Flu, Flu, What Do You Do?

It is that time of year again. Everywhere you turn you hear about the dangers of the flu season. There are debates all over the internet about whether to get the flu vaccine or not. And that isn't even considering all of the H1N1 debate.

Personally, we don't do flu shots. I had Influenza Type A when I was first pregnant with Libby and while it was the sickest I have ever been, it is very likely that had I had a shot, I would have gotten sick anyway. Instead, I choose to use natural remedies and good old preventative measures to keep us healthy.


I have long been a believer in and user of homeopathic remedies. I feel that it is a safe alternative and a great way to keep my family healthy. I use Chamomile for teething, Calms Forte for my anxious kiddos, Pulsatilla to turn a stubborn breech baby, Arnica for bruises and sore muscles...the list goes on and on.

Boiron was kind enough to send me three remedies to get ready for this cold and flu season.

Cold Calm Pellets - for treating the symptoms of the common cold

Children's Chestal - for those nasty coughs

Children’s Oscillococcinum - for flu symptoms including the fever, aches and pains that come with it.

Luckily my children are mostly healthy right now (except for the SUPER teething that one is going through), but I feel so much better knowing now that I have this at my disposal.

I think that medicine is great when you need it. I am also so glad that I have the option to treat my family in a more natural and less invasive way.

What about you? What do you do? Are you a hard core flu vaccine getter, or take more of a wait and see approach?

Remember, be kind and respect everyone's opinions, even if they are not similar to your own.

Holy Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

Do your kids love to dress up? Mine do. Over on Grosgrain, she makes some fantastic costumes and outfits. I can not pass up this one. She is giving away this hand made Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Set! Amazing!!! Go check it out!!!

Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

Sabra Hummus WINNER!

Wow, so many great entries. I wish I could give each of you some delicious hummus!!! The winner is....

Number 34!

ZDub, my darling friend Zakary (who I had the pleasure of meeting in Chicago at BlogHer and who looks like Kyra Sedgwick but I bet is a lot nicer than Kyra, not that Kyra wouldn't be nice, but Zakary is SO nice) is the WINNER!!!

So my darling, email me your info and I'll pass it along and get you your prize!!!

As for the rest of you, go get some hummus and you will know that you are truly each winners.

xoxo!

Harry Connick Jr. WINNER!!!

Oh how I wish I had a CD for each and every one of you. I loved reading your comments and seeing that I am not the only one with a HUGE crush on Harry!!!!

The lucky winner, according to Random.org is #5!

nicole lindsay said...

i love upbeat music, and music that makes you feel good.

October 8, 2009 8:05 AM

Email me Nicole and I'll get your information to One2One Network for your CD!!!

Everyone else, make sure you check in here often, I am planning some nice big giveaways and reviews!!!!

Once in a Blue Moon Review

I love to read. Obviously, otherwise I wouldn't read as many blogs as I do. I love a good book, the escapism of it all. It is so relaxing for me to get lost in a good book. I have been like this for as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl it was "Sweet Valley Twins" and "The Babysitter's Club". As I grew up I graduated to Stephen King and V.C. Andrews. Into my adulthood I have gone through favorites like Nicholas Sparks, Barbara Kingsolver, Jodi Picoult and Audrey Niffenegger.

Yes, I love to read. I was approached by the One2One Network about a month ago with the opportunity to get a copy of Once in a Blue Moon by Eileen Goudge. Ms. Goudge is the New York City-based author of The Diary, Domestic Affairs, Woman in Red, One Last Dance, Garden of Lies and Thorns of Truth.

I like books with characters I can relate to, a story I can get lost in, and one that sticks with me after I'm done reading it. After reading the excerpt of the book, I was ready to read it.

Sisters Lindsay and Kerrie Ann have known hardship from an early age. Without guidance from their neglectful mother, their only aid came from an unlikely source, a retired exotic dancer by the name of Miss Honi Love. When the girls’ mother was sent to prison, Miss Honi tried unsuccessfully to save them from being separated and sent into foster care.

Thirty years later, Lindsay is still trying to reconnect with her sister. The owner of a bookstore in the sleepy California seaside town of Blue Moon Bay, she was lucky enough to have been adopted by a loving couple. Unbeknownst to her, Kerrie Ann has suffered a very different life. Bounced from one foster home to the next, she ran away as a teenager before becoming a drug-addicted single mother. Now, newly sober, Kerrie Ann is fighting to regain custody of the little girl who was taken from her.

Neither sister’s expectations are met when they’re finally reunited. But as the two sisters engage in the fiercest battles of their lives, they are at last drawn together despite their differences, restoring belief in the unshakable bond of family.

This book was a little difficult for me to get into, but once I did, I was hooked. There were fun twists and turns in the story. Some things were pretty predictable, and all the ends were tied up nicely at the end.

Despite that, I really enjoyed this book and am sure you will too. This book was released on October 6, so it is available in stores everywhere NOW! So...go buy it...TODAY!

Sabra Hummus Review and Giveaway

So, if you read my Prairie Mama blog (and really, I know you do!) you know that I had a FABULOUS party this last Saturday. I invited some of my nearest and dearest to come feast on great food and get away from Mommy duties for a couple of hours.

The great people at Sabra Hummus gave me the kick in the rear end I needed to put this party together. With coupons for 4 containers of Hummus and a $25 MasterCard gift card, it was perfect party fixin's.

I decided to take a trip through the Mediterranean for our feast. First stop was Greece where our lovely hummus and pitas awaited us. I bought the three varieties that my grocery store carried; roasted red pepper, roasted garlic and classic. The favorite by far was the roasted red pepper. All three varieties were so creamy and tasty. One friend commented that she could actually taste the tahini in the hummus. It was as close to homemade as I have ever eaten. The least favorite was the roasted garlic. My sister claimed it was too garlicky. So, there you have it. If you like garlic, that one is for YOU!

