How to Survive Your First Kidney Stone

If you’ve never had a kidney stone before, you may be wondering why this is important for you to read. But I assure you, it’s important. I never had a kidney stone before…until Wednesday night.

I was working from home on Wednesday afternoon so I had time to get ready to go to the Carrie Underwood Storyteller Tour concert with three of my friends. My mother had gotten us tickets from her. On my drive home earlier from the office I had a little bit of back pain. So I decided to take a couple ibuprofen when I got home. Figured that would be the end of it.

Well, half way through using the flat iron on my hair, the pain started to become unbearable. Like some of the worst cramps I’ve ever had. And the pain started to radiate through my back. I decided to lay down and try to sleep it off before the concert, but the worse these cramps got, the more I knew I would not be going to the concert.

We went to a local urgent care first to check on what was going on where to my surprise they ruled that I most likely had a kidney stone. They couldn’t believe I was handling the pain as well as I was. And like that it was as if a switch flipped and the pain began getting worse. As in I couldn’t stop swearing worse. Not to mention I kept vomiting so it really was a lot of fun.  I was then transferred to the hospital in order to have them manage the pain, and morphine slowly became my life line. We were released to go home around 10pm Wednesday night with a prescription to manager pain and some gross anti-nausea tablets.

I will say this. And only because I can. Hands down, having a kidney stone is worse than child labor. Why? It’s like having un-medicated contractions non-stop. There is no break in between the next “labor pain”. It just keeps going.

What to expect:

-       You’ll most likely be out of commission for at least 24-48 hours.

-       Go to the doctor ASAP to get it checked. The longer you wait, the worse the pain will get.

-       Drink LOTS and LOTS of water, cranberry juice, Gatorade, etc.

-       A nurse friend suggested I try Crystal Light Lemonade. Apparently there is something in it that sometimes helps dissolve kidney stones.

-       Eating is going to be hard. If you’re like me, I could barely keep anything down. Lipton Noodle Soup was the best thing. Plus it’s clear liquid so it will help you pass the stone.

-       Don’t wait to take your next pain med. Do not wait until the pain comes back. If you’re scheduled to take one, take it. More time than not, my pain was coming back before my next pain med was due and waiting to take it was AWFUL.

-       Try to save the stone once it passes so it can be tested if needed.

-       Sleep. You might feel extra tired with your pain meds. Try to sleep if your body is tired. This is your body telling you that it’s time to shut down and rest. Listen to it.

I ended up either passing my stone (which was very small) or it dissolved because sometime within 24 hours of being discharged from the hospital, my pain went away and I didn’t need my pain meds anymore. Today, I just feel tired and weak since I hadn’t eaten much in the last two days.

What helped me survive this:

-       Water

-   Cranberry Juice  (I prefer Ocean Spray)

-   Crystal Light Lemonade On the Go Packets

-       Ritz Crackers

-       Prescriptions from Doctor

-       Lipton Noodle Soup

-       Warm socks

-       Cozy Blankets

-       A really comfy pillow

-       Heating pad (for your back)

You’ll be okay. You get through it, but I won’t lie. It sucks. I wish you luck. if you've ever had a kidney stone before and know some tricks and tips, please share them in the comments below!!

Fall Fashion Ideas for Every Occasion

Fall @ Work by erin-schabowski featuring band rings

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Lace Up Pumps-Cranberry by erin-schabowski featuring mini handbags

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Fall for the Weekend by erin-schabowski featuring a thermo travel mug

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Girls Night In by erin-schabowski featuring a red wine glass

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It's no secret... I love Fall!

The smell of the air. The color of the leaves. Snuggling up in a comfy sweatshirt. It's really the best time of year! But now that I have a family, I normally have to be prepared for every type of occasion. 

Wearing stilettos to run weekend errands just isn't practical in my world. Nor is wearing jewelry while balancing an 8 month old on your hip. So I stick to jeans, a pair of comfy boots, and tees for the weekends.

If I want a night in with the girls to watch a movie and just catch up, I'm not trying to impress anyone. Sweats it is! And I'm a sucker for any kind of shearling slippers. L.L. Bean has my favorite, and they have lifetime guarantees on them! If you feel they are damaged, you just give them a call and they replace them for free! Amazing!

When it's time to get spruced up, my go-to's for a date night  are a cute top, my favorite jeans and some cute heels. It makes it so I can pretty much go out anywhere and look put together, without feeling uncomfortable.

For work, it's much more put together. And I'm all about layers. Ponchos are my favorite in the fall because they just feel like big cozy blankets. I prefer to wear flats most days at work because the title floors tend to make me nervous in heels. Work is also where I get to show off all my adorable accessories that I don't get to wear at home with the baby. 

What are some fall fashion trends you are super into right now? Let me know in the comments below!

The "Basic" Fall Uniform

If you are as "basic" as I am, you're sure to find a staple fall style and stick with it. For me this season, it will be the over-sized sweater and boyfriend jeans. Being a mom, I need a lot of space to store things on the go, so a tote will be a must. Also, I tend to always been rushing out the door every weekend, so an easy slip on shoe like a cozy pair of UGG boots will keep me warm and comfortable for a weekend worth of errands.

