I recently managed to fall and break my shoulder (a fracture of the greater tuberosity, to be specific), which has left me one-armed for the foreseeable future. Of course, it was my dominant arm, at that! I have struggled with everyday tasks such as clasping my bra, putting my hair into a ponytail, making the bed, cooking dinner, and even typing at the computer. I have watched all sorts of YouTube videos for ticks and tips and have come up with my 5 things that are most helpful when you have one injured arm! They’re great every other day of the year too!

 

 

Washing your hair one-handed is not only difficult, but I don’t feel like it gets completely clean. Batiste Dry Shampoo to the rescue! This allows me to go longer between washes (even when not injured) and makes me feel like my hair is just a touch cleaner. The downside to dry shampoo, especially when you have dark hair, as I do, is that it tends to leave behind a visible residue. The key to avoiding that is to spray it on, wait a few minutes, rub it in, then use a blow dryer to remove the excess and amp up the volume!

 

 

But how are you supposed to blow dry your hair when you can’t hold both the blow dryer AND a brush? Maybe some of you have mastered this skill, but my hair looks like something straight out of the ’80s if I don’t use a brush while drying my hair. Blow dryer brush to the rescue!

 

 

 

My job involves entering numbers all day long. Talk about boring, but hey, it pays the bills! However, it is impossible to use the number pad on the right side of the keyboard when you cannot rotate your right arm! Cue this handy dandy wireless number pad. I can move it wherever my hand can go so I can keep on plugging away those numbers!

 

 

 

My crockpot has ALWAYS been my favorite kitchen appliance, especially during these hot summer months, but it shines like a gold star now. I use recipes that don’t require chopping any veggies or searing anything on the stovetop, making this especially useful with only one working arm. I especially like this model that I picked up back in March because it lets you set your own time in 30-minute increments instead of the standard 4, 6, 8, and 10-hour options.

 

 

Since COVID entered our world last year, I don’t think there’s anyone out there who hasn’t used curbside pickup at least once. But do you know how hard it is to navigate the grocery store aisles while pushing a shopping cart with just one hand??? It’s MISERABLE! Unfortunately, our United in Littlefield doesn’t have the curbside option, but I can use this wonderful feature in Levelland or Lubbock! And as a sixth bonus to the Friday Favorites – let me add my 16-year-old daughter, who I get to send to go pick up these grocery orders!