Friday Things + Your Tips for Getting Well

Thanks everyone for your kind words about yesterday's post! You all provided so many great tips to feeling better and getting well, so I want to round them up for you!

Your Feel Better Tips
1. Drink a Hot Toddy (don't mind if I do!)
2. Sleep!
3. See a doctor
4. Break out the Vicks and/or humidifier
5. Lots and lots of water
6. Zinc tablets (especially if you catch it early)
7. Don't push yourself at the gym. If you can manage it, a light workout is ok, but try not to break a sweat.
8. Rest!

All great tips! I am back to about 85% today so I'm very happy with that :) I did end up skipping the gym last night. I'm ok with it. Tomorrow I hope to be back at 100% and back in action!

On that note, it's Friday! Can I get a happy dance up in here?

Since I'm still not cooking (though I will be getting my cook and bake on this evening like it's my job), today I'm just sharing some Friday things and things I'm loving. Sound good? Oh and please chime in!

The Royal Wedding. Yay? Nay? I have to admit that I think it's pretty wonderful that such a thing brings their whole country together. And yes, I DVR'd it and am catching up on the footage while I type up this post. The moment everyone was waiting for - the dress. I think it's absolutely stunning.

Classic, simple and I adore that she chose closed toe pumps. I didn't love her veil covering her entire head, but I just think she is so beautiful, so poised and so full of grace. Most importantly, where can I get a pair of those earrings?! Oh and weddings of any kind still make me teary in a happy and hopeful sort of way.

It's Shaun's birthday weekend! He officially hits the big 2-9 (we always joke that he robbed the cradle with me, since I don't turn 29 until July) on Sunday.

 

Tomorrow we are having lots and lots of friends over for a party and then celebrating with Shaun's parents and brother on Sunday. I'm thrilled that the weather is going to be gorgeous so that we can utilize the terrace! This is also why lots of cooking and baking will be happening. I can't wait to share it all with you next week!

Fringe is on tonight! This is still one of the best shows on TV.

The fact that it got picked up for another season, despite being sent to die on Friday nights, is a real tribute to the show and its fans. Oh and seeing Joshua Jackson week after week doesn't hurt either.

My gallery wall. I've wanted to have one of these since we lived in our last apartment (but since we were renting, I couldn't get over the guilt of nailing 30+ holes into the wall). I started the gallery in the Fall, and decided that it is totally necessary to extend it. Here's the first part of the wall:

 

And I'll share the finished product and how I got 'er done next week!

It's Friday! Need I say more?

So that's what's going on with me on this gorgeous Friday morning. What's putting a smile on your face today? Oh and weigh in on the royal wedding, yay or nay? The dress?

Under the Weather

You may have noticed that there has not been a lot of food on the blog this week. Well don't hold your breath because today is no different. I have refused to get in the kitchen all week. My super star husband has taken over in that department. It's all because I've been feeling super under the weather since Monday at 2:05pm.

Yep, I know the exact minute. It started with a slight...and I mean slight...sore throat. Most of the time, something like this leads to nothing. I chalk it up to extremely poor air quality in this area. Not only do I work 10 blocks north of the World Trade Center site, but I take public transportation twice a day and my apartment is right near a major highway, filled with car fumes. Hmph. I'm just rethinking my living/working situation for a moment...

Anyhow, I just had a bad feeling that it was the beginning of not-so-muchness in the healthy department.

And I was right. By Monday evening, it felt as though my sinuses had launched a full-blown attack on my cheekbones and eyeballs. And it's lasted ever since. I'm not sure if it's allergies (apparently pollen levels are off the charts, though I'm more of a mold-spore kind of girl. Sexy), a cold, or a sinus infection. I'm thinking sinus infection because it feels awfully similar to ones I've had in the past. Like a tiny bar of weights is sitting across the middle of my face. It's not pretty. It's not fun.

The only difference is that the last 2 sinus infections I've had in the last 3 years have followed some major life changes for me. A post-stressful, anxiety ridden release perhaps? You know how your immune system holds up when it knows it needs to, but then once your big event or change passes by, suddenly your defenses are down? My last 2 illnesses fell 2 weeks after my 2008 wedding in Aruba (and this one was a real doozy, folks)...

