How to Help a Loved One After Surgery

                 

When someone you love has a serious surgery, it can be difficult for the whole family. Long recovery times can be frustrating and may even come with some financial stress. It can be challenging to know what to do to help without being too pushy. Try following these guidelines to get you started on the right path.

Hire Help

There are home health care agencies Bethesda MD that can come help out when needed. This is a great option for if the person requires constant care, but you need to go to work. It also gives your loved one company when you are not able to be there. Be sure to talk to your insurance company to see if they cover all or part of this service.

Don't Hover

Right now, your loved one is not able to do everything that they were before the surgery. This can be frustrating for him or even embarrassing. Hovering over him and trying to do every little task can be a bit much at times. Try to be available without treating him like a complete invalid. This can help ease some of the depression that often happens after a surgery.

Create a Restful Environment

One of the best ways for someone to recover is by rest and relaxation. You can help to promote this by creating a calm environment within your home. If you have young children, you might want to see if they can stay with someone else for the first few days. Have healthy meals prepared and make sure the house is clean and sanitary to help prevent infections.

The most important thing to remember is that recovery takes time. It can be extremely frustrating for everyone, but try to be strong for your loved one. If you are feeling overwhelmed, see if there is a family member or friend that can lend some help and support during this time.

               

Five Ways To Save Your Household Money

Running a family household can be expensive, but you want to be able to give you, and your children the best lives possible. So here are five ways to save your household money so you can put it towards making memories.

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Use A Credit Card In An Emergency Only

A lot of us forget that the credit card needs to be used in an emergency only or when you can’t afford a big payment all at once. Try to pay off your credit card as soon as you can and then lock it away in a draw so that it’s not in your wallet or handbag to tempt you to use. You should also look at capping your spend on the credit card so that you don’t spend beyond your means. Your credit card limit shouldn’t really be higher than how much you make on a monthly basis. Use this as a guide! If you’re new to credit cards then this secured credit cards for bad credit guide can help you understand what’s available to you.

Condense Your Food Shopping List

The food shop is one of the biggest expenses on your household’s monthly income, so condensing it down as much as possible is important. Look at your previous shopping list and cut out anything that’s not a necessity. Each person in the household can have one treat so that it's fair, and not one person is getting more than the other. This comes in handy when you have children and want them to know that everyone gets their equal share. When shopping, look for deals but don’t get roped into too many of them if it’s not a product you really need.

Find Cheaper Utility Providers

Utility bills are something everyone has to pay, and like the food shop, they can take a sizeable chunk of your wages. Every so often, utility providers will have new deals for customers that aren’t yet customers,and this can be an advantage on your part. If you feel like you can be paying less, then shop around for cheaper utility providers. You can always challenge what you’ve been offered to your current providers to see if they’ll match it.

Sell Things You Don’t Need

In your home, there’s likely to be plenty of things lying around that you no longer use or need. This might be old electronics like mobile phones, laptops, etc. and these can end up fetching a nice amount if sold on. The same goes for clothes, books, DVDs and games to mention but a few. With so many platforms available online now, there’s a place out there to sell anything, so start collecting the things you don’t need anymore and sell them on.

Always Allocate Some Money To Savings

Even if you’re left with a small amount from your wages, always try to allocate some money to your savings. It’s good to have savings because you never know what might happen in life or unexpected surprises that could cost you financially.

Hopefully, with these five tips, you’ll be able to save your family a bit of money for the future.

The Difference Between a Doctor, Doula and Midwife

               

You just found out you are pregnant, and you have just less than nine months to plan for the next 18 or so years of your and your child’s life. Your first step should be finding the proper pre-natal care followed by finding the person who will deliver your future child. While some choose a doctor, a doula or a midwife, this blog explains why you might choose to hire all three as part of your birthing temperature.

The Doctor

As soon as you learn of your pregnancy, you should begin seeing an obstetrician (OB), a medical doctor who monitors your pregnancy and conducts periodic exams and tests to ensure the health of you and your child. Most women – 80 percent – choose the OB as the pre-natal and delivery doctor. Your gynecologist may also serve as an OB. If they do, their title will reflect this, reading “OB/GYN.” Using an OB or OB/GYN does not preclude also giving birth with the assistance of a mid-wife and/or doula. In fact, some doctors employee midwives and provide referrals to doulas.

The Midwife

Midwives function as the primary caregiver during pregnancy in many cultures but in the US they handle only about 10 percent of births. Some midwives offer at home services while others serve through birth centers, health clinics and hospitals. Midwives provide education and counseling before the birth. They refer patients to OBs or other medical specialists if they are the primary caregiver. In the US, three levels of certification exist for this position – the Certified Nurse-Midwife, the Certified Midwife and Certified Professional Midwife.

The Doula

The Greek word doula means “a woman who serves.” The doula acts as a birthing coach for the future mother and as an educator for the family. A doula can be especially helpful if a woman decides to have a child on her own. The doula functions as the Lamaze coach when there is no father present. She also helps schedule appointments with your midwife and/or OB/GYN.

In Florida, you’ll find a multitude of choices for pre-natal care and birthing care. Whether you need a doctor, midwife or doula Tampa offers them all. You can put together a full team.

               

FUNNY Math Word Problems Part 5 ... the kids are getting older now

Problem #1
If Daddy says dinner will be ready in 10 minutes and it's 5:50 p.m. now, what other activities are you going to do to fill your time until dinner is really ready at 9 p.m.?

Michael's 14th birthday dinner (sushi/California rolls) made by Daddy

Problem #2
If camp costs $375 per person in Kerrie's family and 3 people are going (husband and two kids), how many hours will Kerrie have to proofread to pay for it?

I cheated on this picture because Joel is featured here and he got to go free as a Savio servant. The ones I paid for were my husband, Callie and Michael. And it was worth every penny!

Problem #3
If X, Y and Z activities are all going on at the same time in the same week, calculate the trajectory of exactly when and where Kerrie will lose her mind. Bonus points for picking a mental institution for her that takes her insurance!

Problem #4
Calculate the distance between Kerrie's house and the nearest Starbucks. The nearest liquor store. The nearest chocolate shop. Bonus points if you call an Uber to pick her up and take her to all three. Super extra credit if you are buying.

Seriously, I rarely drink alcohol. This was probably water or lemonade.

Problem #5
If 2 kids raise their hands to go here and 3 raise their hands to go there, how many tears were shed by the ones who did not get what they wanted?

On the way home from Florida.

Here are parts ONE, TWO and THREE. And FOUR. Enjoy!

originally posted October 28, 2017

FUNNY Family Math Word Problems #4

Here are parts ONE, TWO and THREE. Enjoy!

1. I have 5 children. The first 3 are 22 months apart. Then there is a gap of 34 months, then the next 2 are 22 months apart. What is the probability that I've only had sex 5 times in my life?
   
2. The kids made $35 at our recent garage sale during two days of hard work. The adults made about $25. Three strangers asked personal questions like when am I going to stop breastfeeding. Why do I keep having garage sales?
   
3. I spent $123 at Aldi, $132 at Price Chopper and $21 at HyVee on grocery shopping for two weeks of eatin'. How much faster did I get my shopping done without children?
   
4. A stroller travels at a speed of 2 mph when it is empty. How fast does it travel when it is holding my 6th child (laptop Toshiba) and my backpack with my cell phone in it? With how much force did it hit the park lake last week? Why the hell did I not have the brake on the stroller? (don't worry; no kids were in the stroller!)

Hope you enjoyed this installment of Funny Math Problems. Have fun figuring out the answers and here is part FIVE!!

originally posted October 11, 2012