5 weeks in and I’m feeling better mentally and physically. Granted I could walk more for some exercise but rather wait for my stomach to be fully recovered at 6-7 weeks before I attempt further distances in this heat. I won’t get into specific numbers yet until I’m further in but so far a total of 20 pounds have been lost! Exciting.
I am starting believe it starts to get easier. As someone who sees the pros and cons of things it’s been easy to see both sides.
Pros
Learning to eat slower
Diet changes to eat healthier
Portion changes
Less time spent eating
Less temptations to eat out
Reevaluate my relationship with food
Cons
Limited overall consumption of food or liquids
Difficult to eat and drink (recommended to wait 30 min to an hour after eating to drink anything)
Difficult to truly enjoy food all at once
Learning curve when eating small amounts
A lot of the cons are mainly learning curves of having this new stomach. It’s difficult if your previous relationship with food was to eat all at once, eating quickly or used to eating and drinking at once. All these habits become difficult and need to constantly remind yourself to stop once you start feeling full. It’s easy to feel uncomfortable if you overfill yourself and you risk heartburn, nausea, vomiting etc when doing any of the above cons.
I’m looking forward to going to the gym with my current weight loss and furthering my wellness journey. I’ll update in a couple of weeks. In the mean time, I did do a tarot pull this past Tuesday.
The Chariot
This card is about overcoming difficulties in my life and letting the positive come through. Whether it be about my health, work or personal life I can see this coming through for me in every aspect at the moment. I hope to continue down the path of positivity.
Thank you all for reading. I do enjoy updating about my life here and there. More tarot based blogs and updates coming. Hope summer hasn’t melted everyone!
Haven’t done these in a while. I still have a connecting with my Tarot Cards and I try to keep it close whenever I can. It’s been over a year since I start practicing. I still have some anxiety about reading other peoples cards. But, I do it if asked. The experience is unique and shows more than some anticipate.
Today for tarot Tuesday we have two wand cards. I usually only pull one card but I was drawn to both and when that happens I can’t help but listen. I trust my deck to be honest with me at all times.
Seven of Wands & Sovereign of Wands
Seven of wands talks about standing my ground and releasing negativity while rising to the challenges I have ahead. It also says to commit myself through all the insecurities. If I had to choose what this is speaking about it would be my recent surgery. It’s been a struggle almost everyday but I’ve continued to power through it as much as I can. More for myself and for the future I’m trying to achieve of a healthier version of me overall.
Sovereign of Wands speaks to empowerment, confidence and warmth. Good things are in the works. Creativity, multitasking and let myself be everything that’s wonderful while allowing myself to enjoy the feeling. Opportunities will come and I’ll face them with successful if I allow myself to believe it will succeed.
If anyone is looking for a reading. Reach out and I’ll accommodate based on my schedule. I mostly do one card readings as of now. Reach out through any of my socials below or comment on this post. Happy last day of May!
Previously, I was on a weight loss journey where I documented the struggles and triumphs. However, as working mom and student in the midst of breastfeeding. I took a break to focus on other things and didn’t want to add to my daily stress. Admittedly, I was struggling. I always told myself if I have to resort to surgery I would consider it so here I am.
September 2021 I started the process for VSG (Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy). For those don’t know, there’s a process in which you need to be cleared for surgery involving specialists and even a psych evaluation. Although tedious, it’s necessary to be cleared for surgery and to follow the instructions of the surgeon when making this decision. Society might say this is the easy way out. However, three weeks in? It is not easy as people make it seem.
This is a permanent lifestyle change. You learn to eat again. The first few weeks you’re on a liquid diet then a purée/soft diet. You watch everyone around you eat “normally” yet you’re limited. Your relationship with food changes physically and emotionally you might realize more than initially thought.
A lot of struggles I’ve noticed is waiting to eat somewhat normal again. It takes about 6-8 weeks for the internal staples to heal. The liquid diet gives you what you need for a while to not only shrink your liver but let the staples heal a bit. The purée diet is a gentle way of introducing foods again without much pain to the stomach. If you’re someone like me who had a habit of eating quickly this is a struggle. You have to sip on everything. Make sure you’re eating as slow as you possibly can. You chew your food excessively, swallow and wait. If you don’t you’ll experience nausea, sweating, light headed, throwing up and even diarrhea in some cases. This phenomenon is known as dumping syndrome.
