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"Garcinia Cambogia offers one of the least expensive herbal supplements on the market. The ingredient from the rind of the fruit could hasten your weight-loss efforts. The natural extract is called hydroxycitric acid (HCA), and researchers claim that HCA can double or triple one's weight loss," says Dr. Oz

Here is another story on the this fruit extract, GARCINIA CAMBOGIA:

How to Lose 7 lbs of Stomach Fat EVERY Week with Just 2 Diet Tips. Used By Jessica Simpson!

news
In a Recent Inteview, Jessica Simpson Revealed Her Fat Busting Secret That Melts Off 7 Lb's of Fat EVERY week. Without Diet or Exercise!

When asked about her remarkable weight loss after pregnancy, Jessica Simpson shocked the audience. Whilst previously thought to be the result of extreme exercise and a low calore diet, Jessica said her incredible transformation was actually thanks to a strange exotic fruit. On her blog she states, "I couldn't believe how easy it was. I didn't change my diet or my daily routine, but the fat melted off like it butter. I love this stuff! Finally a diet that just works."

Jessica Simpson isn't the only celebrity jumping on this fat burning wonder. Christina Aguilera, Rachael Ray and Kirstie Alley are all reported to have lost a significant amount of body fat eating this odd natural plant extract. Combined use of both products is clinically proven to melt off 7 lbs every 7 days and flush out all the junk out of your body . And best of all, it's totally afforable! We know what you're thinking though and we also had our doubts.



Christina Aguilera claims Garcinia Cambogia was the key factor in losing 36 lbs in just 6 weeks.

You may have heard of the enormously popular Garcinia Cambogia in the news. It's a completely organic pumpkin-shaped fruit native to Indonesia - scientifically proven to tear away fat from you body. In studies taken out by renowned health research institution Queens University in Canada - Garcinia Cambogia was proven to ignite your metabolism and therefore fat burning capabilities by around 300% when taken regularly. That said, the problem is that very few Garcinia Cambogia products out there are pure. Most fluctuate between the 60-70% purity levels - well thats off course until we ran into the product 'Garcinia Cambogia Formula'. Garcinia Cambogia Formula claimed they delivered 95% pure Garcinia Cambogia extract to your body so to put it simply - we were intrigued.

After further research, we found that most of the success stories talk about combining Garcinia Cambogia Formula with a cleansing product called SaferColon to achieve maximum weight loss. The idea behind combining the products is that while the Garcinia Cambogia Formula encourages weight loss and increases energy whilst the SaferColon helps rid your body of toxins and allows your body to work and burn calories more efficiently.


(ref.  http://www.celebritybeautyarchive.com)

BEING BRAVE





MAKING SPAGHETTI SAUCE

On the menu for dinner tonight making  spaghetti sauce with chunks of "italian sausage" using my dad's recipe!

        ^ some of the Ingredients....
           ^ Boiling the tomato to then peel                           
              it.


     Yum! Sooo delish!

PAINFUL EXPERIENCES

Trying not to let life events alter your mood or attitude is quite difficult but after reading Rick Hanson's (Ph.D) article, I am just learning how this can truly affect one's health.  I mean, I always believed in the "self-fulfilling prophecy" but scientifically speaking this really can be a big factor on your life.

He says this:  "Painful experiences are more than passing discomforts. They produce lasting harms to your physical and mental health. When you’re feeling frazzled, pressured, down, hard on yourself, or simply frustrated, that:
• Weakens your immune system
• Impairs nutrient absorption in your gastrointestinal system
• Increases vulnerabilities in your cardiovascular system
• Decreases your reproductive hormones; exacerbates PMS
• Disturbs your nervous system

Consider the famous saying: “Neurons that wire together, fire together.” This means that repeated painful experiences – even mild ones – tend to:
• Increase pessimism, anxiety, and irritability
• Lower your mood
• Reduce ambition and positive risk-taking


In a couple, upsetting experiences foster mistrust, heightened sensitivity to relatively small issues, distance, and vicious cycles. At much larger scales – between groups or nations – they do much the same.

So don’t take painful experiences lightly, neither the ones you get nor, honestly, the ones you give. 


