#Premade are like 5 dollars or whatever just give me something and I send you fish

[silversupremacy]

Custom betta comm for my friend turned out... uh...

[tlbodine]

Thanksgiving is Gonna Be Weird: A Survival Guide for 2020

It’s 2020, the pandemic is worse than ever, and the holidays are right around the corner. No matter what, this is going to be a weird Thanksgiving for a lot of people. With travel restrictions in place and most of us having a mighty desire not to murder our friends and family by spreading around a disease, there’s a good chance that you’re going to be celebrating a bit differently this year. 

And, hey, maybe you decide not to celebrate at all. Which is perfectly valid! 

But maybe you’re staring down the possibility of your first Thanksgiving on your own, or feeding just the small group you live for rather than a big crowd, or some other unusual circumstance. And if that’s the case, I wanted to compile together some resources/ideas to help you out. I know this isn’t my usual horror fare, but...well, I hope it’s helpful, regardless. 

“Help, I’ve Never Made Thanksgiving Dinner Before” Starter Kit

Maybe you’ve always gone home for the holidays but are currently stuck in an apartment with a few roommates, and none of you have any intensive cooking skills. Maybe you always take the kids to Grandma’s house and have never had to contribute more than a side dish but now really want to do a proper Thanksgiving feast for your partner(s), kid(s) and whoever else lives in your house. 

Never fear! A Thanksgiving feast doesn’t have to be intimidating! In fact, Thanksgiving foods are usually pretty simple; the most challenging part of the whole feast is the project management aspect of working with a lot of different dishes and getting everything ready at once. But the smaller your crowd to feed, the easier that is! 

So, the first thing you’ll want to do is come up with a menu. Sit down and write a list of all the foods you normally eat and enjoy on Thanksgiving. If something is served at your family meal that you’ve never cared for, guess what? You can boot that bad boy right off the list! 

By and large, the standard Thanksgiving feast consists of: 

Roast turkey 

Mashed potatoes

Gravy

Some kind of dinner roll

Cranberry sauce

Some number of vegetable side dishes (often a green been casserole and a sweet potato casserole) 

Some kind of dessert (often/traditionally a pumpkin pie) 

I’ve linked above some easy & favorite techniques/recipes for all of these foods, but of course you can buy time-saving convenience items to get you rolling -- from potato flakes to gravy mix to premade pie. I won’t tell if you don’t. 

If there’s something you’re used to eating every year that you don’t know how to make....call whoever usually makes it! If at all possible, obviously, I’m not recommending you do a seance to talk to your dead great-aunt and get her rolls recipe. Just, like...phone up your friend/family member, get the recipe, and use it as an opportunity to connect. Odds are both of you are missing the human interaction. 

“Hey, That’s Nice, But I Live in a Dorm Room”  Edition 

Okay, okay, I get it. You’re away at college and can’t get home to see your family safely and you’re living in some kind of weird socially isolated dorm situation where you have limited access to cooking implements. Or, shit, idk, maybe you’re couch-surfing or living in a motel or otherwise not in possession of a full kitchen. 

I got you, fam. 

Do you have at your disposal a microwave? Rice cooker? Even an electric kettle will work! 

If you have some way to boil water, you can make instant mashed potatoes, gravy, and stove-top stuffing. If you have a microwave, you can steam some vegetables and bake a sweet potato. For dessert, core an apple, stuff the cavity with brown sugar + cinnamon + butter and nuke in the microwave for 4 minutes. 

It’s hypothetically possible to microwave a turkey, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Instead, I’d opt to buy a deli roast chicken (about $5 at most grocery stores), or even just some turkey deli meat. Alternatively, ham usually just needs to be warmed rather than cooked, and you can buy a big ol’ ham steak at the store for a couple of bucks. 

“I’m Dead Broke Because COVID, Send Help” 

You know the great thing about Thanksgiving food? It’s cheap. No, really! It can be, anyway, especially since a lot of foods go on sale. 

In my area anyway, the local Wal-Mart and Smith’s Grocery have: 

A can of green beans for about 79 cents

A bag of instant mashed potatoes for about $1 

A big can of yams for about $1, or fresh yams for 50 cents/lb (usually a couple sweet potatoes = 1lb) 

Canned corn or peas + corn for 50 cents, or steam-in-bag veggies of your choice for $1 

Stovetop stuffing for $1 or sometimes even 50 cents per box 

Margarine for 79 cents to $1 

Gravy mix packets for 50 cents each

A can of cranberry sauce for $1 or less

Most of these are also available at Dollar Tree! 

