Moving on to Celsius

It is getting back to busy season for my Dear Hubby.  That means 12 hours a day 6 to 7 days a week.  Recently he went through a 21 day run without a break.  Now that is a lot of hours.  He has been going through energy drinks to keep going too.  But I worry there too.  So I want him to be careful.  On top of it all he is great about drinking a gallon of water a day too with the Texas heat.  So I know he is hydrated!

Dear Hubby after a hard days work.

Last week at my request he tried out Celsius in replace of his sugar filled energy drinks.  And to also see if he was able to drop a lil more weight while doing so.  His tummy filled out a bit this last year and he has fussed that he is not too comfortable about it.  I don't mind.  But he does and he is working his tush off.  Why not see if I can give him a lil help.  

You see Celsius is different.  Now with Celsius, you can burn double the calories and be energized. Celsius is the world’s first and only negative calorie drink. Studies show that drinking a great tasting Celsius before exercise helps you burn up to 100 calories and more per serving, boosts metabolism, reduces body fat, increases endurance and provides lasting energy.

So he agreed.  He had been weighing in regular already without any weight loss.  Day one he worked as usual with a weigh in before work and after work too.  He did drink his usual 2 energy drinks too.  Then for days 2, 3 and 4 he did the same weigh in and had 3 of the Celsius drinks.  They come in seven delicious flavors, carbonated and non-carbonated, and also in powder stick packets that can be mixed with water. Celsius contains no sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, no aspartame, no artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors, and is low in sodium.  He said that he did not care for the Strawberry Kiwi too much.  But that the Sparkling Cola was close to Coke flavor than off brand sodas are.  

Also he said he could really feel the energy kick in that he was NOT getting from his previous energy drinks.  That even though he was sweating at work it seemed that it also increased.  He did make sure he had plenty of water to drink too!  At the end of the week he had lost 1.5 lbs.  Now I know that is not a lot.  But he had not lost any before with his heavy work load.  So that is a bit.  He he keeps it up he can easy drop 6 lbs in a month and that is a healthy weight loss.  

I want to thank Celsius for sending me 6 cans to try.  We can not find them locally so instead we are going to buy online.  We can get the powder mix for him to put in his water.  It is 19.95 + 7.95 shipping and handling.  But it does 30 drinks. That would be only .93 cents a drink compared to the $2.00+ for a regular energy drink.  So a good savings in the long run there.  And we do not have to worry about the cans that need to be recycled that way either.  Scoop some into his water jug and go!  Easy as pie.

Dear Hubby HiJacks Crazed Mind

I insist that my lovely wife stay in bed and rest her knee.  She is doing much better but will be house/pet sitting again this week.  And I know she pushes it when I am not watching.  So today I am hijacking her blog and doing the post/review for her.  Hope you can bear with me.  By the way....if I like this I may be here more often!

Dear Hubby's review of Probiotics for Dummies by Dr. Shekhar K. Challa, Board Certified Gastroenterologist

This was my first experience with dummies books and was really surprised.  It was in a format that I did not have to read the whole book but it was so interesting I read the whole thing anyway.  Learned quite a bit.  Educational and interesting both at the same time.  Not only did I learn that Probiotics was helpful for my immune system but also for Crazed Mind's R.A.

The goal when I was reading was to learn how Probiotics could help us as we are entering our Golden Years.  Found out as we age we lose bacteria in our digestive system.  Probiotics can help replenish those so that we will not be so apt to have some of the diseases that seniors face.  Our immune system deteriates as we age.  There are supplements that are available over the counter.

By the way, Probiotic is a good bacteria.  It is needed to help maintain good health.  You ladies may want to know that Probiotics also help with yeast infections and UTI's.  Hey, a guy trys to keep his lady healthy.  Cheeses, yogurts, sauerkraut are a few of the foods that can help you gain the Probiotics that you need.  I know that Crazed Mind is pushing a yogurt a day at me now.   It is the fermention that helps create the good bacteria.   I especially like that there were recipes that Crazed Mind could make here at home.

This is the one that I want her to try first.  Well at least to make for me.  It sounds perfect.  The Grilled Gruyere Sandwich with Sauerkraut.  Now that is something I could really sink my teeth into!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Sauerkraut on Rye

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Sauerkraut on Rye Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices dark rye bread
• Several thin slices of aged, Gruyere Swiss cheese
• 1/3 cup drained and heated sauerkraut
• 2 teaspoons of butter

METHOD

1 Heat a frying pan to medium high heat. For each slice of bread, butter one side and place slice butter side down on the hot pan.

2 Add a layer of cheese to one of the slices. As the bread begins to toast just slightly, and the cheese begins to soften, spread the heated sauerkraut over the slice of bread with cheese. Using a spatula, flip the cheese-less bread slice over on top of the slice with cheese and sauerkraut.

