Day 50 - A New Evening Treat

We’ve survived the longest month ever, March. We’ve survived the second longest month ever, April. Now we’re onto May. Woo hoo! Warmer weather, flowers and trees a bloomin', birds chirping, and ice cream cones at night.

Ice cream cones? Yup. If you remember, in April I spiced things up by making these mystery treat bags for us to share every evening. Well, now we’re doing ice cream evenings.

Pre-pandemic if we wanted an ice cream cone we’d drive a couple blocks down to Burger King for their dollar vanilla cones. Once the stay at home orders began our ice cream cone trips ended. Since we never ever keep ice cream in our freezer we figured we’d just have to give it up.

Not so fast.

For the first time ever we have three different ice creams in our freezer and ice cream cones in our cabinet. (Thank you grocery pick up!) Instead of choosing a random treat bag during those between dinner and bedtime munchies cravings we will have an ice cream cone.

A fun way to spice up our evenings. (Yeah, we're kinda boring people.)

Day 49 - A Tree Transformation

As today was a stormy day and I had plenty of catching up to do on the fabric headache quilt, I wasn't much interested in going outside to take a picture of a tree. But you-know-who loves his tree and loves that the color isn't quite yet green and wanted a picture of it. So today's picture, taken through my sewing room window, is for my husband the tree man.

At least it looks better than it did 41 days ago.

How to Sew Face Mask Ear Savers - Tutorial Tuesday

If you are getting annoyed by the elastic on your face mask bugging your ears, I might have a solution for you. Today's Tutorial Tuesday uses one piece of fabric and a couple buttons to help relieve the ear irritation.

For this project you will need:

• 5" x 8" piece of fabric
• 2 buttons measuring 3/4" or larger
• Iron
• Sewing machine
• Hand needle
• Matching thread
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting ruler
• Cutting mat
• Scissors

Just like all my mask measurements, since we all have different head and face sizes be sure to check the size and fit out before making a ton of them!

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Looking for a different mask? I have several other tutorials to choose from:

Looking for other travel accessories ideas? Check out these projects!

Otherwise you watch the how-to tutorial for the face mask ear savers right here:

Need a mask? Check out my face mask tutorials here. If you are planning on using an ear saver with them, be sure to add and additional inch or two of elastic to these patterns or the mask might wind up being tighter than you'd like.

As usual, stay safe out there!

Day 47 - Back Into Hiding

It only took one day's short adventure to make the decision.

I sent Ed into the medical clinic by himself (with the mask he put on all by himself - hooray!) and sat in the car and waited for him. As I waited, I watched. Watched an extraordinary number of people go in and out the doors with no face coverings. With no attempted observance of any kind of social distancing.

After the appointment we headed to the home improvement store to pick up some weed spray. We used the garden entrance so we could breathe fresh air through our masks instead of stale store air. Waiting in the long garden checkout line, I again watched. And again saw numerous people ignoring social distancing recommendations. Masks? Very few. I told Ed I was on the verge of wanting to trip people to prove a point. If you are close enough to me that I can stick my foot out and you’d fall, then you’re too dang close. Of course, I didn’t trip anyone but I came away so very frustrated by people and their behaviors. Added to the drivers on the road today who obviously needed a safe/ anti-aggressive driving class, the decision was an easy one.

I’m not yet ready to join the world and am quite content to go right back into hiding. I’ll wait until people learn to care about the safety and well being of others before venturing out again. I think it could be a while.

Looks like I won’t be driving enough to
take advantage of cheap gas prices.

Day 46 - One Handed Masked Man

If you've been a reader of my blog for a while you know my husband has cerebral palsy. He's not wheelchair bound, but he does have physical limitations. If you were to watch him walk and interact you might think he was someone who had a stroke, with the right side of his body pretty much immobile.

His limitations have impacted our lives and we are pretty much glued at the hip. He doesn't drive and so every time he wants/needs to go somewhere - when he went to work, the doctor's office, the store - I have to drive him. He can't tie his own shoes or the ties he wore to work every single day. He has trouble using a can opener, putting on a belt, and can't cut his own steak. As he's gotten older he's had difficulty in processing what he's reading and hearing and gets easily frustrated so I need to be always available for him. Especially now.

And especially when it comes to wearing a face mask. We've avoided going into any public place so far, but tomorrow he has a put-off-too-long/rescheduled-too-many-times test at the medical center. Since it would make absolutely no sense for me to wait for him in the waiting room with all those germs swirling around, I'll have to send him in by himself.

Unfortunately this test will require him to get undressed, dressed into scrubs, and then back into his regular clothes. And the mask is still a sticking point. He's unable to get a mask on and off by himself with his one good hand. You know from all my tutorials that I've made mask after mask after mask. But none of those have worked for him. There really aren't such things as one-handed masks for older folks who have mobility and spatial issues, ya know? Well, my creativity is about drained out of my brain but we finally have one that works.

I followed my Pleated Face Mask Tutorial.

And added the wire from my Nose Wire Face Mask Tutorial.

Sort of used the tie portion of my Face Mask with Ties Tutorial.

Used elastic from my No Pleat Face Mask Tutorial behind the head instead of around the ears.

Throw all those nutty pieces together and we now have a face mask a one hand man can put on and take off independently. Woo hoo!

If you care for someone with a disability you know how important it is to find those things that can happen without you around. It's a good feeling for both of you. And one less worry for me tomorrow.

He was oh-so-happy to model his new mask...
the one he put on all by himself!