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The Crazy Girls Guide to....SQUIRREL! Ahem...The Crazy Girls Guide to Staying Sane. Yeah, that's it.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

She's Baaaaack...Abby Finally Posts

TA DA!
Hello, everybody!

This lovely little peanut sized fetus of joy is why I haven't been posting.  Specifically, that once I realized Zoidberg (yes, we've named the fetus Zoidberg, you shut up) existed, I had to immediately STOP TAKING MY MEDICATION.  Yes, I checked with my psychiatrist to make sure it was safe to quit "cold turkey" so to speak.  No allergy medicine, no ADHD medicine, no anti-anxiety medicine.  Sigh.  It's taken everything I have to keep functioning for the past 16 days (we found out I was pregnant on the 11th of March.)  Tim has been wonderful and understanding and patient and sober and this makes me very happy.

I got lost 3 times this week and it's only Tuesday and I've been living here since 2006.  I'm back to half-sentences.  I really miss my medicine, but I shall persevere.  Victory is mine!

I am 4 out of 7 dwarves most days (that's Happy, Grumpy, Sneezy, and Sleepy, tyvm).

It's inevitable that I'll be blogging about life as a pregnant woman with ADHD.  However, that's not ALL I'll be blogging about.  It'll be all over the place.  Get used to it.

In other news, I've gotten to work on time or early every single day since I last posted...even once I went off my medication.  Routines for the WIN!

Zoidberg demands that I sleep now.  Goodnight!

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Persephone Links You to Food

This is not so much a resource post as it is a jumping board for y'all to explore some other blogs or websites that I've found help me out as I learn this new lifestyle I'm working on.  I'll break these up into categories and make this a series.  Today we'll talk about food.

FOOD - "real food" / Paleo / planning:

Plan To Eat - This is hands down THE best meal planning site I have used.  You can import recipes from anywhere (easily) and share them with others.  You can also plan your meals using the planner, which generates your grocery list.  If you have the item on hand you can send it from the shopping list to your "pantry".  Lastly, if you are tired / hungry / out of options you can click the "Cook from my pantry" button and it will tell you what you can make with what you have on hand.

Paleo Plan - This site got me jump started into cooking / eating Paleo, though now I'm using Plan to Eat for most of my meal planning.

Nourished Kitchen - This is a great site for recipes and knowledge. Traditional cooking.

The Healthy Home Economist - Also traditional cooking, but this blog will also keep you apprised of what's going on in the real food movement, current events, big pharma, and how to heal yourself with food.

Mark's Daily Apple - Everything you need to know to go "primal" and find your inner Grok.  Food, fitness, science, play - this blog has it all.  Primal food based (close to Paleo).

The Bulletproof Diet - via the Bulletproof Executive, this is "upgraded Paleo"

The Food Lovers Primal Palate - Great resource for recipes!

My Food board on Pinterest - As I snag yummy recipes from the internet, I pin them there. 

OK, I think that covers the food basics.  Happy eating!

-Seph

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Persephone says good night

I'm working on a "big" post, but didn't manage to get all of the data I needed in time to post it tonight.

In other news Abby Normal returns triumphnatly to the blog on Saturday.  (At least, that is what she told me.)

So, I'll be back on Sunday with loads of info.

-Seph

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Persephone Discovers Biohacking - Consider Yourselves Warned

...alternate title would be "Persephone is Potentially One Step Closer to Taking Over the World"...

Sometimes I stumble upon something (like Akrasia) that makes me light up like a 5th grade science experiment.

Today it was BioHacking via The Bulletproof Executive.

My super simple explanation of biohacking, based on all of an hour or so of absorbing as much information as I can is this:

Hacking into your own biology to upgrade as a human!

Art by  http://tibots.deviantart.com and Cyberman copyright BBC

The Bulletproof Executive biohacks a lot of things, weight loss, muscle, nutrition, coffee...


AND SLEEP


He claims you can have optimal health / regenerative sleep in less than 5 hours per night.


A couple of you know that I am contemplating a DRASTIC sleep schedule change, where I would be AT work 15 minutes prior to my current wake up time, which would mean going to bed at an unreasonably early hour  (all to maximize sunlight hours while not failing out of college or losing my job), so the idea that instead of backing up my bedtime, I could actually just function on 5 hours of sleep is super intriguing.


Some of you also know that my uber awesome therapist is a sleep specialist.  She's also conveniently on maternity leave at the moment, and cannot swiftly kick me in the teeth on this one.


My boss says no, and I am pretty sure my sensei agrees, but I'm actually really intrigued by the science behind this and am not yet deterred, so stay tuned and I'll keep you all posted regarding any sleep hacks I actually try.


This could be fun!  *cue evil genius maniacal laughter*

-Seph

Sunday, March 18, 2012

I'm so much cooler online

So I didn't get a whole lot accomplished this weekend in the physical world.  However, I did clean up the layout of this blog, edited the "about me" section, and added buttons for twitter and pinterest.  Feel free to add me.

http://pinterest.com/sephraynes/

https://twitter.com/#!/SephRaynes

I can tell you already that I'm hooked on Pinterest, so I hope y'all will follow me or least a couple of my boards.

Tomorrow morning I go back "on book".  I just finished writing my schedules and printing my recipes and putting the binder together.

I need to get going to bed, so I'll see you all on Tuesday.