3 After 30 sec or so, check to see if the cheese is just beginning to melt. If it is, flip the whole sandwich over onto the other side. Toast a minute more or less on that side until the cheese has melted, but isn't runny. Remove the sandwich from the pan. Slice in half.

Serves one.

Just Changing Our Perspective & Giveaway

Y'all know I live with Granny M, my 77 year old mom.  And currently Our Gentleman who is 66 and fighting throat cancer lives here too.  Then we have Dear Hubbys mother who has been in and out of the hospital quite a bit in her 81st year of life.  Well, when you have the last generation in life living with you, you also talk about the next step in life.  Death.

Yes, most everyone shields away from that thought.  But hey, it is going to happen.  Have you met anyone who has cheated death for good?  No I don't think so.  I know that sitting with my own father when he was fighting to die was a heart breaking event.  But it was also one of release of pain that brought peace to me too.

Image by UK Pictures via FlickrSo what is it that does just that.  What brings a person peace in knowing they are going to die.  Or how can a family deal with that certainty with both love and a inner calmness?  For most it is a belief.  That they are going on the next journey of life.  One that they take from their soul instead of the body.  There are different beliefs and different ways of dealing with it.

Neil Hanson shares the truths that came to him in 'Peace at the Edge of Uncertainty' (his first book) when his own father passed.  I am glad that a few years have passed since my dad left but this book was one to touch that well of indecision that I had at first.  It was so soul wrenching hard to "wake" my father from a drug induced coma (to keep him out of pain) only to tell him that he was going to pass instead of get better.  He went into that coma willingly thinking that a surgery was going to help him.  We only found out afterwards that no surgery would happen due to the acceleration of his disease.  And that to be in any kind of waking form he would be in unbearable pain.  Holding his hand as Dear Hubby explained the results to my father, we faced a swirl of emotions and quick acceptance from him.  Not so much as he had already known this, but more so of if it was going to happen then let's go ahead and start that journey.  My Dad looked at life that way, straight forward, shoulders back and ready to take what was coming with grace.  So why would I not think he would take death the same way.

Neil tells in his book, "As the crush of grief washed out of me and the sense of detachment grew, I began to feel incredibly light and bright.  The dance that I had just experienced had left behind a brightness to the world, and the Soul within me continued to sing with the angels that I could still hear in the distance."  That section alone said what I had felt at the time of Dad's passing.  The fight with life was over finally.  The gasp for breath that wracked his body in pain, released.  And in that moment of deep sadness of loss I also experienced a wonderful peace.  Like I was cleansed from the inside from tears and all that was left was the shining love that I had for my Dad.

I do not think anyone wants to make those last decisions for their loved ones.  But they have to be made.  Weather if it be in early discussion of our desires.  We have a few of these very discussion with our parents as well as with our children for ourselves.  Or in a sudden fight of death, that we have to make quick ones for those we love.  Still they have to be faced.  What takes us through that process and still leaves us a peace.  The general belief is just that a belief.  In a better place like heaven.  Many feel that the energy of the soul will be sent back into the spirit of the world.  Some think that it is just over, finished.  But I do not know anyone who does not have so sort of belief.  We all fight over who is right and who is wrong.  That does not help.  Instead it is important to honor the soul within us.  The energy that creates our own lives.  That 'knowing' of what we feel at peace with is right.

In a world of highly effective medicine and life-support, Neils family faced the difficult and wrenching questions our culture must face:

• When does life begin and end? 
• What are the complexions of distinction between bare and primitive "life" on the one hand, and "human-ness" on the other hand? 
• Where and when and how do we "play God" with our decisions to withhold feeding tubes and respirators? 
• How do we face these questions, and work our way to effective answers?

My own father professed not to have a belief in a greater 'God'.  But at the very end of his life he did decide to find a peace for himself and made a commitment in his soul.  It may seem light but Dear Hubby and I tease about the many lil ol ladies in church.  "Studying for the finals" is a statement often said.  College Girl combines her own beliefs of Christian thought and a base of Wicca.  And my dear girlfriend at the end of her boyfriends life, stopped crying for him, stood up and said well he is no longer.  I have grieved over his life.  Now is time to live so let's go get ice cream.  What your spirit guides you to feel is very personal.  But it is in that feeling we all unite.

How our view changes when we do not see the familar.  

The world is set off center or we awake to the beauty that has surrounded us all along.

Just changing our perspective.

What a way to learn what we know anew.

