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UV Skinz Review & Giveaway!

Posted by Brande on August 3, 2012
in Baby Products, Children's Clothing, Fashion, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Girl Stuff, Giveaways, Health, Kids Stuff, Reviews, Safety

It’s summer time which means most people will be spending lots of time outdoors! With the sun being so harmful, sunscreen isn’t enough! UV Skinz has a wonderful line of 50+ UV sun protection clothing for everyone in the family! This company is approved by the Melanoma International Foundation as well as an iParenting Media Award Winner!

Kids sizes range from 6 months to 14 and adult sizes go up to a size 4 XL! UV Skinz carries shirts (long and short sleeve), hats, shorts, gloves/sleeves, shades, and sun screen! It’s a one stop shop for sun-protective clothing for the entire family!

My UV Skinz Review:

My daughter received the Pink Mermaids sunwear set, which included a reversible hat, short sleeve swim shirt, and shorts.

This picture is with the Mermaid side of the hat.

This picture is the reverse side of the hat which is pink.

I have a very active, wiggly 3 year old. Sometimes trying to put sun screen on her is like trying to put it on a cat! I always miss a spot, however, with her new outfit I can worry less. The shirt covers her arms to her elbows and the hat is wide brimmed for fun at the beach. It’s light weight and doesn’t make her hot. I love the modesty of the entire outfit. It’s very age appropriate and fun!

It also washed up nicely! Gentle wash and drip dry.

UV Skins has my vote for UV-protective clothing! Check out their website to buy yours today! You can also find them on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Special Offer: BLOGS15 code that you can use for a 15% discount on UV Skinz’s site.

Now for the Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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My 3 year Old Broke My Elbow! Ouch!

Posted by Brande on August 2, 2012
in Blog Stuff, Contributing Writers, Health

How about this for a freak accident! I’m laying on my side with my hand under my head. My 3 year old daughter came bounding on the bed, which is nothing new. She kneed my elbow perfectly on the corner. OUCH! But, being a mom I blew it off. It’ll go away, right!? That was Saturday the 21st. By Monday, when I got up my elbow was still not moving well and was still was hurting pretty bad. I went to my regular doctor, who told me it was acting like it was broken and sent me to x-ray. The x-ray place tells me I have a “comminuted fracture of the electronaut”. Not having an ounce of medical knowledge, I’m thinking my elbow exploded. They sent me home and I had to call the orthopedic the next day. I prepared myself all day for the worst. The orthopedic doctor put up the x-ray, Which unfortunately I don’t have the picture of and reveals my daughter had broke the corner of my elbow off! It’s floating around and the reason it hurt so bad is that the tendons were/are rubbing that broken piece around. Upside is no surgery and only a sling! Hooray!

My 3 Year Old Broke My Elbow! Ouch!

So, she sent me on my merry way. Wednesday the 25th rolls around and my elbow was as red as Rudolph’s nose and hot. To me that’s infection. Ugh….. Back to the doctor I went this past Friday. He told me I need to relax more and stop doing so much. Ok, I’d LOVE to do that. However, I need to care for my family.

As of today, the swelling has gone down and I’m feeling better each day. I have a feeling this is going to be a long healing process.

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Congratulations! Slique Kit™ Giveaway Winner!

Posted by html404 on August 1, 2012
in Giveaways, Health, Health and Nutrition

I closed out three giveaways yesterday and contacted all the winners. So I wanted to give them special acknowledgement congratulating them on winning and for all of you who entered – Thank you!

In case you missed it, congratulations to Paula on winning the Slique Kit™ giveaway!

Please stay tuned for the next several weeks as we will be offering several giveaways, but realize giveaways will slow down again in late September and early October as I have a big blog event that I will need time to prepare for and write about! I don’t know how bloggers who attend several huge events do it!

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Buddy Bear Review

Posted by Professor on July 31, 2012
in All Natural Products, Eco Friendly Products, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Health, Kids Stuff, Reviews

New Warming Bear Provides Natural Kid-Friendly Pain Relief

Bed Buddy Bear^® Features ThermaTherapy^® to Provide Comfort and Targeted Heat

Far more than a plush toy, Buddy is the latest in a series of breakthrough ThermaTherapy® products in the Bed Buddy line that provide warmth and comfort to soothe aches and pains.

Made with 100% natural materials, Buddy Bear’s warm feet, tummy and paws provide deep penetrating moist heat ideal for reducing pain associated with arthritis, fibromyalgia, back problems, ear aches, tooth aches and stiff necks. Living up to his name, Buddy can be counted on to do what any good friend does – provide comfort on a cold night or eliminate stress after a long day. For penetrating heat that will last up to an hour, place Buddy in the microwave. He can also be hibernated in the freezer to create a cold pack for fever relief and to relax restless sleepers.

