What did Hurricane Harvey bring you?

Hurricane Harvey brought more than just torrential rains, deadly flooding and loss of personal possessions. For me in particular, it brought a personal image revelation. It showed me how truly selfish I was. 

We left home on Thursday night after reading that Tropical Storm Harvey, had the potential to become a category 4 hurricane. Though we are a few hours from the coast, I know how far such a big storm can reach. Our area is known to flood. And with all the power line work going on, loss of power seemed inevitable.

To be honest, we didn't even know there was a storm coming until that day. We don't have cable, we aren't checking local headlines daily, and we don't go to Facebook to get updated. My husband heard about it at a meeting just before leaving work in the morning. I heard more about it from a quick radio snip. 

So while sitting at my in-laws house in Waco the next day, I felt quite foolish. We "prepared" for the storm with the intention of staying home to ride it out. As a Florida-raised lady, I have seen my fair share of storms. I laugh at native Texans who can't handle the light showers we get from time to time. So I figured we would be fine. Sure, we might get flooded in. But that's why I bought water, diapers, and food. Yes, we would most likely lose power. That's why I made the kids eat refrigerated foods during the day and bought non perishables to eat when the time came. I put towels against the base of the back door where I was sure water would come in. I started washing all the clothes and keeping the dishes cleaned up so that I wouldn't have them pile up if we lost power. I bought paper plates and cutlery as well. 

But the biggest things I invested in were the portable butane grill so that we could cook little things without electricity. I bought flashlights too, to help the kids while making sure we had our candles ready. I'm thankful I had money in my savings for emergencies like this. But now it seemed like a waste. As my husband said, however, we will be ready for the next time. 

Why did I prepare if we were just going to flee to Waco? We were checking the updates and seeing that the storm was building strength. It was to become a category 3 with potential to be a category 4. I know what that means. It means strong winds. It means torrential rains. For my husband, it seemed like the best option to play it safe and travel North. Put just a little more distance between us and the coast. I can agree that his logic in doing so was sound. 

So I shouldn't feel so bummed out, right? After all, our family is safe. And yet... I almost wished we were back home. I have laundry that needed to be done. I had a craft to finish. I had blogging to work on. I wanted some game time on 7 Days to Die with my husband. Or even on our family Minecraft map. Instead, I was trying to keep the kids in line. I was dealing with neck pain and migraines. And I felt bad that we were imposing on the in laws last minute. Don't get me wrong, they had assured us they were happy to have us and that they felt better we were there. 

(Made it back in time for their first day of school on Monday!)

But this wasn't planned. I had plans. Things I wanted to do. I'm human. I'm selfish at times. I have to remind myself that my family comes first. Their safety. Their health. Their happiness. I have to remind myself that I can do the laundry and crafts when we get back and they are asleep. Same goes for the blogging. That video games, while a great chance to bond, aren't important. And when we got home on Sunday, I could be grateful that we were safe. 


A friend recently reminded me of something very important. She told me that we need to put family first, always. Chores can and will be done later. If its not urgent, let it go for a few more minutes. Spend that time with those you love. This is especially true for moms. After all, how many times do we let daily household activities consume our time? How often do we forget that the children we treasure are steadily growing and will soon leave us? My oldest is turning 9 years old in October! NINE YEARS OLD! Where has all that time gone?? I look back through the years of old photos to rebuild the memories of the times past and see so many times I forgot that he was growing up. So much of the time I told him and his siblings that I was busy and "we will see" about whether I can play this game or watch that movie with them. Times I should have taken out just a few minutes to truly enjoy them. 

This storm brought that reminder home. I was so grumpy about going away from home and my plans, that I forgot why we were doing it to begin with. And then, having talked to people in my neighborhood, felt even more foolish as it didn't cause any of the issues we were thinking it would. No power loss or extreme flooding. 

But I look back now and realize that I need to change my way of thinking. I need to be more selfless. I do good deeds. I raise my kids right. I love my family and friends. But do I think of others more than myself? Do I put others before myself on a regular basis? Now that I think about it, no. Not enough anyhow. Do you? 

Prayers for those who dealt more closely with the storm. I've been donating when and how I can. My heart hurts when I see the news of the devastation. I thank God my family was kept safe. Especially when I didn't get to do what I planned.

And there were lice...

We have had a wonderful summer. Hard to believe it's coming to an end already. Monday is when my kids head back to school. With that being the case, I decided to get in as much fun as we can before then. Today, we went shopping. We did some crafts. And then, we went to the mall. While at the mall, my husband and I noticed our older daughter scratching the mess out of her head. She was really going at it. And when I asked her about it, she replied that part of her head just itched a lot. 

