What’s Saving My Life: February 2022

This year did not start off great for me. Less than two weeks in, I found out I would have to have my thyroid removed. At 42 years old, I had my first ever surgery. Thankfully, I had a stack of books to keep me occupied, and I’m now several books ahead on my Goodreads goal for the year. I may get further ahead—as I post this, we’re bracing for a major winter storm, with a possibility of several inches of combined ice and snow. I’m prepared, though. My iPad is charged, along with my book light.

Crafting

When I taught myself to knit a few years ago, I fell in love with crafting. Knitting changed to crochet, and it clicked—it became a favorite hobby. Then I learned to cross stitch, and now I’m learning more crafts. It’s fun to make things I can use or wear or decorate my home with. But most of all, crafting is relaxing.

Crochet and cross stitch in particular are so soothing and help reduce anxiety when I’m really stressed. They require just enough concentration, and they engage my hands and mind just enough to calm me down. The morning of my surgery, I crocheted before I left for the hospital. It really helped settle my nerves.

Tea

I wasn’t a tea drinker until a few months ago. My oldest son loves hot tea. He kept asking me to try it, and I finally gave in. I wasn’t sure at first, but as I tried different flavors, I discovered I really love hot tea. I tend to go for fruit flavors and dessert teas, but I’m still trying new things all the time.

I generally stick to decaf teas, since I often drink them at night. I love orange and raspberry and pretty much anything with hibiscus. Currently, my favorites are Tazo Wild Sweet Orange and Celestial Seasonings Tangerine Zinger. I also tried Tea Forte Raspberry Ganache recently, and it’s so good! The Harney & Sons tea in the picture is perfect with a little milk and a dash of vanilla.

Cocofloss

I know, leave it to a dental hygienist to say floss is life changing—but seriously, y’all, this is. I’d heard hygienists talk about Cocofloss at every CE event I’ve been to, but I just didn’t try it, partly because of the cost. At $8-10 for a spool of floss, it’s a little pricy, but after finally trying it, I’ll never go back to other floss. My teeth are so much cleaner when I use this. Plus, the flavors are really fun. So far, I’ve tried coconut, strawberry, and orange.

This hot/cold eye pack

My 40’s are not being kind to me. Becoming lactose intolerant, having my thyroid removed, and developing plantar fasciitis and migraines. My mother has migraines, so that doesn’t come as a surprise, but I’d never had problems with them until my 40’s. This hot/cold eye mask from Amazon is amazing. The ice pack is perfect for soothing a migraine, and the heat helps with neck pain during and after an attack.

Hoopla audiobooks

I’ve always been an avid reader, but I didn’t fall in love with audiobooks until a few years ago. For years, I had a long commute (an hour or more per day), and I would listen to audiobooks on my drive. Now I have a short commute, but I still listen. I also listen when I’m crafting for doing housework or any other time I get a chance. I love Hoopla! It makes it so easy to get books, and our library system has a great selection.

What’s saving your life right now?

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