Preparing for Emergency: 5 Steps for Beginners

Remember the zombie craze of 2013?  You know, the year everyone was totally into watching civilization fall apart and you learned that desperate and afraid people are way scarier than a zombie gnawing on your face while you sleep?

While I'm relatively sure the zompacolypse isn't going to happen, the hours spent watching The Walking Dead and other end of the world shows did make me stop and think about real "what if" situations.  What if there were a national pandemic and my family was quarantined at home?  What if we get a massive blizzard and my family and I are trapped without power with no resolution in sight?  What if something terrible happens and my family isn't together?

Like any other anxiety ridden mother who spends her nights over thinking instead of sleeping, I hopped on the google, youtube and pinterest to find out all I could about what I could do to prepare for (a non flesh eating) emergency.  And I was immediately overwhelmed.  There is a TON of information out there.  There are government sites like FEMA, youtube channels and blogs dedicated to emergency preparedness.  And while I'm not ready to go full on prepper, I've been inspired to start a plan with my husband for some of the basics.

So if you're a suburban mom like me, where do you start?

Step One:  Research
Make a list of possible scenarios you and your family may face.  In a hurricane or earthquake zone?  Prone to extreme cold and snow like my family?  Research the risks associated with your location and read up on suggested supplies to have on hand.  The FEMA website is full of good suggestions and questions to ask yourself and your family when it comes to being prepared for a disaster.

Step Two:  Make a Plan
List situations for which you want to prepare.  My family is stating with home fire, tornadoes/severe storms, power loss, extreme cold and extreme snow.  I wouldn't be surprised if we add in pandemic or job loss down the line.  For each scenario, identify a communication plan, rally point, resources needed and potential challenges.

Step Three:   Start Small
Work with what you have on hand and prioritize things you need.  Work a purchase or two into your weekly budget and built upon it as time goes by.  I suggest starting with water, as its one of the first resources to dry up (pun intended) in an emergency.  Most resources suggest a gallon of water per person per day.  If your family of four wants enough water for two weeks, that's 14 gallons to have on hand.

Step Four:  Practice
Make sure your family knows where you keep the supplies and how to use any basic tools like flashlights or a manual can opener.  Kids aren't too young to know where to rally in the case of a fire or dial grandma's number in case of an emergency.

Step Five:  Evaluate and Keep Current
Make sure to swap out water, batteries, first aid kits and food supplies as needed.  When scary situations arise, try to take note of what worked and what would have made the situation easier.  Perfection is impossible here, the end goal is to make a bad situation more bearable.

Again, I can't recommend FEMA's website enough.  It's thorough and well thought out and a great starting point for newbies like us.

2018 Goal Setting

So let’s talk about goal setting.  I’m the type of person that wants to know how to do things, likes to learn (in privacy) and isn’t afraid to take sweet sweet advantage of google to learn as much as I can.  But my follow through….well, if you’ve read more than this post, you know that’s where the ball drops.  Side note:  I haven’t decided if my lack of follow through is because I’m lazy, afraid of failure, exhausted, prone to procrastination or something else.  I have a suspicion its horrible combination of all the above.

I’m getting old(er) and it’s probably time I DO something if I want to have a eulogy worth reading.  I mean, my oldest kid thinks my hobbies are doing laundry and cleaning.  So, with the help of my friend google and a seminar I took at work back when I was at a particularly motivated point in life, I’ve decided to set some 2018 SMART goals.

There are a couple of different keywords associated with the SMART goal process, but I prefer the following:  Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.  In the SMART framework, you set a goal, define how to measure progress and achievement, ensure the goal is actually something you can control and/or do, determine if the goal is relevant to something that is important to your life and give yourself a defined timeline.  I feel that framing an idea into the SMART matrix helps me turn an idea into a goal, complete with steps I can check off as I complete them.  And if anything gets me motivated, it’s a good old fashioned check list.

There are five areas I want to focus on this upcoming year:  Family, Financial, Health, Reading and New Stuff.  I have loads of things I want to do in these areas, but the endless lists are a little daunting so I need a little boost to find a starting point.  Over the next few days, I plan to define my SMART goals so I can actually try to get some stuff done.  Additional side note:  per my above first side note, follow through is not my forte, so don't say you weren't warned.