Prevent them when you can, and help them pass through when you can’t. ~



104 YEARS OLD!

Life is sooo weird.  I over think life a little too much sometimes, always trying to find out if there is really meaning behind it.  I analyze how most of the time "only the good die young."  I also analyze how some people live long lives and it goes un-noticed (sometimes.)  I just found out that a resident where I use to work at at the elderly housing building died this past weekend.  She was 104!!!!  I was just telling my kids about her too, this weekend!  Knowing my "witch" abilities, she was probably dying as I told them!

Those are the things I wonder.  Why did SHE  live so long? What was her purpose in life?  She actually died from complications of a broken hip.  In my experience working there, I learned that a broken hip can be the "kiss of death!"  I met her before and she was a spunky lady with lots of energy. I guess you have to be to live to 104! 

But again, I am left with wondering, why did she get to live so long and others are taken away so young!  I guess that's where my faith has to come in, that there has to be a reason for all of it...or not?




BAKING WITH MY LITTLE LADY

Spending some quality time with my little lady today baking a cake. Since she is so obsessed with "Cake Boss," all she wants to do is decorate the cake! But I told her, if you want to decorate, YOU must bake!  So she did it! Not so Kosher for Passover, (LOL!) but cute cake nonetheless!  I am soo proud of this little girl and her efforts!  My little "Cake Queen!"






LETTING GO vs. SAYING GOOD-BYE

It is so hard to say "good-bye" no matter who you are saying it to. This quote I found is great because it points out the difference between saying "goodbye" and "letting go."


1st NIGHT PASSOVER 2014

Very grateful to be almost 4 months post-op and to be around to share another Passover with my family. Tonight we had 3 out of 5 of our kids at home. Small but special celebration! Sooo grateful I was "passed over" and given a chance at life!

   My little lady over-seeing the mazto ball soup!

                                My loves!
   

                                                          Showing their big sister some love!


BATTLE OF THE OVARIES

Is it the curse of having a girl or is it just the kids in my family? Or is it all pre-tweens, because she is not even a teen yet and here I am with pre-tween nightmares already.  How can I be patient, I ask myself?  I recognize I am the fool.  The foolish mother who trust her kid and allows her privileges and trust my 11-year old when she says, "Yes, I did all my homework."  I mean I check the agenda, I follow-up but in the same breath, I am trying in the hopes that some "responsibility" and  "independence" will sink in. After all, I have been hounding about this all year long!

I have been through the "I am taking your TV privilege away, you have no phone privilege, you can't play outside privilege" routine already.  I am sick of hearing myself nag. And STILL, she tells me she has no homework! Really?  Dude! You are talking to me!  You know, "been there done that." Besides, mothers know.  We "spit" these kids out of our bodies and they think we don't know when they are lying.

Silly, stuff.  You know, telling me she doesn't have social studies homework when she really does.  How foolish is it to try to con your mother over social studies...what  a waste of grounding.  Hey, if I was going to get grounded, it was going to be for something GOOD!  LOL! 

I will never understand a pre-tween/teenagers way of thinking.  Honestly, I have a long way to go with all these battles but I am convinced this is a mother/daughter thing....a battle of the ovaries. Another challenge in the mommy warrior world!


NOT SO BAD!

Okay so maybe I had a moment of panic last night when I thought I cut my hair shorter than I did. I think what I really freaked out about is the fact that I cut my bangs which I had no intention of doing so after you have going in now we all know it's never an easy task to let that grow! My hair was so absolutely long that all the chopping I did it still looks kind of long And I guess I'll keep enjoying using my hats for as long as I can!


I exaggerate I know! That is the joy of having a blog where I can write and vent whatever I want! LOL!!

CHOPPED IT OFF

I did it. The frustration level with my hair loss was so much that I grabbed a pair of Scissors, twisted a ponytail and chopped off my hair. I started with small chunks and then got more and more complicated! Yikes! And my bangs that had grown out for over a year, chopped. 😳 What possesed me?



My hair is taking is taking forever to grow back at the sight of incision ever since my craniotomy almost 4 months ago, but in the same breath, I have an incredible amount of hair loss - lack of vitamins perhaps? Titanium plate in my head, maybe? 

