List #15 - Live Music Shows

A few years ago, I made this crazy attempt to list all the live music shows I've seen. I tried to include only rock/pop acts (with a few notable country crossover artists...even though that's not necessarily "my thing"...but I am from TEXAS after all!).

AC/DC ~ Aerosmith ~ AFI ~ Against Me ~ Airbourne ~ Air Supply ~ Alice Cooper ~ Alice in Chains (w/new singer) ~ Alien Ant Farm ~ All American Rejects ~ Alter Bridge ~ American Anthem ~ American Hi-Fi ~ American Pearl ~ Anberlin ~ Anthrax ~ Avenged Sevenfold ~ Avril Lavigne ~ Axe

Baby Animals ~ Bang Tango ~ Beautiful Creatures ~ The Bellamy Brothers ~ Beth Hart ~ Better Than Ezra ~ Beyoncé ~ Biffy Clyro ~ Big Head Todd & the Monsters ~ Billy Idol ~ Black Crowes ~ Black Eyed Peas ~ Black Label Society ~ Black Stone Cherry ~ Blindside ~ Blink 182 ~ Blue October ~ BON JOVI ~ Boston ~ Bowling for Soup ~ The Bravery ~ Breaking Benjamin ~ Bret Michaels (solo) ~ Britny Fox ~ Bruce Springsteen ~ Bryan Adams ~ Buckcherry ~ Bullet for My Valentine ~ Bulletboys ~ Bullets & Octane ~ Burden Brothers ~ Bush ~ Butch Walker

The Calling ~ Camp Freddy ~ Cheap Trick ~ Chelsea Smiles ~ Chlorine ~ Cher ~ Chevelle ~ Cinder Road ~ Cinderella ~ CKY ~ Clay Aiken ~ Cold ~ Collective Soul ~ Counting Crows ~ Cowboy Mouth ~ Crazytown ~ Creed ~ Crooked X ~ Crosby, Stills, & Nash ~ The Cult ~ The Cure ~ Cyndi Lauper

Damn Yankees ~ The Darkness ~ Dashboard Confessional ~ Daughtry ~ David Allan Coe ~ David Lee Roth (solo) ~ Deadsy ~ Deep Purple ~ Def Leppard ~ Default ~ Deftones ~ Depeche Mode ~ Destiny's Child ~ Dexter Freebish ~ Dilana ~ Dio ~ Dirty Penny ~ Dokken ~ Dolly Parton ~ Don Dokken (solo) ~ The Donnas ~ The Doobie Brothers ~ The Doors (w/Ian Astbury) ~ Dope ~ Downset ~ Drowning Pool ~ Duran Duran

Eagles ~ Eddie Money ~ EndeverafteR ~ Enrique Iglesias ~ Enuff Z Nuff ~ Erasure ~ Eric Johnson ~ Eric Sardinas ~ Eve 6 ~ The Exies

Fall Out Boy ~ The Faint ~ Faith No More ~ Faster Pussycat ~ The Films ~ Finger Eleven ~ Firehouse ~ Flickerstick ~ Foo Fighters ~ Foreigner ~ Forever the Sickest Kids ~ The Fray ~ Fuel

Garbage ~ Garth Brooks ~ George Michael ~ George Strait ~ Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova ~ Girlschool ~ Godsmack ~ Goo Goo Dolls ~ Goudie ~ Great White ~ Green Day ~ Greg Allman ~ GWAR ~ Gwen Stefani ~ Guns N Roses

My girls and me at a music festival (and Camrin with the awesome photobomb!)

Hank III ~ Heart ~ Hed Pe ~ Hey Monday ~ H.I.M. ~ Hinder ~ Hole ~ Hoobastank ~ House of Lords

Ian Moore ~ Incubus ~ INXS (w/Micheal Hutchence and then later w/JD Fortune) ~ Iron Maiden

Jackopierce ~ Jackyl ~ Jane's Addiction ~ Jerry Cantrell (solo) ~ Jet ~ Jet Black Stare ~ Jetboy ~ Jimmy Barnes ~ Jimmy Eat World ~ Joan Jett & the Blackhearts ~ John Corabi ~ John Mellencamp ~ JON BON JOVI (solo...radio station private show!) ~ Jonny Lang ~ John Butler Trio ~ Josh Todd (solo) ~ Journey (w/Steve Augeri & Arnel Pineda) ~ Judas Priest (w/Rob Halford & w/Ripper)

