Temperature Blanket 2008 pt.1

I decided a couple years ago, right before I lost my crojo, to make temperature blankets for the years my children were born, and to gift those afghans to them.

I printed out temperature charts for all 3 years.  I chose as many colors as I could and put them in rainbow order, and divided the number of degrees I needed to span by the number of colors to determine how many degrees each color would be.

I chose to use the flower stitch on my daughter's blanket, and the boys both chose the Trail of Tears/Groovyghan pattern for theirs.  Any larger stitch patterns would make the blankets insanely long.  As it is, my daughters will be large enough for a queen bed.

I got everything ready and got started.  I made it through January 2008 before I suddenly lost my crojo, and it went into the tote with the colors and stayed there for a couple years.  I didn't pick it back up until I had finished the Heirloom Afghan.  

That tote and the beginning of Beth's blanket were all that was left of my worsted stash.

I wasn't burned out from the heirloom afghan, so I started back on the temperature blanket, and I'm trucking right along on it!  I've finished February, March, April and May; and, I am now working on June I expect to have it finished before the end of Feburary if I don't get too lost in packing and readying for the big move.

Heirloom Afghan take #482

I have lost count of how many times I started, frogged, and restarted trying to make an heirloom project with the yarn that was my grandmother's, the yarn an aunt sent me when I was 14, my mother's yarn when she could no longer knit or crochet, and the remnants of my own projects.  I tried a granny square blanket before I learned tension control, so the squares came out wildly different sizes. I tried a popcorn afghan but became quickly bored with the pattern. I tried a two strand single crochet bedspread pairing the heirloom yarns with white, and again became bored long before completing the project.  I tried several iterations of rugs, from 3 strands up to 6 strands, all of which buckled or somehow went wrong at approximately 5 feet across.

I'd lost my crojo for several years now, but I decided to try again recently.  I had all these huge balls of yarn, mostly 6 strand, waiting in a tote to be dealt with.  I tried separating the strands, but quickly became frustrated with that and wound them back up into 6 strand balls again.

I don't know what on Earth possessed me to try to make a California King bedspread with this yarn, but I did, and I was determined.

It took 1 week for me to have a panel 120" long and 40" wide... and I'd already exhausted the heirloom stash.  I had a big 13 pound strip, an inch thick, and a LONG way still to go.  I tied it off and decided to use my stash yarn to make 2 more panels for a complete 120" X 120" Heirloom Afghan that would have the true heirloom section in the middle.

I finished the second panel in less than a week. The third took about the same amount of time.

By the time the panels were done, I had exhausted almost my entire stash, and I had to buy more yarn for a border.

I whip-stitched the panels together, and stopped without doing the border for now.  It's roughly 45 pounds of yarn, and I'm not sure it needs a border.  I kind of like it right how it is.

28 years, the stashes of 4 family members and one friend, 3 weeks of intensive work, and I finally have my Heirloom Afghan completed.

A true work of love.

Cortisol- Does It Matter?

I don't quite know how I got to reading about it tonight, but I found myself looking into all I could find about Cortisol and wondering if it really matters.

What is Cortisol?  It is a hormone that raises blood sugar and blood pressure in times of stress for the purpose of feeding the muscles for a potential fight or flight response.

What can trigger Cortisol spikes other than high stress situations?  Lack of sleep, ANY stress, over exercise, heavy workouts, and caffeine.

What does Cortisol do when you have too much, too often?  It can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, increased belly fat, memory problems, autoimmune diseases, depression, insomnia, poor would healing, and basic weight gain.

Could this one hormone be the source of many of my medical problems?  I am certainly long-term sleep deprived as I have insomnia (it takes me hours to fall asleep no matter how exhausted I am) but I still have to get up for the kids every day.  I am certainly regularly stressed (special needs kids, finances, migraines, physical pain, etc).  I certainly have many years of inexplicable weight gain and memory and concentration problems.