--Lenore Webb

Thanks to Neil Hanson and Tribute Books for sharing 'Peace at the Edge of Uncertainty' with me.  I believe that had I read this before my father's passing I would have had a lil relief from the fear I experienced.  This is certainly a book that will help start conversations with your family.  And hopefully bring some answers at to what is believed and desired.  As always no pay, just a book that helped south my soul.

Yes!  Neil is giving a paperback to the first to comment on your post and a free ebook to all who comment on your post.

Following please find the info:

PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY (U.S. only)
1 copy of the paperback version of the book to the FIRST person who leaves a comment on a blog along with an email address.

EBOOK GIVEAWAY (International)
Copy of the ebook version of the book (in choice of format) to EVERY person who leaves a comment on any blog review along with an email address during the month of September 2011.

GIVEAWAY ENTRY REQUIREMENT
All entrants will automatically be subscribed to Neil Hanson's email newsletter. Contact information is NEVER shared, and subscribers can unsubscribe at any time.

Trip of a Lifetime

I have to finally try to share the wonderful trip I had this last weekend. I know I have hinted a lil and such. Well we all know that pictures speak louder than words do any day. I will try my best to show you the amazing time I had.

First I want to let you know that this would have never happened without the amazing invite from Shaklee Corporation. They were adoring host to 10 bloggers for a beautiful spa weekend. And of everything that happened the very best part was the way I was treated. Not the have to be nice to you. But the genuine respect given to me that I have only received from my closest family and friends.

So, I flew out of Dallas, Texas to San Francisco, California.  The first neat part was since another blogger and myself had early flights we were treated to a sight seeing tour of San Francisco.  

Granny M said I had to see China Town, so of course, I did.  You know we never tell her NO!  The color explosion was perfect for my out going personality.  I loved it!

Being the massive bread eater that I am, it was very dangerous when our driver dropped us off at Boudin Bakery for a quick bite to eat.  I resisted and resisted and finally had a cookie.  Yes, just a cookie.  Yeah me!

Thankfully I had not eaten.  That helped me not get queasy when we went down the crookedest street in the world.  Turn after turn after turn after.....whew!  Well after that it was on to Shaklee headquarters and lunch.  I have to tell you so much there....that I think it will be a story unto it self.  Will say three things though.

• 9 Strong Amazing Women Bloggers.
• A company that believes and follows through on commitment to the earth and all of it's creatures.
• Support staff that truly believe in helping each other.

We arrived at Solage Calistoga Spa that evening for dinner and to check in.  Oh my, we all need to move to a spa to live.  Beautiful is not the beginning of the description.  This was just the view from my private room.   Rooms that made you breath in relaxation.  Spa treatments (I had the mud bath!), wonderful meals and the most lush grounds ever.  Also I have to say there were good looking men everywhere.  Oh so easy on the eyes.  And if you paused at mud bath, dear heart, this was not a wallow around in the slop....it was a velvety smooth mud made from volcanic ash, natural spring waters and essential oils.  Better than the best lotions for your skin.  Top it off with a long soak in the tub and a musical massage.  Your body is humming contentment afterwards.

There were tons of amazing people we met.  Learned more in two days about blogging than I thought I could ever take in.  And was wined and dined til I felt like royalty.  A trip to Hall Winery was more than I ever bargained for.  Artwork all over the place.  I took tons of photos there.  Especially loved the sculpture of the two enjoying a glass of wine together.

This hall here with barrels of wine in the making leads to the tasting room deep into the wine cave.  Lined with nooks to show off some their art collection and built with ancient Austrian bricks.  I just expected a monk to come down the hall in his brown robes.

And then we tasted nectar of the gods.  Drops of love, poured into crystal and then touching our lips.  A religious experience to say the least.

Finally the grand finale.  Dinner at the Bottega restaurant ran by Chef Michael Chiarello.  You may have watched him on Top Chef Masters, the Food Network’s Easy Entertaining, Fine Living, and PBS.  Our meal consisted of some of the following.

• Insalata del Bosco Organic greens, balsamic vinaigrette, sliced pear, candied hazelnuts, Pecorino
• Organic Prosciutto "house cured," pasta fritta
• Crispy Potato Gnocchi, baby vegetables, English pea-meyer lemon fonduta, & 11 month Valley Ford Montasio
• Pan roasted halibut alla Barcaiola with creamy soft polenta & heirloom tomatoes
• Olive oil carrot torta, carrot golden raisin salad, mascarpone crema

To die for food. And you may think this is silly but the creamy soft polenta will beat the best Southern Mashed Tators anyone has ever made.  I am still smacking my lips.

An amazing once in a life time trip in my opinion.  Opportunity to have experiences that leave my head reeling once I figured out how unattainable the products were that went into the making of this experience.  Thankful beyond words.

