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Noise…A Recurring Facebook Theme

August 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Pulse of Facebook

Crying babies and work have never mixed well.

I’ve said it before, but Facebook is such a great way to see what people like, dislike, and especially what bugs them.   You really get a feel for what the pulse of a community or even an individual is.  Today’s ramblings include a rant against the Smurfs as well as a general disdain for cleaning bathrooms.  I particularly enjoyed this post from a fellow doctoral student friend of my husband’s:

Typing longhand notes (and trying to ignore the crying babies..why did I forget my headphones =/ )

I’m not sure about the final punctuation {maybe it’s the new cyber-slang for cursing or maybe it’s just a missed key}, but I’m pretty confident this PhD student didn’t head out to a usually quiet cafe this morning just to hear not one, but several babies crying.

A Common Complaint: Noise

It does beg the question, why do we go to public places to work?  This guy does have an office, so why would he trek to downtown to take notes.  It’s possible the coffee is particularly tasty there, or there might be a pretty waitress, but more than likely, he needed to escape his own office to be productive.  You see, normally people don’t have their own offices, so they share the room with at least one other worker.  This is definitely true for doctoral students.  That means that every person’s noise can be another person’s downfall.  What is more frustrating than being derailed by a colleague’s noise? {Or worse, watching them be productive while you twiddle your thumbs?}

This got me thinking- even when we try to escape noise, we inevitably encounter noise, just a new variety or frequency.  Thus, I sent my friend a link for a free white noise generator.  Like most people these days, he’s pretty portable, so having a portable white noise option can be crucial…especially if he forgets his headphones!

Noise can’t always be escaped, but you can always have white noise with you!

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Get to Sleep Naturally (Without the use of pills!)

December 31, 2010 By 3 Comments

I greatly dislike tossing and turning and being unable to go to sleep when I want to. What I dislike even more is when I just drift off to sleep and a noise wakes me up. I’ll be honest. I really don’t like being awakened at all in the middle of the night. Usually, it’s my dog scratching or moving around, but it could be my kids randomly crying out in the next room, my husband making a noise, etc. You get the idea.

One option to avoid this is to take sleeping pills so I am in a deeper sleep. There are a lot of drawbacks to this method, though. Most of the over-the-counter sleep aids are just Benadryl re-packaged and increased in price. (It’s true. The active ingredient in both is diphenhydramine .) Also, I don’t really like taking medicine unless I really need to and a doctor would laugh at me if I tried to get sleeping pills so I could stop being awakened by random noises. (And rightfully so.) There is also the possibility of my body getting dependent on them, etc. The risks outweigh the benefits, in my opinion.

Another option is ear plugs. They hurt my ears, though, and I need to be able to hear my children if one of them wakes up with a legitimate problem.

The solution I have discovered is to use a sound machine in my bedroom. It covers over those little noises that wake me up, doesn’t make my ears hurt, and I can still hear my kiddos in the other room if they really need me to. (I’ve written before about ways to make sure you can hear your kids and still get a good night’s sleep.) It has made a world of difference just to have that light background noise covering over all those little things that was causing me to not sleep very well. I’ve started waking up only when I am supposed to–when my alarm goes off.

If you’d like to do a little experiment of your own, you can try this free white noise generator. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t help you to sleep better.

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Why Hotels Should Have Sound Machines

November 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

This past weekend I went to a women’s conference a few hours away from my home with some other ladies from my church. I have just recently moved to this area and one of my new friends was going to be my roommate for the night. While I was packing I had thought about bringing my extra sound machine, but I wasn’t sure if she liked white noise and I waited until the last minute to pack, so I forgot it.

Sometimes crisp sheets are not desireable....

