blog – Page 10 – mylifeiswear.com

Posted on May 10, 2017May 10, 2017 by mylifeiswear.com · 2 Comments

Where Are You? It’s Late.

I spent the last six weeks in bed recovering from a torn, ACL, MCL, meniscus and a stress fracture down my right shin. In that time, I have finagled my bills, worried a lot and took myself to the depths of despair.

I am yet to have surgery, but went back to work to bring an income into my household. After returning from work tonight, John and I decided to just get in the car and grab a little alone time.

Ten missed calls later, on each of our phones, I received a text from my teenage son that read, “Where are you, it’s late?”

Are you flipping kidding me? Do you understand how many nights I cried in my pillow worrying about your safety and your whereabouts until the sun came up?

I have spent six weeks in bed, and just for the record, I haven’t had a vacation in 5 years and it is blatantly obvious that I never go anywhere.

Where in the world do you get off telling me that I’m late?

I appreciate the concern, but my teenagers have led me to the total brink of destruction and have no idea the heartache their actions caused.

Wasn’t it only last week that I added a Silver Alert to my unknown bucket list which included:

A visit to my home, from:

The DCF

Channel News 12

A Military Investigation

The local police

And, well can I say…It’s never boring here…by any means.

So, before any of my son’s put out the Silver Alert on me, just know that I am home safely and I just wanted a little breathing space.

And, just for the record….

Sorry I’m late.

Posted on May 8, 2017 by mylifeiswear.com · 7 Comments

Happy Mother’s Day – Toddler Style!

You know what’s so great about being a mom? Well, everything, of course…but Mother’s Day is our day! A day that we are finally recognized and celebrated for all that we do for our children, day after day, 365 days a year.

No matter the age of your children, it is always heartwarming and interesting to see what they will come up with to show you their appreciation for all of the bandaged knees, nights without sleep, skipped showers, car pools, sporting events and emergency room visits that you have endured over the past year.

I love the hand written cards, flowers stolen from the neighbor’s garden (Yes, that really happened…and she was pissed) and all of the kind childlike gestures that kids come up with to give you a gift on their zero budget.

As I reflect on my Mother’s Days past, I recall the year that I taught Marc how to wrap a present. Marc was an eager student and a quick learner…this resulted in Marc’s new obsession, wrapping gifts to perfection! I was amazed by all of his effort and by how precisely he was able to wrap a gift at such a young age. Of course, Marc enjoyed gift wrapping so much he took it to the next level, wrapping anything and everything that he came across and giving it to their respective owner while he watched in delight as they opened it. “Oh, MY toothbrush! Thank you Marc!” I would say, smiling as I held back my need to laugh.

This idea of Marc wrapping up a family members own possessions and standing, grinning in his own satisfaction, while they unwrapped it, went on in our home for about a year. All of us played along lovingly until we were unable to find household items that we used daily. All of this resulting in a rise in our stress levels throughout the day.

“Mom, do you know where my mouthpiece is for hockey?” Rocky bellowed.

“I don’t know. Ask Marc if he wrapped it?”

Needless to say, I received my own costume jewelry, wrapped to perfection, as a gift from Marc for Mother’s Day that year.

Yet, I would have to say that my most memorable Mother’s Day took place when Kevin was a toddler. At the time, we had two dogs, a golden retriever named Lerxst (Please don’t ask about the name – Okay, I’ll tell you. My ex-husband lied to me and said that was what the breeder named him. Actually, years later I came to find out it was a nickname given to one of the members in my ex-husband’s favorite band, RUSH. Whatever. Enough said.) and an adorable wheaten terrier, named Taylor. (You guessed, I picked the name Taylor, he was a rescue dog from our local pound.)

That Mother’s Day, I was sound asleep, enjoying the comfort of my bed. I guess Kevin was up bright and early with his two sidekicks, Lerxst and Taylor in tow. I never even heard any commotion in the kitchen so I was surprised to open my eyes to see little Kevin standing next to my bed with a tray bearing some food and and a drink.

“Happy Mother’s Day Mommy.” Kevin said with a smile.

My heart melted.

“Thank you baby.” I smiled, as I gave Kevin a big hug and a kiss.

It was then, in the dim early morning light that I notice that Kevin was covered in peanut butter.

“Eat it mommy.” Kevin said.

I glaced down at the tray balancing on my lap and stared at one of the most unappetizing sandwiches that I had ever seen.

The peanutbutter and jelly were oozing and the bread was crooked. I picked it up and slowly lifted to towards my mouth…wait…is that hair?

