About a year ago we purchased a new bed. It is amazing. I sleep far better on it, then the old one. However, I do seem to wake up with some neck aches. This actually is pretty common. We’ve tried buying new pillows a million times. It seems I never buy the right one or within a few weeks they are all tattered and worn. I want to invest in some GOOD pillows. Hubby has agreed, so I started searching online for some healthy pillows, something that will last, something that will be allergen free. I came across Healthy Dreams Pillows. Here’s a video:

Okay now let me tell you, the more I read about these pillows, the more convinced I was I *needed* them. When I read that most pillows begin growing mold, bacteria and dust mites soon after you start using them, and then problem only gets worse over time. Why? Well because we breathe moisture into our pillows as we sleep. Makes sense right? Well the Healthy Dreams pillows have a Micrenza bio-filter. This makes them to be the first truly germ-free, mold-free, and allergen-free pillow available! The filter is made from the same material as the  N95-rated surgical mask, so you know it truly works! I thought the price of them at first was a little deterrent, however, once I thought about it… $10.00 for a moderate standard pillow at a department store, replaced 5 times (less then 5 years) you have spent $50.00. The Healthy Dreams pillows come with a 10 YEAR warranty. Now the next question you are going to ask, but what if I spend all that money and hate it. First, you won’t, BUT if you do, they give you a 60 days  Unconditional Return Privilege. Okay, honestly the thing that sold me on my new bed was that I could have a 30 days IN HOME trial and they would either fix or replace it. This is so much nicer then laying on it for 5 minutes and deciding if it’s right. So the fact I can try the pillows, just completely sealed the deal for me!! I think I found my winner!!

I scrapped 2 new layouts. These layout where not for the ADSR they were just because. So here they are:

Both of them are linked to my DST Gallery in case you want to see credits or leave a comment there for them. I am having fun getting back in to scrap booking again. It’s so zen-like for me!! Okay I am off to grab some dinner! Have a great night bloggers!

I had my muscle biopsy on Tuesday. They took a 2″x2″ part from my left thigh. It was not a fun experience but I must say that this biopsy went WAY better then my liver biopsy. In short, that procedure was a nightmare. I was at the local Bellin Hospital, but the nurse was a bitch, they didn’t control my pain, and I begged to leave! Actually I didn’t beg, I demanded and then they agreed, I left and sent a nasty email the next day to the hospital coordinator. No reply, no shock! This time I was worried because I was going to a UW Hospital and if you’ve ever been to one, you know they are a MAD HOUSE!! They are clinics and a hospital all in one, they have students and staff and it’s like the BIGGEST place of medical personnel EVER! So to say that I was treated BETTER there, then I was at the local hospital which is like 1/8 of the size is just well… weird to me! Honestly, you’d think a smaller facility would be more personal then a large “your just a number” place. However, I was treated SO amazing at the UW Hospital that I could not even believe it. It was sort of surreal. First, I explained my desire to not use a full anesthesia because I end up sick for days after. The anesthesiologist was great in understanding and then explaining my options. She decided that it would be best for me to be “out of it” with some meds but conscience. I would not remember the procedure but wouldn’t get that sick feeling after. And they would numb the area on my leg because some people are more alert then others. I agreed this would be a good option. I didn’t get sick afterwards and I didn’t remember anything besides being brought into the OR. The nurse that put the IV in… I explained that my veins are small and I am not found of needles so I would appreciate only being “poked” once. They got the smallest needle and he did it, in JUST one try. He was so nice and amazing and UNDERSTANDING. Upon waking, within 20 minutes the nurse asked if I’d like something to eat or drink and it was delivered within MINUTES! The nurse was there every 5-10 minutes, not 45-60 minutes. They explained everything to me. They did NOT release me with a prescription, they faxed it directly to the pharmacy so I could get it on my way home. Even though I had a 3 hour drive there and a 3 hour drive back, it was by FAR the best experience I could have asked for, considering the situation. The next day the nurse called, she was so sweet. She also wasn’t convinced my pain was being managed by what I was telling her. She told me she would call me back on that. I NEVER said my pain was BAD or that the medicine wasn’t working, but I was answering her questions and said that I did have a burning feeling. She called me back within 45 minutes and said, changed medicines, we think this will work better. She also had some other suggestions to help me out. I couldn’t believe it. I am still kind of in shock over the whole way they treated me so GREAT.

Having said all that, I am home and recovering. My husband has been AMAZING the last 3 days and helping with everything around the house. In fact, I haven’t really moved off the recliner. He’s had me resting and treating me like a QUEEN. He’s so super amazing, it reminds me why I fell in love all over again.

