Monique…where the heck are the videos?
“Hi guuuuuys!!! Today on Divas Can Cook we’re going to be making…. ” Ha! Just playing! I don’t have a video recipe for you today but I do want to update you all on what I’ve been up to and why the videos are super slow these days. Everyday I get at least one email asking “Monique where you at!” or “Are you going to post a new videos this week?” or “what’s up with all the video-less posts?”
Well before I could blame my lack of posting on moving! We’ve been moving so much lately but now we are all settled in our house.
To celebrate our new home we decided to finally get our dream dog, a big ol bullmastiff! Well…my dream dog anyway. Hubby wasn’t so thrilled with getting a dog that was expected to exceed 130 lbs!
Isn’t she just a cutie pie? She was only 3 months old on this picture below and since the moment we brought her home in early March she has been such a sweet, quiet and calm little puppy. She really is the best breed of dog I’ve ever had. All was going well until……
I started to get a little tickle in my throat. Mainly at night. This little tickled turned into nightly hoarseness. By the end of the day my voice was pretty much a whisper.
What the heck does this have to do with videos you ask? Well I normally record my voiceovers at night. It’s when the house is calm and quiet and I finally get my me time from my normal hectic schedule of homeschooling, running errands, working my business, my blog and a million other things I’ve got going on.
This became a huge problem! My blog is one of my businesses and I NEED my voice to do voiceovers! I can’t be sounding all Barry White and “newportish” in these videos!! So not cute!
So then I worked out a schedule with hubby so that I could start doing my voiceovers during the day and he’d take the kids out. That was working great until my night time hoarseness also became daytime hoarseness!
I developed a severe cough, runny nose and just felt blah every single day! Typical allergy symptoms for me. Soon the entire family started to get this nagging cough. We figured it had to be something in the house because we felt fine when we left the house and didn’t feel this way until we moved in. We changed out the air filters, deep cleaned, checked for mold, everything!!
I even started having heart palpations and chest pressure over the months and ended up in the ER hooked up to all kind of machines for 24 hours! WTF! They didn’t find anything wrong with my heart thank God, but told me it could a number of things including a severe allergy to something.
Hmm…I’d been having lots of allergy symptoms over the months but the house was checked thoroughly and we hadn’t tried any new detergents or anything like that. NOr have I been stressed. What was making us all cough!?
Yep ZONKA!!!
Turns out we are ALL allergic to our sweet little bullmastiff. I seem to be more sensitive to her though. Maybe because I spend the most time with her.
After brushing her one day and going into a coughing fit is when I finally put two and two together. I moved her cage to the basement and away from the air vent recently and my cough slowly began to get better.
I’m really at a lost right now because I’m not sure what to do. I’ve never been allergic to an animal before. She is not a breed that likes to be alone and we were told that she MUST always be with her pack (us) in order to keep from getting bored and/or becoming aggressive. So the basement is out and besides we really like having her around us. She’s so protective and gentle.
What do people do when they are allergic to their pets?? *sigh*
Well my voice is slowly getting back to normal and I’ll get back to posting videos soon. Just wanted to let you guys know where I’ve been.
I’m still not sure what we’re going to do with our Zonka though : (
I really love the recipes along with your instructions! As for your dog… Beautiful!! Almost looks like our Boxers. I wish I could share a pic of them but, don’t see any upload options. Thank you for all the awesomeness!!
I had the same issue with my four legged babies. So, thankful that God placed it on my mind to go to an allergist. BEST thing I ever did. I found out I was allergic to my babies and a whole bunch of other stuff. I now have to take monthly allergy shots but that’s ok. My furry kids don’t have to leave their home and I found out what other things I was allergic to.
Please go to an allergist. Hope this helps. 🙂
Feel better. I hope the best for you with Yonka . Maybe another loving family. Hurry back girl. I miss those recipes and your energy.
Hi, Diva!!!
Zonka is beautiful!!!! I have allergies for days! I do have a dog, but he has hair, not fur, like Zonka. There is a difference….and so, he doesn’t affect me. Thank God because he sleeps in my bed and doesn’t shed profusely! He’s a beauty of a Cocker Spaniel named Xhristian (pronounced Christian) Dior, black with a dribble of white down his chest! I’m in love!
Now, my sister had the same problem as you with her beautiful dog, Rocky! Her kids loved him too but the pet dander was driving my sissy crazy and she got tired of sweeping up hair! LOL…well, she decided to give the dog away and so she took him to the SPCA so he could be adopted. Big mistake. The kids went H.A.M! Her son was depressed and her four-year-old daughter asked her, “How would you feel if somebody gave you away?” Needless to say, I got a text from her saying Rocky is now safely back home with the family. Her solution? MEDS!!! She has to take allergy meds to deal with the dog. :))))
In your case, though, that’s meds for all of you! Try something over the counter and see how that works. The doctor will be expensive I’m sure. ;)))
Anywho, let me encourage you to keep going with this blog. There will be much more success to come, along with a TV show. Be ready and prepare your family because if it’s not already in talks it will happen for you. I see it! And stay making that man feel good! I do the same with mine and I’m funny about anybody else cooking for him! LOL….”Um, who made that? Ah, no, you can take that back!” Bwahahaa! but dead serious, chile! Presentation is everything and I make sure he gets the max (that’s my future hubby)!
All success! I love your recipes and I will be a follower of your blog! Have been now for a few years. I knew I was a fan when you mentioned that White Lily flour. An older lady from South Carolina told me about that flour about 15 years ago. Originally a North Carolina diva (;)), I live in Maryland now and White Lily is nowhere to be found so I have to stock up when I visit home!!!
Take care and blessings to you and your family and thank you for all the love and great energy you spread to the world!
kita
Hope u don’t have to give the dog up. I am sure your family is very attached. I have a 13 month old pitbull and would be very sad if we had to give him up.