Tag Archives: humor

Giles ate my blog post

It’s the all new blogger excuse. My laptop ate it.

My  dear POTS-ients,

How are you this fine fall day? I’ve just realized how awesome fall/winter truly is. The reason, my dear readers, is not just the crunchy leaves. Rather, it is the ability to deal with our temperature intolerance in a socially acceptable way. Plus, the cool temperature totally causes vasoconstriction, so there’s a chance we might actually have blood in our heads for once. Not only that, but we can bundle up our poor frozen extremities in fashionable accoutrements. I particularly like the wrist warmers and hats on etsy. Talk2thetrees is my favorite shop there : )

Seeing your breath, snuggling up under a quilt, are all wonderful things. My one sadness is that my tea intake has been slashed. I have completely given up caffeine. This is especially tragic in light of all the loose leaf chai I purchased right before school started *sigh* My cardiologist mentioned ages ago that I should limit my caffeine intake, “pshaw, THATS not going to happen” plus it doesn’t have much caffeine… or so I grumbled. But then I started to see a hideous pattern. A pattern of lousy afternoons after drinking my morning tea. And the lousier the afternoon, the stronger the tea I drank. It was an unfortunate cycle. Anyways, I would love to encourage you to try herbal teas instead, even for just a few weeks. Ginger tea is also super tasty, especially if you use local honey.

Yes that’s me. Totally worth it.

I also found some blueberry tea at a local farmers market, it’s filled with petals and bits of dried fruit. I think loose leaf tea is more of a pleasure to drink, even if it’s more troublesome to clean. Plus, when it’s chilly outside, nothing warms my heart like tea.

I’ve also began to wear my hideous anti-embolism socks again. During summer and early fall it’s really difficult to convince myself that thick, high socks are at all appealing. Now though, they fit nicely under jeans and cords. I think I could live my life with corduroy pants, honestly. They’re warm and so so soft. Oh, I’m also experimenting with leggings, boots, and dresses to hide the despised socks. I bought a pair of chocolate brown leggings and they are a master of disguise. I’m also using them for my halloween costume. What am I going as? As a teddy-bear. What did you expect?

How do you guys embrace the seasons? My last bit of fall is baking bread. It’s really easy and far, far tastier than store bought. Plus, it smells phenominal! And it kind of blows your friends minds when you say you made it yourself. It’s nice to make something tangible when you’re sick. Like Pie says, sick days are ” a day on repeat that gets lost in translation”. Days blend together, so for me baking bread gives meaning to a day. My favorite part is when your hands smell sticky and sweet from kneading dough. I use wholewheat flour and fresh honey (I love honey, far too much in fact). Bread makes for awesome breakfasts, I love melting brie on it and then eating blueberries by the handfull. I messed about with recipes this summer, and this is my favorite:

Whole Grain Cockaigne Bread (From The Joy of Cooking with a few alterations by Teddy)

Ingrediants

1 package active yeast & 1 tablespoon brown sugar in 1/4 cup of warm water (105-115 degrees)

Let that sit for about fifteen minutes while you make the wet mix below

1 to 3 tablespoons nonsalted butter (I melt it in the milk)

2 cups warm milk

1 tablespoon salt

4 to 6 tablespoons honey

After fifteen minutes, mix the yeast/water/sugar mix into the wet mix and slowly add six cups of whole wheat flout (I use whatever flour I have on hand (oat, graham, etc.) with decidedly mixed results. Wheat turns out best). Knead and let sit for 1 to 2 hours in its bowl. Then divide in two and knead again. Put the halves in their pans (Two 5 by 9 inch loaf pans) and let sit for another ten minutes while you preheat the oven for 350 degrees. Put those suckers in there for 45 minutes and two golden brown loafs should come out! Stick a knife in the middle and pull it out. If theres dough sticking to it, put it in for a few minutes longer. If it comes out clean, it’s done!

Okay, now that that little burst of domesticity is over, I have a funny video to show you.

So. That’s my funny for the day. I have been downright negligent, so I plan to post every day for the next week. You will be heartily sick of me by the end of it! They may not be as long as my usual (I wrote this in Theology class…. so I guess I have time :P) but I will definitely try to get you to smile every day this week! So, lots of love and have a nice Halloween weekend!

Be Well,

Teddy

Get Better Soon!

Right oh, so Pie is sick with a tummy bug.

Thus, this post is dedicated to make her feel better (and hopefully any of you who are having a sick day)

So to start off with our favorite quote,

Hahaah, if this doesn’t make you laugh, then you have no soul. Well, thats an overstatement. But it happens to be a true one 😀

The next video is a song that Pie and I cannot get out of our heads, and Pie’s favorite anime: LoveCom! It is sincerely adorable and funny.  Plus it’s a fairly new pairing video so I don’t think she’s seen it yet. Otani (the guy below) is the love of her life. So I think this will make her happy.

Ok, and here is what should be a picture of our cat. She has no brains. At all. But we think she is SO unintelligent… that it’s a ploy to gain our trust. So logically following that point, she must be a spy.

“DID I SAY SPY? I MEAN CAT!”
albeit a stupid spy. Sorry for insulting your cat Pie, but you know it’s true.
And now something that totally just made me tear up at my keyboard. Which makes sense because this chapter of Harry Potter made me cry too. They did a bang up job in the movie, and this youtuber brought all the scenes together.
Well Pie, if all of this doesn’t make you smile and feel better, I don’t know what will.
But being sick really is all your fault anyways. Yup. You heard me. This is what you get for eating eggplant parmesan without me. So there.
Now that we’ve got that settled, go lie on the couch and watch gilmore girls. Since I know you’re doing that anyways 😛 Lots of love, and feel better soon! And when you do feel better, read the Hunger Games. Seriously. I didn’t buy them just ‘cuz they look pretty. Well, actually…. they do have nice covers. I guess I’ll just call you now. Before you leave a disgruntled message on my voicemail in regards to my neglect.
Love,
Teddy

Friends

Pie: Friends, friends, friends, I don’t care if you are young or old, male or female, social or anti social we all have an inner need for attention. Some of us need more and some of us need less. I have learned the hard way with dealing with friends and POTS. It’s not a good combo is it? Don’t get me wrong I have fabulous friends who mean the world to me but it took a lot of hurt to get where I am. The thing with being sick is you start to be unable to take care of your friendships. When I got sick in 4th grade I was SO sick. I was in bed, watching TV and sleeping every day all day. I was with my family and I talked to my friends on the phone. But slowly I realized that a relationships need more than that. I wouldn’t be invited to things because my friends thought I was too sick to come. It’s hard not being included (no matter how ridiculous I sound saying that). I had to have a reality check in my life. But I have realized that it happens to practically anyone with a sickness.

