Week 16: Moving Essentials Box

This is the first box you open when you move. It should get you through the first 24 hours so you aren't rooting through a dozen boxes looking for your toothbrush or measuring tape.

Bathroom (have these for each one):

- hand soap

- hand towel

- shower curtain (if applicable)

- a couple rolls of toilet paper

Kitchen:

- dish soap

- dish cloth & towel

- coffee maker & mugs

- paper plates & plastic cutlery

- easy to prepare meals

- snacks

- paper towels

Cleaning products (you will want to do a good cleaning before unpacking anything):

- window cleaner

- multipurpose cleaner

- broom

- mop

- vacuum

- rags

- garbage bags

Basic tools:

- screwdriver

- hammer

- nails & screws

- measuring tape

- level

- wrench

- duct tape

- spare light bulbs

Pets:

- food dishes

- food

- leash

- toy(s)

For each member of the household:

- change of clothes

- pajamas

- bedding

- toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, deodorant, etc)

- shower necessities (shampoo, soap, towel)

- toys for the kids

Other:

- pen & paper

- take out menus

- flashlight

- candles & matches

- Tylenol & any prescription medications

- phone/computer chargers

- games for the first evening

- any valuables

Week 15: Best Natural Remedy for a Sore Throat

I know it has been way too long since I've posted. Life has really caught up with me and I have found myself crazy busy.

So, it is cold & flu season. And my family has already had a nasty bought of colds this month.

Let me start by explaining that I hate sore throats. They are one of the worst pains to me because I could never control it or soothe it.

I did some research on home remedies this fall. I picked and chose what I liked from all of them and came up with a remedy that literally soothed my throat and got rid of the pain. It didn't mask the pain or coat my throat, it helped make it better in my opinion.

I should add that I have tried a lot of different remedies, from throat sprays and lozenges to gargling with salt water and vinegar (umm, can you say ew?). And nothing has ever worked like this did!!!

Recipe:

- 1 mug warm tea (I used cinnamon stick which is a type of green tea but you can use any kind you want, or skip it and just use warm water)

- 3 teaspoons raw honey

- 3 teaspoons lemon juice

- a dash of cinnamon

Now here I will explain the ingredients for those who are interested in the medical facts!

Warm tea/water: mostly as a base, but it is important not to use hot or boiling water as this can further irritate your throat, and green tea is very good for you as it is an antioxidant

Raw honey: the consistency is very soothing, and real honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties

Lemon juice: it cuts down mucus, which helps clear your throat

Cinnamon: provides relief from the pain and inflammation caused by the sore throat

Other things to try:

- sleep with a humidifier in the room

- drink lots of water (skip the ice though)

- get lots of rest

- eat lots of soup and similar foods (never underestimate the healing power of chicken noodle soul!)

- try to avoid laying flat if you have congestion, prop your head up using pillows

- take a hot shower, the steam will help clear your nose and soothe your throat (you can also sit over a cup of boiling water or your tea/soup while you wait for it to cool down)

- gargle with warm salt water

- blow your nose, don't snuff it back in

- try sucking on a mint instead of a lozenge

- drink ginger ale because the ginger is good to calming your stomach so you can avoid any stomach acid irritating your throat further

- try chewing on a clove of raw garlic, as the garlic has antiseptic properties and will keep the pain from spreading

- use a nasal saline spray for congestion (trust me, this works!)

Here are a few things to avoid to help your throat heal up a bit faster:

Milk and other dairy products - These encourage more mucus production, which can slow the healing process.

Ice or frozen treats - These might seem like a good idea because initially they are soothing but the cold works as an irritant.

Alcohol - It can also irritate your throat, so avoid drinking alcoholic drinks while recovering from a sore throat.

Too much salt - I read once that I should sprinkle salt directly on my throat, which was a terrible idea as it dried my throat out and made the pain ten times worse. A little salt water to gargle has been known to help a lot of people, but it never did anything for me personally.

Chewing gum - It causes you to swallow extra and can be extra irritating to a sore throat.

