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Book summary and highlights of “The New One Minute Manager” by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. So many great things to learn about being a better manager. Set goals. Give praise. Redirect and clarify.
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We live in uncertain times right now with COVID-19 stay at home orders and so many businesses closing their doors in order to help stop the spread. One thing is for sure, food and supplement companies will keep providing safe products you can order online. I work in food manufacturing and we had a record March; the company I work for is currently hiring! My company Athlon Nutrition also has plenty of protein available for order. My favorite source for supplements, Xymogen, recently opened online ordering to our clients as well.
Here are my links: Eat Clean Protein at AthlonNutrition.com Clinical grade supplements for most everything you might need Wholescripts.com Referral Code: SPRINKLES Practitioner: WEIDNER (this will get you 10% off) I want this post to give you hope! Food and supplement manufacturing is going strong and we know how to keep the supplies safe. Stay home and order online :)  Basic structure of a paraben - the alkyl group attaches where the R is. What is a paraben and why should you avoid them?
For years I have been personally buying products that say "paraben free" or "no parabens." It recently occurred to me that I don't even really know what a paraben is or why I am avoiding them. Parabens are a synthetic preservative and can be called by the following names: methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and isobutylparaben. Parabens are well documented as to disrupt hormone function and while most products on the market contain "acceptable" limits; the aggregate amounts we come in contact with through all the products we use is where the toxicity comes into play. Parabens have been found to increase risk of breast cancer and increase reproductive toxicity. So after researching, I will continue to avoid them. Another common ingredient I avoid in my personal care products is sulfates. Ever wonder why your sulfate free shampoo doesn't lather up as well as conventional shampoos? It is because sulfates (like sodium lauryl sulfate or decyl glucoside, cocamidopropyl betaine, and ocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine) are surfactants. Surfactants reduce surface tension between liquids and solids; helping to clean hair of oils and dirt. I hope you learned something about parabens and sulfates; and can now make a conscious effort to avoid them as well. Resources: Environmental Working Group Cosmetics Database Scientific American Article on Parabens
Listen for my stories on how it is all about perspective and that everything happens for a reason.
Audible Book Review of "A Grown Up Guide to Dinosaurs" by Ben Garrod. It was well worth the listen. Here is my short summary and highlights of the audio program.
Warning - It will make you want to watch all the Jurassic Park movies again! The blog post I didn't want to have to write; I was hoping Frankie would not get ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity). I knew he was at risk because of his gestational age, low birth weight, use of oxygen, and anemia but I hoped we could skip it. Just like I am hoping he doesn't require a blood transfusion like many extreme preemies do.
His first eye exam at 31 weeks showed no signs. The paper the eye doctor left behind read "Your baby does not have ROP, but could develop problems later because the retinal blood vessels are still not fully mature. Your baby should have a ROP exam in 2 weeks." Alright, no big deal. His second eye exam at 33 weeks showed stage 1 ROP (explanation of stages to follow), not requiring treatment, just follow-up in two weeks. This time I was here for the exam but they asked me to leave the unit. I went to fill up my water and it was done before I got back. The paper the eye doctor left behind read "Your baby has ROP. The ROP is not enough to require treatment. It is important to understand that ROP can change suddenly, placing your baby in danger. Your baby needs an ROP exam in 2 weeks." I could not believe that the eye doctor would not have stopped to talk to me. She just marked the box on the sheet. I asked for a second opinion and spoke to Frankie's neonatologists; as usual I did my research too. Frankie just had another eye exam and the box was checked "Your infant's eyes have mature blood vessels and are at low risk for developing ROP. Other diseases, such as crossed eyes, lazy eye, and extreme nearsightedness, occur more frequently in premature infants and may only become apparent when the infants are older. Follow-up care for your infant will be on an as needed basis." And she wrote in "in six months." While Frankie is in the clear now for ROP here is what I know about it:
Stages (how abnormal the blood vessels are) and whether or not treatment is required:
Great other resources to learn more: https://www.marchofdimes.org/baby/retinopathy-of-prematurity.aspx https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-retinopathy-prematurity https://nei.nih.gov/health/rop/rop
Quick podcast on when to test your blood sugar, what abnormal may look like, why I test, and a little on the different types of diabetes.
