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! 💗
Heather Wright
Me and my husband are on a fixed income and we are running out of food stamps and with all these people buying out most of the food idk what we are goin to do. Plus the wipes and pulls for my daughter! Shes gunna need some soon. Would love to win this.
Elaine Herrera
I am commenting as a Mother to a 9 year old son who is a Cancer Survivor. I’d love to see this go to one of our local Cancer families in need, there are several local charities here in NC (where the cases are exploding) that could put the 150.00 to good use for those families. As I know, this is a very scary time for anyone, let alone families like ours that have kids that are immunocompromised. This is terrifying to me, and I am keeping my son and 8 yr old daughter who is an asthma sufferer in a little bubble. Thank God I work from home for super company for a Corporate Travel Agency, so I am hearing first hand how it is out there in the real world from these travelers. I pray everyone stays safe and healthy! Thanks for the opportunity to gift it to someone in need, you all rock!
Elizabeth
Hello! First off, that hand washing experiment seems fun. We will have to try that! If you’re able to, I could use some help with getting a few groceries at the store with pickup. I am a single mother of 3 and I do hair so needless to say no one is coming in right now. I’m hoping maybe someone will want to come to the house eventually though. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for doing your part to help! 🙏🏽
Lex
My stepdaughters mother has now turned to drugs and beating my step daughter. (I have pictures if you would like to see, this is horrific). We have gone almost bankrupt paying attorney and court fees to try to get our daughter away from her mother. She also allowed my step daughter to contract MRSA, her house is filthy!!! (We unfortunately have pictures of this consuming her entire leg). We have spent more money than you can imagine getting her into specialists and doctors to try to get her treated (insurance only covers so much) you’d think it’d be easy to call CPS and have her removed from her mother but her mother strategically hasn’t been there when they show up or post pones our court dates to drag this one (this costs more money, the longer we have to retain an attorney). Her mom wasn’t always like this, but I guess like they say once and addict always an addict and looks like she took a turn back for the worst ( my husband is currently still paying her 1,000 in child support a month THIS HAS TURNED INTO HER DRUG MONEY BUT BY LAW HE CANT NOT PAY OR HE COULD HAVE A WARRANT OUT FOR HIS ARREST). We buy clothes for my step daughter when she is here with us, and I recently was made aware form the school her mom doesn’t send her in things that fit or are for the weather. We live in MD and she lives in PA it gets cold here!!! We have essentially no money in trying to save my step daugher’s life essentially, buy her necessities pay this monster child support and keep our bills paid. This is not made up I have pictures and a stack of court papers piled thick beside me that I would be more than willing to share. We need help, whether it’s groceries, toiletries, even clothes for our 7 soon to be 8 year old so I don’t have to stress about now buying her to wardrobes and of course money in general helps. I’m so stressed and worried and now with them shutting down work places and having to use sick time I only have so much till that runs out and same with my husband.
SHea
Just had to take my daughter into Urgent care last night. Both my kids and husband went out of town before things got super crazy! I tired to find stuff at stores while they were gone and had the hardest time. Now that they are back my daughter has double ear infection and croup/stridor. Can’t even find Tylenol. The struggle and craziness of all this is a little overwhelming! Trying the best we can to stay home and get my babies feeling well.
Cassy Wooldridge
Hi. I’m commenting for myself. My husband is currently stationed in Louisiana so I’m home by myself in Virginia with our almost 1 year old. So I’m trying to stay in doors and keep her away from the madness. However, it would be nice to have cushion for baby wipes/diapers because the stores near me are out and amazon seems to be as well or the shipping prices are ridiculous.
Thank you for doing the giveaway. I also know some friends around me who have small babies that I’d be glad to share.
Jessica
Hand sanitizer, toilet paper, daily necessities, easy to prepare food, basic over the counter medicines. I take care of my 92 year old Gram and am trying my best to keep her stocked in all necessities and protect her from this virus at the same time.
Angela
I know a lady that is helping provide meals for kids in her neighborhood because they are low income. With school being out a lot of these kids parents have to be out of work and arent able to provide the needs of these children. Would love to help her with getting the needs of these children met.
Jen
My mother and father in law could use the help. They run a small bakery and business is very slow right now. Our stores are almost completely off all food and cleaning necessities. They are on a very limited income as it is. My husband and I help as much as we can, but we are on one Income and are having a hard time keeping up.
Megan
Wipes, baby water. Snacks for kids while they are home. Lysol surface cleaner, my kids just got over the flu as this was happening so it’s been hard finding anything. Our local walmart has been wiped out everytime they get restocked.
Alissa
I work for a domestic violence & sexual assault shelter in a low income rural community. We have a full house of women and children but due to community hoarding are struggling to find necessary Hygiene and Sanitizing materials to keep our families clean and safe. They don’t have an option to be in a secluded home safe, but instead have to live in a communal setting. Anything to assist our families would be a huge help!
Sierra
We are struggling here to find formula, diapers, baby wipes. We have to travel to many grocery stores to get enough groceries for just a few days at a time now that jobs and schools are closing.
White Family
This is Awesome! If possible me and my family could use wipes sanitizer soap in South Carolina ! It has been a STRUGGLE here
Scarlet
Diapers wipes toilet paper baby formula have been the main struggle to get around here.. people have been buying up the formula to use as milk and 5 stores I went to had not one can left on the shelf. We are struggling to even get the needed necessities for this time. They closed all resturaunts around here also so I’m out of a job for the time being .its going to be a struggle with 3 young children to try and provide for.
ALyssa
It’s been difficult finding breakfast items in the town that I live in such as eggs and milk. Luckily we’ve got plenty of potatoes so we’ve incorporated those in our every day breakfast but necessities such as toilet paper, cases of water, Lysol, and wipes have been scares too with everyone in a panic we choose our time wisely when it comes to shopping because of the crazy lines we have to wait in. We’re just hoping in this time that work continues because bills don’t stop nor does feeding our children❤️
Amanda
I know a young single Mom of 2 who is very scared how she is going to maintain her household for her kids. She is doing her best but struggling to make ends meat on a good day, let alone with all this we have going on now. She needs diapers, wipes, formula and food mostly. She would be appreciative of any help I am sure. Bless you for always being supportive of your clients!! Will always shop SIP!!!
Mirian Santiago
My mom could use the help in this times it’s hard she is an Uber eats driver. She has my siblings and my nephew living with her and she has not been able to find the normal necessities toilet paper, rice, beans, meat, bread, milk, disinfectant etc. as much as I’m trying to help I have a family of 5 to feed and care for
Kelly Gray
Diapers,wipers, bread, meat,canned goods. Bills in general now that my work is closing
BRittany
Hello I have been struggling for months now before this! And now it’s worse. Just recently took on both kids full time (a blessing in itself) their dad got into bad drugs. I though don’t make enough to support a family, pay bills and do the daily things we need. I work a full time 6 day a week job. But with no child support , paying health insurance and needing daycare all those days it’s rather expensive. And now my oldest isn’t in school to receive free breakfast and lunch. We are struggling. We need groceries and diapers and wipes more then anything but I can’t afford that. It was accounted today we may be laid off for a little bit which means no monthly bonus for me and that’s basically how I pay for everything. I have a 6 year old and a 2 year old!!! HELP
Katelynn
Being a stay at home mom and the 1 income you do have is getting barely any work due to this has put a lot of struggle on us . Also have a newborn only 3 weeks old so trien to get the supplies we need for her and a 4 year old has been tough . The grocery stores has been wiped out so foods are limited. I appreciate y’all giving and looking out for your customers this is a big blessing .