[Shopping] The Thermometer

One of the things that I've endeavored to do over the next three years is to buy quality things that I will need or will make life incrementally easier once I'm parenting.

This month's purchase is the VERATEMP Infrared thermometer.

No more wondering whether the temperature on the under-the-arm or oral thermometer is really accurate; Infrared is just the same technology that hospitals use. It doesn't need disposable covers, and won't transfer germs, since you aren't touching the sick person with it.

This will also prevent me from having to wake my child when sick to take temperatures; you just hold the thermometer a few inches away from their forehead and Bam! Done. One second to take the temp, and another to apply the traffic light system (green is good, orange is mild fever, red is high fever). I was a little put out that there isn't a beep of any sort to let me know it's done, but hey, it takes two seconds and that way you won't wake the child up when you are checking.

This device is also useful for measuring bottle temperature, room temperature, bath temperature, and any other surface temp that could be necessary.

It set me back about forty dollars; I see online that you can get it for $35 at Costco, but I don't have a membership anymore so that's moot.

I figure it will be these little things that I'll be needing and without money for, so I might as well start buying the lifetime last items now, when it's not so tight.

Geek Project -- Chell's playhouse

This week's project has been a cat condo for Atticus. I decided to make it Portal 2 themed, as I'm replaying that game through right now. First off, we had to make a sign for the laser pointer that was on theme....

Next, was a companion cube to play with, and a Wheatley buddy to bat at (both buyable at the Valve store, if you don't feel like making your own).

We continued on theme with two separate area's, one blue, one orange. Orange area is walled off and secluded for kitty litter box. The wall on the left is removable so  I can clean it out easier, and the "litter box" is just a London drugs basic storage box with a plastic liner. I've added about 1/2 inch of space between the ceiling of the litter box/second story and the outside wall, so that smell won't discourage proper use. Two basic stainless steel feeding trays are used, with the stands flipped upside down so they can hang off the condo walls without more effort. Second storey is reinforced wire covered in cardboard and then towel. The towel is just tied on with rope so he can bunch it around, and it's easier to take off to clean. All other towel bits on the inside are sewn into pillow case format, and then mounted on peices of foam or cardboard.

Scratching post in the corner isn't particularly on theme yet, but I'm thinking of recovering the giraffe spots with appropriately colored fabric.

Next we jut had to have a level sign on the tiered cat furniture outside.... He jumps on these two levels to reach the top of the condo. There is a lounging pad and a portal two themed bookshelf on the top.

Cat Photo Update -- because this is the internet

Kitten has been growing wonderfully, and is now five months old. He is going to be superbig, as 7 pounds is where he is sitting now, still growing.

That said, being much bigger now, it's become much more important that his shinannigans don't get out of hand and wreck my apartment. Two of the worst right now are his darting through the door when I get home from work and then making me play Donkey Kong throughout my building( up each flight of stairs, to the other end of the building, then up more stairs, back to the first side of the building, repeat, to catch him), and trying to claw climb up the screen windows. I can put up with the first, but the second could cause damage and must be contained. Thus, the kittycrate was born. Yes, I am a dog person, can't you tell?

And it's working. Both problems have stopped entirely, and kitten is happy in crate.... but having the crate caused another problem... The crate is UGLY. Super, duper, ugly. It's an assault to my senses, and thus....

Being a geek, especially a crafty, theme loving geek? PROJECT TIME.

Prototype idea: Designing a smaller, separate area for the mini litterbox to prevent odour/kicking of litter into the main play space. I also want to make at least one multilevel shelf for lounging, and add some type of geeky theme (I decided on PORTAL 2). DIY Project notes below the cut.

Before Picture: Crate: 36x23x25 dimensions,

Materials:

Two orange bathtowels, one purple, one old ratty blue towel.
Cardboard from the box we got the cage in. Thick.
Rope
London Drugs Decorative Storage box
Litter Liner
Wire to make second story
1/2 set of Portal 2 themed cork coasters to use as signs

Here is a picture of current kitty (Atticus, at six months); next post will show the finished cat condo.