Luckily, the motion of lifting the sandwich was enough to convince Kevin that I was actually going to eat it. He was off to play in a flash.

I moved the tray, slowly got up and walked towards the kitchen. My intuition was already telling me exactly what I was about to find.

There on the kichen floor was a cutting board, a butter knife and four slices of bread remaining in a bag that was an entire loaf when I went to sleep the night before.

And Lerxst seemed to really be enjoying the peanutbutter…

As was Taylor…

Needles to say, I didn’t eat my Mother’s Day Breakfast but I loved all of the thought and effort that went into it, as did our dogs.

Whatever your Mother’s Day brings this year, cherish the moment, the memories and know that you are loved and appreciated for all that you do.

Have the Happiest of Mother’s Days!

Erin Cooper Reed 🙂

Posted on May 6, 2017May 25, 2017 by mylifeiswear.com · 8 Comments

Breastfeeding Is NO joke! Or Is It?

When I was pregnant with my first child I knew that I wanted to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is a personal decision. Still, friends, family and co-workers often express their opinions for or against your pronouncement. Research shows breastfeeding provides ideal nutrition, giving your baby the perfect amount of vitamins, fat and protein needed to grow.

Breast milk contains antibodies, helping your baby fight off bacteria and viruses, as well as, lowers your baby’s risk of developing allergies and asthma. Plus, babies who are breastfed exclusively have fewer respiratory illnesses, ear infections, and digestive problems including diarrhea. They also experience fewer trips to the doctor and hospitalizations. Being able to give all of these benefits to my child sounded great to me, and I was eager to get started breastfeeding after Kevin was born.

Thankfully, Kevin took to breastfeeding like a Champion.

Daily, my ex-husband would return from work to find me nursing Kevin. He would kiss each of us on the head and ask, “How was your day?”

“Fine.” I’d reply, “And yours?”

“Great!” My ex would excitedly state. “I stopped at Bob’s after work and ate dinner there.” (Bob was a coworker. My ex and Bob commuted daily, taking one vehicle, to save on gas.)

I asked, “What did you have?”

“Chicken Marsala.” He replied, “It was AMAZING! Candice is such a great cook… why can’t you cook like that?”

“Oh, I don’t know… because I spend most of my time nursing, pumping, changing diapers, cleaning, doing laundry and throwing together a quick meal,” I replied. “All on very little sleep. I’m exhausted.”

The following day was more of the same. My ex came home bragging about Candice’s lasagna.

The next day, her home-made mac & cheese.

The day after that her delectable country fried steak with white gravy and mashed potatoes.

And of course, her secret recipe, spaghetti sauce.

A week passed, as the list of Candice’s fabulous meals grew.

Like most new nursing mothers, I spent my time worrying if I was producing enough milk, storing enough and if my son was getting enough to eat. I had questions.

My ex made the suggestion that I have Candice over to give me some insight, after all, she was a mother of three children.

After some convincing, I reluctantly agreed. I’ll admit, I was a bit intimidated by “Candice the breastfeeding wonder and professional chef.”

Candice agreed to come over and give me a few breastfeeding tips.

The next day, I prepared a nice lunch and awaited Candice’s arrival.

Candice did give me some great breastfeeding tips.

It’s normal for breastfeeding to hurt a bit in the beginning.
Your nipples may crack.
Lanolin cream is a great moisturizer for your nipples.
Your breasts maybe be sore. A cabbage leaf in each side of your bra works wonders.
Breastfeeding takes patience and a lot of practice.

I was appreciative for all of Candice’s help but I was about to find out her biggest breastfeeding tip of all!

As I cleared the kitchen table, Candice said, “I use my breast milk in all of my cooking.”

“Really?” I inquired. “What kind of meals do you cook using your own breast milk?”

Candice replied, “You know, all of my sauces, gravies, mashed potatoes, even my macaroni & cheese.”

I tried to hide the grin on my face and the fact that I couldn’t wait until my ex got home from work.

That night over dinner, my ex asked how my lunch with Candice had gone.

“It was great!” I replied, “I learned a lot about breastfeeding.”

“Like what?’ He asked.

“Well, mostly it’s normal to experience all of the things that I’m going through.” I said.

“Did you happen to get any cooking tips from her?” He asked with excitement in his voice.

I replied, “Actually, I did. In fact, Candice said that she uses her own breast milk in ALL of her recipes.”

My ex almost spit his dinner out on his plate.

“You’re kidding, right?” He asked.