You lose friendships, you realize who your real friend are. People yearn for validation, we try to find it in many different ways. Most of the time we search for it through approval and success. For those of you who are sick and can’t seem to keep a friendship try to make sure you contact them. Email, phone, text, instant messaging, skype, anything! If you can’t be with them at work, school, youth group, school club, gym, try to take a different approach. One that requires a different mind set. I always say I learn how not to act from the people who hurt me. It’s about making sure you don’t hurt the people you love, like people you love have hurt you. For example, being sick and missing so much school sometimes it would have been nice to get a simple call or email from a friend telling me they missed me, or they hoped I felt better. That’s it! That would suffice! So if you have a friend that is sick with a cold or home with mono, tell them you miss them. You must know how nice it is to be told you are missed. Try to be the friend that you want to have because if you do that you will someday find a friend with the same attitude toward friendship as you. People are just unaware of how it feels. You just come to realize they don’t understand the situation you are in until they go through a similar experience. I wouldn’t wish this sickness on anyone though. Living through the sickness is awful but watching Teddy live through it was ten times worse than actually having POTS. I saw her go through everything I had been going through for years. This is why we made this blog, for people like us who don’t have anyone that can help them. I could help Teddy through this because I had experience, but I didn’t have someone to relate to in the beginning. So if you are having friend problems remind yourself to work at it. I have a handful of friends now that I absolutely love they are they best and they help me through my darkest days. Also if you have toxic friendships (we all have had them at one point or another) try to water them down a bit. Don’t waste your precious energy on them! We don’t have enough energy to waste do we? With being sick, it’s vital to fill your days will fun and happy things.

I am going to know teach you about watering down friendships. This watering down procedure is the medicine for a lot of different friendships. For example,  you and your best friend used to be glued at the hip and now they don’t text you as much and they have too much to do when you want to hang out. Start giving them space, wait for them to text you, don’t call them everyday anymore, limit yourself to once a week. Why do you do this? Because instead of desperately trying to do all the work for your friendship let them do some work. Let your friend come to you, make them miss you for a change. Lift a mirror to your face and ask yourself “Am I being too clingy?” “Am I the leech in this friendship.” Or something more like “This is stupid, I am a great friend who deserves better, if they want this to work it’s their turn to fix it.” Because there will come a point where you have reached the end of your rope and there is nothing left for you to do.

Also do you have a friend who clings on like a leech? They constantly want your attention and the relationship isn’t quite rubbing you the right way. It might be a good idea to water it down, I would consider that to be a friendship more on the toxic side. Because these types of friendships bring out the worst inside of us. We think mean thoughts and sometimes we don’t think through our actions with these people. It’s not fair to them to lead them on!

Because honestly sometimes our actions make the clingy friend into the victim and we become the bad guy. Which is no fun is it? So like before don’t ALWAYS respond to their texts, don’t hang out with them as much, just fill up your life with other things. Wherever you normally see them just limit your conversations to shorter more to the point chit chats. They will slowly get the picture (hopefully).

Another type of friendship or….. opposite gender “problems”. When the guy (or girl) who has a thing for you and they are in puppy dog mode. They will ask you out, text you, hug you, (possibly kiss you), call you and more. So what do you do? WATER IT DOWN! Do the same thing, see how watering down is so versatile 😀 Kindly tell them you don’t feel the same way but you want to stay friends. You might have to tell them more than once (as if the first time wasn’t hard enough!!!!!!). Sometimes no doesn’t phase them and they will not stop until you belong to them (bummer for you). Don’t keep hanging out with them and don’t respond to their thousands of texts. Limit your texts or take a long time to text them back.

Example: Pie get’s a text from FRED she reads the text and waits 10 minutes to respond OR Pie might decide she will text him tomorrow because she doesn’t want to talk to him.

They might like you so much that they can’t even be with you as just friends. Which is really harsh because you can lose great friends this way because you are to irresistible to them. I had 4 or 5 guys like this within a few months last year like this…..I kid you not. It’s tough! I felt like a villain out of a Disney movie. I wish you luck in the process of breaking their fragile hearts and running as far away from them as possible (metaphorically of course). So try to remember it would be much worse to get into a relationship with them and months later tell them you don’t like them (ouch).

You can use this technique in lots of different situations I am just using them in high school scenarios. If you need any advice with friends you can comment. Please comment about anything POTS related or friend related…or anything on your mind. If you want us to write a post about cheese we totally will! If you have an idea for a post, don’t be shy and share your fabulous idea with The Misses Pots. Teddy and I want this to be a really personal blog that helps people. Yes, we do focus on life with POTS (if you don’t know what that is look at our first post) but we also focus on our tips to get through life. Sick or not why not read a blog that makes you laugh?

You might be the person who wants to make more friends this year (it could be you). It’s really not that hard! If you see someone eating alone at lunch ask them to sit with you. It seems a bit awkward SURE but it’s worth it. I’ve asked a lot of people to sit with my table and I have been rejected. Some people sit alone because they don’t have any friends to sit with, or they simply want to be left alone. Sounds cheesy and over used but be friendly and inviting. Just be the bigger person. If you ask them to sit at your table it doesn’t mean you are asking them to be your best friend forever! They might sit with you for a week, a day, or never again.

Teddy and I like to add some sort of fun thing to do or watch at the end of our posts. I found this really cool youtube video about painting your nails (sorry boys!). My nails currently look like this! Just something to make you happy.

There is the link 🙂

I hope some of these tips were helpful. If you have any questions Teddy and I are here to help and we would love to help you. School is starting up! Have a great first few weeks back in school. Sit with the new kid! Or maybe you will be the new kid being asked to sit with a group of people? You never know. Enjoy!!!

Lots of love,

Pie

Sodium Solutions

Hello readers! It’s Teddy.

Remind me to never promise a post a week, I will almost certainly break it. I have a longer post I am working on, but I figured that I would get the short one out of the way first : )

Pie wrote a post awhile back about things foods that are good to eat for a POTS kid’s health. So, I’m being redundant here on the whole necessary salt intake concept. The way we get most of our salt is through either unhealthy things or salting our food. I know that we live in a culture that equates sodium with poor health, but for us it is actually the reverse. Too much salt creates high blood pressure for people that are susceptible. But we have low blood pressure, so the pressure’s off (heeheeeehe, that made me chuckle).

Anyways, putting extra salt in a normal diet is easier said than done. For meat dishes, it’s simple. Just pour it on. But Pie and I are vegetarians, and salting salads is a little odd. We do eat meals other than salad, but vegetables are a large part of our diet. Easy things to salt are pasta, broth based soups (like French Onion or stews) and that’s about it. Maybe omelets, but not too much. The other general salty things are pretty high in fat, like chips and french fries. Pie has this weird thing where she puts salt in her Juicy Juice, but I draw the line there. Might as well just lick salt off your hand if it comes to that.

So I decided to recommend some ideas for increasing your salt intake. We mentioned pedialyte before, but it’s wicked expensive. Plus, it’s kind of awkward to leave the store with a half dozen bottles of  a substance that only half dead babies drink. So, my mom and I recently found that amazon sells pedialyte powder packets. SUCESS! Here’s the link.

Thank me later. It’s still expensive, but less so. Plus, it’s a lot more portable. When I was on the tennis team I used to take several bottles of the stuff to matches. It’s revitalizing, no matter how strange it is. I generally lug around a bottle of gatorade or G2 powder in my purse at all times in case I get dizzy. For some reason the sugar/salt combination make it work faster. I assume because it goes straight to your bloodstream.

