This year do I want to make a resolution to lose weight, save money or learn a foreign language? Or even something more vague like have more tolerance or patience? Let’s just face it, a nice easy resolution is the best bet. If it is easily achieved, and that achievement will give you a warm fuzzy feeling that you have actually accomplished something. Having no resolution also works, but then you have to defend your reason for not having one when asked, so it is just easier to make one up. Resolutions regarding improvements to your life style and health are truly worthy goals, but they are quite a bit harder to achieve, given they require sustained effort and
many obstacles.

Continue reading "New Years Resolutions: Why They Are so Tricky" »

My daughter Christine has Lupus and she thinks she is invincible. She tries to overcompensate for the times she feels like hell, by being Superwoman, Supermom and Martha Stewart, all rolled into one.

In the weeks preceeding Christmas her home looked like a Winter Wonderland, tastefully decorated with snowmen and snowflakes. She had her precious daughter Olivia's picture taken with Santa and her photo cards were out on time- way before mine. Chris even managed to buy and wrap over 40 gifts and bake about 10 dozen batches of cookies. She definitely had the Spirit of Christmas and her energy level seemed nothing short of a Christmas miracle.

Continue reading "The After Holiday Crash" »

I don't know how many of you are of the same mindset as I am. You find one book by an author that you like, and it's almost addictive. For me, that was Dan Brown.

Continue reading "Book Review: Deception Point - Author: Dan Brown" »

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year! We hope your new year is filled with friends, family, hope, happiness, good health, and most of all Spoons!

(We will continue to provide you great new content daily starting in the new year!)

Perhaps not in time for holiday baking, but for future cooking sprees, here's an idea that might help those with aches, pains, or strains in the hands! The battery operated sifter works just like it sounds. You pop in a couple
of batteries, depending on which sifter you purchase, and it does the work for you. No more pumping with the new plastic sifters that are commonly found in the home stores! I found that to be exhausting and painful! I longed
for an "old-fashioned" metal sifter that you twirled by hand, but even those can create difficulties for those of us suffering with joint pain.

Continue reading "Product Review: Battery Operated Flour Sifter" »

So, I'm officially obsessed with my child. I'm not ashamed to admit it. BUT, I'm a rather private and modest person and I truly do not like to interfere with others' lives. I do not like to flaunt my baby's pictures and shove them into everyone's e-mail boxes every month, week, day...well, you know the type! Once we discovered we were going to be blessed with this bundle o' joy, I also knew that with my fibromyalgia, I would not be doing much (ahem, any) traveling and distant relatives would probably want to know what was going on with our lives. So, I had to find some way to allow access into our happy little home!

Continue reading "Website Review: Babysites.com" »

Here are tips on how to survive school when you suffer from FMS or any other chronically painful illness. I did survive and am alive to tell the tale. I did not know these tips, when I was in high school, so what I did instead, was
skip school quite a bit in order to sleep. This is actually effective, if you can manage the good grades at the same time, which I could because I am somewhat smart-ish.

Continue reading "Student Tips: How to Make it Through School-When Sleeping Sounds More Sensible" »

In the winter it's harder not to get sick, than it is to remain healthy throughout the season. For many reasons, we find ourselves grabbing for the tissues instead of our vacation guides. Many of us already are sick 365 (or 366 if it's a leap year!!) days of a year, so we need to get over this whole mess fast! Here are the top ten tips and products to help you get through the cold and flu season this year.

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The annual tradition of making New Year's resolutions can be a source of stress for those with a chronic illness. Sometimes we're just so overwhelmed with getting through the day, that committing to more demands on our
time and psyches seems unfathomable. And to some, forcing ourselves to adhere to a list of rules and regulations smacks of unrealistic expectations. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Continue reading "How to Make Achievable New Year Revolutions" »

We all know the feeling - we kick on the furnace for the winter and within days our skin starts screaming... loudly... for attention! It "screams" by getting dry and itchy, developing rough flaky patches, and just generally acting cranky! We have to DO something - we rush to buy the latest, greatest moisturizer - shell out the big bucks for whatever the magazines and TV or our next door neighbor says will WORK. Trouble is, it doesn't. We are still dry, we still itch, our skin seems to drink in the moisturizer insatiably. WHY?

Continue reading "Surviving Dry Itchy Winter Skin" »

Continue reading "Book Review: The Zentrepreneur's Idea Log and Workbook" »

This is one of those simple ideas that make you say "I wish I thought of that!". The Doudou padded bed bumper easily Velcros right to any wall running next to your bed. This cute and soft bumper then protects you from bumping into the hard wall, while tossing and turning in the night. It also helps keep you warm by protecting you with a barrier between you and the cold wall during those winter months. The word Doudou is a French word that means warm, cozy or comfortable cloth.

Continue reading "Product Review: My Doudou Bed Bumper" »

Most of my friends admire me for what I accomplish. Those closest to me know my deepest horror stories, and most embarrassing moments concerning my disease. Having an inflammatory bowel disease is not a pretty picture- or a pretty smell either. It puts extreme limits on your everyday life, and makes you fear going anywhere without immediate access to that porcelain bowl. Like any chronic illness, it drains you of energy, and it heightens frustration when someone asks “why can’t you go to the party tonight?” Sure, you have no plans, but the only thing getting your attention lately is twelve water bottles, a copy of Cosmo, and your pillow. So unless the host of this party allows you to take a nap in the midst of the red cup parade, you’re not going.

