Milestone Week + All Your Favorites!

It's a big week for Life, KV Style! This right here is post #198. That means this week I'll be hitting 200 posts! I'll be back for Wellness Wednesday, and then we're having a celebration on Thursday for #200!

I'm not sure I'll ever really have blogiversary celebrations because my blog was technically started in March 2013, but I didn't earnestly start blogging until January of this year, which brought a name change and redesign too. So I really don't know what day to call my anniversary, and I hate to add 9 months to my blog history that really aren't worth mentioning! So my thing might just be post number milestones.

Anyone remember my 100th post back in April? I can't believe I've already had another 100 posts since just April, but I guess it does make sense if you do the math. But 200 is bigger and better, so such will be my celebration. (So be sure to come back Thursday, okay? :D)

For now, I wanted to share your all's top 7 (ish) favorite posts in these last hundred that have passed. And I have to say, my findings make me extra happy. Really, the ones that meant the most to me are also ones that got read most, and that thrills me to death.

#7 - tied

This is one of those posts I am rather proud of and was quite excited to share. So to see so many of you evidently like it too makes my heart happy. :)

And it tied with this post. Just a My Friday Five post you guys extra liked!

#6

As simple as this post may seem, since it's really about an Adam Sandler movie, it was such a personal post for me to write--and to try to put into words why exactly this movie resonates with me so much. It's definitely one of my most favorite posts.

#5

I have to say, I was rather surprised in addition to pleased when I rounded up my most-viewed posts since April's 100th to find this one. I felt like this post might ruffle some feathers because it could appear to be anti-fibromyalgia-sufferers when it's actually anti-lazy-doctors-who-can't-and-won't-do-their-job-to-truly-treat-people-like-me. (Spell check really doesn't like that last sentence.) I know the suffering of those diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and CFS is real--I just firmly believe their diagnosis is just all wrong. And it's our doctors' fault. So I'm glad so many of you took the time to read a post I want to proclaim from the rooftops!

#4

I am so surprised that this recipe made #4! It is so simple, it almost felt silly giving it its own recipe post, but you all loved it and I'm so glad! I continue to use this recipe all the time.

#3

It definitely means a lot to me that this post was so popular. That many people wanted to get up to date on the crap my body's been through?? <3

#2

How many times can I say I was both surprised and thrilled? Another post I want to yell from the rooftops, and it takes #2. Losing weight should not be the end goal--getting healthy should be. And the former will inevitably follow the latter--healthily.

#1

THANK YOU for making this the most read post--by a long shot! When I see people bemoaning not getting to eat desserts and ice cream and cookies and all kinds of yumminess when they consider going gluten-free or sugar-free or dairy-free or Paleo or just healthy period, it makes me feel all kinds of sad, frustrated, and helpless. Because that's nothing but a popular misconception and totally incorrect!

