Send Positive Vibes

My nephew Emerson has been having seizures. While it's fairly common for children with Trisomy 13 and 18 to have them the medicine he was on didn't seem to help them. He was on the highest dose. If the switched his brand of med then a side effect happens - it would lower his bone density. His bones are already not very strong. I don't think medical marijuana is legal yet in Nebraska.

They haven't figured out what to do.

This weekend he has 20 or so seizures. :(

I watched a few. He basically pauses for a bit. Then gets really happy when it's over. I would think a seizure would make someone completely wore out. I was so clueless about seizures I had to go look up information on them.

On Monday he got a EEG. It was so bad they admitted him into the hospital right away.

Evan, his oldest brother is in 7th grade, but they still don't like the idea of their kids being left home alone after dark. My oldest sister Angie went over there last night, and I'm going over tonight. My parents helped get their youngest Edison to and from preschool.

I do hope they come up with a plan for Emerson. It sucks having him in the hospital. He can pick up other illnesses there, he misses his brothers, and the rest of the family pitches in a lot.

Emerson and Edison on a Go-cart at the Pumpkin Patch:

We have a car in the shop from the hail damage. We only have a rental car for 3 days. That car they may total out. You know that saying, "When it rains, it pours."? I'm beginning to think it's never going to stop pouring.

Is it "pouring" where you live?

Women's Casual Tunic Review

Recently I got Zevrez Women's Casual Tunic Pullover Floral Long Sleeve Crewneck Sweatshirt Grey Dress to review: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075NH6YZN?th=1&psc=1 I do think it's way to short to wear as a dress! I do love how it could be worn dressy or casual. 

Oh ya and I got my new glasses. I've been wearing them a lot because right before I got them on Thursday night, I got my first stye in my lower eyelid too. :( Glasses kind of cover up eye flaws. :) I didn't know what it was, but all the nurses in my family informed me that it was a stye and how to treat it: Hot compacts and over the counter stye med. It doesn't surprise me that I got one. Stress is a big factor, and it was midterm time last week. Then pollen has been high here. I'm sure I've been itching my eyes without even thinking about it.

Detail of Sleeve:

Material and Care:

• It's made with a polyester fiber. 

• The fabric is soft. I don't know if it will get less soft over time. It seems like many sweatshirts do get less soft the more they are washed.

• The fabric is breathable. I wore it this weekend. It was one of those fall days that started off cold, and got increasingly hotter as the day wore on. Thankfully the shirt is breathable. 

• The material has good elasticity. I could move around without any problems. 

• It says in the Amazon description that it's easy to wash, yet the tag said to hand wash. That's hardly easy to wash in my book. I hardly hand wash anything anymore. Since I went to the zoo, I felt it needed to be washed. I turned it inside out, washed it in cold, and hung dried it. So far it's in tact. The flowers may fall off in time. That would be the first things that would go ware wise.

• It can be worn for dressy events or casual events. 

Cost and Sizes:

• Small - $15.98
• Medium - $19.98
• Large - $19.98
• Extra Large - $19.98

I'm not sure why a small is a different price. In a store it wouldn't be. It did say in the Amazon description that 6 sizes were available. I didn't see 6 offered though.

Would you wear this as a dress? I just think it's way too short! Even if I didn't have it bunched up, I still wouldn't wear it that way. I love the style as a dressed up or down sweat shirt!


Disclaimer: I got this Women's Casual Tunic in exchange for an honest review. This company didn't influence my review. I only review products I think will fit my family, or my readers.

Scary Bloody Footprints Review

I am excited to share with you: Scary Bloody Footprints!

They are floor decals clings stickers. If you've been a reader for awhile, you know that I love Halloween!

Size:

8"x4" - 8 Pairs of Foot Prints - 16 feet total, on paper that's 10"x9". The footprint is the size of a woman's 7 shoe size.

They came on a white sheet. They are easy to peel off, and apply. I'm not so sure they are easy to reuse from year to year, but you could relocate them. I may move them from the bathroom, to our porch steps the week of Halloween.