KC and the Sunshine Band ~ Keith Urban ~ Kelly Clarkson ~ Kenny Loggins ~ Kid Rock ~ The Killers ~ Kings of Leon ~ Kings X ~ KISS ~ Kittie

LA Guns ~ Lacuna Coil ~ Lenny Kravitz ~ Lifehouse ~ Limp Bizkit ~ Linda Perry ~ Linkin Park ~ Lit ~ Live ~ The Living End ~ LL Cool J ~ Loverboy ~ Lyle Lovett ~ Lynch Mob ~ Lynyrd Skynyrd

Marilyn Manson ~ Maroon 5 ~ Marshall Tucker Band ~ Matchbox 20 ~ MC Hammer ~ Meatloaf ~ Megadeth ~ Melissa Ethridge ~ Metal Skool ~ Metallica ~ Methods of Mayhem ~ Michael Anthony (solo) ~ Michael Jackson ~ Midnight Circus ~ Mike Ness (solo) ~ Mike Tramp (solo) ~ The Misfits ~ Motley Crue ~ Muse ~ My Chemical Romance

One of my prized possessions ~ a pic of Nikki Sixx staring lovingly into my eyes...

Nashville Pussy ~ Neil Diamond ~ New American Shame ~ Nickelback ~ Night Ranger ~ Nine Inch Nails ~ No Doubt ~ Noiseworks ~ NSYNC

Oasis ~ The Offspring ~ Oleander ~ Orgy ~ Our Lady Peace

Panic Channel ~ Pantera ~ Papa Roach ~ Pat Green ~ Pearl Jam ~ Pink ~ Placebo ~ POD ~ Podunk ~ Poison ~ The Poor ~ Power Station ~ Pretty Boy Floyd ~ Priestess ~ Prince ~ Public Enemy ~ Puddle of Mudd ~ Pushmonkey

Queensryche ~ Quiet Riot ~ The Quireboys

Ratt (w/Stephen Pearcy & w/Jizzy Pearl) ~ REO Speedwagon ~ Revolution Theory ~ Richie Sambora ~ Ricky Martin ~ Rob Zombie ~ Robert Earl Keen ~ Rolling Stones ~ The Romantics ~ Run DMC

Saliva ~ Sammy Hagar ~ Saving Abel ~ Scorpions ~ Screaming Jets ~ Scott Stapp (solo) ~ Sebastian Bach (solo) ~ Sevendust ~ Shinedown ~ Silvertide ~ Sixx AM ~ Skid Row (w/Sebastian & w/Johnny Solinger) ~ Slash ~ Slaughter ~ Social Distortion ~ SR71 ~ Steel Panther ~ Steelheart ~ Stevie Nicks ~ Sting ~ Stone Temple Pilots ~ Stone Rider ~ Stone Sour ~ The Strokes ~ Stryper ~ Styx (w/Dennis DeYoung & without) ~ Sugar Ray ~ Sum 41

Tantric ~ Taylor Swift ~ Ted Nugent ~ Tenacious D ~ Tesla ~ Theory of a Deadman ~ Third Eye Blind ~ Three Days Grace ~ Tiger Army ~ Toadies ~ Todd Snider ~ Toilet Boys ~ Tommy Lee ~ Train ~ Trans Siberian Orchestra ~ Trapt ~ Tuff ~ Twisted Sister

U2 ~ Union Underground ~ Unwritten Law ~ The Used

Vallejo ~ Van Halen (w/David Lee Roth & w/Sammy Hagar) ~ Vanilla Ice ~ Vayden ~ Velvet Revolver ~ Vertical Horizon ~ Vince Neil (solo)

Warrant (w/Jani Lane & w/Jamie St. James) ~ WASP ~ White Lion ~ White Stripes ~ Whitesnake ~ Whitney Houston ~ The Wildhearts ~ Willie Nelson ~ Winger

Y&T

ZZ Top

311 ~ 3 Doors Down ~ 30 Seconds to Mars

I'm sure I'm forgetting some. I guess you could say that I like live music.  Oh...the memories, but there's more to come...my life will always have live music!  And, your valuable lesson for today is:

Photo from here

Sunday's Seven Snapshots #1

There are a lot of blogs out there who write a weekly round-up offering a re-cap of their week in one way or another. I'm not inventing the wheel. It is possible what I'm introducing is being done elsewhere. Each week, I plan to give you seven photos that will summarize things that happened to me, inspired me, interested me, entertained me, and more. I'm calling it Sunday's Seven Snapshots. Feel free to join in if you blog too.