Do you have any goals?  How do you plan them out?

Back to Work Eve

The first two weeks at home with Baby O were a blur:  feeding my boy every two hours and feeling confident that neither him nor I would ever sleep through the night.  Learning that you really do need to be fast with diapers or your infant son will poop on the changing table while peeing on you, the wall and his own sweet little face.  Prioritizing someone else before yourself to the point where sleeping, eating and personal hygiene are but a fond distant memory.

The next four weeks were a little better.  Baby O got the OK to sleep longer between feedings and I started to figure out how he needed things to be done.  Sleep-Eat-Diaper-Smile-Repeat.  I also began to remember what it was like to be something other than a mom of a newborn.  My body still hurt, but it hurt less.  I was still tired, but figuring out how to prioritize (shower-sweatpants-sleep-caffeine-eat-repeat).

At six weeks I was half way through my leave and just starting to feel like a person again.  I could function, my house wasn't a total disaster and my baby and I had come to an understanding: I would do anything in my power to keep him happy and he would only poop on daddy.

Eight weeks into my leave things were running smoothly.  Baby O was sleeping for 8 hours a night and was deemed perfectly healthy by his pediatrician.  We could relax a bit and take things more naturally.  I'd ventured out of the house for a Halloween date night with my husband and friends and baby had his first sleepover at Grandmas.  And we both survived.

Now it's twelve weeks into my leave and I have to go back to work.  I am excited and sad and a little scared.  Excited because I'll get to talk to adults again, have a reason to wear pants without elastic and because I like my job most days.  Because I'll get out of the house and rekindle friendships and enjoy Taco Tuesdays.  Sad because I love spending time with my baby, who is growing and changing and learning new things every day and I know I'll start missing out on his new discoveries.  Because I won't be my son's primary caregiver 40+ hours a week and I while I know he'll be happy and safe with Grandpa, I won't be there to see it myself.  Scared because I'm worried my sleepless nights will effect my job or that my baby will miss me when I'm gone.

I know its silly to worry so much.  Women have made it work since the beginning of time and in much worse circumstances.  Everything will be fine.  I just have to keep reminding myself of that until I see that its true.

Black Friday: Five Tips to Score Big and Stay Sane

Black Friday shopping isn't for everyone.  Some prefer to pay full price for convenience and that is totally OK.  I personally love spending late nights/early mornings with my family as we sing along to the radio driving between stores and meeting new people in lines as we wait to score a big deal.  But we're from Minnesota where everyone is too cold to go crazy.

Quick Summary:  5 Tips for an Organized Black Friday

[1]  Make a List - Use a Black Friday app or paper shopping list to identify what you want, where to get it and how much it should cost.

[2]  Check it Twice - Add clearly identified backup items to your shopping list in case you can't score the original deal.

[3]  Make a Plan - Determine what stores you plan to visit in which order.  If possible scout stores early and look online for special Black Friday Doorbuster maps.  Get your ducks in a row by making sure savings apps are loaded, special coupons are loaded into your wallet and you have a divide and conquer plan with any co-shoppers.  Remember: carts are the kiss of death and to be avoided.

[4]  Be Prepared - Make sure your gas tank is full and car is stocked with a Black Friday kit.  Don't forget those ads!  They come in handy if you need to price match.

[5]  Plan Your Breaks - Schedule bathroom breaks, refuel stops and a moment to unload your bags to ensure you stay safe and have room.

[1]  Make a List:  Whether you download one of the many black Friday apps or prefer a hard copy of your shopping list, it’s important to go into Black Friday knowing what you want and what it’s going to cost you.  This will help you a) stay on budget b) stay on track and c) remember the must have items.

[2]  Check it Twice:  And while you’re at it, make sure you have backup items.  Coveted electronics or this year’s hot toy may sell out before you have a chance to even get near it.  It’s not a bad idea to identify other stores that carry the same item for a similar price or add a few backup items to the list.  Just be sure to identify these items as back up items so you don’t overbuy and spend precious holiday hours minutes in the return line at Kohl's.