“I’m being totally serious,” I stated. “All of her sauces, gravies, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese…”

My ex didn’t finish his dinner that night.

He also never complained about my cooking again.

I can still picture the look on his face when I think about that day and it always makes me laugh out loud.

Do you have any funny breastfeeding stories? Share them in the comments below.

Posted on May 3, 2017May 3, 2017 by mylifeiswear.com · 8 Comments

MY GUEST BLOG POST FOR MIND MOVIES: Giving the Gift of Kindness: 4 Tips to Get Started Today

Here is the link to my latest guest blog on Mind Movies. I hope that you enjoy it! If you do, please be so kind to leave a comment at the end of the article on the Mind Movies site. Thank you!

Giving the Gift of Kindness: 4 Tips to Get Started Today (Click on link below photo)

http://www.mindmovies.com/blogroll/giving-the-gift-of-kindness-4-tips-to-get-started-today

Have a great day!

Erin Cooper Reed 🙂

Posted on May 2, 2017 by mylifeiswear.com · 3 Comments

Stay Tuned…

Tomorrow my guest blog post goes LIVE for the site “Mind Movies” with over 500k followers. I’ll be sharing the link on my blog as soon as they send it to me.

Can’t wait!

Erin Cooper Reed 🙂

Posted on May 1, 2017 by mylifeiswear.com · 7 Comments

BEST DIET & WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

Lying in bed for the past six weeks recovering from this knee injury has certainly taken its toll on me financially. If that isn’t bad enough, I’m feeling uncomfortably fat due to the lack of exercise and large amount of bed rest.

Let’s add in the stress of my son, Marc missing, which resulted in a visit to the police station and a Silver Alert being broadcast through a wide array of media outlets. (Also, one of the reasons that I haven’t posted on my blog.)

Marc was located tonight and returned safely.

Thank God.

I seriously need to start taking better care of myself.

(That’s not me but certainly, how I feel at this moment)

I know that there are a million different diets out there. I am limited as to an exercise routine because of my knee. (So going out walking is out of the question.)

Let me ask all of you…what are your best diet tips for losing weight?

How can I get enough exercise to burn calories when I’m down a limb?

I’m not feeling very funny today.

Quite truthfully, I’m pretty depressed.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR COMMENTS, BEST EXERCISE & DIET TIPS / SUCCESS STORIES HERE.

I can surely use some inspiration and advice.

Thank you,

Erin Cooper Reed

My Life, I Swear…

Posted on April 26, 2017May 3, 2017 by mylifeiswear.com · 29 Comments

This Is Why I Blocked You On Facebook

It has taken me most of my adult life to get to the point where my three teenage sons have accepted my friend requests on Facebook.

I’m not sure if this is a major victory or a daily reminder of my greatest defeat. Tonight my son Rocky posted a heartfelt message that went something like this:

“Idk how people can just kick friends and family out of there life’s over stupid things. I fear losing the people around me more than I fear death. I could never do it.”

To which I replied on his Facebook page.

It’s their lives, not there life’s. Just sayin.

Rocky immediately sent me a private message:

“This is why I block you from my Facebook.”

What can I say? I am a writer and I want my children to learn proper grammar. Is that too much to ask?

Maybe so.

Actually, there are plenty of reasons to block people on Facebook.

Here Are The Top Ten Reasons To Block Someone From Facebook:

1. The Selfie King or Queen – Okay, I get it. You love you. I just really don’t want to see a picture of you at home, in the car, at the mall, trying on shoes, having a drink, smiling, making a resting bitch face, fluffing your hair, straightening your hair, wearing your sunglasses, not wearing your sunglasses, etc. Document your entire day for yourself so you can see how great you looked in every moment. Personally I don’t care.

2. The Relentless Foodie – I’m pretty sure that I like to eat just as much as you do. I just don’t have the need to share it with the world. Your breakfast looks fine, as does your lunch, mid-afternoon snack and your dinner. I get it. You love food. Did I mention that there are children starving not only in Africa but right here in the good old USA?

3. The Hypochondriac – You’re tired. You’re crampy. You have the flu. Your sinuses ache. Your doctor hasn’t called, just called, wants to see you. You feel like shit and you can’t stop talking about it. I’m not heartless but there really isn’t anything that I can do. Update your status when you’re feeling well for once. That would be a welcomed change of pace.

4. The Work Out Nut – Thank you for recording your every footstep you take on your Fitbit and posting it on Facebook. If I ever need to find you I’ll know every moment that you spend at the gym. I’m so happy that I didn’t miss the selfie on the treadmill and the photo of you covered in sweat.