I've joined a new book challenge. Read about it here. First book was this one I found at a secondhand bookstore. If you like thrillers, it's a good one. I'll definitely be reading more from this author. 

This is Shelby. I knew her in high school but through the wacky world of Facebook, we've reconnected and developed a friendship we didn't share back then. Shelby is having brain surgery January 2015 and has begun a blog to take you on the journey with her. She is smart, brave, and funny. Read about it here. 

Headline from this week's news regarding AC/DC's drummer, Phil Rudd.. Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. Yes, yes, and yes. Apparently, if you mix in an alleged murder plot, you'll get yourself arrested. 

Working hard, or hardly working. You be the judge. 

 Sydney is a fantastic, beautiful place to live, but the cost of living is ridiculously expensive. This exact bunch of grapes cost me $6.91. 

This happened. It's been an inconsistent, insane season for my Aggies. I miss many games because they aren't televised her much, but I follow many games on twitter. Thanks to @AggieFootball, @aggiefblife, @TxAgs, @TAMUGameDay, sportswriter and long-time friend @BrentZwerneman, friend and fan @winohamster, and more for keeping me in the game with their twitter feeds. 

This Sunday, my house took a long afternoon nap. This is a picture of Astro and me just before I got up to type this. 

Happy Sunday to you and yours!

List #14 - Foods I don't eat

I'm a picky eater.  Always have been.  In fact, I was much, much pickier when I was younger.  As a kid, I wouldn't eat hamburgers (I can't remember why).  As I'm older, I will try anything, even more than once, to see if my taste buds have changed.  Seriously, I'll give it a try, but I can't promise I'm going to like it.  Here's a list of things I still don't eat (I know other cultures eat intestines and toads and insects and much, much more.  I'm just touching on the foods that are culturally common to me):

• Eggs - Nope, not a fan.  I don't want them in things either.  Not in salads or fried rice.  The smell, the texture, the taste - don't like 'em.

  

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• Mushrooms 

  

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• Meat on the bone - I don't want chicken wings; give me chicken strips.  I don't want a T-bone; give me a fillet.  I don't want ribs; give me brisket.
• Fat on meat 
• Seafood - I live in a place surrounded by an ocean.  The fresh seafood that comes here is a seafood lover's dream.  Not mine.  This is something I continue to sample every now and then to see if I've changed my mind, but it still hasn't happened.  Because of this, you could add sushi to this list as well.
  

  

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• Coconut - Let me be more specific.  I don't mind coconut flavored things like piña coladas, but I don't like the grated, shredded, desiccated shavings of a coconut.
• Lamb -  Lamb roast is a staple home-cooked and pub-cooked meal for almost all Aussies.  I don't do lamb.
• Eggplant 
• Coffee - I've never had a full cup of coffee in my life.  I've had a sip.  I've had coffee ice cream.  I'm not a fan of anything remotely coffee or mocha flavored.

  

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• Australian (or Canadian or English or Irish) bacon - I want a big pile of crispy, almost burnt American bacon, but this ham-like cut of meat called bacon, you can keep it.  Oh...look at this graphic I found.  My blog is not only a useless bunch of ramblings.  It is informative too!
  

  

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Hi ho, hi ho...it's off to work I go

Work.  I'm not cut out for work.  I should totally be a lottery winner who splits her time traveling, shopping, cuddling animals, volunteering, going to concerts, eating, and reading.  BUT...I haven't won the lottery, and there's no trust fund that I'm aware of.  Work, it is.

My guy is a jeweler/jeweller (I'm a Texan in Australia; there's two spellings for things that my mind bounces between) who owns his own store.  He is jeweller, problem solver, designer, watchmaker, bill payer, and more.  I am his right hand WO-man.  I sell shiny, sparkly things.  I'm the visual merchandiser for the store, take care of the customers, run our facebook page (shameless plug: POLA Jewellers on facebook), and more.  I'm not all that tech savvy, but guess what I did... I created our website, and I think it looks pretty dang good.  Shout out to wix for making it as user-friendly as I could ask for. I worked really, really hard on it...so if you care enough to read this post, then you should care enough to go take a look at the page -----> POLA Jewellers.  Here's a piece of what you will see there:

Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge

I've been a reading machine in recent months.  I joined a book challenge earlier this year (I never even knew they existed, silly me).  Then, I hosted my own book challenge on facebook.  That was so fun because every participant was connected to me in some way.  I'll be doing that again.  In the meantime, I'm jumping back in the mix of Megan's fun at Semi-Charmed Kind of Life.  I am late by a few days, but that's ok.  I've been speed reading those few days anyway.