Cashmere top
elietahari.com

Torn boyfriend jeans
hm.com

UGG sheep fur boots
$190 - jades24.com

Dooney Bourke slouchy leather tote
macys.com

Stainless steel jewellery
$31 - princesspolly.com

BP oblong scarve
nordstrom.com

Linda Farrow oversized heart shaped sunglasses
$550 - avenue32.com

Review: The Happy Planner Box Kit

Yay! The day has finally come. I’ve been using my MAMBI Happy Planner for a full month now, so it’s time to give you the deets on the pros and cons.

For a little background, I started using a planner about 6 months ago after I could barely keep up with my new hectic life of being a working mother with anxiety. I couldn’t keep track of everything anymore and kept forgetting everything (not that my memory has ever been very good). When I started using a planner, I opted for a Filofax Original, which I still love to this day. You can read how I started using my Filofax here.

While I loved using my Filofax, I wanted to try another system. The Filofax was great for daily pages with a 12 hour schedule in it, but I didn’t really need an hour by hour planner since when I’m at work, I mainly use Outlook to keep track of meetings. I mostly needed a planner for To-Do lists, tracking finances, meal plans and just jotting things down. When I started looking for a new system, I felt that MAMBI Happy Planners were extremely affordable and got the most bang for your buck. I liked the idea of a disc bound system so I could easy switch things in and out.

When I visited my local Michael’s craft store to purchase mine, I was overwhelmed by the amount of options and accessories they had for The Happy Planner (THP). To make it easy, I opted for THP 12-Month Box Kit ($34.99) which seemed to be the most logical option for a beginning Happy Planner. It came with tons of goodies to get you started! The price point was amazing considering if you purchase THP 18-Month planner without all the accessories it is $29.99. In my box I had a 12-Month unlabeled planner, four sheets of stickers (including monthly labels, date labels, flag), three page magnet book markers, two folder inserts, a paper clip flag and a removable tab of colored sticky notes. I also decided to pick up an insert pack of plain lined paper to use for organizing my budgets and just jotting down notes. 

the accessories.

I felt the quality of the accessories that came with THP were exceptional. The stickers were high quality, did not tear and matched the planner so well. I loved being able to start my planner on whatever month I wanted with the labels. The two folder inserts were super sturdy card stock and I placed one in the front and back of my planner. I couldn’t really find a good use for the magnetic bookmarkers, but they were adorable. I gave one to my sister to use in her Kate Spade planner, and I kept the others figuring I’d find a way to use them. Still have not. I loved the paper clip flag to mark my page at first, but it ended up being too long and fell off right easily. Now, I just clip it to my front folder for some flair. I love it.

I found it extremely annoying trying to stick the date number stickers on each day. I’ve only done three months because I gave up half way through. They are tiny and hard to peel off, but they look so cute!

the layout.

I LOVE the layout of THP. It is absolutely perfect for jotting down To-Do lists and just making quick notes on a certain day. I love the amount of space there is to decorate and add fun stickers. Here are some more details on the layout:

The planner opens to an adorable “This Planner Belongs To…” page, then is separated monthly by dashboard tabs. Before each month is a page to document some fun things like what you are reading, feelings and celebrating this month, important dates, goals, and notes. Each dashboard tab page is a different theme and has weekly/monthly pages to match. So, the layout is…

Monthly Goal Page

Monthly Layout on Two – Sunday to Saturday

Weekly Layouts on Two – Monday to Sunday layout (which totally threw me off at first, but now I love it.) Each day is separated into three unlabeled sections that you can use for whatever you’d like. Each weekly layout also has a notes column to the left.  

I enjoy the weekly layout’s three sections per day because it’s allowed me to focus my To-Do lists. I use one section for my blog. I jot down things I plan to post, ideas, tasks. The second section I use for home – appointments, cleaning to-dos, things I need to pick up on my way home, etc. And last section is used for work – meetings to schedule, documents to process, follow-ups. Doing this really has helped me separate my personal life from work because I can focus in my to-do’s. Also, since I don’t usually have a ton of meetings scheduled during the day, I can use my work space more productively.

 I really enjoy being able to change the covers. There are tons of planner shops (a lot on Etsy) that make custom covers for THP/Erin Condren style planners, so you can really personalize this one to fit your style. Also, being able to theme my entire week is a lot of fun when decorating. I use my time decorating my planner as my wind down time on a Sunday night as I prepare for the week ahead.

functionality.

The size of THP is pretty good. It’s bigger than my A5 Filofax so more space to write, but the boxes are still a little small. Sometimes my text gets a little cramped, but for the most part I think that con is outweighed by the portability of this planner. It fits perfectly into a tote bag, or I've even put it into a larger handbag before. It fits comfortably in your hand and doesn't take up a ton of space.

Being able to add and remove pages is a huge plus if you want to repurpose your folders, discs, and covers later on. I love the colored pages and style of this planner because even for a minimalist, it looks decorated.

the verdict.

I think I will definitely purchase another THP in the future and would absolutely recommend it to others who are just starting to use a planner. THP is fun, functional and stylish. For those who are looking for more writing space, try the Erin Condren Life Planner. It's a higher price point, but it has the option for the same layout as THP, can be customized however you want on their website, and is a larger size. I think I may try an Erin Condren next year. :)