Oh, and not to leave out, my very favorite token from the whole weekend, my Cloudscape tumbler.  Thank you Roger.  I treasure the thought behind this gift.  It is greatly appreciated.

To Sleep or Not to Sleep

Image by bornazombie via FlickrOkay, I am going to decide that sleep is just over rated. Who is with me on this one? I am tired of trying to get good sleep dang it.  Decided it would be best to bite the bullet and take my sleep meds every night.  This way I would rest well.  And that would proceed to better days with less depression.  NO!

I took my meds last night.  Then had nightmare after nightmare all night long.  Screaming and crying in my sleep.  And unable to really wake up.  It was horrid.  From arguments with my mother, to my husband being in the hospital, to looking for Princess Emma who was lost and ending up with my father shooting himself.  My throat is sore, my eyes puffy, I am physically exhausted and emotionally strained. 

So what is the answer?  I am up for suggestions at this point.  HELP ME!

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Assume the Fetal Position

Image via WikipediaIt is not yet 3 a.m. and yes I am awake. Not the oh my I need to go to bed still awake. No the, been there done that awake.  It is quiet in my house if you not near Dear Hubby and his lil bit of snoring.  But worse near me with the sniff sniff sniff that is happening now.  And swallowing is quickly becoming quite impossible.  Oh how I hate a warm weather cold.  It seems they just hurt more.  You can talk to me now but I may not hear you too well.  My ears are clogging up.  I am sure by the end of the day (my last with the Grandbabes visit) I will not care who talks to me.  Instead will be curled up in the fetal position moaning out my pain.  Yes, I am a big baby when I am sick.

This is how College Girl felt a week ago during the production of their last play.  She tried so to stay away from all the other theater students so not to infect them.  But there were others who were protecting their voices as they had singing roles and were fighting laryngitis.  You know when you start getting a large group together that illness spreads like wildfire.  The hand sanitizer was being passed all around there.  I know I sent College Girl with Nozin to try and help her keep things a lil better. 

Have you heard about that one?  Nozin?  It is a new anti bacterial cleaner for you nose.  Just a lil vile with a cotton tip, pop it open and squeeze then wipe the inside of you nose with it.  Swipe and swipe.  Easy...you just kept 99% of the most common respiratory diseases from attacking you.  It last 8 hours and stops those germs from entering your body through your nose.  College Girl was using this and hand sanitizers to keep from getting worse or spreading what she had.  She even took it with her on spring break at the Twilight Convention in Nashville.  Thought that was smart thinking with those large groups in tight rooms for conferences. 

In the meantime back here at the house I will hang out.  Gargle to sooth my throat.  Blow my nose.  Wash my hands over and over again.  Use sanitizer on everyone and everything.  And pray that this warm weather cold does not settle in for the long haul.   YUCK!

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Healthy Me, Healthy You Giveaway

I have had it with everyone being sick this winter.  Running from one doctor visit to another.  Loosing months of work.  The horror of not knowing what is going to happen next.  It has been just too much.  So I am taking control of my family and their health.  We have already started with some little things that can make big changes.  Grandma M is in Cardiac Rehab right now.  Dear Hubby is getting out of his walking boot this week and has promised to walk with me every night.  I am back at Curves working out at least 3 times a week.  We jump, run, jive and twist on the Wii in so many different forms and fashions.  I am working on changing to a heart smart diet as I purchase new food each time.  But I think there are more things I can do.

I like 'working' from home so to speak.  And believe in the old country wife who could make up those remedies that later science proved worked.  So now I am finding some of my own with "Home Remedies from a Country Doctor".  This has over 200 solutions for those common illnesses.  We all know that they are putting capsaican into creams to help with aches and pains.  Well that came from a lil known remedy of putting hot pepper into a homemade cream.  And Dear Hubby has been belching so much we are thinking he has been eating zombies for lunch.  But now I am putting a bit of candied ginger in his lunch box.  He is chewing it and not only has sweeter breath but no bad gas either.  Even my friends mom told us to cure pain from arthritis by eating 9 gin soaked golden raisins a day.  She swore it helped her and I know she could really get moving around the house.  So I don't see why I should not also take some tips from the ladies and gents before me.  There is a reason those at home remedies are passed around...they work!

Another thing is I am going to start paying attention to those people who never get sick.  And I am one of them.  Rarely do I come down with the common cold lil on the flu or worse.  I know there are things I am very picky about.  What foods I eat and getting to bed early help me, that I know.  Making sure that foods are not out of date or blinky as my Dear Hubby will say.  I do not like, want or even want to be around someone with food poisoning from eating something that seemed to be okay.  Also there is daily exercise, stretching, yoga, strength training...and you can do it in many ways.  I have told you that hanging clothes instead of using a dryer is not only saving electric but gives you time to stretch from your toes to your head.  Gene Stone wrote "The Secrets of People who Never Get Sick" and I have found that there is a large majority of things that I do like these 25 people tell of their lifestyles.  Of course there is more I can do.  Mostly I want to figure out how to help my family change their ways and become healthier.  You know that old adage of you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. 