Here's my list of reading material for the next few months:

5 points: Freebie! - Now You See Me by S.J. Bolton
10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books. — Submitted by Megan. - Private India by James Patterson and Ashwin Sanghi
10 points: Read a book of short stories. — Submitted by Meredith. - The Dog of the Marriage: Stories by Amy Hempel
10 points: Read a book with a food (not a drink!) in the title. — Submitted by Megan. - Eye Candy by R.L.Stine
15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you (so no rereads for this one!). — Submitted by Crystal. - Slammed by Colleen Hoover
15 points: Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language. — Submitted by Belle. - The Bat by Jo Nesbo (originally published in Norwegian called Flaggermusmannen)
15 points: Read a book written by a local author (either an author from your state if you live in the United States, or in your country if you live somewhere else—note: author must be from where you currently live). — Submitted by Katelyn. - Saving Francesca by Australian author Melina Marchetta
20 points: Read a "bookish book" (in which books play an important role, e.g. the setting involves a bookstore or library, a major character is an author, or a book that celebrates reading and books.  — Submitted by Jen. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff  
20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title (e.g. north, south, east, west or any combination of those). — Submitted by Donna - North of Beautiful by Justina Chen
25 points: Read a book from a genre you don't usually read. — Submitted by Jenn. - The Girl with All The Gifts by M.R. Carey selected from goodreads nominations for best Horror of 2014
25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title. Be sure to tell us the song name and artist as well! — Submitted by Daire - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (song with same title by Florence+The Machine)
30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title (e.g. breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, brunch; update: meals like feast, banquet, picnic will also count, but try not to get too "creative" with your meal words!). — Submitted by Amber. - Chocolate Cake for Breakfast by Danielle Hawkins and ... the second one? TBD  I'm going through every list submitted by the other readers to find one. 

List #13 - Books

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I hosted a book challenge from July 1st through October 31st. (Yes, I know it is not October 31st yet, but why must you be so precise?)  I wrote another post about it here.  I thought I'd recap what I read during my challenge.  One of the things I enjoyed most was seeing books others selected...just gave me more books to add to my "to read" list.  I created a whole bonus round in order to read books from others' lists.

Warning, warning: if you're not a reader, this blog post will probably be incredibly boring for you.  Alright, you've been warned.

• The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim - I wanted to love this book. I wanted this book to be great, but it was just okay to me. I didn't connect to the story or the characters as much as I'd like. I enjoy historical fiction. I enjoy stories that span decades. I enjoy books set in a place I've never visited.  Something was just missing in this one to truly grab me, so I'd give it 2.5 stars.
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett -  I took a class at A&M about Children's Literature. I remember re-reading the book then and enjoying it. Unfortunately, I was too hungover most lecture days that I don't remember much else about the class. I'm glad I re-read it again. It's even more delightful of a story the third time. I'm a sucker for a transformation story, and the combined transformations of characters and the garden is a winner. 5 stars!
• Joyland by Stephen King -  A little bit murder mystery, part ghost story, mixed with a coming of age main character - I enjoyed it and would recommend it. Plus, "suck-assy" is actually used in the book. How can you not like a book that has carneys and slang terms like suck-assy? 4/5
• Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman -  I haven't seen the TV show (we don't have Netflix, and we often get series a season or two later than they're shown in the US). Based on what I've read about the TV show, I wanted to read the book assuming I'd really enjoy it. I didn't. I could write at length about what disappointed me, but I don't want to ruin it for any other readers. Having worked at a juvenile justice center in Texas and seen firsthand incarcerated youth, I already have some strong opinions and interest in criminal justice and rehabilitation. Maybe those views tainted my reading. All that being said, I could see how "characters" could be exaggerated to make for good television, and I'd still probably watch the show. 2/5
• One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper - About 40 pages before the end of the book, I was torn - I wanted to know what happens to the characters, but I didn't want the book to end. I love this book. The characters are well-developed, and I enjoy the writing style of the author. Cast well, it would make a great movie. The combination of mortality, relationships, and introspection packaged in a has-been musician worked well for me. 5/5

