Sunday, December 06, 2020

COVID-19 Day by Day Symptoms Parent, Child and Teen with Type One Diabetes

Updated 9:00 am on December 14, 2020 
Teen with type one diabetes finally has manageable blood sugars. Took five days for them not to be insanely high. Day 2, 3, 6, and 7 were my worst days. Day 7 for my husband and teen daughter were also horrible.  Hubby is positive. Two teen son's negative. More below.

I'm hoping my story can help others with what to expect day by day with Coronavirus symptoms.  I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Just my story sharing my kids and my COVID-19 symptoms. I'm sure you are wondering if I adhered to the three 'W's'. YES! I truly believed if I did my part and everyone did theirs that I could spare myself and my family from the virus. That's another story. 

December 3rd, nothing so far has been fun about contracting the virus. My body feels weird where I'm just uncomfortable. I have a fever that comes and goes and a headache. As you read, you'll learn other symptoms that developed and how we all are progressing. Hopefully, my day by day coronavirus symptoms accounts can help someone prepare a little for this virus. Although, I've had friends that have had totally different symptoms which could be due to age, body makeup, and other things. But whatever it is, the more everyone can share, the more each of us can be better prepared. 

Day 1: December 2, 2020 - Night before I tested positive for having coronavirus. 

That evening I had a runny nose, been sneezing and my eyes were watery.  But I live with allergies, so these symptoms are normal for me.  I had energy all day and felt good.  I went to bed at 9:30 pm as I was tired. 

Day 2: December 3, 2020 - MOM only with COVID

3:00 am - I tossed and turned for over an hour in bed as I was so hot. I actually thought perhaps this was what everyone was talking about for perimenopause. Boy was I wrong. 

4:30 am - I finally became so uncomfortably hot that I decided to check my temperature - three times in fact - 100.5, 101, and 100.5. UGH! So many thoughts ran through my mind. How in the world could I have a fever. I don't do anything but work from home. I thought maybe I was just exhausted from working and being overwhelmed with the holiday stress. But then another thought entered my mind, Could I have a coronavirus? I had a really bad headache and my body felt strange. Not wanting to take any chances, I grabbed my pillow and headed to my office to be far away from my kids and husband until I knew for sure.

7:00 am I scheduled a 9:40 am appointment at Atrium Urgent Care to get tested for coronavirus. I called so many places. Almost all were booked up for days. Luckily I found a place that still had a rapid test available. 

9:40 am - I checked in and they took me to a room within the urgent care facility. The healthcare practitioner checked my temperature and oxygen levels. Both were normal. They then did a COVID rapid test. In less than 15 minutes the doctor came in and said it was positive. I was numb and in denial. They discharged me with papers and shared that I would get a text from them, which they stressed should join so they could monitor me. I actually walked out and then walked back in, waving down the doctor. She came over and I asked if it could be a false positive. She said no and that I was positive. So many things go through your mind when you test positive for coronavirus. The first is "How?" Seriously, I have been anally adhering to the three 'W's' bitching daily at my husband to be as careful as I was. The second was "Will my kids be spared?" The third was "This has to be a mistake."

My husband and I went into quarantine mode. I moved 100% into our bedroom where I've been since. That day I didn't feel great. I did work, but not energetically. Usually, work will take me away from my worries.  Being diagnosed with coronavirus, trumped all my thoughts. From 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, I had a fever of 100.5 - 101. It stayed at that number even with Tylenol.

4:00 PM - My fever shifted to a low-grade fever about 99.5 - 100.5. 

I was able to eat and drink all day. In fact, I was soooo hungry all day. I even had a glass of wine before falling asleep at 9:30 pm.  

Day 3: December 4, 2020 - MOM only with COVID

7:00 am - Denial Phase. I woke up feeling good. Not great, but good enough that I thought having coronavirus may not be as hard as I think. I had the sniffles (runny nose, sneezing, and really watery eyes). I took allergy medicine thinking that was the cause.  Then I reached out to friends sharing that I think my test was a false positive. I felt way too good to have coronavirus. My symptoms just didn't seem really bad. Well, that feeling and thought only lasted a couple hours. By10:45 am, I started to feel weird again.

10:45 am - I felt like crap! My temperature shot up without warning to 102. I was tired, hot and just felt lousy. I took two Tylenol and started to think, maybe I do have coronavirus. But the doubt still existed in me. Being the stubborn triple-A personality, I worked even with a fever.

4:00 pm the fever broke where it went from 102/103 to 99.5 - 100.5. For the rest of the night, my temperature was between 99.1 and 100.5.  I didn't feel great but I felt a lot better than I did earlier in the afternoon, so I caught up on work emails. My body felt hot and like I had taken too much Benadryl. 

The strangest thing is that I was able to eat and drink all day. 

Most of the day my body felt hot and like I had taken too much Benadryl. My chest has felt a little tight. Almost like a piece of food is lodged under my rib cage. Nothing severe. Just a little tightness.

