How not to get sick!

There is so much controversy brewing over the Swine Flu vaccine that I just couldn't resist putting up the link to a very compelling and informative video on Dr. Mercola's website.  Make sure you are getting the full story on all vaccines that you inject into yourself or your child's body before you do.  From there it is your decision, I just want to encourage you all to be informed consumers.

In addition I thought I would post an article that I recently received in my in-box that I think has a lot of valuable tips for how to avoid getting sick during these winter months (wish I would have found it sooner since I am now battling a raging cold!).  Enjoy and I hope it helps:

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MMBS,DRM,DNB (intensivist and thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital, Bombay Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Tata Memorial, etc. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and
Critical Centre, Malad (W).

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and now showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps not fully highlighted in  most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, * clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. * Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). * If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

*Drink as much warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc.) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

And last of all, I just want to throw this little link out there with lots of ideas on how to combat and avoid the flu naturally.  Get your Vitamin D and Elderberry ladies- they could save you this season!

My new little (cheap!) love!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my newest kitchen appliance!  A 2-Quart Crock-pot! 

I have wanted one for quite some time to cook the smaller portions of chicken, pork chops, or steak that I usually fix for our little family.  The other day I was at Wal-Mart and saw this gem on sale for only $10.88!  Very budget conscious, I didn't buy it, but then last night I realized that I was going to be cooking pork chops today that were supposed to be slow-cooked and my resistance failed! 

So, I sent my husband by the store on his way home from work, and guess what?  They had dropped the price to $9.00!!!!  Woohoo!!!  So here is my new little beauty, working away!

"Leaving Carolina" Review

I LOVED this book!  It was exactly the kind of light-hearted, chick-book I needed to read right now!  Such a wonderful distraction from real life!  Following Piper Wick on her trip to the town of Pickwick North Carolina to take care of family business was such a joy!  Piper had just the perfect amount of realness, attitude and honesty to make her very relatable and just so much fun to "tag along with!"  

I especially liked Tamara Leigh's writing style.  Everything was in first-person from Piper's perspective (something I have rarely found in fiction- or at least done well).  I really felt like I was inside her head, hearing her honest and interjecting thoughts.  It reminded me very much of my own thought processes and I think that made the book all that much more intriguing to read.

Here is the publisher's summary:

Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick , North Carolina , twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She’s even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.

Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s.

Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free.

If you are looking for a truly wonderful, fiction read with both whimsy and depth, then I highly recommend Leaving Carolina.  To purchase your own copy you can visit Waterbrook Press.

Want to join in the fun of reviewing books for Waterbrook Press?  Check out their program here!

This book was provided by the publisher for honest review.

Christmas already?

Yes, that time of year is rolling around again and as we begin to embark on these months of holidays I am setting out to create new traditions for our family (as we have faced many big changes in recent months) and keep things focused on what really matters. 

In addition, since finances have been tight I am trying to figure out how to bless my family and those around me with gifts from the heart that don't require much cash.  We'll see how that pans out, since those gifts tend to require good bits of uninterrupted time which I do not currently have!  On any hand, I thought I would post the link to a fabulous blog I recently found- Life in Grace.  Edie is hosting a "12 days of Handmade Christmas" party that has some wonderful little ideas, so hop on over and check it out!



I would also love to hear about some of your unique family traditions!   Things you bake, make, spend your days on or give special meaning to this season and create lifetimes of memories- please share!

A Little Update...

So, in the last month or so my family has experienced a string of bad luck.  Our Jeep has been broken into twice (the second time they stole our new stereo), our debit card number stolen (someone tried to book a trip on Orbitz, on us!), the job my husband was supposed to start has been postponed and possibly given to another carpenter (after it had been promised to us and he passed up other jobs in order to be available), and that is just scratching the surface!  My brother has been in and out of the hospital and I have a number of friends whose family members have been diagnosed with diseases (everything from sepsis in a close friend's newborn to cancer in grandparents). 

We've been incredibly busy in addition to these trials and I just haven't had the time or energy to devote to my blogs, sadly.  As things begin to slow down and we enter into November I am hoping to get caught up and introduce you all to a new blog project I have been working on and am very excited about!  I lvoe and miss you all!

Kiss Me Again Review

Wow- what a powerful book!  Kiss Me Again, Restoring Lost Intimacy in Marriage, by Barbara Wilson helps couples overcome their sexual pasts in order to foster better intimacy, both sexually and relationally, in marriage. 

