I am thoroughly depressed tonight. I texted Alvah's speech therapist this morning to see if we had speech this week and got a very sorry text back in return saying that due to her not being able to find services to help take care of her dad she has to wait for a Medicaid waiver for him to help afford his care, which can take six months or more, so we're looking at no speech therapy till at least July. And even that is doubtful. So, I spent most of the day e-mailing and calling people leaving messages on the search, once again, for a new speech therapist. I really feel cursed today when it comes to speech therapy, I really do. Between that and the yearly IEP meeting, which are always depressing as you hear everything your child can't do...it was a hard day.
Anyway, back on the matter at hand. Shopping goals for this month. I really don't need a lot of stuff this month, but I am hoping to see a few sales potentially pop up so I can stock up on a few things as we are getting low on a few things.
So, here's the list of things I'm getting (hopefully) this month.
Note: This post contains affiliate links.
Note: This post contains affiliate links.
The Pantry/Shelf Stable Foods
- Angel Hair Pasta (if a good sale pops up, as this is the only shape the son likes to eat. We do have a decent amount left, but we also go through it pretty fast with him)
- Diced tomatoes (only if a good sale pops up as I do have whole tomatoes canned still and I can just dice those up if needed in the meantime)
- Powdered lemonade drink mix (if I can find a good price on it)
- Chicory (from Amazon. I'm taking the advice from a friend and getting some to use as a coffee extender. I'm willing to give it a shot to make coffee last longer).
The Fresh/Refrigerated/Frozen
- Hamburger
- Pork Roasts (I picked up a few pork loin roasts today as they were on sale for 1.99 lb through today at Carrs as part of a three day sale...I got small ones that were about six dollar each and will use them in casseroles and things to make them go further)
- Heavy Cream (got this when I went shopping as well. This is for one purpose...to make butter in the Kilner butter churn my daughter got for me for Christmas as she was all upset that we hadn't used it yet and was worried I didn't like it).
Health and Beauty Items
- Zegerid (Amazon. For husband's acid reflux)
- Curel Hydra Therapy Lotion (Amazon. For son's eczema)
- Curel Itch Defense Lotion (Amazon. For son's eczema)
And that is about it for the month. I doubt I will be able to get everything on the list, but hopefully I can get most things. Here's hoping!
How about you folks? Anything on your list this month?
Your daughter's gift of a churn to you shows that she is thoughtful, caring and observant. That is the perfect gift for a person who reads food preparation books from different eras and watches You Tube videos about the same. Good job, Armina, and good job raising her, Mom.
ReplyDeleteAw thank you! We’ll see how enamored with it she is once she gets to experience hand churning in all its glory lol!
DeleteTo extend your coffee, don't throw out the filter in the morning with the used coffee grounds just add half of the amount you usually use to the used grounds in the same filter and the same amount of water and brew as usual.You'll get an extra pot that way.
ReplyDeleteI am doing that already :). I am hoping the chicory will extend the coffee even further.
DeleteI don’t have eczema, just dry winter skin, and I am crazy about that Curel Hydra Therapy. It’s made my skin so soft and not itchy all winter like it usually is.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear that! Alvah seems to really like the Curel Itch Defense Lotion and will bring it over to me to put on his hands above all other moisturizers, so I am hoping the Hydra Therapy on board might help yet more!
DeleteKeep your eye out for CeraVe same area. It has been a game changer for my 26yo. eczema.
ReplyDeleteWe used CeraVe products for years and now they just plain don’t do anything for Alvah. I’m not sure if his body chemistry changed or if the formula changed, but it just doesn’t work for him :(. Glad it works for your child though! It’s a huge blessing when something works!
DeleteSo you know my 5 year old has exzema too, and I've used all kinds of stuff. Recently I found something 10x better than his prescription ungent, sesame oil! I was on edensgarden.com looking for a carrier oil for something else and read over and over how it had been used for exzema, so I bought some. I was shocked that within an hour, it looked better, and the next day his massive back flare up was near gone. Ive not used his steriod for a while now.