Day 4: December 5, 2020 - MOM and 9-Year-old TWEEN with COVID

8:30 am - Yep once again the Denial Phase struck. I woke up with a very very low fever and I felt really good. I had a slight headache. And those darn allergy symptoms were still lingering around. But my denial and hope were crushed; by 11:00 am I was burning up with a fever of 102/103. I took Tylenol and for the next five hours napped.

4:30 pm - I learned that my 9-year-old daughter had a fever. My 16-year-old daughter found her in her bedroom sleeping and checked her temperature. It was 101. My heart sank when I learned. 

5:30 pm - I moved my 9-year old into my quarantined bedroom. She had a fever of 103, a headache and was fatigued. All signs that she had COVID. 

All night long she had a fever that was between 102 - 104. I woke up every four hours to give her acetaminophen and liquids. I didn't have my husband take care of her, trying to prevent him from catching the virus. 

Day 5: December 6, 2020 - MOM, 9 year old TWEEN and now TEEN with COVID

8:20 am - My 9-year-old daughter's fever went from 103 to 100.5! But she wasn't hungry. She just laid on her bed, looking frail. I did force her to eat and drink a little. 

8:30 am - Heartattack time! My 16-year-old daughter who has type one diabetes yelled from her bedroom that she has a fever or 99.8. I know that's not high, but that is the first sign that she may have coronavirus too. My heart sank. She was the one that I had been working so hard at protecting for the past eight-plus months and I really feel like I failed. 

I'm scared. Yes, I am scared. No one knows how coronavirus will affect someone with type one diabetes. Prayers. I'm asking for prayers.

My 16-year-old daughter - So far blood sugars have been great even with the fever. Here is what she shared with me:

  • She felt weird when she went to bed. (Just like me!)
  • She mentioned her throat was sore. 
  • When she woke up, she said she tossed and turned all night. 
  • Her symptoms:  Fever (99.8), sore throat, and headache.
9:30 am - My 9-year old tested positive for coronavirus. Fever and headache have been her symptoms. 

10:00 am - My 16 year old got a COVID rapid test. Shockingly it came back negative, so now we need to wait for the PCR results. There is no doubt that this is a false negative as she has all the signs. Her oxygen level was normal, but she had a temperature of over 99, a headache, and a sore throat. She also keeps telling me she just doesn't feel well and she feels weird. 

11:00 am - My 16-year-old came and joined my 9-year-old and me in our quarantined room. 

12:00 pm - All of us have low fevers. We ate lunch. My 9-year-old is eating snacks which makes me happy. I was nervous when she wouldn't eat in the morning.  

1:10 pm - We all took a nap till 2:30 pm. Well, we all needed a nap. Our bodies just needed to rest.

5:00 pm - We felt hottish and weird again. All of us couldn't get comfortable. We took Tylenol and our temperature has lingered around 99.5 - 100.5.

Since around noon, all three of us have been hungry! We've eaten all our meals and snacks. Our favorite snack is ice cream. It just feels so good on the throat. 

I've been blowing my nose and sneezing daily.  My eyes have been so watery too. 

5:30 pm - dinner. Husband made steak, potatoes, and salad. We all cleaned our plates. And my 9 years old even had a snickers ice cream after. 

7:00 pm - It's not late, but I'm getting tired. I just checked temperatures.

  • Mom (me) has a fever of 99.8 - 100.5. I checked three times. My throat is feeling funny. I can't tell if it's sore or if it's just because of the nasal drip. My chest also has had a little pressure feeling. 
  • Teen (16-year-old) no fever. Temp of 97.6 and 98.5
  • Tween (9-year-old) fever of 99.6 - 100.5.
My Tween seems to have a lot of energy when her fever goes down or breaks. She becomes her normal self, chasing the cat in the room and talking up a storm. 

9:10 pm - We all took Tylenol and headed to bed.

Day 6: December 7, 2020

6:50 am - woke up feeling pretty good. My body felt like it was dead weight and my blood needed to circulate to get it moving. Everything about my body feels heavy. 

7:10 am Checked fevers three times in a row.
  • Mom - low fever of 99.1 - 100.5
  • Teen - fever of 99.5 - 100.5
  • Tween - fever of 100 - 102
7:30 am We all ate. So far coronavirus hasn't impacted our ability to eat. 

7:50 pm My tween missed her morning call with her virtual class. She said she needed to rest just a little more. Even though she has a low-grade fever, it seems to really zap her (actually all of us) energy. 

Both my teen and tween plan on participating in some school today. And I'm going to work. Just need one more cup of 'Dunkin'!

12:00 pm - No fever for my teen and tween. I had a slight fever of 100. My headache is back. And I just can't get comfortable temperature-wise. I swear I change the thermostat from heat to AC almost every 20 minutes. 

3:30 pm - I'm tired again, but continuing working. I just need to do something and keep my mind off of coronavirus. My teen has a headache and is really tired. Tween is feeling 'fine' which is what she just told me but she does have a low-grade fever. 

5:00 pm - Husband just called to let me know he hasn't been feeling well. He has aches, pains and chills. He said they started last night but he didn't think much of it. (I'M SWEARING LEFT AND RIGHT, RIGHT NOW AND MORE!!!). UGH! Seriously...  I'm a pissed off wife as I have two teen boys who still have no symptoms and I've asked everyone if they have any symptoms to let all of us know immediately. 

