Tiffani Taylor's blog

For the body conscious, 'cankles' offer another focus for obsession - CNN.com

I read this article and it's just a reminder that people will find ANYTHING wrong, just to make themselves unhappy.

Be happy with what you've got and stop wasting your life obsessing over something so trivial!

For the body conscious, 'cankles' offer another focus for obsession - CNN.com

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/08/24/...

(CNN) -- Barbara Simone of Glen Burnie, Maryland, considers herself terribly flawed. She refuses to show her ankles and she'd never allow them to be photographed. She barely wants to talk about them; in fact, when asked about her legs, she mumbles under her breath that she hates them. Why would someone be so self-conscious about a certain part of her body? "I have cankles -- that's all I can say," she laments. "They are huge and they are horrible. ... And I will never wear a skirt or dress again." Cankles? What are cankles? We've heard about saddle bags, muffin tops and love handles, but it seems that some women and men of the 21st century are now focused on the chubby joints of their lower extremities. Far from being a medical term, "cankles" is slang for the part of the leg where the ankle meets the calf when there is no definition or indentation. In most cases, cankles are just large ankles -- what used to be called "big bones." But in society's quest for all things thin and shapely, big-boned ankles have taken on a name -- and a life -- of their own. According to podiatrists, the average ankle size is about 10 to 11 inches around; men's ankles may be a little larger. The American Podiatric Medical Association does not recognize cankles as a medical problem, but according to Dr. Kathya Zinszer, a physician at Temple University's School of Podiatric Medicine, cankles can be caused by all types of medical issues. "Things like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular risks, sometimes just lymphedema," says Zinszer. "All of those can lend themselves to deformed ankles or what people are [calling] cankles." But Zinszer says that most cankles are "God-given." Zinszer has seen patients try to alter their cankles. Some people turn to ankle liposuction, which can cost anywhere between $4,000 to $8,000, depending on how extensive the ankle-shaping need is. But Zinszer doesn't recommend liposuction because it can do more damage than good. "The foot,...

Holy Crap! 60 Days!

It just dawned on me when I logged into my babyfit site.....that I have only 60 days remaining.  60 days! That's completely insane!

I feel so unprepared now- even though I have pretty much everything.  Oh well....I'm sure he'll get here when he gets here and everything will be out of place until he's at least a year old.  And I'm ok with that.

What?

Teen Sets Self On Fire To Imitate YouTube Clip - Local News Story - WESH Orlando

http://www.wesh.c...

DELTONA, Fla. -- A Deltona teenager was hospitalized on Wednesday after suffering multiple burns while imitating a video posted on YouTube.Russell GortzigRussell Gortzig, 13, said his friend siphoned gasoline from a riding lawnmower and poured it on Gortzig. The teen said he held the lighter away...

After reading this story....I think to myself, whatever happened to personal responsibility?  I mean, it's tragic that this kid lit himself on fire and the consequences could have been worse- but he's not a 5 year old and his common sense should be a bit more developed than this.

It just upsets me that the mother feels that YouTube is partially to blame.  NO- your child is to blame.  He's old enough to know the basics...."don't play with fire"...."gasoline will ignite".  He did a stupid thing....own it!  Don't put the blame on this on anyone else.  If my kid does something stupid....then I feel the blame is on me as the parent.  I must have missed something, so the blame is mine and his- no one else's.  If you feel like your child is too impressionable- then it becomes your job to monitor what he/she is doing and to teach him/her that playing with fire is probably NOT the best idea. 

My 3yr old is being taught fire safety in preschool- unless this kid managed to miss that week of school every year since then, he got the same education and he made the decision to copy the stupidity that he saw.  Granted....some of the videos on youtube can be pretty dangerous if put in the wrong hands- but again.....as a parent it's YOUR responsibility to watch your children.

2 Whole Years......

Today is July 31st....I thought that my heart would simply stop with the news that I received @3am, 2 years ago today.  There's nothing in this world that can prepare you to hear that anyone has passed away- even if it's "expected". 

I lost my grandmother on this day and I think I've finally gotten to where there is some degree of normalcy in my life concerning her.  This just means that the fighting over what she may have had in assets has simply calmed down and people have stopped bothering ME about it.

I've finally laid my grandmother to rest, but still miss her dearly.  The feeling of missing NEVER goes away, it just gets put off or distracted by daily life- then it's back again FULL BLAST.  I wish I could call her and just say, "hello".....or hear her singing in the morning as she did when she was getting ready, spraying her White Linen perfume....or on rough mornings where she lay coaxing herself out of bed with a, "Get up, Bunty".

Though I miss her and today's date only brings those missing feelings to the forefront, I've promised myself that I won't let it get the best of me and I WILL NOT be in a state of melancholy all day long.  I'll instead be happy, keeping in mind some of the greatest and happiest memories....all day.....knowing that I got to meet and live my life with such a wonderful person.