Talking too much - It might sound funny, for the same reason as the chewing gum, you should rest your throat as much as possible to allow it to heal.

For kids!!!!

I have found two things that work amazingly for kids.

If they are 6 and under, try a homeopathic treatment such as Coryzalia Cold. It contains no alcohol, sugar, colouring or preservatives. It helps cut down on congestion, runny noses and sneezing. I use this stuff and it helps knock out a cold in 48 hours or less.

For kids 2-4, try a teaspoon of honey and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder mixed. If they are 4 or older, try a tablespoon of honey and 1/4 tablespoon of cinnamon.

Disclosure: I am not a doctor or medical practitioner of any sort. I am sharing my own personal remedies to help other suffering from similar things. Please don't take anything I write over the advice of your doctor. Also if your sore throat lasts longer than three days, please see your family physician as it may be strep throat, mono or sinusitis.

Week 13: Pretty Young Thing

I was browsing around the Internet this morning, and I came across Miley Cyrus' new video "Wrecking Ball".

Now before I continue, know that this is not a message of hate I am trying to send. Merely an opinion.

In this video, Miss Cyrus is shown wearing a tiny tank top and undies holding a sledgehammer. And then all of a sudden, she is naked riding a wrecking ball.

I was shocked. She showed pretty much everything except her nipples and you-know-where.

Now, I am aware that she has taken a lot of heat recently (especially after her performance at the VMA's) yet is not the only celebrity guilty of showing too much skin. Janet Jackson, P!nk, and Angelina Jolie are guilty of this among many others. This is not just about her or directed at her, but her video kind of just set me over the edge.

But, really? All those little girls that totally looked up to her six or so years ago as Hanna Montana, now are seeing this. This is their role model.

As a mother of two girls, if my daughters ever do something like this, I will glue clothing to them if I have to.

I find it distasteful.

I have seen many, many people say things like "Well she has a beautiful body, so she should show it off!"

Let me explain why I disagree with this.

1. You are insinuating that if a woman is not attractive, she should cover herself up as much as possible. Those of us who do not have "perfect bodies" (myself included) really don't need to have it rubbed in our faces that we do not, and probably never will, look like that.

2. All of the comments that I saw like this were made by men. And men are more visual than women. That is why porn is more popular with men. So I am not surprised that men want to see 20-year-olds naked without having to download it. And personally, I would not want creepy guys lusting after my body (or for future reference, those of my daughters).

3. I believe that only a husband should ever see his wife in this state. Call me old-fashioned (or hypocritical if you like), but I believe that it is a way of honouring our husbands or future husbands by saving something for them. If our naked bodies are available on the Internet for anybody to see, what is there left for him? What is his? (Obviously stuff like gynaecologists are the exception.)

4. Yes. She is a beautiful girl. But to say something like this is to say she is only beautiful when she is naked. Thus sending out the message that girls should wear less clothing in order to be more attractive. This is not only wrong but it makes my stomach churn. We are perverting the minds of the younger generation to believe that it is not only alright to walk around half-naked, it is a good thing.

Now as someone very close to Miss Cyrus' age, I can relate. You get to a certain age and you want to rebel. You want people to know that you are your own person and nobody can tell you what to do.

Fair enough.

But when you live in the media spotlight (as she and her family undoubtedly do) you have to be careful. North Americans look at celebrities as an image of how to behave.

And this is not the message that I want to see coming through the television or Internet in my house. Not just as a mother but as someone who watched her grow up on TV.

I will not comment on her sexually licking the sledgehammer other than to say it was unnecessary and just plain gross.

On another note, I don't want my husband or other men to see things like this. It is videos and images such as this that puts to some extent an expectation in men's minds.

It makes them too believe that a woman is not beautiful if she is dressed modestly. (Not all men, obviously, but people tend to have very impressionable minds).

Now I believe Miss Cyrus to be an intelligent young woman. She is a very talented singer. But she does not need to grab our attention by flaunting her naked body. There any many singers who do very well without doing this.

I know there are lots of pressures on celebrities to act certain ways. But she is an adult and capable of using her brain and making her own decisions.