Currently, I am doing alright. I’m halfway through puree diet and soft foods I still drink my protein shakes twice a day. One a day vitamin and calcium chews along with some other medications to make sure my stomach doesn’t have issues. The vitamins I will need everyday for the rest of my life. It’s important to try to remember to take it everyday as you’re limited in calories and your body can’t get enough nutrients with the new limit your stomach has.
So far I’ve lost about 20 pounds. I feel the loss in the clothing I wear and mostly see it in my facial features. The progress will take time and I’m ready to face whatever comes my way. Do I have regrets? Sometimes. As it’s frustrating not being able to eat what I want, when I want since I’m at the mercy of the healing and small new stomach. But, I look forward to welcoming this new lifestyle and the health benefits.
This month makes 6 months since I went with my husband to pick up our Tesla Model Y we named Baymax. 6 months of ownership and I’m still in love. Husband doesn’t drive much but he has little complaints so far. We love it. It’s been lovely. But of course with it’s small faults.
Issues
I love wagon strollers. It fits both the kids. I can take them anywhere and it’s fun. The kids love it. 4 year old with diagnosed autism and a 1 year old. Both full of energy. I love the wagon strollers. But we ran into space issues. It’s difficult or damn near impossible to get our babytrends stroller wagon inside. I’ve debated the wonder wagon at this point. But not sure dimension wise if it would result in the same issue even though it folds. To fit the wagon we need to push the middle seats very forward. Car seats and all. It makes the front seats uncomfortable and have to find a comfortable position to drive beforehand. Takes a lot of planning. Unfortunately might have to give up the wagon for a smaller stroller. But we shall see if we get the wonder wagon (review on that when it happens. Yay)
Savings
As a New Yorker or living in the city. I don’t drive enough everyday. I work a hybrid schedule and run errands: groceries, appointments, pick ups, drop offs, occasional travels to nearby states. In this moment as I write this blog, I’ve put on 4,629 miles on the car. Monthly that would be about 711 miles. But in days to be more exact: 26.45 miles per day. We owned a CRV previously which on average gave us 27 mpg. Held about 14 gallons of gas. Average 370 miles we would get out of the Honda. I usually filled when it had 100 miles left. Every 2 weeks and spent 27 dollars at the time. Now with raised gas prices: 42 dollars. According to the Tesla App with their new updated I’ve supposedly saved about 98 dollars.
Current Charging Stats
Personally it’s more like 85 dollars but with the occasional road trip I can tell why the numbers would be off. Where I go I can plug into a family members home and let it trickle charge for the weekend. Saving more without supercharge. As you can see I tend to charge more at home which is slow but good for the weekend and the amount of driving I do. I would say the savings goes up since we use ConEds Smart Charge Rewards program.
If you don’t know what that is. It’s a program from ConEd for your EV where you can earn a bit of money back (goes to your PayPal account). It’s like cash back for EV. Use it towards your light bill and the amounts vary each month based on your usage. Average I get back somewhere between 10-17 dollars a month from home charging. The savings go up to 95-102 dollars or use that towards a super charging visit since it tends to be around 15-17 dollars for a 30-85 percent charge here. Whatever works for you. I love the program although it does need my Tesla account to access information. Not sure how I feel about that but I hope the savings are worth it. Here’s my referral link where you’ll get about 25,000 points which converts to 25 dollars your first month of trying the program!
Key Fob: Worth it?
I know the car uses our phones but sometimes it’s in my pocket or jacket. My hands are full. Or maybe I closed the app by accident. The keycard is confusing for the valet people sometimes. I figured why not the key fob. It’s pretty nice to have as back up in case anyone needs to drive the car for emergencies, opens the trunk and frunk, plus I can lock the car right away instead of waiting for a confirmation lock as I walk away. Worth it? Maybe not for everyone. But I have noticed the car unlocks much faster and more reliably than with phone only. Yes I’ve had moments I’m standing in front of Baymax. Trying to unlock and sentry mode is on. It’s like “hello I see you. Open up already” as soon take my phone out. It unlocks. Granted it doesn’t happen often but when it does. I’m stuck fumbling for my phone when I usually have my keys in hand. To me personally, worth it. But I know some people wouldn’t think so.