Party Planning

For as long as I can remember party planning has never been my forté.  This year however I need to plan something really special for my daughter's 4th Birthday.  Mostly because it's her last time being "the baby" of the family AND she hasn't had a real party since her 1st birthday.....and I feel like she's going to feel slighted.  I know she's only going to be 4 and she probably won't even think of it....but I just want this party to be special.  As to what we do....I'm lost!

Her birthday is a month and a half away, so I have at least 3-4 weeks before I need to get invitations out.  So I have time(says the great procrastinator).

Next year we'll be planning huge parties......the oldest of the bunch will be 16, my daughter will be 5, and baby will be 1.  I guess I better put my party planning hat on and get started- especially on saving up for all of this.

QotD: Everywhere Has Its Problems

What prevents your city/town from being the best place in the country to live?
Submitted by Cherney.

Well....it's not like Coral Springs, Florida is a huge Hot Spot or anything....but it is a great place to live.  The schools are all A or B grade, so we have some of the best test scores in the county/state, the homes are nice, there are a million restaurants on one strip(all within walking distance), and we have plenty of parks and scenery and overall....things to do. 

The crime rate is pretty low(as a matter of fact, we had a situation where a police officer was shot recently and nothing like that has happened since the 70's). The city still has a bit of "newness" to it, and it's constantly changing year to year so it never gets old.  We also have annual parades, carnivals, fairs, and a circus that come through here.  It's just overall.....nice.

What makes it not the best place to live would be the "everything in Coral Springs is better" attitude that many of the people living here have, mostly because there is a huge population of snobs.  This being that most of the city is well-to-do where the average family makes almost 80K per year, less than 6% is considered poverty level, and every driveway has a luxury car or some sort.  Aside from the snobs.....there's the problem with accessibility to rest of the world.  We have a great little expressway that is just west of us, but there isn't a way for you to get eastward very easily.  So....a day at the beach becomes a chore, there are pools just about everywhere that almost make up for that, but sometimes you want to get some sand between your toes.

Food Network: The Place Pregnancy Cravings are Born

Last week we were watching Food Network and I'm pretty sure that it's something I'll never do again over the next 3 1/2 months.

I have an budding chef/foodie in my home who watches food network at every chance.  Most times the shows are pretty interesting and you end up getting drawn in, which was the case on this particular day.  After watching an episode of  Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and seeing a diner serve cheese-filled, bacon-wrapped, burgers....the thought came to me!

The result:

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But a burger just isn't complete without all the fixings.  The finished product:

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Let me just say.....the heart-attack-on-a-platter, or what we've dubbed in my house "Fat Girl Burgers".....were AMAZING!

One HAWT Mama!

Me doing my "signature pose" with my rotund belly.

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And again!(thank GOD for Maxi Dresses)

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And a side view for the wow factor:

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117 days left......WOW, time flies!

According to babyfit, I now have 117 days remaining until my due date.  AAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I'm almost at the point where I begin to freak out because my "mental cushion" regarding how much time I have to get my $hit together for this baby is about to be pulled from under me.  In approximately 117 days, I'll have a baby in my arms, and I promise you it freaks me out just as much as it did the first time around.  I guess you never really quite get used to some things.....

Week 23: Your Moods, They are A-Swingin'

Your Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy
-- By BabyFit

Your Baby This Week

Your baby weighs about a pound (.45 kg) and is approximately 8 inches (20 cm) long. No more fruit comparisons--now he looks like a perfect, little doll!

Although his skin is still wrinkled, it's starting to plump out as he continues to gain weight and develop more fat. He looks more and more like a "real" baby now, but sometimes the fine hair covering your baby's body grows a little dark around this time.

Your Body This Week

As the weight of your uterus once again shifts to rest on your bladder, you may have more problems holding urine. But be aware that a "gush" of liquid or constant leaking could mean that you are losing amniotic fluid, and you should call your doctor right away. You may also experience some emotional mood swings--unexpected highs and lows and maybe even some tears or fears. Emotional swings are linked to normal hormone activity and should pass as your pregnancy progresses. If not, mention it to your doctor.

Regular Vitamins vs Prenatal Vitamins

The main difference for me seems to be that one makes me want to vomit, and the other doesn't

What is it about prenatal vitamins that make you want to vomit? I don't remember to take them very often but when I do, the results are the same. It doesn't matter what brand/type/shape/size my Dr gives me to sample, they all have the same effect- extreme nausea followed by projectile vomit.

I think at my next appointment I'll let them know that I won't even try to take anymore of their terrible vitamins and I'll just make it a point to eat foods that are good for me, same as I did with my daughter.  They always try to terrify you saying that you need to take them "for the baby".  I'm pretty sure that my great grandmother, grandmother, and mother didn't take prenatal vitamins- so.....why is it really necessary for me to do so?  They gave birth to a combined total of 17 perfectly healthy babies that had no neural tube defects, bone diseases, juvenile diabetes, etc.....so WHY is it necessary, really?

I'm going to completely forgo spending $30/month on vitamins that only make me puke.  They end up sitting in my medicine cabinet for a year after the baby is born, only to be discarded.

Oh well.....that is my rant for the day.  Now that I've officially emptied my stomach- I'm off to find some worthwhile tacos.