If it is the source, how do I reduce it?  If Cortisol is caused by sleep deprivation, and Cortisol causes insomnia, then Cortisol causes more Cortisol.  So, what else can I do?

I'm not a "heavy exerciser", so I don't have to worry about that Cortisol trigger and modify my method of exercise.  I do drink caffeine, but in the last few months I have actually reduced my intake by a lot because of my insomnia.  Mostly now it's just my morning coffee.  I suppose I could reduce it further by switching to decaf after the first cup, and eventually by eliminating caffeine altogether.  Life stress is what it is, and there isn't much I can do about it.

Are there any other options?  Are there supplements?  After much reading I did find a few possibilities.  Some sound more promising than others.

Fish Oil (Omega 3):  2,000mg a day is supposed to reduce Cortisol levels, in addition to its many other health benefits.  It is well documented as safe for most people to take. Side effects are mostly fish scented breath. (Ew.) If only I could get past the smell when I open the bottle.  Alternatively, I could increase my fish intake. I think I'd personally rather do that. "Fatty fish, such as salmon, lake trout, herring, sardines and tuna, contain the most omega-3 fatty acids and therefore the most benefit. For adults, at least two servings of omega-3-rich fish a week are recommended. A serving size is 3.5 ounces (99 grams), or about the size of a deck of cards."  -Mayo Clinic

Chromium: supposedly helps stabilize blood sugar and thus reduce Cortisol spikes.  Some believe it is helpful in treating diabetes and cholesterol problems, but none of these have been evaluated, much less proven, and too much chromium has been proven harmful.  I won't be trying this.






B Vitamins: Another well documented vitamin with numerous uses According to research, B vitamins, particularly Vitamin B5 (pantethine), work to reduce the hypersecretion of cortisol. Paradoxically, excess cortisol depletes B vitamins from the system, so people with high stress levels tend to be woefully deficient in these powerful nutrients. The B vitamins are most effective when taken together, thus eating foods that are high in all B vitamins such as liver, or taking high quality B vitamin supplements is crucial in restoring energy levels." -http://blog.radiantlifecatalog.com   It is helpful in a number of ways, but exceeding 100mg a day of B6 can be harmful.  If you choose a B Complex daily vitamin, make sure it has Vitamin C in it, as Vitamin C is needed for the absorption of B Vitamins.


Cayenne: It is believed to help with pain relief, cancer prevention, weight management, and joint health.  The recommended dosage is 450mg in the morning and again mid-day, with meals.  It has been known to cause gastrointestinal distress just as eating very spicy foods would.  This is not a good idea if you are already ulcer prone, or already have stomach acid problems.  (I had my first ulcer at 17, so I will be avoiding this one, also.)






Ginger: Claims to help with nausea, dizziness, menstrual cramps,
and arthritis.  Testing has been inconclusive on most of these, though there is strong evidence it helps with osteoarthritis.  It can cause diarrhea, heartburn, and stomach distress, so stay under 5mg a day if you try it, and take it with food in the morning.  This is another I will skip as a supplement pill, but I could easily add a cup of ginger tea a day to my diet and I already have it in my cupboard for nausea.

Rhodiola:  This is a form of Ginseng.  Studies in multiple countries have shown it to be helpful with Cortisol levels, stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue, attention span, and memory problems.  It's most common side effects were dizziness and dry mouth. Studies I read recommended using the standard extract with 2-3% Rosavin and 0.8-1% Salidroside and to start with 100mg/day for a week and increase by 100mg/day, up to a total of 400mg/day, if needed. It should be taken early in the day because, like ginseng in energy drinks, it has an energizing effect and can cause sleep interference.



Obviously, don't start taking any supplement without talking to your doctor about it first.  I am certainly not an expert and don't know what may react with your particular medications or health conditions.

I plan on discussing Rhodiola with my doctor on my next visit and asking about pairing it with a B boost vitamin.  I know I can take the B boost and already have it in my home.  I would like to try the combination of the B boost and Rhodiola (and increase my fish intake)  for a couple months and see if it helps any.