Also, that video really made me want to bust something up with a sledgehammer. That is all.

Sincerely,

- M

Week 12: 'Til Death Do We Part

Let me first explain the title of this week's post…

In our culture, pretty much everyone says those words when they marry.

And it is the biggest sham of all.

In North America we have a divorce rate of 50%.

And that isn't to count all the affairs and separations that do not necessarily end in divorce.

So, obviously, people do not mean it when they say these words.

Or do they?

I believe that they believe they mean them.

Most of us know that feeling that pop-culture would have us call "love".

Butterflies in your tummy. Flushed cheeks. Heart pounding. Mouth dry. Sometimes tears in your eyes.

This is what people feel when they are dating. When they propose/are proposed to. When they say "I do" in front of all their loved ones.

But, my friends, I am about to blow you away.

This is not love.

I will say it again. This is not love!

I read once that "Love is friendship set on fire".

But I do not believe this to be true. Love is not a fire.

Because, guess what? Fires eventually burn out until there is nothing left.

And that is what happens to so many marriages that start based on this feeling of "love".

They burn out until both parties feel they have nothing left to give.

This is why divorce rates are so high.

Once the butterflies and the emotions dwindle away, once all the emotional highs have simmered down, people come to realize they are not happy in their marriages.

Some people chase this emotional high through affairs.

And it works. For a while.

But eventually that fire, too, will burn out.

I believe the first time I told my husband I loved him, that summer night three years ago, I was expressing my emotional feelings for him.

He didn't say anything in response that night.

But I fully believe that when he did say it back, he meant it.

He has always been more emotionally mature than me.

I am the type who cries at a sappy book or movie, when my baby girl laughed for the first time, when I watch my older daughter's reaction when she sees her favourite cartoon character as a toy on a shelf.

I know. Lame!

But that is just part of who I am.

As our marriage has grown over the past year, I have truly come to understand what it means to love my husband. I know it is corny to say, but I believe I love him more today than when we were first married.

Love is not an emotional high. It isn't butterflies in your tummy. It isn't a flame.

Love is putting another person's needs and wants above your own. It is a true appreciation of the other person. Love is in no way selfish.

Love comes with no regrets and no reserves.

Love is staying together until "death do you part".

Week 11(oops): Born to be Free

So this morning I hear my lovely almost 2-year-old daughter talking in her room, like she does most mornings upon waking.

"Poo-poos," she says.

And she means it.

I open her door a crack and walk away (I let her come out when she's ready to avoid some toddler drama).

She comes waltzing out into the living room.

Naked.

And completely covered in poop.

My first reaction was to laugh, shortly followed by anger.

Trying to keep it together I look at her and ask, "What happened, baby?"

Now keep in mind she isn't even two yet so her talking skills are limited.

"Poo-poos diaper potty bed."

"Bed?" Oh no.

She leads me to her room (which is a disaster because she insists on sleeping with every stuffed animal she owns and kicks them all on the floor in her sleep).

There is poop and pee everywhere. And on everything.

I try to keep my composure as I march her to the bathroom (thankful we don't have carpeting) and run a bath.

She is ecstatic. She loves baths!

As I sit on the toilet I begin crying the overwhelmed mother cry.

And then one of our kittens jumps on the side of the toilet to see what the fuss is and falls in.

He frantically climbs out and streaks across the house, leaving a trail of dirty poo-water behind him.

Then the baby starts crying.

I do the only thing I can think to do.

I pray.

Lord, help me not to lose my crap today. Give me the wisdom to know she does not know better. Give me the strength to make it through today without killing the kitten. And give me peace about the fact that my house never is (nor ever will be) perfectly clean.

Also, a live-in maid wouldn't hurt.

Amen.

Now to clean and sanitize everything!

What's your messiest poop story? How did you deal with it?

Have a great rest of the week!

- M

Week 7: Room-by-Room Monthly Cleaning

This is a list of things to clean in order to deep clean your house in 12 months. I recommend doing this every year to keep the house looking nice.

January - LAUNDRY ROOM

- Open windows.

