A Few Reasons to Skip Your Workout

On August 31, 2016 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde Moments, SafetyLeave a comment

teenybikini Nobody with a serious fitness goal in mind, or who’s just days away from having to wear that TEENY TINY BIKINI on vacation, likes skipping a workout, but there are a few times that skipping it is exactly what you should do.

otc This is especially the case if you have taken some specific over-the-counter (OTC) drugs for routine ailments. Hmmm….

Did you take any type of decongestant or “cold and flu” medication? I’m talking about a very broad range of OTC here: Zicam, Theraflu, Mucinex, Sudafed, Tylenol Cold-Max, etc. Because the entire class of cold and flu remedies has some sort of sedating effect, there is a risk of injuring yourself while exercising due to a foggy feeling from that sedation or, at the other end of the spectrum, the decongestant can increase your blood pressure and heart rate, putting you at a slightly elevated risk for stroke if you work out when taking some decongestants. In both cases, it’s better to just ride the treatment out and take a few days off to recover.
Did you need to take a pill to get some shut eye last night? If you took a sleeping pill after tossing and turning most of the night, it’s better to a) not try and work out while the effects of the sleeping pill could still be retarding your muscles response and, b) not try to work out unless you got a full 8 hours of sleep after taking the pill.
Are you an allergy sufferer? If you plan to work out, take a non-drowsy allergy relief pill like loratadine (Claritin), fexofenadine (Allegra), or cetirizine (Zyrtec).
If you’re hacking like you’ve just gotten off of a subway train full of smokers and need to take a swig from your handy bottle of cough medicine, you might need to consider a couple of things before you jump into your workout clothes and take off for the gym: Does your cough medicine have a decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine or dextromethorphine in it? If it does, it can make you groggy and could increase your injury risk when working out. Cough medications without dextromethorphine should be safe to workout after taking, but if you are coughing enough to need to take it regularly, you could be suffering from some other ailment, like asthma, and should see a doctor to make sure that you are healthy enough to continue with your current exercise routine.

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Why Aren’t You Having More Sex?

On August 8, 2016December 3, 2016 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde MomentsLeave a comment

toes Here’s a scary statistic: It’s estimated that 40 Million Americans have what experts call a “Sexless Marriage.” In this case, they are defining a sexless marriage as one in which you are having sex less than 10 times a year.

When you were first committed to each other you were literally joined at the hip. 😉 Anytime, anyplace, multiple times a day and everyday. Rabbits had nothing on you. You wanted each other all the time!

Somewhere down the line that became a little less frequent and it wasn’t necessarily kids or life that got in the way, you and/or your spouse started making excuses and your sex life just disappeared. We’ve all heard the jokes about the famous women’s line, “Not tonight honey, I’ve got a headache,” but it wasn’t just women giving the excuses anymore, men began telling their partners, “not tonight” as well. WTF? Men used to complain about their wives holding out and all of the sudden girls night out became a gab fest comparing notes about the excuses their men were giving in the bedroom!

Anita H. Clayton, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of Virginia and author of Satisfaction: Women, Sex, and the Quest for Intimacy says, “A regular sex life is good for your health. It can satisfy all sorts of emotional- and physical-intimacy needs and help partners stay close.”

Babble.com compiled 20 excuses for not wanting to have sex given by both men and women. Mind you, Babble.com is owned by Disney, so it’s pretty tame and not all induced a response:

I’m mad at you – Reasonable, but try and get your spouse to look at this another way. The best way to patch things up is…Make up Sex!
I don’t feel well – Okay, no one wants snot dripping on them, coughing, or (gasp!) intestinal upsets welling up in the middle of getting busy, so definitely a pass should be given for this one.
The kids are still awake – Hmmm… They should have their own rooms and there should be a rule about knocking when a door is closed, so this one is really LAME!
I hurt my back today – Okay, maybe you did hurt your back today. Nobody said that sex was the only way to be intimate. Offer a back rub and maybe things might heat up in another way that might not need to involve a lot of movement of the back…
I ate too much dairy and now I’m bloated – Yeah, I’d stay away from this one, as well as Mexican food excuses. Gas really isn’t fun or sexy.
I just do not feel sexy – That one is hard. Self confidence is a hard thing to get past. As a partner we can say we find our lover attractive but until they believe it it’s a hurdle that’s hard to get over. Maybe joining the gym or just working out together might make them feel sexy after the endorphins are flowing.
I think I forgot to take my birth control – that’s a deal breaker for most men. If it’s a routine excuse take the control out of her hands and buy condoms.
I have to finish this video game level/tv episode/movie, etc. – Wow! How far down do I rate in your items of importance?