After all these years of fruitless doctor appointments and specialists, wouldn't it be amazing if Cortisol was the problem, and if I could fix it??

Electronic Cigarette Journey and Reviews Part 2

Like most people, I can't be randomly tossing out a hundred bucks a pop just to "try out" a new product, so on the evening of October 13, 2014, I began searching for e-cig companies that offer free or nearly free samples.

I was careful to make sure I didn't order any that were "free" but would begin to charge me 2 weeks later for a huge amount.  Lots of them do that if the "sample" is a rechargeable kit, so if you want to try some out, make sure you read the fine print, and if you aren't absolutely certain, talk to their customer service through a messenger type chat or through email so you can screen shot/save whatever you learn just in case you are mislead.

I did find a number of companies that offered samples that fit my criteria and ordered from three of them that evening.  I saved the websites of a few more to order later on.

The ones I ordered, what I received, and my experience with them in the ordering process were:

Greensmoke.com This was an  "intro kit" that consisted of a rechargeable battery, 2 Red Label Tobacco Cartridges, and a USB battery charger. Also included were a 3 pack of Absolute Tobacco cartridges, and a 3 pack of Menthol Ice cartridges.

It shipped on 10/14/14 and it arrived in my mailbox on 10/16/14.  The samples themselves were free and I paid $1 for shipping plus tax for a grand total out of pocket of $1.08.

I did contact this company's customer service chat to ensure that I wouldn't be charged for a kit later on as I couldn't readily find it on their website, and they reassured me I would not be. The sample is a flat out sample not an enrollment.


Apolloecigs.com  This sample was one dsposable e-cig that was free by putting in a code upon checkout.  I could choose from Regular, Menthol, or Watermelon flavor.  I chose regular. I did have to pay $2.32 for shipping.

It shipped out on 10/15/14 and I received it on 10/17/14.

It did not enroll me in any future charges or membership.

21stcenturysmoke.com  This sample was an e-cig Express Kit. (Two cartridges, one wall charger, one battery.) I could choose Regular or Menthol. It was TOTALLY free.  I did not even have to pay shipping.

This company did have some difficulty verifying my age (which makes me wonder if they are the only ones who actually tried?), but after a couple email exchanges I offered to send them a picture of my license (I blocked out my license number with a little post-it so only my name, address, picture, and DOB were visible) and that fixed the problem.

They shipped within an hour of me providing my license picture.  The sample shipped out on 10/17/14 and was in my mailbox on 10/20/14.

Their site made it very clear I would not be charged more later on. "Get the 21st Century Smoke Express kit for FREE! No strings attached. Please select if you want Regular or Menthol below. Offer limited to one menthol or regular express kit per customer."  




By the time all of these arrived, BluCigs had fixed their shipping error and I had all four brands in hand.  (They have not released the Blu Plus+, so I don't yet know if that will be sent to me as promised, or if so if it will arrive properly.  Ever the optimist, I can still hope.)  

With four brands ready for sample and review for Part 3, and approximately four more I intend to order and review at a later date, I better get a move on!  I am hoping to get at least one more person to sample these with me for a more accurate review. We shall see if I can manage that.

Come back in a few days for the actual product reviews of these four brands of e-cig!

Electronic Cigarette Journey and Reviews Part 1

A number of people I know switched to e-cigs (electronic cigarettes) a few years ago, and without exception, they all tried to convince me to do the same because they are supposedly "healthier".  A few of them even convinced me to try a couple puffs of theirs.  Some weren't bad.  Some were downright nasty tasting.

I'm not foolish enough to think that e-cigs are flat out healthy, but I do think they are probably the lesser of two evils. With e-cigs you inhale water vapor instead of smoke.  Compare mentally to sitting in a steam bath or sitting in the smoke path from a campfire. Obviously steam is less nasty.