I saw a hilarious picture as I was perusing the web of POTS related items. It was posted by that facebook group SuckItPots (which I definitely recommend, though there are mostly adults on there). It is a POTS mocktail. Since I’m not old enough to drink, I never thought this was an issue. But alcohol messes up POTS systems in a big way and makes our already fragile bodies weaker. I am not saying this to be self righteous, I am saying this to be practical. Don’t drink. At least not until you are well. Even the wikipedia page will tell you that. But back to the picture. Isn’t it hilarious? I would never have thought of that. Pie and I might have to have POTS mocktails in the near future!

That picture makes my day, sea salt and gatorade. A genius and funny way to deal with the problem at hand.

Ok, another easy solution is pretzels and popcorn. They’re both low in fat. The doctors at Mayo clinic recommend you have a small salty snack every mid-afternoon. These, nuts, Cheese-Its, wheat thins, and Triscuits (the love of my life) are all essentials. I can down a bag of popcorn on a bad day, no problem. Gosh that makes me sound like a glutton, I am not advocating this! Especially since the more we eat, the more blood rushes to your stomach. So small meals. But lots of ’em : )

Right, this is going to make me sound positively off my rocker, but it IS salty. Erm, you know pickles? Well, I love them. I pile them on sandwiches. So mom and I thought of something that has us questioning our own sanity. Pickles are full of salt, and coincidentally, so is the juice. As kids, did you ever make popsicles in little plastic trays? Because you can use any liquid that freezes. Coincidentally, the vinegar in the pickle juice freezes nicely. We call them pickle popsicles. They’re not the bad, if you have a brave tongue. At least I’m not recommending pea popsicles. That gives me some credit right? No?

Something that was also recommended to us at the Mayo clinic was salt tablets. Athletes take them to help rehydrate themselves along with water. You can buy them over the counter, and they’re quite safe in moderation. They don’t have as much sodium content in them as you would think though, so you still need to eat other salty items. I don’t take these, I tried. We tried some called thermotabs, I understand they’re pretty standard. We bought them for school, but I kept throwing up when taking them. Keep in mind that this was mostly my own fault, I didn’t eat before (I planned to afterwords). But the pure salt was too harsh on my stomach and it made for a very close relationship with the girls bathroom. So be warned, even though my stomach may just be fickle.

Right, moving along. One rule that is imperative for all this salt intake is eating. Milk is preferable (especially if you are taking beta blockers at the same time like I do) but bread works too. Your stomach lining is sensitive, so treat it well. Mine just happens to be very persnickety. I don’t know anyone with POTS besides Pie, so this could be normal. If you ever need to ask a health question about a weird POTS symptom, shoot us a comment. Between Pie and I, one of us has probably dealt with it. We’re obviously not doctors, (and you should be going to yours regularly)  but we can give you some support.

A point I try to get across as often as I can is to not feel weird about the things you have to do for your health. Especially if you can twist it in a way to make it look like it was your idea in the first place (Like rainbow socks covering my anti-embolism stockings, kids love them and they always are good for a smile). So make your salty smack a part of your daily routine. In high school, I would purposefully bag a bunch of goldfish or triscuits and share them with my friends in class. Everyone loved it, and it makes you generous rather than the odd one out.

Right-oh, now that I’ve made my point I want to share some fun. A) Thank you Pie for the adorable birthday wishes. She gave me that bear hat I found on etsy for my birthday that is featured in a previous post. It’s adorable. I don’t think it will leave my head anytime soon.

B) I’ve been reading some awesome books. They need to be shared. I was just thinking the other day how I missed reading books that captured my heart and mind. So much so that I would be willing to avoid social obligations just to read them, and dream about them at night. Suddenly, three books came into my life.

1. Jane Eyre. I read this as a child, and I understood it on a basic level. But now that I am the same age as the heroine, it suddenly took on more meaning. She is witty, self-assured, and so so strong. I love how she sticks to her morality even though it sucks sometimes. She’s one of those characters who ceases to be two dimensional. They become a sort of friend.

2. I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith. Read it. It’s about a girl who lives with her eccentric family in a crumbling castle in the middle of England. They haven’t paid rent in years, and her genius father refuses to actually work on his novel. The heroine is engaging and describes life as I would like to see it. This author makes you feel the landscape, not just see it. I tore through it, and cannot recommend it enough.

3. The Hunger Games. OHMYGOSH. I am almost done with the third, and it is killing me inside. I can’t stop thinking about it, can’t stop falling in love with every character. I had completely given up on Young Adult literature. Sure, some books had good characters. But the plot lines were about as interesting as watching football. And occasionally I would find a book with a world that far exceeded our own. But then the characters were lacking, and the plot lines fizzled out altogether. I never expected to find all three together. Not only are they fantastic, they keep getting better and better. I haven’t seen a series that actually IMPROVED on the initial novel. Plus the author called it a trilogy from the get go, and stopped at three. That is this rare thing called being honorable. Not that it happens often. I pride myself on being able to guess any plot line and ending. It comes of reading too much. So I hypothesize what the author will do, she does it, and then does a 180 degree turn within five pages. She floors me. It is so rewarding to read a novel crafted by an author whose mind so clearly exceeds my own. This is the highest praise I can give. And I haven’t even finished. Thank heavens my favorite librarian in the world forced me to read it. Now I am forcing you. Who said coercion is dead?

Well that is that. I’ve given you salt to increase your blood volume and novels to expand your mind. What more do you want? They make you feel intently and leave your own body for awhile. The silly salt ideas will help make you be able to dream of a life beyond your present one. So have a great day. Eat a pretzel.

Be well,

Teddy

Happy Birthday Teddy Bear

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEDDY BEAR! 19, wow you are so ancient :p I know I am totally copying you with the whole birthday post but I can live with being a copy cat. I love you so much. Thank-you for being the most amazing sister you can be and more importantly my best friend. I couldn’t ask for a gift as impeccable and wonderful as you are. You show me the person I want to be. This post needs a little birthday wish from Joseph Gordon Levitt wouldn’t you agree??

Actually to appreciate that picture click on it! It is much better I promise you! So to conclude my post, Happy Birthday Teddy ❤
Here’s looking at you kid ❤

Bundles of love,

Pie

(inside joke)

 

Cheer and Cherries

Hello dear Readers!

It’s summer, and with it comes a most delectable treat. CHERRIES! They are scrumptious and make me very happy : ) Just picture them, that charming scarlet berry with flesh sweeter than candy and shiny to boot.

I could probably eat an entire bowl of them. They are the perfect sweet thing for a hot afternoon. Well, for anytime really. Plus they come with several diverting activities such as pit spitting and stem knotting! Take a friend and have a pit spitting contest, it’s fun and harmless. Unless you’re wearing a white shirt, or if you’re REALLY good at it and hit the old man next door. Then it’s not so harmless.

Since they are so exquisite I look forward to them all year long. Cherries make summers that much more craved and desired. Of course, summer really is a fantastic season on all accounts. But this is what I wanted to get at, looking forward to things. At the risk of sounding trite, cheesy, and banal I wanted to bring it up.  You see, it is important. We spend so much of our time looking after our physical health that we sometimes overlook our mental wellbeing. I’m not recommending pills or a therapist. I’m suggesting we add a little more joy into our lives.