If laughing together over the lame Disney media excuses doesn’t ignite a few sparks and encourage your partner to drag you into the nearest bedroom and grab a quickie, you may want to move on to the chart below and check out all of the great health reasons for increasing the amount of sex you are having. health benefits

Some other things that may be interfering with your sex drive, are things you may not even realize. Some of the fixes are as easy as changing your evening routine, getting a lock for your bedroom door or even changing your method of birth control!

The prescriptions you take: Oral birth control contains estrogen which can trap testosterone and, in turn zap your sex drive. Anti-Depressants, pills to lower Blood Pressure, Acid-Reflux, and Anti-Anxiety medicines can also kill your desire. FIX: Discuss potential sexual side effects of any drug you are prescribed and alternatives.

Some problems and solutions don’t require a lot of effort and could easily rekindle your desire to have sex with your partner.

Declare the master bedroom a technology free zone! With all of the distractions in our busy lives, the last place we need to have our partner’s attention focused away from us and directed to their phone, video game or other device is the bedroom. Turn it off and you just may find something else to turn on!

Some problems in the bedroom stem from very serious relationship issues. Maybe there has been infidelity, in which case you are likely struggling with mending your relationship from the ground up. If that is the case, all I can say is there are always good days and bad when you decide that the relationship is worth staying for.

Or, maybe you beg for sex and he just says no? “Perhaps he’s emotionally withdrawing,” says Bob Berkowitz, PhD, co-author of He’s Just Not Up for It Anymore: Why Men Stop Having Sex, and What You Can Do About It. “The usual problems between husbands and wives can play out in the bedroom,” he says, “especially if your partner has a hard time expressing his feelings properly.” This is a hard one. If your partner is not someone who will open up and tell you the truth about what is going on, won’t tell you why he’s withdrawn from you physically, (and it sounds like emotionally) your only route is likely counseling. I don’t see a lot of hope for a relationship that lacks physical intimacy when one side is withholding it.

If you happen to be one of the “lucky” partners who has a partner who “just” makes the occasional excuse and hasn’t cut you off completely, here are some other suggestions for getting past the “not tonight” or “I’ll be in as soon as my show is over” excuses and getting back to an active and healthy regular sex life:

Quit asking permission
Quit waiting for the perfect moment
Quit relegating sex to a bedtime only activity
If you’re going to wait for bedtime, run a scented bath for your partner and wait for him/her in the bed
Be spontaneous (anytime-anyplace like when you were first together)
Have a real date night and end the date like you used to! Hmmm

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How Old is “Old Enough?”

On August 2, 2016August 2, 2016 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde MomentsLeave a comment

kidbabysitter When I was growing up my friends and I were given a lot more freedom than kids today are. I began babysitting my younger siblings when I was just 8 years old. My siblings were 6 and 1.

At first my parents felt that they could safely leave me alone with my siblings for a few hours while they went across the street to play cards and have some cocktails with the neighbors. They knew once my 6 year old sister was asleep she wouldn’t wake up, and that if my 1 year old brother awoke, I could competently change his diaper and/or give him a bottle and put him back to bed.

As time went on, i.e. I turned 9, my parents began having dinner out, going to high school football games, and making other trips out for a few hours knowing that I could safely hold down the fort.

About that same time I began sitting for other families on the street, even one that had 3 kids under the age of 3. No one worried about the safety of their kids because they knew that I was competent enough to call my Mom a few doors down and then dial 911 if there was an emergency.

By the time I was 10 years old, my parents began spending all day and even entire evenings (until last call) out confident that I could take care of both of my siblings, prepare meals and get everyone into bed. All of the neighbors were doing the same with their pre-teen children, except for my friend Shawna’s family who had a live-in. Unless our parents were going to be gone over night, none of us had babysitters.

There are nosey neighbors in every neighborhood. Most people know who they are and avoid their snoopy interference in their lives with tall fences, thick foliage, dark drapes, window tinting or blinds drawn (lol) so that they can’t be reported on. In lieu of that kind of precaution, the woman behind the blog at Thirty Handmade Days, made a chart based on the state-by-state guidelines (if they even have them) for when it’s acceptable to leave children without adult supervision.

