Not a Time to Panic


OK, so the swine flu pandemic (yes, it is being called a pandemic - which sounds worse than epidemic and epidemic sounds pretty bad) has just been upgraded by the World Health Organization to a level 5 alert on a scale of 1-6 (this still leaves those of us who are a bit jaded from the Homeland Security Department's color coded alert charts maybe less fazed than we should be)- there is still no reason to panic.

There is maybe a reason to be careful though - so the little extra precautions like the hand washing we should all be doing anyway can't hurt. We need to take special care with our children, elderly and anyone with a compromised immune system; basically the people who would have gotten a flu shot if there had been a flu shot.

I am not a panicky type of person, but I do like to prepare for potential emergencies a little bit. After 9/11 our entire family drew up an emergency escape from New Jersey plan (yes, I know everyone living in New Jersey SHOULD already have a different kind of escape plan- like a 'get me the heck out of here already' plan!) including a place to meet up in case of a disaster (although it never got any more specific than west of Hershey, Pennsylvania)- we had packed suitcases in the trunks of our cars for a couple years. The suitcases slowly came unpacked though, as we needed the things that were in them and as the cars that held them were sold until eventually the suitcases ended up back in our closets.

During the bird flu scare we stocked up on water and the canned goods and boxed goods that we do not normally buy, but that stockpile, too, has slowly disappeared as we raided our stash during busy or lazy times when I didn't shop or midnight munchy sprees when we were desperate enough to eat stale boxes of cereal.

This time I am preparing with some Purell hand sanitizer and some common sense. With one eye on the news and one hand on my mouse because I know I can always count on Etsy and the internet to provide all that I need to get me through a pandemic.

1. Heidi Merrick Dress - Remember, there is not enough Tamiflu to go around, so it will be especially important that we look especially cute, even while we are tossing our cookies all over the waiting room, when we get to the hospital
2. RiskyBeads 'Soup' Bracelet- Absolutely equal to chicken soup in a pandemic
3. LoucheLab's Feel Good Pills - In case our little dress fails to get us the Tamiflu these should do the trick
4. AllysonHill's Tissue Carrier - We are much too cool to leave a trail of tissues everywhere we go
5. CutieCakePatissierie's Mocha Sandwich Cookies - No explanation needed - total deliciousness
6. A Private Duty Nurse from The House of Mouse
7. Earmark's Freak Out and Throw Stuff Print -
In case we need permission to do just that
8. Haleah Jet's Pig - To remember it is not the pig's fault - of course, if we really insist on blaming the pig a nice BLT with mayo might make us feel better
A. BumbleBellyDesign's Gorgeous Oink Pillow - So we can get some rest before the next disaster

Time for a Life Swap

Not the cheesy TV show (although if I had a wife, I'd definitely swap her because my house is a total mess).

This swap is a PARTY and we never need a reason to throw another party. With money tighter for many and most of us with more stuff than we need and still coveting our neighbor's turquoise cuisinart (now, I know she probably won't swap her turquoise cuisinart but maybe some hints tossed out pre-party about how orange kitchens are all the rage now, will help you get lucky) a party where you can reduce, reuse, recycle AND land some of your coolest friends coolest stuff - well, where's my invitation! A swap party will get your closets cleaned out and it's much more fun, and less work, than a yard sale!

The key is to set some ground rules for your Life Swap party. Invite friends with similar taste - 10 guests is about right, but if you have alot of cool friends, up to 20 should still be manageable. No hurt feelings if someone brings something someone else has given them- even the best, most thoughtful gifts may need a new home eventually. Be clear about what is swap-worthy. Clean goods, gently used. Guests should bring their own bags to take home their loot. This type of party is perfect for e-vites.

You can have each person bring some finger food or just serve up some easy goodies yourself. I'm going to set this up in the backyard- have the guests drop off their stuff a couple days early - and sort it by type so I can lay everything out like a backyard department store. Clothes, accessories, kids stuff, books, CDs, housewares; maybe nothing bigger than a breadbox (as long as this doesn't leave out that cuisinart!).
Give each guest a name sticker for each item they donate and then they take turns choosing items and attaching their name; limit the number of items per turn to keep it fair and to keep things moving along. Now the idea is NOT to take home a bunch of stuff you can't use and don't want, so have some plans for the leftovers. Plan for the Goodwill, Salvation Army or Dress For Success for clothing or houseware drop-offs. Newborns in Need with gently used newborn items. Books can go to libraries and book and CDs can also go to Books for Soldiers.

There are also some swap sites online if your friends goodies are lame and you want to just skip the party and swap your good stuff outside of your own circle!

Clothing: Rehash, Swapstyle Kids Stuff: Hand Me Downs, The Baby Chain Books, CDS: Bookins, Swaptree Anything Else: Freecycle, Neighborrow, Swap Thing, Title Trader

1. Jessjamesjake - Awesome Vintage Suitcase
2. Elinart - Stunning Fiber Art
3. June Shin - Gorgeous Icarus Earrings
4. ButtonEnvy - Adorable Go Fly A Kite Necklace
5. TwoLeftHands - Amazing Owl Brooch
6. Larimeloom - Dusty Blue Pirate Pants