- Wash windows and window sills.

- Take out and wash window screens.

- Wash cabinet doors.

- Wash inside cabinets.

- Wash laundry sink.  Shine faucet.  Clean drains.

- Wash outside of washer and dryer.

- Wash inside of washing machine.

- Wash lint trap with soap and water to remove filmy build-up from laundry soaps and dryer sheets. Let air dry thoroughly before putting back in place.

- Wash switch plates.

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash doors and door knobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Sweep and wash floors. 

- Reseal grout lines, if applicable. 

February - LIVING ROOM

- Open windows.

- Vacuum sofas.

- Spot clean sofas, if applicable.

- Launder throw pillows and blankets.

- Dust shelves, furniture and decor.

- Clean lamps and lampshades.

- Wash windows and window sills.

- Take out and wash window screens.

- Clean television screen.

- Carefully dust electronics.

- Tidy electronics wires.  Tuck nicely out of sight.  Label them, if practical.

- Sort through music and DVD collections.  Purge things that no longer suit your families interests.  Organize what is left in an attractive manner.

- Sort books and magazines.  Donate or recycle ones that no longer suit your families interests.

- Wash switch plates.

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash doors and knobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Clean floors.

March - BEDROOMS

- Open windows

- Dust furniture.

- For each drawer: remove items, wash drawer, place items back neatly.  Donate Items you no longer need. 

- Remove everything from closets. Sweep and wash closet floor. Put everything back neatly.  Donate items you no longer need.  Try not to store things on closet floor.

- Move Bed.  Sort and put away anything that was under bed.  Sweep or vacuum under bed.  Try not to store things under bed.

- Put bed back.  Freshen mattress by sprinkling with baking soda, letting sit briefly, and the vacuuming it up..

- Launder bedding and curtains.  Wash pillows and duvet in hot water.  Air out mattress pad, if you have one.

- Wash hard plastic children's toys with warm soapy water. Rinse and dry.  Launder stuffed toys.  Donate or store toys that your children have grown too old for.

- Dust lights. Clean lamp shades.

- Wash windows and window sills.  Take out and wash window screens.

- Wash switch plates. 

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash mirrors or dust art.

- Wash doors and doorknobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Sweep and wash floor or vacuum.

April - FOYER

- Dust lighting fixtures.

- Wash walls and trim

- Wash doors, knobs and switch plates.

- Wash bench or other furnishings.

- Launder bench cushion, if applicable.

- Empty out coat closet.  Wash walls and floor.  Sort items as you return them to the closet.  Store out of season items, donate unneeded items. 

- Clean or replace entry mat.

- Sweep and scrub floors.  

- Reseal grout lines, if necessary.

May - SPARE ROOM

- Open windows

- Dust furniture.

- For each drawer: remove items, wash drawer, place items back neatly.  Donate Items you no longer need. 

- Remove everything from closets. Sweep and wash closet floor. Put everything back neatly.  Donate items you no longer need.  Try not to store things on closet floor.

- Move Bed.  Sort and put away anything that was under bed.  Sweep or vacuum under bed.  Try not to store things under bed.

- Put bed back.  Freshen mattress by sprinkling with baking soda, letting sit briefly, and the vacuuming it up..

- Launder bedding and curtains.  Wash pillows and duvet in hot water.  Air out mattress pad, if you have one.

- Dust lights. Clean lamp shades.

- Wash windows and window sills.  Take out and wash window screens.

- Wash switch plates. 

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash mirrors or dust art.

- Wash doors and doorknobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Sweep and wash floor or vacuum.

June - OUTSIDE

- Sweep porches and walkway.

- Wash thresholds.

- Wash exterior doors.  Give front door a fresh coat of paint, if necessary.

- Clean or replace welcome mat.

- Wash siding.

July - STAIRWELL

- Sweep/vacuum stairs

- Spot clean walls.

- Wipe down handrail.

- Dust art and light fixtures.

- Repaint stairs

August - KITCHEN

- Open windows.

- Remove and clean window coverings.