I can not wait until next week when I can head back to the gym. I am changing from my Quick Trim pills to athermogenic fat burner. I stopped seeing results with Quick Trim and I am not going to continue spending money on something that has “stopped” working. I am hoping that I can lose this extra weight before summer. I just NEED to do it. My husband has again been supportive and being he is into the gym and supplements, he’s spent ALOT of time researching different things for me and he’s helping me along. Even though he says I do not need to worry about it, I do. It’s a personal thing for me.

I scrapped my ADSR 5 Challenge 6 layout today. Here’s a peak:

This layout was a HUGE challenge… just because they only allowed 4 of this and 4 of that and no more. I am not typically a person to use so many types but only 4 or 4 might be too many. It was a challenge, which is what it was supposed to be, but I a, okay with the final layout. I will be making a few changes to make it “me” and then I will be adding this to my printed book, because it is a good idea!

I also managed to scrap a layout using Bella Gypsy goodies that are coming SOON to Elemental Scraps. I love being on their CT. What a fun bunch of girls and what an AWESOME set of designers Lena and Tabitha are!! One of their new kits is called Blue Skies & Mud Pies… How cute huh? Here’s my page with it:

I’ve linked them both to my DSTGallery in case you’d like to leave me a comment there! I am so glad to be back scrapping again and it feels amazing! It’s been so nice and stress free! Even the ADSR challenges!! Okay bloggers, I will be back tomorrow with more! My meds are starting to kick in and it’s time for a girl to hit the pillow!!

Yesterday was my appointment in Madison with the specialist. It went “okay”. Of course there was a lot of “could be’s” and no real answer. The doctor does believe that he has narrowed it down though. I have to go back in a few weeks for a muscle biopsy. THIS will confirm things. So for right now I am content. The doctor was very nice and spent 45 minutes talking with us about the diseases, options, etc. It was a relief to some degree. The experience at the UW Hospital was like nothing I’d ever seen before. If you ever want to feel like a number, there is the place to go!! Sheesh! They have valet parking at the front door, which we had to wait almost 20 minutes to park. You walk in and through some huge revolving glass doors. Then about 30 feet ahead is a desk. There is a girl that hands out tickets for parking, so you don’t have to pay. She was backed so far up too because she was having problems with the machine and then the receipt printer quit. No wonder they say be there 20 minutes before the appointment!! GRR!! Once we made it past her it was up to 4th floor, on the H elevators. YYeses they have that many elevators that they are the alphabet! Upon hitting 4th floor there was a registration desk, yet another line… I get through this line, and they send me down the hall around the loop, take a left and another left…. blah blah… Well We arrive at yet ANOTHER desk! I officially check in there, and get seated. It’s now 10:50am. My appointment time. We entered the parking lot at 9:55am. We wait in the waiting room until 11:10pm and get called back. At 11:30 the doctor walks in. I was upset because it took forever, but then when the doctor arrived and came in, he was really nice and took 45 minutes with us so I was happy with that. It was a long drive there and back though. 3 hours each way. Not looking forward to that again.

Yesterday I also starting scrapbooking again! I digital scrapped for a long long time. I haven’t done any layouts since February 8, 2009. That is exactly ONE year because yesterday I did my FIRST layout of 2010. I am raising in the Amazing Digi Scrap Race. I have the same partner in crime as I had last year… My dear friend Blythe Evans. She’s an amazing scrapbooker and friend. I totally love racing with her and even talking to her everyday. The first layout of the race we had to scrap our partner. There were some other details, like we had to lift a page of theirs, and tell about them, etc. This was a simple page for both of us because we know each other well. Here’s my page:

You can see it here at DST with the credits. I am looking forward to scrapping again and also to this race. I love the challenges!!

Today I was looking through some of my old posts and my scrap pages. I totally miss scrapping everyday. I miss doing layouts and posting my pages. I miss that creative outlet. I really do. I feel like I’ve been on the Outer Banks of the scrap world for the last few months. I really want to scrap but I feel like my mojo is just gone. I feel like I have nothing really exciting to scrap about. I am so worn with the weather here that it’s just effecting me in every way possible. Perhaps my vacation to Wisconsin Dells this upcoming week will liven me up some! It was great while I was in Las Vegas. The sun was out, I didn’t have the worries, I was carefree and the world was great. But this gloomy weather is back now that I am back and it’s totally pulling me down. *sigh*