ReplyDeleteI tried sesame oil, but Alvah couldn’t take the smell and would insist you take wet wipes and remove it. I would try and find a heavily refined version to try and see if the smell was toned way down but am worried about spending money trying to find one.
DeleteThe one I bought from edens garden has no smell at all, I'm not sure if thats because its not for cooking but more for skin use? The one I have absorbs into his skin immediately. They do free shipping on any size order, if you ever want to try from there.
DeleteI’ll look for it. Thanks!
DeleteMy son who is in the spectrum often has severely chapped lips and due to sensory issues it is super hard to find anything that he will tolerate the texture of. As he is now older he will tolerate Bagbalm when he is in a good mood. Sometimes I will sneak in his room at night when he is asleep and glop a bunch on. He is a very heavy sleeper and usually dose t wake up. Also a humidifier in his room in the winter helps a lot.
DeleteHugs! I was in school to be a school psychologist before I decided it wasn't for me and I know IEP meetings can be hard so hugs to you!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your troubles. But what can your son do? Love unconditionally, bring you and others great joy? Be a spirit without guile? Find joy and laughter in things that others find ordinary? Hugs to you my friend.
ReplyDeleteJust a question, have you ever drank chicory coffee before? It has a VERY strong flavor all its own. It is a very taste specific taste. So, unless you have used it before and know that you like it, try a little before you purchase a large quantity. (I am from Louisiana and I personally hate the taste of it) Penny S.
ReplyDeleteI used to drink chicory coffee quite a bit in college and liked it, but that was a while ago. A friend e-mailed me offering to send me a little bit of it to try out again, so I am going to take her up on it and see how it goes before purchasing it :).
ReplyDeleteGood call! Penny S.
DeleteHugs and prayers as you try to find another speech Therapist!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about the speech therapist. That must be nerve wracking. I hate to make a phone call to any business let alone what you must need to do. And, the paperwork! (You must wear an awesome cape under that outfit!)
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Good luck in finding a successful match for speech therapy for your son. IEPs suck. I think we are meant to go home and cry after those. Do you share your address for contributions to the coffee fund?
ReplyDeleteSheila
sheilamsmith2000@yahoo.com
This might be totally unworkable, but could you possibly take care of her dad during the time Alvah has speech therapy? Would there possibly be an afternoon naptime for the dad, etc that might be easier and be a workable time?
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same thing. Maybe you could cook dinner or do light housework for her while she works with your son. That way she isn't losing hours.
DeleteI offered. She said no :(.
DeleteJust wondering. Does chicory grow wild in Alaska? I grows here (Middle Tennessee) but I have never tried foraging for it.
ReplyDeleteJeannie @ GetMetoTheCountry.blogspot.com
Not that I know of. A lot doesn't grow up here. I know it doesn't grow wild up here, but not sure about local sources for it.
DeleteJust thought I would let you know that chickory can cause severe gas and gut pain in some people. I found out th hard way!
ReplyDeleteYou might want to check out online speech therapy. I don’t know anything about it but it looks like there are many agencies offering it. It might be worth looking into. If they take your insurance and you don’t have to use gas to drive somewhere it might be a win win for you. Lots of stuff pops up when you google it. Good luck! We waited months for a speech therapist and now have to drive about 40 minutes to another city for sessions. You can’t get speech through his IEP st school? Here in PA we can but our child is homeschooled and doesn’t have an IEP anymore. I hated all the negative things associated with it too. Now at home we ficus much more on strengths. We are all happier.
ReplyDeleteThis is actually a possible solution. Check out the Hello Foundation. They have licensed therapists in Alaska.
DeleteIEP meetings are always a soul-sucking experience for us too. I have read your blog posts from the beginning to the present, and based on what you post, it seems that your son is making behavioral progress. Seems like he is sleeping better and trying new food items once in awhile - those are big steps for an autistic kid. Remember the school focuses on stuff they can measure, you focus on the whole kid.
ReplyDelete