The worst issue I have is not getting enough sleep.  I toss and turn and turn and toss til I finally give up and get out of bed.  Some times I get 6 to 7 hours of sleep.  Others I am doing good to get 4 hours.  But I hate taking meds to make me conk out.  So instead I am practicing on how to Master Your Sleep.  There are some of the things I can do easily like no exercise 2 hours before bed and to wind down and read before bedtime.  That is the easy part.  But no caffeine 6 hours before bed is really hard for me.  Since I lay down around 9 pm most evenings that means I have to stop coffee or cokes by 3 pm.  GOSH!  I know that water, milk and juice are great for me but I will say I do love my caffeine.  If I prepare for bed at 9 pm and lay down by 9:30 then sleep normally hits at 10 p.m.  So if I wake at 6 a.m. (which is a great time for me) then I will have 8 hours of sleep.  Perfect.  But I need to also learn how to rest when I sleep.  The tossing and turning and bad dreams and such really does beat up a body.  I do use medications some times.  But I want to learn how to rest on my own if possible.  So I now am looking at what my bedtime practices are.  Am I helping to tell my body it is time to rest and relax, not to just crash.  Tracey Marks has many tried and true ways to help you find the rest cycle you need.  Just stop in and read her book to find out.

But my favorite way of helping take care of my family is by introducing a new Chicken Soup for the Soul book to them.  Perfect for a new year is Shaping the New You.  Here I can find many ways to encourage my family to work on their diet, fitness and that happy balance with in.  It never fails to bring a smile to my face when I am paging through a Chicken Soup for the Soul book.  And that is the same here.  I am meeting folks who have changed their diet and exercise after a heat bypass like my mom.  Others who picked up on moving more with walking and finding ways to lengthen the steps they take as I want to do with Dear Hubby.  Here so many share the ways they have found the balance in their life to be healthy mind, body and soul.  So let's help make that so for you too.  Yes, you got it.....I have 3 Chicken Soup for the Soul: Shaping the New You books to share.  It is easy to win.  Just do the following.

1.  Tell me a way you are helping your family to stay healthy.  That is the first thing you have to do to enter.  Make sure I have an email to reach you too!

2.  Want an extra entry?  Follow me on GFC.  If you do....then tell you you do.  Gosh that was easy.

3.  More ways?  Ok follow me on any of the following and tell me how you do it. 
Twitter--@CrazedMind  Leave me a tweet when you follow or telling me your following
Face Book--Lenore Keough Webb friend me, let me know your coming from Crazed Mind!
I will pick 3 winners on 2-15-2011.  Make sure there are emails in your comments!

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copies of these books to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided.

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Here Kitty Kitty Kitty!

Hello everyone.  We are finally home.  Oh what a long two weeks this has been.  But Granny M is doing well but has a lot of work to do still.  I know she can do it, but at this time she is not too sure of it.  She has had to quit smoking.  After 50 years that is a really hard habit to break.  Also she had to come home on oxygen.  That makes her feel old old old.  I know that it is a step but just that a step.  It may be something she has to have for now on or just for the time being.  We do not know about that just yet.  In a couple of weeks she will be doing cardiac rehab too.  That will be a challenge for a lady who has not exercised for many many years.  I know she can do all of this but she is worried.  So continue prayers of personal strength and healing for my mom please.  Your prayer support has been a God send and I do appreciate all that so many of my friends and followers have done to help out.  It is amazing to experience. 

In the mean time College Girl was taking care of the home front for us.  And in doing so she wanted to share the following with every one.  So please read on and know I have an amazing 23 year old girl who has taken the job of a house on her shoulders for two weeks.  She did great! You can visit College Girl's blog here.   Okay, College Girl, the blog post is all of yours now.

Rain and cold weather go hand in hand, especially because they make our pets go crazy. When it's cold out, the cats can't decide whether they want to go in or out and every time the dogs come in from outside, they're hyped up and full of energy. When it's raining, everyone goes stir crazy from being cooped up inside. Since Texas winters don't see much in the way of snow, we tend to get a lot of rain. Thankfully, we now have TunaTreats to help keep the kitties calm.

TunaTreats are dried flakes of 100% pure bonito fish. The first time the container was opened, the cats went wild. The pieces, thinner than paper and light enough to blow away if you're not careful, came out of the container in manageable clumps. Next thing I knew, five cats were swarming me, looking up and meowing, trying to climb my chair. I had a captive audience! What I didn't expect was the moment the dogs joined in.

