Author Archives: Tim

10.03.13

Working on our fitness...

Posted by Tim // 23 Replies

I was so inspired by Christina’s post yesterday that I decided to write one of my own. When we first decided to jump into the blog world and create one of our own we knew that it was going to be tough. We both agreed that we would be 100% real with anyone who decides to read what we write. If we screw up a project or fall down the stairs, you guys will eventually read about it.

After we got engaged the conversation immediately turned to how we wanted to spend our lives together. What do we want to do for the wedding, how would we raise our kids, where do we want to retire. Ok we are jumping ahead a bit but these are the things you think about once you decide to spend the rest of your life with someone. We had talked about these things in the past but they were suddenly very important topics.

We decided the first thing we wanted to focus on was our health. We knew that this would be the foundation for how we live out our lives. It would make us feel better about ourselves, make us more comfortable in our own skin, and eventually give us something to teach our future children so they do not have to deal with the same issues we do.

I too, have never really been comfortable in my own skin. I have lived with severe social anxiety disorder for as long as I can remember and still deal with it to this day. Back to that being real thing, that’s about as real as it gets. If you have read our About Us page then you know that I have mentioned it but haven’t really dove into my life with anxiety. Well, that’s all about to change. More about that exciting news in a minute.

We have made quite a few changes in the last few weeks. We have almost completely changed our diets and cut out all the bad stuff. This means no more fast food, no more soda, no more candy, and no more eating out for 5 meals in a row. This also means that Christina and I usually do not eat the same thing for dinner which can sometimes be challenging. We quickly figured out that catering our diets to our individual needs works the best for us. She gets what she needs and I get what I need to make a healthy choice. That being said….

I am now gluten-free. I know what you all are thinking, that’s stupid. Trust me, that’s what I thought too. I had always assumed that gluten allergies were made up. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Gluten sensitivity is 100% real. I made the switch a little over a month ago and it has completely changed my life! I have not had an upset stomach in over 30 days which used to be a daily occurrence. In addition, being gluten-free is the ultimate man diet. Steak and potatoes are completely gluten-free so we’re good. Being gluten-free has also helped my anxiety as well. I am less anxious now that I am not constantly worried about my upset stomach. I finally have the ability to eat out at a restaurant and feel confident that I won’t feel like complete junk after I eat. Insider info: Christina was not on-board when I decided to try being gluten-free. She rolled her eyes once or twice and wouldn’t let me tell anyone for the first few weeks. After seeing how drastically my health has changed she is now a believer!

On to the exciting news…We will be unveiling a new blog in the next few weeks. It will be my outlet to talk about everything from anxiety to mental and physical health. We have found out that talking about my anxiety has helped more than I would’ve ever imagined and decided to just put it all out there in the hope that it could be inspirational for even just one person. I will ramble on about growing up with anxiety, being in anxious situations, how I deal with my anxiety right now, my diet and exercise, and treatments.

We also want to thank all of our friends, family, and readers for supporting us through what we hope will be a life long journey. You guys have been so supportive and understanding and we really couldn’t ask for anything more.

Everyone struggles with something…What is your struggle?

06.17.13

Happy Birthday Christina....

Posted by Tim // 6 Replies

It’s my girlfriend’s birthday today. I would like to send a thank you out to her parents for doing the dang thang and making me a princess.

Ok, that was a little weird. My apologies. Not as weird as this though…

Happy Birthday Starburst, 27 is weird.

You can buy that awesome card right here.

05.22.13

Fajita eats shrimp....a shark update

Posted by Tim // 6 Replies

Our little shark Fajita has grown like a weed.

Probably because I fix him up a big shrimp cocktail every other night.

Christina always says it looks like I am giving the shrimp a dip in a hot tub, to bad I follow it up with slicing the shrimp in pieces. Loses the relaxing vibe, eh? I finally have Fajita eating straight from my hands, which will come in handy once he is over three feet. I still usually use an extension rod to feed him, since I am quite partial to my fingers.

In fact, at the beginning, he got a little rowdy and took a nip at me.

Please disregard our awesome basement complete with lots of 2×4’s and little boy racecar curtains.

See how our shrimp is hitching a ride on the shark? Bet ya didn’t know he is actually picking his brethren out of Fajita’s gills to get a late night snack. You little cannibal you.

How long do you think before I lose a finger?
Think a shrimp fajita sounds tasty?
Want to buy some racecar curtains?

05.16.13

The Bagster is my new best friend....

Posted by Tim // 8 Replies

Have you discovered The Bagster yet?

The coolest thing to happen to DIY since the nail gun.

We had a lot of debris left over from our bathroom demolition, as well as mountains of boxes. According to Christina, it is not ok to hoard empty boxes. Even if I am just saving them in case we want to return our 4-year-old tv, I guess she has never heard the term “mint-ish in box”.