• City of Lost Girls by Declan Hughes -  This is the 5th book in a series that features Ed Loy, a private investigator based in Dublin. I've read all the books, and this was possibly the best of all of them. This book follows a current case, added with reoccurring characters from the Dublin organized crime world, plus a love interest and a touch of Hollywood. 4.5/5
• Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks - My friend, Marcy, recommended this, and I appreciate her for it. The story is set in rural England in the 1600s about a small village struck by the Plague. During the plight, issues are faced involving loss, suffering, abuse, sex, drunkenness, murder, religion, friendship, and more. The writing is very descriptive; so much so I got queasy at times reading about the details of those that suffered awfully from the disease. The ending felt a little rushed, so it wasn't a perfect book...but almost. 4.5/5
• Blackout Girl: Growing Up and Drying Out in America by Jennifer Storm -  The author discusses openly and honestly her battles with self-esteem, sexual assault, family relationships, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual identity, suicide attempts, and recovery. Although I could relate to some of her tales, I never really connected with her. I give it a 2.5 out of 5.
•  Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - Typically, I do not like books that make me get all sweet, soft, and schmaltzy (is that a word?), but this book worked for me. I adored the lead female characters. I liked that different relationships are viewed - from friendships to love interests to parents & children to siblings. One of the relationships hit so close to home for me a particular chapter was almost difficult to read. If you like chick lit, this is a great read. 4.5/5
•  Divergent by Veronica Roth - This book is WAY out of my normal reading choices. Every now and then, when a book or a series gains somewhat of a fanatical popularity, I am curious why, and even though it may not be the typical book I would read, I give it a try. That's why I chose this book. Easy to read with a lot of action mixed with a interesting story and character development, I can see why it is popular. I'm glad I read it, and I read it in 3 days, so it definitely kept my interest. But it's still not my thang. I took a sneak peek at imdb to take a look at the casting. I think I'll just watch all the movies instead.
• If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch - I found this book in the YA staff recommendations at my local library.  If you like YA, I recommend it.  The lead teen girl is one I felt for emotionally and wanted to wrap my arms around her and give her a big hug.  A book that attacks topics such as neglect, abandonment, and abuse coupled with acceptance, sibling bonds, and self-discovery.  5/5

• If I Stay by Gayle Forman - After so many people selected this book in the challenge, I decided to take a look. I read this over one weekend and glad that I did. Nothing groundbreaking, but I enjoyed the exploration of emotions and relationships. I predict it made a decent film that I'll get around to watching. 4/5 stars
• Cop Town by Karin Slaughter - This book was a little disappointing to me. Karin Slaughter is one of my favorite thriller writers. Her characters are usually so complex, and the plots are usually filled with twists and turns. This one fell a little short for me. The characters are all filled with emotional baggage, but I don't think they're as complex and developed as I'd like. The plot was slightly predictable. The sexism, racism, discrimination, and homophobia were difficult to read, but that's a true reflection of 1970s Deep South, so I think that was an accurate depiction. 3/5
• The Red Tent by Anita Diamant -  A fictional story told from Dinah's perspective (a woman who receives a small mention in the Bible), this follows her life as a daughter, sister, lover, mother, servant, midwife, woman, friend, and wife. 4/5
•  Landline by Rainbow Rowell - I don't know how to judge or rate this book. I love Rainbow Rowell's style of writing. I genuinely liked the development of all the characters, leads and support. I found myself laughing out loud at one scene, and I cared about the plots and subplots. So, I should love this book, right? Well...there's one major part of the storyline that just didn't work for me at all: the magic phone. That's all I'll say. I still love Rainbow Rowell, and I suspect I'll read anything she writes. 3/5
• Silesian Station by David Downing - From pages 168-169: "...thinking back over his day. Two embassy appointments to discuss espionage work, an angry private detective and a rather remarkable woman, a sweet pair of resisters and a dumb young pair of SD (Nazi) goons. All topped off with the love of his life lying naked beside him." There's so much going on in this book, I'd get confused and forget character names and country allegiances at times. Overall, a good spy book set in Germany on the brink of WWII. 3.5/5
• Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed - I have mixed feelings about this book. At times, the author is brutally raw and painfully honest which I commend. Other times, I felt completely disconnected. I think there's some good stuff to take from her journey and experiences. I certainly have felt at times that taking a few months off and removing myself from the rest of the world would do myself some good. I commend the author for doing it for herself. 3/5
•  I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb - This book is an emotional journey. There are truly some gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, cringe-causing moments. After such a journey, the ending felt a little rushed for me, but that's my only critique. Overall, a great read. 4.5/5