5:30 pm - Teen napped. I tried to nap at 5:30 pm but just couldn't do it. Tween couldn't nap too. Instead, she played with our exotic short-haired cat although I kept begging her to sleep. 

6:00 pm - Ate dinner. 

6:15 pm - Changed Teens inset. 

7:00 pm - Teens' blood glucose is going up fast. We believe it's an inset that failed so I changed it again and then gave her a shot of insulin.

7:30 pm - Teens blood glucose is still high so had her take a shower which normally helps bring her blood glucose down. It didn't this time. She was still high after the shower and hours later. This is so stressful. 

8:00 pm, Teen's blood glucose is still way too high. I thought maybe it was another bad inset so I changed it again.  It's so hard to think a virus or fever could cause her blood glucose to be so out of control. But it is and it's beyond frustrating that we can't easily fix it! We upped her basal 25% to bring it down, yet it still isn't coming down. On a normal day, 25% increase in insulin basal rate would make her crash.  That's an insane amount of insulin to give on top of her normal amount. 

9:50 pm - Tween finally fell asleep. We all feel like we have a form of insomnia. I just can't sleep. So I'm working and catching up on reading.

12:00 midnight - Finally heading to bed. Teen blood glucose just wouldn't come down even having her basal upped 30 percent more for hours now. It has stayed over 300 for almost 6 hours. And my teen stayed up with me. Both of us have insomnia and we feel like crap. My mind says to sleep, but nothing is sleeping. Hating this!

Day 7: December 8, 2020

8:00 am - Day 3 for Teen (my type one). She woke up with a fever of 102. Hating this! I had a really hard time sleeping last night. Our bodies were so hot, yet my temperature was a low-grade fever, but I still felt awful. I'm going to work as it keeps me busy.

My teen boys and husband are getting tested today. This is just a very sad time for us. 

6:00 pm - Teen slept most of the day as her blood glucose was high and she had a fever. We had to up her basal 15 - 30% at times. She didn't do any school work as she felt horrible and the fever just wiped her out.  Tween seems to be doing good. She has a lot of energy and is full of smiles. Me, well, my chest is starting to hurt. It feels warm inside and there is a little pain. I have a fever that kicks in once a day it seems. I'm able to work, which gives me peace of mind. I do get tired faster. The doctor said that's normal and to rest when I need to. 

8:00 pm - This just sucks! It has been hell trying to get my type one's blood glucose lower so she feels better. We have been able to prevent it from going over 300 but the longer it's high the more we need to be concerned about ketones.  She's checking her ketones 3 times a day and also if her blood glucose is high for over an hour. So far no ketones. The stress is just enormous right now. 

Day 8: December 9, 2020

5:30 am - Teen woke up with a fever at 5:30 am. Her Tandem t-slim insulin pump alarms woke me up as her blood glucose was going up over 200. We upped her basal 20% and gave her two Tylenol. I let her go back to sleep while I monitored her. By 6:30 am, her blood glucose was 195. Much better.

7:00 am - Teens blood glucose is 162.  We're still working on trying to get it below 150. I had a slight fever and my chest still feels tight. It feels like bad indigestion right under my ribs. My 9-year-old Tween seems to be doing well. 

8:00 am - Tween and Teen are going to try to do some school today. 

11:20 am - Teens' blood glucose still high. She's upping basal 15% so it stays more manageable. 

3:00 pm - Teen is taking a nap. She gets really tired by this time. I'm not feeling great. Tired and looking forward to begin able to take a nap once the Webinar that I'm chairing is done. 

5:45 pm - Teen woke up. No fever and blood glucose is staying around 110 - 130 with the Tandem Tslim. Tween gets a little tired. Both are taking it slow with school so they don't burn out.

9:50 pm - Just learned my husband tested positive. He's in shock as he had a false negative COVID Rapid test the day before. 

Day 9: December 10, 2020 - Husband Positive; Twin 16-year-old son and 17-year-old son Negative.

Around 2:00 am, I got a text alert with my Twin 16-year-old son's coronavirus PCR results. I logged into Novant's MyChart and checked immediately. He's negative! How? I'm not sure because he and his twin sister are always around each other.  I have to call for my 17-year-old son's results. (Praying!)

7:30 am - Teen's blood glucose has been fantastic all night. She's 109 right now. I'm head to toe excited! Praying again that she's over the rough part and is on the mend. 

1:00 pm - Teen boys are negative! So far it's been a pretty good day for me. I'm feeling so much better. I have a lot more energy. My teen daughter had a low-grade fever around noon. She took a really long nap in the afternoon. Tween is back to her normal energic kid-self. 

9:00 pm - Husband is bored. He said he doesn't have a fever, but has cramps in his legs and back and is achy.