Fast forward to that evening. We are getting ready for bed and she mentions that she wishes we had a white noise machine. (YES!) Turns out we are both big believers for of white noise for sleep for ourselves and our kiddos. So we agree to turn on the bathroom fan for the night. Except there is no bathroom fan. (This is the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at, and this left me wondering, “Is it not classy to have a bathroom fan? All the “low class” (i.e. cheaper) places I’ve stayed at had a fan…)

Neither one of us brought our laptops, so we can’t use an online white noise generator. So, we decide to try to find a radio station with no signal and just static to use as improvised white noise. And we can’t figure out how to work the radio. So, by this time it is after midnight and we have to be up early. We lay down in our (separate) queen beds and try to go to sleep. We then dicover that the nice sheets at the Marriott hotel are the crunchiest sheets ever. Like if I breathe at all, they crunch loudly. Rolling over is horribly loud. So, I am laying there for a while and guessing my roomie has already fallen asleep when I hear her reach over and get her bottle of herbal sleep aid pills. I pipe up that I want one and we both laugh because both of us are having trouble sleeping since it is so quiet and we can hear every. single. little. noise.(And trust me, there are

We turn the light on and finally figure out how to turn on the radio and find what we think is a suitable replacement for white noise. Except sometime very early in the morning it woke us up because it had picked up a signal and was now making a strange beeping noise. We try again and finally get a few good hours before our early morning wake up.

What can we learn from my mistake?

1. Never leave home without a sound machine. (Okay, that might be a bit overkill, but it didn’t feel like it after I woke up that morning after getting only a few hours of sleep…)

2. More realistically, never plan to sleep without a sound machine, especially if you are away from home.

3. More importantly, hotels should offer sound machines in the rooms, just like there are alarm clocks and hair dryers. I think people would be happier and complaints about noise would go down if they would put a sound machine in every room or at least have some to check out for the night available at the front desk.

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White Noise for Creative Play

August 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Creative Play

Tea Party

I have 2 young children (ages 2 and 4) and one of my favorite things has been watching their imaginations develop, especially in their creative play.  I am one of those moms who believes in independent play and play that requires thinking.  All I mean by that is that you don’t need to buy a set of toys to replicate a scene, such as the grocery store or a tea party.  It’s great fun to have those toys, but how much better is it when your child takes some other container and dubs it a tea cup and saucer?  Regardless of where you get the toys or how many you have, or even of how much you spent, your children have all the resources they need in their little heads!

Our 4 year old daughter has had an active imagination for quite some time, and we are starting to see our toddler’s develop, too!  I copied her preschool program by setting up a play area with a specific theme: tea party!  While I pulled out a card table and the basics, I really enjoyed watching the kids add the details, such as sugar, milk, and biscuits.   Our toddler was an eager party attender, as well, and LOVED pretending to pour milk and dump sugar in his “tea” cup.

How to set up play themes

Grocery Store

There aren’t a lot of rules per se, but here is what I would recommmend:

  • Think of a theme {see below for ideas}
  • Look around the house for items you can use {very frugal, I know!}
  • Have the child help you set up and think of ideas
  • You set the boundaries, such as in their room or for a set amount of time
  • Play with the children and allow them to play alone
  • Ask the kids for new ideas or ways to enhance the current one.

Possible Themes

While I do have some of the following props, we often use something else in its place- by helping your child be imaginative in their play, you are fostering creativity and frugality in their little hearts and minds!  It has never occurred to our children that we don’t have exactly what we need to make an idea come to life!  In fact, most of their jerry-rigged contraptions are better than a life-like toy, like today when they pretended their room was a park and used a nature sounds white noise generator to make it rain!

  • Tea Party- table, chairs {edge of bed!}, tea set, pretend food
  • Kitchen- a play kitchen, or just the top of a dresser, pretend food, a grocery cart, a cash register
  • Nursery- dolls, baby accessories, crib/bed, high chair, stroller, diaper bag
  • School/ class room- teacher desk, student desk, paper, colors {if you dare!}, chalkboard/dry erase board
  • Pet Store- stuffed animals, price tags, cash register {teaches them about money, too!}, play money
  • Restaurant- table and chairs, pretend food, plates, plastic ware, menu, bill,cash register, play money {You could even fold a dish towel and tuck the edge in your child’s waist band for a waiter “look”}

*If you do want to buy some things, check out Craig’s List, FreeCycle, eBay, charity shops, Good Will, and consignment shops before you run out to Target- you’ll be amazed at how many things you can find cheap!