5. The Democrat/Republican/Liberal/Independent Looking For A Fight – Unbeknownst to you, I am really okay with whatever opinion you have. That is what makes you an individual, that is also what makes the world go round. The truth is that you just like to stir things up and your goal is to get under someone’s skin and really have it out. Facebook wasn’t created to be a political platform. Sorry to disappoint you. To each his own. I’m seriously okay with that. Just respect that other people feel as passionately about their stance as you do, and that’s okay. Please just let everyone be.

6. The Trouble Maker – Facebook is not a venue to destroy people’s lives. It is not the place to out your sister-in law about having an abortion, to bully someone, embarrass them or try to destroy their lives. I have seen it all. ENOUGH SAID.

7. The Stalker – Just because you knew someone in high school, worked with them 15 years ago or ran into them at the grocery store last week, doesn’t mean that they want to interact with you everyday on Facebook. If you keep private messaging someone and they don’t respond, they probably don’t want to talk to you. This would be obvious to most people. For those of you that don’t get it, reread #7.

8. The Bragger – We get it. You have been there, done that, achieved it, purchased it, traveled there and you just happen to have the most accomplished brilliant children in the world. If we ever need to experience ultimate perfection we can certainly visit your page.

9. The Total Pessimist – No matter what anyone says you are right there to spread the doom and gloom. You are easily offended by anything that is meant as a joke and you can instantly destroy a funny post or meme by taking it too literally. Lighten up. Life is just too damn short.

10. The Teenager – Let’s face it, you know it ALL. You post things that I find so offensive that I frequently check your page to spare my extended family the embarrassment. You just don’t get it, but I live in hope of the day when you finally do and we can interact and share ideas as adults. In the meantime, I’ll continue to police your page, correct your spelling and love you nonetheless.

Rant over.

Carry on.

Posted on April 24, 2017 by mylifeiswear.com · 5 Comments

If You’re Wondering Where I’ve Been…

I apologize that I haven’t been posting on my personal blog, although I have been busy blogging.

I have been asked to be a guest blogger on a very popular internet site with over 500k followers and 336,783 Likes on Facebook. My first article has just been accepted and is scheduled to go live next week!

And yes, I am excited as hell!

I’m currently working on my bio and getting ready to pump out a new article on the next topic assigned.

Stay tuned and I’ll be sharing the link to my blog post and the name of this awesome site.

I haven’t forgotten about my readers, just know that some big things have been going on while I’m home recovering from this knee injury.

Who would have thought…

Posted on April 19, 2017June 27, 2017 by mylifeiswear.com · 8 Comments

I’d Like To Check You For Ticks

Flea and tick season is officially upon us and reports claim that due to the mild winter and subsequent rain fall over the past month, this is going to be the worst year yet.

That’s bad news for pet owners and anyone who generally loves the outdoors.

This is also extremely bad for me.

Yes, I am the proud owner of a beautiful pure breed white schnauzer named Max and an adorable cat named Mitzi, who has a pink nose to match the pink pads on her feet.

And yes, I do love the great outdoors.

Yet, none of the above statements are the contributing factors to why I am dreading an active tick season this year.

My sons are going to absolutely kill me for divulging what I’m about to say, but what the hell, this is my blog, right?

I have managed to raise three boys who played in the dirt with worms, carried snakes around and have always feared little in this world with the exception of…

You guessed it, TICKS.

Okay, I get it. Who doesn’t hate ticks?

What’s the big deal?

Let me tell you just how far my son’s collective fear of ticks has gone.

One summer night, Marc spotted a tick in his bedroom and let out a blood curdling scream.

I rose from a deep sleep fearing for the worst.

I almost ran head on into Rocky and Kevin outside of Marc’s bedroom door.

As, I pushed his door open, I saw Marc standing on the bed in nothing but his underwear.

“Are you okay? Is everything alright?” I asked.

“Mom! There’s a tick!” Marc screamed.

Kevin and Rocky went straight into panic mode as the chaos began to heighten.

“A TICK? Where?” Kevin yelled

Rocky replied, “If we don’t find it, I am NOT sleeping here.”

“Good idea!” Marc said, “Let’s go to a hotel!”

“EVERYONE CALM DOWN!” I yelled, so I could have a minute to think.

“Okay,” I said calmly, “Where was the last place that you saw it?”

Marc replied, “Over there near the bathroom.”

We all began to search for the tiny insect that was standing between us and a good nights sleep.

“Are you positive that it was a tick Marc?” Kevin asked

“I am sure of it, Kev.” Marc replied

I glanced at the clock. 12:17 a.m.

