Our Week - The One with Poker Night, Haunted Gingerbread Houses, Pumpkin Carving, Sad News, and a Productive Weekend at Home

Our week was a very productive one and we ended it with some time at home – finally – so we were able to knock out most of Jacob’s science project and various other house projects + a few things on our Halloween bucket list.

Monday, October 23

Monday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I headed home to get some work done before I had to run some errands and go to a hair appointment.  Errands included Staples and Walmart to do some returns, and then CVS to pick up a prescription.  Unfortunately, the guy who does my hair came down with some sort of bug and he couldn’t meet me, so I wasn’t able to get my hair done.  It was LONG overdue, so I was bummed about that.

The rest of the day was spent getting more stuff done at home, and then I headed to pick up the kids at 3.  We had zero places to be for the rest of the evening after that, so we headed straight home, and the kids got to work on homework.  Jacob also worked on his science project for a long time.

I made tortellini soup and garlic cheesy bread for dinner (plus some fruit, which is standard in our household), and it was so hearty and delicious.  I could eat soup every single day, especially in the fall and winter!

After dinner, Jacob got back to work on his science project, and after my food settled a bit, I headed out for a run.  I got 2.38 miles in and got home just before dark.  The sun is setting so early now, and I love being able to run in those last moments before it dips below the trees in our neighborhood turning the sky various shades of pink and blue and/or pink and orange.  We’ve had some gorgeous sunsets lately.

After my run, I got showered and ready for bed, and then I did a Bible study while the kids finished getting ready for bed.  I hadn’t done one in over a week, so I was itching to get back to it.  Those Bible studies are pretty lengthy time commitments, so they’re harder to squeeze in.  I do always make time for my daily devotional every single day, though.

Once the kiddos were ready for bed, we all watched the rest of an episode of The Amazing Race that we’d started the previous week, and then we got them in the bed a little early since everyone had gotten less sleep over the weekend.

B and I watched some of an episode of Shark Tank, and then we headed to bed, too.

Tuesday, October 24

Tuesday morning started with errands after I dropped the kids at school – the gas station, UPS to do some Amazon returns, and then Target to do some returns as well.  When I got home, I tackled some laundry and then I worked on blog posts for the rest of the day until it was time to get the kids. 

After school, the kids worked on homework until it was time to get Olivia to dance, and then when we got back home, Jacob worked on his science project until dinnertime.  I got in a stair stepper workout and an arms workout and then we had turkey and cheese sliders, chips, and fruit for dinner when B and Olivia got home.

It was late by the time dinner was done, so the kids got showered and ready for bed, and by the time they were done, it was time to get them in the bed.  B and I finished an episode of Shark Tank, and then we watched some of the new episode of Saturday Night Live and then we headed to bed, too.

Wednesday, October 25

Wednesday morning, I had to get up to go to the bathroom before it was time to get up for the day, and when I got up, everything started spinning and I almost hit the floor.  Ugggghhhh.  I haven’t had a spinning episode that bad in a long time, so it came out of nowhere.  One thing I will say is that if I lay on one side for too long and then get up, it does cause me to have spinning issues.  So, every time I lay on the couch or in bed on my side, I have to roll over to my other side for a few minutes to “even things out” and then I try to lay on my back for a couple of minutes, too, before getting up.  That usually keeps the dizziness a little less intense, and I don’t think I did all of that before getting up Wednesday morning. 

I got back in the bed and tried to go back to sleep – it’s never a problem for me – but instead, I lay there worrying about my stupid vertigo and praying that it wasn’t coming back in full-force again. 

By the time my alarm had gone off, I had already made sure to lay on both sides and then lay on my back, and when I got up, I just had my normal amount of dizziness rather than the crazy horrid spinning, so that made me feel a little better.  I did feel a little off all morning, though, and I’m not sure if it was because of my actual issues or if it was because anxiety had settled in because of the vertigo episode earlier that morning.

Sigh.