1468264593-kidshomealoneguidelines30days

Had this chart been around as a reference in the late 1970’s my parents, and those of many of my friends, would have been reported and hauled in by the County Sheriff’s Department regularly! Hmmm

Even without an official legal requirement in most states, in today’s overly intrusive, judgmental, busybody, litigious society, I’d recommend you leave the following on a laminated sheet secured by magnetic clothes pin type clamp on the refrigerator (just as a precaution of course) for when you decide your little darlings are ready to be left on their own:

Identify your child (ren) by name(s) & age (s) and which has been left in charge
State that the instruction has been given to call 911 in case of Fire or any other Emergency and that the second call is to be made to parents
In non-emergency, put the name of a neighbor or nearby relative that is aware the child(ren) is/are home unsupervised
State that you judge this child to be perfectly capable of the responsibility for the time that you are away from the home
Put your name, cell phone number as well as the other parent information
Sign the document.

Should there ever be a neighbor complaint that you have left the children unsupervised this will give whatever authority that is sent to investigate the information they need to reach you.

Shattering the Glass Ceiling

On July 27, 2016July 26, 2016 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde MomentsLeave a comment

glassshatterers I’m taking a short but sweet moment to reflect upon a really important historical moment for me and every woman young and old. Hmmm

Tonight Hillary Rodham Clinton added another job title to her resume:

Daughter
Lawyer
Women’s & Children’s Rights Advocate
Wife
Mother
First Lady of Arkansas
First Lady of the United States of America
Senator for the State of New York
Secretary of State
Democratic Nominee for President of the United States

A woman, not just any woman, a woman who has had to crawl through the muck and mud of Washington politics while being hosed down with gasoline and simultaneously dodging lit matches, first as a supportive spouse, then a member of the team and finally as the top dog poised to shatter the final and thickest glass ceiling, has earned the nomination of her party for President of the United States of America.

readyforhillary

It’s a proud moment in history that carries with it the irony that, if she is elected, she will earn the exact same pay as if a man were elected to the office and will have begun making good on her first campaign promise, “gender pay equality.”

genderpayequality

Funny Video Whether You Vote Elephant or Donkey

On July 25, 2016 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde MomentsLeave a comment

elevsdonk1 We’ve all seen political candidates come out to address a crowd with a popular song blaring in the background, but have you ever stopped to think about whether the candidate has the permission of the artist who sang the song, or the publisher who owns the rights to the song? I never have, and apparently neither have many candidates.

Last week Donald Trump pissed off Queen, who have requested he not use their music at his campaign events many times, when he took the stage at the Republican National Convention to their hit song, “We Are the Champions.” Queen guitarist, Brian May, took to Twitter and made it clear that he, and the rest of the surviving members of Queen, do not approve:

queentrump

Apparently believing that all mentions on Twitter are good mentions, the Trump campaign then used the Beatles classic, “Here comes the Sun” as Ivanka Trump took the stage on Thursday night. While she was the sole ray of sunshine in an otherwise nasty festival of name calling and mudslinging, the campaign again failed to get the proper permissions and the Estate of George Harrison, the song’s writer, was not amused, stating that it was unauthorized, offensive and against their wishes.

The issue isn’t new and one of the song use conflicts goes back to the 1980’s, when Ronald Regan was one of the first to use Bruce Springsteen’s massive hit, “Born in the USA.”

There is a great article, written in November of 2012, by Eddie Deezen for Neatorama.com, in which he describes how many Americans from every walk of life have so badly misunderstood the true meaning of the words of Springsteen’s song, and have turned it into the “ultimate All-American song,” when, in fact, it is an angry song about how horribly the Vietnam Veterans were treated upon their return home from war.