[3]  Make a Plan:  Plan out the stores you’d like to visit in advance and write it down.  Having a plan can save precious “where to next” minutes.  It’s also a good idea to have a plan for when you’re in the store.  Can you scout out the aisles a few days before hand to see where wish list items may live?  Is there an online store map for Black Friday deals?  Popular stores have long waiting lines…does it make sense to divide and conquer shopping lists?  Does the store offer a special deal or checkout line for cardholders?  (Hint:  my local Target store has an express line for red card holders).  Now is a good time to make sure you have any extra store coupons stashed in your wallet and any savings apps loaded and ready to go.

Through years of experience, my family has developed an in-store strategy that works for us:  one person waits in line while the others shop.  Before we head out to the stores (or while we’re waiting in line outside) we divvy out our combined shopping lists.  My sister will hit home goods (décor, kitchen items, sheets), my sister-in-law conquers small electronics (mixers, dvds, cds, video games) and my aunt and myself get the big ticket or super popular items (tvs, hot toys, door busters).  We each grab a basket and get all the items in our assigned category.  Then we meet back in the checkout lines to distribute our finds accordingly and checkout.  This cuts our shopping time in half and our divide and conquer strategy makes it more likely we’ll find what we’re looking for.

Special Note:  Carts are often the kiss of death. They slow you down, limit mobility and cause the majority of in-store traffic jams. Only get one if you absolutely need it.

[4]  Be Prepared:  Make sure you have a full gas tank.  Dress comfortably and in layers that can be shed and donned easily.  Keep a black Friday shopping kit in the car (sales ads, water, snacks, energy drinks, extra winter gear, hand warmers and blankets).  Keep your phone charger handy and charge your phone between stores.

[5]  Plan Your Breaks:  Even the most dedicated shopper wears out, and with stores opening earlier every year it’s important to schedule breaks to empty the trunk of purchased goods, hit the bathroom and refuel.  Added bonus: unloading the trunk periodically insures plenty of room for more shopping and keeps your car from being an easy target for thrives.

My family usually goes to Walmart, Target, Ulta and Kohl’s, then takes a break.  We fuel up the gas tank, drop our purchases off at my mom’s house, reload on water and hit the bathroom.  Then we head back out to Best Buy, Toys R Us and the local mall.  Then it's then back to my mom's for another bathroom break and drop off.  Finally we make our way to Menards, Harley Davidson and Fleet Farm.  After Fleet Farm we have our traditional family lunch (around 11 AM) then head back home to sleep off the post-shopping euphoria.  The last few years my sister-in-law and I have both finished out Christmas shopping by noon on Black Friday, leaving us plenty of time to enjoy the season.

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Pregnancy PUPPPs and Hives

I originally wrote about this topic on my first blog.  That blog is gone now (or soon will be) but I wanted to keep my experience documented in case someone else can benefit from it.  Or at the very least know they aren't alone in their PUPPPs misery!

The skin rashes of pregnancy are no joke.  They are frustrating and often painful and there isn't much that can relieve or cure the rashes outside of childbirth.  I've spent hours reading message boards and websites looking for any sort of relief for my symptoms and thought I'd share what worked (and what didn't) for me in case some other mommy-to-be finds herself in similar itchy desperation!

My Story

When my husband and I decided to add to our family, I honestly thought it would take a few months to get pregnant.  When the pregnancy test...ok three pregnancy tests...turned positive six weeks later, we were a little bit in shock and very much excited.  We were going to have a baby!  I immediately started pinning nursery ideas and my husband used it as an excuse to get serious about buying our first home.

Pregnancy hasn't been easy for me.  I had morning sickness for 20 straight weeks immediately followed by months of my sweet, vicious baby laying on my sciatic nerve, making it painful to stand or walk for more than a few minutes at a time.  I spent my first two trimesters sleeping, huddled over the toilet, or laying on the couch.

When the third trimester started, my kiddo was finally big enough to get off my nerve (haha, see what I did there) and I was able to really enjoy the little guy cooking in my belly.  I had energy, the record cold Minnesota winter was finally fading, and I was excited to ride the rest of the trimester out through summer.

