The (NOT SO) Skinny Girl

Have you ever had a secret that you were just dying to tell?? Usually it's a happy one that kills you from inside... something like a surprise for a loved one, or something you know someone will be proud of you for, exciting news in your life, maybe something that will totally change your and your loved ones lives. I've had many secrets over the years. Things being "hush hush" was just a way of life for me. I wasn't supposed to tell people I used to live with my aunt. I wasn't supposed to tell people that I had an 'other mom'. I wasn't supposed to tell people my mom hit me or pulled my hair. I wasn't supposed to tell people why I was grounded again, why I couldn't come out of my room or do things with my friends. I wasn't supposed to tell people how I felt about my other mom. I wasn't supposed to tell people about the court proceedings involving my other mom. I wasn't supposed to reach out to the family members of my o...

So, as you can tell from my blog there is a theme lately. Infertility.  1 in 8 couples (or 12% of married women) have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy, per the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth by the CDC. 7.4 million women, or 11.9% of women, have ever received any infertility services in their lifetime. Couples ages 29-33 with normal functioning reproductive systems have only a 20-25% chance of conceiving in any given month, per the National Women’s Health Resource Center. After six months of trying, 60% of couples will conceive without medical assistance- that number is from 1997. 20 years later, even that statistic is out of range- #1 being that people are all waiting longer to start having children (thus they are older) and are having more issues and more time spent trying before conception. Case in point, my husband and I are 31 and 32 respectively... we started 'trying' at 28 and 29. Currently at the 2.5 YEARS mark of TRYING. When I was not...

Let's go back, back, waaaaaaaaay back to when I was a kid. When I was in 1st grade the school told my mother I probably had ADHD and should get tested and take medication to control it. My mother said I was just being a kid and she didn't medicate "kids being kids". Fair enough. However, I had this weird relationship with my mother where if she couldn't keep me quiet in front of the TV, she packed me away in my room as punishment for being too rowdy. I found out years later that it is actually called "emotional abuse" and it had been going on since my sister had been born in 1990. When I was in middle/ high school I started "feeling" anxiety. Every adolescent does. Being pretty or not, being popular or not, getting good grades, dealing with hormones. I had been made fun of since 2nd grade, and it had only gotten worse as I grew up. In 7th grade, I brought home my first C on my report card. Pre- Algebra. I still, to this day, hate everythin...

Are you interested in traveling to Puerto Rico? Are you also interested in (to say the least) animals? Their companionship, their well being, and their overall health and happiness? Are you aware of the epidemic of animal abuse and neglect in Puerto Rico? Are you aware of the approximately 250,000 stray dogs that line the beaches and streets of once jovial, extremely beautiful Puerto Rico? Are you aware that, if not from starvation, exposure to the elements or being hit by a car and left untreated and suffering, then their demise will ultimately be at the direct hands of humans – in illegal fighting rings or other malicious acts. Recently a bill was presented to the Vice President of the Puerto Rico Senate - Senator Dalmau. This bill was backed by the US Humane Society and The Puerto Rico Association of Hotels and Tourism. Why? Because it's estimated that the island loses around 15 million dollars annually from travelers that will not return or will not recommend because ...