Being excited for things, smiling unexpectedly, feeling a rush of adrenaline, or the quiet warm feeling you get when you succeed at some small task are all things most people take for granted. My first year of being sick was mentally torturous. There were days I would wake up, and the only thing I would look forward to was returning to my bed. I am not depressed. I wasn’t then. Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain and a sickness all its own. But circumstances can suck sometimes. It is especially thus when you feel so terribly out of control.

So lets take some control back! I know, there are no guarantees that you have enough energy to go to school. I can’t promise that you got enough sleep the night before, or that you can read a book. But there are still things to do to make yourself feel good about yourself.

The first one is easy and slightly obvious: appearance. Pie and I both gained weight when we first got sick. It seemed a dreadful injustice to feel so ill and also not like the way you look. My acne also came back, so I looked a hot mess. At the time I was constantly feverish and hot. I have mass amounts of thick, wavy hair and this put me at a bit of a disadvantage. The back of my neck would become sweaty and uncomfortable and over time I began to detest my hair. So I decided what every girl threatens to do at one time or another, to cut it off. I went to our dear hairdresser and got a boys cut (I donated the rest to Locks of Love).

To my eternal shock, I loved the way I looked. It gave me this little glow inside that I felt different in a good way, in a pretty way. As tame as that was, it was a bit of an adventure. So, I’m encouraging you to try something new. You’re young, and it’s just hair. So get that hair cut that has a bit of a risk to it, or if you want to dye your hair blue, go for it! There’s a good chance that if you’ve wanted it long enough it will turn out grand. Of course, if your hair is your favorite part about yourself, leave well enough alone. You can be adventurous in other ways.

I confess, I got this next idea from Pie. Nail Polish. She paints each fingernail a different color and it looks brilliant. I don’t paint my nails, I’m clumsy and generally make the polish look like it’s been through a blender. But Pie makes it look cool. The different colors match everything and give a little edge to an otherwise conservative look. Just make sure you don’t use the no chip nail polish (Pie used it for prom and it took MONTHS to come off, she was quite put out).

Both of those ideas are just ways to stand out a bit. One of my dear friends puts a single safety pin on the pocket of her jeans. When asked why, she gives a sly grin and shrugs. “Just to see who notices. It’s amazing how many people freak out over something that’s not quite normal.” At first I didn’t get it, but it’s true. Little stuff like that is empowering. You suddenly don’t fit into the sea of people around you. In a good way, a way you chose to stand out instead of POTS choosing it for you.

In regards to clothing, I’m not going to presume to tell you how to dress. I don’t fancy myself a fashionista, nor do I have any aspiration to be so. But I do like the way I look. My junior year in high school I was constantly playing sports so I stopped wearing pretty things. Then, senior year when I got sick, I stopped caring about my appearance altogether. Don’t get me wrong, sweat pants and sporty cotton t-shirts ROCK. But, you don’t exactly feel attractive in them. This year I discovered something fantastic, dresses. If you wear a dress, people suddenly assume you put effort into your outfit. Plus, putting on a dress requires NO mental concentration whatsoever. You don’t have to think about if the shorts match the shirt, or anything else besides. You just slip a dress over your head. And, suddenly, you feel like a girl again. Plus, they’re super comfy (at least the ones I buy). So get a comfy dress and throw on a pair of converse or flip flops with them. Or if you are way gutsier than I am, combat boots. Just an idea : )

Accessories. Ok, I’m definitely aiming this post to mostly girls which is horribly unfair. But the percentage is three to one, and I’m a girl. I don’t know how to be a boy. I don’t know what makes you guys empowered or handsome. But I’d love to know. So, if there’s something that makes you feel supermegafoxyawesomehot, tell us in the comments. Help someone else to feel that way once in awhile : )

Back to accessories. Such a broad topic, and my matching abilities are sub-par to say the least. But they’re hilarious and fun. One of my favorite things in this world are my red converse. They’re high tops and make me terribly happy. I think everyone should have something like that, something silly but fun. I also have these crazy large headphones. They’re red and match the converse. These sort of things kind of spice up a normal routine. I know people who do the same things with earrings, necklaces, and gloves. Also hats. I love hats, especially cloches, but am quite frankly too lazy and too clumsy to keep them on my head. So I wear headbands. Because even though I have short hair I don’t want to be thought of as a boy. (Speaking of which, boy hair cuts look really cool with dresses) Headbands are fantastic because you jam one on your head and it looks like you did something super elaborate to your hair. A guy friend one time said how much he liked what I did to my hair, even though it was the same hairstyle I had worn all year. Just with a headband.  So, if you want a simple fix, wear a headband. They have a ton on Etsy which are gorgeous. The one below is one I wear a lot.

If you’re wondering where to get fun things, online is the place to go. At least for POTS kids. Takes no energy whatsoever. But, if it’s a weekend morning and you’re going stir crazy/have a modicum of energy, go to your local Farmers Market. They have cool craft-sy stuff that no one else will have. I got an adorable fox hat (not real fox, knitted. I’m a vegetarian remember) there and it’s pretty stinking adorable.

By the way, I’m not recommending you do anything permanent to your appearance. So, don’t rush out and get a tattoo or crazy piercing (besides the health hazards, they last a lot longer than you intend). I mean, do as you like, but start small. Do something to get your confidence back. To remind yourself that you’re an attractive human being. You aren’t POTS. You are a person that’s going to kick POTS butt. The person you are now isn’t you. The anxiety about work, the nausea, dizziness, the endless fatigue and brain fog, not you. That’s POTS. So don’t let yourself think you’re lazy, ugly, or anything else demeaning. You are brave. Brave enough to deal with a debilitating illness and still remember how to crack a joke every once in awhile. So remember yourself as that person, not the one POTS makes you be all too often.

So, this post was about looking forward to things. But I think the thing we need to look forward to most is just being ourselves. Sure, it helps to plan for the future person we’ll be someday when we’re well, but its nice to enjoy the present once in awhile too. It’s nice to feel like we look good, even if we don’t feel great. But, in the end, I’ve learned there’s not that much we can control. And that’s ok. The only thing we really can control is how we treat others and how we treat ourselves. We can’t choose how we feel, or what our physical and mental limitations are. So make someone’s day by smiling instead of growling at them. Or better yet, make your own day by making yourself feel human (even if it’s only for a little while). Because you should feel beautiful. Or handsome. And successful. Even though our version of success isn’t what most people define it as. I hope you feel special today, and I hope you love yourself a little more.

Be well!

Teddy

99 Cent Flying Cat

Pie: Pie in the house! (I sound really stupid saying that don’t I) *REWIND!* Hi! (is hi too boring of a hello?) Hmmmm what do I say as a hello when since my first two ideas were busts? Happy summer!! If you aren’t on summer then…..that is too sad. My family and I are on summer vacation which is awesome! We are having so much fun. There is nothing like a day in the air?

My family thought it would be fun to wake up at 5 in the morning and fly across the country with our cats (we really like cats ❤ ).

