In Which We Institute the Winter Wellness Plan

Our youngest's bout with tonsillitis recently made me realize it was time to act like it was fall as far as germs are concerned, even if the weather does not know it's fall.

Today it was actually NOT 90 degrees. The girls and I went on a walk after lunch. It was very nice outside. I felt horrible all day, however. I mean, I went to bed at 10:30 last night, which is a very reasonable time. And still I managed to lay down at lunch time and take a quick nap. All day I just looked longingly at the bed. Finally when school was over, we ran by Sonic and I got a tea. Then we met some folks at the Internet Swap Spot at our local police station and sold some curtains I had listed on FB Marketplace. Then, because I didn't want to go home, we drove around a bit. The whole time I was sipping my tea.

And I felt so much better when we got home. Was it getting out of the house? Or was it the caffeine? I think I know the answer. I've let myself get addicted again. Anyway, we'll see how I feel tomorrow and I won't wait that long to get a drink, if needed. Of tea, mind you.

So about that germ plan. Here it is, in a nutshell:

1. WASH HANDS WASH HANDS WASH HANDS
2. Take probiotics daily
3. Take elderberry syrup daily
4. Use Immune Strength essential oils
5. Drink lots of water

I'm allowing the older two girls to be responsible to do these things on their own. I'm not sure they've remembered today. I also need to make the elderberry syrup. My glass bottles came today. I ordered these.  I use these elderberries (affiliate link). I make the elderberry syrup using this recipe. And I make mine in my off-brand instant pot. I've been very pleased with it--and it's on sale right now! (affiliate link)

Immune Strength is Rocky Mountain Oils (not an affiliate link) version of Thieves or On-Guard (two other popular essential oil companies versions). I've been using their oils since back when the company was still called Native American Nutritionals. I did my research prior, and I've always been pleased. They are much more affordable than others and they work for us very well. Other brands are good too, but they are not possible for us financially.

Also, I am working to be sure the house--particularly the kitchen and bathrooms--stay clean! The youngest daughter will have the job of wiping down all the light switches and doorknobs a few times a week. I am not a germaphobe. But in the cold and flu season, we take some extra precautions. I definitely think you can over-clean your house, but we aren't there. (Not even close!)

We have a lot of fun things planned in the upcoming months and we want to all be able to enjoy them! And that reminds me, I wanted to make a chain so that we could tear off one link a day to count down to some of this fun stuff! Gotta get on that.

How does your family stay healthy?

Signing off,

What We Are NOT Doing...

...is getting ready for a hurricane. I feel sorry for the people who live in North Carolina and the surrounding areas. But I am so glad it's not us getting ready for a hurricane. I've had enough for awhile.

Also, ten years ago was Hurricane Ike. I can't believe it has been that long. The girls and I were doing a lesson in History where they wrapped each other up in toilet paper like mummies. We were using The Mystery of History back then. A friend called and asked if we were leaving. I had no idea what she was talking about, but figured it out during the course of the conversation. Told her I needed to talk to Steve.

Hurricane? What hurricane? Our mama was busy looking at lesson plans, not the weather!

After we hung up, Steve called immediately and told us to get packed up. We had a small leak in the living room, half our fence blown down, the playhouse flipped over, and we needed a new roof when we got back home.

It was vertical when we left. 

I don't know how many hurricanes I've prepped for in my life. I probably don't want to know either. Stay safe, you guys on the East Coast!

Steve took off work Monday and Tuesday. We sweated and worked in the garage all day Monday. Boy what a difference! We threw away probably 10 contractor bags of trash. The next morning I took some trash out to put with our other piles as it was trash pick-up day in our neighborhood. There were holes in every bag. We've had a lot of trouble with stray dogs getting into the trash and it's such a pain to pick up after them when they have scattered the contents everywhere. But this looked different. For one thing, a small trash can we had throw into a sack the day before was sitting nicely on the sidewalk. Hmm. Husband came out to help me double bag everything so it wouldn't all fall out when the trash guys picked them up, and we noticed every hole was torn very neatly and carefully. Someone had been going through our bags. We guessed they saw us cleaning out our garage and were looking for personal information. Needless to say, we had NO paperwork at all in those bags and I'm happy they wasted their time.

That, and we will be making good use of our little Amazon Basics shredder when we go through those other boxes! Some people....

But yesterday we didn't do much of anything responsible. We went to our favorite island and ate lunch at our favorite little drug store. And we went to an historic library that the girls and I had toured this summer, but Steve had not seen. It was an enjoyable day. It was really nice for Steve to be off. Preaching pretty much means he works all weekend. Many preachers take Mondays off since Sunday is essentially a work day, but he can't do that because he works another job as well. So the day off was very appreciated.

Also yesterday we found a neat little barber shop here in our city. A guy from work told my husband about it. It was like stepping back in time when we walked in.

Steve got a great haircut and we were noticing how relaxed the atmosphere was. The barber on the right (you can see his back in the mirror) was so chill and I noticed how his job was so very NOT stressful. Told Steve he should become a barber and preach on the side. Or preach and barber on the side.

Cleaning up your hairline and cleaning up your soul.

What do you think? :)

(This post contains affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, we get some change. It doesn't cost you a thing. Thank you!)

Signing off,

Almost There (& the Dreaded Garage)

Well, it seems I kinda missed writing yesterday. Short weeks are always so confusing. When we have Monday off, it feels like Saturday and then the next day seems like a Monday.....

