or at least a little more comfortable

I’ve been researching services and products that will make my life a little easier while living with chronic illness, or at least a little more comfortable.

Being productive while chronically ill is possible, but allocated the right amount of time and energy into the right things are definitely a key ingredient! 

So, here I’ll share a list of things I’ve found in my searching.

Consider this page a “Bucket List” that will be growing and changing as I experiement and try new things! Some on the list I have tried and some I haven’t (yet) and some I’m waiting to arrive in the mail or try a couple times before I share my thoughts.

Hey, just to open, some links are affiliate links (which means if you decide to purchase I’ll receive a small commission at no additional cost to you) and some are not. Either way, this doesn’t change or determine my opinions or recommendations. Everything on this page is my personal opinion from experience or detailed research.

Feel free to join me and let me know what works and what doesn’t for you and the ‘why’ behind your findings!

Saving Time & Energy on Groceries and Ingredient Shopping 

I think we can all agree that the energy taken from shopping can be ridiculous! Clothes, pets, food….ugh! I’d rather spend my time cooking a wonderfully healthy supper than to waste it fighting traffic, walking all over a store, going from store-to-store to find everything I need, buying all the ingredients, then fighting traffic to get it all home and put away.

Don’t get me wrong, I still shop, I just break it up some and use resources when I’m in a flare or feeling the approaches of one to keep me from overdoing it so I can spend that energy resting or making memories with my family.

I’ve been researching and experimenting subscriptions services. Yes, I could order from some grocery stores for delivery but that defeats my purpose in a couple of ways:

1.  Having all the ingredients (or full meals) planned ahead helps me plan my meals a week at a time without having to worry about missing an ingredient or having to run to the store.
2. Having the subscription set up on auto-ship I simply move this amount from “Grocery” category to “Delivered Foods” so we still stay on budget for all the Eating Categories combined.
   • This being said, some services that send a full meal of ingredients that are organic, healthy, and ready to prepare can be a little pricier per serving than buying the stuff yourself in the amounts packaged at the store BUT the way I look at it is this is a way for us to have a “date” night dinner and a movie or picnic. We don’t resort to these every meal but when I’m having a flare we can still eat a healthy supper and gaze at the stars or watch a movie in bed.

Some of the Services I’ve found when researching and reading reviews (some we’ve tried and some we haven’t yet so I’ll be updating our favorites over time!):

• Butcher Box  -as of writing this, you’ll have to get on the wait list for Butcher Box lol. “delivers 100% grass-fed beef, free range organic chicken and heritage breed pork directly to your door. Think of us as the neighborhood butcher for modern America.” We use the local butcher as much as possible (stimulate our local economy right?!) but when we can’t, it’s nice to know I have another option. I haven’t reached out to them yet to see the location of sourcing for the meats. I personally support USA based farms and growers because my family comes from generations of farmers and growers. I also believe in supporting our own country’s economy as much as possible. 
• Sun Basket– I really liked reading over the values of this company and how the service works. it arrives cold-packed at your doorstep and is fully flexible. Skip a week or more, change up the dietary requirements, mix and match meals from different categories, and more. I really like seeing how they have categories of diets also to help you find what you’re looking for. You can pick from the full menu or their categories of:
  • Paleo
  • Carb-Conscious
  • Gluten-Free
  • Lean & Clean
  • Diabetes-Friendly
  • Chef’s Choices
  • Vegetarian
  • Pescatarian
  • Mediterranean; and
  • Quick & Easy

Again, I haven’t reached out to them to find out the location of sourcing for meats and fish but on their website they do list farmers in California, USA as sources for their vegetables, etc.

• HelloFresh – If you go under their tab ‘How it Works’ then select ‘Our Suppliers’ they give a list of where they sources their products. I didn’t research each supplier, so if your conscientious about organic foods or buying USA only products, you’ll have to visit each supplier’s website yourself for now. Eventually I hope to cover more in these lists. They also claim in the FAQs through a 10-week comparison study how they are 75% cheaper than grocery shopping. Here’s the link to that statement so you can research yourself.

Saving Time and Energy on Shopping for Pets

I love my pup! She brings laughter and joy to our home that used to be so quiet. I’d also rather spend my time and energy playing with her instead of shopping for her! Especially if I’m also using other services that reduce my time and effort already at stores shopping for us. I don’t really wnat to have to go to the store just for a bag of dog food or toy lol. Why not get her stuff delivered on budget too??