I personally don't have much in the way of a sexual past apart from my husband, nor a problem being intimate with him, however I have had much to overcome in our relationship.  My husband was previously married which has been a far more difficult history for me to overcome than my own, and although this book does not specifically address this issue, there were many principles that I could directly apply to our circumstance to help bring healing for both of us.  Although, for the most part, I feel that my husband and I are pretty open with each other, the discussion questions in the book gave us a wonderful opportunity to sit down and really talk about where we are in our relationship and how we can grow closer together and to the Lord.

I also found that much of what Barbara Wilson discusses in the book could be applied to nearly any male/female relationship you've had in your past that involved a break-up, whether it was sexual or not, since much of what she talks about is breaking bonds with the people from our pasts to fully invest our hearts in our spouses. 

I found this book to be very insightful and thought provoking- my copy is dog-eared, underlined and worn.  I think that many women and marriages could find healing, perspective and greater intimacy with their spouse by reading this book and participating in the process it offers.

To purchase your own copy you can visit Random House.

If you would like to become a blogger for books with Waterbrook Press you can visit here.

This book was provided by the publisher for review through a program seeking honest reviews.

BOBA!!

So for those of you who haven't heard, on October 1 the makers of Sleepy Wrap released a brand new carrier for kiddos 15-45lbs and 1-4 years old called Boba (stands for Boulder Baby).  The Boba is a soft, structured carrier that can be worn on either front or back and has ingenious foot straps for toddler's feet to rest in, keeping their legs aligned at the proper 90 degree angle for maximum support.

We were generously sent a Boba to review and were so excited to try it since I had recently been looking into getting a more structured carrier.  Although Lion Cub is only 4 months old, he is already 16lbs and has very good head and back control, so carrier tailored more to a bigger child seemed to be becoming necessary if I was going to be able to keep wearing him.

So, what do I think?  Well, I first tried the carrier on with R-Man who is 3 1/2 and about 28 lbs.  I was thinking, "This is probably going to be really uncomfortable!" But I was pleasantly surprised to find that the carrier dispersed his weight across my back and shoulders very evenly, making me think that if I needed to, I really could carry him in the Boba.  Plus he LOVED it!  I believe his exact words were, "This is so cool mom!"

The next test was with Lion Cub!  I have primarily worn him on the front, since at this stage of the game that is the easiest, and I really can say that I like the Boba a lot!  We have worn it just about everywhere- the apple orchard, the store, breastfeeding group- you name it, we use it!  The straps are really well padded and pretty easy to adjust.  The bottom belt offers a generous amount of support to my back, which is especially important to me having scoliosis (it tends to get worse with the more children you lug around!).  The buckles are both very secure and the length of the back support for the child is nice and long to accommodate a long child (which Lion Cub is!).

What don't I like?  Well, sometimes the buckles seem a little too secure- the large, bottom buckle has a double latching system that can be a little tricky to unclasp when it is on your back.  Also, when wearing the baby on the front, the top clasp (that you hook behind your shoulder blades) can be a little hard to reach.  With that said, however, it hasn't detoured me from using it.

In fact, especially as Lion cub gets bigger and older and I am able to wear him on my back more, I am quite sure that Boba will be our go-to carrier!  It is so well designed with both baby and mama in mind that I think it is pretty hard to beat.  It is rare to find a company who puts as much research and development into making an all around wonderful product such as this, and the fact that it is 100% Organic and made in the US is just the icing on the cake!  Oh, and did I mention that it can easily be adjusted for moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas to all get in on the babywearing action?!  Gotta love that!

I can say with confidence that if I were looking into buying a carrier right now, Boba is the one I would get.  I think I would go so far as to challenge families to try it and not like, because once you use it you can't help but fall in love!  And hey, who doesn't like getting stopped in public and complimented on their beautiful carrier (as has happened to me!)?  The Boba just attracts that kind of attention!  :-)

So, have I convinced you?  Want to try one too?  Head on over to BobaCarrier.com and use the code mamakenz for a 10% discount through November 11- you won't regret it!!

Aloha Friday- Oct. 9, 2009

 Here is how this meme is explained over at An Island Life-

"In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!"

So, my question for this week is-

Do you decorate for fall?

Personally, I like to add fall colors to our home and place gourds and cornstalks on our porch, but we don't make jack-o-lanterns because we don't like to celebrate Halloween.

Answer my question, post your own then link up and find more at An Island Life!