A lot of food banks will also be giving out turkeys this time of year, and some grocery stores will give you a free turkey if you spend $50 or $100 on groceries or whatever. Do you have an older relative who needs groceries? Ask if you can go buy their food and deliver it to their door (contactless!) and keep the free turkey.

You can pretty easily feed a group of 4-6 for $20 or so, especially if you’re willing to be flexible on your protein. And what are you doing feeding more than 6 people in the middle of a pandemic, huh? 

“I’m Used to Hosting a Big Dinner But There’s Only Like Three Of Us Living In This House WTF How Do I Scale This Shit Down” 

Maybe you are a Thanksgiving veteran. Maybe you’re accustomed to hosting for a big crowd and cooking a small meal just seems dumb and pointless. I feel you. This is my life right now! But don’t despair! 

The way I see it, you’ve got a couple-three options: 

Option One: 

Cook your turkey + a different side each day, and eat your Thanksgiving feast spread out over a week or so. It’ll keep your leftovers from dominating your fridge, let you eat something fresh, and allow you to enjoy all your favorite recipes. Downside is you’ll have to cook every day, so you tell me if you’re too busy to do that. 

Option Two: 

Cook everything that you normally would, but portion off half of it or whatever to stuff into your freezer, or go deliver it to somebody else’s door. The odds are pretty good that you’ve got a friend or family member who is freaking out about the holiday, and if you can’t see them in person, you can at least drop food off on their porch and then honk aggressively/cheerfully from the safety of your car! 

Option Three: 

Make something different this year. If you’re a foodie, take this as an opportunity to challenge yourself to create something high-maintenance and weird that you wouldn’t normally make. This is a good choice if you’re off work and stuck in your house with nothing else to do. Basically you’re subbing out quantity for quality so the meal still feels special and unique even if it’s, y’know....just you and your cat, or whoever. 

PS: Roasting a whole chicken or a cornish game hen is a fun, small-scale way to get your bird-in-the-oven experience. You can also buy a turkey breast and just cook that, which will be a lot faster than the whole bird anyway. 

"I’m An Essential Worker And I’m Working Thanksgiving And Have No Time To Do ANYTHING, What Now?” 

Dude, I get it. And whether you’re a doctor, nurse, grocery store employee, or whatever other essential service-worker, my heart goes out to you because hoo boy this year has been shit, hasn’t it? I can’t do anything about the hazard pay situation, but I CAN tell you that there are a few places offering delivery-based Thanksgiving meal options! 

You might want to search around a bit for your specific area. Cracker Barrel, Marie Callendar’s, Boston Market, and other types of branded “home-cooking” type restaurants tend to have some kind of Thanksgiving thing. Why not call your local restaurant fav to see if they’re doing something similar? Most restaurants are desperate for a way to stay afloat right now, so a ton of places that don’t traditionally deliver are offering curbside service now. It’s worth a try! 

So, there you have it. 

I hope some of these tips taught you something new, pointed you to a helpful resource, or gave you some ideas. More than anything, I just want everybody to be safe and happy this holiday. So, please -- get creative, wear your mask while you’re shopping, avoid the get-togethers, and be careful. You may save a life! 

[obsessed-and-ace]

10 things to prepare during your high swings for when you hit a low

I’ve seen a bunch of posts from mentally/physically ill people about what to do when you are in a low spot. And I’m so greatful that this stuff is out there, and ill people can hear about self care from somebody other than able-bodied Alma and neurotypical Norma. But I haven’t seen ONE list of how to prepare for your low swings BEFORE they happen. It doesn’t matter what kind of illness you have, you have highs and lows. And, when you’re at university, sometimes that’s something you can’t just let happen. So here’s a list of things to do to prepare, made by someone who is not only a psychologist, but also mentally/physically ill.

1) Buy some make up wipes.