I currently don't eat gluten, dairy, corn, soy, refined sugar, or nightshades, and I have been sticking to that for about a year now. Yesterday (I slept through breakfast) I had a homemade McGriddle (made with pork bacon this time! More on that Wednesday :), later some grapes, then for dinner this amazing chicken salad. I also had ice cream covered in these chocolate chip cookies and melted chocolate for dessert. And I had pizza yesterday... Do I sound deprived? And I'm not overweight or starving myself. I'm eating far healthier than I ever have or even knew I could. If you need more proof that healthy ≠ deprived and that healthy = yummy, you've got to check out any recipe by Brittany Angell (preordering her upcoming book tomorrow!). She is amazing.

~~~

So! Today, I am so grateful to you guys for coming along with me for 100 more posts and for making these posts the most popular out of them all! I've got both a {fun} favor to ask and a big surprise for you on Thursday, so please come back for that! (Of course, like I said, I'll be back to talk about things like ice cream and bacon on Wednesday. ;) Thank you all for caring about little ol' me and my little blog and the things that mean so much to me! <3

{Also linking up with Let It Shine and BeYouTiful Link Party}

 

Short & Sweet Katya Valera Sale: Reluctant Fall Celebration

Okay, we're going with the calendar on this one. In honor of fall's arrival, this month's Short & Sweet Sale of course has to be:

Yep! Every orange piece is 15% off today and tomorrow! Just search for "orange" in my shop, or follow this link, and shop away--there's more than just these pictured!

Just use coupon code OrangeLeaves15 at checkout! Sale ends Sunday night at 11:59 EST! {Please use the coupon code for orange items only--if you wish to also buy a piece that doesn't apply, just check out separately, and I'll refund the shipping cost difference.}

Happy fall, happy weekend, and happy shopping! :D

My Friday Five: Nashville, The Voice, and Crummy Doctors

Hey guess what--so it's "fall" here, and we've had the windows open for two days. Even while it rained all day yesterday. That's not how fall's supposed to work--it's generally too cold in the fall to leave the windows open like that. But it's freaking awesome. :) Meanwhile, welcome back, Friday!

1~ First and foremost, Nashville is back! Did you watch? And what did you think? They made us think Rayna went with Deacon on purpose. And of course she couldn't say yes to him in the season premiere because that would just be way too easy. Clearly, she'll eventually end up changing her mind about Luke, likely after he slips up and shows what's really behind his actions (something definitely is).

I was really disappointed Scarlett was still going back home, so it was a relief when she turned around.

And meanwhile, that had better be Avery's baby. But it won't be because that is just not enough drama for Nashville. And as the previews show, she'll intend to have an abortion. But of course she won't really because she's pregnant in real life, so they wouldn't write this into the script to accommodate her just to end it. Yes, we've got this all figured out, abc. ;)

2~ It was a big week for TV, as The Voice finally returned too. I was not a happy camper about adding Pharrell and Gwen, as I know nothing about Gwen and frankly find Pharrell rather creepy. Add in that Christina's gone (annoying as she can be at times, I do love her), and I was uncertain how this season would go. But the judges seem to be off to a good start together, and though I don't have any favorite singers yet, I'm optimistic about this season.

3~ On a totally different note, I saw this video on Facebook the other day and had to share it. I don't watch The Golden Girls, so does anyone know if this is actually from an episode? Regardless, this is totally accurate. I daresay that every single person with an invisible illness would love to say these exact things (and more) to at least one doctor. (I can think of a few.) SO many doctors' treatment of patients with invisible illnesses is just absolutely ridiculous. But I won't go off on that tangent.

4~ On a happier note, you just have to read this post by one of my good friends on why clouds are "proof that God brings beauty out of ashes." I have never thought of clouds this way at all, and the post is just absolutely beautiful.

5~ And did you see my first mostly positive review this week? I'm 1 for 3! ;)

Next week is going to be very special, with a surprise for you guys!

But before that, it's already time again for my monthly Short & Sweet Sale--

come back tomorrow to find out what it is! :)

 

{Linking up with Friday Favorites, Little Friday, Friday Favorites,Thursday Favorite Things, Treat Yo'Self Thursday, Anything Goes Linky, High Five for Friday, Friday's Fab Favorites, Link Love, Thinking Out Loud, Oh Hey Friday}

Lola Lash Natural Mascara Review

The following is an honest review in exchange for a product(s) of my choice. This post contains affiliate links.

I recently discovered Abe's Market and was excited at the prospect of browsing their natural and organic products, particularly their Natural Makeup & Natural Cosmetics. As I'm in the journey of cutting chemicals out of my life, I knew right away I wanted to try their mascara when I was given the chance to go on a bit of a shopping spree in exchange for an honest review.

Lola Lash Mascara by Antonym was the only complimentary option, so I went with it even though the only color available was black and I generally wear dark brown or brown/black mascara. 