After the kids were dropped at school, I headed straight home to work all morning, and then I finally got my hair done later on in the morning.  The guy who does my hair has worked at his dad’s salon since he graduated from school and, sadly, his dad just passed away from cancer a couple of weeks ago, so they are closing the salon after 25 years.  It breaks my heart for their family.  I’ve known him since I was a teenager since he was friends with one of my best friend’s parents, and he was a great guy, so everyone is just heartbroken over the loss.  This was the last time I’ll set foot in the salon since this is its last week, so it was bittersweet.

When I got home, I ate a quick lunch and caught up on some blog reading, and then it was time to get the kids from school.  We dropped Olivia at dance in her Halloween costume (and forgot to take pictures), and then Jacob and I headed home.  He worked on his science project for a couple of hours while I tackled some things around the house, and then I made Pizza Joes and steamed broccoli for dinner. 

When we got home, Maui must have slipped out the door when we were getting things out of the car, because about 15-20 minutes after we’d gotten home, I heard a scratch at the FRONT door.  I was like, “what on earth is that?!”  So, I went looking for Maui, and she was nowhere to be found.  I ran to the front door, and sure enough, it was her scratching politely to be let in.  Lol.  Apparently, she had gone on a little adventure in the front yard and then she had asked to come in.

She is never the type to sneak out or bolt when we open any of the doors, so it was very much out of character for her.  It’s also crazy because we’re SO careful to make sure that she is inside where she belongs each time we come and go, so I don’t even know how this happened.  I was so grateful that she made it inside safely, though.  She’s so tiny – only 4 lbs. – so there are many terrible things that could have come along and harmed her – a hawk, another dog, a cat, a car, somebody who wanted to swipe her, etc. 

Sheesh.

We all sat down together for dinner (and I can’t remember what we ate) when Brian and Olivia got home from dance, and then I got out for a run.  I had started feeling “off” in the evening again, and sure enough, my run wasn’t pleasant.  I got really dizzy towards the end, and I ended up cutting the run short because of that and the fact that it was dark out.

When I got home, I got showered, and then we watched an episode of Lego Masters together followed by Shark Tank for B and me after the kids went to bed.

 

Thursday, October 26

Thursday was the only day I didn’t have somewhere to be, so I dropped the kids at school and then literally stayed home all morning and early afternoon until it was time to pick them up.  I completed two blog posts, worked on several others, and got started on holiday gift guides.  Those are always very time intensive since I like to scout out the perfect items each year.  I also tackled some much-needed housework.

At 3, I grabbed the kids from school, and then we went straight to music lessons.  They had the place all decorated for Halloween and each of the teachers had decorated pumpkins, so the kids got to vote on their favorites.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent working on Jacob’s science project, getting dinner ready – leftover tortellini soup, and also some steamed broccoli to get a veggie in – and then after that, I headed out for a walk.  I had been a bit unsteady all day again, so I knew a run probably wasn’t the best option, so I opted for a walk (with a few jogging spurts) instead.  I got in my 2.38 miles, and then headed home to shower.

We watched some more of The Amazing Race with the kids, and on the show, the teams had to carry these giant mattresses up narrow staircases.  When they first started and were struggling to get them around the curve, Jacob started yelling, "PIVOT!!" and I don't think I've ever had a prouder mom moment.  Haha.  While he hasn't seen Friends yet, he knows about many of the iconic moments, and I loved that he knew to say that then because it's exactly what I was thinking.  One of the guys on the show eventually went on to start saying it, too, and we were cracking up.

After the kids went to bed, B and I watched The Golden Bachelor before heading to bed.

Friday, October 27

Friday, I worked on blog stuff all day long, B and I got our flu shots, I deep cleaned all of the floors in the house, and I downloaded the new Taylor Swift album (of course)!!  I’m already obsessed with Say Don’t Go… definitely my favorite new track from the vault. 

 

At 3, I grabbed the kids from school, and then we came home to prepare for poker night at our house.  We were supposed to have our usual group, but one of my friends and her fam couldn’t make it due to sickness, so it just ended up being my friend Jeannine and her family and us.  We ordered pizza (one that was pumpkin-shaped), played some games, and then all of us adults sat around and talked all night while the kids played.  It ended up being a fun night!

 

After they left, we got the kids into bed, and then Brian and I watched the movie No Hard Feelings on Netflix.  It was funny and pretty cute, but definitely raunchy… not one to show the kids.  Haha.