Continue reading "Personal Essay: Baby Steps, People" »

A 30 day plan to boost energy, enhance weight loss, heal GI problems, prevent disease, and slow aging.
by John R. Taylor N.D. and Deborah Mitchell

Continue reading "Book Review: The Wonder of Probiotics" »

The title of this new cookbook might not immediately grab you with it's lowercase lettered title and the concept of low salt dishes. This is a cookbook that you buy with good intentions of getting healthy and cooking nutritionally better dishes. Since I wanted to write a review of this book I needed to take the next step and actually use it! What a pleasant and tasty surprise!

Continue reading "Cookbook Review: the no-salt, lowest sodium international cookbook" »

Running has been in my life for seven years now, and it has always been a release for me. When I was in full remission, I would always try go running again. When insurance companies tried to get the best of me, I would run it off for half an hour or if I was nervous about a future procedure, running a steep hill relaxed my nerves and calmed me down. I take running seriously, and it is much more than a simple recreational sport. That is why, this Christmas, I am offering you a list of the top ten things any crazy runner, such as myself, would hope to see under a Christmas tree. Happy Holidays!

Continue reading "Top Ten Gift Ideas for a Crazy, Insane, Intense Running Friend" »

* and other cortisone-related medicines It may work miracles, but how do you handle the side effects?

A guide to the potential nutritional, emotional, and physical side effects of taking long-term cortisone related medicines. Co-authored by a Eugenia Zukerman, world renowned flutist who was prescribed prednisone for a rare lung disease, and her sister, a specialist physician, this book describes Ms. Zukerman's experience with this treatment and provides helpful information on the management of the side effects.

Continue reading "Book Review: Revised and Updated - Coping with Prednisone*" »

Continue reading "Top Ten Holiday Gift Ideas For People With Arthritis" »

I love going to people’s houses during the season and seeing how everyone decorates their house, however, when it comes to decorating mine, it’s not my favorite task. Even worse is taking it down at the end of the season.
Because I still live at home my parents and sister help so it’s not too bad, but this year I wasn't in the mood and my mother and father are getting older and don't get into it like they used to. So this is how we decorated our house to be simple and still look homey and Christmassy.

Continue reading "Tips: Decorating the House for the Holidays!" »

In the wintertime, one of the most annoying issues is dry, cracking lips. The weather outside isn't just frightful for those going out, but it is horribly damaging to the delicate tissues of your pout. I have found a product that will keep your pucker prettier then a petunia in bloom.

Continue reading "Product Review: Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm" »

We are always working hard to make our website the best it can be. Now we are better then before! You have been asking for some of these new features, and we have been listening! We are very proud to announce new upgrades and site features! If you have not been to our website lately - please come to check out some of these new exciting additions!

Continue reading "ButYouDontLookSick.com gets NEW upgrades!" »

It's fun to get gifts but buying them when you have a chronic illness can be anything but fun. Having to get bundled up if the weather is cold and walk through crowded malls and stores, if you have a compromised immune system, can be a bad idea. So here are a few tips to keep holiday shopping fun and easy.

Continue reading "Tips for Easy Holiday Shopping!" »

1. Free shipping!

I think my UPS man assumes I have a crush on him. I don't want to date him, but I do love that he delivers heavy packages right to my door. It is cold, shopping bags are heavy and I hate parking in crowded lots. It is really that simple. Most stores are now online and most offer free shipping. Why drag myself out in the cold, walk with pain, deal with crowds and lines, when I can get the same item delivered to my door within days. I used to have to beg friends to hold my shopping bags when my arms got too tired. I used to have to plan rest breaks from walking and shopping. Now I sit at home and wait for the packages to come to me. Ah, I love the internet! (If you are a store owner please note that I am swayed to shop at online stores that do offer free shipping over those who don't)

Continue reading "4 Reasons Why I Love to Shop Online During Christmas, and Why You Should Too!" »

This is the time of year to give and receive Christmas cards! I love opening my mailbox and finding Christmas cards, it's so much fun. However, when you have a chronic illness, the task of Christmas card writing can be a little
hard and tiring. These are just a few tips to help with keeping Christmas card writing easy and fun.

Continue reading "Tips For Writing out Christmas Cards Easily" »

It's fun to get gifts, but wrapping them especially if you have sore or weak hands can be hard. Here are a few tips to help you wrap Christmas gifts easily.

Continue reading "Tips: How to Wrap Christmas Gifts Easily" »

After a recent party, I had to tackle the task of writing thank you notes. I know I always like to receive thank you notes, since they brighten up a dreary day. Likewise, I am a grateful person and want to show appreciation for any gift or favor I receive, but there are times, due to fatigue, hand pain, or just plan lack of motivation when writing thank you notes can be a big, overwhelming task. The following tips have helped me and I hope they help you.

Continue reading "Tips for the chronically Ill: Writing thank you notes" »

This is Alice’s first published book and it explores the intimate bonds a mother and daughter share. It walks the reader through the hardships of broken hearts, divorced parents, and one’s own growth. Ultimately, the mother-daughter relationship is challenged when a health crisis emerges, forcing the two to come to terms with reality, and what is really important in life. Kuipers tells the entire story through notes which the mother leaves for her daughter on the refrigerator door, and vice versa. In this sense, it does not take the form of a traditional fiction novel, but it allows the reader to relate to the sequence of events on a very real level.

Continue reading "Book Review: Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers" »

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