• Where She Went by Gayle Forman -  I read this in two days. I enjoyed the first book from Mia's perspective, and this one even more from Adam's point of view. Being a music lover, the storyline is an added bonus with music laced throughout the story. 4/5
• The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker - A lovely bond between two young people who persevere together while inflicted with personal disabilities and loneliness are the heart of this story. I can see why some would love this story, yet others would be critical. I enjoyed it, and there were a few enchanting moments, but overall I wasn't wowed. I did love this quote: "(H)e did not merely read books but traveled with them", and this one too: "There must be in life something like a catastrophic turning point, when the world as we know it ceases to exist." 3.5/5
•  Breath by Tim Winton - I read this while waiting for another library book I had on reserve. Tim Winton is a critically-acclaimed Australian author. This is the first book of his I've read, and I will be reading more. The book details the lives of a teenage boy and his mate who cross paths with a older married couple. Strange, complex, and dangerous relationships develop. Overall, the writing was very descriptive. I've never been on a surfboard, but the surfing scenes were so well written, I could envision the excitement and danger involved. My only disappointment was the final portion of the story. It seemed to wrap up too quickly, even lacking depth and description. 3.5/5
•  Lost and Found by Brooke Davis - Parts of this book are charming, and parts are ridiculous. Parts are super cute, and parts are terribly sad. Parts are honest, and parts are extremely unlikely.  Part of this book, I loved; part of it annoyed me. 3/5
•  No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy - After 100 pages, I asked myself "how have I not read this author before?". Mass murder, drugs, a Texas sheriff, what's not to love?  I'm not sure I liked the last 10-15 pages, but the first 290 or so was a great story. 4/5
• Wonder by R.J. Palacio -  Goodness gracious, this book made my heart feel full and was a great reminder to choose kindness.  It's written in pretty simple prose, but I like that it was narrated by different characters.  A story that reminded me of such important lessons deserves a good rating.  4.5/5

• The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith - Quick and easy that almost reads like a collection of short stories or fables with a heroine detective in Botswana. 3/5
• Room by Emma Donoghue -  currently reading.......

 I will be hosting another challenge early next year.  If you're interested in participating, let me know.  Some people in the challenge read A LOT; some read one book.  Some people joined the group, didn't participate in the challenge itself, but enjoyed seeing what other people read that's okay too.  So, if you want to join...let me know.

Thoughts #14 - Detox

I've always been a girl that likes food that is bad for me.  In high school, my dinner about 4-5 days a week was a basket of fries and cream gravy from Luther's BBQ.   I've discussed my body image issues in previous posts like this one.  The last few years have been my unhealthiest physically.  I've exercised very little and my diet has been awful.  I've been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and insulin resistance.  I need to make some changes.

My dad and step-mom came across an article about sugar addiction from Dr. Mark Hyman.  They bought his book, and some things discussed made sense to them.  They chose to give the suggested eating habits a try including a sugar detox.  They've been really pleased with the results from weight loss, to feeling better, to an outstanding report from my dad's cardiologist.  They've been following this way a eating since June 1st and plan to continue.

If you look up "sugar free diet" or "sugar free detox" or any other similar word combination, you will find A LOT of sites, blogs, plans, and testimonials.  It's actually pretty confusing what to follow and what not to.  Some say fruit is okay; some say don't have fruit during the detox.  Some say tea is okay; others say avoid caffeine.  Some say no beans or legumes during detox; some say they're okay.  Some suggest nuts for a snack; others say eat nuts, except peanuts or cashews.  Again, confusing.  I pulled recipes and suggestions from a variety of sources, but the plan I decided to follow for my detox was this one: Wellness with Rose: 21 Day Sugar Detox.  As you can see, that meant NO sugar, dairy, potatoes, alcohol, caffeine, and a whole lot of other 'NO' items.  I decided to do the detox, assess at the end of 21 days, and move forward with a healthier way of eating than previously.