Tesla Key FobSide profileKeychain cover and accessories. AirTag included.
White Seats: Yay or Nay?
6 months is still early to tell for owning white seats. I personally LOVE the white seats. It appeals to me and of course I added the eye stickers so it looks like I’m sitting on a Baymax. It’s silly and fun. Kids love it. People see it and find it hilarious. Cleaning it has been easy as well. I use water wipes that I buy for my kids and wipe it down. Dry it off with bounty and call it a day. I don’t really eat or drink in the car so no stains that I’m worried about. I hardly wear jeans and if I do. They’re not new jeans, most of my jeans have been washed several times. Overall, white seats have been amazing for us even with both kids. They mainly eat puff snacks and things I can easily vacuum on cleaning day. Crumbs and dirt show more but a good vacuum easily makes everything disappear.
White Seats with Baymax
Charging in the City
Living in NYC, charging is well difficult and get out of the way. I say this because super chargers in the city tend to be in parking places where you have to pay on top of the charging costs. I personally find that a bit silly considering but understand it’s a business aspect. I mainly go to Yonkers in Ridgehill for supercharging if necessary. Free parking (for now) and it’s right to your left when you enter. Lots of teslas and it’s close to my office job. Mainly I charge at home where we rent. I’ve been fortunate that where I rent they’re understanding of my charging situation and accommodate by letting me charge mainly on the weekends over night. I’m thankful and I know it can be difficult otherwise for others with apartments. No driveways. No Level 2 charging. I’m curious as to how other New Yorkers with Tesla charge. If you’re one, please comment below!
Conclusion
It’s a wonderful car overall. Might be bumpy for some since I did notice that switching from my Honda. Hopefully some kind of upgrade will help with that but the kids love it. Husband loves it. All of us love it. Safety and investing in the future was our primary goal. I truly believe this will be our car for long term. There hasn’t been any maintenance costs as of yet. Mostly buying things such as pet liner, weather mats, seat covers for the car seats, armrest cover, little things for aesthetics, and such. I do also try to clean the car by hand myself. But might once a year get it detailed for maintenance. Let you all know how that goes.
Been a while. But I’m here and always ready. I prioritized family, school, work, and perhaps a little too much of Genshin Impact this past month. None the less I continued to practice my Tarot and my interests.
This past month I reconnected with my deck after a few weeks of not making contact with it. They have a funny way of telling me to focus on my path and that I’m on the right path for success. It recently told me to not crumble with the foundation that’s been built. All this comes to me in different forms of the coin cards.
Ruler of Coins & Six of Coins
Odd enough when my husband pulled a card for himself. It spoke about long term planning and future. To not rush into anything and look for opportunities. Thankfully, we are in no rush for the future and wish to live in the now and enjoy every moment. It’s eerie at times when the universe speaks to you. But I tell people to believe in themselves and the journey ahead of them. Whether they’re only starting their spiritual wellness journey or still on it.
It’s been a hectic month as I only get busier at work and focusing on everything in life. I miss blogging and I’m still here for the most part. Any down time I have will be for blogs. Hope everyone is well! My socials are below for connecting.
Weather changes bring about a stir of emotions. Transitions and new year begin to settle as time escapes and you start to feel there’s none left for yourself. That’s why this is a journey. My journey of self care and self love.
Being overwhelmed at times can cause certain things to suffer. I want to be present when I blog. To write and come back to it either later or consistently. That was my plan. However, I’ve found myself with less time and more time to hopefully grow. I’ve always been good at certain things. But never excelled the way I’d hope. I’ve settled to be only good enough since I haven’t found my calling or it hasn’t found me. Sometimes I don’t think I ever will. Perhaps there isn’t a calling. I just need to live, enjoy and watch everything else grow or hinder. To be thankful while also struggling with doubts.