 

Saturday, October 28

Saturday, I was thrilled because we had an entire day at home – not a single place to be – and I relished every second of it.  We started the day by sleeping in, making homemade Halloween themed waffles, and watching ESPN College GameDay. 

Then I got in a workout and B cleaned off the back porch to get it ready for fall and winter.  It needed a good sweeping and washing, and all of the pillows needed to be sprayed down.  I also emptied all of my pots and we put those up for the winter.  All the while, Jacob worked on his science project.  It is crazy time intensive (he has to build nine bridges out of popsicle sticks and wood glue) so he has been working diligently on it for weeks.

The rest of the morning was spent doing laundry and tackling our other usual Saturday house chores, and then we had lunch.  After lunch, poor Jacob had to do more bridge-building, and then he and Olivia both showered and got ready for the day.  I worked on some blog stuff for a few minutes in the afternoon, and then I finally cleaned my makeup brushes before showering before the Georgia game started.

Just before the game started, the kids put together their haunted gingerbread houses so they could dry and set, and then they played video games for a bit.  We watched Georgia beat Florida, and while the game was on, I worked on our Halloween dinner menu and a grocery list, I planned out the rest of the year, and I got my planner ready for November, and the week ahead.  It’s going to be a busy week, so I had to make aaaallll the to-do lists.

The kids decorated their haunted houses during the game, and then when the game was over, we reheated leftover pizza for dinner.  After dinner, we finally carved our pumpkin – just in time for Halloween! – and then we all sat down to watch Hocus Pocus 2.

 

Shortly after we’d gotten settled with our movie, I got the call that Matthew Perry had passed away and I was just devastated.  Anyone who has been reading my blog for any amount of time knows that Friends is my favorite show of all-time, and Matthew was my favorite TV actor of all-time.  Chandler Bing and Monica Geller are the GOATs of TV characters, and them, along with the rest of the gang have been my comfort zone since I was 12 years old.  I love Friends so much that I’ve had it as part of my bio on my blog from Day 1, and these weekly update blog posts are titled as a nod to Friends (“The One With”)… Friends is practically part of my identity.

I have always turned to them – especially Chandler (Matthew) – for a laugh when I needed it the most, and Friends has been my “happy background noise” for nearly 30 years.  My family used to make fun of me for how much I watched Friends… I was binge-watching it long before binge-watching was technically a thing. 

I owned the “Best of Friends” episodes on VHS (VHS, y’all!!), and I watched them over and over and over.  Then when the DVD boxed sets of the seasons were released, I bought them as they came out, and Friends was on in my bedroom literally every single second that I was in there for years.  After Friends, I followed Matthew’s entire career, devoutly watching every single one of his sitcoms that came and went (Go On, The Odd Couple, Mr. Sunshine, etc.). 

So, to say I am a huge fan and that I am devastated is an understatement.  I’m even more sad for his family and friends and everyone else who loved him, though.  I’ve mentioned in passing here on the blog that my cousin is married to Matthew’s sister, so his death hits even closer to home for me, since he is family of family.  While I never got to spend a huge amount of time with him, I did get to meet him and spend time with his family at my cousin’s wedding in California back in 2014, and they are all just so very lovely.  We all love Matthew’s sister (my cousin’s wife) so very much and we are grieving for her and her family.  So please keep them in your prayers.

After I got that call from my mom, I was so sad for the rest of the night, so after we put the kids to bed, B and I didn’t do much… we just watched some football since I couldn’t really focus on anything else. 

Watching Friends will never be the same again.

Sunday, October 29

Sunday morning, we got up and had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then I did my Sunday things – yoga, sermon, etc. – and then we got ready a bit early and headed out to run an errand on the way to my MIL and step-FIL’s for lunch.  Olivia is dressing up as St. Anne for All Saint’s Day Mass tomorrow, and we needed some fabric for her costume.

Next up, was lunch, and my MIL had baked some cute treats for Halloween that I wish I’d snapped a picture of.  She had baked brownies and then used Milano cookies to stick in the ends as headstones, and she’d written RIP on the cookie headstones in black frosting.  SO CUTE.

