Category: Blog

2019: More Movement, Patience and Positivity October Edition

Another month has come and gone. I am so shocked with how fast the year has been coming and going. Soon I will be telling you about the next theme for 2020.

Movement I have been making some positive movement with life. I continue to exercise. This has helped me with my weight management and with my mental health. I had a meeting with my new Vocational Rehabilitation caseworker and business coach. We are going through step four of my business plan. I was nervous about the outcome of the meeting. I am happy to report that I was able to get a lot of questions answered about my business plan. I am waiting to hear about my technology needs.  I have plans to share a special YouTube video on an update on how my meeting went.

Patience has really been tested this month. I have been having some anxiety about the changes with my caseworker. Two of my past caseworkers were not very helpful. Now that I have talked to my new caseworker, I have learned that she wants to help me when it comes to reaching my career goals. I have to remind myself that it takes time to reach your career goals.

Positivity has been pretty good for me this month. My editor and I have made even more progress on my book. I know that I keep saying I want to have it published by a certain date that has already come and gone. I just need to get this book right before everyone sees it. I have to keep reminding myself that the more positive thoughts and feelings that I feel the more positive things will happen to me.

What has been going on with your lives? Has anything positive been going on? Tell me in the comments below.

Disability Blogger Award

disability-award-pic

I was nominated by Rare Mama on Facebook for the disability blogger award.

Here are the rules for the award:

Thank your nominator
Recognize Georgina from Chronillicles as the creator of the award
Use logo somewhere in the post
Answer your nominator’s questions
Write 5-15 of your own questions – they don’t have to be illness related!
Nominate 5-15 other disability, chronic illness, mental illness or special needs bloggers Comment on each of your nominees’ latest posts to tell them they have been nominated

Thank you, Rare Mama for this nomination. Thank you, Georgina for creating this award.

Here are Rare mama’s questions:

What is the main purpose/message of your blog? To educate others on Nystagmus. That we, despite having, Nystagmus, can live a full life.

What is a memorable moment in your journey and why? When I graduated from college. The doctors thought I would never have that kind of education.

What is your preferred method of engagement in regards to your blog? I love Facebook. You can actually have a conversation with people.

What is your favorite activity to help you unwind? I love to read.

When you leave the house name five items you can never leave without.

  1. House Key
  2. Wallet
  3. Iphone
  4. Iphone charger
  5. Purse

 

Here are my five questions for my nominee’s

  1. What is the current brand of phone you are using?
  2. What is your favorite color?
  3. Who was the last person you called?
  4. Do you have any pets?
  5. If you could go forward or backward in time which direction would you choose and why?

My five nominee’s are:

  1. @LiveAccessible
  2. @TheoryOBlindMan
  3. @jazminruiz07
  4. @awareness_blind
  5. @maxwellivey

 

 

My top five suggested school supplies for Visually Impaired Students

Across the world many students are returning to the classroom. For some parents this may be the first time their child who has a visual impairment may be getting a formal education. I have seen on many support groups that you want to help your child be as successful as possible.

To help with this here are my top five suggested school supplies to help your child achieve success.

  1. Bold lined paper. I know that paper in general is a required supply, however I found that growing up the regular notebook paper had lines that looked faded and it was hard for me to keep track of where I was writing. When I was little my teacher of the visually impaired introduced me to wide lined bold lined paper. They come in notebooks and college ruled length too!

This helped me a lot as I did not lose my place as I wrote. The only draw back that I found was that bold lined paper is meant to be used with a 20/20 pen, and it easily got onto my hands as I wrote. As I entered middle and high school, I found that using this paper did cause some bullying. That year I was lucky to find the five-star dark blue paper. I love this paper. The lines are dark enough to be seen, and you can use a regular pen or pencil.

  1. Erasable Pens. To help me see my work better I found that using erasable pens were very helpful. They come in either black or blue. When I was in high school, I found that I preferred the blue pens. The only complaint that I had with this tool is how the ink got all over my hands. This happened because of the way I held my pen. Remember guys, I have mild cerebral palsy. Just because this happened to me doesn’t mean it will happen to everyone.
  2. A mesh multi pocket pencil pouch. I am not talking about the clear plastic ones. I found that those made finding items hard to find. I am talking about a mesh multi pocket pencil pouch. These pencil pouches made it where I could separate all my pens, and made it where they were easy to find. Some pouches even come with holders at the top. I used to put my pens in there for a quick grab.
  3. A non-electric low vision device. In this day many students have Iphones, and Ipads to see their work, but what is a student to do if they fail? Use their non electric low vision device. When I was growing up, I used my dome magnifier quite often. I suggest that a student keep a device such as a dome magnifier handy just in case.
  4. Finally, eye glass wipes. Growing up I found that my glasses used to get dirty quite often, so I would have to ask for a pass to go to the bathroom just so I could clean my glasses. Some teachers may only offer a number of bathroom passes during the term, and a smart student would want to use them for what they are used for. (Kids, don’t use this excuse to get out of class, stay in there and learn. 😊 ) So, to help with this problem I suggest that you buy a package of pre moistened wipes that students can keep in their pencil pouches. That way a student can clean their glasses when needed.

 

I hope that you find these suggestions useful. I know that this is a short list. Is there something I missed? What would you add to this list? Tell me in the comments below.

 

Remember parents try not to worry. Your kids are going to be superstars! Happy School year everyone!

 

Disclaimer: Please note, these suggestions are based on my own personal experiences and will only help students who have some vision. These tips will not work for blind students.

 

2019: More Movement, Patience, and Positivity-August Edition

As I sit here, I must admit I feel lost for words. This past month has come and gone with a blink of an eye.

Movement, to be honest, I feel I am lacking. My weight loss journey has gone to a stop. I have been feeling slow and tired. One of the phrases that keeps coming to my mind is, life is about movement and enjoyment, not fear and anxiety. I have been letting my anxiety get the best of me, and I know this is not a good thing. I have been taking some self-care steps, such as reading, talking to friends, and getting extra sleep, to manage my anxiety.

For those of you that have been asking about my book, please have patience. It is in the hands of my editor. Once it is edited, it must go through another check by my caseworker before it is published.

Patience has been a hard thing for me to grasp. Have any of you felt stuck in life? I have been feeling that way. I really want to get to my next phase of life. Once again, my friends and family reminded me to “keep going until God moves you.”

I have a lot to tell you when it comes to positivity. For those of you who don’t know I have been working with Vocational Rehabilitation to help me get my business off the ground. I had a meeting with my caseworker, and he is happy with my progress. I hope to be graduate from Vocational Rehabilitation in the near future.

I was made top fan of the week for one of my favorite charities. This made me very happy.

Lastly, I was nominated for the Liebster Award.

I have a lot of fun things planned for the month of September. How was this month for you guys? Let me know in the comments below.

Amanda Gene tries Candy from Canada

I was excited to receive a box of Canada treats to try. Thank you, Aunt Wendy, for the treats. 😊

The first candy I tried was a Big Foot Gros Pieds. The texture remined me of the fruit rollup snacks we have in America. I liked the fruit flavors of Banana, grape, and apple. I enjoyed this treat a lot.

The next treat I tried were chocolate covered almonds. I love chocolate and almonds. The candy was very sweet and it tingled even after I finished the sample. I liked the crunch from the almond. I am sure I will finish the box very quickly.

Sugar Shack Maple Candy Pastilles were next. I honestly feel that if I sucked on the candy longer, I could have enjoyed it more. However, I did not care for it right off hand. To me it was too sweet.

The next treat I tried was a hard candy that was in the shape of a maple leaf. Even though the candy shape looked unique, I did not care for the strong maple flavor.

The last treat I tried was a Canada milk chocolate bar. I loved the markings on the bar because it remined me of tree bark. I liked how sweet the bar was. It really was delicious.

Tell me what country I should try next by leaving me a comment below!