TunaTreats are completely healthy and a good "anytime" treat. Our kitties get a good-sized pinch of their new favorite TunaTreats a couple of times each day. With this, they stay nice and calm as they munch. They've also learned to eat all their TunaTreats - our dogs are just waiting for a cat to leave a little bit behind!

We wish to thank Citi Kitty for sending us this wonderful treat.  The cats would follow them on twitter and facebook if they knew how to use this computer.  But since they can't, we will let you do it instead.

Eat, Drink & Be Merry

Good morning folks. Gosh it is so good to have Dear Hubby back home. Healthy and on the mend. You should see him, his color is good and he can breath again. Makes me smile so much. So I thought today I would share with you so many ways to help take good care of yourself.  I have quite a line up of goodies that are able to help out in so many ways.  I hope you find something here you like.  I know we did.

So let's get started.  First I will tell you (and you already know it) we have to hydrate.  Water is the most important drink we can consume.  And there are tons of them on the market now.  Gosh, if you had told me as a kid that we would pay for water I would have said you was nuts.  I mean buy a soda, sure!  Buy bottled water, NO WAY!  But we do.  I can understand why even.  Have you ever tasted the water where I live?  Unlimited lake water and sure taste just like it.  YUCK!  But I do not need the extras either.  I mean flavor yes, sugar no, caffeine no.  I love the taste of HINT water.  You can get it at Starbucks around here.  They have great fruit flavors with my favorite being Strawberry Kiwi.  It is funny because right now that is the Yogi bottle.  You know, Yogi and Boo-Boo!  Loved that cartoon when I was young.  There is a new 3 D movie coming out for Yogi on December 13th and you can win free tickets from HINT.  Just go to www.drinkhint.com/yogi.

Speaking of no added caffeine there is a new energy drink on the horizon too.  College Girl loves it chilled and has been carrying it to campus with her.  MODJO 4LIFE is made with natural flavors and organic cane juice.  It also has Resveratrol in it which comes from the skin of red grapes....good for your heart folks.  Add in the antioxidants, electrolytes and vitamins and you have a winning combination.  CG says the flavor is great and she seems to be thriving on it during this busy season of plays, class work and projects she is currently working on.  There is also a Modjo Life Natural Energy shot that is caffeine free.  CG says it works but does not care for the heavy taste.  Of course she is not a energy shot kinda girl.  She thought it would have been better if she had it chilled too.

I was happy to have some snacks while I was waiting in the hospital for Dear Hubby.  I felt worried and drained.   I did not have much of an appetite but knew I needed to keep up my energy too.  Thankfully I had some of the bars from Wings of Nature.  They are organic health bars that are not heated when being made.  So none of the ingredients loose their raw potential.  I also love that they were gluten free, cholesterol free, no trans fats, vegetarian and low in sodium.  Gosh, I did wonder if they were so "free" of  things how would they taste?  But I do have to say I loved two of them very much.  Of course if you know me you would know that the Espresso Coffee Bar had my name all over it.  Great flavor and a true feeling of indulgence when I ate it.  My other fav was the Cranberry Crunch Bar.  I love cranberries and we all know this is the season for them.  I was not as thrilled with the Almond Raisin Bar even though I love almonds and raisins.  But the lil sesame seeds where not to my taste.

One more thing that I really loved using while I was away from home.  It is the Bryton Pick.  This is a great lil jewel.  It is a way to floss your teeth but not have all that string to carry with you.  This took up the same amount of space as my debit card does in my wallet.  But I can pull it out and floss (I did go to the bathroom to do it!) after my meals and snacks.  I was not having to feel bad about not being able to take care of my teeth while I was away from home.  And since it is my own lil pick, I just rinse it, dry it and store it for reuse.  Great idea!

So what have you found lately that seems to be a go to for replenishing your thirst or hunger?  I keep trying to find different things that I will enjoy to take away my guilty pleasures of candy and sodas.  I am not horrid on them but I do enjoy them very much.  I will say that with this season of parties, meals and get togethers we are having to find the good things to fill our bodies with.

All of these products were sent to me to review.  No financial compensation was given.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Pink Is Strength Giveaway

Image via WikipediaOctober is now know for the Pinkness of it. We all are ready to go out and help the good fight against breast cancer. Thank goodness for the Susan G.Korman foundation.  We now know how important it is to protect our Ta-Ta's and to also get out there and raise money and awareness for other women.  One of my dear friends is battling her second bout of cancer.  Succeeding years ago and now back in for the fight again.  Another dear friend also fought, WON and has a new set of her own even.  Good job girlfriend.

