Kristie's Craziness

All the random things in life that I think we should talk about.

Recent Posts

  • House Hunting

    House Hunting

    Here’s my public service announcement for the day. Don’t sell your house unless you know where you are going next. Our house closed last week and we have until next week to move. Unfortunately, the house we thought we were buying has major issues, so I guess we are heading to the camper. It’s not terrible, but the inventory in the area near my new job is.

    This is the house we thought we were buying. Unfortunately, it’s built into the hill behind it and they didn’t set up proper drainage, so the soil is pushing on the garage wall and making it structurally insecure. 😕 So we walked away.

    Then we looked at this cute little house, emphasis on the word little. It was a beautiful house, but I couldn’t put up the Christmas tree without taking down our dining room table. Not going to work for us.

    Then I loved this house, but it has no garage and nowhere to build one. It’s at the top of a hill with no flat spaces to park our camper either, so it was crossed off the list.

    I dubbed this house Michigan’s Winchester house. The layout was so weird. You could walk in the front door, cross the foyer and go outside. There was an access panel in the floor of a bathroom deep enough to hide a body in. The main floor was laid out like a maze. The basement was similar and just had a weird feel.

    My husband dubbed this house the “redneck divorce.” There is a shed on the property with a recliner inside, and a picture of a woman with derogatory words written on it and dart holes in it. The inside of the house is kind of nice, but I felt like it was sloping to the back and the water heater was leaking in the basement.

    We looked at this one yesterday. I was super optimistic. It has a creek going through the property and a beautiful kitchen. I didn’t expect an almost 15 acre property to be in the middle of the suburbs. So this one gets a pass for being too city, having a weird smell and a basement full of crickets.

    There is another maybe house that I’ll drive by later today. I’m praying for our forever home to come along sooner than later.

    Wish me luck!

    Kristie

  • All Tuckered Out

    All Tuckered Out

    We have been on the go nonstop for the last couple weeks, and it’s not going to slow down anytime soon.

    The house we brought our baby girl home to will officially belong to someone else on the 8th. We should be moving into our forever home 10 days later.

    If I don’t post much in the next couple weeks, know that I haven’t abandoned you. I have an entire spreadsheet of ideas I want to be working on and sharing with you. I just need a few free moments and to not have all my stuff in boxes.

    Wish me luck!

    Kristie

  • Happy Halloween!!!

    Happy Halloween!!!

    Halloween used to be a one day event where all the kids went door to door to trick or treat for candy.

    Now it’s a month long extravaganza of events. There are trunk or treats

    Fall Festivals with pumpkin smashing

    And church carnivals to attend.

    I don’t know about your house, but my girls have already stocked up on more candy than is necessary. Tonight I think we are either visiting the fire department in town, or the senior living center. One quick stop and then a Halloween movie sounds like a good way to end the season.

    What are your plans?

    Kristie

  • Fall Allergies

    Fall Allergies

    It’s way too early for me to be awake. I’m talking 2 hours before my alarm goes off and I have to get ready for work, too early. Unfortunately I was having a bizarre dream and woke up needing my inhaler, which I haven’t done in years. That makes me wonder if I’m sick or is this just allergies?

    What I’m Allergic to This Time of Year

    Ragweed

    This plant grows everywhere, but is especially prominent in the Midwest and along the East Coast. A single ragweed plant can produce 1 billion pollen grains. We have a field on our other lot that has lord knows what growing in it. That along with the fact that Michigan has had an exceptionally warm fall, means these plants get an extended pollination period this year.

    Mold Spores in Wet Leaves

    We all know that in autumn the leaves fall off the trees. The next step in the natural process is decomposition to nourish the soil for spring. It’s a beautiful example of the earth rejuvenating itself, but it’s also a great place for allergies to start.

    Mold likes to grow in damp, shady areas. Leaves that get raked but not bagged, or even ones the blow in the breeze and end up piled under a pine tree are the perfect breeding ground for mold after a good rain. Then that fall wind kicks up again and blows all those mold spores into the air.

    Out here in the country no one rakes and bags leaves. They do run them over with their lawn mowers though, which is another quick way to toss spores into the air.

