For example, we’ve been a one car family for as long we’ve been together. Though I do work, I mostly just make enough to pay for groceries/household necessities. I drive my mother’s car to work since it’s not very far, and while I’m thankful for the opportunity to do that, I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about how nice it would be to have my own car. Something that I wouldn’t have to call about and ask to borrow for a trip to the grocery store or to drive to work that day. This job promotion makes us having a 2nd car for the first time ever a real possibility.

But aside from the better income, I’m also so incredibly proud of Josh and what he’s accomplished to get this far in his job. He works long hours and he’s good at what he does. It makes me happy to see him being recognized and rewarded for his efforts. This, in turn, makes me want to take a page from his book. The restaurant where I currently work was never intended to become a permanent thing for me. I’ve been there for three years, and I’ve begun to feel like it’s time for a change. However, the whole ‘not having a car’ thing really got in the way of that before. Yeah, I could still drive my mother’s car like I am now, but I’ve always known that that wouldn’t work out for very long. Full time jobs require a lot of hours…hours that I know she couldn’t go without a vehicle for very long. It wouldn’t be fair to her, so that’s about 50% of the reason why I’ve stayed at my current, 3-day-a-week job.

And I keep imagining all of the good things that could happen from there. I get my own car, and I’m free to go out and really put forth a conscious effort to finding a better paying/more satisfying job. A better job = better income and happier me. A better income and a happier me = even more possibilities. Build our own home? Take some classes? Have the kind of disposable income where we can do more things as a family and provide even better for our son?

My head is in the clouds. And I owe it all to my awesome husband.

However, I’m going to go ahead and make one thing clear…I am NOT a doctor of any kind, so do not use the suggestions in this article in place of real medical advice from your doctor. These are merely my experiences and suggestions about dealing with eczema. Specifically, in a child.

First thing’s first… I strongly recommend taking your child to the doctor before making assumptions about what’s going on with their skin. I had no idea what eczema was before my son was diagnosed, therefore I thought it was just dry skin and that it would go away. You need to be sure of their skin condition before writing it off as something unimportant or something that will disappear over time. Many skin conditions can appear to be similar (psoriasis and eczema are close in appearance) but may be treated in completely different ways.

2. Come to grips with the fact that your child may have (and struggle) with this for the rest of his or her life. It’s tempting sometimes to believe that once the rash clears up, it’s gone for good, so you can stop medicating. In some cases, this is true, as childhood eczema is fairly common and many children do outgrow it. But in others, as soon as you stop treating it, it comes back with a vengeance and getting it under control again is miserable for all parties involved. Better to err on the side caution and keep doing what works.

3. Your child’s doctor will more than likely prescribe an ointment to help clear up the rash, and possibly an oral medication to help ease the itching that comes with it. However, it’s important to find out what triggers the outbreaks (maybe an allergy or stress) and make lifestyle changes so that medication won’t be relied upon entirely. Loose fitting, 100% cotton clothing is best as it allows the skin to breathe, and avoid any detergents and harsh soaps that can possibly cause an allergic reaction and/or dry out their skin even worse.

4. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. I can’t stress this enough. Especially in the winter months, when skin is more prone to dry out anyway, moisturizing with lotion may be something you end up doing multiple times a day. I’ve found that fragrance free lotions work best, since some perfumes and ‘extra’ ingredients in some lotions can exacerbate the condition. Another tip, our doctor advised us to stay away from Vaseline (petroleum jelly). Contrary to what some believe, the thickness and ‘goopyness’ of petroleum jelly actually trap the affected area from getting any air, and it really doesn’t do anything to provide the moisture that it so desperately needs.

5. If your child has been scratching an area, it will more than likely be difficult to get them to stop. Even if they scratch to the point that it bleeds, weeps, and becomes raw, the itching sensation can become nearly insatiable despite all of that. It’s important to get them to stop scratching somehow to prevent their sores from getting infected, and there are a couple of ways I’ve found that can be effective: 1.) use cold compresses. I run a washcloth under lukewarm or cool water and have him hold it on the area until it stops itching. If that doesn’t work, I’ve found that Dermoplast first-aid spray is also great for this purpose. It’s an anti-itch/pain relieving spray that can be bought almost anywhere.

6. Once the eczema is under control (either by medication, lifestyle changes, home treatments, or a combination), daily maintenance will be required to keep it in check. Along with moisturizing every day, I fully recommend having your child take oatmeal baths at least 2 or 3 times a week depending on the severity with which it occurs. You can buy what they call ‘colloidal’ oatmeal packets at most drug stores, which is really just oatmeal ground into a fine powder, or you can make your own at home using regular breakfast oatmeal. I actually discovered this method a few weeks ago when I searched online for at-home eczema treatments (my son was going through quite a bad flare-up at the time). I read many stories of adult eczema sufferers that praised oatmeal baths, so we gave it a try and it turned out being one of the most effective treatments. If you’re wondering how to make your own oatmeal bath, all you need is a food processor or blender. Add 1 cup of oatmeal (any oatmeal is fine except flavored) and grind it until it becomes a very very fine powder. Add the oatmeal to your child’s lukewarm bathwater and stir it all around. That’s it! The water should turn a milky white color, and they should soak in this bath for a minimum of 15 minutes (30 is better!). After the bath, pat them down with a towel (do not rub!) and moisturize their skin with lotion. I’ve found that by doing this, our son’s flare-ups are becoming fewer and more far between.