And then I noticed an itchy red patch on my left elbow.  I showed my nurse practitioner and she thought it looked like hives.  She gave me a prescription for an anti-itch cream and I filled it that afternoon.  The cream helped a little, but the rash didn't go away.  In fact, two weeks later the rash had spread over my entire left arm and on to my right arm and legs.  I showed my doctor and while he showed some concern, there wasn't much we could do - hopefully it would fade.

A week after that, my arms, legs, back, belly, feet and even between my fingers were covered in the rash.  It was very red, hot to the touch and itched to the point that I literally could not sleep for more than an hour at a time without the itching being too much to take.  My nurse practitioner put me on a form of predinsone and Benadryl and referred me to a dermatologist.  After consulting with two dermatologists, I was diagnosed not only with pregnancy hives but with PUPPPs.  Since the only "cure" for PUPPPs is childbirth, I was given another prescription for anti itch cream and told to add Claratin to my daily Benadryl routine by the very sympathetic dermatologists and sent on my way.

When I shared my diagnosis with my doctor, he took another look and brought up inducing labor early.  Moment of gross honesty:  even though I try not to scratch, sometimes I just can't help it.  I'm 32 and know better but there are moments when I just can't take the itching and have to scratch.  I even seem to do it in my sleep and have woken up with little bleeding dots all over my legs.  Anyway, while my doctor brought up the possibility of early inducement, I'm trying to hold off until I hit 40 weeks pregnant.  I've lived with these rashes for over a month already, what's another 2 weeks?  (We'll see if I can make it.)

What I've Tried

[1]  Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap - By far the most effective itch relief I've found, Pine Tar Soap is green and smells like campfire.  However, Pine Tar Soap relieves the itch for a good 45 minutes, or just enough time to fall asleep for a few hours until the itching is back.  I use it in the morning, after work/before bed and usually one time in the middle of the night.  I found my bar at my local GNC, but have found them online at places like Walmart, Walgreens and Amazon.  Since I use my bar so often, I expect the small bar to last just under two weeks.  If you still have quite a bit of pregnancy left, I suggest you buy two!

[2]  Ice packs - The numbing effect of ice on my rashes has helped provide very temporary relief, especially on the hives, which are hot to the touch.  I wrap mine in a flour sack kitchen towel and use it at work, as my office is generally a little warmer than I'd like and keeping cool helps keep the itch down.  I have ice packs on hand at home, but you can easily make your own by putting ice in a bag and wrapping the bag in a towel before applying.

[3]  Aloe Vera Gel - When I first noticed my rash it was dry, hot and itchy---a lot like sunburn.  I used Aloe Vera gel a few times to see if it would provide any relief, and it did...but only for as long as it remained wet on my skin.  Aloe will work in a pinch, but was not my favorite choice.  I got my Aloe Vera Gel at Target, and suspect you can get it at any pharmacy, health food store, big box chain, or the organic version from a plant.

[4]  Desitin - When I realized the Aloe wasn't working to my satisfaction, I ransacked my baby's room for some diaper rash cream.  I needed something I knew would be safe for both me and baby and when one of my good girlfriend's suggested it, I figured it was worth a shot.  The Desitin helped reduce the redness of the hives, but didn't help the itch.  Plus it was incredibly messy.  You can get Desitin (or any diaper cream) at places like Target or Walmart, online and even the local dollar store.

[5]  Aveeno Oatmeal Bath and Soap - Taking baths while pregnant is usually a no-no, but my nurse practitioner gave me the OK to try an oatmeal bath so long as I kept the water lukewarm (which feels freezing).  The oatmeal bath and soap helped while I was in the water and for a half an hour after.  To be honest I'm not convinced if the relief was from the actual oatmeal or from cooling down my skin.  I chose the Aveeno brand, but my local pharmacy (Walgreens) had a generic version I would be willing to try too.  I found my box in the anti-itch aisle.