Sure, everyone said go have it cut, but my incision is still so red and raw that the thought of having someone comb through my hair gave me the "heebie jeebies" every time!

A word to the wise... Let your frustration feeling pass a little before you do something crazy.

Now, I am left with still wearing more hats and for a long time to come! And let's not mention  the 4 different colors on my head!  But hey, these are just the vain little things I must deal with. At least I still have my hair, well, sort of....😁

Little by little I kept chopping. Did I think I had gone to beauty school or something? Holy crap!


And then I kept going and going......

Nope, no more pictures!



WHAT TO BLOG ABOUT?

"A niche," they say, for a successful blog.  How long can I keep blogging about a brain tumor, really?  Gotta move on people.  All I have is real life.  What am I gonna blog about?


"CAKE BOSS" IS THE BOSS

Now I know why my kid is obsessed with Buddy, the "Cake Boss!"  What a truly talented group of people. The things they make out of cake are awesome!  Coming from a household that loves hockey, (and sweets, of course,) we were thrilled to see this amazing cake done for the 60th Anniversary for Canada (Hockey.)

Check it out:


CAKE BOSS

My 11-year old is obsessed with this show, Cake Boss.  I don't know what all the hype is about but all of a sudden she is dying to visit Hoboken, N.J!  I guess I will have to start watching!


ON THE MENU FOR TONIGHT

Steak Fajitas Recipe Prep time:
1 hour, 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 4.

Add to shopping list:
Ingredients
1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 lb of flank steak, skirt steak or carne asada (entraña, if you are an Argie!)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced with the grain, not against the grain as one would normally slice an onion. Slice first in half, and then slice off sections a half inch wide at widest point.
 2-3 bell peppers of various colors, stemmed, seeded, de-ribbed, sliced lengthwise into strips
Salt  

Marinade:
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
 2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
(optional) 1/2 fresh Jalapeño pepper, seeded, ribs removed, finely chopped (be careful not to touch your eyes or anywhere near your eyes after handling a Jalapeño pepper!)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, including stems







 Method

1. Mix all marinade ingredients. Coat the steak with the marinade and let it sit at room temperature for an hour, or longer in the fridge. Before you cook the meat, wipe off most of the marinade and sprinkle the steak with salt.

2. Set a large cast iron pan or griddle over high heat and let this heat up for 1-2 minutes. Add the tablespoon of oil to the pan and let this heat up for 1 minute. Add the steak, frying on each side for 3 minutes, or to desired doneness. Three minutes per side will yield approximately medium rare doneness for an average cut of flank steak.

"Carne asada" and skirt steak will need less time. If the pan starts to smoke too much, reduce the heat to medium-high. You want the steak browned, not burned. Remove from pan and let sit, tented with foil, for 5 minutes.

3 Cook the vegetables while the meat is resting. Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary, then add the onions and bell peppers. Let these sear for 1 minute before stirring, then stir every 90 seconds or so as the veggies sear. Cook for 5-6 minutes total.

 4 Slice the meat against the grain into thin slices. If you slice the meat at an angle, you will be able to get your slices pretty thin. These cuts of steak are flavorful but can be a little tough, so thin slices will really help make it easier to eat.

5 Serve immediately with shredded cheese, salsa, shredded iceberg lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and warm flour tortillas. (Hint for warming tortillas - put in microwave over a paper towel for 20 seconds on high heat.)

CRIME IN THE KITCHEN

Okay so I've committed another sin in the kitchen! Trying to take the easy way out, I use minced garlic in a jar. I know! I know! Blasphemy! I love me some real garlic but sometimes, I am just in a hurry to get things done in the kitchen! No more garlic in a jar! What was I thinking?! After reading this article, I will no longer do it again! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/08/jarred-garlic-minced_n_5092395.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

PROM TIME FOR YOUR KIDS - SHOP HERE!

WHAT I AM LEFT WITH

It is rather ironic that I spent the last four years of my life working for a low-income, senior citizen, housing community up until the month where I was diagnosed with a "meningioma" brain tumor - "M" for short.)  Actually, I think I know better than to think  it was a coincidence. I am a big believer in the theory that "everything happens for a reason." I believe that every place and every person we interact with on a daily basis is put before to teach us a lesson in some way, even if at the time we do not comprehend the how or why.