I put them in the bathroom without telling anyone.

Under certain lighting it's hard to see the clear sticker. The bloody footprints look slightly real. Under other lighting you can see the whole sticker.

Mica and Isaak weren't fooled, but they did find it entertaining. It does feel strange walking on them. They are totally flat, but stepping on red prints at night throws me. Ha!

I decided to put a few sets in the woman's room at work. It's just the teacher's bathroom.

Coworker #1: Alissa did you put the bloody footprints in the bathroom?

Me: No. What are you talking about? 

I had her show me. 

Me: That's strange. 

Coworker #2: Alissa do you know who put the bloody footprints in the bathroom? It's disturbing, and I want them gone! It's too early for Halloween pranks! 

It's never too early for pranks. It's October, so it's not too early for Halloween pranks! 

Anyhow I never admitted to putting the bloody footprints in the bathroom. I kind of think of it like a Magician that doesn't reveal their magic trick. I'm not going to come clean to my pranks. 

They must have been easy to take off. They were gone in minutes. :( As Travis says my co-workers are kind of lame. I can't joke with them big time. Apparently practical jokes are out of the question. I love practical jokes just as long as they don't hurt anyone, or anything. I'm not into doing Jimmy Kimmel type pranks. You know where he decorated his neighbor's whole house with Christmas stuff, and later wrapped their car in wrapping paper, and filled it with balloons. These were stickers, so they weren't hurting anything! 

I was kind of bummed that my co-workers were so lame about the joke. It made me feel better when I told a few students about how I kind of got in trouble. They were cracking up! I started laughing as well. 

Safe With Water:

They stay in place when wet, so it is safe to clean floors. Strongly adhere to concrete, tile, and linoleum floors.

They work outside with the rain as well.

Cost:

$6.99 for 8 Pairs. Prime shipping.

Do you decorate for Halloween? Are you a prankster? 

Disclaimer: I got these bloody footprints in exchange for an honest review. This company didn't influence my review. I only review products I think will fit my family, or my readers.

Random Tid Bits

My mind has be preoccupied with midterms (which were this week), and the Los Vegas shooting.

1. I have most people passing my classes. It's a big step up from Monday. I was beginning to think 1/2 my 3rd year students would fail.
   
   I do have 1 student that never showed up on my midterm. She's been in, but never bothered to talk with me. I'm most certainly not going to chase her down. Every student here knows my door is always open.


2. On the upside I have a girl in 1st year that has cancer. She's all about getting A's in everything just in case she does have to take sick time. She works her butt off, and does every extra credit possible. She's really on the ball. I like that she's open and fun to talk to.


3. I had a "friend" from elementary, middle and high school that was in Los Vegas when the shooting happened. I say, "friend" because I know who she is, but we never really hung out. We're friends on facebook. Anyhow I just can't imagine the painful memories she has. She's posted happy pictures before the shooting happened. I don't know if that's morbid, or good because she's just trying to focus on the positive side of things. Who am I to judge? Anyhow she's ok.


4. It seems as though they don't have much to explain the motive of the shooter Stephen Paddock. It's hard when one can't explain why someone did something so horrible. I think we all want answers. I do have to say that I call anyone like him a terrorist, and not a lone wolf. It doesn't matter what one looks like to me. If you kill or hurt a bunch of people, you are a terrorist in my mind. I'm not so sure he fits the dictionary definition of a terrorist, but maybe the definition has changed a bit over time. If a kid has a pocket knife at school - he or she could be asked to leave because of terroristic threats. What's the definition of a terrorist to you?







5.  My sister tagged me in a post on facebook to design yet another t-shirt for the SOFT conference. If you remember I did a logo for them, then I did a t-shirt design for the event. I was never paid anything. I just did it. The thought of doing another t-shirt where no one can decide anything that they want just makes me shake my head back and forth. This one is for the siblings at the event. I'm thinking: Why can't they just have the t-shirts I designed for everyone? I never responded to the post. I acted like I never saw it. I'm such a bad sister.