We aren’t crazy cat people though…well that might be a bit of a white lie since we are kind of crazy in love with our cats, that’s not too creepy is it? Teddy and I believe our cat Noel is a spy cat since she talks to walls and walks like an army crawl. She might be psychic too since at 5 in the morning my Mom couldn’t find Noel so she asked me to help. I knew where my cat was but I didn’t know how I was going to get to her. She was under the couch, UNDER!

Our couch is a type of couch that is built in pieces so it will fit anywhere practically. All I could see was a little white fuzzy cat booty (great mental image right?). I ended up lifting up one end of the couch and pulling her out. She was fine, just not too thrilled to be found. It was a game of Hide and Go Seek. We give our cats a pill to make them sleepy during the flight so they aren’t traumatized. It’s always a long day in the airport when you travel. While we were in the air we had the most hilarious flight attendants! They made me laugh a lot. It’s not very often where you get a great flight attendant that had the ability to make an entire plane laugh. Here are some of my favorite things they said:

“Please take note of the life jacket procedure because during this flight we will be crossing the ocean in between Arizona and Chicago.”

“If the plane goes down use the person next to you as your life preserver.”

“When the air mask comes down first put your own mask on and then put one on your child, if you have two children pick the one with the most potential.”

“If we crash you can take your life jackets as a souvenir.”

On another flight we were stuck at the gate so our flight attendant started telling jokes:

“What do you call a deer with no eyes? -no eyed deer. What do you call a deer with no eyes or legs? -Still no eyed deer.” (if you don’t get this joke then try saying it aloud to yourself and if someone asks why you are talking to yourself then you are on your own because I have no eyed deer)

On one flight we had to move seats because the people in front of us were allergic and they were complaining so we did move. More ironically I am allergic to cats and I hug and kiss them all the time and I turned out fine (well….minus the whole POTS thing).

Plane rides can be really difficult when dealing with POTS. It’s really hard to spend a day where you are actively doing things for many hours. Things to distract you:

Books

Ipod

DS (handheld game)

Magazine

Paper and pen

Cards

Also make sure you have water and a snack, you don’t want to get dizzy on the plane. One time I almost fainted in a plane that was pretty scary! I had to drink water and I just tried to relax. Symptoms can be really random and at times pretty terrifying. Even if you aren’t in a plane, you should still bring water and a snack. I always carry a water bottle, Gatorade powder (g2 powder) and a granola bar in my purse just in case. Sometimes you get in a sticky situation where you need a boost. After a plane ride or any big event sometimes it takes Teddy and I a few days to recover. Take each day slowly, pace yourself.  You know what you can and cannot do.

It was a good trip and at the end of the it Teddy and I were ready for bed. The earth was shaking for me and Teddy was super dizzy. For some reason when I am really tired the whole world seems to bounce under my feet which is weird because last time I checked the world doesn’t have a bouncing problem, I might need to check again. One of the perks of being “special” I guess. Having the ability to think you are on a trampoline all hours of the day! Could be your with the small price of $89.99! Why is everything (insert #).99? .99? .99? I understand the smart people of our world want the price to look smaller but honestly?

One cent? One penny? One lonely little penny. Okay now I am totally rambling and I apologize immensely for my lack of knowledge in this post. I just got back from a nice run and my brain is a bit on the sleepy side. I like to listen to songs from Glee while I run because a lot of the songs are very upbeat. Mental note for you reader: After you work out it’s always a good idea to have a small bite to eat. I don’t mean go out and eat a whole pizza! Eat an apple or a granola bar. Something to keep your tired POTS body from going into sleep mode. After you work out it’s also important to remember just because you work out a lot it doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want and stay the same size. If you want to stay healthy workout and eat food that is good for you. Occasional yummy treats are good in moderation. I do like chocolate myself, and potato chips! The good thing about potato chips is they have salt which is a must for a POTS patient 😀 Which is A-O-K for me! Teddy and I will be keeping up more frequently with our posts this summer. You will hear from us very soon! Until then have a lovely day ❤

Love,

PIE!

I Love You More Than…

Pie: I love you more than a broken foot

Teddy: I love you more than cucumbers

Pie: I love you more than eating dill that tastes like caterpillars

Teddy: I love you more than the ending of the “Bridge to Terabithia”

Pie: I love you more than being sneezed on by a horse AFTER I just took a shower

Teddy: Oh, good one. I love you more than mushrooms

Pie: ….really? ❤

Teddy: Nope. I would never say that!

Pie: *stares bleakly, heart broken*

Teddy: Hehehe… Hey guys! This is one of our favorite games to play when we’re on the phone with each other : )

Pie: Today we are going talk about helpful tips for any crazy person like us.

Teddy: Otherwise known as silly tips. We clearly have too much time on our hands. We will both contribute, ten points to anyone who can guess which tip came from which sister!

Pie: So lets begin!

Do: Build a Swing

Don’t: Actually swing on the swing (unless you want the world to start spinning)

Don’t: Stand on the aforementioned swing (you will fall off)

Do: Narrate for your pets in silly voices.

Don’t: Tickle their feet

Do: Exercise every day

Don’t: Take walks outside when it’s 100 degrees out (trust me, doesn’t end well)

Do: Put a TV show on mute and fill in the dialogue.

Do: Watch Starship on youtube

Don’t: Spin in your office chair while watching it

Do: Eat cheese

Don’t: Go anywhere near a scale afterwords

Do: Quote Disney movies incessantly

Don’t: Take offense when people haven’t a clue what you are talking about (they are deprived children and must be pitied)

Don’t: Fall in love (unless you want your heart to speed up in EXTREMELY awkward situations)

Do: Drink pedialyte

Do: Tell them the reason that it’s purple is because it is made of squashed babies

Do: Not take anything we say seriously

Don’t: pay attention to that last comment

Pie: You know what? This post is really lame.

Teddy: Well, I HAD another post but you wanted to do a joint one

Pie: I must have been dropped as a child

Teddy: Oh, I made sure of that.

Pie: Oh! A good TO DO would be to do nerf gun wars!

Teddy: I could have sworn we ended this already. But I do love nerf wars. Do you think the neighbors would think us strange if we bought some nerf guns?

Pie: Probably. Anywho we mentioned earlier a youtube musical called Starship. It is FANTABULOUS! It is made by the same people who created a Very Potter Musical. We definitely recommend watching it sometime in your lifetime. It is about a bug…named Bug (bet you didn’t see that one coming) he has always been fascinated by starship rangers (who are basically awesome soldiers in space). Bug falls in love with a (very stupid) starship ranger.

Teddy: Why do they always fall for the stupid ones?

Pie: Examples?

Teddy: GINNY AND HARRY, Aang and Katara, anyone on the Bachelor!

Pie: TAKE THAT BACK!

Teddy:….. Oedipus and his mother, Finn and Rachel, Persephone and Hades, Donkey and the Dragon from Shrek, Bert and Ernie

Pie: You are so strange my dear…..anyways back to Starship, here’s the link

Teddy: Seeing as it isn’t Harry Potter, I wasn’t too excited to see it. But the quotes are absolutely hilarious and all of your favorite characters are back. Except for Darren Criss, because he is on Glee.

Pie: *yawns

Teddy: it’s kind of past our bedtime 😉

Pie: No I am just hearing blah blah blah blah. Just kidding! But it really is past my bedtime.