Over the years artists have taken offense to having their songs affiliated with campaigns and candidates haven’t always chosen songs wisely when trying to communicate their messages:

1984 – Ronald Regan (Republican): “Born in the USA” Bruce Springsteen says that his song is, “far from a Rah, Rah America song…that the song has a much darker side” he asked for the Regan campaign to stop using it and they did.
1996 – Bob Dole (Republican): He got shot down twice. First by Isaac Hayes and David Porter who co-wrote “Soul Man,” as performed by Sam Moore, and later the Blues Brothers; then Bruce Springsteen, who again did not want “Born in the USA” used by a politician.
2004 – John Kerry (Democrat): He made a choice that backfired on him when he chose Creedence Clearwater Revival’s, John Fogerty penned, “Fortunate Son,” which he wrote in response to the romance between Eisenhower’s son & Nixon’s daughter, making the dig that neither family would see a son sent to Vietnam. Kerry, a proud Vietnam Veteran, likely chose the song as a dig at the incumbent George W. Bush, who never saw action in Vietnam because of his wealth and family ties that kept him stateside. Kerry lost the election.
2008 – Rudy Guiliani (Republican): “Rudi Can’t Fail” The Clash penned the song as an ode to an irresponsible young man being criticized by his elders. FYI, Rudy Guiliani, while dubbed “America’s Mayor,” citing his grace, strength and stamina in the days, weeks and months following 9/11, did fail. He lost in the primaries and never made it past the nominating process.
2008 – John McCain/Sarah Palin (Republican): First McCain chose ABBA’s “Take a Chance on Me” then he switched the campaign theme song to Heart’s “Barracuda” after adding Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate because it was her nickname in high school. Heart, of course, wanted nothing to do with that dumpster fire of a campaign. It failed.

John Oliver, host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, highlighted a few of the ironic songs the campaigns have used this campaign cycle with a touch of snark and then got a group of musicians who’ve had their music used without their permission, to collaborate on a very tongue-in-cheek song and video to try and get the message across to politicians in a way they might understand, a video resembling a campaign ad:

Copyright law and publishing rights are on the books for the protection of the artists. It’s time they put some muscle behind their tweets and start making the campaigns, who thumb their noses at them and continue to blatantly use their music, pay for their offenses. Take them to court when a standard cease and desist letter doesn’t get the desired result. Hmmm!

National Best Friends Day

On June 9, 2016June 8, 2016 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde MomentsLeave a comment

dyed-easter-eggs Rather than go on a rant about the made up holidays I see popping up on my Twitter Feed everyday, I’m going to play along nicely on this one.

I have 2 very very very best friends. One who’s known and loved me since we were tweens and another I was lucky enough to acquire via marriage. The marriage didn’t last buy my forever friendship did. For that I am extremely thankful. I am also thankful of my mini-herd of great friends that all could easily, and have, slip into BFF duties when the occasion has called for it.

So, since I decided to play along nicely, I am going to share my favorite best friend memes in honor of this made-up-holiday.

I hope all of my Extreme Blonde Moments followers have their own set or herd of BFF’s and can get a little giggle out of memories of shenanigans, drunken disasters, proper occasions spent together, inappropriate behavior, and other times that will be taken to your grave. Hmmm…

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UG! Bathing Suit Season Has Begun

On May 26, 2016 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde MomentsLeave a comment

thiong Not that it ever ends in Southern California, we maybe take a few days off here and there when the temperature dips into the 50’s & 60’s, but, with the arrival of Memorial Day weekend, there is no mistaking that bathing suit season has officially begun.

There is really no excuse for me not to be in peak bikini shape, having taken 12 days to bask in the Caribbean and Mexican sunshine in March, but what can I say? I got lazy, I let my tan fade, I fell back in love with my sweatpants, I HAD to test the recipes and visit the restaurants I’ve been reviewing on my food blog: This Girl Loves to Eat, the excuses go on and on…

Now that I’ve made my confession it’s time to repent.

For a while it’ll be:

Goodbye Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia
Goodbye Loaded Baked Potatoes
Goodbye M&M’s, Skittles, Hot Tamales & Oreo Cookies
Goodbye Pizza and Beer on Friday night
Goodbye cheese plates and charcuterie plates
Goodbye Ruffles and Laura Scudder’s Green Onion Sour Cream Dip
Goodbye Buffalo Wild Wings Medium or Asian Zing Boneless Wings dripping in Ranch and, worst of all,
Goodbye Doordash and LABite who bring me food from some of my favorite, not diet friendly, restaurants pretty frequently

That’s a lot of goodbyes. These are some of my very best friends and sources of comfort and joy. 😦

Have no fear my friends, you will be back (in better moderation) in no time!