Initial observations: While the ingredients list is not short and contains some long words that I don't know, it is, however, free of the major chemical offenders, like those listed here. So that's definitely a step in the right direction.

Also, the wand is curved, which I'm not used to, but it still worked well.

I finally got to test it out for a date with Daniel, and I do like how it looks.

I've been using Covergirl forever now, most recently Lashblast Fusion, in brown/black. So how do they compare?

 

The Lola Lash mascara is clearly black, and the Covergirl is clearly not. Lola Lash seems to focus more on length, while the Covergirl Fusion focuses more on volume, but the difference is very slight.

All in all, I really have only two complaints: I wish the Lola Lash was dark brown instead of black; then I would really love it. And also, while I am wanting to use chemical-free makeup, I'm not really wanting to pay quite so much for mascara. So it's a choice between affordable, chemical-filled options or not-really-affordable natural options. Considering how rarely I even go anywhere and need to put on makeup, the cost would probably be worth it in my case, since one tube will last me so long.

There are also a few much more affordable options that are worth looking into, from both Abe's Market and elsewhere, which I plan to explore before actually purchasing another tube of this particular mascara.

Abe's Market has all kinds of natural makeup options that you should totally take a look at if you're also trying to remove chemicals from your life. If you do try some of their Natural Makeup & Natural Cosmetics, please let me know what you think!

{Linking up with Thinking Out Loud, Treat Yo' Self Thursday}

Wellness Wednesday: Lemon Garlic Chicken Salad with Coconut Mayo

When I shared this chicken recipe a couple of weeks ago, I said I'd be back with more recipes to use the chicken in. And here's the first! It's simple and yummy (I think restaurant-worthy, but what do I know), and crave-at-night worthy too. Many nights after Daniel goes to bed have involved whipping up this salad and eating it while watching whatever free Youtube movie struck my fancy. ;)

I also have to briefly explain why I call this coconut "mayo." I've mentioned Brittany Angell on here before and all of her amazing recipes, and one time I saw her mention on Instagram that she just combines coconut milk and olive oil for mayonnaise. I don't know if she adds more to those, or how much of each, but I decided to just put them together and add some salt and came out with this concoction that I find pretty stinkin' handy. One warning: it really does not taste very good on its own. It just complements this salad so well once it's mixed in with the other ingredients. So if you dip your finger in it and think gross! do still give it a try.

You'll need:
1/2-3/4 cup of this chicken
Lettuce
15-20 grapes
optional: 2 slices of turkey lunchmeat (I use this)
optional: Some chopped onion

For the dressing:
1 can of coconut milk (like this)
Olive oil
Himalayan salt or sea salt

1) Place the can of coconut milk in the freezer.
2) Tear up the two pieces of lunchmeat and lay them on a paper-towel covered plated. Lay another paper towel on top and microwave for 2 1/2 minutes or until it's crispy. (Like I made it for this recipe.) Once it's cooled enough to not burn yourself, of course, crumble the meat into bits.
3) Prepare the lettuce as you normally would and top it with the chicken (I like to microwave it if I didn't just make it), chopped onion, grapes, and "bacon" bits.
4) Once the coconut milk has been in the freezer for about 10 minutes, the top half probably won't be hardened, but it should be mostly separated from the lower, clear half. So just pour the upper, creamier half into a container, then add the oil and salt to your liking, and stir. I do about 1/4-1/2 cup of olive oil and probably 1/2 tsp. of salt, but the amounts are up to you. Just remember my warning about it not tasting very good by itself--it will taste like coconut milk, oil, and salt, it's just a matter of what combo you prefer. ;) Then drizzle as much as you like on the salad. This amount of dressing will last for several meals.

All done! Of course, you could just have this without any dressing, but I think it really adds to it.

Oh, and did you know salad always tastes better served on a plate instead of in a bowl? I think it probably has something to do with restaurants serving it that way, but I still think it's true. ;)

The beauty of the Shredded Lemon Garlic Chicken is that you can make a whole bunch at once and then have it to use in things like this salad for days. (Thanks, Mommy! :) Yep, I'll be sharing another simple but very tasty way to use it on another Wellness Wednesday!

{linking up with Delicious Dish Tuesday, Real Food Recipe Roundup here and here, Time to Sparkle, Share It Link Party, Do Tell Tuesday, Let Your Light Shine, Treat Yo' Self Thursday}

7 Reasons I'm Not Sure What I'm Doing in Blogland

I'm really not sure what I was expecting to find when I started blogging, and I was certainly not expecting to find this brand new world of tons and tons of people. But over the past several months, I've discovered a few commonalities in many of those who blog. And many of those commonalities are traits, interests, obsessions that I shockingly don't share. I'm not necessarily saying the items below are wrong, I'm just saying they seem to apply to everyone but me!