I don't know about you, but I grew up with very long and thick hair. When I was in public school, my hair was touched often by a lot of hands... And I came home with lice often. So often, that my dad even threatened to shave me bald. All of my stuffed toys, even one that I treasured, were tossed out. Bedding was stripped and washed. And I went through the long night of Rid in my hair while my mother combed through it with that sharp, fine-toothed comb. Far too often. My mother said it was about every two weeks. And I hated it! 

So you can imagine the dread I felt when I thought, please don't let it be lice! I told myself that maybe she was just sweaty. Maybe she hasn't been washing her hair too well. Can't shake a Mother's wisdom though. We got home and the purging began right after dinner. 

I started by looking through her hair. If you don't know, the sides of the head close to the ears, slightly above and the base of the head at the neck are the two spots usually affected by lice the most. I checked the base first. And boy was I shocked. She had eggs, or nits, EVERYWHERE! I grabbed the bottle of Rid I had from the last time we had to deal with them and got to work. We boiled water to dip the comb in after each stroke through her hair. They don't like heat. Like serious heat. So washing bedding and drying it in heat kills them on bedding, clothes and stuffed toys. Dipped the brush and combs into boiling water also kills them. Otherwise, they will maintain a tight grip. I call it the death grip. The eggs are attached to strands of hair in the same way. It takes a very fine comb to get them off. That's why you have to use the Rid version that comes with the special shampoo. 

The shampoo has an awful smell and goes on dry hair. You douse every inch of it and rub it onto the scalp. Then you take the comb and go over each hair pulling everything out. 

I think it took me at least 2 hours. Plus, I had to cut her beautiful hair. She had long locks that went down to the bottom of her back. Now her hair is right at her shoulders. She looks adorable, but still. As a Mother, I want to spare her from this. I mean, honestly! How did she get them when she hasn't been at school? We haven't been out much. And she is the only one that had them. I checked the boys and the baby. Nothing. I ran the comb through my own hair and only found a ton of dandruff. My scalp is dryer than the Sahara right now... So where is this coming from?? I told her that she must wash her hair. We went over the proper way to wash it (again). I explained the importance of it. And she cried. No one likes having this happen. Her brothers shied away from her when she got close. I helped her wash out the Rid and then I checked her head again. Can you believe that there was more? I had to comb through her locks once again. Pulled out more eggs and more lice. Thus, I started my tasks all over again. 

While dealing with her, I also had a load of her bedding running on the sanitizing option in the wash. I have about 2-3 other loads to follow tomorrow. My boys were cleaning up their room, picking up toys in the living room, and taking turns helping with the baby who was so tired - that she just wanted to scream at us. My husband was trying to get some sleep before work. I have a dishwasher to empty in the morning, a load in the sink needing to be done, and will have to check her hair again. I'll wash it one more time to be sure. It feels like I'm standing before a mountain of chores. All of them needing to be done. And none of them appealing to me right now. The good news is, this is happening before school starts. I would not want to be in this mess during school days... 

A word to the wise, if you see them scratching - get checking! 

Label Daddy Review and Discount

Being a part of the US Family Guide gives me great opportunities. Like being able to write reviews for the amazing Label Daddy! Back to School is nearing the end. Most schools have already started up. Our kids go back on Monday. Did your summer fly by as quickly as ours did, or what!? With that, we had to get the supplies ready. And as suggested by teachers and Moms alike, supplies should be labeled with your child's name. You want everyone to know what belongs to your kid all through the year. After all, supplies aren't cheap. And there is a lot of it needed. 

So I grabbed the Medium All Purpose label pack. It's $20, comes with the perfect sized labels for glue bottles, crayon boxes, notebooks, folders, etc. I decided to get these for my oldest. So I put in his name, picked Emoji as his design. I love that Label Daddy has some new designs (though I'm hoping they bring back some of the others they used to have). After picking a design, you also pick the style. They had a variety of the Emoji ones, but I liked the color scheme on this one. Then I also chose to use the $5 add on and get them laminated. 

Now he has everything labeled. And he did it himself! It was great. I had to peel and re-stick a couple of them that he had put on the wrong items. They came off and went on to the folders with ease. They also stuck inside his backpack. These are washable too. So if I have to wipe down anything, they won't be ruined. And since there are 50 of them to the pack, I have some extra for later use if I have to get other supplies or for next year! 

They ship out really quickly too. I typically get them within a week or less of ordering. Shipped in a sturdy envelope that will keep them from being ruined by the Postal Service. 

Label Daddy also has some new things going on. They have a fundraising option you can use. You can contact them at FUNDRAISING@LABELDADDY.COM for more information. This year, they rolled out some First Day of School shirts and signs for fantastic photos to commemorate your child's first day of school. 

I'm truly a fan of Label Daddy. I use them for my kids every year, but I also use them for myself. I label my own things that I take out and about to let others know who it belongs to. I highly recommend them! So check them out and be sure to use this link and this code to get 25% off! USFAMILY25

Journey to Pain Relief: The Simple Solutions

It's amazing what we overlook when we hurt. 