I hope this article proves to be helpful to sufferers of eczema and/or the parents of sufferers who may be too little to understand what’s happening to them and don’t know what to do about it. It’s an ongoing struggle for us, but with these few things in mind it makes it a little more bearable.

Finally finished another portrait! I’m slightly obsessed with Dexter at the moment, hence my inspiration. Mostly charcoal and a little graphite on paper. It took me several hours over the course of a few days to finish this.

I tried a new method with this piece that I’ve never done before in any of my drawings. I used the grid system, which to those who may not know, is where you map out an even grid on both the reference picture and your drawing area, then just go through square by square filling in the details. I must say, I DID NOT like this at all. At first it was kinda cool, it being a new way to look at drawing in general and all, but after a while I began to feel too contained. Like at times, my eyes were telling me that this line or that line needed to be further down, but I was afraid to do so because of the grid lines. Ah well, here’s to new experiences.

Enjoy!

I love the ring and here’s the kicker…it’s not big, there’s no diamond, or any outrageous personal engraving. It’s a simple, white gold, standard ring. I’m not a fancy girl. I don’t like diamonds and I hate the idea of spending a lot of money on something so superficial in the long run. It’s the symbolism that matters most to me. He lovingly slipped it on my finger while we sat in the car in the Best Buy parking lot. To a geek girl like me, nothing could’ve been more romantic.

It reminds me of my mother’s. Happily married to my dad for 30+ years, she eloped with him in Georgia back in 1976 and she’s worn the same ring ever since. Simple, plain like mine. I once asked her to take it off when I was little, so I could see how it looked on my finger…she wouldn’t.

I look forward to many more anniversaries. I love him with all my heart.

I feel as though I’ve been cooped up in the house for forever and 12 years, and I haven’t done a ‘Photo Friday’ in just about as long. This is just a little photographic experiment having a dark subject in front of a bright background.

The second reason I despise Winter really less to do with the weather and more to do with our family’s curse of having dry skin. I’m itching right now just writing about it. However, my itchiness really doesn’t compare to Dylan’s problem – he has eczema. And it’s almost unmanageable in the winter time. His constant scratching eventually makes him bleed, lose sleep at night because he wakes up to scratch, and generally makes him miserable. A problem that isn’t nearly as severe in the warmer months, when the air isn’t so void of moisture.

He was diagnosed when he was around 5 months old, so I’ve done my share of reading about the condition and talking to his doctors about what to do. Eventually, the prescription ointments clear up his skin and I use them until we run out of them. To compensate for having to go to the doctor all the time, I’ve scoured drugstore shelves for the perfect lotion/moisturizer to aid in the healing (though they all claim to be the BEST OF THE BEST OF THE BEST). Eventually it always comes back. The thing about eczema is that when you start scratching, it’s extremely hard to satiate that itch because the more you scratch, the more inflamed and irritated the skin gets, making it itch even more. Even after it begins to bleed and weep, I’ve seen my son scratch until he’s on the verge of crying. It’s heartbreaking. And there’s no cure.

Last week when it was particularly bad, I decided to do some extra research online to see if there was anything I could use at home or buy in a bottle to help. In a perfect world, the prescription ointment his doctor always gives us would be available over-the-counter, however just with every other kind of prescription out there, they’re hesitant to keep supplying it over and over again. Prolonged use could be damaging. I knew there had to be other ways. I came across several adult sufferers of eczema online that suggested taking oatmeal baths. Yes, the kind that you eat for breakfast! I was skeptical at first, wondering why something so cheap and readily available hasn’t even been mentioned at any of his doctor visits. I gave it a try, grinding 1 cup of oatmeal in a food processor until it was powdery and adding it to his lukewarm bathwater. I wasn’t expecting any results, but amazingly even after one 30 minute bath, he told me that he didn’t itch as bad and the redness was already clearing up a little. I was surprised, to say the least.

Since then, he’s been taking them regularly, and I’m happy to be able to say that it’s almost completely under control again. Further reading on oatmeal baths informed me that it’s good for the skin because it acts as an anti-inflammatory, soothing the skin while locking in moisture. After the baths, I’ve been moisturizing his skin with a cream lotion. The combination of the two work wonders. I just wish I’d searched for these answers sooner.

Though I’m still yearning for the day that the sun peaks out and warms this place up, at least this winter has been a little more bearable, especially for my little guy.