Buddy Bear Review:

This is another great product that we were sent from Carex. I cannot express my adoration for their Bed Buddy line enough! We were sent the BED BUDDY warming bear to review…and boy is he cute and cuddly! When I opened the box my children instantly fell in love with this cute little bear…it took much coaxing for me to explain that he was not an ordinary stuffed animal. I had to “warm” him up and show them how he was used for them to understand…what a learning experience for all!

This is a great product…so easy to use and most surprisingly it can be used hot or cold! Pop the bear in the microwave for soothing heat or place in the freezer for cooling relief!

During this portion of our lives we have been blessed with our fair share of ear infections in our children. So of course during the course of this review one of our little ones was having ear pain. Usually the remedy for ear pain is a warm wet washrag that usually has to be rewet/warmed every 10 minutes to soothe the ache. This product did wonders for my sanity … I used the bear in place of the wet washrag for ear pain. My child was more comfortable resting their ear on the bear than on a wet rag and the heat lasted so long that my little one fell asleep and did not complain the rest of the evening. Yes this bear is my new friend!

Overall, this is another WONDERFUL Bed Buddy product that I cannot live without. What did I ever do before the Bed Buddy Bear…oh yeah warm wet wash rags (YUCK!)

You can find this product and many more at carex.com. I would definitely consider perusing the site the company has so much to offer in moist heat and home healthcare products.

Bed Buddy Product Link http://www.carex.com/products/Bed_Buddy/93

Bed Buddy Bear Product Link: http://www.carex.com/products/detail/635

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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All-Over Comfort Pack Review

Posted by Professor on July 31, 2012
in All Natural Products, Eco Friendly Products, Family Stuff, Gift Ideas, Health, Home, Personal Care Products

Bed Buddy® Herbal Naturals™ Targets Pain with Moist Heat

New Plush & Lavender-Infused Line Includes Neck Pillow, Wrap & All-Over Comfort Pack

The line is comprised of three distinct products (highlighted below), each of which feature the company’s proprietary Moist Heat ThermaTherapy^® penetration system, which is shown to be better for treating muscle pain, chronic aches and pains, and arthritis than “dry heat” because it allows quicker, deeper heat penetration into the joints.

The Neck Pillow easily drapes over the neck and shoulders to provide deep moist heat to sooth aches, pains, tension or arthritis in the neck and shoulders.
The Neck and Hand Wrap, which features a unique design that includes warming hand pouches, minimizes aches and pains in such chronic problem areas as the neck, hands and shoulders.
All-Over Comfort Pack targets a wide array of chronic pain areas such as the back, hip flexor, shoulders and abdomen with a large, universal shape that easily molds to the body for indulgent comfort.

The Herbal Naturals™ products are soft, lined with luxurious real lavender and chamomile; contain only 100% all-natural ingredients; warm quickly in a microwave; are fully reusable with a machine washable cover; and remain heated for up to an hour.

A member of Carex’s global family of premium-quality brands, Bed Buddy® offers a versatile and premium-quality line of reusable hot and cold packs that support individuals suffering from aches, pains and arthritis and are designed to fit most body types and to help people of virtually all ages and health profiles.

All-Over Comfort Pack Review:

Let me say this is an AWESOME product. This is the first product of its kind that we have used. Prior to using this product we have used traditional heating pads, which offer heat, but not MOIST heat as this product does. My husband suffers from severe osteoarthritis in his knees (5 operations) and has chronic back problems (1 prior operation) …let me tell you this is SO, SO WONDERFUL for his “aches and pains”…we have iced and heated so many times over the past 17 years of marriage that it has become part of our lives. The moist heat provides soothing relief …and since it stays warm for over an hour it is just right for therapeutic relief!

One great thing (can I say great enough in this review?) about this product is that it is ready in minutes! Just pop it in the microwave and voila instant moist heat.

Another factor that is a wonderful additive is that the product comes with a velvety WASHABLE cover. I LOVE this feature! If the product gets sweaty or dirty…just pop the cover in the wash and it is clean, so convenient!

The scent is WONDERFUL! The product is lightly scented with lavender and chamomile…what an aromatic sensation! I feel like I am at the spa as I breathe in the luxurious scent and drift away in moist heat!

So far my husband has been monopolizing the product…but I do know that this product would be AWESOME for stomach cramps…especially menstrual cramps. When I was a young girl I used to get horrible cramps….how I would have LOVED to have this product…I cannot imagine the relief this would have given someone with those painful cramping episodes!

Overall, I can honestly say my family has fallen in love with this product. The All-Over Comfort Pack has so many uses I cannot wait to go out and shop for the rest of the line. I intend to buy more of this and the other products in the line for Christmas gifts…I know a few people in my family that will adore the products!