I have seen all kinds of things now in pink.  And I love it.  As you know PINK is my signature color.  I love the pink bras, clothes, jewelry, cars and even food.  I even had a pink coffee.  The other day I noticed the guys on the NFL games where wearing pink gloves and shoes.  Many companies are on the band wagon too.  Like I am collecting Yoplait Pink Lids to raise money.  And walking to raise money.  But one of the biggest companies helping out has been with the walk of the  Avon Breast Cancer Crusade is OtterBox.  This year they have the pink BlackBerry® Curve™ cases to help that project.  OtterBox has the "Strength" cases to help represent the Strength motto.  Strength is the courage to persevere, the power to fight and  the determination to endure.  OtterBox just made their second quarter donation to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade and have now given a total of $88,381.50 from the sale of the "Strength" cases.  Amazing and wonderful work to be supported by all possible.

I am so lucky to be able to offer the OtterBox Commuter Series® “Strength” case for the BlackBerry® Curve™ 8500 series and Curve 3G, as well as a “Strength” case for the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700 to two of my lucky readers.  Normally ten percent of the purchase price from the sale of these cases is donated back to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade.  All you have to do is leave a comment about your ways of helping with this crusade.  That is an entry.  Make sure I have two things.  Your email and the Strength case you desire to win since there are two different ones.  You can get extra entries if you become a fan on facebook or twitter with OtterBox.    Leave me a comment for each you join. Thanks to OtterBox for providing both of these cases to be given to my readers.  I did not receive any kind of compensation for this post other than the two giveaway cases for my readers.

Be an OtterBox fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OtterBox

Follow OtterBox on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/OtterBox

Help Balancing Work and Sleep

You are aware how much Dear Hubby works.  At an almost never home pace between the two jobs.  I am sure you may wonder if we ever see each other.  Well we do.  When he is getting ready in the morning, changing in the late afternoon and crawling into bed in the evening.  Yes, it can be that bad for weeks at a time.

So how does he keep going?  Some days I am unsure.  He drinks lots of water to keep hydrated.  He knows he has to do this to support his children too.  But he has to have some help.  You know those lil energy shots?  Yeah those....the ones that promise 5 hours of get up and go without the crash?  Well eventually you always crash.  But, we have found a better alternative to them.  Instead of massive amounts of caffeine and sugar there is a healthy alternative.   Honestly....and they work too. 

We tried Wheatgrass BOOST first.  This last week Dear Hubby had to be at job #1 early so that was waking up an hour earlier than normal.  So he hit the alarm clock at 5 a.m. and I help drag him out of bed.  Shower, shave and his various assundries while he was getting dressed.  Then out the door.  He had to do a store order and bank run at lunch time so there was not rest for the weary there.  But he did eat lunch on the run.  After job #1 he dashed home.  Took time to drink down his Wheatgrass BOOST and then jumped into the shower.  Changed into uniform for job #2 and dashed back out the door.   I popped up to the job site with dinner for him so he is still getting his nutrition.  But sad to say it was 12:30 a.m. before he could drag him self home.  What was different?  Well, he told me he had energy to get through a full shift of job 2.  And so far had not experienced a crash like before.  Great! 

We went another couple of days with the back and forth til he ended up with the I am tired but too tired to sleep.  You have been there haven't you?  Where you have gone so much that you have hit your second, third and fourth wind already.  That is not good when you have only so many hours to sleep.  Thankfully there was at least 8 hours for him to rest this time.  But he had to get in bed and go to sleep.  It did not look like that was going to happen at all.  This time we tried the all natural Peaceful Sleep shot.  Yep, one to go and one to stop.  He was not too sure this would work, but guess what.  I was laughing because in 15 minutes he was sound out.  And he did sleep all night.  The next morning I was ready for the sleep hangover.  But no!  He woke, stretched and was happy to have had one of the best nights he could remember in a very long time.  Wow!

I am now looking at our local health food stores for these two products.  I know I can order them online.  Just trying to see if we can get them any easier.  I promise he will not be doing those other energy shots anymore.  And I hope he gets a good nights sleep at least once a week.  I am going to say a great big thank you to AgroLabs for sending me the two samples.  Wonder if they want to send a case next time?  Ha Ha!

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An Important Notice

I am posting a letter I received. This is from a man and his wife that I feel have good hearts and wish to really make a difference. Please take the time to read the following. And more so PLEASE vote this program that make a difference. You just take a moment and can get your own reward for doing so.

Now let me have you hear from Phil,

"As I'm sure you are aware, childhood obesity is a huge problem in this country. And now with the economic conditions, can you believe Physical Education is being cut in schools across the country.