Day 10: December 11, 2020 - Lost ability to taste and smell

8:20 am Husband said he had bad stomach cramps last night and then mentioned maybe he needs to work out. Hmm... I have to say, working out hasn't crossed my mind yet since my symptoms started with coronavirus.  I shared with him that maybe he should rest and let his body fight the virus without overworking it. It's not easy not doing anything. From experience, my daughters and I soon learned that when we did too much we ended up sicker the next day where we were more tired and our fever came back. 

10:14 am - We can't smell or taste anything! It really is mind-boggling and such a weird experience. So, we realized it after I gave my Tween a bottle of lotion that I never liked the smell of. She immediately put some in her hands and smelled it. With a puzzled look, she turned to me and said, "I don't smell anything." My Teen took it and smelled the lotion out of the container and couldn't smell anything either.  I thought they were joking, so I smelled it and nothing. No scent at all. I then squirted some on my hands and still couldn't smell it. It has Eucalyptus in it. It's such a strong scented lotion and none of us could smell it. Still wondering if this was for real, I took the can of Lysol and sprayed it. We couldn't smell it. It was like clean air. If our dog farts, we won't smell it! Seriously, is that healthy? UGH!

2:30 pm - my Teen hasn't felt good all day. Whenever her blood glucose goes over 200 she feel horrible and is so snappy. We scheduled a virtual appointment with her Pediatrician because her chest really hurts and she's worried. I guess we all are worried. My chest has hurt for days now too. 

3:50 pm - We had a virtual doctor's appointment! My Tween feels a little better as the doctor said the chest hurting is a common symptom. She shared that our chest is inflamed and we need to take it slow. She also recommended sleeping on your stomach. My Teen has been doing that and it does seem to provide some relief. I'm finding when I eat, my chest hurts more. However, I feel more comfortable sleeping on my back at times. 

8:00 pm - My Teen's blood glucose crashed. It went down to 59. Gave her sugar and monitored. Within 20 minutes it started to come up. She's feeling a lot better now that her blood glucose is above 90.

10:00 pm - Headed to bed. We still get tired early and my Tween has an AP Lang Rhetorical essay makeup exam tomorrow.

Day 11, December 12, 2020

10:00 am - I'm out of quarantine! I'm still wearing a mask and sanitizing everything I touch in the house just in case. But mentally I know I have freedom. It's been such a long grueling experience stuck in my bedroom for 10 days. The only symptoms I still have are not being able to smell and my chest has a little uncomfortableness to it. It feels like a bronchial infection. My sense of taste has gone a little.  It's really weird. Sometimes I can taste salt and other times I can't. It's like it comes and goes.  Same thing with my sense of smell.  I can smell Tea Tree essential oil a little, but can't smell peppermint or lavender at all. Here are some other things I've noticed and are bizarrely funny:

  • I can't smell, but when I spray Lysol and I get too close my eyes water up as if it's still affected by the Lysol. 
  • I actually folded dirty laundry thinking it was clean. It smelled soooo good! My daughter shared that the clothes I just folded were dirty. How in the world am I going to be able to tell if something smells bad or rotten? 
  • This morning I woke up and my 9-year-olds face was centimeters from mine. Her morning breath is usually nasty. But not now. It smells like fresh air.
10:30 am - My husband said he still doesn't feel great. He mentioned he tossed and turned again all night and just could get comfortable.

2:00 pm - Girls and I seem to be on the mend! No fever. No headache. No sore throat. I do still have chest pain. And we all still can't smell. The funny thing is we can taste a little bit. I can taste lime. It's not as strong. I literally can suck on it and not have any reaction. 

7:00 pm - Husband's lower back (around the kidney area) and right behind his right knee still bothers him. The hardest thing about getting COVID-19 is there isn't any consistency with symptoms.

Day 12, December 13, 2020 - I'm out of quarantine!

8:30 am - Girls and I are back! We feel great! Well... maybe not great, but we feel like we are alive again.  Going from feeling like you are dieing to having energy and no headache and no sore throat, you feel like a new person. We still can't smell, but we have so much more energy and feel more alive. My chest still hurts. Madison said hers doesn't' any longer. She seems to be doing so much better. She really had me worried. 

9:00 am - I talked to my mom. She, my dad, and my 95-year-old grandmother aren't sure they are going to travel from Florida to spend Christmas with us this year. I'm pretty bummed, but understand. Last year they weren't able to come either. My grandmother had slipped on black ice going to get the mail in New Hampshire. (My entire family is from NH - I'm born and raised). For the past couple of years, my parents have divided their time between NH and Florida. When they head to Florida, they stop by (we're in North Carolina) to see us. They didn't do it in October. I was the one who told them no because I was nervous about being able to keep them and my family safe from COVID. :-( 

10:00 am - Hubby just texted. He's still having a rough night sleeping. His lower back still hurts and he has some pain still behind his right knee. 

7:00 pm - I spent most of the day decorating and cooking for everyone in the house. Having holiday decorations up makes things a little brighter. 

8:00 pm - Hubby took Motrin. He shared his back and behind the knee pain feels a lot better. 