After lunch, we dropped something off at my friend, Jeannine’s, house, and then we drove through the rest of their neighborhood to look at a few of the houses that were decked out for Halloween. 

 

It was on to Lowe’s after that to grab something for Jacob’s science project, and then we dropped Jacob off at his friend, WJ’s, house to hang out and study for a science test on Monday.

When we got back home, Olivia played some computer games and I worked on blog stuff, and then after Jacob got dropped off back at home, we headed to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner. 

And now for a few current things…

Currently Reading

 

I’m almost done with The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.  I started reading it alongside Jacob since he’s reading it in class, and I figured it would be perfect for spooky season.  I’ve had it in my reading list for almost a year because Jacob’s old piano teacher had highly recommended it, and although it is nothing like the things I typically read, I’m enjoying it thoroughly. 

 

I’m also still making my way through Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by Craig Groeschel, but I didn’t pick it up at all this month.  I’ve barely had time to read this month, so this has been on the backburner.  I really do need to get through this one soon, though.  I’ve been reading it since before my vertigo started in July.  I would have gotten through the whole thing back then, but then my vertigo started, and I couldn’t read at all for weeks.

 

I’m also still working my way through The Bible and The Bible Recap. 

 

Currently Watching

 

With B:  This month, we finished season 3 of Only Murders in the Building (which I didn’t love), and we also finished seasons 1 and 2 of Cruel Summer.  Loved them both!  We also started The Golden Bachelor (OMG I love it so much), the new season of Shark Tank, and the new season of Saturday Night Live.  And, of course, we’re watching tons of college football along with ESPN College GameDay every Saturday morning.  We also watched a movie this month (what?!) – No Hard Feelings.

 

With the Kids:  We finally finished America’s Got Talent.  And we started the new seasons of Lego Masters and The Amazing Race.  I’m wanting to get back to The Big Nailed It Baking Challenge again, but we just haven’t had time.  We have also watched several Halloween movies this month with the kids – Hocus Pocus 1 & 2, Beetlejuice, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

 

Alone:  I mostly listen to music, but on Sunday afternoons I’ll turn on a movie for my happy background noise, and that movie is still The Wedding Planner, although, I’ll be making the switch to Serendipity now that the Christmas season is right around the corner.  I’ll probably restart Friends for the 50th time (literally) again soon because a) it’s been a little while since I watched it from start to finish, and b) because I’m missing Matthew Perry so much.  I wish I’d kept track of how many times I’ve watched all of the seasons in a row, y’all.  It has to be dozens.  I can quote most of every episode from start to finish.

 

Currently Listening To

This month has been Ed Sheeran’s Autumn Variations album, all of Phillip Phillips’ albums, and Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) albums on repeat.  Oh, and of course, when the kids are around, we’re listening to our Halloween soundtrack. 

Happy Tuesday, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN, y’all!

The Four Supplements I Take Every Day to Feel and Look My Best, One of Which Has Been Life-Changing

 *This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Taking care of my body and mind has always been one of my top priorities, so I’ve always tried to eat (mostly) healthy, exercise, drink lots of water, and make sure my body is getting all of the nutrients it needs to function well. 

I have always taken a multi-vitamin, and when I was pregnant, I took prenatal vitamins, but other than that, I never really took much else.  However, as my needs have started changing these last few years, I have gradually added a few additional supplements, and I thought I’d share all of them today since I’ve had such great success with each of them. 

Before I get started, I do feel the need to put out a disclaimer – if you plan to start a new supplement, please consult with your doctor first.  I am not a doctor, and I am just sharing what works for me.  And I have consulted with my doctor about all of the following supplements that I’m taking.  ;o)

Smarty Pants Women’s Multi-Vitamins

I started taking these Smarty Pants Women’s Multi-Vitamins in early 2020 and I’ve been taking them daily ever since then.  I've mentioned them on the blog no less than 20 times, probably, so some of you may be tired of hearing about them.  Haha.

When looking for a multi-vitamin, I was primarily looking for one that contains Omega-3 DHA for brain and joint health (because you get that from eating fish, and I don’t eat fish) and Vitamin D3 for immunity (because pretty much everyone is deficient).  And I was also hoping to find one that had magnesium, folate (for a healthy heart), and vitamin K (as a lot of women don’t get enough of that either).  I also wanted to find a “clean” vitamin option because so many vitamins contain artificial colors and flavors, etc.

