Pour Some Sugar on Me! No... Seriously.

It is finally happening, I am deciding to give it up. Sugar. And no, "Sugar" is not some lover I've have stashed away. That was over months ago and you know it. I'm talking about actual sugar. The stuff with which we season everything and exfoliate our skin in the shower. What? Don't look at me like that. I am super proud to say I have not had a cookie since Sunday, which is a huge deal for me. I plan to give up any and all sugars within the realm of common sense. The kind of sugar that makes you crave a cookie at 2:30 a.m. I also am planning to give up soft drinks as well, but, truth be told, I gave that up last year and could count on one hand how many times I've had a soft drink. 

 

Frankly, this was a long time coming. When you find yourself ecstatic that Ryan is going to  the store because it means you can barricade yourself in the breakfast nook and eat enough king cake to feed a village, you know you have a problem. Which is exactly what I said to Mary Margaret when I found her in her bed, her clothes all covered in chocolate and ice cream.

But, as the old saying goes, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, so I told Mary Margaret that I, too, was a sugar addict. And, I added apropos of nothing, the next time she has her little friend, Ella, at her house she should really give a viewer discretion warning about her binges with cookies as well.

Anyway, I decided I needed some time to think about whether I could handle eliminating sugar from my life. So I went on a walk to relax, and by relax- I mean sing Let It Go at the top of my lungs so the kids would quit crying. And while everything was great at first - I quickly fell into my old habit of mapping the nearest CC's on my phone, which I might add is down the street from my house. 

Before I knew it, we were back home eating our cookies and I was sipping my latte. And, you know me, I'm nothing if not devoted to looking cute. So, as soon as my pants and cowboy boots were too tight to slide on, I immediately went into my state of depression.

And that's when it hit me. Not only would giving up sugar be the healthy thing to do, but the violent withdrawal symptoms would actually be more pleasant than thinking about going up one more size in pants. You can have new clothes, I'll gladly take cold sweats in bed and hallucinations in CC's. 

I know what you're thinking: Jenny is stressed, she's lost her mind, she's talking about herself in the third person. But, let me tell you, Jenny is fine. Really. It’s normal. 

Furthermore, I have tremendous support among my friends and husband. Ryan took me to the grocery store to purchase some sugar-free snacks. It was a delightful and eye opening experience. So here I am, world, soon-to-be sugar free starting on Monday and will love every second of it. And by loving it I mean weeping in the fetal position.

But at least it's taken my mind off the idea of shopping for larger size pants. 

Bailey Blue Moon

I can hear my new puppy snoring on the couch all the way from my kitchen. It's such bliss to hear a dog snoring in our house again, even if it does sound like a freight train coming through. 

If you’ve never had a dog, the experience cannot be fully explained. To say these animals offer unconditional love and loyalty would be an understatement. You are their sun and – if you have an extra treat – you are their moon. 

Our little ray of sunshine comes in the form of a 3 month-old, chocolate Labradoodle named Bailey Blue Moon, whose been with us for one whole week. She has been such a positive and exciting addition to our family over the last week. As most know, we lost our beloved Schnauzer, Bella, on December 4, 2014, and our family went into a state of depression. Ugly crying in the grocery store while passing up the pet isle, depression.  Bailey has really gotten our family out of a serious funk and added a spark back into our home. She was the missing puzzle piece. 

After picking her out of the squirmy puppy pile in Denham Springs, we were worried that she wouldn't adapt to a house full of chaos, but she has really thrived. Bailey loves the girls so much and is already Ryans little spoon in our bed. She has chewed a little on baskets and shoes. She pins Emily down on the ground to give her kisses all across her face while Emily is screaming and chases after Mary Margaret's blanket, which everyone knows is sacred. 

Like most roommates who have been together for a week, Bailey and I have settled into a daily routine that borders on the mundane. Walks around the neighborhood, naps on the couch, dinner at the table. It's bliss. And the great thing about dogs is that they love you for who you are. They don’t look down on you for being boring. Never once has Bailey badgered me to do anything... that is a complete lie - she slaps me all the time.

I don’t know if Bailey realizes that she is now a part of this family. I sang the welcome song to her but, truth be told, I sing to her every day. I’m not sure she can make a distinction between the welcome song, the Hey Bae Bae rap song and the theme song from Golden Girls. 

I suppose dogs probably don’t get hung up on birthdays or anniversarys. Their lives are too short as they are to dwell on the passing of another year…they might as well live each day to the fullest. That is, when they’re not snoring. Welcome home Bailey!