WW: Lunch Lady {Linky}

Isaak put this apple bag on his head and said, "I look like a lunch lady from school."

Silicone Stretch Fresh Food Covers

I report a problem: 

I buy containers, and the containers live longer than the lids. The lids crack.

I do have to say that we use glass containers all the time for lunches, and left overs. We both work full time, Travis and I do not go out to eat a lot, nor do we eat box meals. This cracking issue happened soon after getting the containers.

I haven't ran the lids through the dishwasher, or put them in the microwave. They are all gently hand washed. This cracking issue has happened with 2 different brands.

Do you have this problem?

I report a solution: 

Silicone Stretch Fresh Food Covers fit on containers well. You can get them on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071965HPH for $16.99 on sale for $8.99. They not are about to crack, or break. These lids can withstand heat and cold. The silicone is medical grade, BPA free, and approved by the FDA. 

Sizes:

• 2.6" - Good for jelly jar sized mason jars. We use this size for juice and smoothies. If there is extra juice I could put it in this jar size, and pop the silicone lid or a metal lid on it. 

• 3.5" - This is great for most mugs. I could see making coffee the night before, adding it into a mug to put in the refrigerator, and having ice coffee in the morning. It would also work great for homemade chicken broth, syrup, or chocolate syrup. 

• 4.3" - Kid snack sized bowls don't always come with lids. I'd love to have snacks prepared in the refrigerator ready for them to eat after school. Now we can do that.

• 5.5" - If it were up to me I would have gotten 6 of this size alone. We use this size for our lunches all the time. For soup I need better lids than what our containers came with. It probably would also fit your standard soup/salad bowl.

• 6.3" - Close to the 5.5", so a pretty standard size for a soup/salad bowl. These lids stretch, so it works great for the 5.5" bowl, just not as tight. It would also be wonderful for my smallest mixing bowl.

• 7.9" - A medium sized mixing bowl, or my largest glass storage container. 

I do wish there was options for your choice of sizes. Maybe a choice between 3 buying options. Even the prices could vary. I can't see me using the biggest 2 and the smallest 1 as much as the others. The 5.5" I could use about 4 of them.

On the Amazon website they have a picture of a rectangle lid. This isn't even in the set. I think the picture should fit what's being purchased. Not everyone reads. Many are visual.

Hangers:

There are different tabs on the lids. This helps to slide them on, slide them off, and one tab has a hole in it for hanging it. I'm not so sure I'll hang them.

Safe:

• Dishwasher safe 
• Freezer safe
• Microwave safe

I could see me putting them in the cold, but I usually just put a paper towel over my containers in the microwave. They are kind of floppy for the dishwasher. Drying them is a bit awkward. I took them outside, and just flung the water off of them. 

Overall I'm happy with these lids! 

What size would you use the most? Do you have problems with original lids cracking like I do?

Disclaimer: I got these lids for a discounted price in exchange for an honest review. This company didn't influence my review. I only review products I think will fit my family, or my readers.

Random Tid Bits

1. Have you ever taken one of those colored personality tests? I'm always pretty even across the board. One color isn't a lot stronger than another. Either I'm confused, or I'm a well rounded person. 


2. I have a first year student that wanted to know how I grade. I'm assuming she wondered why she got a B, and not her usual A that she got in her high school art class. I said, "I grade on the points that I have on the handout, which are also listed on the grade slip. I think about the good and bad examples I showed in class, and think about if you followed some of what I discussed in those pieces. What I've covered in class is pretty important; have you been listening? Finally I grade on what the body of student's work looks like. Then I ask another teacher to see if they agree on what order I have in the line up of grading. There's a lot more to it, than it may seem. Partly it's subjective, but mostly it's about having trained eyes."
   
   She looked at me blankly. I think she wanted her work graded much like a math worksheet would be graded. #3 is wrong, and #4 is right.
   
   Artwork isn't really graded like that. I do write on their grade slip things they can approve upon, and they have a week to get it back to me.