These vitamins check all of those boxes for me and more.  They contain all of the above + many other vitamins and nutrients (Vitamins A, C, E, B-6, B-12 for energy, Biotin for healthy hair, skin and nails, Iron for red blood cells, Iodine for thyroid support, and Zinc for immunity to name a few… 21 total) and they come in an easy-to-swallow capsule.  They also contain a fruit and vegetable blend with organic acai, organic beetroot, and organic kale.  And they’re non-GMO, gelatin-free, sugar-free, vegetarian, gluten-free, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy, wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts-free, and they have no synthetic colors, artificial flavors, or artificial sweeteners as so many other multi-vitamins do. 

You only have to take one capsule daily, and you can take them with or without food.  I highly recommend these if you’re looking for a good, clean multi-vitamin that’s tailored specifically for a woman’s body.  It’s a great way to gain nutrients that you may not be getting enough of from your diet.

 

Young Living Sulfurzyme

The second supplement I added was Young Living’s Sulfurzyme.  I started taking this in 2022, and I cannot even tell you what a world of difference it has made for my skin, hair, nails, and eyelashes.  Y’all know I LOVE my Young Living.  I may not talk about their products much on the blog, but I am a loyal Young Living customer and I have been using a wide array of their products for years now.  They offer a huge selection of products – not just essential oils like most people think – and all of their products are clean.  That’s why I started using them in the first place. 

Sulfurzyme is a blend of MSM (a dietary sulfur) and Ningxia Wolfberry that has loads of benefits.  I had been having trouble with hair loss for a few years prior to starting these capsules, and I knew several ladies who had great success with hair growth after taking these, so I decided to try them for myself.

Within six weeks, I had tons of baby hairs growing all over my head, primarily around my hair line, and my hair has been so much better since then.  My hair is now thicker and fuller, and it looks healthier, too.  It doesn’t break off as easily anymore, and it also doesn’t shed as much as it used to. 

In addition to hair growth, my eyelashes improved incredibly.  Prior to taking Sulfurzyme, my eyelashes were pretty much non-existent.  They were very short and stubby and sparse, and now they’re so much longer and thicker.  I get asked frequently about them, and I attribute them to this Sulfurzyme as well as my favorite drug-store mascara that you can find here for less than $10.  ;o)  

I wish so badly that I’d taken a “before” picture of my eyelashes, but sadly, I didn’t.  The difference is drastic, though, and I know this because soooo many people started DMing me a few months after I started taking it to ask me what I did to make them so thick and full.  Here's a picture that I posted on Instagram back in January after getting so many DMs in one day.  Haha.

My fingernails are also stronger since I started taking this.  They grow quickly now, and they never split or break. 

In addition to supporting hair, skin, and nails health, Sulfurzyme also supports joint health, normal range of motion, bone health, circulation, and the immune system.  It’s also certified vegan friendly, gut friendly, keto friendly, and cruelty free.  The capsules have no scent or flavor, and I haven’t had any negative side effects from taking them. 

The suggested use is two capsules twice daily, but I only take two capsules once daily, and I have definitely experienced the benefits from them.  They are a bit pricey up front, but one bottle contains 300 capsules and lasts six months at the rate I take them, making the cost just about $10/month, or $0.33/day.  That’s cheaper than the multi-vitamins!

And if you’re not interested in purchasing from Young Living directly, you can purchase these here on Amazon.  The price is significantly higher on Amazon, though.

 

Nature’s Bounty Turmeric 450 mg

Ohhhhh turmeric.  Where to even begin?  I am totally convinced that this supplement is a gift straight from heaven.  Of all of the supplements that I’ve started taking, turmeric has had the biggest impact on my overall health and wellness.  I’ve been taking it for seven weeks now, and when I say that it has made a huge difference in my life, I mean it.  By taking just one capsule a day, the inflammation in my body has decreased dramatically.