I’m learning to be kind with myself. To devote my titles of mother and wife. But, I should be kinder to myself. Remind myself that I am enough. Even if there is room to be better. Strive for it and accept that there will be difficult days too. The universe has a funny way of giving my signs. And I’m ready to listen.
I hope everyone is doing well. Tarot Tuesdays will be returning soon as I still practice tarot and still take appointments. Thank you for reading. Stay sweet everyone.
I think in life we always want more. Whether it be personally or professionally. That’s okay. We all do at some point or another. It’s difficult to settle into something and wonder if it’s what we want to do for the rest of our lives. There was a point I asked myself: where do I want to be? Where am I going? Am I going to learn here?
I consider any and all lessons in life to be of value. Whether it be good or bad. We are all always in some way or form learning and gaining experience from our current selves in order to serve and/or assist our future selves. Generally as a spiritual person I do believe things happen for a reason. I hope it and believe it with everything I have.
I’m still unsure of who I am. What I want. I have goals and things I want to do. Constantly stressed about the future we will have. Will I teach my children well? When everything fails what will I have left? It’s a thought that can keep me awake at night. I’m sure many others too.
Something else I have always strived to have is connection with others. To have people to uplift and push me to be someone better. I hope I do the same for others. I appreciate the ones who are there for me and tell me I can do this even on days I don’t think I can do it.
Today I felt the need to pull some cards. To connect with my deck again to feel what it had to say. And alas it tells me the same as before. Justice and Ace of cups. That I’ve been wronged in the past and airing it out or perceiving it as part of a greater good benefits me. Meanwhile Ace of cups signals new beginnings. Both of which are generally true. It’s been almost a year of doing Tarot and these cards have brought me comfort like no other. I hope to continue using them through my journey of self love.
Ace of cups & Justice
Love this moon crescent dish I purchased from Midnight Seamsthat you see in the banner imagine. She’s one of my close friends through motherhood. Also, she has custom or ready to ship shirts. Embroidery items. Vinyl stickers. She’s amazing and can’t wait to see her small business grow more with time. Check her out!
It’s been 3 months since we took delivery of our Tesla Model Y Long Range. Living in New York City with an all electric vehicle has been interesting to say the least. I’ve gotten a lot of questions in terms of charging, how have I dealt with the cold weather, first impressions, and of course why a Tesla. All things I can answer now since owning our Tesla (who we named Baymax) for the past 3 months.
Why Tesla?
Electrics vehicle peaked my interested before I got my license. Previously I wasn’t a car person. Not one bit. But tech? Sure. Innovations? I’m curious. So seeing a car that I consider to be essentially somewhat of a phone on wheels; progress the way Tesla did, I did what I usually do and started researching. The safety scores, cleaner energy, and of course the charging network.
First Impressions
The configuration that was decided was white exterior with white interior, and seven seater long range. My husband and I went over the whole car with a checklist since there’s a chance of issues. Luckily the most we found was a seat issue that was recently fixed. Other than that the car was perfect! The white seats stand out so much and brighten the interior in a beautiful way. I was nervous to drive it since I knew about the regenerative braking. But it drove wonderfully. It felt sturdy and the acceleration makes you feel confident in handling to merge or make maneuvers needed. Ultimately it was a great ride all around. You could feel a bit more bumps on the road since we had a CR-V previously that handle bumps much better. But the ride is smooth besides that.
Charging in NYC
Well it’s complicated for the most part. It does mean going out of my way and adding an extra errand. And if I can I’ll charge in a 110 volt when I have permission since I rent where I live. 110 volt is very slow charge we get about 3-5 miles per hour. So it can take up to 24 hours to charge if I get it down to almost 50 percent battery. Unless I’m running errands near my job where I can go to a super charger 10 minutes away. There’s not much else you can do in terms of charge. Unless you own a home here. Have access to third party chargers. Have permission to get a faster charger installed. All that can be restricted or have expensive cost. (Parking garages have chargers. But you pay a parking fee AND charging fee.) It’s worked out so far where I only need to charge about once a week. I am still supercharging through my first 1000 miles free from a referral code I used when purchasing (the referral program stopped in October). Once I know how much it is to supercharge I’ll update to compare to gas prices.