In their places I commit (grudgingly) to:

Eat no fast food for the next 4 weeks
Cut out all processed foods
Increase my fruit and vegetables
In my world Wine is both a Fruit and a liquid – I am not getting rid of my glass of wine and won’t beat myself up for it. I will drink 2 additional glasses of water for every glass of wine
Eat more salad with lean protein
Reduce my red meats and add more fish and chicken
Have a solid breakfast (oatmeal, fruit, high fiber cereal with skim milk, hard boiled eggs, etc.)
Add two snacks a day (late morning/late afternoon)
Don’t skip meals
No carbs after 5:00 PM
Finish eating my last meal of the day by 8:00 PM
Cut out desserts and sweets
Get off of my butt, dust off my treadmill and re-hang my TRX straps – THEN USE THEM at least 30 minutes a day
Become part of the “Gallon A Day” club

What is the Gallon a Day Club? The Gallon a Day Club is a commitment to drink 128 US Gallons of Water every day for 4 weeks (28 days). Today is my day 1.

Did you know that a gallon of water weighs 8.34 Pounds? Right now you are probably thinking the same thing I am: WTF??? I am trying to lose the pudge, not add to it! Patience young Jedi 😉 there is supposedly a method to this madness.

Drinking a gallon of water a day leaves less room for food, or idle snacking during the day, which prevents overeating. Hmmm
Skin becomes smoother, more supple, glowing. Less acne, fewer wrinkles, less dullness? Sign me up!
Water helps you flush more of the toxins that tend to build up in your body. 128 ounces in will push themselves, and some more to boot, out in your many trips to pee. In addition, being well hydrated makes constipation a memory and helps push out more poop too!
Cold Water Burns Calories. Your body has to work harder (i.e. warm up/use calories) when you are drinking 128 ounces of ice cold water.
Metabolic rate increases about 30% after drinking 2 cups of water. Boost your metabolism+burn more calories=lose more weight.
Drinking more water means fewer headaches since headaches can be triggered by dehydration.
Proper hydration: gets rid of puffiness and dark eye circles, helps you wake with more energy, and reduces acne flare ups.
All of this has been said to remove up to 10 years from your face! I’ll take that.

Day 1 photos have been taken and fingers are crossed that day 28 photos reveal all of these good things plus the loss of a few pounds, some puffiness and the return of the angles in my face! Hmmm indeed.

The Peril of Being the “Tech Gal” For Your Own Blog Site

On September 16, 2015September 16, 2015 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde MomentsLeave a comment

I am the first to admit that I am not a technical guru when it comes to writing code, website language and other computer programming / data processing jargon. Frankly I think a 5 year old has more computer literacy than I do where it comes to creating and maintaining a website, but I knew enough to keep the site for my blog up for the past year.

Perhaps I got a little complacent and far too comfortable with how easy my previous domain name registrar / WordPress host made it to communicate to the world via my tongue-in-cheek blog that: I am a girl of many opinions with a salty vocabulary, the gift of gab, and just enough knowledge of navigating the “World Wide Web” to make me dangerous.

That being said, I made the mistake of using a hosted site via a webhost who I will not give the benefit of a mention or further free advertising on the back of my blog, and my site disappeared. Let’s just say it’s not your Mommy’s company…hmmm

Two weeks of fighting via phone, email and chat box (after being made to wait online 79 minutes to talk with a technical support “expert” and their so called, “Customer Service” has only resulted in them requesting:

Site Retrieval Fee (AKA Ransom for my site, which is being held Hostage)
Technical Support Fee (For all of their “pleasant” requests for more of my money)
Another Month of Pre-Paid Hosting on their “service” from which I could then access a backup to move my site to the new host, whom I am already paying….their crappy “service” is exactly what I was trying to get away from!

I am sure all can see the hamster wheel that they have kept me on, which has only done one thing: Delayed my site from re-launching on the new host and thus has caused a break in entertaining and engaging my followers with my daily rants and raves…UGH!

Getting my blog back live has taken weeks and practically an Act of God, but have no fear: I am getting a crash course in backing up my site locally from now on, painstakingly recreating that which I have toiled over for the past year and, come Hell or High Water (which we did get some of this week in otherwise sunny southern California, but I digress), I will now be back live as soon as possible….If you’re reading this, my Herculean task has been accomplished.

These are the current things that are definitely making me go hmmm….

As a reminder, if you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, but that make me wonder, funny quips, photos and other silly things, I have a page followed by more than 1,900 people who find me mildly amusing: https://www.facebook.com/extremeblondemoments