[6]  Fels-Naptha Soap - My nurse practitioner mentioned that Fels-Naptha soap helped relieve her sister's PUPPPs so I'm going to try it this weekend.  The back of the package mentions that the soap can irritate skin so I'm a little nervous on this one.  Hopefully it works.

So far the Pine Tar soap and Claratin combination have seemed to do the trick for me.  My rashes have significantly lightened up and were even bearable for a good week until another flareup hit earlier this week.  Looks like I'm back to the twice a day Claratin, thrice a day showers and lots and lots of air conditioning until this baby is born.

Disclaimer

I'm not a doctor nor do I aspire to be one.  Please don't try any of these remedies without first consulting your own physician.  While some of them may have worked for me, they may not work for everyone.  And remember, my doctor and the internet say the only true cure comes from having your baby.

Update

I never got around to trying the Fels-Naptha soap before I went into spontaneous labor.  One side benefit of my water breaking: the rash stopped itching immediately (perhaps because I was so excited to finally be in labor that I forgot all about it).  I also noticed that my rash significantly lightened just a few hours after delivering my son, and that the itch was completely gone a few days after delivery.

And Then I Became Me Plus

I've spent the last few weeks focusing all of me on learning how to be a mom to my baby.  I know not everyone is totally blown away and knocked off their feet the first time they have a baby, but I was.  I'm a planner and I like to prepare for the unexpected, none of which you can do with a newborn, so I fear it's taken me awhile longer than most to catch my breath and find my bearings.

I'm sitting at the laptop covered in spit up, wearing three-day-old yoga pants and listening with one ear to the baby monitor.  My kiddo is happy and healthy (and sleeping!), I actually hear my husband when he tells me a story and while you certainly wouldn't want to eat off my floors you could get by with the five second rule if you feel lucky.

I'm starting to find my balance with my new role and I'm starting to remember that I'm me in addition to being my baby's mom.

Now that I'm getting into the swing of things, I've started to think about doing the things that have been floating around in the back of my head in between feedings and diaper changes and mad dashes to run errands while my husband is home.  I want to challenge my body and run another 5K.  I want to plan a vacation as a thank you to my husband for being amazing.  I want to start traditions with my son that he'll remember with joy and want to carry on with his own kids (in 50 years when he can finally date).  I've got a constantly evolving list of big things and little things I want to do once I have the energy to focus on them.

But first, I will attempt to shower at my leisure.  Baby steps.

Becoming a Mom

I've spent the last two months on the couch.  Or more specifically, on the right side of my hand-me-down couch from the 80s in front of a laptop that runs Netflix 18 hours out of the day.  It has been both glorious and exhausting.

When people told me having a baby would change my life, I believed them, but I didn't really understand what they meant.  Most of my friends have children and I listened eagerly when they retold their stories of sleepless nights and poop cannons.  I observed parents interacting with their children and got honest with myself.  Could I run on no sleep?  Would I mind being covered in third party body fluids?  Would I mourn my loss of autonomy, free time and fun money?  I thought about it, made lists (it's what I do) and thought about it some more.  I knew I could do it.  After talking with my husband we decided to go ahead and try to start a family after our wedding.  And so we did.

I asked myself all of the practical questions.  What I didn't think to ask, and what good intentioned friends, family and countless hours on google couldn't quite explain, are the emotions that go into having a baby.  The second my little boy was placed on my chest I felt the world shift.  I looked at him, and he moved his head toward me, and I was shattered and rebuilt in an instant.

I feel lucky that my instincts kicked in immediately.  That I experienced the overwhelming love and pride and joy at holding my baby for the first time that people talk about but can't quite explain.  It was the most glorious moment of my life.

I go back to work soon and I'm feeling torn about it.  A part of me is excited to go back to work, to have a reason to take off the sweatpants, have adult conversations and work with my customers again.  Another part of me is crushed that I won't be able to sing to my baby as he wakes up and we open the curtains and change his diaper and read silly books between nap times.  I wonder, is this what all moms feel like when they go back to work?

Anyway, playtime in the bouncy seat is coming to a close (I can tell because the happy coos and frantic batting at toys has turned into the random smack and grunts) so I better go.  I've only got a few weeks of this left so I'm going to enjoy it all I can.