I have to work in the morning, I thought.

“Okay, I don’t see any tick. Let’s all just go to bed.” I instructed

“Are you kidding me? Kevin bellowed, “There’s a tick in the house!”

Rocky chimed in, “Ya, this is totally gross. I better not end up with a tick on me. I don’t want to sleep here.”

“See Mom!” Marc cried, “We can’t just go back to bed and forget about it…we could all get Lyme Disease.”

I continued to look around the room for the tick, longing for my pillow and buying time for a way out of what seemed to be the beginning of a ludicrous all nighter.

Glancing at the clock again, (12:47 a.m.) I blurted out the first thing that came into my mind.

“Okay, shut Marc’s bedroom door. We’ll all sleep in the living room. Wait, I think I have some spray for ticks.”

My boys were a flurry of commotion….blankets, pillows and slamming bedroom doors.

I went straight to the cabinet under the sink and grabbed a bottle of Febreze, (1:29 a.m.).

“Are you sure that kills ticks, Mom?” Marc asked.

“Positive.” I replied. (Okay, I’m reaching here, but I like my sleep.)

We all settled in on the living room floor. (2:12 a.m.)

Surprisingly, after much talk about the dreaded ticks (3:00 a.m.), all three of my boys were fast asleep and I somehow managed to fall asleep myself.

Freezing and uncomfortable, I awoke to the strong smell of Febreze and the living room patio doors covered in condensation.

I got up and walked to the thermostat…the air conditioning was set to 40 degrees.

Kevin stirred and asked, “Mom, what are you doing?”

“Why is the air conditioning set for 40 degrees? I inquired, as I turned it off completely.

“I was trying to kill the tick.” Kevin replied.

The clock read 4:00 a.m. yet I was awake for the day.

I was still shivering and achy from the few hours of sleep that I managed to get on the living room floor.

I felt nauseous from the strong smell of Febreze in the air as I prepared my morning coffee.

Better make it extra strong…

This is going to be a long tick season…

And I better stock up on the Febreze.

In the spirit of the season: Brad Paisley, I’d Like To Check You For Ticks. Enjoy!

Now Oooohooo, you never know where one might be….

Posted on April 18, 2017 by mylifeiswear.com · 2 Comments

Back Asswards Or Ass Backwards?

I’m supposed to have surgery on the torn meniscus in my knee.

My orthopedist told me that I have to go for physical therapy first.

Now, is it just me or does that sound ass backwards?

It got me to thinking about all of the things that appear to be ass backwards to me in life and I’m really beginning to think that ass backwards has become my new pet peeve.

McDonald’s has an average of fifteen to twenty employees working per shift.

Yet, they consistently pair a poor connection on the menu board speaker with a drive-thru employee with either a heavy accent or one who speaks broken English.

Ass backwards? I’d say so!

Thinking about trying this little drive-thru move in rebellion.

Have you ever seen any system as ass backwards as the department of Motor Vehicle?

After waiting three hours for it to be my turn, I approached the counter at motor vehicle…finally.

I had moved back to Connecticut from North Carolina and I needed to get a Connecticut drivers license.

I had all the necessary paperwork…or so I thought.

The woman at the DMV stated that I needed a copy of my marriage license.

“My marriage license? I’ve been divorced for 2 years!” I stated.

She replied, “That’s the document that we need or you can’t get a Connecticut State Driver’s License.”

I ended up driving to the town clerk’s office in the town that I was married.

Twenty dollars for a marriage certificate that I would never use again and forty minutes later, I was back in line waiting to get my Connecticut license.

I guess I’m not the only one that can’t seem to avoid all of the ass backwardness…

Donald Trump, the first billionaire president in U.S. history, currently has a net worth of $3.5 billion dollars.

Let’s take a minute and put that into a perspective that we could all understand.

According to researchmaniacs.com:

Spending: If you had 3.5 billion dollars, you could buy 116,667 cars at $30,000/each or 17,500 houses at $200,000/each.

Travel: If you were to travel 3.5 billion miles, you could fly around the world 140,557 times or take a round trip to the moon 7,325 times.

Savings: If you could save $100,000/year, it would take you 35,000 years to save 3.5 billion dollars. If you could save $10,000 every single day, then it would only take you 959 years to save 3.5 billion.

And yet, all the money in the world can’t buy Donald Trump a better hairstyle.

Maybe it’s me…or maybe everything is just ass backwards!

What’s your pet peeve?

What do you find totally ass backwards?”