-Seph

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

General Announcement

Persephone here - just writing in to let all of you know that Abby will be taking an extended break from the blog. 

Until she is back, I will be posting Tues / Thurs / Sun.

Thanks all.

-Seph

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Persephone - Productive but off schedule

Sometimes when I get super focused on school, I tend to let my apartment get out of control.

And this time, I combined that with buying a lot of new items for my kitchen, because now that I cook, it would be nice if I had the tools to do it with.

Unfortunately, my kitchen is very tight on space - so this weekend I've spent a lot of time (with the help of awesome friends) trying to get a handle on things.

New Cookware and Hanging Shelves
I now have a place to hang my brand new stainless steel pots and pans, and even a shelf to get some of the spices off of my countertops.

Magnetic Knife Bar


My friend also mounted the above knife bar for me where I am hanging my new totally multi-colored knives.

I've also got a table that is holding the fruit juicer and blender, which will free up much needed counter space for my yet-to-be-opened food processor.

I've gotten rid of some sugary foods from an upper cabinet that allowed me to move the cooking oils and the smoothie supplies, which gives me a little more room in my "pantry" for food.

I have another huge cabinet to try to organize, and I do need to get the food processor and a couple of other things set up, but it's coming along.

The thing is - because these are projects that are happening as I can squeeze them in and have people help, it hasn't really been conducive to try and write my schedules around all of it.

I'm also free from school for the next couple of weeks, so I am pretty much going to be off "book" for the rest of this week and most likely next week, while I tame my household into something orderly and give my brain a little break from cramming for test.

I'd like to be back on schedule for the last week of March and then school starts back again on April 1st. 

Wish me luck as I try to stay routine oriented amidst all the "gray area"

-Seph

Thursday, March 8, 2012

My post got eaten

Sorry guys, the long insightful post I originally wrote, complete with links and an audience participation portion got eaten by Blogger. 

Tune in Sunday where I'll do my best to recreate it, I just don't have it in me tonight.

-Seph

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Persephone Takes Some Time to Reflect

March 2011:

School -  I was not enrolled anywhere and had no real plans to be enrolled.

Medical - In addition to my mood stabilizer, I was on two sleep meds and undergoing expensive neurological procedures to figure out why I couldn't sleep. No therapy.

Relationship - Single, and had just moved into my own place after the end of a five year relationship.

Mood stability - March was actually ok, but overall was still having a lot of ups and downs.

Cuisine - Hot dog quesadillas, frozen veggies, and restaurants.  Also at my top weight.

March 2012:

School - Just finished my first semester.  17 credits, 100% SAP.

Medical - No sleep meds, no insomnia, lowered dose of mood stabilizer. I have a fantastic therapist who has super powers over sleep.  (And no, I'm not just saying that because she might be reading.)

Relationship - Still single, and I like it that way.  Much more comfortable being on my own. (Though I've had some dating experiences in the past year.)

Mood stability - I honestly can not remember a time where I was this stable and happy for an extended period of time.

Cuisine - Learning to cook healthy whole foods for myself.  Eliminated sugar, grains, legumes, and most processed food.  Just bought new cookware that I can't wait to use.  I have lost 7 pounds in 5 weeks.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Abby's Status Update

I was reading back through previous posts and realized that I make all sorts of plans but don't really say much about how well those plans turn out.  So, here's an update on how I'm doing with all my amazazing plannage.

Music in the morning:  Not really happening.  However, I've gotten much better at getting to work on time.  I'd say I'm at about a 98% success rate.  I'm rather pleased.

Chore List:  That post was from the end of January, and Tim just now put up the white board.  We've been coasting along at our normal pace.  That's definitely something to focus on.

Medication:  I finally hit the perfect dosage, and it's been fabulous.

Project completion:  I'm slowly getting there.  The guilt from looking at all my unfinished crafts has tipped the balance in favor of getting things done.

Research on ADHD:  Nada.

Work:  It's AWESOME.  I'm so productive and getting things done and working on projects and getting noticed (in the good way) and I am SO HAPPY!  The downside is I have a rule about not working at home.  I am breaking that hardcore.

There you have it.
Did I forget anything?

-Abby


Thursday, March 1, 2012

Persephone talks about mental health...

Yes, I know that my post titles are kind of silly, but hopefully it makes it a little easier to track between my posts and posts by Abby.

Today I saw my psychiatrist for the first time since October.  I went in there with every intention of transferring to a different psychiatrist (for financial reasons only) but that's not how it went down.

My psych is pretty much the best in the state.  He's also very expensive and not on my insurance.  This was ok because my therapist WAS on my insurance.

Well, when my therapist gets back from maternity leave, she won't be on my insurance either.  I've know that for a while.

THEN I got a letter that my already expensive psych was raising his rates. 

My sensei also happens to work for this group of psychs / therapists and suggested a new med doc that IS on my insurance, because I can't afford to be paying both Dr. B and Dr. R out of pocket.

So, my plan was to make a transfer.

Well, that didn't actually happen.  Dr. B would like me to stick it out with him, with med refills via phone (no cost) and I don't have to actually see him again until the end of September - where we decide if it's time for the great bipolar test.

It's late and I'm tired, so I'll explain the "test" in a later post. 

To be honest, I'm not at all sure what I've even feeling about all of this right now.

I think tired is trumping everything else at the moment.

-Seph