So because of this, I think it's safe to say I am officially a blogging weirdo, and I'm really not sure what I'm doing here!

1~ Target. We don't have a Target back in WV, so when we moved here to NC, I was excited to try it. Of course I'd been there several times in the past, but not recently, and certainly not to the point that I'm a regular. Seeing everyone and their mother in blogland singing its praises, I was expecting greatness. And now that we've been, Daniel and I agree: we don't really see the big deal. *GASP*

2~ Designer fashion. Okay, I love dressing up and looking nice (which you've probably gathered I don't get to do much), but the determining factor in if I buy a piece of clothing, besides of course its appearance and fit, is its price. I absolutely could not care less about shopping for Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs and Kate Spade and even Aeropostale and JCrew, blah, blah, blah. I honestly think even if I had all kinds of money at my disposal to waste spend on designer/trendy clothing and accessories, I still would be living off the clearance racks at Cato and Burkes.

3~ Starbucks. I don't drink coffee. I don't like coffee. Or tea. Of any kind. I don't live at Starbucks and I don't live for the PSL. (But you've already heard that.) I do, however, love the smell of coffee. Does that make it all better?

4~ Fall. Speaking of not liking the PSL, I don't like fall. Like at all. And I've found about 98% of bloggers cannot. freaking. wait to trade in flipflops and tanktops for boots and scarves. Y'all are crazy. (For more on why I almost hate fall, check out this post.)

Fall?

However, I'm starting to wonder if the weather we're having here lately is what you all in NC call fall? Cause holy cow, if it is, I totally see what the fuss is all about! (Except the boots and scarves and pumpkins and all, of course.)

5~ Wine. Beer. Anything. You've probably surmised by now that I don't drink alcohol of any kind. So all this relaxing with wine after work is just bizarre to me. I'm sorry, I relax with filtered water and a bunch of these cookies...

6~ Babies. Though I'm a 20-something newlywed, I don't have any children, and I don't have baby fever either. Now that is weird in these here blog parts.

7~ Pets. Not only do I not have children, I don't even have a pet to overflow your Instagram with. I do, however, really, really want a very certain doggy, who will come someday. But I can't share pictures of my imaginary dog, can I?

So, what on earth am I doing here in blogland?? I'm not quite sure! I'm definitely an oddball. But a few of you are sticking around anyway (at least until this shocking post!), and for you guys who have cared to read my blog and stick around even though I am most definitely a blogging weirdo, I am very grateful. <3

My Friday Five: Goodbye AGT, Hello Nashville, and Etsy Banners

Is it just me, or are the weeks going by faster and faster? Somehow we're at Friday again, so here's my five:

1~ Well, AGT is over. And Emily didn't win. :( But hey, I called it! She got 2nd and Mat Franco got 1st. He did deserve it, and I am still holding out hope that she'll be a huge star regardless. She's already started a pledge campaign for her album, which she announced after the finale, and as of last night, she already had raised 96% of her goal!! You can pledge various amounts with certain thank-you gifts, from $10-$5,000, and let me tell you, if I had the money, I would have done the $250 pledge in a heartbeat for her to cover a song of my choice and send me the video made just for me. What song? "Why Was I Born" by Gogi Grant. Does anybody know that song??

But it's okay because I can console myself with the fact that I have such a vivid imagination I can already hear her singing it, and I "settled" for a much, much smaller pledge and will be getting a signed copy of her album in the mail!!!! I squealed like a little girl over it (it's the little things, you guys, though I don't guess this is all that little) and I'm hoping she includes my name on it. Haha. I have never pledged for an artist or gotten a signed album from anyone, and I never really thought or cared to before, so I guess that tells you how much I love this lady!

2~ Well, with one show ending another favorite always begins, and Nashville is back next week! Do you watch that show? What on earth do you think is going to happen?? Juliette messed up big time, Rayna has two proposals, and it looks like Scarlett may have just realized that she needs to stay in Nashville. Predictions?

3~ I've been sharing a lot about life with chronic illness lately. Last week in honor of Invisible Illness Week I shared my answers to their "30 Things Meme." That took a while and kind of made my brain hurt. And then this week I went out on a limb and let you see what an average day is really like for me. Be sure to check those out if you haven't yet. 

4~ And on Monday I shared why God isn't just there if times get hard but also when they seem to stay that way, a truth that I think we aren't reminded of enough. Be sure to take a look at that post, and I hope you are encouraged by it.

5~ I just have to say, I've mentioned plenty of times how obsessed I am with blog design anymore (good thing, since I have a shop for that, right?), but I am especially in an Etsy banner kick! I started adding premade banners to my shop a couple of weeks ago and haven't let up since. Here's just a few of the many now available, with more to come!

And of course, I also offer custom Etsy banners too, in addition to all my premade blog designs and custom design packages!

