tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post7337249005320467726..comments2024-03-26T19:10:34.328-08:00Comments on The "Make Do" Homemaker: When Life Gives You Lemons...: Monthly Goals Update and This Week's GoalsErika, "The Make Do Homemaker"http://www.blogger.com/profile/09303208981550053539noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-67143951777010664252016-05-24T20:53:06.965-08:002016-05-24T20:53:06.965-08:00I am so sorry that you are having to try to get th...I am so sorry that you are having to try to get things done with so little sleep. I know first hand how hard that is. I swear I got by on 4 hours of sleep if I was lucky for years when my kids were little and now I average about 5 thanks to menopause. <br /><br />I was wondering, have you thought about getting some of those battery powered lights that you attach to the wall and just press when you need them? My FIL installed some of those for me in some dark closets and I love them!Debbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16449564619872452771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-59379264316710593012016-05-24T20:53:00.291-08:002016-05-24T20:53:00.291-08:00I am so sorry that you are having to try to get th...I am so sorry that you are having to try to get things done with so little sleep. I know first hand how hard that is. I swear I got by on 4 hours of sleep if I was lucky for years when my kids were little and now I average about 5 thanks to menopause. <br /><br />I was wondering, have you thought about getting some of those battery powered lights that you attach to the wall and just press when you need them? My FIL installed some of those for me in some dark closets and I love them!Debbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16449564619872452771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-4167244494202428342016-05-24T17:14:49.218-08:002016-05-24T17:14:49.218-08:00Yes, we are in Pa and I had to run outside to resc...Yes, we are in Pa and I had to run outside to rescue my wash just yesterday. All this rain has made it hard to keep up with the wash. And the ground is do wet I have mushrooms growing in my garden!!Julia Tilleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13890835871563216049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-58854229005884142492016-05-24T17:07:31.889-08:002016-05-24T17:07:31.889-08:00I know the frustration. The Dr gave us Ativan for ...I know the frustration. The Dr gave us Ativan for when our son got aggressive but it made him more aggressive. Fortunately he has worked through a lot of that and is finally on meds that work. I never thought about herbs for iron. That's a great idea. I'm so glad he slept well for you last night. Hopefully it will continue. Julia Tilleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13890835871563216049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-79034118824551356392016-05-24T11:31:56.726-08:002016-05-24T11:31:56.726-08:00Oh wow. I can imagine how worried your mom was ab...Oh wow. I can imagine how worried your mom was about you.<br /><br />Thanks so much for the prayers. Hopefully things will start to improve here soon!Erika, "The Make Do Homemaker"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09303208981550053539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-91507801145243465802016-05-24T11:30:03.127-08:002016-05-24T11:30:03.127-08:00I remember having to do the "drying clothes g...I remember having to do the "drying clothes gamble" back when I lived with my mom. We had hot and humid summers in PA and you just ended up playing the odds on when the inevitable afternoon thunder shower would hit.<br /><br />Luckily so far we've had rain, but it's been steady, but light, so my seedlings aren't getting watered down and the water is just soaking into the ground well. We definitely need that type of rain after the last two dry and really hot summers and the sparse of moisture winters. <br /><br />And, of course, there's the double bonus that I don't have to water the garden everyday when that happens, which is a beautiful thing ;).Erika, "The Make Do Homemaker"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09303208981550053539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-67976103317527194322016-05-24T11:26:47.606-08:002016-05-24T11:26:47.606-08:00Oh! And as for the jars...a lot of that is actual...Oh! And as for the jars...a lot of that is actually things I canned last year that we're still going through (pickles, relish, jams and such I don't worry about the one year rotation thing on those as much as I know they'll be fine in quality for longer than one year :).Erika, "The Make Do Homemaker"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09303208981550053539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-19016295081576264092016-05-24T11:24:16.600-08:002016-05-24T11:24:16.600-08:00I follow A Working Pantry! Shes' great :).
...I follow A Working Pantry! Shes' great :). <br /><br />I did a list last night and I think I have a plan of attack that'll work to fill in the gaps I have and use up materials I already have so I won't be out anything. My biggest concern is canning jars at this point, but worse comes to worse I'll raid the "mason jar storage" we have around the house (jars house hair brushes in the kid's bathroom, and flossers and such as well as pencils and other items throughout the house). My family is used to this by now. I use the jars when I don't need them during the winter and usually end up horking them when jars get tight during put it up season *laugh*.<br /><br />We'll see how much work I get done this summer. I figure if nothing else, if I can't get the bank cleared where I want to put the rhubarb plants, I'll just put them by the house on our one shady side and pray the spider mites leave them alone next year so they have a chance to grow nice and big.Erika, "The Make Do Homemaker"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09303208981550053539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-23764139030021319252016-05-24T11:17:43.143-08:002016-05-24T11:17:43.143-08:00I actually thought of that with the medication, bu...I actually thought of that with the medication, but if you take him off of it, it doesn't improve the situation, unfortunately. We've tried so many medications over the years. I think a big problem we're running into right now is that he's been on Zyrtec, or a derivative of such, for seven years, so the potency just isn't THERE with him without upping it significantly. Oddly enough while the hives haven't improved (I honestly think it's the dandelion pollen on top of the trees right now) his eczema has improved, so I'm hopeful the new steroid cream might put the darned eczema into remission for a while.<br /><br />When it comes to iron...yeah...my son has actually tested out slightly anemic in the past. It was a nightmare getting iron down him as he isn't up to pill training yet. I finally made a yellow dock root tincture, which had the highest iron content of all herbs I could find and I'd slip that into his soda *laugh*.