3. I've felt a bit like I've been dragging all week. Isaak got the stomach flu late Saturday night. He was sick all Sunday. I got it Monday at the tail end of work. I felt awful! Travis got it a little after me. I had to tease him because he kept telling Isaak he needed to eat bread when he wasn't feeling well. My mom and I said, "Clear liquids first". When Travis was sick I kept saying, "Eat some bread! How about some pizza?" Mica got it on Tuesday night, but it never amounted to anything. He just slept and slept.


4. I finally went in to get my eyes tested. If you remember I didn't do the best on my driver's test for the vision part. I didn't want to get my eyes tested because I didn't know if it was polyps pushing on my eyes, allergies, or actually my eyes. I finally made it into an eye doctor. My one astigmatism, and other eye that doesn't have one are basically playing tug of war. I actually see pretty well. So I'm getting glasses as soon as they come in.


5. Do you remember the kid that got attacked by a gator on Disney's turf? It happened awhile back. The little boy that died is from here. The parents haven't talked in public until now. What they have done to honor his name is truly wonderful! 

$22 Off Your First Month of Winc @usfg

I love wine. I had too many allergies tied to the sulphates in wine, and hops in beer. Guess what? My allergy doctor said after I got an Aspirin treatment, that I'd be able to try wine once again! YAY! I haven't tried it yet. I appreciate fine wines and high end beers.

Maybe it's the designer in me that loves the the packaging, bottle design, and taste of wine. Wine is often served at art openings. It's just a part an artist's culture.

I'd love to try the wine that Winc sends my way.

Apparently they personalize the packaging quite a bit, which adds a positive vibe to the experience.

Winc is Not Your Traditional Wine Club: 

• They are a direct-distribution global wine company that personalizes the entire wine experience.

• They are perfecting how wine is made, distributed, perceived and purchased via our Palate Profile quiz that recommends wine based on your unique tastes.

• It is enjoyed on behalf of a new generation of wine drinkers. 

• It takes the hassle and guesswork out of picking a bottle from your local liquor store and delivers the perfect bottle directly to your doorstep. 

• They do all this as part of their quest to improve the experience for consumers, create a platform for artisanal winemaking, and build a grape-to-glass supply chain that's sustainable for the planet. 

• No more intimidating language and steep price points, and more joy in the act of sharing a bottle.

Discount:

$22 Off Your First Month of Winc Wine - Winc offers 4 personalized wines each month. Bottles start at $13 each. www.trywinc.com/usfamilyguide

Disclaimer: I'm writing this in hopes for reviewing some wine from Winc. There will be a follow up review that will be written honestly - if I'm picked to review this. This company didn't influence my review. I only review products I think will fit my family, or my readers.

Osceola Cheese

On our way home from our trip to Branson, Missouri I kept seeing signs for Osceola Cheese. I said, "We have to stop there to stretch our legs."

Travis thought we passed it on accident, but I spotted the exit.

If you ever pass through Osceola, Missouri stop at Osceola Cheese. They have fancy meats, pickles, and jams you can buy there as well. 

What I loved were the samples! They had so many options of different cheeses to try! We were all in heaven! 

They have over 275 cheeses on stock! They have been open since 1944, so they've had plenty of time to perfect their flavors. I think I liked the hot cheese samples the best.

For a long time I stayed away from cheese. I thought I was allergic to all things dairy. My allergy test showed no dairy allergies. Cheese has been slowly added back into my diet. I love cheese!

What's your favorite kind of cheese?

WW: Alpaca Farm {Linky}

I saw that Alpacas of the Heartland was having an open house. I always wanted to go there, but have missed it each time.

It was a total surprise to the boys. I think Isaak was happy to cuddle up to them!

Mica acts too cool for many things these days, but he enjoyed the farm as well.

Travis liked enjoyed them as well!

I love the look of this one:

This one they called grumpy, but it held still for photos:

I like the photos I got of these 2:

This little one we couldn't touch:

These are the hills they live by:

Have you ever seen Alpacas?