If you’ve ever rented a dumpster, you know it can be costly. With lots of restrictions and even more neighbors sneaking their trash in there. When we saw The Bagster at that one blue store Christina mentioned seeing a few posts raving about it. So we picked one up, and the rest is history. Buying the bag was only $30 and it gave us the motivation we needed to clean up by awkwardly staring at us from the foyer. We tore that green bag open and got to work. Most of the empty boxes were calling the basement home, so I considered it my leg day while Christina broke down the boxes. After about an hour we had The Bagster filled to the brim. You have to make sure that the straps can touch for pickup, so I had my beautiful helper “trash surf” and “smoosh” everything down while I zip-tied the hefty yellow straps together. Once we were done, I was able to schedule pick up online in less than five minutes which cost a bit over $100. I also called to make sure we could get pictures of it being hauled away to prove how tough these bags are. The first weekend we planned to Bagster my lady took off work on Monday so she could be home for the photo-op. Too bad we decided that a garage sale and Bagstering in one day would probably kill us dead. So instead, she spent the day relaxing (and making wind chimes).

When we finally did get all the trash in the Bagster, I told Christina that I would stay home for photos. Cue the suspenseful music.

I waited and waited. Bagster gives you a three day window but they were nice enough to schedule ours for that Monday since we told them we wanted to be home. I stayed alert, I stayed vigilant.

Ok, in all honesty I was playing Angry Birds when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a large green truck with our bag in the rear.

In case you missed that, I missed it.

I didn’t want to face the humiliation, so I grabbed the camera and grabbed that one lonely photo of the truck driving away. I considered chasing him down the street and asking for a reenactment, I’m kidding I would never.

I think it is safe to assume that since there is no trash in our driveway, that the Bagster is a sturdy sucker. It is also safe to assume that the drivers are speedy and awesome.

We give the Bagster two thumbs way up. It was easy, less expensive than a dumpster, and we are officially empty-box free.

Have you ever used a Bagster?
Are you a box hoarder?
Craving Christmas poems now?

05.14.13

A reef tank thunderstorm....

Posted by Tim // 10 Replies

Our neighbors have to wonder about us. There are probably quite a few with binoculars by the window waiting to uncover our secrets. Pretty sure they are disappointed when they realize how boring we are.

I would imagine many of them see the glow coming from our dining room and believe we are growing illegal substances. I am surprised we’ve never been bombarded with questions of why our house glows all the time, but then again they are probably more concerned with why we haven’t cut our grass all week. It’s a jungle out there.

I can only imagine what people think when they see the flashing lights of a thunderstorm. Professional photographers? Rookie Ravers? Epileptic Research Association? Weather Manipulators? Bingo.

When we set up our 210 gallon reef tank, we splurged on AI Sols (fancy LED lights) to help trick the fishies into thinking they were really out in the wild. They have moon cycles, customizable color spectrums, and the best part is a pretty realistic thunderstorm.

This video isn’t full of suspense and excitement but if you want to add your own thunder sounds or bust out your rain beads, feel free. Christina says, “Humming the Jaws Theme followed by The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow really gets the fish excited”. She always has to put her ~~two~~ five cents in.

The video doesn’t do this feature justice because it really lights up the whole house. Particularly frightening when you wake up at midnight and are knocked over by blinding lights.

So if you ever decide to stop by and visit us, please don’t be alarmed. We are just trying to trick our fish into thinking they are in Hawaii.

Aqua Illumination (the light folks) are not paying our bills. Just thought you all would like to see a unique part of our life, as indoor weather manipulators.

04.24.13

Bug Out...

Posted by Tim // 7 Replies

Don’t panic, there isn’t really a reason to Bug Out but we are going to talk about bugs today. It’s inevitable that you will have to deal with pesky critters at some point in time. As the temperature rises, so does the insect population. I often feel like a warrior preparing for battle until I see that first mosquito or line of ants. While insects do not scare me (unlike Christina) they can be quite bothersome. We often have friends and family over to BBQ and hangout and cannot be surrounded by creepy crawlers all afternoon long. I have put together a few tips to rid you and your home of these pests.

This might be the most important one of them all. Any food or water is an instant signal for insects to come and bother you. If you are BBQing have foil on hand to cover any food items. Spray off patios and decks and clean any tables or grills right after your guests leave. Get a dog to scrounge up the crumbs (kidding, sort of) and try not to leave a sink full of dishes or cups of water hanging around.

I know you just got done partying like it was 1999 and the last thing you want to do is clean but it has to be done or you will wake up with insects taking over.

Spray for bugs regularly. There are some pretty inconspicuous insect repellents out there these days. We use granular or spray treatments and have found both to be pretty effective. Be sure to read all instructions especially for using products if you have kids or pets. We like to spray inside and out a few times a year especially in the Spring.

Pretty similar to the first one, but there are lots of things you can do to try and deter the insects. Get a trashcan that seals in odors. Keep counters wiped clean, foods sealed tightly, and the sink emptied of water. Clean and vacuum often and thoroughly. If you have nothing inside your home that a bug will like then they won’t be there…it’s that simple.

Look for and identify any points of entry. When we moved into our current home the previous owner had about 10 security cameras in place (paranoid much). We removed every single one of them which left a nice hole in the siding. We simply sealed them up with clear silicone…problem solved. Look around doors, appliance entries, and windows especially.

I know most of these are common sense but a lot of folks don’t think about these things until it’s too late. So what I am saying is bust the bug spray out this weekend and show those critters who is boss.

I hope these tips will help keep you insect free this summer!

Did you know Christina is terrified of worms?
How do you keep the bugs away?
Seriously, ask Christina about worms.