Yes, either way (analog cigarette or e-cig) one is still introducing chemicals to their bodies, and quitting entirely is the best option of all; but, I do believe e-cigs are likely to be a good path to quitting, or at least a somewhat better option.

If one wanted to use e-cigs to quit, they could buy them in decreasing amounts of nicotine until they got to the point where they were vaping on a nicotine free e-cig in a manner similar to using the patch without having the struggle of breaking the hand/mouth habit that often causes quitting smokers to eat more and gain weight.

If one really had no true desire to quit smoking, but wanted an option with no second hand smoke or smoke smell on themselves, e-cigs are again a reasonable option.  I probably fit in this category.  I don't drink.  I don't do drugs. I do smoke.  It's "my vice".  But, I hate how it makes my house smell, and I hate that it bothers other people with the smoke and smell.

In August of 2012 I caved, and after reading online reviews of several brands, I decided to buy a Blu disposable and I actually really liked it.  The flavor was mostly regular cigarette, with just a hint of something sweet like maybe mocha.  It had a sufficient amount of nicotine that I didn't die for a regular cigarette while I was using it.  That one disposable lasted me about two days, and I was pleased enough with it to feel it was worth buying the Blu Rechargeable Kit and 4 packs of cartridges.

In September 2012 I did just that, and forked out $108 for it all. I was so excited to get it.  I had such high hopes based on how much I loved the disposable one.

Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed pretty quickly.

About half the cartridges didn't work properly and crackled and popped and spit droplets of the "juice" into my mouth and then ran out much faster than they were supposed to.

The "pack" wouldn't charge the batteries most of the time (I think it didn't apply enough pressure on the battery to maintain sufficient contact with the charger.) which left me with only the usb charging option.

Worst of all, they didn't taste the same as the disposable.  They still had the traditional tobacco flavor, but none of that "hint of sweet" that had caused me to buy Blu over other brands.

I called customer service with my complaints, expecting to be able to exchange my obviously faulty products, and was given what I felt was a brush off.  Regarding the bad cartridges, I was sent ONE replacement pack.  Mind you, at least half of my 4 packs were no good.  Regarding the pack itself not charging the batteries, I was told "don't move it around so much" even though I had been charging and storing it flat on a table.  Can't really move around less than that, right?  It's not like I had it in my pocket while doing aerobics. As for the flavor difference, I was told it was simply that the cartridges didn't come in as strong a nicotine content as the disposable, but was otherwise the same, and if I didn't like it I should just buy disposables instead.  I think not.  I seriously doubt nicotine tastes like mocha cappuccino, and I would not be buying a $10 disposable every two days when I normally pay $20 a carton for regular "analog" cigarettes.

I felt awful about the money I spent, especially given that it was a LOT more than I spend on regular cigarettes for a month, so I waded through as many cartridges as I could manage to get to work before giving up and going back to regular cigarettes. I didn't buy any more because I felt the customer service and the product were poor.

Fast forward two years, and in September 2014, I recieved an email from Blucigs offering me special pricing on a pre-purchase of the new Blu Plus+.  It claimed to be better than the previous products and to have fixed a lot of the old faults.  That got me to thinking about the reasons why I had tried to switch in the first place, and to how much I had liked the disposable one, and I couldn't help but wonder if they really HAD fixed it.  I dragged out my old pack that still had 4 unused cartridges (2 regular and 2 java jolt) and charged it up to see how I felt about shelling out more money for a possibly improved product.

I couldn't get the pack to charge the batteries again, and used the usb charger.  By now, the batteries had gone completely bad, and wouldn't hold a charge at all.  They went from fully charged to dead in two puffs.  I had only used them for about a month. I gave up and ignored further emails until...

On October 6th, BluCigs posted an article on their Facebook page about their great customer service.  I couldn't resist replying that my experience had been anything but stellar.  Surprisingly, I was replied to very quickly by the author of the actual article, Jonathan.  He apologized for the service I had received, and offered to make it up to me and asked me to message him.