10:00 pm - So I was relaxing when my 17-year-old shouted to me saying he could smell something strange in the house.  I shot up out of bed nervous there was a fire or a gas lead. But when I tried smelling, I couldn't smell a thing. I pride myself on having an above-average sense of smell. But at this moment I couldn't smell anything. He, my twin son, and I walked the house checking everything... outlets, gas. Nothing seemed out of the norm so we all headed for bed. I prayed when I finally put my head down. How in the world would I be able to protect my kids if I couldn't smell danger? This entire experience just sucked and I don't wish it on anyone. 

Day 13, December 14, 2020 - Work and School today

7:00 am - My 9 year old has her sense of smell and taste back.  My teen daughter and I still can't smell.  I have so much more energy. But I'm snappy. It's like I'm on steroids. I don't know if this is part of coronavirus or just me mentally exhausted from everything we've had to deal with over the past 10-12 days. I am snappy and could use a vacation, which I know won't come soon enough. 










Friday, September 11, 2020

Astrology September 2020 - Jupiter, Mars and Saturn - Here We Go Again

Get ready for a "Here we go again" fall! 

We start off the season with a lot of activity in the sign of Capricorn. Jupiter (the planet of luck that's expansive, big-thinking, but can also make people overly optimisticand Saturn (the have you learned your lessons planet which ignites discipline, restrictions, and limitations) are turning direct and making their way back to crossing paths with Pluto again (the transformation planet which slowly destroys to rebuild). This love-hate relationship started in December 2019.

Did you know that "Astrologers Predicted 2020 Would Be Dramatically Life-Changing...?"

With a lot of planetary activity happening in Capricorn, we (the people) aren't finished our new revolution (or with COVID-19). We're going to be making it known (especially to our governments including school systems) that our needs aren't being met and we aren't getting what we want. This is a time where we will be pushing for answers! In the end, many of us will be asking, "How are they going to help us make our dreams come true. But do we even know what our dreams are, today? 

This is a time where structures will crumble and be rebuilt. Not all have to be negative and tragic. There is positive change that isn't too far off in the future. Innovation and forward-thinking start manifesting as several planets move into Aquarius at the end of this year going into early 2021. This energy can lead to 'BIG' global changes and possibly even a cure for a disease noone expected to heal. And I'm not talking coronavirus here.

Here's a snapshot of what to expect this fall.

Sept 9th to Nov 13th Mars goes retrograde in Aries 

It will have the strongest effect on people who have planets in a fire sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) with aspects at 28 to 15 degrees.

Now is a time to think things through. Be patient. Take deep breaths versus getting angry. It's time to be focused. Watch running over people to achieve your goals. Really take some time to think about what is worth and not worth fighting for.

Sept 12 - June 21 Transit Jupiter in Capricorn goes direct   

When Jupiter goes direct, things that have been in the planning stage since May 2020 are ready to be executed! It's a great time to implement new strategies. Opportunities you thought were lost come back. Jupiter is the planet of luck. But it also creates so much optimism that people may go to an extreme. Just because gyms and bars are open, doesn't mean coronavirus is gone. Coronavirus is with us for another year. We need to wear those masks and social distance. I get it. It sucks. But it will save lives (even yours) as the coronavirus hasn't reached the Tipping Point yet. 

With Mars retrograde and Jupiter reconnecting with Pluto, we are also faced with the "Here we go again!".  This is the time for 'out with the old' and 'in with the new'. But to accomplish this things can get a little heated as beliefs and old patterns will be triggered. 

September 29th Saturn in Capricorn goes direct

This is the last time Saturn will be in Capricorn for another 28 - 29 years (YAY!!!) Even though Saturn is at its home in Capricorn, it constantly teaches and forces people to have to work harder than they have in the past. When Saturn finally moves to Aquarius in December 2020, progress will be made and things will start to be built. We just need to watch for global friction. We can become a leader again. But we need a leader first. Remember, Saturn is the planet of 'did you learn your lesson'. Let's hope we do!

Saturn going direct will shift the energy to start making and committing to decisions. The energy says 'commit to what you take on' and 'take responsibility for the choices you make'. It's time to produce and achieve! But at what cost?

Mars and Saturn are going to create a bit of a tug-a-war right around September 29th.  Watch out for the 'we need to do it now' vs 'no, we need to wait' push and pull right around this time. 

The Great Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction on December 21, 2020

We started off 2020 with a bang and looks as if the planets aren't going to give us a break. 2020 ends with what astrologers are calling the Great Jupiter-Saturn conjunction. Worried, yet? Decisions and actions made on a global and personal level will affect the next 20 years of our lives. Let's keep our fingers crossed that we're smart!

Coronavirus update:  Nov 2021 coronavirus is finally manageable. We still have quite a journey to get there.

Friday, May 26, 2017

What's Your Home's Vibe and How to Fix It - Not Your Ordinary Psychic Mom

Decorating Home
After writing the blog post on How to Use Color in Marketing, I had several people ask me if I knew anything about selecting the right colors for the interior of their home. Yes, I do! And Yes, you can improve the vibe of your home by just understanding the symbolism of each room and the psychological affect of color.  

The lowdown....The colors you choose to paint each room in your home shapes the personality—the energy—of the room. Those colors reinforce a message about you to whoever visits that room. 

