Sunday, February 18, 2018

Sunday Sew-In

“How did it get so late so soon?” 
― Dr. Seuss

My Sunday Sew-In became a
sew-in
project organizing
Daytona 500 watching
newborn kitty feeding and snuggling
kind of day.

Saturday, February 17, 2018

5 Ways to Prevent Seasickness on a Cruise

Yep, seasickness happens.

If you get carsick, airsick, or are sensitive to movement you might just get queasy on a ship. The best way of managing seasickness is to prevent it before it starts. There is nothing worse than stepping aboard a ship on your first ever cruise thinking you’ll be okay and waking up in the morning miserably sick. Once in the throes of seasickness recovery is not easy. A few thoughts will enter your mind.

Why did I get on this ship? 
This was a huge mistake. 
I want off and never want to come back.

On my first cruise those were my thoughts exactly. I really wanted to go home. It took me a few days to get enough medication in me to make it through the rest of the week. And now? Occasionally the seas will be quite rough and I might feel a bit icky. Pop a couple motion sickness pills and I'm good.

There is much truth to the saying “getting your sea legs”. The same amount of movement that makes you queasy at the beginning of the cruise may not be noticed by you at end of the cruise. Until the sea legs kick in there are a variety of methods for preventing seasickness.
5 Ways to Prevent and Manage Seasickness on a Cruise

How to Prevent and Manage Seasickness on a Cruise

1. Book a midship cabin. The lower decks and the middle of the ship are where the least amount of movement is felt. If unable to book a midship cabin hang out in the midship public areas during the rougher times. It could be a library, an atrium area, or a bar on a lower deck. You may still feel some movement on the lower decks but the view can be nice.
2. Eating green apples or using ginger products - tea, gum, candy, and capsules - can be helpful. If already experiencing a strong case of seasickness it might be best to use an alternative remedy. 

3. Look to the horizon and fix your eyes on a point far in the distance. You'll need to have access to a window or, even better, get yourself outside in the fresh air. Focusing on something inside the ship or at the waves themselves certainly will not help. 

4. Seasickness bands. These wrist bands use acupressure to help alleviate motion sickness.
5. Over the counter or prescription medication. Some folks take over-the-counter anti-nausea pills in the evening before bedtime since both regular and less drowsy formulas can cause sleepiness. The medication can last for 24 hours. If you're wanting something even stronger, there are prescription anti-nausea patches. The circular, beige-colored patches are worn behind the ear and give continuous medication for up to three days.

If an excursion takes you on a smaller boat like a ferry, catamaran, sailboat, snorkel boat, or zodiac raft take additional precautions. Smaller boats do not have the additional stabilization systems so the ride can be rougher. I’ve watched crew members handing out dozens of plastic bags for sick passengers on these smaller boats.

Prevention is the best medicine so don't let the fear of seasickness prevent you from taking a cruise. 

Friday, February 16, 2018

The Friday 15

“A kitten is, in the animal world, what a rosebud is in the garden.” 
― Robert Sowthey

Sold four items on eBay.
Gave away one item to another quilter.
Donating five projects left over from tutorials and five Christmas things.
That makes 15! But today's Friday 15 includes an additional two items. Two that came into the house.

When the Simply Cats organization contacts you asking for a foster home for some newborn kitties you just have to say yes. I usually foster kittens that are several weeks old. Not this time.

Two kitties, four ounces each, four days old. Sweet bottle babies.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Red Snapper Restaurant in Limon, Costa Rica


We've visited Costa Rica more than once and have done the coffee plantation tour, the banana railway tour through the jungle, and the canal wildlife-watching tour. So when we needed to choose a port to take a crew member friend to lunch, we chose Limon, Costa Rica.

Week after week the ship's crew go to the same ports so they are the best at knowing where to go to eat. After talking to one of the ship's officers about Puerto Limon choices, we decided on the Red Snapper restaurant. A menu in Spanish, an ugly fish, a beautiful view, and a great day with a crew member.
We are blessed to be able spend time with people from around the world.


Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Sew a Fabric Coupon Organizer Envelope - Tutorial Tuesday

Homemade Coupon Envelope Sewing Project
As much as I practiced and rewrote and erased and scratched out and muted and refolded and restitched and restated things, my product should be perfect. Alas, it is not.

Looking for more sewing and crafting projects? 
It is what it is. A coupon organizer sewn by a regular person (me) on YouTube. 


Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.


Looking for something else? Check out some of my other kitchen sewing and crafting projects!


You can find the how to tutorial for the fabric coupon organizer envelope here:

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Sunday Sew-In: Coupon Organizer Part II

“I am certain that a Sewing Machine would relieve as much human suffering as a hundred Lunatic Asylums, and possibly a good deal more.” 
― Margaret Atwood, Alias Grace

Except when your project is stuck in Groundhog Day mode.

My chicken scratch started last Sunday as I tried to figure out how I made a coupon organizer from years ago. The chicken scratch continued today. I got it figured out and was ready to tape a tutorial.

And I did tape one. I left the camera running through the entire thing, knowing I could cut out all the extra parts.

But a problem arose during the editing process. The whole video - every single moment - turned out blurry. Whether I forgot to focus or forgot how to work the camera, it doesn't matter much. What does matter is that several hours of work have been wasted and my pretty fabric has been used up. Guess I'll be trying again another day with another batch of fabric. Ugh!

Saturday, February 10, 2018

Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas

It's Cruise Ship Saturday! Today we're talking about the Allure of the Seas.

“When there is noise and crowds, there is trouble; 
When everything is silent and perfect, 
There is just perfection and nothing 
To fill the air.” 
― Dejan Stojanovic

The first time we sailed on the 7,000 passenger Allure of the Seas we didn't enjoy it much. Our local casino gave me the trip for free and being I never say no to a cruise, we decided to take it. We didn't know much about Royal Caribbean and even less about the Allure of the Seas. A zipline and Flowrider and water park and climbing wall and carousel should have been the tip off that we would be on a ship full of children. Between the screaming kids and the full pools and the crowded buffet and not knowing our way around the ship, our old quiet selves felt a bit out of place. We found ourselves comparing criticizing the way things were done on the Allure of the Seas with the way things were done on our preferred cruise line.

But that was the first time. I didn't think there would be, but there was a second time. For some reason the local casino decided to give me another free cruise even thought I hadn't visited the casino since the last free cruise giveaway.  Of course we took it. Same ship. Same crowds. Different experience. We did continue to compare the Allure with our favorite cruise line. but we found more things on the Allure that we liked.

Escalator to get to the lower decks when disembarking in a port instead of having to use the stairs? Yes, thank you.

Mamma Mia! the musical. Yes, please. (And so much better than the movie.)

Central Park? Yes!

An empty spot that not many people know about. Yes, yes, yes!

When we were at sea you could find us in one of two places.
Central Park during the day
Central Park at night

Our favorite secret spot on the ship. Shh...don't tell anyone.