Teddy: Do you want me to tell you a bedtime story????!?!?!?!?!

Pie: Ummmm I have a bad feeling no matter how I will respond you will tell me one anyway.

Teddy: You have learned well young grasshopper. *clears throat*

Pie: *Gets milk and cookies*

Teddy: There once was a young girl who was plain but kind. Her parents loved her very much and doted upon her. They were kind people who had farmed the land for generations. Their one hope in life was that she would one day enter a marriage as filled with love as theirs was. But the girl wasn’t the type to go to market husband hunting, or to even spend time with young men at all. She preferred to go on long rides in the woods with her dog and thoroughbred, enjoying the solitude. Her parents worried about this, because they wanted to make sure she would have someone to take care of her and the farm when they died. Little did they know she had had a man in mind for some time. The times she did go to market, she ran across a boy who was handsome and charming. She, being plain and shy, did not attract his interest. He was a third son and needed to marry someone better off than himself. He was not a cruel boy, but he was cold and selfish. He did not know of her love for him, but he realized she was the best candidate in their small farming village for marriage. So slowly, he began to court her in all the usual fashion. She was elated and responded warmly. He began to think that this would not be so difficult after all. They were soon to be married. Her father was a trifle worried, though the boy had grown up on a farm he seemed to have little knowledge of how to work. He soon showed himself to be lazy and of no use at all. Her mother was worried for different reasons. Though he often told her daughter that he loved her, his caresses seemed contrived and mechanical. She saw that he was kind to her, but with such a kindness that one might treat a dog. She was worried and said so to her husband. They talked late into the night, but decided that perhaps her great love for the boy might be enough for the marriage to work. As the wedding day approached, the girl began to shrink inside. She discovered that her intended did not love her in the worst possible fashion, by observing him in the arms of another. After this encounter she found her heart to be quite broken.  She took a short cut through the woods in utter despair, thinking only of how to get home as quickly as possible.  Foolishly, she ran to the bay of the sea to cross the bridge instead of taking the much longer forest route.

This bridge was cursed by the people of the sea due to a wrong the land people had done them generations ago. The story was so old that most had forgotten it, but the fact remained that no one who took the bridge came back. The sea was always rough and no boat could sail or fish there. In her haste she had forgotten all of these things and rode desperately across. As soon as the horse’s hooves echoed across the wooden planks a great wave came crashing across, nearly throwing them both off the bridge. Soaking wet, they shivered as the shape of a man appeared through the water. He was tall and stately, though dressed in no clothes as far as she could see. His skin shone iridescent blue green and rippled oddly. His face was lined and weary as he looked at her and calmly told her she was to die. Despite the cruel turn of events, she did not shed a tear. Her mind was on her parents and their great grief at her impending death. She closed her eyes and bravely asked him to let her beloved dog and horse to go back home, wet as they were, to show her parents how she died. His brow furrowed and he asked after them. She opened her eyes and gladly told him of them. Their kind natures, how hardworking they were and how they had cared for her all her life. Through her words the ring of truth and love came out and he was soon convinced this was no ploy to gain his pity. He bowed his head and let her pass. When she asked why, he told her of his son and how he would grieve if only his mount came back, full of the land people’s spears and blood. He said the feud had gone on too long, and as King he would stop it altogether. She rode swiftly home, shivering from the damp and exposure to the cold. She lay asleep, feverish for days. Her parents feared for her very life. Through months of recovery, she canceled the wedding and refused to meet with the man she had once loved.

A broken heart is a hard thing to mend, but she sought solace in her dreams of underwater cities and sea people. She saw them vividly and longed for the day she could leave her bed and seek them out herself. When she was well, she returned to the bridge. The sea was quiet, and the sun was full and strong. She gazed sadly at the still waters, and turned to leave when a wave appeared. A sea man, emerged from the waters like the sea King she had met before. He was his son, and looked very much like him. She liked his open, honest face and carefree smile. He thanked her for making his father abate his anger with the land people. Such a weight had been on the King’s shoulders for many years and the prince had felt it would never end. While telling her this, a true smile lit her plain features with elation and compassion. He thought her beautiful and, being young, stayed talking to her far longer than he intended. He shyly asked to see her the next day and -perhaps not knowing herself why-she agreed.

They met often and her parents soon grew accustomed to seeing their daughter once more smile and laugh with them. Though they did not know what was the source of her great joy, they wisely did not ask. The two friends grew closer and closer, falling in love all the while. But they were bound to their separate realms which was a great burden to them. They dared not speak of love, and slowly they grew silent with each other. His skin felt clammy and ill to her, and likewise her skin felt unbearably hot to him. One day, he was terribly excited about something and would not tell her why, only that he had to go away for a few days. She assumed he had fallen in love with a mermaid like himself and grew desolate. She didn’t think her heart could bear to be broken twice in so short a time. He returned happier still and took her hands in his. He had been to see a sea witch and asked if he could bring his love to his kingdom. She said the only spell was to say he loved her truly, and with a kiss she could join him whenever she liked. It was so, and they began to travel to his kingdom frequently. She became loved by his parents and they rejoiced in their son’s choice. Finally, she became courageous enough to tell him she loved him too, and with a kiss he could join her on land. Her parents liked him for his honest face and heart. They married despite their differences, dividing their time betwixt sea and shore. They had ten children, two of which were farmers and two of which were mermaids. But all the others were a little of both, cementing the ties between land and sea forever. The family lived strong for many many generations, but they never forgot the tale of their ancestor’s great love that brought them together.

Pie: *dead asleep*

Teddy: Goodnight guys : )

Love,

TeDdY aNd pIe

 

 

Teddy’s Guide to Sleep

Hello dear Readers!

Today I wanted to talk to you about the importance of sleep. Now I’m sure you’ve all been lectured time and time again about that the modern human does not get enough of it, and that teenagers need more than adults. High school and middle school classes talked about it incessantly, but I never noticed how consequential it was to my well being until I became ill with POTS. It became apparent since I was tired constantly and yet could not sleep. Once diagnosed they assured me it was a common symptom of POTS. I’m sure many of you have to deal with this on a regular basis.

Insomnia is a nuisance, plain and simple. And it is dreadfully misunderstood by the general populace. Everyone has slightly different sleep requirements, the statistics are just averages. I personally need 9-10 hours which seems excessive, even to me. I can function on 8, even though it’s a risk, and by 7 I begin to look like a Teddy Zombie. Not to mention if I don’t get enough sleep for a few nights I will probably come down with an infection of some kind.

Yes, that is Zombie Teddy. It must be avoided at all costs for the safety of the world.

There are many brilliant medications that you can take to help you sleep. But, let’s be honest, most of us are on enough already. Plus, they sometimes counteract each other or give us a brilliant belly-ache. So I’m going to discuss the natural methods first.

One thing that many specialists recommend is to have a set routine every night. This is hard and I can’t actually ever accomplish this, but it’s a good idea. If you go to bed at the same time every night eventually your body will get the hint and become sleepy at that time.