Did you know that because of the childhood obesity epidemic, it is
predicted that today's children will be the first generation with a shorter lifespan than their parents?

Not only is reduced physical activity affecting children's health, but it also affects their learning ability. They just don't learn well unless they are getting exercise. The body and the brain work together.

Teachers are telling me that when the kids don't get the physical release of energy from exercise, they struggle at learning. There's a lot of scientific evidence to back this.

However, some teachers have experimented with our fitness app, Break Pal,in the classroom. We've offered it to them at no charge to see how it worked out in the classroom.

They are reporting significant success. They simply project the exercises on the overhead projector and take a few breaks during classroom time for the micro-workouts.

A teacher in Texas who teaches a special ed class has especially seen great results with this. The kids are much more focused if they get in exercise during their studies. They get through their studies faster with the increased focus levels.

We also have a few test cases starting in classrooms in the Bay Area. The teachers are very excited about it and feel it can really help their students not only get in better physical shape (As you know childhood obesity is rampant) but also to help them learn by keeping them more focuses.

Obviously it works. But it's hard to get the word out.

Right now we are a finalist in First Lady Michelle Obama's "apps for healthy kids" contest. This contest has been highly publicized and is being promoted by the White House and the USDA.

If we win, the First Lady will help us spread Break Pal to classrooms across the country. We can literally helps millions of children and people who work at desks.

Our application is the only one to integrate exercise into the day and also teach about nutrition.

Unfortunately we are a very small organization. Just my wife and Myself. We bootstrapped the entire project and built the app without outside funding.

We are competing against huge national corporations and unfortunately they are using their marketing power to garner votes for their apps and are leaving us in the dust. Some of them have PR firms working for them to get votes and I'm sure many ask their hundreds of employees to vote.

This is Where You Come In

I think that maybe bloggers and their followers can compete against these PR firms. It's worth a shot. Who better is there?

So I've decided to do something drastic.

I'm going to give out a premium version to anyone who votes for our app. They just have to contact me and tell me they voted and I'll give them a premium account. No catch. A free premium account and a thank you for voting.

It takes less than 90 seconds to vote.

What do you think? Would you vote for us? Would you be willing to spread the word? Maybe post it on your blog. It wouldn't take a full review or anything (unless you felt like it). Just a post saying we're giving away as many free memberships as people will vote for us.

As a blogger I'm sure you know all about contests and how great it is to win one. Getting into this contest has been the biggest thing that's happened to us and we really hope it can launch our program. This will bring it nationwide exposure.

If your interested here's some information:

Easy voting instructions (this will take less than 90 seconds):

1) The fastest way to vote is to go directly to the registration page first.

https://www.appsforhealthykids.com/register

2) You'll then need to confirm your email address (don't worry they won't spam you)

3) Go directly to our app and click vote
http://www.appsforhealthykids.com/application-gallery/break-pal

4) Bonus - Share on facebook and twitter.


That's it!!!

We've produced a video on the subject with the help of our local Public access Television station. If you've got time there's some great information here.
http://www.breakpal.com/blog/help-end-childhood-obesity

Thank You, we really appreciate your support


Phil Weaver
www.breakpal.com

She is Such a Smart Mouth

My College Girl has a Smart Mouth! Really she does. And I am so so so so glad.

Now why would I like that? Well you see dear loving sweet adorable Collage Girl suffers horrible from halitosis. Dragon Breath does not even start to tell you about it. And we have tried everything. Brushing her teeth three times a day. Flossing. Mouth washes. Tongue scrapping. You name it we have been there. Well now we have a solution. Smart Mouth.....told she has one. Well here let me have College Girl tell you about it.

I always like it when mom requests review items just for me. There was no exception to that rule when she ordered the Smart Mouth 12 hour breath freshener system. It comes in two flavors: cinnamon and fresh mint and I got the mint. It comes in two pump style bottles with a little measuring cup. Four pumps from each bottle, swish and gargle twice a day to prevent bad breath during the day and morning breath when you first wake up. It adds up to about a tablespoon worth of liquid, if I remember the measurements from the side of the cup right. Super easy to use, I've just added the Smart Mouth system to my morning and evening bathroom routines. After using it, my mouth felt really fresh and clean, which was nice. We also noticed a marked difference when I didn't use it one day. The taste was great, not too strong, with just a little hint of wintergreen, which I love. The blend of mint was nice since pure peppermint is sometimes too strong for me. I think it would be cool to try the cinnamon flavor too. I'd recommend Smart Mouth 12 hour breath freshener system to everyone; it's a great tasting product that works!


You can also get a $2.00 off coupon at smartmouth.com. This is available at most of your drug stores now. I tell you we highly recommend it now!

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary product to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided.