, I am very grateful to be alive. I truly am. This feeling of gratefulness often fights with two things {three things if I’m honest}:  fatigue, pain, and depression.

The fatigue creeps in as soon as I open my eyes and it pushes out all thoughts of gratefulness. This isn’t the kind of fatigue that is a result of not getting eight hours of sleep. This isn’t even the kind of the fatigue that is the result of staying awake for 24 hours straight. This is a hard to explain deep bone fatigue. This is the kind of fatigue that makes you aware of how much energy is required to breathe. The kind of fatigue that grips your body and mind and says “don’t move.”  This kind of fatigue…only another MS’er can truly understand but that doesn’t mean people without MS can’t understand the jest of it.

When I’m gripped with really bad fatigue, I can sleep 24 hours straight. No bathroom trips. No drinks of water. No food. Just sleep. And you know what? My body obviously needs sleep so I sleep.

Moderate fatigue for me means I sleep 14-16 hours a day. Minimal fatigue? It doesn’t exist for me. It’s 14 hours of sleep or more. I don’t have a choice either. I can try to fight the sleep {if I’m awake}, but I won’t win. Dizziness sets in. Nausea appears. Then my eyelids start getting heavy. My.body.must.have.sleep. If I don’t lie down within 30 minutes of these symptoms appearing, I feel like I’m going to pass out {and I have passed out}. Fun eh?

Multiple Sclerosis walked into my life and brought its friend pain. I’ve been living with pain so long that I wouldn’t know how to act if I weren’t in pain.

Kimberly – Blog Owner

A day without pain would cause me to ask myself, “Am I dead?”

As a person with fibromyalgia and Multiple Sclerosis, I get a double serving of pain. There are shooting pains, throbbing pains, aching pains, burning pains, and tingling pains….just to name a few. The doctors are more than willing to prescribe me pain medications but I refuse to take the ones with addictive tendencies. No, I’m no martyr. I’m not better than the person who takes pain meds, it’s just my choice not to take them.

Addiction runs in my family. I used to work as an addictions counselor. Do you see where this is going? So what do I take when I can’t stand it anymore? Gabapentin. It helps block nerve signals and therefore blocks the feeling of pain. In the past, I’ve attempted to take gabapentin daily but I felt like a zombie. And hey, I’m not a fan of zombies {especially Walking Dead zombies}. I don’t want to live the remainder of my life as a zombie so I only take gabapentin when I can’t stand the pain anymore. Then I fall asleep.

Kimberly – Blog Owner

Depression is not simply feeling blue. Depression is an all-encompassing sadness that includes physical symptoms.

Persons with MS are prone to experiencing depression due to the neurological changes affecting the brain. In one study {where the subject pool consisted of people diagnosed with MS}, clinically significant depressive symptoms were found in 41.8% of the subjects, and 29.1% of the subjects had moderate to severe depression. That’s significant. That means that us MS’ers are likely to get depressed but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. If a disease takes away your career,  your ability to walk, your ability to socialize, your ability to think properly, and you’re burdened with the costs of medical care, plus you’re in pain and fatigued all the time, depression is a natural response.  If you are depressed, don’t be afraid to seek treatment. Ask for help. Don’t suffer in silence.

I needed help a few times.

Kimberly – Blog Owner

I take prescription medication to deal with clinical depression and I’m not afraid to admit it. It doesn’t make me weak or a freak. It makes me strong for addressing the issue and dealing with it.

Despite the fact that I experience daily fatigue and pain {and fight off the return of depression}, my life is not miserable. I try to balance out the negatives with the positives. I engage in activities that make me happy. I give myself permission to sleep when I need to. I ask for help when I need it. I have finally accepted my limitations and it only took me five years to get here!! My biggest piece of advice, be good to yourself. You will feel beaten up in so many other ways that you don’t need to be your own worst critic. You’re still alive. I’m still alive. I’m grateful for both.

If you have a chronic health issue, what’s your biggest daily struggle?

Author information

Kimberly--Blog Owner

Blog Owner

Kimberly is a Multiple Sclerosis fighter, one of the many faces of MS. Before her diagnosis, she worked as a mental health therapist. Kimberly has two Master's degrees {in counseling and clinical psychology} and frequently finds herself psychoanalyzing people on Facebook and Twitter ;). Lover of books, animals, coffee, vintage items and tv. Mom to a college-aged daughter and five fur kids, wife to a feisty southerner, and saved by One.

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The post Multiple Sclerosis Diary Part 3: Fatigue, Pain, and Depression {The Troubling Trio} #curems appeared first on .

Photo courtesy of HSUS

Did you know that the majority of pet stores that sell puppies carry dogs from cruel and inhumane puppy mills? It’s true. Puppy mills are like dog-making factories with the mother dogs spending their entire lives in cramped cages or kennels with little or no personal attention or quality of life. When the mother and father dogs can no longer breed, they are discarded or killed. Consumers who purchase puppies from pet stores or over the Internet without seeing a breeder’s home firsthand are often unknowingly supporting this cruel industry.

Help stop this cycle of cruelty simply by choosing to adopt your next pet from a shelter or rescue, or by only purchasing a dog from a responsible breeder who will show you where your puppy was born and raised. And that’s not all——you can do even more by refusing to buy pet supplies from any store or website that sells puppies. Where you spend your dollars makes a difference. Make a statement when you shop!

Don’t breed or buy while shelter pets die.

Watch The Humane Society’s new video, then fill out and submit your pledge below.

Author information

Kimberly--Blog Owner

Blog Owner

Kimberly is a Multiple Sclerosis fighter, one of the many faces of MS. Before her diagnosis, she worked as a mental health therapist. Kimberly has two Master's degrees {in counseling and clinical psychology} and frequently finds herself psychoanalyzing people on Facebook and Twitter ;). Lover of books, animals, coffee, vintage items and tv. Mom to a college-aged daughter and five fur kids, wife to a feisty southerner, and saved by One.

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The post Sign The HSUS Pledge Not To Buy A Puppy From A Puppy Mill: Adopt, Don’t Shop! #pets appeared first on .

Disclosure: “I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received compensation and/or a product sample to facilitate my review and as a thank you for participating.”

I am so excited to announce that I’ve been selected as a Cascade My Platinum Ambassador. Woot! What does that mean exactly ? It certainly doesn’t mean that I enjoy doing dishes but it does mean that I like using Cascade to get my family’s dishes clean. It also means that I get to share my love of Cascade products with you.

Cascade is part of my family history. My mother used Cascade and my grandmother did also.  That makes me a third generation Cascade user. My family didn’t use Cascade because it was the only brand around, they used it because it worked. I remember that green Cascade box oh so well as I was responsible for loading/unloading the dishwasher as part of my childhood chores. There was no food stuck to the plates and no powdery streaks. I know because my Mom made me check!

Cascade recently released a new product called Cascade Platinum. Cascade Platinum features a premium, advanced triple-action formula specially designed to deliver Cascade’s best-in-market performance:

• Increased enzyme power delivers better tough
food cleaning than Cascade Complete Pacs
• Unique liquid-top dual surfactants system delivers
exceptional shine for the dishes AND helps keep
your dishwasher sparkling
• Specially designed chelant and polymer system
helps prevent hard-water film build-up on your
dishes, glasses and even the interior walls of
your dishwasher
• The chelant is designed to fight Calcium that
comes in with hard-water and food to help deliver
virtually film-free dishes wash after wash

Over the next month, I’ll be sharing my experiences with you as I test Cascade Platinum Pacs. I’ll also be giving you details about Cascade’s partnership with Top Chef Judge, Gail Simmons. And you my dear readers will be invited to participate in Cascade Platinum’s “My Platinum” Instagram contest. Details of this contest will be released this week in my next post so stay tuned!

In the meantime, stay up to date on all things Cascade and Cascade Platinum by liking their Facebook page. Don’t miss out on all the exciting announcements!

Author information

Kimberly--Blog Owner

Blog Owner

Kimberly is a Multiple Sclerosis fighter, one of the many faces of MS. Before her diagnosis, she worked as a mental health therapist. Kimberly has two Master's degrees {in counseling and clinical psychology} and frequently finds herself psychoanalyzing people on Facebook and Twitter ;). Lover of books, animals, coffee, vintage items and tv. Mom to a college-aged daughter and five fur kids, wife to a feisty southerner, and saved by One.

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