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended to diagnose, treat, or mitigate any disease. Please consult a healthcare practitioner prior to making any changes to your dietary or supplement program. Here are the quick key points:
Frankie is one month old today. He will be in the NICU for at least another month if not two. Thirty days of pumping, being driven back and forth to the hospital, and in general not really feeling like it is all real. Talking to case workers, counselors, as well as friends and family and it appears we are coping very well. People at the beginning of this journey asked me if there was any way they could help to let them know. I didn't have a response then. I didn't know what help we would need. I knew we didn't need anything like a GoFundMe but now I am realizing a little financial boost would help take off some of the stress. We are not asking for handouts... we want you to get something in return for supporting us. So how can you help? Buy some protein (we have it in stock at athlonnutrition.com). Purchase a planner (also in stock at timemanaged.com). Don't need supplements or a planner? Get the exclusive "Say Hello to my Little Friend" tote bag at dudewranch.com.  Future posts will be about Science... Frankie is just kind of LIFE right now :)
Happy Fourth of July! When I was a kid this day meant block parties and fireworks; it also meant going down to the Pismo Pier where my Grandpa, Uncle and Aunt would help put on the big show. Nothing beat feeling the pier rattle and rumble while watching the fireworks light of the sky; knowing my family had something to do with it.
When I moved to Idaho the Fourth took on a different meaning... traffic. Haha. It meant everyone was headed North and it would take extra time to get home any day near the Fourth. It also means volunteering at and sometimes Chairing the Gem State Kiwanis Pancake Feed. Today it is just another day with a trip to the NICU to visit Frankie (day 29) and an afternoon taking the kiddos to the river to cool off. I look forward to when Frankie is well enough to come home and life can start to feel normal again. What does the Fourth of July mean to you?5 Warning - This post is real and raw. NICU life is hard. I was researching resources for NICU families and actually read that NICU Mom's can get PTSD from their experiences at the hospital. I thought reading about other's experiences would help to put mine in perspective; but it doesn't/hasn't. My situation is my situation and comparing it to other situations doesn't change a thing. This is a similar line of thought as to why I have mostly quit social media. Currently, I get to see Frankie a few hours per day. I pump every 3-4 hours to keep milk going for him; I actually pump, pause, change bottles, and pump some more so the hospital can feed him the more nutritious hind milk. I work as I can and spend quality time with Thean, Livia, Max, and my Mom. The positive: Frankie is doing as well as can be expected. He broke 3 pounds today weighing in at 1370 grams. The raw - I feel out of sorts myself. My work is graciously allowing me to work from home but I have to be driven by Thean or my Mom every day to the hospital. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow where I hopefully will be cleared to drive. My next recovery milestone will be being able to pick up my toddlers and swim! More raw - I am exhausted... yet I feel like I need to do more. It still doesn't feel real. Did I really need to pop out an extreme preemie to show how strong I am? The real - Is it weird that through all this the consistent questions I have are: How do I provide more value so I can make more money to better support my family? How do I help my businesses thrive so I don't have to worry about the financial side of this mess? Comments below appreciated. I am doing my best to be present every moment with Livia, Max, and Frankie. 18 days into this NICU journey and I may already be losing my mind. But who wouldn't lose their mind given our situation. The truth is we don't even know when we will get to bring Frankie home and that is hard to digest in itself. Here are some articles I read while looking up NICU resources and am still deciding if they are helpful or not:
Bonus - Here is my favorite most recent picture of Frankie:  |
AuthorScience, Solutions, and Sprinkles (SSSprinkles.com) is the personal branding site for Sara Jane Weidner (now Bellocchi). It is the confluence of all her businesses, thoughts, knowledge, and a way to give back... through distilling information into an interesting and entertaining content pillar. Archives
July 2023
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