So, what did you all think of AGT? Nashville predictions? And do you have an Etsy shop that needs a new banner, or a blog that needs a makeover? I'm here! :)

{Linking up with Friday Favorites, Little Friday, Friday Favorites,Thursday Favorite Things, Treat Yo'Self Thursday, Anything Goes Linky, High Five for Friday, Friday's Fab Favorites, Link Love, Thinking Out Loud, Oh Hey Friday}

eShakti Review: Not Quite Perfect

I received this dress from eShakti in exchange for an honest review. You can bet this is that.

 

I have seen bloggers all over the place positively reviewing their complimentary, "customized" dresses from eShakti. So when I had the opportunity to receive my very own dress of choice, I was very excited. They have all kinds of gorgeous clothes, but I knew I wanted a maxi dress, and this one stood out to me right away. After looking through all my options, I eagerly went with this one and could not wait for it to come.

It finally arrived a few weeks after ordering, but I was quickly very disappointed. But let me just break it all down for you with a full review:

location || I looked through eShakti's website before ordering to try to determine where they are located and assumed since they have business hours listed in PST that they were located on the west coast. Silly me. I discovered later that the dresses are actually made in India. (This is mentioned in their About page, but for some reason I missed it.) No offense, but had I known this, I probably wouldn't have ordered from them, as you probably know I am all about supporting American businesses.

shipment and packaging || I was told the dress would ship in about 7-9 business days and that I would be kept posted on the status. When it hadn't shipped in that time and I had heard nothing, I contacted them to check on the status and was told "Our samples typically take 7-9 working days to be processed and shipped," and was told they would email me as soon as it shipped. It did finally ship the next day and arrived just a few days later.

It arrived folded up in a flat box, so it was, not surprisingly, pretty wrinkled as you can see. Which was not desirable but I don't see how it could be avoided.

dress quality || I was afraid that my hopes for this dress were too high, and they turned out to be. As soon as I pulled it out of the box, I thought, Man, it's long! And once I held it up to me, I saw it was definitely too long, by nearly a foot. Call me crazy, but when I think maxi dress, I think long, but not dragging several inches onto the ground. I had entered my measurements based on the range choices I was given and didn't go with the option of exact measurements because I'm not sure that that option was free, and I also gave my height. While the dress could have been tighter in the waist, the issue here was obviously the length. And you would think since they had my height, they should have known how long to make the dress, since it's supposedly made for me. But even with my tallest wedges, it drags the floor.

Then I read a review for this dress in particular that mentioned the surprisingly long length of the dress (though they liked it), so evidently it was not a mistake, but rather how this dress is always made. If that's the case, the description should include that info, and it does not.

value || The color is gorgeous and the cut is flattering, and I do like the feel of the fabric. So I love, love, love those aspects of the dress. But it is very thin and see-through (so much so that you can see the pockets) and wrinkles easily (besides the natural wrinkle of the fabric). I definitely would not have bought this dress from eShakti--it costs as much as I would spend for at least 3 dresses. Everything on their site is expensive, even if it is supposedly customized to your size. But I would only have purchased this dress if I had found it on a clearance rack.

communication and accommodation || I contacted the company right away to let them know about the evident mistake on the length of the dress, and after emailing back and forth a few times was told that I could ship the dress back at no charge to me, and they would evidently remake the whole dress (not just hem it--you know, they put lettuce on a customer's burger, they didn't want lettuce, so the customer sends it back and they throw the burger away and make a whole new one). But the catch was that, as best I can read the rather confusing email, they would reimburse me any alterations charges in the form of store credit. That would mean in order to "get back" my money, I would have to buy something--everything is pretty expensive, so I would be out money in the effort to "make back" my money by buying something. They really wanted to just replace the dress but weren't sure on fabric availability and suggested I might pick another. (Sure enough, it's still out of stock.) But I really wanted this particular dress; I just wanted it to fit. Finally when I told them I would not be sending it back if I had to pay anything or pick another dress, I didn't hear from them again.

So in short, the initial hesitancy I had in ordering from this company was for good reason. I hate writing negative reviews, but I have to be honest. Basically I'm harder on this dress because, though it was free to me, it is very expensive otherwise, and it should live up to its price.