I hear regular wipes all of the time, but make up wipes often have a nice scent and they’re super gentle. I like to get the three dollar pomegranate scented 40 count from Walmart. They smell great, they’re also useful when I wear makeup, there’s a low chance of it irritating even the most sensitive of skin, and they’re cheap if you buy the right kind. If you’re somebody who is anxious about going to the store and buying makeup wipes, buy a birthday card too. Nobody will suspect.

2) Dry. Shampoo.

I cannot emphasize this enough. Even if your hair is suuuuper long, hit the roots with some dry shampoo and put it in a braid or a bun. Dry shampoo can be a little costly, but as a friend told me, you save the money to buy it by not using shampoo, conditioner, or hot water for a few days.

3) Non-parishable snacks.

I’m not even gonna give you the bull about “find something that takes minimal effort to prepare” or “its better to make a TV dinner” because that doesn’t matter. Keep granola bars, or mini bags of chips, or pringles cans next to your bed or wherever you’re likely to lay. When the moment comes that you’re so low or hurt so bad that you can’t get up and move around, eat as many of those as you have the energy to do.

4) Drinks.

My kryptonite is Diet Coke. It’s not the best for you, but you need what makes you at ease. Buy your favorite drink and keep an emergency pack wherever you’ll be laying. As somebody who cares about your health, lemme suggest water, but as a caffeine addict, let me suggest whatever. Water, soda, juice, gatorade, premade coffee, whatever. Keep it handy so you’re never too parched and you have something to drink with your granola bars.

5) Laptop, phone, TV/radio and power supply

This sounds silly or trivial but it’s legit for many reasons. First, make sure you don’t fall behind on school. Keep up on lectures, homework, emails, Skype into class, whatever you can. Second, keep yourself occupied. Play games or get on Facebook or something to distract yourself. Third, reach out for help if things spiral or escalate. There’s online therapy or online support groups. Anything you need!

6) Mouthwash

While gum is nice, all of does is take care of your breath, not your actual teeth. I get the kids ACT mouthwash. It tastes like watermelon, is the exact same as the adult, and it takes away more plaque/particles than gum.

7) Trash bags.

This is another trivial one, but keep emergency SCENTED trash bags by where you are. Throw away stuff as you use it, and let the scent of your trash bag make sure your area doesn’t smell rotten. Then you don’t have to worry about clean up, and it’s easy disposal.

8) “emergency” clothes

Clothes that you can wear in bed and then go outside in. Leggings, sweatpants, black shirts, shirts with built-in-bras. Keep a supply of plain, dull colored hoodies that people aren’t gonna notice if they see three days in a row. You can wear it to bed and then get up and leave in it. This also includes slip on shoes. Flats. Maybe flip flops. In the winter it may seem harder but boots? Uggs are my favorite. Maybe those tennis shoes with no laces or rain boots. Anything quick.

9) Organizers.

It’s easier to get up and do things if you don’t have to look for them. For example, I keep all of my meds in a container because when I’m exhausted and my hands hurt to move, opening a pill box and dumping them in my hand is more likely to happen then getting them out of the bottle. This is where your emergency drinks come in. Medicine works better if you take it with liquid.

10) A contact list.

This is key. When you’re doing well, set up a system with a friend. On days when you’re not doing well, tell them. Two of my friends and I have a Snapchat group where we do colors. Every once in a while one of us will send “report” into the group and we’ll all reply a color. Green=everything is good. Blue=eh. I’m fine, but not feeling it. Yellow=oooh nelly. I’m boarding the struggle bus. Purple=it’s all bad. I can manage, but it’s bad. Orange=I’m not leaving my bed for the foreseeable future and not managing well. Red=one of y’all get over here. I’m in crisis. ¡¡¡Keep a system for when you need it!!!

Sorry the list is long, but having any kind of disability takes work. It sucks and it’s not fair because you didn’t ask to have an illness of any kind, yet here you are having to prepare for it. Hopefully having some of these in place can make your low points run better.

***bonus: excuse book.

A list of excuses for when Norma or Alma from the intro ask “weren’t you wearing that yesterday?” Or “why haven’t I seen you in a few days???” Or something like that. My favorite are ‘I don’t know bro. I woke up late. I don’t remember what i wore yesterday’ or ‘I’ve been working on a project that was worth more than the attendance points’ or ‘I have so many snacks because otherwise I will eat a four course meal at 2 am when I’m doing homework’ Anything so that Nosey Nancy gets off your case.