Pet Supplies on line and subscriptions are a great way to keep up. And stay on our budget. A few to choose from that I found and liked from my research are:

• Petmate – pretty much has anything you might need for more than just cats and dogs! There’s an Education tab with posts like ‘How to Crate Train Your Dog’ and ‘How To Keep Your Dog Occupied When Working From Home’.  They even have chicken coops and pre-packaged mystery goodie boxes for your cat or dog if you can’t decide what to entertain them with. Get a surprise for both of you delivered. I’m a kid at heart (ya know, it’s that creative side) so it’s a win win for this house!
• Petplate – if your pup has a sensitive stomach or you’ve been homecooking their meals too, try Petplate. This one is definitely on my ‘try list’. Our pup is a Schnoodle, rescued and crazy lol. She doesn’t seem to have stomach issues or allergies in general but she has developes sensitivities during peak allergy season and when someone else pup-sits. I’m thinking it’s a house cleaner they use but we’re not sure. We’ve been feeding her a store bought ‘balanced and organic’ food but looking at the ingredients, I’m not exactly impressed either. It’s been better for her than others but she definitely has issues every now and then. I’d love to try this service and the next one to compare! 
• Ollie Pets, Inc. – this service fits your pet’s meal plan to their profile. Which is pretty cool, especially if they have allergies or sensitivities! They claim 2-day delivery and Made in the USA. The food is stored in the freezer and defrosted in the fridge. They even have a storage container (‘pup-tainer’) and lid made to fit for easy storage. Yep, I’m looking forward to trying these 2 services!

Saving Time and Energy Shopping for Comfortable Clothing & Decor

I very seldom enjoy a shopping trip for clothes. It just exhausts me to spend all day trying on clothes, going from store to store, and then thinking about food and rest in between. So, I’ve been stretching my mouse finger on shopping online. Yep, I know we already probably do that but let’s talk about how to not ‘miss out’ on a girl’s day shopping trip or feeling somewhat ‘normal(ish)’ lol.

We can have a girl’s shopping trip in our living room or piled up on the bed in our jammies with hot tea and chocolate. Grab your laptops or smartphones, I prefer laptops because it’s easier to share with each other the screens, then start shopping.

My girlfriends and I will turn the laptops and ask “What do you think about this one?” just like when we’re shopping. Once our shopping date is over we schedule another day to get together when it all comes in so we can try it all on in the full length mirrors together. 

It’s really a therapeutic way to avoid crowds and still get that girl time with the besties we all need some times….it’s also completely socially acceptable to be in jammies and fluffy slippers with a pineapple bun on the top of your head. No judgement here! 

Some of the places I’ve shopped and some on my list to try are:

• SimpleAddiction – leggings, tops and outfit boxes. I’ve gotten some of their apparel as gifts and I was super pleased! I have friends that only get their leggings and winter sweaters from here, I’m sure I’ll be jumping on that bandwagon this year since I found the fleece lined leggings, beanies, and flowy tops lol
• Proozy– “Great Deals on Famous Brands” is right under their logo on their website and I will lean towards agreement with that statement. Every time I’ve visited their site I’ve seen good prices and sales on brands like Sperry, Reebok, adidas, Underarmour and more. I did a little looking around and the prices were definitely comparable to Amazon, if not cheaper on some items.
• Jane – there’s a little bit of everything here. I’m sure you’ve probably found this site by now. But if you haven’t, be sure to check it out! Really good priced items for women, men, kids, babies, pets, and even home decor. Pretty nice to shop for all of these categories from the comfort of my couch instead of visiting like 4 different stores! Another note, when shopping for home decor I prefer to be home. I carry my laptop to the room I want to make a purchase for and can compare the item to existing decor to match it better or envision the new decor idea in the room easier with them both in front of me at the same time.
• SA Co – Warm Gear, Cold Gear, UV protection and it’s where we get our silicone rings. We live a very active lifestyle (when my body permits) so I am always scared of loosing my wedding bands. When we hunt, fish, dive, paddle-board, or any other active activity I always change from my gold bands to my silicone band. If it gets lost, oh well! Hubby works outside and I am careful to not get overly exposed to UV rays so the face shields, etc. are awesome!
• Cupshe – I’m really looking forward to trying some of their bathing suits, cover-ups, and dresses. We free dive so the typical bathing-suit from the chain store doesn’t always hold up…anything…lol I’m always looking for a good quality bathing-suit that doesn’t impede circulation or hurt when those fibro points are being a pain; no pun intended. It’s also hard for me to find comfortable, flowy dresses when I’m just uncomfortable in my own skin and the weather is hot and muggy here in Florida. 