So my favorite nightly ritual is some warm milk and honey. Milk has Tryptophan in it, an amino acid that helps you sleep. And if you put a little bit of honey in it the glucose relaxes you (so I’m told). This isn’t an old wives tale, it actually works. I add a few drops of vanilla extract and some cinnamon as well. The smell of it once it is mixed is really really splendid, and the taste is even better. Make sure you add the vanilla after you heat it up or you won’t be able to smell it as well.

Here are some things that prevent you from sleeping:

Coffee/Tea/Sodas

Spicy Foods

Sugars (esp. CHOCOLATE)

Meat/ Anything high in Protein blocks production of Serotonin

Alcohol Drugs/Cigarettes (because they are nuerostimulants)

Refined Carbs (*cough* white bread) because it drains B Vitamins

If you have trouble sleeping you probably spend a very long time awake in bed. Everyone has a favorite position, but I change it night to night. So if you’re spending hours tossing and turning, you sure as heck better be comfortable. This is more of a personal preference than anything, but I have a love affair with flannel. I have flannel sheets on my bed all year long, regardless of the weather. If you find it too warm, crack a window or put on a fan. Trust me, it’s soft enough to be well worth it. I also wear flannel pajamas, so it’s like a softness overload.

Ok, so don’t roll your eyes at this one. Exercise is pretty key to sleep and the lack thereof. Because POTS kids need to exercise every day anyways, this should be easy. Just make sure it’s well before you go to bed (at least two hours before) so your body has plenty of time to relax. If you don’t work out, walk, or run because your brain doesn’t make enough serotonin. If you feel dizzy and weak all day the biggest temptation is to stay put in your chair. But for the good of falling asleep, exercise! It will help over time. And working toward the goal of health is something we should all strive for. We will get better. I think I sometimes forget that. I doubt I’m the only one.

Aromatherapy has been used for a very long time to help induce sleep. Lavender is used especially. I adore the scent personally, but there are other herbs that work as well. Put roses in your room or rosemary. Sweet smelling sheets, pillows, or pajamas all help signal your body for sleep. I put a little satchel of it in my drawers. A friend of mine puts lavender in her pillow at night. So, try it. It can’t hurt to have a room that smells like a garden.

So I said I’m not going to recommend any drugs to you. We really do take quite enough of them including all the multi-vitamins. But a great deal of sleep is chemical. There are some supplements that are pretty safe to take. I am not a doctor, so ask yours before adding any of these to your diet. (I am a doctor’s kid though, so medical stuff is a common household subject)  Melatonin is completely natural and works in very small doses. I take one or two milligrams a night one half hour before I go to bed. They’re over the counter and have no side effects. As weird as that sounds, it happens to be true. Another odd sleep inducer is calcium. Calcium, especially when contained in food, has a sedative effect on the body. A calcium deficiency in the body causes restlessness and wakefulness. Magnesium, can help induce sleep. Magnesium deficiency is responsible for nervousness that prevents sleep.

Magnesium-rich foods include kelp, wheat bran, almonds, cashews, blackstrap molasses, and brewer’s yeast.
The B vitamins are known to have a sedative effect on the nerves.

Speaking of food, don’t eat right before you go to bed. Eat your last meal a few hours before bedtime. That is all.

Several of these tips include not doing anything rigorous before bed. A summery of them is to not exercise, eat, or use the computer for  very long. The bright screen messes up your body’s signal that it is night time. Many people read before going to bed (that stimulates my mind, it doesn’t make me sleepy. But some people can fall asleep to a perfectly good book ( Who wouldda thunk it). Listening to music helps me. Do things that lower your heart rate (so no push ups or sit ups). Just calm the heck down! I get stressed easily about things I need to accomplish. So one thing that I do is to write a list of all the things I need to do. This sounds boring and vaguely old lady-ish, but somehow writing down what you need to do makes it seem much more finite and manageable. So try that.

None of these recommendations are guaranteed to work for everyone. A common problem for POTS kids is to fall asleep at night so there really isn’t one quick fix. But all of these have helped me. So maybe, just maybe, they will make you sleepy. I know this post was rather boring, but I want to talk to you guys about helpful matter just as much as I want to talk about silly things. Speaking of silly things, Pie had some awesome quotes today. We were cleaning out our closet today and trying on old clothes.

Pie: “Teddy, how am I a sexy hippy?”

Pie: (I’m trying on a sweater). “Is that made of alfredo fur?”

Teddy’s Response: “I think you mean alpaca fur. And no.”

And a friend of mine showed me a video I think you will enjoy. Her little brother is singing a sped up version of an Avril Lavigne song, it is hysterical. Little boys do the silliest things, I can’t wait until they’re old enough to be teased about it. So without further ado, here is the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ufJQB6dEjs

Have a great week guys! My goal for the summer is to write to you every Tuesday, so hold me to it.

Be well!

Teddy

Meg Cabot: The Mac to our Cheese

Pie: Teddy? The flies are uh, doing the nasty on your arm.

Teddy: Looks down

Pie: Just kidding. I think they’re playing with each other.

Teddy: death glare

Pie: Teddy, the breeding ground of all flies!

Teddy: It should probably be mentioned that we’re in our horse barn at the moment. Just so our readers don’t think I’m Pig-Pen from the Peanuts.

Pie: swings on swing happily

Teddy: Hey!

Pie: Hay is for horses!

Teddy: But better for cows, yeah, yeah we know. Anyways, we wanted to tell you guys about our favorite author, Meg Cabot!

Pie: So throw off your fuzzy bunny slippers, your bathrobe,

Teddy: I don’t like where this is going.

Pie: Put on your converse and go out to the nearest book store and instantly buy a book by her!

Teddy: But what are they wearing under the bathrobe?

Pie: Doesn’t matter. The point is, we love her.

Teddy: She’s a witty author for teens and young adults.

Pie: Mostly for girls, but that never stopped anyone from reading Twilight.

Teddy: You must not speak its name!

Pie: That’s Voldemort.

Teddy: Not that it makes much of a difference

Pie: Her books are really good for people like me who aren’t big readers. They’re fast paced and easy to read. The best part is that she has a ton of them, and each one is as good as the next.

Teddy: I read constantly, and our parents read often too. We tried to get Pie to like reading, but she didn’t really enjoy it. Everything we threw at her she thought was boring and didn’t finish. Even Artemis Fowl. I don’t think I’ve ever forgiven her for that. Plus, she got sick and was too tired to read. I didn’t understand that until I got sick too. It’s rather draining, and POTS kids want mindless activities to make them feel better.

Pie: But somehow Meg Cabot books are mindless enough to not make me tired, and interesting enough so I’ll still enjoy them. This summer I read twenty of her books, I do like reading but I just can’t all that often. One thing that worked when I was younger was to listen to books on tape. That way I could nap,

Teddy: This was before the Mayo clinic told us that naps were bad for her.

Pie: and still read. That’s how I read the Harry Potter series and A Wrinkle In Time.

Teddy: The first paperback we both enjoyed together was Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries series. It is SO much better than the Disney movie I can’t even tell you. The pop culture witticisms are hilarious and the characters have great depth.