Did you know that the simplest cure for some of our greatest pains can be water? I'm serious. At the onslaught of a headache, try guzzling down some water. Sometimes, not all the time, the pain will cease. Cramping strongly? Drink till you feel like you are drowning. Increase in water intake is usually a suggestion I get from doctors. Our bodies are mostly composed of water. Decrease in our supply leads to panic in our system. This causes additional pains that would otherwise be avoided. 

This is just one thing we overlook when we seek relief from pain and the medications are not helping. 

Take your vitamins and drink your milk! We don't eat and drink as healthy as those before us did. Particularly in America. We are overweight and underachieving. Weakened bones can't hold us to a higher performance. Eating things that boast calcium additives, doesn't mean that you are going to retain it better. As a matter of fact, some vitamins and minerals will cancel each other out. Do a little research. Know what your body might be missing and see what you can take that will boost its own supply, while avoiding the things that will block it from absorption. Take, for instance, tea. If you are suffering from an iron deficiency, or your blood iron is low - stop drinking tea while eating more peanut butter, red meats and greens. Tea absorbs the iron your body needs.

Keep the exercises simple if you are hurting. Nothing wrong with working out. Actually, it will increase bone as well as muscle strength. This in turn might lead to weight loss. And all of this can lead to less pain throughout your body. From the research I had done, working out lessens and lengthens the bodies ability to stave off the effects of arthritis. I tried hard to work out daily to keep the spine strong. And for a while, I think it worked. Until arthritis was no longer the only problem I had going on back there. You can be slightly sore, but don't push yourself until you are aching and feel like you're dying.

 

Get support in the form of better pillows. Normal pillows may seem fine. You might think that your pain and lack of sleep are stress-related and only curable by medicine and doctors, but at least try a different pillow. I switched to a gel-filled memory foam pillow. While my neck isn't completely satisfied, I have at least noticed a difference. And when I get migraines that drive me back to bed, that pillow is always cool under my head. It helps so much!

Dressing comfortably means the tight-fitting and heels need to go. I worked in a professional setting where heels were a daily additive and looking like a million dollars showed confidence. But those shoes added to the pain, as did tight pants. Try it. One day, wear heels and tight pants. Then the next day, flats and loose clothing. Tell me if you notice the difference or am I going crazy. I'm not saying put on the proverbial "tent" dress from the 70's and wear thong shoes. But something that is so tight it looks painted on, is doing more damage to your body than that of something truly comfortable. Besides, ladies, if you show it all off, what is left for their imagination? Or am I so old fashioned that only I think that way any more?

Focus on other things to trick your mind. Part of my pain management training during my teen years while dealing with spinal fusions, was to focus my mind on other things. When you think about other things, your mind can't focus on pain so much. Yes, there are times when the pain is so great that you can't think about anything else. But let's say your pain is no more than a 4, try to keep busy with other things. It will distract you from the signals your brain is sending.

Warm showers or baths can help to loosen the muscles and relax the tension your body feels. When you are in pain, you tend to subconsciously tense up more. Try soaking in the tub. Playing music, adding bubbles, and even doing so by candlelight are all fun, but also helpful in relieving that added stress that your body is building up. Using lavender scents and Epsom salt helps to relax you as well. So take time to release.

Massage is something that I suggest, but also think only works if you got someone truly good at what they do. I've had a few friends help me with this. Not all hands are equal. Some people are truly gifted. No training required. I've usually been on the giving end though I have no training, but plenty of practice. I know what to feel for and know how to work out the kinks without causing pain. At least bad pain. Sometimes we have to hurt a little to feel the really good stuff. Sadly, not as many times, have I been on the receiving end. And even less often, have those been helpful massages. So if you find someone who can do it well, I suggest making time for it. And if you can't afford a pro, but know a good friend, maybe work out a barter system!
Physical therapy is suggested by doctors. Sometimes we have to learn to move in ways we never have before to really get the range of motion that eases the flow of energy and keeps us going. I've never been able to take this route and I'm not sure how well it will work for me, but I still think it deserves a place on this list. 

I've also heard that acupuncture works wonders. I've never had it, and not sure I want it. It is something to ask your doctor about though. 

Posture is a learned trait. We tend to slouch a lot. Such an easy thing it is to sit straight up. However, far more comfortable we find it is to slump our shoulders and be lazy. Such actions restrict the proper flow. They stress the spine. If you cannot find the ability to train yourself to stay upright, there are braces you can wear that will hold your shoulders back.

This last one is the hardest for me, but know your limitations. I struggle with the things I've had to let go of. Motorcycle riding, roller coasters, and running are my top three so far. Things I enjoy, but suffer so much afterwards. Letting them go means I hurt less. Sometimes that is what you have to do. For the better.  

I might not have given you the true answer to your pain relief, but I do hope this list at least gave you options that you might not have thought to try yet.