Saving Time & Energy Looking for Work

I found a few websites when researching to help a friend find a job she could do with her illness. She’s perfectly capable, just not necessarily in the work environment she was located at the time. So, we looked for other options in her job search. Here are a couple we found in our search and a few places she benefited from networking.

• FlexJobs – I think we’ve all heard of this website and services. For $14.95 per month, being able to search specifically for flexible, remote, part-time and freelance jobs could be well worth the investment when you’re figuring out how to have a good work-life blend with chronic illness thrown in the mix. I’ve personally not used it because we live in a very small and rural community but I know some who have and they’ve said they had a really good experience and positive results.
• Chronically Capable – I love this! You must check out the story of the founder, Hannah. She’s a Lyme survivor and shares how, “Although my ambition and intellect were intact, the physical demands of a traditional workplace environment could not co-exist with my life-saving treatment.” I feel like so many of us can relate to this situation and I just applaud her determination to being an advocate and working towards “no one ever has to decide between their health and work ambitions again.”   – (Sidenote: the original name for this site would’ve been “ChronicallyCapable”. While looking for domain names, checking copyrights, and all the other things, I found this organization. I immediately was so happy to stumble across it!)
• Facebook Groups – This is tricky. Normally, we join groups that we relate to or have interest in, which is great because someone may have turned down a client due to havign a full load or know of somewhere hiring that doesn’t fit their needs. But we also have noted the value of joining and networking in groups that have the kinds of people/businesses you want to work for or with. Promoting yourself in a spammy way won’t work in either scenario but becoming part of the group with the insights you have on your perspective of position can be valuable. These people might just know a collegue or aquaintance looking for someone with your skillset and when you get to know people they’ll recommend you for your personality. Gaining the ‘know, like, and trust’ factor is key here, it’s not a best practice to join a group and then post “Is anyone hiring?” the first time they hear from you. Have the mindset to ‘Give more than you take’ and you’ll be surprised at the outcome.

Traveling (kind of), Gifts, Green Solutions & Misc.

It’s hard to travel, clean, and shop for gifts for others and ourselves. I used to use a company for my green cleaners and personal care but when we started really rearranging our budget to meet some big goals, I had to look around for other options.

In that search I also stumbled across a few interesting and cool products/services. Here’s the list for you to check out:

• CrateJoy – All things subscription boxes! 30% off your first order and you can choose from a massive list of options. Everything from:
  • men
  • women
  • kids
  • self-care
  • books
  • food
  • geek & gaming
  • art
  • fitness
  • pets
  • home & living; and more

Each category has sub-categories. Seriously, you could be here for days lol but I think it could be a really great idea when you’re gift shopping or if you can find boxes that have what you need and would normally buy at the store during a shopping trip. Just remember to add the subscription amount to the amounts you spend monthly in the budgeted category so you don’t overspend at the store.

• greenUp Box – total concept on replacing our disposable plastics. They send a box every 2 months that’s designed around major areas in our lives. You can look at the boxes and see what they’ve sent out and what’s in each box previously. I’m really excited to try this service to challenge myself to be aware of my choices for reusable vs disposable, and the items look super cute, simple and organized….that’s speaking my language!
• Grove Colaberative – is also working towards reducing our plastic footprint on the Earth. Which makes sense, why package somehting in plastic if it can be packaged in a less impacting way? They provide natural household and personal products. I’m waiting on mine to come in! I found a conditioner with some awesome ingredients that I can’t wait to try! They also give a free bundle as a gift on your first order. I’m super excited to try these items!
• Universal Yums LLC – this one I giggled at when I found it but then I thought how genius! For a lot of us, we had big dreams of traveling, seeing other countries and experiencing their culture, and now with chronic illness we’ve had to face the reality that those plans and dreams may look a little different. This service sends different snacks from different countries every month. I thought that was super cool! Have a girl’s movie night, watch a movie that fits that month’s box and enjoy some snacks! A great way to ‘experience’ another place without leaving home.