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5 Uses of White Noise

August 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I think we all know that I HEART white noise and white noise generators.  They have really saved me in many a pinch and I love how natural and portable they are!    In addition to compact size and portability, many white noise generators have added features, such as clock radio features and sound therapy.

5 Ways to Use White Noise

  1. Sound Oasis Deluxe

    For work.  Many an unprepared worker gets distracted at work.  Actually, the average worker is distracted more than 2 hours every day.  Yikes.  A little white noise can help your brain tune out the unnecessary noise while still focusing on important tasks.  I like the Sonet for wok for its effectiveness.

  2. For sleep.  Maybe you’re like me in you live in a flat or apartment.  Or maybe on a  busy street.  Or maybe you just have a hard time tuning out the worries of the world as you try to fall asleep.  I like Sound Oasis or Night Wave for sleep.
  3. For kids.  Whether you’re sleep training, rooming your kids together, or just trying to get a nap in, white noise can ensure good, uninterrupted sleep {especially if the rest of the house isn’t quiet yet}.  I love the Sound Oasis Travel generator because it’s portable…because when your little ones sleep, so can you!
  4. For relaxation.  There’s no need to listen to cars honking and dogs barking when you are home.  Why not try the Sound Oasis Deluxe and enjoy nature sounds as you kick up your feet?
  5. For tinnitus.  If you’ve ever experienced “ringing in your ears,” then you know how distracting and uncomfortable tinnitus can be.  The sound therapy found in Sound Oasis is clinically proven to lessen the discomfort of tinnitus.

Because a little white noise goes a long way….toward peace and relaxation and sleep!

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Tuning out the World & Focusing on What’s Important

July 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

There's a reason the dinner hour is called the "witching hour."

Office Noise…Noise at Home

Office noise is a problem for many.  You may be one of the lucky few who thrives on chaos and mayhem…if so, you probably love deadlines and working up until the last minute.  Good for you.  For the rest of us, extra noise and stress is just that- stress.  Whether I’m working on a project or just trying to cook dinner, lots of voices in my ears (adult or otherwise) leads to what my husband dubbed “sensory overload.”  Rather than pushing through and finishing my task, I just shut down.  When it’s just dinner on the line, it’s more of an inconvenience than a real problem.  However, when it’s work-related, shutting down isn’t exactly an option.

There are a variety of noise coverage solutions out there.  I’m sure noise cancelling headphones are awesome, but I don’t want to spend $250.  As for ear plugs, if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times- at best, they make my ears itchy.  At worst, they make them incredibly sore.  Plus, when I work from home, keeping 2 choking hazards out of reach of my 2-year-old is more challenging than it might seem.  So, I typically opt for a good white noise generator.  I run it loud enough to cover irritating distractions, but low enough that I can answer the phone (or tend to a child’s needs when that arises).  Essentially, I can tune out the world, but still be responsive when I need to be.

Is noise a problem for you?  If so, what do you do about it?

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How to Room Your Kids Together {Tips!}

July 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Family visits

We moved to Scotland almost 2 years ago.  My husband was incredibly excited about starting his PhD program in the UK with a leading theologian, and I….well, I was surviving.  We left a house and community I loved and moved even farther away from our families.  I was happy to support my husband but devastated for myself.  In all honesty, this move has been amazing for our own family and sense of identity.  We depend on each other more than on our parents, and since we’re in our 30′s, that’s a good {healthy} thing.  However, we both really do miss having family nearby- whether it’s helping with the kids or sharing a meal, we feel rather alone in that area.  Fortunately, our families have made us a priority and both have chosen to visit us each year.  Their visits are the highlight of our time here sometimes because it just feels so natural.  Stuff that might normally be annoying just isn’t because we cherish our limited time together.

Having family visit for 3 weeks has been stretching, too.  I am not exactly flexible sleep-wise for the kids, and I have always been terrified of rooming them together.  We have usually managed to avoid that nightmare by sleeping Luke in his happy tent in odd spots, for example, but this time we decided to put the 2 kids together.  I dealt with my anxiety about the upcoming ordeal by not thinking about it.  {Yes, that’s called denial.}  But the first night did come and we survived.  Here’s what we did {keep in mind that they are 2 and almost 4}

  • Hey- at least I didn't pop noise canceling headphones on them...