In Private message, he offered me a Premium 100 kit and 5 packs of cartridges in any flavor I wanted AND that I would be sent the Blu Plus+ upon it's release to try to win me back as a customer.  I offered to return the Kit I had and the few remaining cartridges but he said that wasn't necessary.

The next day Blu Cigs called me to verify my age and address and said my Premium 100 Kit would ship in 1-2 days and I would get an email with confirmation and tracking.

I never got that email, but my package came on October 14th.

I knew as soon as I saw the package in my mailbox that something was wrong.  The package was flat.  It was supposed to have a kit in it similar to my original one.  That certainly wouldn't fit in a flat package.  I took pictures of the package and what I found when I opened it.

I was right.  The 5 packs of cartridges were there, but no kit.  Just a lone battery in a saran baggie. This is not helpful.  How am I supposed to charge it?  I certainly can't use this.

Back to customer support I went.  This time I used their CS chat on their website and told them what had happened with my delivery.  I offered to return it or to provide the photos I had taken. The rep could not fix the issue because the shipping order and packing slip both said the kit was in there.  He told me a supervisor would call me back.

It turned out the person that called me back at 5pm was the one that had verified my address, and he didn't seem quite as friendly this time.  I explained what had happened, and that the packing slip said the kit was in there but that only a battery was in there instead.  I offered to return the entire package.  I offered to message or email the pictures if he wanted immediate evidence. He told me that he had considered having me send the pictures, but that he "supposed he wouldn't after all".  That's about as close to saying you think I am a liar trying to scam a bunch of free stuff as possible, without actually saying it.  Gee, thanks, guy. I'm not the one who started this whole thing trying to win back a customer, Blu was.

He ended up telling me they would ship the kit in 1-2 days, and that I would get a confirmation email.  I, again, never got that email, but I did get the tracking number after I requested it from a customer service person on Oct. 19.  The package arrived on October 20th.  This time the kit was in it.

This series of problems with Blu caused me to decide to begin a search for a different e-cig company while I waited to see if they "fixed" the problem enough to win me back as a customer, or if I would be going elsewhere permanently.

That journey, and the conclusion to this one, will be found in later posts. Hope you'll join me!!

Origami Owl Review

I went to an Origami Owl party a few months ago, expecting to not find anything I could order.  I was pleasantly surprised.


Pros: 
-All metal content for every piece was available. (thank you from someone with metal allergies!)
-They had pieces in Gold, Sterling Silver AND Stainless Steel
-Good selection of charms to add to the pieces.  Everyone at the party found several they liked.
-Good strong magnet on the charm case (a knockoff I ordered online for my daughter opened up and lost its charms on the first wear)  I have worn my necklace several times and it has never opened up on me.
-Shipped directly to me in this cute little box, with adorable packaging and a fortune cookie type jewelry case to keep my items in, and it got to me in less than a week.

Cons: 
-You must place your order and it gets shipped to you.  You don't leave the party with your piece.
-Buying everything for a complete piece was a bit pricey (My necklace with charms and chain totaled about $75), but because the parts are all ordered separately, one could easily get it a piece at a time at various parties or by ordering directly through the consultant.

Overall, although I would not be likely to obtain more than one complete piece, I was not terribly bothered by the final price simply because I got a unique piece I can actually wear without allergy concerns. 

We Should Be Quarantined!!

First it was the little ones with sore throats, runny noses, and high fevers.  They each missed several days of school, and of course mommy was the one who had to take temps, clean up used tissues, and provide hour upon hour of cuddles because she was the one at home and daddy (lucky duck!) got to go to work.

As soon as they got better and resumed school, the older son started with the sniffles.  He never got the fever, but for him it dropped into his chest and the doctor ended up diagnosing him with pneumonia on a Friday.  He was put on antibiotics, steroids, and a nebulizer and seemed much better by Sunday, but by then I had started with the sinus issues.  I used half a box of Kleenex in 4 hours.