<br /><br />Melatonin doesn't do anything for Alvah. I've tried about fifteen different types and while it makes him fall asleep quicker, it doesn't help him stay asleep at all. I equate that to like you said...autism is fun when it comes to medication reactions. Like Adorax is supposed to make kids drowsy. It makes my son hyper. Always fun!<br /><br />We upped his dose of Zyrtec last night again and for the first time in forever my son slept a full night's sleep. He didn't go to bed until after midnight, but he slept till nearly ten, so I'm hoping he has a good day, anyway :).Erika, "The Make Do Homemaker"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09303208981550053539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-39094413008862862302016-05-24T08:20:41.228-08:002016-05-24T08:20:41.228-08:00Wow! It sounds like all of us have had endless rai...Wow! It sounds like all of us have had endless rain! I was sooo excited yesterday was going to be the first day in about 6 weeks with no rain, I checked the hour by hour forecast, hung out a load of laundry finally, went and got another started and then BOOM!!! House rattlibg thunder and a downpour that lasted most of the day. My clothes were dripping, so had to bring them in last night damp to dry on a rack.<br /><br />While you didnt get to work in the the yard, at least you got a few other needed things done with the garage and storage area!! I'm so sorry you are still so sleep deprived. I hope the steroid cream works well for him, and quickly too. Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09360397522677275215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-45816741111195935582016-05-24T04:21:52.250-08:002016-05-24T04:21:52.250-08:00Wow, to see all those jars of canned goods...it re...Wow, to see all those jars of canned goods...it really is impressive what you've been able to accomplish so far! Finding an organizational system that works well for you can take time. Trial and error will eventually lead to a solution.<br /><br />As for filling the gaps with a limited budget, may I suggest you check out this blog: http://aworkingpantry.blogspot.ca/. Patsy does a "$5 challenge" were she uses just $5 to creatively add more stock to her pantry. I've found her blog rather inspirational! Hope it helps you too.<br /><br />I wouldn't get too upset with not getting the yard work done. If you look for opportunities to work on it throughout the summer, you might just find the time to work it into your schedule. Even a 1/2 day's work here and there while your husband is watching the kids would be helpful. Consider it a long term project you just keep working at slowly.Rhonda A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00448188064878559345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-55968963677969646432016-05-24T03:30:29.023-08:002016-05-24T03:30:29.023-08:00My husband and son are having a guys weekend away ...My husband and son are having a guys weekend away this weekend so I will have three days to work on projects!! It's like a dream! I plan to work on the yard, if it ever stops raining, clean the third floor family room, organize the basement and organize and inventory the crafts, all in preparation for summer vacation. In addition to taking care of son's 4-H rabbits. Erika, is there an chance your son is allergic to the antihistamine? I'm sure the allergist has thought of that but often kiddos with autism have a paradoxical reaction to meds so that the meds produce the exact thing they are supposed to correct. My son has mild autism, previously called Aspergers, and has had this issue in the past with sone medications. Just a thought. Also as far as sleep, we saw a great sleep doctor who said kids on the spectrum have difficulty mtabolizing iron, not iron deficient per se, and it creates almost a restless leg syndrome that keeps them awake or wakes them up. My son used to wake me up multiple times a night so I get the sleep deprivation thing. A combination of Melatonin and iron pills have made sleep, for him, a beautiful thing. I am praying for relief for your little guy and some sleep for you:)Julia Tilleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13890835871563216049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-38879757478566460452016-05-23T23:05:13.067-08:002016-05-23T23:05:13.067-08:00When I was a kid Benadryl was still a prescription...When I was a kid Benadryl was still a prescription drug and they would send me home on doses of 100mg (equal to 4 adult pills) and I would sleep for about 48 hours straight. My mom would wake me to make me use the bathroom and drink / eat then I'd go right back to sleep. Sorry things are so rough for your son right now. Prayers sent for you and your family.<br />Crystal Hankeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17914175004653234554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-2308165381855928362016-05-23T20:20:16.791-08:002016-05-23T20:20:16.791-08:00What is it with backs??? I threw mine out doing.....What is it with backs??? I threw mine out doing...I have no idea what...last night and have been dealing with that today too. I am so sorry about your backs though, especially your husband. A broken back...I don't even want to think of that type of pain :(.<br /><br />With the work waiting for you...don't you wish it would just blow away sometimes when you aren't looking? I've been trying to get caught up on laundry all week and it just continues to grow it seems.<br /><br />With the hives and things, thank goodness we haven't ended up in the ER with them yet. A few times this last week when the hives weren't shutting down without massive doses of Benadryl I was worried we were going to end up there, but luckily the Benadryl finally would start working on them and while he was miserably itchy at least his breathing wasn't compromised.Erika, "The Make Do Homemaker"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09303208981550053539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7536514511090897212.post-33643055035596100502016-05-23T19:39:05.077-08:002016-05-23T19:39:05.077-08:00The best laid plans seem go up in smoke don't ...The best laid plans seem go up in smoke don't they. I've had garden / yard stuff on my list and vaccuming the car plus washing it for the last several months. One step forward and two steps backwards. If it isn't the rain it's throwing our backs out - me, my husband (he has a compression fracture) and my grown son threw his back out at work too. I had two weeks of barely being able to keep up the dishes and laundry. And it's just the two of us and one little dog. <br /><br />Just go with the flow and be good to yourself. The work won't go away - lol. Sometimes you just have to do the best you can and you've got a full plate right now. Will keep you and your family in my prayers. I was an allergy kid when younger. In the ER getting shots of adrenaline all the time so I could breath and the hives were unbearable. Hopefully a lot of this will pass as your son gets older. It's scary and hard for him and you both. Take care.<br />Crystal Hankeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17914175004653234554noreply@blogger.com