There were over 100 elderly citizens living independently. I spent day in and day out watching some of these senior citizens literally "lose their minds."

For the most part, everyone was pretty alert and aware, but then there were those few that would forget things, they couldn't remember where their keys were or they claimed someone entered their apartment. They would forget what day it was or where they were going. And I use to think to myself, "Wow, does that suck to  lose your memory."

Here I am, 4 months later scared shi#*less that it is happening to me.  They say "short-term" memory loss is "normal" after brain surgery  (well, fellow survivors say, not the doctors) but that is nowhere near comforting.

I forget if I took a shower, (um, that could be a problem!) I forget if I ate, I forget when my husband ask me or tells me something, I don't remember what I had for breakfast or what we did last week.  Sure, most women go through this because they have so much on their "proverbial plate,"  but not me, I remember EVERYTHING!  Or at least I use to! My dad suggested to me that perhaps this was happening from before. I don't think so!  Either way, now I say, "sucks for me!"  It is a very scary thought to not remember things and to feel like you are literally losing your mind.

I am grateful, don't get me wrong but there are moments I just want to scream!

I was age 45 at diagnosis...date of brain surgery was December 2, 2013.  My "lemon-sized M" was located in the left frontal lobe. I also donated my left kidney in 2008 ( a little history there.)  I felt fine then, even after having an organ removed, no major after-effects.  I never had any head trauma, I did however, suffer from headaches my whole life. I was on birth control for over 10 years (including Yaz and Diane-35.) I wonder of course, did hormones play a role?  I only grew suspect when double-vision and ocular migraines started (although the neurosurgeon said not related! Really? I find that hard to believe!)  

What I am left with now after surgery: I am still trying to grow hair back in the incision area, but oddly enough I have lots of hair loss with the long hair I do have. It is crazy the way my hair is falling out!  I have a very bumpy indent (hard to hide) on the left side of my forehead. Sometimes I get depressed, no good reason really, probably hormonal.  Yeah, add pre-menopause to brain surgery! Ask my husband what a joy I am to live with!  I have weight gain, probably from sitting on my butt all day blogging! LOL! I have prickly feelings in my head like needles being poked (or maybe, someone is doing "vodoo" on me!)  I have "staring spells," that I did not know was common until my meningioma group told me.) I still have poor eyesight in my left eye, and many times feel "drunk,' and like I have a mask over my eyes (the way I look lately, I should!)  I am super irritable, angry and emotional often...but hey, at least I have an excuse, right?  I'll keep telling myself that for a while!!

To those who are curious and researching what it's like after brain surgery, know that it takes a lot of time to heal and even more time to adjust to the "new you."  I know that I will never be the same, but as I analyze the situation, I recognize that I am very lucky and that there are many people who have had similar surgeries and have much more severe problems.

I am alive and AM VERY grateful!!!




SAVING ANTS

Now I know my little guy has me wrapped around his finger! He just asked me to save a tiny little ant he found in the bathroom. And I DID IT! Really, me? Saving ants? Not only does it prove I do whatever this kid wants but it proves he's got a big heart, even wanting to save something as small as ant ant.  (Also proves I'm crazy, I know!)


FUN TIME AT FUNDRAISER WITH PANTHER HOCKEY PLAYERS

We had a great time at the fundraising event for Vincent yesterday. It was very emotional for me to see this young boy in a wheelchair in the condition he was in but it only showed what a fighter he is. There he was trying to be brave and smile as all the pictures were taken of him and as people continually came up to him to say hello. He is a remarkable young boy. It was especially great of the Florida Panther hockey players: Krys Barch, Nick Bjugstad, Jonathan Huberdeau, Vincent Trocheck and Coach Peter Horachek to attend this event and sign autographs as well as take pictures. 

My kids asked lots of questions as to what was wrong with Vincent and "how did it happen."  They also asked me what it was that I had and for the first time I used the word "tumor" to them, which I think kind of shocked them a bit. They both told me that they hoped Vincent will be okay and in their innocence, went on to enjoy their afternoon.