Creative Writing Professors

While we really don’t know what meat supply is going to look like later this year, I can’t fault you for wanting to make sure you have hamburger and steaks ready for summer grilling. When I am taking my weekly or biweekly trips to the grocery store I am still seeing beef and lots of other protein sources available at the meat counter. My customers could walk into a box store and get similar products, but they like the curated looks, customer service, and unique products I have to offer so they decide to do business with me. Again, it isn’t a better or lesser option than direct to consumer or the grocery store, it is simply a different model.

I want to talk about finding some peace and joy in saying no. Both are thrust into a new life, with a new sense of independence and we are expected to excel. Breastfeeding, birthday parties, PTO, church, exercise, arts and crafts, sports, dance, happy hours. But I also want to talk about saying no to big things.

Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 10) is going to look a heck of a lot different for everyone this year. This is also a great chance to support local Des Moines restaurants such as Skips, Francie’s, Clyde’s Fine Diner, Bubba, Americana, Harbinger, Tumea & Sons and Fong’s Pizza. Gift cards are great options, because not only will you be able to help support local Des Moines’ businesses, you’ll have them for later when the world calms down a bit! BLK&Bold is a local coffee company that offers coffee subscriptions (and tea if coffee isn’t your thing.)

I started with swapping out paper towels with my own homemade version (sown strips of flour sacks), reusable straws, cups, and silicone baggies. I had some trial and error in trying to make my own facial cotton pads and when I suggested to my husband we use cloth strips instead of toilet paper you will find endless options for alternative reusable products for any area of your home from food storage containers to feminine hygiene products. By swapping items that are a one time use such as plastic storage bags, plastic wrap, or paper towels you decrease the amount of waste you and your family are producing.

When all this started, my husband and I  talked to our daughters (ages 9 and 7) about what a pandemic means. Of course, of course, of course their little brains would be furiously trying to piece this together! Activities that cross the midline (arms and legs crossing the middle of your body to the opposite sides) promote the coordination and communication of both sides of our brain, which also helps emotional regulation by “turning” on both sides of the brain, or using whole-brain thinking. It’s also ok to show them how you’re dealing with that in a healthy way, by taking care of yourself and mental health, too!

A Virtual Visit allows a patient to meet with their local MercyOne primary care or specialist provider through a secure, HIPAA compliant video chat without leaving the comfort and security of their home. Virtual Visits can be appropriate as a follow-up visit for an acute condition, medication management for chronic conditions, reviewing test results and other types of visits in which close physical examination is not needed. To learn more about Virtual Visits, please go to https://www.mercyone.org/find-a-service-or-specialty/virtual-visits/. To determine whether Virtual Visits are appropriate for your condition, please contact your provider’s office. In the spirit of patient and employee safety, MercyOne Medical Group-Central Iowa is temporarily consolidating their urgent care clinics and establishing a clinic specifically for patients with fever and upper respiratory infection (FURI) symptoms.

We typically pick “easy” hikes whether we’re in Colorado or Iowa. You can also select the difficulty (we pick easy hikes) and whether there is a feature like a lake or river. This trail has a neat little bridge over a stream and depending on what path you take, you can hike to see the bison or Saylorville Lake. Ledges is a great place to hike on a warm day since you can hike in the creek too.

It can remove sticky build-up, dissolve soap scum, getting rid of hard water spots, and it kills salmonella and E Coli bacterias! It is gentle and safe for cleaning, (we also use it as our body soap mixed with essential oils). Glass bottles are the safest if you are using essential oils, (oils will break down in plastic bottles and seep into cleaning mixtures). glass spray bottle with warm water.

It’s hardly revolutionary, but new problems require new solutions and this one is mine. I am grateful for the reminder to exercise, for the motivation to put down the bag of chips before it’s entirely gone (the grocery store never seems to run low on salty snacks), for the reminder that my body might be better served by going to bed rather than staying up late to enjoy more kid-free time. I am grateful for online shopping services, our mail carriers delivering the birthday goodies, and local businesses providing curbside and pickup options. I’m grateful to the driver delivering the wine for accepting as proof of age my rapidly wrinkling face through the window rather than a signature.

After 3 years of negative test results and an early loss, finally making it to this appointment was something we had anticipated for so long. she had me come in right away for a blood test and scheduled me in for an early ultrasound at 6 weeks. The blood test confirmed a very high amount of HCG and the next week I would head in for the early ultrasound. The babies were born almost 3 pounds difference, healthy as can be but tiny 4 lbs 5oz Baby B was rushed to the NICU to feed and grow and 6lbs 10oz Baby A was safe in my arms.