You can find this product and many more at carex.com. I would definitely consider perusing the site the company has so much to offer in moist heat and home healthcare products.

Bed Buddy Product link http://www.carex.com/products/Bed_Buddy/93

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S2H and Special 15% Off at Switch2Health

Posted by html404 on July 31, 2012
in Health, Health and Nutrition

A couple of years ago we received a S2H for review and we never got the review up because the children lost it. Then when we moved last August we found it while packing and I found the contact to let them know what happened and apologized. Well, FAIL again because I didn’t get the review up and again I have no idea where the S2H is. Of course, it has been one of those odd things that remains at the back of my mind and I was reminded of it again when I got the email below from them.

So finally, I am just going to get the review up and give them the extra feature of their 15% off sale. Maybe it’s weird to be admitting publicly to such a huge failure, but I am just being honest here. I am only human and sometimes I do drop the ball on things like this. Just to let any brands, PR reps and companies reading know, I am using a calendar and reminder system now, so things have improved around here. I also have contributors who help me!

Our Review of the S2H Replay

The S2H Replay is a wrist band that calculates your physical activity. Our children loved this little gadget. They loved seeing how active they were and kind of fought over whose turn it was to use it. I actually think this would be a great little gift to motivate them to stay active. I also think that with a little friendly competition between siblings – nothing like egging each other on – that this could turn out to be a real tool towards better health in our family. I can see it all now and am tucking this little idea away as a Christmas gift idea, especially for the older children.

As you can tell, the S2H Replay is very user friendly, especially since our children were the main users. The only aspect of the gadget and technology we did not make use of was the online part, but I can understand how useful having all that info in one place would be. At the time, I didn’t quite get it or want my children’s info stored online and that hindered me from trying out that part, plus I think we lost the code or something we needed to access the online information. Sigh.

Of course now they have apps and a Step Pedometer available. Check out their special below.

Special 15% Off at Switch2Health Email Announcement

The S2H STEP and S2H REPLAY reward you for exercising- simply wear them, be active, get Rewards!

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Ningxia Red Part 5 of the Slique™ Kit & Giveaway

Posted by html404 on July 3, 2012
in All Natural Products, Giveaways, Health, Health and Nutrition

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I am going to finish up my Slique™ series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4) that I started months ago and just dropped. The last product to give an overview and review of is Ningxia Red. It is a drink made of Ningxia wolfberries, which is a berry full of antioxidants. It is native to the Ningxia province in China and is thought to prolong life since the residents of the Ningxia province are known for their longevity.

Ingredients in Ningxia Red are:

It took us a little time to get use to the taste of Ningxia Red as it has a different taste. It tastes much better chilled. I think all of us drink it now except one of our boys, but he’s a pick pot anyways.

Since January, I have experienced slightly better vision. I got glasses when I was 16-17 years old for driving, sports and reading the chalkboard at school. Once I had my glasses I never wanted to have blurred vision so I just wore my glasses all the time, even for reading. Now I have been taking my glasses off to read, use my iPhone or journal because my sight is blurry for close reading. Hard to believe, but even my husband said that he’s never known me to have to do that in the 20 years he’s known me.

“The Slique™ Kit is a compilation of products designed to maximize weight-management success and improve overall health. Each of the five products in this kit—Slique Tea, Slique Essence, Balance Complete™, Essentialzymes-4™, and NingXia Red®—work together to enhance nutrient absorption, supply required nutrition and fiber, increase energy, and control appetite by reducing cravings.”

The retail value of this kit is $275 and you can enter to win your own Slique™ Kit below! Due to the value of this giveaway, I will run it for four weeks and you can tweet and do the bonus entry every day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Hungry for Change Shares Top 10 Food Additives to Avoid

Posted by html404 on June 26, 2012
in Downloads, DVDs & CDs, Food and Treats, Health, Health & Garden Tuesday, Health and Garden Tuesday, Health and Nutrition

Do you know what’s in your food? I mean really know. Do you care what’s put in your food? If you don’t, you should because what’s in your food is or will eventually make you sick.

On Friday I received an email from Hungry for Change. By the way, I love the work they are doing! In the email they shared a link to top 10 food additives to avoid. I think you are going to be surprised! If you go to the link below you can read about the food additives to avoid, as well as download a 1 page shopping guide:

http://www.hungryforchange.tv/top-10-food-additives-to-avoid

You can also check out their documentaries, Food Matters (I am going to re-watch this and post about it next week) and Hungry for Change. They share a little bit about these food documentaries at their other site: http://www.foodmatters.tv/

What’s stopping you from changing your eating habits? Self-discipline and just saying no to the bad stuff is my problem. It helps if we don’t bring junk into the house.