While some inflammation can be a good thing (it’s what helps our body heal from injury), too much inflammation can be a terrible thing causing pain in the body, chronic insomnia or fatigue, anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders, swelling, weight gain or weight loss, infections, and stomach irregularities like constipation and diarrhea.  Chronic inflammation in the body can even damage healthy cells, tissues, and organs that can eventually lead to cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases. 

For some reason I have been experiencing symptoms of chronic inflammation in my body for more than a decade, and my recent bloodwork most definitely reflected that.  I haven’t been able to pinpoint the cause, but until I do, turmeric has become my best friend.

Some of the symptoms I have from inflammation are major swelling in my feet and ankles every single day, finger swelling (especially after a walk or run) – so bad sometimes that I can’t even twist my wedding bands around on my finger, let alone remove them – and my fingers are SO painful after a run, and the area around my c-section scar has always been puffy and swollen (from nine years ago).   

I also get lots of headaches (typically on the right side of my head), and I have a lot of pain in general, down the back of my head and neck, and also in my SI joint and my sacrum since they were damaged during childbirth 12 years ago.  My SI joint was bothering me so much earlier this summer that I was planning on getting another steroid shot.

Until I started taking the turmeric.

Since starting this magical supplement seven weeks ago, everything has improved… and I actually started seeing the benefits around the four-day mark of taking it.  Here are some of the things that have happened to me since I started taking it…

My feet and ankles no longer swell.  This first picture was taken at 7:36 PM on September 6… two days before I started taking the turmeric.  This is what my feet, toes, and ankles looked like every single day at the end of the day… and sometimes even at the beginning of the day.  So much swelling.  It literally looks like somebody took my ankle and blew it up like a rubber glove.  The skin is all smooth because it’s stretched so tight, and you can’t even see my ankle bone.  This has been my life nearly every single day for years.

This second picture was taken at 5:21 PM on September 21, almost two weeks after I started taking the turmeric.  I’m wearing the same jeans, the same shoes, and I’d had a similar day to the day I’d had when I snapped the picture above.  But look at the difference.  No swelling.  No smooth, tight skin.  And you can see my ankle bone.  It’s an actual normal-looking foot.

Here's the side-by-side so you can really see the difference:

Another benefit I’ve noticed is that my fingers no longer swell when I walk or run, and I now have zero pain in them after a workout.  Before, my fingers would swell so terribly that I couldn’t even twist my wedding rings on my finger, and now I can slip them right off immediately after a run.  In a way, this has actually become a problem.  Haha.  My fingers have shrunk so much that my wedding rings no longer fit… they are HUGE now and I’m going to have to get them resized because I’m worried my engagement ring is going to go flying off one of these days.  That has almost happened several times already.  Haha. 

In addition to that, my wrists have also shrunk.  I never even realized it, but apparently I had swelling there, too.  Since starting the turmeric, I have had to start wearing my Apple Watch band one notch tighter, and I can almost wear it two notches tighter.

My c-section scar is no longer puffy and swollen.  It just looks like a regular scar.

And my stomach has been flatter since I started taking the turmeric, too, so I’m assuming I was experiencing some kind of inflammation in my gut as well.

My SI joint has stopped hurting COMPLETELY (although, in full disclosure I’m also doing some additional stretching, so that could be part of it), but what a Godsend.  I have been able to walk and run with zero pain and I’m so glad that I won’t have to do the steroid shot again.

My headaches have also decreased significantly. 

BOOM.

Sounds too good to be true, I know.  I can barely believe it myself.   

This supplement has truly been a Godsend for me, and in addition to helping reduce inflammation, it has tons of other benefits without any negative side effects.  So, if you have high inflammation in your body, issues with swelling, pain with old injuries, headaches, or just any other random pain in general, I cannot recommend starting turmeric enough!  Turmeric is also supposed to be excellent for arthritis, digestive disorders, allergies, respiratory issues, and depression.  There are also studies that suggest it could help prevent cancer among other things.  It honestly sounds like a miracle supplement!

And if you’re still not convinced, check out this DM I received from a reader when I posted about it the first time…

Love it!