All of that aside, it was free! And I did wear it out successfully on a date with Daniel and do plan to wear it again, because hey, it's free! And maybe since I don't trust myself to do it, I can convince my best friend to hem it for me when she comes to visit.

Have you received or purchased a dress from eShakti? Was yours perfect like everyone else's?

Are you familiar with maxi dresses dragging all over the floor?

{Linking up with Treat Yo' Self Thursday}

A Day in the Life: Spoonie Edition

You've probably gathered by now that a typical day in the life of Kacie is very out of the norm. Not sure you want to know just how out of the norm it is, but for this Wellness Wednesday I'm giving you a glimpse anyway!

I've read a few day in the life posts, and none of them sound even similar to mine, of course, since this is a spoonie we're talking about. So here we go--get ready for lots of excitement...

1:48PM

 

Yes, you read right: on this particular day, my day begins at 1:48--that's PM--after waking up about half an hour earlier.  I actually went to sleep about 4 AM, so this time frame is to be celebrated. My sleep is all over the place, but very recently has been starting anywhere from 7-10 AM and gone until 7-8 PM, so this was awesome.

When I wake up, I always have to lay in bed for a good half hour because I am so achy and sore everywhere, particularly in my limbs, so I give both my brain and body time to wake up a little. Of course I lay there on my iPhone the whole time. As I mentioned in this post on Saturday, when I wake up, I feel all kinds of pleasant, including a lovely kind of vibrating and also either like I've been running all night or that the Hulk has taken me by the feet and bashed me back and forth against the ground--you know, Loki style.

I gradually awaken to all the things that hurt as I lay there. On this "morning" in particular,  I do feel the above described pain, then I also realize that my throat hurts--hoping that it's just from the air and a fan being on and not an indication that I'm getting sick yet again--my stomach/gut area is not happy, and my now-daily migraine is beginning, all of which is the usual anymore.

2:30

By this point, I'm up, teeth brushed, supplement for my MTHFR gene mutation rubbed on my foot, and I have successfully put up the dishes in the drainer. (Yes, we wash dishes ourselves around here.)

It's a shower day (you don't take a shower every day, do you?), and I also need to make french toast sticks. So, Pandora in the background, as usual, I get those whipped up and put in the oven and then take a quick shower while they bake (they take a while).

The first song Pandora chooses to play on "Demi Lovato radio." Whatever, Pandora, I like this too.

I get done with my shower without having to lay down after and, likely fueled a bit by the knowledge that I'd be sharing this day with you, I decide to be an overachiever and put up the laundry that Daniel washed and folded the day before. 

Finally the French Toast is ready, so I whip up a McGriddle and eat while catching up on blogs and Twitter and such. {I always have to multitask, even though fibro fog doesn't lend itself well to that.}

This meal never photographs as deliciously as it actually is. Btw, I made it with yet another different kind of flour this time, and it turned out differently yet again.

Once I finish eating, I'm pretty much stuck in the lazy-boy in the family room, having pretty well used up my spoons by now, and do random tasks on the computer, like listing a new item in my new Etsy shop.

5:00

By 5 I'm really running down and debate laying down, though I'm not sure my brain would let me fall asleep. So instead I just bundle up on the lazy-boy, right before Daniel gets home from work.

I will never get tired of this window. {It's right next to where I live in the family room.}

I do finally lay down for a bit and then decide to try putting up this insufferable wall decoration that turned out to be a lot harder than it should be. {Just fyi, it's impossible to make it look like the picture, so you're doomed to your own attempt at a design. Which is a lot harder than designing on the computer.}

I give up on the wall thing for today and, since I'm not hungry, make Daniel dinner.

8:45

I call my Mom for a bit, then talk to Daniel for a while until he goes to bed. (He goes to bed like a normal person.)

11:00

Miraculously, I'm both tired and sleepy enough to go to bed at 11. So my short though accomplished 9-hour day is over. {I actually ended up sleeping only about four hours, and then I was up. Very typical.}

The times that these things I've listed take place are all over the place for me but tend to go in cycles based on what my sleep is doing. But typically I'm up until at least 3 AM, which is the time that I normally work on my blog, Katya Valera tasks, and KV Designs tasks. The daytime--however much of it I get to see--is for any cleaning and cooking that I can manage to do (which is often none), and then evenings before Daniel goes to bed are for watching TV with him or talking.

Pretty mundane day, huh? Most people's day in the life posts wouldn't need photographic proof of things like the mound of dishes they put away. But these mundane tasks that I got done are huge for me. Putting up dishes, taking a shower, baking, and making my husband dinner are things that are just regular daily tasks for anyone else but things that often are impossible for me and that, when accomplished, make both me and Daniel feel like I'm superwoman.

So there you have it. An exciting, typical day in the life of a spoonie!

You can read more about life with a chronic illness in this post: