Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC

My mom has been asking to go see the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC for like 3 years now.  And this year being the year I decided to DO stuff because the last few years have been about unsuccessfully trying to have a baby, I made the plans to go!  Me, my mom, my little brother and luckily even my husband drove down to DC last Saturday to spend the night and see some cherry blossoms!  The goal of the weekend was pretty loose, see some cherry blossoms and maybe some other stuff.  Ha.  We planned to try to go to a few museums and eat some good food.  My mom wanted to go to the Holocaust museum and I wanted to go to the Fireworks Festival by the water (the food truck rally sold me) and Union Market (more food and also a pop-up at Thread).  Union Market is a lot like Chelsea Market in NYC (I was jut there 2 weeks ago for the first time and it was awesome!).  On the ride down, my brother said he wanted to go to the zoo.  We attempted this once we arrived, but it was just too crowded and the parking lot was full.  It was probably the first nice day of the year and also cherry blossom season, so the city was pretty packed!  We almost didn't get into the Holocaust museum either, but turns out military can get tickets even when civilians are being turned away due to the place being full.  My brother is the National Guard, so he got tickets for us.  After that sad experience we walked down to the water to the Fireworks Festival.  I bought some cupcakes and chocolate chip cookie bark and my family marveled at how much money I spend on such things.  I like to support the small business, especially the small food business.  The lines for the food trucks were very long and my family wasn't into the options, so we decided to check out Philips seafood, which was next to the Festival and advertised a seafood buffet.  We waited IN LINE for 45 minutes and the food pretty much sucked!  I thought that place was known for its seafood.  Not a fan.  I also wasn't a fan of the very long walk back to our hotel.  Have I mentioned my feet hate me?  They hate walking too.

Sunday we went to brunch at Kramerbooks & Afterwords.  This place is basically my perfect hangout. My husband and I used to (before it shutdown) spend are Friday nights at Borders drinking coffee and reading magazines (we are probably the reason it closed) and Kramerbooks is a bookstore, cafe and bar!  And it's open 24hrs. on the weekends!!  I'd be there all the time if I lived nearby.  It's right at Dupont Circle and there's a Farmer's market across the street on Sundays.  Ideal.  After brunch we checked out of the hotel and made our way to the National Museum of Women in the Arts where I was lucky enough to see a Kiki Smith sculpture.  We ran out of there pretty quick because our parking situation was questionable.  Luckily, Union Market had a lot, so parking was no issue.  I loved this place, but I'd like to visit on a Tuesday morning, not a beautiful Sunday afternoon when everybody is there!  We only managed to get a coffee, everything else was really packed (and also expensive) and my family wasn't really into it.  I should maybe explain that my family is perfectly happy at a chain restaurant when I'd rather seek out the small, local places.  Food is important to me.  Very important to me.  I take it very seriously and quite frankly, I'm willing to pay more for it.  I don't like to pay a lot for clothes, I'm a lover of the clearance rack, but $9 for a handmade candy bar from Brooklyn?  I'll take it!  My family thinks I'm nuts (but they eat the things I buy for them, no problem) and my husband tries to tolerate me (and he also has no problem eating what I buy).  Just refer to my trip to NYC last weekend.  

We also checked out the popup at Thread.  Very fun, but most of the items were out of my price range. Like I said, I'm more of a clearance rack girl!

All in all, it was a super fun weekend and I plan to go back for at least a day trip this summer!  And now for a few photos...

Pretty walk to the White House

The White House

Treasury

Me and my brother (maybe not my best look)

Capitol Building

Washington Monument

Impromptu Trip to NYC

While looking for museums in DC with Kiki Smith exhibits, I found out she had one at Pace Gallery in NYC.  But, it was ending in two days.  So, I decided to take a day trip to NYC!  I only live 2 hrs. away and I'm lucky enough to not work on Fridays, so why not?  I couldn't find anyone else interested or able to go with me on a Friday, but I'm fine with doing things alone.

I took two trains and arrived around 1 to a rainy, cold city.  First, I went to Pace Gallery to see the exhibit. 

Train selfie

Kiki Smith

Then, I decided to check out Chelsea Market.  I had googled it prior and it sounded like just the place for me!  Yummy food all around!

Los Tacos Lunch!

High line right next to the market

After the market and relaxing on the High line, I found Blue Bottle Coffee and got a mocha to help warm me up!  It was still rainy and cold, Spring apparently hadn't gotten the memo yet.  Unfortunately, since it was so cold, I didn't get to try the New Orleans iced coffee that Blue Bottle is known for.  I totally plan to go back and try this summer though and I hear it'll be sold in Whole Foods soon!

Serious coffee art (is that a thing?) skills!

After the coffee, I had to use the restroom so I went back to the market and decided lobster roll lunch boxes would be perfect for me to take home for dinner!  I apparently had lost my mind, I don't know why I thought carrying those on two trains (the one from NYC to Trenton was PACKED) back home would be fun.  I came home with cookies from Sarabeth's (and a mug for my sister, Sarabeth), brownies from Fat Witch, The King from Liddabit Sweet, and lobster roll lunch boxes from The Lobster Place.  It might be the first time I didn't come home with cupcakes!  I couldn't walk the next day, but it was a great time and I'm glad I went!  Can't wait to go back when it's warmer.

Osmia Organics samples

I've been trying to make the switch to natural skincare and beauty products, which means lots of sampling since my skin is NOT perfect and needs help.  I ordered a bunch of samples from Osmia Organics after reading about them on a few blogs, including 312 Beauty one of my new favorite blogs. I chose the spot treatment, detox mask, calibration serum, active toner, and black clay soap.  And they were nice enough to add in a few more things for me to try!  It came beautifully wrapped and with a handwritten note.  I gotta be honest, they had me at handwritten note!

I like all the products and was planning to buy the black clay soap right away, but then I saw they were making a new soap (which incorporates the black soap) on Instagram and now I'm waiting for that to debut.  I'm still deciding on the detox mask, the toner and calibration serum.  The thing about natural products, better ingredients mean a bigger price tag!  A girl has to space things out!  I'm also deciding on the spot treatment, I don't dig the smell.  Is that a weird reason?  Ha.  

Super cute!

I've used the mask twice now and have enough for one more shot.  After reading reviews, I think I was expecting a new face after I washed it off!  It's good, but apparently it won't give you a new face!  Haha.  It's a process.  I'm learning that.  I'm trying to be patient.  Anyone else use these products?

New look!

Working on updating the blog look!  Still need a photo of my face.  That's gonna take some work.  Ha.

Birthday 2014 Recap!

Yesterday was my 33rd birthday, yes this is crazy.  I feel 15, well sometimes I feel 80, but never 33.  It was a pretty perfect day.  It started with my friend taking me for a mani/pedi, Starbucks and shoe shopping (where I got Steve Madden boots for $25 with a clearance sale and coupons!), then I met my family (my mom, aunts, grandmom, cousin and her baby) for lunch, after that I went to dinner with my husband!  It was a pretty awesome day!

Birthday gift from my baby!

Nails and Starbucks with my friend (she spoiled me)!

Waiting for the train to Philly with my baby

My goofball and that yummy pizza with an egg on top!

Skirt steak

Sangria

Short Ribs

Selfie at the table (after two glasses of Sangria)

Train ride home

Bday cake from Coldstone!!

Also, I have a new blog design coming soon.  Just need to get it together enough for a new photo!  ;)

Doing This Detox

Update:

I wrote the below post a few months ago, when I first started the detox, but never hit publish.  Now, I am actually going off the detox, almost done adding everything back in.  I have lost some weight, pretty much gotten rid of me stomach issues (except when I eat too much bread/fried foods) and my skin cleared up a lot (though I recently added back in dairy a little and noticed my skin breaking out a bit).  I am still not pregnant, but my doctor has started treating me specifically for infertility with acupuncture now that he feels I'm much healthier.  I'll be honest, since a few months have gone by of me on this crazy detox and I'm still not pregnant, I have gotten a little discouraged, but I see the doctor again on Tuesday and I plan to get his honest opinion about what kind of time frame I need to put this in.  I'm not technically doing fertility treatments but I am still working towards pregnancy and really sort of revolving my life around it.  I don't know when/if that will ever stop, unless I have a baby.





Previous unpublished post:

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but I'm doing a doctor ordered detox.  I've been battling unexplained infertility (yes, it is a battle) for about 3.5 years and after 3 specialists, 5 IUIs, 6 IVFs and no success, I decided to try a different route.  I started seeing a D.O. (Osteopathic doctor) in October.  He's an actual medical doctor who also uses Chinese medicine a lot in his practice.  I just figured he'd treat me with acupuncture and that'd be all.  Boy, was I wrong!  My first visit with him was probably around 2 hours long.  He did an Autonomic Response Test (tests for things like Mercury poisoning, excess yeast and slew of other stuff), Neural Therapy (sticks Novicaine filled syringes into your scars to open your Meridians on the inside), Micro-Current Therapy (electro current) and Acupuncture.  During this visit he discovered that I have excess yeast in my system.  I always thought maybe this was an issue for me, but didn't know how to find out for sure.  Ever since I can remember my stomach always hurts and my chin breaks out.  Once a girl working at Sephora told me that her chin used to always break out and she found out it was because she had too much yeast in her body, so I started to wonder if that could be my problem too.  And since I've had such trouble getting pregnant/staying pregnant, I wonder if it could all be related?  I mean, essentially, too much yeast makes your body toxic and I can't imagine that would be a great environment for a baby.
So, the doctor tells me I too much yeast and FUNGUS in my body and the way I get rid of it is with a detox diet.  Ordinarily this diet takes about 17 weeks but since I've been on this journey for so long, he knows I'm in a hurry, so he told me he was going to add in some other things to speed it up to six weeks (hopefully).  Along with the no dairy, no grains, no sugar, no legumes, no processed food and no pork, I also have to do detox baths (1.5 cups epsom salt and 1.5 cups baking soda in water as hot as you can stand for 30 mins.) every night, and I'm taking these antifungal drops before meals, Magnesium Oxide, Vitamin D drops, and Borage Oil at night.  I'm also supposed to be Grounding every day for 20 mins., but I haven't been doing that.  I just don't have time to stand outside for 20 mins. and not to mention it's not exactly warm and sunny lately! 
I saw the doctor a week after I started the diet and not much had changed at that point, but they said it was normal.  I'll see him again next week and at that point I'll be 30 days into it!  I'm really hoping the yeast has cleared up

New Skin?

I'll admit, Im not so great with looking like I care what I look like most days.  I mean, I like the idea of always looking together, but I also like sleep.  Sleep always wins.  If you put me and my younger sister in a room together, you probably wouldn't guess we were sisters.  She's always got perfect makeup and I'm too busy wondering where I'm eating next.  But, like I said, I like the idea of looking like I care.  So, I've been trying to get my skin in better shape and you know, wearing makeup like more than once a month.  I recently bought Manuka honey to hopefully clear up my skin in a natural way.  And I just ordered a bunch of samples from Osmia Organics.  I hear great things about the spot treatment!  We shall see if it can work miracles!  I'll post about the products I ordered once they arrive.

Spot Treatment