Covid-19 Survival Guide | Sparkle In Pink
Jessie Cozzens| 15 Mar, 2020
Our Sparklers!
We hope you are all doing well during this trying time for our country. It has really been quite unbelievable hasn't it? All of us here at SIP have been trying to make sense of this and really thinking about what we can do to help. We weren't planning to do a blog post until Easter but decided a blog post would be good to help some of you prepare or deal with what is happening, and help keep the kiddos entertained during the break as well. Our schools here in Utah have been closed for at least two weeks.
I just wanted to show you a few things I have come up with to help make the next couple weeks a little easier and fun. It's all about routine in our house so if I can have a plan, we will all be much happier!! ☺️
Kid's Craft During Quarantine
My kids are all about crafts as I'm sure yours are too. I made it a goal to keep this unexpected time as inexpensive as possible.
I went to the Dollar Store and made my girls this craft tote.
All new art supplies; canvas, construction paper, pipe cleaners, stickers, paint, etc. And I also got a few learning books they have for my kid's ages. This whole tote cost under $15 total and will make for lots of creativity! Even though we already have most of these items, something about it being new really excites my kids and having their own little tote makes for no fighting over who gets what color!
I also saw this cute "bowling" idea with just using cups and a ball. Which I'm sure most of you already have. You can play with neighbors, play it outside, etc. Great idea for toddlers!
Germ Soap Experiment
I'm sure a lot of you have seen the videos of the germ experiment using water, pepper, and soap. I wanted to show my girls why we are so adamant about hand washing several times a day and always when coming inside the house. Especially now!
All you need to do is fill a bowl with a little water, and put pepper in it. Then have your child put their unwashed finger in the pepper water. Let them see all the "germs" (pepper) on their finger. Then dip their finger in the soap and do it again in the water. They will see all the pepper float away from their finger. The soap reflects the germs and this is a great visual activity so they can really understand what hand washing does. My girls thought this was so cool!
Our COVID-19 Daily Schedule For Kids
To wrap some ideas up, here is a daily schedule example that we will be using in our home. The reality that it will actually go as planned is slim, but one can hope! Haha. And also, a list of free online learning websites. My girls love to do learning apps or sites, so we will definitely be looking into all of these and letting them stay in the school mode as much as we can.
Finally, we really wanted to express to all of you that our thoughts and prayers go to everyone. This can be scary for kids and even us as parents. But if we can all focus on the positive and see the good in this situation, things will improve much quicker. We have strangers helping strangers, buying necessities for elderly, or those less fortunate. That is what we all need to do.
That being said, we wanted to offer a different kind of giveaway for this blog. We want to help some of those in need. Whether it's yourself, or a family member or friend, we want to give back a couple of gift cards to stores for some family necessities. We will be giving away gift cards for Visa and Venmo! We know our giveaways are normally for our store, but there are families who need this more and that's what we're going to do!
TO ENTER: Comment on this blog post if you or someone you know could use a little help. No need to specify a name, we will reach out to you if you are a chosen winner and get the details. But let us know what some struggles are and some necessities or items you or a friend are having a hard time finding during this time. We wish we could help all those who enter, but we will do as much as we can for those who really could use some help. Let's all work to make the world a better place! Winners will be carefully chosen and notified in a few days.
Thank you! 💗
Katie Cantrell
while the kids are out for 2 week (at minimum) I am out of work. I work in child care so since they are closed we are depending on my husband’s income.
Sara
Hi. My name isSara. This is so kind and generous of you. My daughter and I love SIP. As everyone is dealing with the schools being closed. We are having a difficult time finding childcare. My husband is in the fire academy right now. And days off are not an option. I also work in the medical field and we are always open. I am also pregnant and they have classified pregnant women with the elderly now on who are more than likely to get this horrible virus. On top of all that worry. Bills and such I still have 2 other children to care for. Also two elderly parents in their 70’s to take care of and make sure everyone has supplies and are being fed. So any help would be extremely helpful. Thank you for the opportunity.
NIcole
Hi,
Me and my 9 month old, Cassidy, are pretty worried about what is going on, I’m a single mom who works nights as a waitress here in Michigan. They just closed down restaurants here until further notice so I’m honestly more scared than ever. I have been saving up for a new radiator for my car but after months of saving I felt as if I could no longer use that money to fix my car but instead I used it to try and stock up on as much baby wipes, diapers, baby food and formula as I could for Cassidy. We are very worried about what the next few weeks has in store. I set aside some money for bills because my work could be closed for weeks but I worry by the time bills are due I will have needed to use that extra money towards food and supplies too (although the stores are pretty much wiped clean). Any help would be extremely appreciated and would help this momma sleep a little better at night!
Rae
Right in the middle of this outbreak, my little family is having to move. We can’t take any of our cold things with us, and will basically have to start from scratch when we get to the new place. I’m so nervous because shelves have been empty and as soon as they’re restocked, everything is gone again. I’ll have to scope out stores next week when we move in. This giveaway would help tremendously because we all know how expensive moving can be. Thank you!
Lynnsey
My name is Lynnsey and I am a single mom of 2 girls, ages 12 and 18 months. I am having a hard time finding wipes for my baby and of course any type of disinfectant cleaning products, such as Lysol and Clorox wipes. Also toilet paper and certain foods, like meats, are very hard to get now. I am doing my best but any help would be greatly appreciated!
Neika
My girls and I love SIP. I am a single mother of 2 girls one 8 and the other 6 . My 6 yr old is disabled and legally blind. I also take care of my disabled and legally blind mom who is an amputee with high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. She was just recently in the hospital last month for having a mini stroke. It’s hard for my family now we have been through a lot recently we had a house fire in 2018 and then lost everything later that year to Hurricane Michael. We are living off a fixed income . We are having a hard time finding diabetic supplies, toilet paper, Clorox wipes, and disinfectant spray. It’s hard trying to find things because I can’t go out because of my mom is elderly with so many pre conditions. I don’t want her no I to get the virus. We are all each other have. Thanks for having this wonderful opportunity for families that are having a hard time.
Brandi Killian
This is so kind and generous of you. I have a sister who is single, working a full time job as a CNA and raising a 2 year old son & new born daughter on her own. Her family tries to help as much as we possibly can but it’s not always enough. Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you so much and god bless
Christy
❤️💜
paula
i have a niece that is a young mother who is working in a nursing home taking care of the most vulnerable in this epidemic. She loves the people she cares for and is now spending extra time with them because visitors are restricted. She could really use something extra..and I know she would share with the people she takes care of ❤️
Emily
Such a kind offering of you. I am a kindergarten teacher in an area with a 60% poverty rate. Our district has stepped up big time to offer free breakfast and lunch for kids. However, i have been feeling as if I could do more for my class. If chosen, i would use the money to purchase groceries/dinner for those in my class who truly need it right now. I know we will have many parents that are not able to work right now or who will have unexpected child care expenses, groceries is something I would hate for anyone to worry about on top of everything else. Thank you for the generosity to whomever you choose.
Candice Terry
It is a tough time for everyone! We need to remember that God is in control and no matter if it gets better or worse He knows! He may not choose to take it away or in our timing but it does not mean that he doesn’t care. He has a greater purpose for each of us & we don’t always need to know the “why” or the “how”. Trust in Him for He alone does know!
If there is anything that is a need at this point it is just making sure that we have the food we need. It’s been crazy with shelves of food and water being sold out.
Dana L
Currently the issue in Pennsylvania is it is hard to locate toilet paper or paper products of any kind, milk eggs bread, meats, soups,Obviously hand sanitizer alcohol masks gloves and bottled water. I like to call my friends a village, and if need be we will all come together and share our food and products together to get through this, also all local school district’s will be giving children free meals through the drive-through services, The major issue is my child continually screaming how bored she is already. Not to mention how bills are going to get paid with everything shut down.
Sherry
Many are in need. It is bad for everyone in different ways! But I feel for my elderly neighbors who don’t have family close by. One of the neighbors doesn’t drive. They need the necessities and our local stores have not had toilet paper and cleaning supplies readily. I’d love to buy it all for them but at this time I’m not able to, I’m a single parent.
Christy
I have been having a hard time with a lot of things. My Mom is in a nursing home and we are caring for my Dad until she goes home. We have not been able to make ends meet since all this began. He has Alzheimer’s so I can’t work and leave him with the kids.
Laura
My sister (who has two kids) is the only working one, and her work is considering closing for two weeks or more. She definitely could use some help!
Melissa
Right now we are in the midst of many establishments closing and many of friends and coworkers are out of work without pay (since we cannot do our jobs at home) and with kids out of school. My daughter has a page (@project.bee.kind) she uses to do daily acts of kindness and this would really help us get some of our neighbors, friends and coworkers some essentials. We also live directly around some elderly so I know it would help them greatly to have some essentials as well, especially because they cannot go and get it themselves. Thanks for helping out, it’s such an amazing thing!
Jess
I am a widowed mother of two children and currently my industry (preschool), we are having to close or drastically cut hours, and because we are a private not for profit preschool connected to a church we don’t qualify for assistance, we can’t work from home and obviously we don’t get paid if we aren’t open. We just need a little extra help to make ends meet as far as bills and necessities go. It’s my son’s birthday month and it’s certainly been a rough one.
Lauren
I have a friend who is a single mama with no help from the father! The industry we work in, its not possible for us to work from home. Our place of work May close in the midst of all this and she’ll definitely be needing some help
God bless y’all for doing this!
Ashley Cramer
Hi all,
My name is Ashley. My daughter is four and solely relies on my for income, however as a waitress that’s no longer possible. Our governor just closed almost all food service jobs and even cut back retail hours. We live in Lake Stevens, Washington. In Snohomish county where the first case was found in the US. There are now more than 700 cases around us. My daughter wasn’t in school because she has severe asthma and immune problems. We are so scared and being a newly single mom I feel so alone about all of it. We love your clothing and love that you are doing this! You have an amazing company.
Thank you to everyone who reads this!
Love,
Ashley and Ava <3
Jocelyn
I work at a hotel and our hours have been cut. We were already struggling prior to this so it’s going to be even tougher now. The kids are out of school for the next 3 weeks so making sure they are properly fed is my main concern. Any kind of help would be absolutely amazing!