Below are descriptions of what each room symbolizes in your house along with the colors that work better in the room. In reading the descriptions below, think about the personality you have given each room in your own house. Are the colors you’ve chosen supporting the true purpose of the room, and for that matter, creating the energy flow that is in alignment with your personal goals?
  • A bathroom symbolizes the need for cleansing, purging, or eliminating something in your life that isn't quite working. Time to release and let go. You want to be able to release in the bathroom. Cooler or more earthy colors support that.
  • A kitchen represents that you are preparing yourself for something. It may also symbolize something you have brewing or cooking up such as an idea or concept. The kitchen is a social place. Many people are drawn to decorating their kitchens in yellow, orange and red tones which reinforces a social environment. However, those colors have also been found to increase hunger making people snack more often. Use those colors sparingly in your kitchen, and make sure you bring in some cooler tones to balance the room out.
  • A dining room means its time to nourish and take care of you. This is where you actually do sit down and eat in your life. It’s where you fill your physical body with nourishment. It’s also a place for conversation and formal gatherings. Most dining rooms in a home sit empty the majority of the year. As a result, a dining room can be dressed up in colors that reflect a style that make your comfortable. My recommendation is to use earth tones or colors that are richer in nature. This can set the tone for a more royal festive occasion.
  • The living room symbolizes being comfortable, relaxing, and taking a break. Greens, beige, tans and browns are colors that promote relaxation and make others comfortable when visiting.
  • The bedroom is a place you go to rest and contemplate the day. It may even symbolize sexuality issues. This is the place where you can revive your energy and Spirit. Blue is the best color to paint a bedroom. It allows one to relax comfortably and confidently. Earth colors also provide a calming environment for one to be able to relax and obtain a good night’s sleep.
  • A basement or cellar symbolizes your subconscious mind which deals with routines, habits, and patterns. It also involves eliminating outdated beliefs. Many people store their Christmas decorations, childhood memories, and junk in basements keeping the energy of old habits and secrets buried deep within your home. If you have a finished basement, bring some warm toned colors into it to liven and brighten it up.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

How to Use Color in Marketing and Achieving Your Goals - The Psychology of Color

I love color! It can motivate you. It can help you relax. It can help you achieve your goals. And it can even help you get out of that funk you are in.

Psychology of ColorThe Psychology of Color can be used to develop and communicate your brand image—who you are and how you want to be seen. Yes, the color you choose to wear sends a message to others about you at that moment in time. In fact, even the color you choose to paint the interior walls of your house communicates to the people who enter it who you are. But colors psychological affect goes beyond brand image. It affects your mental attitude. It affects your emotions. It affects your behavior. Color is made up of energy (Yep! We all learned about it in Science 101 - ultra magnetic spectrum). It has an unconscious power that many marketers leverage to get you to take action! 

Color and MarketingTake McDonalds for instance. This Global fast food chain has profited by incorporating the colors red and yellow in its brand image. The color red and yellow trigger a person to be hungry resulting in them eating more, or more often. This is the very essence of McDonalds business—fast food. Brilliant marketing strategy! 

So, when you are picking out the color and style of your clothing, think about the image you would like to convey. When you are decorating your home, think about how you and others will feel when entering each room. And if you are an entrepreneur, think about what colors will communicate your company and brands image - colors in marketing. Remember, each day is a new day; and each day can be a new color. 

The following descriptions will assist you with understanding the psychological
affects of 9 of the most common colors. Also, when you add black and white to a color, it changes it's feeling and affect.

  1. Red is used to convey love. It is a high energy color. A color you wouldn't want to paint your childs bedroom. Red is a "look at me" color. People who wear red get noticed. Red also has been found to raise a person's blood pressure. It can create aggressive behavior. 
  2. Orange is such a fun party color. It gives off the feeling of passion, sexuality, ambition. People drawn to the color orange are social, friendly and happy. Orange is a wonderful color to use in a marketing brainstorming room.  
  3. Yellow creates a feeling of optimism. It's a very intellect and mental. It also can create a feeling of being controlling. This is one color you should never paint your child's room, unless it's a soft creamy yellow. Studies have found that kids have a more difficult time sleeping in a bright yellow room. Their mind just won't relax.
  4. Green is such a wonderful color to incorporate in your life. It's everywhere in nature. It symbolizes growth, healing and good luck. It can help you relax and be present. Many production companies have a green room where guests sit in, so they can relax before going on set. Hospitals use green to help create a calming feeling too.
  5. Blue is the color of communication. It's been found that wearing blue to an interview makes you appear reliable, loyal and honest. Blue is a great color to help you become more confident. Blue is also a wonderful color to paint a bedroom. And incorporating blue into your kitchen or getting a blue light inside your refrigerator can help overeating. It's an appetite suppressant. Where red is the opposite.
  6. Purple is a spiritual color. Preachers are often seen wearing it. It gives off a feeling of luxury and royalty. Purple is not a motivating color. 
  7. Black has no color. It represents the unknown. Black gives off an energy vibe of death, mystery, and power. It is the most popular color in fashion. Many people are drawn to the color black when they are in a phase of questioning who they are and what they want to do for the rest of their life. This color represents mystery, secretive, power, death, and uncertainty. Black added to a color makes it more powerful. But it also can create a vibe that creates a negative feeling. Painting a room in dark purple, can make one more depressed and unmotivated
  8. White is clean and fresh. It’s a great color to use when cleansing. White is used to give a feeling of sterile. Angels are white symbolizing truth and honesty. When white is added to another color it gives it an innocence. People appear gentle. Angels are white representing truth and honestly. An all white room can make you feel uncomfortable, hindering creativity.
  9. Brown grounds a person. This color represents your UPS man— he or she is reliable and trustworthy. You always know he’ll be on time. This color doesn’t make a statement when out in a crowd. It’s a color that blends in. If you want to be noticed, this is not the color you would want to wear. Wear it if you are looking to blend in and be everyone’s best friend. In summary, brown represents earthy, grounded, having common sense, credible, reliable, and politeness.