To anyone that has eczema or dry winter skin, are there any other home remedies that you’ve found effective at soothing the skin? What’s your favorite, most effective lotion or moisturizer?

After searching tirelessly for the perfect slipper pattern, and not finding one I liked well enough, I decided to improvise and come up with my own. I’ve decided to share it, in the hope that it’s useful to other knitters!

They’re knit both flat and in the round toward the toes, with only one seam to sew up at the end. The garter stitch fabric is very stretchy, and this pattern can easily be added to or taken away from to fit anyone’s foot. I recommend comparing the fabric to your foot as you go along to get the perfect fit.

Materials

• 1 skein (though you probably won’t even use half) worsted weight yarn. I used Bernat Satin in Seashell.
• Size US 8 needles
• Size US 8 double-pointed needles
• Stitch Marker
• Yarn or tapestry needle for sewing the seam

Instructions
Make two.

With your straight needles, CO (using long-tail cast-on) 30 sts. Leave the tail dangling as it is used to sew up the heel seam later on.
Knit every row (this makes garter stitch) back and forth until the piece measures approximately 5 1/4 in. or about 42 rows. This ends the flat knitting.
Transfer all stitches to 3 double-pointed needles, 10 sts on each. Join to begin working in the round.
Round 1: Purl
Round 2: Knit
(This is how garter st. is produced in the round.)
Repeat rounds 1 and 2 for 12 rounds total.
Begin decreasing as follows:
Round 13: p2tog around. You should have 15 sts. at this point.
Round 14: k2tog around. You will have 1 st. left at the very end that will have to be knitted by itself instead of with another one due to the odd number of sts. It’s not noticeable in the finished product, but worth mentioning to avoid any confusion.
Cut yarn leaving a long tail, thread the yarn through your tapestry needle, and run it through the remaining sts. Pull tightly to gather and weave in the remaining tail.
Sew the heel seam.

The straps
The length of the straps will depend on a.) how wide your foot is and b.) where you decide to place them on the slipper. Remember to try them on as you go along!

Locate the place along the opening of the slipper where you’d like to place the strap. Pick up 5 sts. with your size 8 straight needle along the very edge. This can be a bit tricky at first, but gets easier once you get started.
Knit the first row holding both the working yarn and the tail yarn together. This will eliminate the need to weave in the tail later since it will already be worked into the fabric.
Beginning with row 2, drop the tail yarn and knit back and forth normally. I knitted for 25 rows.
Bind off.
Cut yarn leaving a long tail. Use this tail to attach the end of the strap to the opposite edge of your slipper.

Ta-da! Super cute slippers to wear around the house.

This is my first time writing up a pattern, so if you have any questions or need me to clear up anything, feel free to contact me. I’d be more than happy to help!

The funny thing about trying to ‘creep’ anywhere is that seemingly innocuous sounds produced by walking, standing, or breathing, are amplified tenfold. That door never creaked that loudly before did it? Since when did the floor moan and groan so loudly when stepping on it tiptoed? Clearly the forces of the universe were working against me. I slowly, carefully opened the door to my son’s bedroom last night and peeked my head in. I saw him there in bed, mouth open and snoring. Perfect conditions to pull off this stealthy toothfairy operation. I crept to his bedside and paused, froze in my current position for a few seconds to be sure that the displacement of the air that I caused in his room wouldn’t wake the neighborhood. All was still and quiet…well, besides the snoring coming out of this kid that would put even my easy-chair napping dad to shame. My hand was under his pillow, fumbling around for that little white envelope, everything perfect, when it happened.

A stirring. A cough. This child that has no problem sleeping through thunderstorms and loud t.v.s was going to wake up and catch me in this compromising position. Did I mention that everything was illuminated by the light from the t.v.? So it’s not like I could just stand there in the dark, unnoticed. I snatched my hand back, with the envelope, and ducked down as quietly as I could on my hands and knees. I felt like I was in some sitcom where the boyfriend sneaks into his girlfriend’s room at night, then when the parents come to investigate, he has to hide somewhere, usually in some stupid place like down beside the bed or behind a curtain with his feet sticking out.

His noises and rooting around subsided, and it was safe to assume he was back fighting with his army men and Indiana Jones in dreamland. The exchange was made quickly – tooth out, money in, closed the envelope. I slid it back underneath his pillow and held my breath. Nothing. I came back from which I came and made my husband acknowledge my accomplishment and congratulate me on a job well done.

And it was all worth it. When he discovered his dollars this morning, he was amazed. It was like magic. He proceeded to go to school and show everyone what he got for now having an empty tooth hole.

I am nothing if not an expert at personifying imaginary beings.

My newest completed drawing. It took about 7 hours or so from start to finish (taking a few breaks to cook dinner and play Transformers!) Graphite and charcoal on paper.

These are the annoying things that I didn’t realize I was doing until playback. ^_^