As for the rest of the meal...well you'll just have to go read about it over here!

Now, I mentioned before about the great folks at Sabra and the wonderful party pack they gave me. They want to do the same for one of you!!!

I have a party pack with 4 coupons for hummus and a $25 MasterCard gift card for one lucky winner!

To enter this contest you need to leave a separate comment for each:

1. Go to Sabra's website and tell me which flavor looks most enticing.
2. Follow this blog.
3. Subscribe to my feed.
4. Tweet about the contest.
5. Blog about the contest.

This contest will close on Tuesday October 13, at 9 PM Mountain Time.

Good luck!!!

Harry Connick Jr. Review and Giveaway

I have long loved Harry Connick Jr. His voice just makes me melt and, well, he's not too hard to look at either.

When approached by the One2One Network about reviewing Harry's newest CD, Your Songs, I jumped at the chance. Like I said, I LOVE HARRY! His smooth, sultry voice is enough to lift my spirits, and this CD is no different.

This is a cover album, and oh how I love those. Especially when it is Harry covering greats like Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel, Nat King Cole, Elton John and so many others.

Album Tracklisting:

All The Way (Frank Sinatra)
Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
And I Love Her (The Beatles)
(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)
Besame Mucho
The Way You Look Tonight
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
Your Song (Elton John)
Some Enchanted Evening
And I Love You So (Don McLean)
Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)

Harry teamed up with Clive Davis Jr. to create this fabulous album. Harry says, "Although I have wrestled with this for some time, I don't think that anyone's version of a great song, however classic, should preclude my singing it," he insists. "I respect the originals, but believe that there is always room for another interpretation. I take each song in its rawest form, as it appears on the sheet music, and go from there."

Not only is Harry a fabulous entertainer, but he also wrote each of the arrangements of the songs. Davis also suggested that Connick orchestrate the album, rather than turning arranging chores over to someone else. "I was fine with that, and even kind of excited," Connick admits. "To use a film analogy, it would have been like an actor showing up on a movie set, knowing that the director and producer had worried about everything else. But Clive persuaded me to do it myself." It was a wise decision, as Connick displays a unique and subtle manner of balancing the sensitivity of strings and the punch of his big band. "I have never really been able to do that kind of writing throughout an entire record," he acknowledges. "It's a more spacious approach, with the orchestra in service to the singing; and it was a kick to sing over those charts."

My children and I love listening to this album. Libby loves to dance to All The Way with me, and Seth and Amelia love Close To You. As for me, my favorites are when he does big band era songs; All The Way, The Way You Look Tonight, Who Can I Turn To, Smile and Mona Lisa. These songs were written for someone like Harry to sing.

My least favorite songs? Well, that's tough because I really do enjoy the whole album. However I am not a huge fan of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

Not only did I get to review this album, but I get to give one of YOU a copy of your very own to drool over, er I mean enjoy!

To enter this contest leave me a comment telling me what your favorite genre of music is, pretty easy eh?
You want more chances? Well, I can do that!

1. Tell me your favorite genre of music.
2. Follow this blog.
3. Tweet about the contest.
4. Blog about this contest.
5. Friend Harry Connick Jr. on Facebook

There you go my friends, 5 chances to win this amazing album! I will choose a winner one week from today, October 12 at 9 PM MST. So, get your entry in and tell your friends!!

**Be sure to enter my contest to win Cheer Detergent by telling me how you brighten the lives of others!

Cheer Up :: Fight the Dingies!

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Cheer

I am the Mother to 3 small children. Three children who love markers, chalk, food, dirt, crayons, paint, dirt, mud, dirt...you get the idea. My children's clothing goes through so much every day. I have some clothing that I thought were beyond help. You know the clothes, the ones that are so stained you can't give them to the Thrift Store but don't want to dress you child in them either. Yeah, I have a lot of those.

When I was approached by BlogHer Reviews and Cheer to try out the new Cheer Bright and Clean I was very excited. Remember I talked about those clothes that are so beyond help? The ones that are so dingy and dirty that I didn't think the stains would ever come out? Yeah, I was excited to put this to the test.

When my Cheer came in the mail I immediately put it to the test. It is great. The scent isn't overpowering which is good for me and my family. We don't like scented things, and I typically buy free and clear for that very reason. But, the fresh scent was just that, fresh. And those white shirts? Brighter. Seriously. I wouldn't lie to you. The stains, well most of them came out. I used the Cheer Bright and Clean as a pre-treater, and then washed them with it also. I am impressed. I am also sure that the other stains will come out if I use this detergent and a bit of elbow grease.

Cheer Bright and Clean is holding a contest for YOU! They want to know how YOU brighten the lives of others? What do you do? Do you volunteer in your community? Do you help stray kittens and puppies? Do you read to the blind? What do you do to brighten the lives of others?

You have eight opportunities to enter this contest. Go check out the other reviews of Cheer Bright and Clean and enter to win Detergent. Then you can see for yourself how the “dingies” can be fought at your house!

And, as if that wasn't enough, Cheer also has an instant win contest. Go on over here and play to win!

I can't wait to hear how you, my dear readers, brighten the lives of others because I know you brighten my day with every comment and visit. So, leave me a comment and enter this fabulous contest!

Welcome!

Hello there friends!!! I have been given some amazing opportunities for reviews, so I decided to start a review site for all of you! This site will be going through some cosmetic changes over the next few weeks, but please subscribe here for the amazing reviews and giveaways I will be hosting!!!

You ready?? Cause I am!