I’ve been on a quest lately to make myself feel better.

I’ve found out that I can’t control the illness and its effects, but I can control tuning the day to involve more of my passions in life.

So far I’ve been upping:

• Nap time.  Naps are refreshing whenever you are in a bad state!
• Magazine reading!  As I love printed magazines almost as much as I love a mind-changing novel!
• When possible due to health: bathing and showering.  It is equally important to slather on tons of moisturizer afterward.
• Trying to put clothes together that not only match, but fall into a fashionable category.  Tricky on total pj days, but it allows me something to plan.
• Always making sure I have a nice lipgloss, as chapped lips are the worst!
• Putting on dance music to do any of the chores.
• Eating outside (and trying to be more healthy)!
• Popsicles
• Stretching
• Journaling and Tumblring (really help me to determine what I do and do not like in life!)

We don’t get as much joy in life as some of our fellow friends…we should at least go out of our way to pamper ourself in whatever way works best.

What is your best pampering method?

xoxo,

Annie

• When the cat gets on the television and it wobbles and scares the hell out of me!
• Low blood sugar
• Excessively loud music
• When my computer goes all psycho and crashes on me
• The cost of medication
• How much effort it takes to keep the house clean!
• I need to stop pigging out!
• Weird pains that I don’t recognize
• That I can’t make food that looks as good as it does on photograzing.com
• Rent.  No likey rent.
• Feeling unappreciated.

(Images from WeHeartIt)

What’s managing to get under your skin this week?  Share here, get if off of your chest, and it will free you for better things ahead!

Love you all!

Annie

Some of my favorite things from the wonderful world wide web this week!

100 different ways to start conversation with people.  I’m so nosy, I want to know everything about everyone!

http://unicornsforsocialism.com/2011/04/29/100-alternatives-to-so-whadda-ya-do/

Amazing things that you can learn on Youtube!

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/5ur7Yb/tomash.soup.io/post/54950113/what-can-you-learn-on-youtube

How to avoid the mistakes that will hold you back in life.

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/3-mistakes-that-can-hold-you-back-and-how-to-avoid-them/

A delicious looking recipe from my friend Loolwa at Dancing with Pain!

http://dancingwithpain.com/my-favorite-organic-vegan-gluten-free-pasta-dish-yum/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Dancingwithpain+%28Dancing+with+Pain%29&utm_content=FaceBook

Toni Bernhard always gives the greatest advice for the ill, and this article is one of her best <3

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/turning-straw-gold/201105/10-tips-10-years-sick

Ways to talk to your family and friends when you have chronic illness.

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/05/chronic-illness-strikes-tips-talking-family-close-friends.html

Gala Darling’s movies for when you are sad or bummed out (although I’m only a fan of about a quarter of these…)!

http://galadarling.com/article/33-movies-to-watch-when-youre-sad-glum-or-bummed-out

Hilariously absurd warning labels!

http://www.someecards.com/2011/05/25/most-absurd-warnings-and-product-disclaimers

Hope you enjoy the selection and have a wonderful day!

xoxo,

Annie

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
Audrey Hepburn

Everything I learned I learned from the movies.
Audrey Hepburn

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.
Audrey Hepburn

I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and… I believe in miracles.
Audrey Hepburn

Audrey was a vision, and her quotes are some of the very best!  I never know what my favorite Audrey movie is, as I love them all so much…but I think Sabrina has to take the cake!

What’s your favorite Audrey movie?

xoxo,

Annie

• Having the opportunity to work with someone who I admire to produce an eBook of only good things…
• How the Internet can be both enlightening and comforting.
• Jon playing the Xbox again so he can hug me while he plays…
• Marmalade playing with the most random things in the house.
• Fashion magazines always make me feel better.
• My sister graduated from Pharmacy!
• My twitter friends, always and forever.
• Parks & Recreation!
• Fruit smoothies
• The new Lady Gaga cd
• Yoga clothes

(Images from WeHeartIt)

What are the little things that you are loving this week?  Make a list and feel grateful!  You will most definitely feel better!

xoxo,

Annie

So two nights ago, I was hit with the migraine from hell.  I lost my vision, I was on the verge of puking everywhere, I couldn’t stand up, and all I could do was make wounded animal noises.  I was so far beyond pain that I couldn’t even cry.  I fell in and out of consciousness, and became as mentally detached from my body as I possibly could.

I was terrified.  I’ve had a lot of migraines, but I literally thought that I wasn’t going to be able to take one more minute of the level of pain that migraine was dishing out. I took as many meds as I had in my arsenal, and I avoided going to the hospital, even though that is what I desperately wanted.  I have had enough migraine trips to the hospital to know that it tends to just be more uncomfortable for not a high payoff.  I seriously worried that I was going to just die from the pain, as the painkillers couldn’t make a dent in it.