    Dust

    This is a year round allergen for most of us. I have dogs who bring in dirt and dust from outside. I live on a dirt road where cars kick up dust all day long. It’s a part of life.

    That part just got bigger though. We started packing in the basement last weekend. It’s been an act of purging things we have no idea why we saved and finding things we forgot even existed. The area under the stairs has proven to be particularly dusty. 🤧

    Treatment

    I’m pretty old school when it comes to dealing with my allergies.

    1. Close the windows and stay in doors on windy days. Minimal exposure means minimal symptoms.
    2. Benadryl! I hate taking a pill everyday but sometimes the symptoms become too much and I reach for the Benadryl. Bonus, I get a good nap as well.

    That’s it. I hope this helps you identify what ails you. I also hope you feel well enough to enjoy the final days of Halloween season.

    Take care

    Kristie

  • Common Autumn Illnesses

    Common Autumn Illnesses

    There is a reason I named this blog Kristie’s Craziness. It’s because I wanted to write something that feels real rather than something that’s focused and moves on a linear path. In my experience, life is crazy. It changes direction often, and you just need to roll with it.

    Case in point: I had planned to spend the rest of the month filling your feed with fun last minute Halloween countdown posts. Instead, I woke up with a barking cough, a throat that feels like I swallowed razor blades and body aches so bad that I don’t want to move. 😷🤒 So I thought I’d take a new path and look into what’s going around.

    I feel miserable

    Any parent knows that when summer ends the kids go back to school, germs start flying and the whole house gets sick.

    My little germ monster

    Top 4 Common Autumn Illnesses

    The Common Cold

    Believe it or not, sometimes when you get sick, it’s just a cold. After all the COVID lockdowns and deaths in 2020 people went into panic mode and treated every sniffle like the black plague. It’s semi understandable, but unnecessary.

    Symptoms of the Common Cold

    • Congestion
    • Coughing
    • Headache
    • Runny/Stuffy Nose
    • Sneezing
    • Sore Throat
    • Watery Eyes

    A good indicator that it’s just a cold is that your symptoms feel centrally located above the neck. You may be contagious, even if you’re “feeling better” so be vigilant with hand sanitizer and personal space.

    COVID-19

    Covid is weird because symptoms vary in severity and in general as well. My husband and I both had it at the same time in 2021, but with very different issues. He had a cough and slept for what felt like a week. I had the cough, and a fever but bounced back a little quicker. It’s never a bad idea to get tested if you have concerns

    Possible COVID Symptoms

    • Body Aches
    • Congestion/Runny Nose
    • Cough
    • Diarrhea
    • Fatigue
    • Fever/Chills
    • Headache
    • Loss of Taste/Smell
    • Nausea/Vomiting
    • Shortness of Breath/Difficulty Breathing
    • Sore Throat

    COVID cases are expected to rise again as the weather gets colder. Be vigilant about how you are feeling and take care of yourself.

    The Flu

    Flu season starts in October, so now is a good time to get your flu shot. I schedule my daughters’ physicals for this month instead of in the spring where their birthdays are so they can get theirs.

    Flu Symptoms

    • Body Aches
    • Cough
    • Fatigue
    • Headaches
    • Possible Fever
    • Sore Throat
    • Stuffy/Runny Nose
    • Vomiting and Diarrhea (more common in children than adults)

    Getting a flu shot does not guarantee that you won’t get the flu. It should lessen the severity of your symptoms, which is important if you or your child have underlying conditions like asthma, autoimmune disorders or spend a lot of time with elderly grandparents who can’t fight off the virus as well anymore.

    RSV and Bronchiolitis

    This is what my daughter had a week ago and is more than likely what I have now. This virus shares many symptoms with the common cold but leads to more breathing restrictions and tightness in your chest.

    RSV Symptoms

    • Coughing that can lead to wheezing
    • Decreased Appetite
    • Fatigue
    • Runny Nose

    I’ve been using my inhalers more often while I deal with this round of illness. I’m also pushing a lot of fluids and making sure to rest. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.

    Take care of yourselves.

    Kristie