- For each cabinet or drawer: Remove items, wipe out drawer, place items back neatly.  Donate unneeded items.

- Wash and sanitize cutting boards

- Sharpen knives

Wash cabinet doors and knobs

- Clean and organize pantry.  Check food expiry dates.

- Clean oven.

- Clean stove top.  Remove elements and drip bowls, if applicable, wash and put back.

- Clean and organize fridge and freezer.  Defrost freezer, if necessary.  Check food expiry dates.

- Clean under fridge and stove.

- Vacuum refrigerator coils.

- Clean microwave.

- Clean crumbs out of toaster.

- Clean and descale kettle.

- Wipe down any other counter appliances

- Wash counters and back splash.

- Wash and shine sink.  Shine faucet. - Clean drain.

- Clean Dishwasher.

- Dust light fixtures.

- Wash windows and window sills. Remove window screens and wash.

Wash switch plates.  

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash doors and door knobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers

- Sweep and wash floor.  

- Reseal grout lines, if necessary.

September - BATHROOM(S)

- Open windows

- Empty all cabinets and vanity.  Wash inside, replace items neatly.  Discard expired medications and cosmetics.

- Wash outside of cabinets and vanities

- Clean tub. Wax if necessary. Clean drain.

- Clean toilet, inside and out.  Remove seat and clean around seat bolts.

- Clean sink and drain.

- Shine faucets.

- Clean mirror and frame .

- Dust light fixtures. 

- Wash windows and window sills. Take out and wash window screens.

- Wash switch plates.

- Wash walls and trim.  Wash doors and door knobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Sweep and wash floors.  

- Reseal grout lines.

October - FOYER

- Dust lighting fixtures.

- Wash walls and trim

- Wash doors, knobs and switch plates.

- Wash bench or other furnishings.

- Launder bench cushion, if applicable.

- Empty out coat closet.  Wash walls and floor.  Sort items as you return them to the closet.  Store out of season items, donate unneeded items. 

- Clean or replace entry mat.

- Sweep and scrub floors.  

- Reseal grout lines, if necessary.

November - DINING ROOM

- Open windows.

- Wash curtains.

- Wipe down table and chairs.

- Wipe down or dust other furnishing.

clean chair pads, if applicable.

- Polish table, if necessary

- Dust any displayed china or serving dishes.

- Launder table linens.

- Shine silverware.

- Dust art.

- Wash windows and window sills. Take out and wash window screens.

- Wash switch plates

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash doors and door knobs

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Clean floors.

December - FAMILY ROOM

- Open windows.

- Vacuum sofas.

- Spot clean sofas, if applicable.

- Launder throw pillows and blankets.

- Dust shelves, furniture and decor.

- Clean lamps and lampshades.

- Wash windows and window sills.

- Take out and wash window screens.

- Clean television screen.

- Carefully dust electronics.

- Tidy electronics wires.  Tuck nicely out of sight.  Label them, if practical.

- Sort through music and DVD collections.  Purge things that no longer suit your families interests.  Organize what is left in an attractive manner.

- Sort books and magazines.  Donate or recycle ones that no longer suit your families interests.

- Wash switch plates.

- Wash walls and trim.

- Wash doors and knobs.

- Wash floor registers and other vent covers.

- Clean floors.

Week 6: Update on finger *GRAPHIC*

Warning: This post contains some pretty gross images. Don't read on if you have a weak stomach or are easily grossed out.

If you don't know about my finger injury, you can read about it here:

http://ineedtopaintmytoenails.blogspot.com/2013/07/week-4-i-think-we-have-emegency.html

Basically what happened is almost two weeks ago I was cutting apples and the knife slipped and sliced off the top 1/4 inch (or so) of my finger. Not enough to reattach, so they cauterized it to stop the bleeding. Talk about ouch!

This was taken at the hospital very shortly after the cauterizing.

Yes, I am aware that the bandage resembles a condom. No, I didn't think it was funny at the time. Yes, I have heard a lot of jokes about it. No, I will not share them now.

So basically they instructed me to keep it dry and covered. So I followed these instructions, and put off changing the bandage for two days.