I use this Nature’s Bounty brand because it’s non-GMO and it’s free from artificial colors, flavors, artificial sweeteners, sugar, starch, milk, lactose, gluten, wheat, yeast, fish, and sodium.  I only take one capsule every morning with breakfast and that’s it.  It’s super affordable, and worth every single penny.  I will probably be taking this for the rest of my life.

 

Magnesium Glycinate

After sharing my vertigo journey that’s likely being caused by tense neck muscles caused by anxiety, I had so many people reach out to me to suggest that I look into taking magnesium glycinate.  Since so many people mentioned it, I started doing research, and I found that Magnesium glycinate has a ton of benefits from relieving anxiety and reducing period symptoms to preventing migraine headaches and aiding in muscle relaxation.  It also supports bone density, promotes healthy sleep, keeps your digestive system regular, and it is critical to keeping hormones balanced. 

After doing all of my research, I found that nearly 50% of people in the United States are magnesium deficient, and they don’t even know it.  I went back and looked at my recent bloodwork, and that’s not even something that they check during a typical blood panel, so I wondered if I was one of the ones who fell in that bracket.  I assumed my multi-vitamin (discussed above) contained magnesium, but after looking at the nutrition facts, I found that it only contains one form of magnesium (and not the right kind for my needs) and it only contains 8 mg, whereas most people need around 400 mg per day.

I chose this particular brand because it’s “chelated” meaning that it’s absorbed by the body faster and easier… some forms aren’t easily absorbed, and the nutrients end up being wasted.  And I also chose it because of the incredible rating and reviews on Amazon.  It currently has 62,230 reviews and 4.6 / 5 stars, and the reviews are just beyond.  So many people specifically mentioned in their reviews that they were able to stop taking their anti-anxiety meds after they started taking this.  And since it also relaxes muscles, I knew that would be a huge help to me since that’s likely the cause of my vertigo. 

After taking these for a month, I can say that I have been feeling much better mentally than I have since this vertigo started.  I feel… happier, I guess you could say.  I also haven’t had nearly as much tension in my neck, although, as I’m typing this, I have been having issues for a couple of days, so it hasn’t solved my issues entirely.  It has definitely helped, though, as I was experiencing the neck tension every single day for weeks prior to this. 

Another benefit that I have personally noticed from taking these is that they have helped keep me regular for the last few weeks.  And I haven’t had any issues either… I had heard that you have to be careful with Magnesium because it can cause stomach upset/cramping if you take too much, but I haven’t had any of that. 

These come in 100 mg tablets, so you can choose the dose that works best for you.  I take two every single morning along with the rest of the supplements above, and eventually I may start taking one more before bed as you’re allowed to take up to four per day.  These are very affordable, too, at just $16.22 for the 240-count.

The pills are a little large (about the size of a prenatal vitamin if you’ve ever taken those), but I am able to take them with ease.  If you do struggle with swallowing large pills, you can use a pill cutter to make them smaller.  I have this one and it’s awesome. 

 

Recap

To recap, I take the following every single morning.

 

-       Smarty Pants Women’s Multi-Vitamins x 1 tablet (for overall health and to get some of the nutrients that I might not be getting from my diet)

-       Young LivingSulfurzyme x 2 tablets (for healthy hair, skin, and nails)

-       Nature’s Bounty Turmeric 450 mg x 1 tablet (for inflammation, pain, and a ton of other things!)

-       Doctor’s Best High Absorption Magnesium Glycinate 100 mg x 2 tablets (for anxiety, muscle relaxation, regularity)

 

I take all six tablets together with breakfast and a lot of water, and I have had zero negative side effects from any of them, but the benefits I’ve received from them have been life-changing. 

I never miss a day, and to ensure I don’t miss any days when I travel, I just purchased this pill box to take with me.  It’s the perfect size to hold a week’s worth of my supplements.  It came with days-of-the-week labels, number labels, and blank labels, so I can preload it for the days I’m out of town, and that’ll make it a breeze to take them each day.  I started by putting the numbers on each of the compartments, but I think I may take them off and use the days of the week instead.

 

If you’ve been considering starting some kind of regimen for supplements, I highly urge you to do your research, talk to your doctor, and go for it!  The benefits have been incredible for me, and I’m so grateful that I started!

Happy Monday, y’all!