Now, I’m not trying to advocate against the hospital, especially when you are really scared.  I say get there.  I just know of my own personal results.  This is what I recommend if you stay home:

• Try your best to breathe.  I’m not particularly good at this and have a tendency to hyperventilate, but TRY your best to take deep breaths.
• Think rationally on whether or not you are better off treating your problem at home or at the ER.  I figured I wasn’t going to die from a migraine (even though I felt like it!), and I knew I had more meds at home than what they would give me in the hospital.
• Howl.  Just like an animal in pain, it helps to whimper or scream when the pain becomes completely debilitating.
• Use everything you safely can in your medicine and “feel-better” arsenal (pills, heat, ice, baths, etc…).  Suffering just causes more suffering.
• Get yourself into the most comfortable position for your pain (last night I actually felt better hunched over than in bed).
• If at all possible, contact someone to be by your side.  They might not be able to do anything to ease the pain, but will at least be able to call 911 if an emergency arises.

Try to err on the side of caution though.  I would hate to hear of anything bad happening to any of you.

Much love,

Annie

We all know by now that I just LOVE movies, television, and books!!!!  Here are some for your future distraction!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another one of my all-time ultimate pick-me-up movies.  I love all the characters, the romance, the comedy, and that it is set in Hawaii.  This contains all laughs, all of the time, and has a great message .  Mila Kunis broke out in this film as a truly great leading lady.  Plus, full frontal male nudity?  You don’t see that all that often!!

Parks and Recreation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This show is painfully funny, and Amy Poehler’s character reminds me too much of myself (even to my boyfriend!).  It’s one of those shows that is awkward to the point where you can’t do anything but cringe and laugh.  Easily one of the best written shows on television, and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to find it!

Chocolat:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite movies of all time.  It has everything you could ever possibly want – drama, comedy, romance, fairy tales, tragedy, and a happy ending.  It doesn’t get any better.  Plus, I’m pretty sure that Johnny Depp has never looked more attractive than in this movie.

Extreme Couponing:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This show captivates me every single time it is on.  As an unemployed housewife, I feel like I should totally become an extreme coupon user.  I need to get a printer, and sadly, I don’t think Canada has the same level of coupons as the United States.  Either way, these people are hardcore heroes for their families.  Especially the ones who give back to charities and food banks.

What has been getting your attention recently?

xoxo,

Annie

…is not very profitable haha.

I’ve been writing at this blog for a long time now, and I love every minute of it.

I also have been writing for www.butyoudontlooksick.com and www.thefightlikeagirlclub.com.  I just started working as a research assistant as well, so that’s exciting!

If only any of it came to procure any money towards my life.  Sooner or later, my name has got to make a break.  It has to.  Sooner or later, if you work hard enough at what you love, you will do okay.  Surely.  I fully believe this (this blog is turning into a pep talk to myself lol!).

I worry about burning out.  I’m working on so many projects that my brain just feels like sludge (although it feels that way often, due to the illness in the first place).

(Image from WeHeartIt)

(and then my brain blew into a my all time worst migraine, so I have a feeling I won’t be writing much today…)

xoxo,

Annie

• That 3 hours of shopping was enough to put me on bed rest as I became unable to walk.
• I have to miss my sister’s graduation because I’m ill .
• Marmalade seems like he wasn’t treated well before…not cool.
• That someone called me a self-pitier on twitter.  I work hard at telling the truth, and yet being grateful.  It is how I try to survive.  I always get sad when people misunderstand me.
• Bills
• Rude salespeople
• Giving myself anxiety…
• Having difficulty finding great articles on self-worth
• That my friend Shruti is having a rough go of it <3
• Pizza Delight’s new GF pizza’s are sooooo sub-par
• Bridesmaids was sold out whenever we went to see it!
• Junk food always sneaking its way back into my life…

(Images from WeHeartIt and myself…)

Everyone leave the bad stuff here today…we’ll go forth and have an awesome week!

I know I feel better already!

xoxo,

Annie

My links from the corners of the Internet!

This list of reasons to be angry resonated with me one day.  Today, I’m feeling much more peaceful, but I thought I would share it with you all anyway.

http://moreblue.wordpress.com/2011/05/15/the-list-of-reasons/

Toni Bernhard, on learning to love the small world we get stuck with when ill.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/turning-straw-gold/201105/sick-and-stuck-in-small-town

Healthy ways to deal with incessant worrying – important lessons in my opinion.

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/7-healthy-ways-to-deal-with-incessant-worrying/

The next two links are to 50 films that remind you what is important in life!!

http://matadornetwork.com/life/25-more-films-to-remind-you-whats-important-in-life/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MatadorNetwork+%28Matador+Network%29

http://matadornetwork.com/life/25-movies-to-remind-you-whats-important-in-life/

You deserve these things, just because you exist.

http://whitehottruth.com/white-hot/the-declaration-of-deserving-just-because-youre-here/

A fun read!  A list of common misconceptions!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_misconceptions

and, as always, my tumblr: fragileannie.tumblr.com

Hope you find something in there you like!

xoxo,

Annie