I hope you had a good Labor Day weekend. It rained all weekend here. But it was nice to be off.

Next week we are off of school. It's been 5 1/2 weeks already so it's time for our first break. The girls are excited to get a whole week off. Steve took off also on Monday and Tuesday so we can get that great garage clean out accomplished. It's really bad, y'all. I know we will need to move our cars and spread things out on the driveway and I'm afraid folks are going to stop by thinking we are having a garage sale.

I just might sell them some things too, if they do.

It's going to be a struggle. I REALLY, REALLY want to get the garage completely cleaned and organized. Even the workbench and tools, which we never seem to have time to get organized. We're always just hacking a path and straightening. I want more than that this time. But (you knew there was a but coming, right?), Steve and I approach these things differently.

Oh look. Our garage. (Not really. But almost.)

I am going to want to look through boxes. Truly look through them. How can I know if it's trash if I can't look through it? Some stuff needs to be kept. Some stuff needs to go. Steve is more about 1. If we're keeping it, Imma stack it right over here where you can never hope to retrieve it to go through it but at least its out of the way and 2. If it's trash, its going now. All of it.

Doesn't he know there's an in-between?

In other news, today is our first park day with our homeschool group. It should be nice and wet at the park. We also have to go to the library because I am not ahead of my game and keep going to just get what I need right now and not getting stuff a few weeks ahead of time, which would be much better.

All things considered, we probably should have started school by now. Guess I better get the troops up and going since we have a lot of running to do today.

Two more days of school and then a break. We can do this.

Signing off,

Simplicity and Bandages

Second-born daughter is reading a book about an Amish family in school. She's been reading it out loud to me. She didn't know much of anything about the Amish so we've had a lot of learning.

This particular story takes place in modern times. I forgot that as she was reading. As the story was describing a typical Sunday afternoon for this Amish family and their friends, I felt that we were reading a book set in the 1800s. Then an airplane crashed onto their property and I was brought back to reality.

It had been such a nice Sunday afternoon in the book, too. Our Sunday afternoons are filled with work and computers and iPads. Last week I instituted a "no screen Sunday" for the youngest two daughters. They happily filled their day with other things and I was very pleased.

Today's portion of the book talked about the Farmer's Almanac. I know you can just look at the almanac online, but the books are very neat to look through. So, since we were already out running errands, I swung into the feed store to get an almanac--or at least look at one.

They didn't have any. I was very disappointed.

My oldest daughter has always loved the look of Amish furniture. We found that out when they were younger. There was a book at the library about dollhouses they used to love to check out. My second-born loved the pictures of the Victorian dollhouses--"rich" houses, she called them. Oldest said she really didn't like all that fanciness. So I showed her Amish furniture. Yep. That was more her style. And a lovely quilt on the bed. They are so different.

We could stand a little more simplicity here at Project: Family. Today I was out in the dreaded garage trying to wrestle the shop vac into the house and I stepped on a scooter. I have two holes in my foot now that resemble a very wide-mouthed snake bite, and bandages.

September is coming, garage. It might not look like an Amish barn in there when we get done, but at least stuff won't be biting my foot when I walk.

Signing off,

Wrapping Up August

I'm sitting here listening to "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel in amazement remembering my friend who made her children learn every reference in that song. History--check! I don't think I caught half of them. I could educate myself. One day. If I have time.

We celebrated our oldest's birthday this weekend.

The little girls and I made her the shirt. She was not excited about being 19. 

So many goodies! It takes 3 different kind of donuts to accommodate all the allergies and diabetics in the family. 

The whole family (grandma, aunts, cousins, etc.) got together and gave her a whole bag of fidget toys and stress relief toys. She LOVES them. They are to help her study this fall. 

 She's 19 now and about to embark on higher education. Gotta get her a house key this weekend as she will not be on our schedule anymore. Growing up is strange and hard and I so remember being where she is. How can it be **cough28yearscough** since I was her age?

The younger girls and I started back to co-op last week. We forgot to take their pictures at home so we took them on the lovely gym wall once we got there. They had a great first day. The youngest is taking choir, general music, P.E., ballet, and art. The second-born is taking choir, band (she plays clarinet), music theory, and drama.

I teach the preschool class and assist the youngest drama class. It's a tiring day, but I can't beat the classes my daughters are getting to take and the friendships they make.

This time last year we were in the middle of Hurricane Harvey and a DIY remodel of our house. When the water got half-way up our front yard that Friday night, but we didn't flood, we figured we weren't going to. So Saturday found us painting during the storm. We were really fortunate to not flood (our old house did flood during a storm).

This shows our rain total during the hurricane compared to our then 5 year old. 

So many friends were not as fortunate. I don't personally know anyone who is not back in their home or a new home, but I'm sure there are many who have yet to re-build. The effects of storms like that are long-lasting.

The effects of remodeling are too, it seems.

See, last summer we packed up 50% of our house belongings planning to hire someone to do the remodel. When that didn't pan out, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. A year later, our garage is still a big mountain of mess. Actually even more so because we moved all those boxes before Harvey. Then we moved them 472 more times looking for things over the last year.

(This is where there will not be a picture. Ahem. Pride.)

So next month we shall embark on a new project here at Project: Family---the garage. Somehow I don't think this will garner as much sympathy or help as Harvey did.

"Help the victims of home remodeling" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Signing off,