This is my finger two days later. A piece of gauze stuck to it as you can see. And I was still in crazy amounts of pain at the time, taking acetaminophen and ibuprofen as many times a day as the directions allow.

I then changed the bandaging once every day or so, sometimes less often because to be honest the sight of it made me nauseous.

Yes, I took pictures even though they made me nauseous.

This is my finger about five days after the "incident". It was so dry and hard that every time I moved my finger it pulled the skin around it and hurt really bad. The scab was also much darker.

That evening, while rebandaging it, I tried to cut off some of the gauze that had been stuck. This pulled at the scab and caused it to bleed, quite a bit, but it stopped within minutes. Then it oozed for another hour or so. I figured I might as well wait to see the doctor in the morning rather than go back to emerge.

The following morning, six days into recovery, I had an appointment to see a plastic surgeon.

Now, I know what you're thinking. How vain of me! I'm lucky I still have a finger, why should I care what it looks like?

Well actually, as it turns out most people with breaks or fractures or serious injuries involving the arm, hand or fingers go to see a plastic surgeon. Not for cosmetic purposes, but to keep an eye on the healing process and make sure there is no nerve damage or infection.

So upon arriving there (after an hour long sit in the over-crowded waiting room), they were somewhat surprised by the state of my finger. It was so dry!

*gasp*

The doctor instructed me to keep it covered constantly with polysporin to prevent infection and keep it moist. She said I was lucky it wasn't already infected because of how dry it was.

Umm… infection? Ew.

Also to wash it one or two times a day when I change the bandage. She went on to explain that what I had thought was pus oozing out was in fact broken-down fat, an after-effect of the cauterizing (barf).

So she had me wash my hands, souped it up, wrapped it and sent me home. This whole process took less than five minutes.

Fresh out of the doctor's, goopy and hurting from all the man-handling.

So I followed the doctor's instruction even though it was basically the opposite of what I was told in emerge, but I figured she knew what she was talking about.

This is my finger two days after my appointment (eight after I originally cut it). This is when I began to notice some big changes. The scab was lighter and softer, it hurt significantly less, and it had started to ooze (I know, gross).

This is a couple days later. And my finger looked absolutely disgusting.

This is the same day as the picture above (in the evening), but with flash. To emphasize how nasty it was, I suppose.

As you can see, the scab had cracked and the fat beneath had started to seep out.

This is my finger ten days after the incident. The scab is partially gone and some of the stained skin (from the silver nitrate) has peeled off. I apologize for the awful lighting.

And this, dear readers, is my finger last night. The scab is gone, the skin has mostly peeled away and it resembles a finger again! Hurray! Don't get me wrong, it still hurts and I seem to bang it off something every five minutes, but it is healing.

I made it through the last week and I know with God's help I can make it until my baby comes home!

God bless you all and have an amazing week.

- M

PS: My advice of the day? Don't cut your fingertip off.

Week 5: Emergency House Cleanup

Now, as a housewife, I know I am obligated to occasionally clean the house.

I have read a lot of other blog posts about "how to clean your entire house" and, well, frankly their techniques do not work for me. So here's mine!

I always, always, always start out by playing some groovy tunes.

Okay not really "groovy". Just whatever music I'm feeling that day.

1. Have a box or bag to put all the things in that don't belong in the room you find them in. Have a garbage bag for trash, box or bag for recycling and hamper for all the dirty laundry available. Have broom, mop, rags, cleaners and vacuum out and ready to be used.

2. I start in the living room. Put away toys, straighten the couch, take dirty dishes to kitchen and put them right in the dishwasher or sink full of hot soapy water. Empty garbage in living room (if you have one).

3. Sweep & wash living room floor. Allow to dry.

4. Collect all laundry and bedding. Start a load.

5. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for family room, dining room, hallways, etc.

6. Now the kitchen. Wash all dishes you have collected. Clear countertops. Empty garbages. Wipe down stovetop and counters. Sweep and clean floor.

7. Clear everything off bathroom floor/counters. Spray it all with cleaner. Spray toilet bowl and tub/shower. Allow to sit.