Tuesday, April 25, 2017

31 Daily Affirmations For Positive Self-Improvement - Not Your Ordinary Psychic Mom

Daily Affirmations
Affirmations are positive statements that bring about change in your thought process, belief system and life. The key to using affirmations for self-improvement is to recite them repeatedly on a daily basis. This allows the affirmation to sink into your subconscious mind. Typically what you will end up finding is that within a short period of time, you will notice positive changes in your attitude towards life. However, some psychologists believe that for some people positive affirmations may not work; it's usually people with very low self-esteem. What they suggest is including the word "working on" within the affirmation; such as, "I am working on loving and respecting my child."

When creating an affirmation, it’s important to keep the following in mind.
  1. Use “I” statements such as “I am confident” and “I am happy.”
  2. Keep them positive.
  3. Use the present tense such as using the words “today” and “now.
  4. Write them down.
  5. If you feel the affirmations are not working, then include the words "working on" within the affirmation that you are reciting.
The following are positive affirmations you can incorporate in your daily:

Affirmations for Parenting

  • I love and respect my child.
  • I am patient and understanding, and take a deep breath before I lose control.
  • I speak to my child in a kind, loving tone.
  • I listen to my child.
  • I make our home safe and secure for my child.
  • I help my child to stay healthy and fit.
  • I take time every day to be and speak with my child.
Affirmations for Health
  • I am in control of my health.
  • I am healthy and full of energy.
  • I eat healthy, nutritious foods that benefits my body.
  • I have the energy to do whatever I desire.
  • Every day is a new day full of hope, happiness and health.
  • The universal energy heals me and makes me whole.
Affirmations for Career
  • I am happy in my job. 
  • I get along well with my coworkers. 
  • I enjoy going to work.
  • I am a leader.
  • I am a good communicator.
Affirmations for Love
  • I am a loving person filled with joy, love, and light.
  • I give my love to everyone I touch.
  • I always deserve love.
  • I attract only loving and caring people into my life.
  • I love myself. 
Affirmations for Spirituality
  • I am connected to the universal life force energy.
  • I am intuitive.
  • I am pure light.
  • My angels protect and guide me on my path.
Affirmations for Abundance
  • I am open to receiving.
  • Money comes to me easily and effortlessly.
  • My life is filled with wealth.
  • I have unlimited abundance.
Don’t forget! The process to make your affirmations work is for you to continue saying them on a repeated basis

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

11 Best Holiday Gifts for Girls in 2016 - Tween and Teen

There are some amazing gadgets and gifts for teen and tween girls this holiday season. My favorites and my tween daughters are below.

3Doodler 2.0 Drawing Pen
This 3D drawing pen by Brookstone made my tween daughters Christmas list. It's one of the hottest toys for 2016 holiday season. Hoping it lives up to its promise - easy to use!




One of the best journals on the market for tweens and teens! It will keep your child engaged by prompting them to do things such as adding photos, painting a page with hot chocolate and coloring outside the lines. Creative and fun!


Wreck this Journal

Wired Cat Ear Headphones from Brookstone
Great tween or teen holiday gift gadget! LED lighted cat ears with over-the-ear cushioning for noise reduction and a secure fit. It also is USB rechargeable—up to 5 hours of playing time per charge.
LED lighted Headphones

Chocolate Bar Maker
Somehow, every year, a food toy makes my daughters list. This year it's the Chocolate Bar Maker by Moose Toys. I'm sure she'll only use it once or twice. I bought it for her because it made her list and I'll get a yummy chocolaty treat that she made especially for me.
Chocolate Bar Maker
Great book if your child is interested in crafting such as scrapbooking and card making. I purchased this along with Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers, Bright, 10-Pack

Writing Lettering for Crafts

Crayola Air Marker Sprayer
My tween daughter loves doing art projects. This Air Marker Sprayer available at many stores like Target and Walmart is another hot toy this 2016 holiday season. It also had great reviews. One thing that I like about it is that you can use any marker versus having to purchase something unique that can't be used alone.
Crayola-Marker-Sprayer
Pie Face! Game
Help! Yes it's hilariously fun! Yes my kids will love this! But I'm still torn between purchasing this game or the Bounce-Off game. Having whipped cream splattered on my kids (or their friends) face will be hilarious! As a mommy of four, I just don't want to deal with the mess it will create and the cost of continually having to purchase whipped cream just doesn't excite me. 
Pie-Face-Game
Smartphone VR Headset with Earphones from Smarter ImagePriced at only $49.99, this Smartphone VR Headset with Earphones from Smarter Image will give you an amazing 3-D experience. We tried it, and absolutely love it! The best part is that it is compatible with all smartphones up to 3.875” W x 7.5” H. 