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Green Smoothies & Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

Posted by html404 on June 22, 2012
in DVDs & CDs, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Movies, Recipes

A couple of weeks ago at the homeschool convention the documenatry Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead came up in a couple of conversations, including one with my friend Audrey, who I was working with. It is a documentary about an Australian man who is overweight, became sick enough to be put on medications due to the health issues he was experiencing. He decides to go on a 60-day juice fast of green smoothies in order to improve his health. Juicing enables nutrients to get into the blood stream, unlike food that needs to be chewed, swallowed and digested.

Audrey is very health conscious, more so than me and had watched this documentary. I don’t think it was the movie that made her start drinking green smoothies as I have seen her drink carrot juice type drinks before. Well, she ended up bringing her older daughter and I a green smoothie on Saturday of the conference. I liked it and thought I could/should start drinking them too, but didn’t until nearly a week later.

Last weekend we finally watched the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. It was really interesting. Inspiring even and amazing how much weight this man dropped. He was eventually able to get off all medications and get rid of his illness. He completely changed his lifestyle.

I ended up deciding I wanted to start drinking green smoothies. I wanted to do it for 60 days too, until I remembered that I am still breastfeeding and couldn’t. In a fast, like a juice fast, your body goes through what is called a detox. This is when your body releases toxins that are stored in your body. I would hate for my son to be affected by any toxins released into my breast milk as my body detoxed. That’s why I decided to start with one green smoothie a day and hopefully increase that after a while. I actually persuaded my husband that he needed to start with me! Because it’s much more fun to do something like this with someone rather than by myself. Yes, he actually agreed to start drinking green smoothies! He who has an aversion to any green vegetable except broccoli and kale soup! We also decided the children should join us. On Sunday all of us started drinking green smoothies….until my Bosch blender stopped working on Tuesday morning, but the part arrived yesterday so we are good to go again.

You can watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead too for free at this link: http://www.jointhereboot.com/

Green Smoothies

All I do for our green smoothies is use what we have on hand as far as vegetable and fruits go. At the beginning of the week we had carrot juice, bananas, grapes, orange juice, spinach (store bought), romaine lettuce, broccoli slaw, our spinach and arugula from the garden. I decided for the children and husband’s sake we’d start with the smoothies being on the sweeter side first and slowly decrease the amount of fruit we add.

I simply put the carrot juice in the blender first then added enough fruit and veggies to fill the blender, depending upon the consistency of the smoothie I would add more carrot or orange juice and blended it until it was smooth, not chunky. Everyone mostly liked the smoothies, even my almost 2 year old had 4 helpings of it! Though it was a little glass. We really only had 1 or 2 say something negative and 1 of those two outright didn’t like it, but we motivated him to drink it. My husband really liked the one batch that had more grapes in it, as he couldn’t taste the greens at all, even though the smoothie was indeed the color green.

Now I’m off to make our smoothies….

What have you been doing for your health and wellness?

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Autism – Invisible Disability

Posted by html404 on May 22, 2012
in Articles, Guest Post, Health

Because Matthew, my son with autism, looks so “normal” many people don’t believe he has a disability. He has no visible problems, all of his limbs are well formed, he carries no telltale traits that would clue the casual observer into the fact that he struggles with many normal activities. Even extended family has questioned his diagnosis because during their brief encounters with him, he appears to be just fine. He looks “good”.

But in reality he has a pervasive developmental delay that touches almost every aspect of his life. Over the years of “looking good”, he has had to participate in physical therapy to help him learn to hold his head erect, crawl, sit, walk and run. He still works with an occupational therapist to help him with his fine and gross motor problems such as writing, coloring, ball play and balance, among other things. His autism has left him ill-equipped to deal with every day stressors and he is prone to bouts of anger and temper tantrums. He requires close adult supervision while at school because he does not have the attention span to stay on task, raise his hand, or complete his assignments. While my husband and I understand that his behaviors stem from his autism and how his brain handles (or doesn’t handle) certain situations, many people assume he is just a poorly behaved child and that we are negligent parents.

I used to feel bad if other people looked at us as if we had no control over our child, or as if we didn’t care. I used to think their opinions mattered. Then I realized that we are more involved in our child’s life than many parents. We know his moods intimately and read his actions to gauge what interventions are needed at that moment. Because of our devotion to Matthew we have actually been able to help him improve so much that his autism is no longer impacting him to the same extent it previously did. He has become extremely high functioning and we now feel confident that he will be able to attend college and hold a job in the future. Of course this now makes his autism even more invisible. He looks even more “normal” or “average”. And I guess ultimately we want his autism to be completely invisible, so invisible, that he no longer qualifies for the diagnosis. The reality of autism is that it affects a child’s behavior and physical condition without leaving physical markers, which in turn make it undetectable to many. Autism is an invisible disability.

Maryann is the mom behind Matthew’s Puzzle where she blogs about her son’s autism recovery.