8. Switch laundry to dryer. Start a new load.

9. Repeat step 7 for any additional bathrooms.

10. Dry dust surfaces in living room, family room, dining room, hallways, etc. Shake smaller floor mats outside. Dust the ceilings, light fixtures and fans. Wash baseboards.

11. Wipe down bathroom, including toilet and tub/shower. Wash floor. Repeat for additional bathrooms.

12. Switch laundry to dryer. Start a new load. Fold first load of laundry. Put away.

13. Use rag and window cleaner to wash all windows and mirrors.

14. For bedrooms: consider all clothing dumped on floor dirty and toss in hamper. Throw out garbage. Put toys away. Make bed. Sweep floor.

15. Repeat step 14 for additional bedrooms.

16. Switch laundry to dryer. Start a new load. Fold second load of laundry. Put away.

17. Vacuum all area rugs and apolstery (couches, loveseats, chairs, benches, etc.). Vacuum any rooms that are carpeted.

18. Sweep any stairs you have.

19. If you have pets, toss their beds into the wash. Make sure they have food and water. Change litter or cage shavings (if applicable).

20. Make sure there is soap and toilet paper in the bathrooms. Dry and put away any dishes in the kitchen.

21. Do a walk-through of your whole house in case there is anything you missed.

22. Light a candle and sit back and enjoy your clean house which, if you have children, will last about 30 seconds.

Now this is just my one day emergency cleaning to-do list. Maybe some day I will post my day-to-day cleaning chores.

What about you? How do you clean?

God bless and happy cleaning!

- M

Week 4.5: I'm stumpy and I know it

Today begins the first day on my own with my stubby finger.

Yikes.

For those who do not know about my finger injury, you can read about it here:

http://ineedtopaintmytoenails.blogspot.com/2013/07/week-4-i-think-we-have-emegency.html

Let me start off by saying it hurts pretty bad, I can't let it get wet at all and my whole left hand is very sensitive and shaky because of it (thus pretty much useless). It must be all the messed up nerve endings.

So I desperately need to shower, but with two babies I don't get much time to myself, let alone enough to attempt washing my hair with one hand.

My kitchen counter is covered with dirty dishes (and I mean covered). I am terrified to cook anything for fear I will have to use a knife.

I am feeling very lost and discouraged.

I pray for the strength to make it through the next two weeks (until hubby is home again), the courage to face my newly developed fear of the kitchen, and patience to relearn how to do pretty much everything without touching my finger. Because when I touch it, it hurts pretty bad.

Also I just missed garbage day. Not the best start to my day.

I could use some virtual hugs today. Keep me in your prayers!

- M

My stubby wubby finger.

Week 4: I think we have an emergency…

So this past Friday I spent the evening in the emergency room at the hospital.

How did this happen? You might ask.

Lets start at the beginning…

We had some friends over for dinner. We were going to grill some burgers. I had just finished making kabobs of zucchini and mushrooms, and was about to slice some apples for a salad.

I know. Apples in a salad? Not my usual but I was attempting to be adventurous.

Anyways, so I was holding the apple and using a knife that was possibly too big to cut the apple and talking across the counter to my friend. She was kindly holding my four month old while I prepped in the kitchen.

I pushed the knife into the apple, and slice!

I felt a weird sensation at first, assuming I must have nicked my finger. But when I looked down, I noticed a big chunk of my nail missing. Not just nail, as it turned out. The finger beneath it as well.

I called for my husband, who was about to take the burgers out to start grilling. He assessed the situation and grabbed a paper towel just in time as blood started pouring out.

I will save you the gory details, but it was gross.

So I stood at the sink while my friend ran to get her husband, who was in the yard with my older daughter, almost two. I couldn't help but laugh, likely giving the impression that I had completely lost it.

While my husband collected the tip of my finger from the cutting board and put it on ice, my friend's husband came in and went out to start the car. (We do not own a vehicle, so thank God they were there!)

Within a few minutes I had my iPhone and my health card and was off to the hospital. At this point, I was super nauseous and dizzy.