Virtual Reality Headset

Day At The Spa Gift Set by Creativity for Kids
I did purchase this for my tween daughter. She and her five year old sister asked for this for Christmas. It's a bit pricey, but I think they'll get a lot of use out of it. At least, I'm hoping.

It comes with an inflatable pedicure foot tub, nail dryer that is battery operated, satin eye mask, pedicure slippers and toe separators, nail file, buffer, 4 bottles of nail polish, 1 bottle of glitter polish, 6 sets of printed press-on nails, stick-on nail art, nail stand, cotton balls and satin spa bag to hold all of your supplies. Batteries not included.
Spa Kids Gift Set

Fun gadget when you are doing your homework and need a breather. 

Remote Aircraft Toy

Last, but not least, Spot it! is one of our favorite games to play. It's a face paced game that develops focus, visual perception and strategy.
Spot it! Card Game


Tuesday, November 15, 2016

11 Best Holiday Gifts for Boys in 2016 - Tween and Teen

Every holiday season, I spend hours upon hours researching the latest and greatest gadgets and gifts to purchase for my kids for Christmas. This year, I discovered 11 cool holiday gifts for my tween and teen boys.

Virtual Reality Headset for Gaming and Movies
This is the coolest gadget for the 2016 holiday gift season. Great for kids and adults. I haven't purchased one yet; but it has made one of my son's top Christmas list requests. Right now, I'm highly considering the Smartphone VR Headset with Earphones from Smarter Image. It's priced competitively at $49.99 and has 5 star reviews. 

The following are two review sites that are helping me in my decision process.

PCmag.com Virtual Reality review
Virtual Reality headset by Wareable.com


Virtual Reality Headset


Infrared Laser Tag from Smarter Image
This is just one cool gadget for only $69.99! You get two infrared laser rifles (one blue one green) that “shoots” infrared light, and two (blue and green) visors that records hits up to 100 ft. away. The rifles also can transform to a pistol. Another amazing feature is the visor has a scan” feature that tells you when your opponent is getting close. 
Laser-Tag-Blaster

Virtual Pong from Smarter Image
Smarter Image rocks with cool gadgets for the entire family. The Virtual Pong game priced at only $79.99 is on the top of our list this year. It's great for those cold winter days. 



Atari Flashback 7 Classic Video Game Console
This looks like such a cool video game system! It comes with 101 games that I played when I was growing up. It has mixed reviews. Honestly, technology didn't work well in the 80's and 90's so this console may bring back some great memories. 

I purchased this from Bed Bath & Beyond, using a 20% coupon.

Atari Flashback 7 Video Game Console
Vista Sage 62" Recurve Take-down Bow
My 13 year old son asked for this. After doing some research, I decided to purchase it from Basspro due to price savings. I also purchased him a Vista Recurve Bow and Arrow case from Cabela's, along with some Carbon arrows.
Vista Sage Recurve Take-down Bow

K'nex K-force Mega Boom Building Set

This was a Lightning Deal on Amazon, so I couldn't pass it up as a surprise gift for my tween boy. He loves building Lego's and shooting Nerf guns. Hopefully he'll enjoy this as much. 
K'nex K-force Mega Boom Building Set
Google Pixel
I haven't purchased this yet, but am highly considering it. For the past five years, we've been an iPhone family. With Google playing such a big role in my kids educational lives, I'm leaning towards investing in the Google Pixel for my boy and girl twins.

Google Pixel Mobile Phone
Google Pixel=

Fishing rod
My boys love to fish. This year, my 13 year old asked for a Shakespeare Catch More Fish Rod and Reel Combo for Catfish
Fishing Rod


Not for Parent How to Be a World Explorer

This was another mommy surprise gift for my 13 year old son. 
World Explorer Book



Beats by Dr. Dre - Powerbeats2 Wireless Earbud Headphones - These are one of the hottest gifts of the season. For the price, all I'm hoping is that they truly are comfortable and work!

Wireless Earbud Headphones
Framed portrait of my boys favorite sports team and playerMy boys are big MLB and NFL fans. This year I wanted to get them something they can see and enjoy every day - Rob Gronkowski New England Patriots Framed 15" x 17" Super Bowl XLIX Champions (purchased from Fanatics and used a 40% + free shipping coupon) and Chicago Cubs Highland Mint 2016 World Series Champions 13" x 16" Key Moments
Rob Gronkowski SuperBowl PictureChicago Cubs World Series Framed Picture