    Moved the 2 year old’s crib to a spot the 4 year old wouldn’t have to walk past if she got up to go to the bathroom, etc.

  • Slept 2 year old in the crib in the new spot for nap, so it was not a surprise for bed.
  • Also had the air mattress positioned so both kids could see where everything would be.
  • Made sure they were really sleepy, but not overtired.
  • Talked about them “getting” {not having} to share a room and how fun that would be!  {Do you hear my happy tone?}
  • Got them ready for bed together.
  • Read their bedtimes stories and did their prayers together.
  • Plugged in2 white noise generators- 1 by each of them since it is a decently-sized room.  {Two may have been over-kill, but I don’t care.}
  • Practiced with 4 year old on how to get up and let herself out quietly.
  • Said good-night to both and shut the door.

Well, that’ what we did.  Here’s what I wish we would have done better.

  • Told the 4 yar old to ignore the 2 year old and sleep through his fussing.  {can you really do that, though?}
  • Not let the 2 year old bounce on the air mattress, adding to his growing belief that the air mattress is obviously where all the cool kids sleep.
  • Not used a night light.

Truth be told, they did great, though!  Each night it got easier and the younger one asked for the air mattress less.  The lack of extra light also helped keep them both asleep through the night.  Practising with the older one was definitely a good idea, and we praised her for being such a good {and quiet!} big sister!  Obviosuly, you know my love for white noise, so the generators were clutch in covering toddler sleeping sounds, as well as 2 extra adults going up an down the stairs, etc.

Now I am just wondering if they’ll want to go back to separate rooms?

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The Truth about GPS & White Noise

July 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

2 Types of People

I’ve had some interesting conversations recently that have led me to believe that there are two types of people.  {Actually, I am quite sure there are many more types than that, but discussing them would ruin this post.  Fair enough?}  Back on topic- there are two types of people.  Techies and tech-snobs.  Take me- I used to be a tech-snob.  I was sure there was a “right” way of doing things, a more natural, organic way that didn’t involve technology.  I was sure I didn’t need a typing class in high school {There were several attractive members of the opposite sex in the computer class that typing was a pre-req for.  Taking typing meant I had to drop the class with the cute boys.  To this day I hint and peck….I’ll let you guess what choice I made.} Case in point- think of Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail.  She had the cute little book shop and refused a computer in lieu of a type-writer.  That’s a tech-snob.  Purists.  {In their minds anyway}.

I said I was a tech-snob.  What changed?  I married and electrical engineer.  I should have known my tech-aversion was doomed when my husband-to-be started making spreadsheets to keep track of our registry.  Little by little, my husband wore me down and I now embrace technology as a help rather than a hindrance.

Two of my favorite tech-devices are GPS/Sat Navs and white noise generators.  We use both on a weekly, if not daily basis- for travel to new places and for sleep {in strange places and for the kids not to hear each other}.  This has drawn not a little attention from our nosey friends, who, if you must know, fall into 1 of 2 categories: techies or tech-snobs.  All the techies have also purchased Sat Navs  and sound machines and the tech-snobs are purists, sure that these devices defy nature and the way things are supposed to be.  They’ve brought up a few concerns I’d like to address:

  • GPS/Sat Navs make you forget how to use a map.  This is ridiculous.  The main advantage Sat Navs have is helping you not get lost.  Whether it’s a clear map or a recalculation based on a wrong turn,  a GPS doesn’t erase your memories or abilities.  If you’d rather suck it up on a too-large, impossible to fold map in the car and get lost a lot, then more power to you.  But you’re not a purist- you’re a glutton for punishment.
  • White noise generators just make more noise and make it to where you can’t fall asleep without them. I can only speak for my family, but we started using white noise because we were having trouble sleeping.  Now we don’t.  Plus, neither of my children struggles to sleep without white noise.  I use it to block their own noise from each other, but they are fine without it.

Lastly, if anyone is worried about not having a GPS or a sound machine on hand, I’d like to remind everyone how small and easily portable both devices are.  Even on incredibly restrictive flights, we’ve never had a problem packing either or toting them to a friend’s house.  Just sayin’…

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