 

...and following my job change in 2009. I literally felt it happening on my last day at my last job. I had taken a week off in between employments, and I was sick the.entire.time. Ruining our Jersey shore getaway. I still went, but I was a giant, boogery complainer the entire time. Shaun was thrilled. Sucky.

Anyhow, I am definitely not in any major life change this week. I am, however, planning a nice big party for Shaun's birthday this weekend! I have so much cooking and cleaning to do that I'm hoping to be back in full action by tomorrow. Until then, I'll be praying to the sinus lords to please spare the inflammation in my face and head, just for the weekend. I'll also be continuing the following regimen:

A healthy breakfast. I'm still smoothie-ing it up. Somehow I feel like a green monster is just the ticket to fighting sickness.

 

Mucinex D. This is a miracle worker for me. This version of Mucinex relieves nasal congestion and inflammation, always my foe. While it doesn't quite get me to 100%, 1 dose certainly helps me at least breathe. And sometimes, that's all I'm asking for. I will warn you though, it leaves me with terrible dry mouth, which is almost as uncomfortable as the sinus issue. Almost.

 

Neti Potting. I brought out the big guns this time around. I was a little terrified uneasy about using this thing because it seems so...icky. But when you can't breathe and are desperate, suddenly running fluid through your nasal passages doesn't seem so terrible. I'm still getting the hand of it, but so far, it's at least helped me sleep at night.

 

Tissues. I've been carrying around a box with me. It's hot. And I look cool. Don't judge.

 

Steamy showers. I love taking burning hot showers to help clear my sinuses. All that steam is...perfection. I could live in there.

Getting back to the gym. I took off Tuesday and Wednesday but since I don't want to lose all the good work I've been doing, I'm going to try and push myself to a light workout this evening.

So there you have it. An honest rundown of what I've been up to this week. Since sinus infections and allergies are not contagious, I have still been heading into work, though I must admit at times I felt so badly that I wanted to run home. So what about you? What are your tips for getting healthy when feeling under the weather?

Note: I am the farthest thing from a medical professional and have an unhealthy habit of self-diagnosing. If you are sick and need treatment, please consult a medical professional. Thanksssss.

We're Taking a Trip

It's true.

Shaun and I are taking a trip in just a few short weeks!

When Shaun found out that his company was sending him to Europe to visit clients, I immediately invited myself to tag along for the ride. We both love traveling, so we are super excited to be exploring 2 countries that neither of us have been to yet: Spain and Switzerland. A random assortment, no?

We will fly into Madrid, Spain and stay for 4 days. Then, we will hop a plan to Zurich, Switzerland for 3 days, and then head on back to NJ. Not too shabby, right? Of course, Shaun will have meetings almost everyday that we are abroad, but we plan to cram in as much sightseeing and exploring local culture as possible. Oh and of course we plan to sample up some local goods like it's nobody's business.

After all, we are known for exploring European countries with a bit of gusto and an iron stomach. During our first Euro trip, we attended the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Talk about eating and drinking our way through a country!

 

 

I ate so much bratwurst and schnitzel, followed by copious amounts of Kolsch (one of their local styles of beer), that by the end of the trip, I was certifiably ill. Even Shaun got his drink on a littttle too much.

 

It happens.

On our trip to Prague in 2007 with my sister Kimberly, we drank 1.1 million lattes

and sampled some hot, mulled wine while trying to escape from a storm outside.

My favorite food in Prague were the fried cheese sandwiches, which of course, I do not have any photos of, since it was before the blog days! But just know that it's like a giant mozzarella stick on a roll with mayo sauce. And it's wonderful.

And I can't overlook our faux honeymoon in 2008 to Sweden and Estonia (also built around Shaun's work trip), where we not only visited the gorgeous Medieval town of Tallinn in Estonia, but went to an ice bar in Stockholm, Sweden! The entire bar was made of ice (seats too!) so they give you these fun get ups to wear while you sample lots of Absolut vodka.

Though I've gotten some guidebooks already to prepare us for our upcoming trip, I'm hoping that you can provide some insights into our upcoming getaway! Have you been to Madrid? Or Switzerland? What are your must-see's? What are your must-eats? And how do you handle that looong flight?