White Seats!?
Yes even with two kids. I went with white seats. Their seats have seat protectors only because the leather seats and car seats leaving marks I wouldn’t be too happy about. We haven’t traveled far so eating in the car hasn’t been a thing for us. The kids don’t eat in the car. I do have/like to wipe down the seats every week on my side to keep the white bright and looking clean. I do see on the side where I get in some stress marks starting. Which I’m sure is normal for the most part. But I love the white. It actually resistant to most staining. And I don’t wear any dark jeans and tend to go for leggings or sweats these days. I’ll update once it’s an issue or any issues.
These are the main questions and things I’ve been asked or gotten. But I’ll make another post for accessories. After market things. And plans with this car. We do plan on road-tripping a bit. Not too far. Once things warm up. But stay tuned for that. Thank you everyone for the support and reading my blogs. Stay sweet!
Long weekends can be fun. It can be another day of rest for many or getting paid extra to work. A day off from school. Or it just feels like Sunday again. This morning I wanted to sleep in a little longer. Enjoy the silence a little longer. The kids slept in a little which made me smile. The cats circling waiting for someone. Anyone to make a move so they can get their breakfast.
I spent the weekend studying and getting ahead of school work for this week. I usually never get to celebrate my birthday the day of. But I enjoy a quiet day with food and loved ones. I made it a tradition to do something for the month of or even during special days: anniversary, birthday and sometimes even Christmas. And usually it ends in a body modification. This year being a double helix piercing. I think I started this in about 2015 and from then on. I’ve kept it up every year.
2015 dyed my hair pink and kept it pink til about 2018
2016 I got my first tattoo
2017 was more than I anticipated: another tattoo, nose piercing and shaving one side of my head for giggles. But I did love it.
2018 had to cut the pink tips of my hair off. It was the year my son was born and I didn’t attempt a body mod due to breastfeeding. But it felt weird having non colored hair again
2019 industrial piercing
2020 tattoo
2021 cut my own hair that was down my back all of to my above my shoulders
2022 double helix piercing: pending more
It’s been interesting these past few years. I like having something to look forward to every year or special day that comes. I have plans for tattoos. Orbital piercings on both sides of my ear. My hair? Well not sure. I’ve always wanted to make it super short or dye it again. The hassle of long hair isn’t my thing anymore. Loved it. But I feel free.
A close friend has this thing that they call a birthday season. They enjoy their birthday and whole month of it. That joy and light in contrast to the way I tried not to think about my birthday for years. It was always cold and dark on my birthday. Winter birthdays are difficult to navigate when you live somewhere cold and snowy. I never made a big deal. Parties became obsolete. To put so much expectations on a single day made it upsetting and so dark.
Their way of celebrating and going out with people they care about and really just enjoying themselves and the new age. Chapter in their lives. Taking the time to reflect really opened me up. I didn’t want to hide my birthday. I’m already aging everyday as is. There’s no shame in it. So I do the body modifications. I make a date with my husband. Gather the people I’m close to up and ask if they would like to go out for dinner to celebrate not only me and but also the new year and what’s to come. Thank you my friend, for showing me this new side of not only birthdays but celebrating myself and my life with others.
Card of the week is Seven of Wands. This is a card for boundaries and challenges ahead. A way of warning to stand my ground no matter how hard it may seem. Jealousy is brewing and others yearn to have what you have.
This past year has been a hectic one. As I reflect on the year. It feels like many chapters have unfolded and I’m no where near the end. I believe there’s more to come. I always feel the need to push forward not knowing where to stop. To continue to climb even though I might fall. I’m grateful for every year that there’s growth and knowledge added. For the experiences and people who came in or out of my life. I strive to have peace, love and success in my life and spread that if possible. I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday and if you’re not. I hope it gets better. I do plan to continue blogging and sharing things in pieces. While continuing my NSFW dream story. But we will see. Stay sweet everyone.
Sirua's Serenity 