I went in and they redirected me to triage. Now, this was my first time in emergency, but it was less unpleasant than I had thought it would be.

I waited until a nurse called me over to check my finger out. Now I had a face cloth wrapped around my finger, which I had to peel off, leading to more bleeding. And by now, it had really started to throb.

My hand after the whole ordeal.

She quickly examined it before wrapping it up and sending me back to the waiting room. At this time, my husband took a cab to the hospital and our friends watched the girls.

Now, the emergency room is not nearly as scary as I had imagined. Nonetheless, not my favourite place in the world.

Luckily in all the waiting, the profuse bleeding in my finger had finally stopped.

When they finally (hours later) called my name, they told my husband he couldn't come in with me. Boo.

So I reluctantly left him behind and went to sit on a weird cross between a bed and a chair surrounded by curtains, an occupied bed on the other side of both the curtains beside me.

And more waiting.

Finally a nurse came and asked all the questions they have to ask, which I had already been asked twice. People really need to start exchanging notes at the hospital.

Then a while later I was seen by a doctor.  She was very small, sweet and friendly. I was so thankful for that! The nurse I had was not overly friendly so the doctor definitely lifted my spirits.

So she tried to unwrap my finger. Nothing. The bandage was stuck to it (ouch!) and because it had sat for hours, the blood had dried it on pretty well. So I was given a little basin of saline solution to soak my finger in. And my finger started bleeding again.

In the end, after fifteen minutes of soaking, it didn't really help. So she apologized many times before peeling the bandage off. Even more pain. Even more bleeding. I am so lucky I don't get nauseous at the sight of blood.

Not that I needed to be any more nauseous.

So once the bandage was removed, I was moved to a bed to my left (it's occupant had left). I was given four freezing needles, and soon had no feeling in my finger. Which was awesome.

She examined it. She commented how bad it was (note to medical professionals: never admit how bad something looks). She wrapped it with some strange foam that she said would help my blood to clot.

It was rebandaged and I was told I could go home. Having had to pee pretty much the whole time I was in there, I finally went to the bathroom and washed my one hand (I was told to not touch my injured finger or get it wet).

I went back to the waiting room and was collecting my husband when a young lady in a wheelchair pointed out that I was bleeding. A lot.

Back in I went!

I was promptly returned to the bed and the doctor came over and inspected my finger. Again. I was notified that because the bleeding didn't stop, it would need to be cauterized.

Now for those of you who don't know, let me explain briefly was cauterizing is. They either use silver nitrate (looks like a long matchstick) or a little battery-powered electric device to burn closed an open capillary. The silver nitrate uses a chemical reaction to burn it closed, while the little device just heats up massively and electrically burns it closed.

As the doctor was not sure where the electric device was, she decided to go with the silver nitrate.

So there I was, laying on a hospital bed, my finger literally in her hands. But as the freezing had not yet worn off, I was not expecting pain.

Boy, was I wrong.

It was the worst pain I had ever been in. And I have had two babies, so that is saying something. (With drugs, so I'm sure having babies without drugs is much worse… all my respect to those who can do it).

She did this three times before I could barely hold it together and she decided to freeze my finger again. My whole body was shaking and my good hand was gripping the bed rails so hard my knuckles were stark white.

So another round of freezing and we were back at it. She tried to close the bleeding capillary one more time before deciding to get a second opinion on what to do.

"Melanie, this is Dr So-and-so."

Not really in the mood to meet somebody new, I grunted and he too examined my finger. He decided to try to cauterize it himself, explaining that my doctor had been too gentle.

Too gentle?!?!

So luckily she had just redone the freezing, because I would have been in tears while he burnt my finger.

After everything was done, my finger was wrapped and I was discharged. I was in increasing amounts of pain, it was after midnight and I was exhausted.

I popped some tylenol upon returning home and had a very restless night due to pain and trying not to let anything touch my injured finger.

My finger two days after the "incident"

All in all though, I would say I was so lucky it wasn't worse. So happy to have Someone watching out for me!

Stay safe!

xoxo

- M