Pie: Before I read the series I loved the movies but truthfully they are completely different from the books. I loved The Princess Diaries because everything seemed so real. Meg Cabot made sure it would come across as a REAL diary, and just like a diary some days are more interesting than others. This series has more drama than action which is awesome (if you like drama). The characters are SO LOVEABLE by the end of the series the characters became my friends and I still think of Mia as a real person. Not many books can trick you into thinking the people are real (just like J.K. Rowling does in the Harry Potter series). I still sometimes wonder what trouble Lily Moscovitz is getting into (Princess Mia’s best friend) Or what crazy invention Michael has created and how Mia’s book is selling.

Teddy: Every single Meg Cabot book has the same magic quality to it. It feels like her voice is continuous through all of the books and in some regard I have grown up with her because her books were published throughout my middle school and high school years.

Pie: Now before we get started on the Mediator series I am not going to say I like one more than the other because they are both fabulous and have different concepts. The Mediator series is more action packed it keeps you guessing and you never really know what is going to happen. The main character is more rough and tough and takes some getting used to compared to the lovely adorable Mia. Suze is a mediation (someone who can talk to dead people) she sends them back to the realm of the unliving instead of roaming around on earth. She soon finds that many of the ghosts have unsettled business on earth that Suze has to solve for them.

Teddy: One thing I like about all of her books is the heroines love interests captivate you as much as the heroine. They are irresistibly brave and witty young men and handsome to boot. My favorite is Michael Moscovitz.

Pie: I really loved Jesse from the Mediator series.

Teddy: Now on to Avalon High. PRETEND THE MOVIE DOESN’T EXSIST!

Pie: I couldn’t even endure 5 minutes of the movie.

Teddy: After watching the trailer I didn’t even try to watch the movie. It’s about King Arthurs courts that’s been transplanted into a modern day high school.

Pie: WHICH IS WEIRD! (but the book is ah-mazing)

Teddy: And once again the main character is completely loveable. She has the funniest hobbies like floating in her backyard pool and going on hour long runs with her nerdy dad.

Pie: Funny enough she actually enjoys running she inspired me to even go on a run amazingly enough…..I almost went. This isn’t a series but doesn’t leave anything hanging which is really nice. I hate when books don’t resolve all the problems that’s one thing you will never have to worry about with Meg Cabot.

Teddy: Plus there is always a love story…and they always get together….which I enjoy ❤

Pie: Same here ❤ Teen Idol is another non-series but non-awful and awesome! It’s about a girl who writes anonymously for her school paper as Dear Annie. She helps solve everyone else’s problems. She becomes friends with a teen pop star who she is forced to lead around the school and they become weird little friends.

Teddy: This story really wasn’t stereotypical at all. She is a much more down-to-earth-character because she doesn’t care whether he is rich or famous. She actually dislikes those parts about him. She is just an average girl who babysits, stays out of trouble, and is in show choir.

Pie: It’s a simple story that is perfect for a fast, summer read. I loved reading it and I definitely recommend it.

Teddy: Captain Obvious, your ship has sailed. We’re recommending all of her books!

Pie: Yeah well, I’m just going to cry myself to sleep now…

Teddy: Remember, no naps.

Pie: Rawr. Bite me. Anyways, whats our next book?

Teddy: Meg Cabot wrote several teen romance novels set in Victorian Era England. The first is “Victoria and the Rogue” and the second is “Nicola and the Viscount”. I adored them because I’m an anglophile.

Pie: Which apparently means someone who likes English stuff. She’s not a pedophile, I swear.

Teddy: It’s a common term! Anyways, they’re both about young girls fresh on the marriage market who have their hearts set on a wealthy match. But, like with most of Cabot’s headstrong heroines, things never go according to plan. They’re filled with gorgeous descriptions of gowns, narrow escapes, and dashing gentlemen.

Pie: The spats between the heroines and their true loves are hilarious, it’s nice to have so many witty characters in one story.

(cover reads: It’s what’s outside that matters)

Teddy: Our next series up for review is the Airhead series.

Pie: A GREAT series. Except for the ending.

(Back of cover reads: No one cares what’s inside) ( I am not telling you what it says because I think you are blind…I am telling you because I know you are illiterate 🙂 )

Teddy: Correction, the first book is probably one of the best Meg Cabot has ever penned. The second book was good, but the third was terrible.

Pie: The story is extraordinarily captivating. To put this book down actually was painful. It is so interesting and I felt like I was the main character. I experienced what she experienced. Even though the ending isn’t as spectacular as Teddy and I would have liked, the series is still marvelous. Don’t get me wrong the ending isn’t awful! It just wasn’t my favorite ending.

Teddy: It’s about a girl who wakes up in the body of a supermodel. While it sounds like a Disney series it’s actually more complex. We feel incredibly sorry for the character because she is forced to live out the models contract in exchange for being kept alive in the models body. This includes having all of her friends and family think she’s dead, even her best friend who she’s in love with.

Pie: Umm….no more spoilers okay Teddy bear?

Teddy: *grumble grumble

Pie: RUMBLEROAR…he’s a lion who can talk!

Teddy: Haha. This concludes the Meg Cabot books Pie and I have read TOGETHER.

Pie: You make it sounds like I can’t read! YOU DO NOT READ ME STORIES.

Teddy: The remainder of the books are either adult fiction or romance novels. The last four are much more crude than the others and I do not recommend them to anyone who dislikes reading books with mature scenes. I rated them out of five stars

Boy Next Door ☆☆☆☆☆ Adorable New York romance.

Every Boys Got One ☆☆☆☆ Think Boy Next Door in Italy. It’s adorable and scenic.

The Heather Wells Mystery Series ☆☆☆☆☆ FANTASTIC SERIES! A college RA who used to be a popstar before she gained weight solves mysteries in the dorms. It’s hilarious, honest and very relatable.

Insatiable ☆☆ Vampire crap that pretends to not be. That being said, it’s well written vampire crap. And she used the names from Dracula. So it is slightly commendable.

Ransome My Heart by Mia Thermopolis (Mia Thermopolis is the heroine of the Princess Diaries)☆☆☆☆ Lovely Regency romance with a main character that is a bit of a tomboy.

Educating Caroline ☆☆☆☆☆ Another Regency romance novel with a very alluring lead guy. Seriously attractive. I was quite in love with him by the end of it.

The Lady of Skye ☆☆☆☆☆ Brilliantly done, one of my favorite romance novels of all time. I can’t even give a simple synopsis. Read it if you can deal with the occasional sex scene.

Pie: See now all of your reasons to NOT read are invalid…ha ha ha just kidding. We all have bad days, and Meg Cabot can save you from them! SO put on those bunny slippers and!

Teddy: Oh not this again…..

Pie: AND GO OUT AND BUY A MEG CABOT BOOK!!!

Teddy&Pie: That is all for this week! We are going to start posting a lot more since we are both out of school (Finally!). Teddy is going to post every Tuesday (tuesdays with Teddy not Morrie). If you ever need any book recommendations ask us since Teddy is a bookaholic and Pie will tell you if the books are actually good. This normally depends if Pie could actually get through the book. Have a great week filled with laughter and health and maybe even a book. Enjoy!

Love,

tEdDy & pIe

P.S. We actually do kinda look like that. Beautiful job Gimparasi!

P.P.S. And a HUGE thanks to Meg Cabot for writing such fantastic books! And for making out lives, a little more adventurous.