Monday morning I sent all the kids to school, and even remembered to send the oldest with his gym excuse for the week. Hubby had to work from 7am to midnight, and I was actually OK with that for once because all I wanted to do was lay on the couch cuddling my box of tissues and pretending I was dead until the kids came home at 3.

This, of course, did not happen.  By 9am, my phone was ringing and my oldest's school was demanding I come get him.  He had a dizzy spell and felt faint.  It took a lot of convincing to keep them from calling an ambulance for him.  They told me his blood pressure and pulse were fine, but they still wanted to call an ambulance.  I KNEW he was on the mend, and I certainly didn't need an ER and ambulance bill for nothing. He took his medicine before school, then barely touched his breakfast or any drink, and then tried to assist with the gym class for the younger kids despite his doctor note saying no gym class.  (What on Earth the school was thinking allowing that is beyond me.)  Of course he got dizzy.  I would have, too. I still had to go get him though, which was in itself a new difficulty.

Hubby's car had had issues and was sitting in the driveway waiting to go to the shop on payday. (the end of the week)  Luckily for my, my mother-in-law lives very nearby, and she was actually home!  She agreed to drive me to the school half an hour away to get the boy. I think she almost cried when I climbed in the car holding a box of Kleenex that I couldn't stop using.  I could feel her resisting the urge to drive with her head out the window like a dog to escape the contagion that was ME.

When we got there, they brought him out in a wheelchair which was clearly massive overkill, based on how fast he sprung out of it and sprinted to the car.  The nurse proceeded to tell me he had a temp of 99.8 and therefore couldn't come to school Tuesday either, and continued trying to get me to take him to the ER.  I'd already spoken to the doctor's office who let me know it wasn't pneumonia after all (x-ray was clear).  Home we went.

I got to spend the next two days home, getting no rest, while his Prednisone perky butt played video games and wanted food, food, food; and I continued to use Kleenex at an unprecidented rate.  By Tuesday evening, my asthma was acting up and I was the one needing the nebulizer, cough drops, and asthma inhalers that I only ever need when I am very sick.



Wednesday I HAD to go to the store for more Kleenex and "sick Jen supplies" like OJ, ginger ale, and cookies to try to entice myself to eat anything because I really hadn't had anything but coffee and tea for two days. (It didn't work.  The kids ended up eating them after a few days.) Obviously I went overboard on the cough drops, but they have a tendency to disappear in my house, and I hate being tied down to just one flavor. I also grabbed Chinese food for dinner while I was out because I         couldn't stand the thought of cooking.

Thank goodness my super sick had held off until payday, or this takeout would not have been an option.  This was the extent of my wasteful spending this month, but I think it was absolutely worth it to have a night off from cooking when I was that sick.

That afternoon, hubby got sick with some kind of stomach bug.  So much for my "I'll rest some on his days off Thursday and Friday" theory.  Man Sick is always so much more debilitating than Mom Sick.  Wimps.

Seriously though, my hubby doesn't fit the stereotype for "man Sick".  I just enjoy picking on him.  He is just as likely to try to help me when I'm sick as I am to try to help him if we are sick at the same time.  Ideally, we manage to alternate our needy phases with our helpful ones and muddle through.  We take turns sleeping (or napping) and manage to get the kids to school and fed their dinners.  They may watch a lot of TV during that time, but the necessities are met.

By Wednesday night, I had officially used four and a half boxes of Kleenex and I was wheezing and rattling when I breathed.  It was time to make a doctor appointment.  Of course, the one I usually see didn't have any openings so I got to choose between the very green new girl or the grumpy older lady obsessed with bloodwork.  I took the new one and hoped for the best.

It turned out she was ok.  She prescribed me antibiotics and Prednisone, too, and sent me for the same x-ray my son had to go have with a diagnosis of suspected pneumonia,

It's been a couple weeks now.  I've finished all the meds and although I didn't get the usual Super Woman feeling from the Prednisone, I did gradually get better.  I'm still not 100%, but I'm getting there.

Until the next round of ick starts it's run through the house.