I did it.  Go me.  Let's look at some of the positives and negatives of my experience...

Some say if you do something for three weeks, it becomes a habit. I'm here to tell you that is not always the case. I've been three weeks without sugar, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, but it certainly hasn't become a habit. It's a struggle. I still want sugar. I want bread. I want cheese. I want potatoes - mashed potatoes, french fries, baked potatoes, potato au gratin, potato rosti. I love all things potato. I want 3 ice cold cherry cokes. I want pizza. There was one day when all I could think about was cupcakes. I want ice cream.  I want wine.  And, of course, I want a giant plate of cheesy nachos.  

Yes, it's been a struggle and a fight. I'm still fighting.  There were withdrawal symptoms like headaches and lack of energy, especially in week 2 (but not as many headaches as I anticipated). The cravings continue.  I think I need a lot more than 3 weeks for those to stop, or at least, ease.  Believe me, it's not easy when your man eats McDonald's, KFC, Krispy Kreme, tator tots, cupcakes, and more. He's an adult and can eat what he wants, but dang, I want to steal some of his food right out of his hands!  I saw a picture of myself today, and I'm not happy with my body, so eating healthier is necessary. Time to look at the positives...

The good things:

• I lost 7.6 pounds (3.4 kilos). 
• I'm still in my big girl jeans, but they feel a little better/looser.  
• I've never really had problem skin, but my skin feels nicer, softer, smoother.  
• One habit I developed is drinking lots and lots of water.  That's a good thing.  
• I feel good about myself for accomplishing something that seemed pretty difficult to accomplish.  I fought the cravings and temptations.  
• Day 21, I went to a 1st birthday party. There were cakes, cake pops, and cupcakes. I wanted them all, but I didn't do it. I didn't feel all that disappointed about it after the fact. I felt good about myself for not breaking. 
• Making food and meals at home and bringing them for lunch saves money.  
• I learned to be more aware with labels and what I eat.
• I'm encouraged enough to keep eating this way, with a few minor changes, such as adding fruit for my morning meal.

I LOVE Mexican food, so my main protein for most of the meal used some form of Mexican food flavors.  I made chicken fajita meat in the slow cooker and used it in salads and lettuce wraps.  Homemade guacamole and salsa become my condiments of choice.  But, this was my favorite protein meal topper that I made.  So, I thought I'd share.  I took part of what I found on Rubies and Radishes and altered just a little to give even more flavor and vegetables.  You can play around with the amount of chili pepper, salsa, peppers, etc. to get your preferred heat. 

Spicy Mince Taco Meat in the Slow Cooker

Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef, preferably grass-fed (find grass-fed beef here)
3 tablespoons tomato paste (I like this one – it’s organic and comes in a glass jar!)
1 tablespoon chili powder (I like this one – it doesn’t use any anti-caking agents, the ingredients are all spices!)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper - See more at: http://www.rubiesandradishes.com/2013/12/07/easy-slow-cooker-taco-meat/#sthash.TpWMmsb0.dpuf

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. ground mince turkey
1 lb. ground mince pork
1/4 cup of salsa
1 large diced onion
1 large diced bell pepper (capsicum)
2 large diced carrots
2 diced & seeded serrano peppers
1 small can (drained) corn
3 tablespoons tomato paste (read the label to make sure of sugar content)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika

1. In a bowl, combine all the spices.
2. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot, serrano pepper, corn, salsa, tomato paste, meat, and spices to slow cooker.
3. Break up the meat and stir together.
4. Cook on low for four hours.
5. Use a slotted spoon to scoop from slow cooker.

 I ate this on top of salads and even on its own topped with guacamole.  It was spicy and yummy!  I found salad with a little more crunch (a combination of iceburg lettuce, cabbage, carrots, celery, onion) seemed to work really well with the spiciness of the meat.  I was seriously happy eating this. 

I don't know if this works for everyone or if I'll continue such a stringent plan.  But, overall, I feel like it is a step in the right direction of making healthier food choices. 

Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef, preferably grass-fed (find grass-fed beef here)
3 tablespoons tomato paste (I like this one – it’s organic and comes in a glass jar!)
1 tablespoon chili powder (I like this one – it doesn’t use any anti-caking agents, the ingredients are all spices!)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper - See more at: http://www.rubiesandradishes.com/2013/12/07/easy-slow-cooker-taco-meat/#sthash.TpWMmsb0.dpuf