Search Results for: blog measuring pain

Pain and Appetite

Pain can be hard on your body. Sure, it’s a good indicator that something is wrong… but pain can really mess with your body’s normal function. Maybe you have trouble sleeping, or maybe you lose your appetite. It seems like pain is one of those signals that overrides some of the other noise going on in your body — like the rumble in your tummy that says you’re ready for another meal. To be honest, I hadn’t thought much about it until it became a personal problem. I’ve been experiencing a lot of pain lately from the region of my … Continue reading →

Measuring Pain

At my doctor’s office, every exam room has a poster depicting the pain scale. From zero (no pain) to ten (the worst pain), each number also has a face depicting an expression from happy to tearful. This is officially known as the Wong-Baker FACES scale for pain measurement. It was developed by two pediatric specialists — Donna Wong and Connie Morain Baker — to help children assess and manage their pain. There are other scales to help patients assess their pain levels, like the McGill Pain Questionnaire, which asks (adult) patients pick from groups of words to describe their pain. … Continue reading →

Painting Techniques of a Different Stripe

You have probably seen, or maybe even tried, the painting technique of marking off equal width stripes and painting them different colors. Another great look is using the same or a very similar color in different paint finishes to achieve a subtle, striped effect. While these are great ideas, why not bump it up a notch? Instead of just evenly sized, wide stripes, why not mix it up with some narrow stripes or create your own striped pattern? Start by measuring so you know you’ll be able to fit the number of stripes you want on each wall. Mark off … Continue reading →

How Much Paint Do You Need?

Getting ready to paint a room? User this guide to determine how much paint to purchase. There are some great paint choices out there these days. I ought to know. I’ve been priming up a storm in this house to get it ready for interior painting. Primer is pretty easy to measure. You just get a big bucket of it and use it throughout your rooms. The “real” paint, however, is a little bit tricky. You don’t want to overbuy and waste money, especially when some custom and designer paints are so expensive. And you don’t want to underbuy and … Continue reading →

Simple Summer Crafts

Simple crafts are the perfect remedy for cabin fever.  This summer, the following easy and affordable projects have been lifesavers when it’s been too hot or too wet for my 8-year-old to run amok outside.  An added bonus:  these kid-friendly activities require very little adult assistance.  This makes them ideal to include at a variety of summer events such as family reunions, church picnics or birthday parties. Homemade Suncatcher Materials: Colored tissue paper cut into small pieces of varying shapes and sizes Safety scissors Clear contact paper Two large paper plates Yellow craft paint Paint brush Yellow poster board Craft glue Hole … Continue reading →

Living with Engineers: Spouses, not Supervisors

Living with an engineer involves more than just having to hear the word “efficient” all of the time. A lot of engineers end up in management positions, and that means one thing: they’re bred to supervise. The word “efficient” does get bandied about, in how they think tasks ought to be accomplished. I already shared my story about measuring butter for baking, and how my husband felt about that. That’s not the only time something like that has happened. Sometimes, I find Jonathan trying to supervise me when we’re completing a project. To be fair, sometimes I ask for it. … Continue reading →

Saving Money In The Nursery

Ever since you started dreaming about having a baby, you have been dreaming about creating the perfect nursery for your little bundle of joy. Unfortunately, your budget is rather tight, as many expectant parents’ budgets are. Don’t give up on your sweet nursery dreams. Roll up your sleeves and get creative, and you’ll have a nursery that looks great without breaking the bank. Choose furniture wisely. It’s expensive. You don’t have to buy a matching set that costs a fortune. Consider a convertible crib that turns into a toddler or full sized bed. For storage, you may be able to … Continue reading →

Living with Engineers: Tales of Efficiency

There are a lot of engineers out there in the world, and so there are a number of us married to them. Based on conversations I’ve had with other spouses of engineers, I’ve learned it’s not just me: it can be a unique, strange, and funny experience living with an engineer. The first thing you need to learn if you’re the husband or wife of an engineer is that your spouse will always think that their way of doing something, is the best way of doing it. The magic word is “efficient.” Learn it well, because you’ll be hearing it … Continue reading →

Bag ID

Whether you are jetting off to Burlingame, California, to visit the world’s largest Pez dispenser or you’re planning a family trip to the Paris Texas Eiffel Tower in Paris, Texas (it measures nearly 65 feet tall and has a cowboy hat on top), you’ll want to avoid luggage loss. These days airport baggage carousels are known as “black holes” since they accommodate a prolific amount of identical-looking dark-colored suitcases. So how can you avoid grabbing the wrong bag, or worse, having some other traveler walk away with the personal belongings you have tucked away in your black luggage? Here are … Continue reading →

How Do You Feel about Your Progress?

Every-so-often my personal trainer asks me, “How do you feel about your progress so far?” Of course, this is my virtual trainer through a Wii program I use, but I still appreciate the question because it causes me to take a step back and really think about how far I have come and how far I have to go. Measuring progress will depend on your goals. Sometimes when I think about progress, I think about the weight I have lost. Other times I think about the changes in the way I feel about myself overall. Or even the amount of … Continue reading →