To Buy or Not to Buy: Crystal Light Mocktails?

Summer is here ladies and what are you drinking?  So many weight loss articles say watch what you consume as those calories can be plentiful in drinks alone.  It's so easy to suck down a milkshake or tons of soda when you are hot and the sun is beating down on you.  If you are a fan of Crystal Light as I am, you might be pleased to hear that now you have more flavors to enjoy with:

1. Mojito
2. Appletini
3. Margarita

These three new flavors will give you a new reason to love summer but wait....they are new but are limited edition so get yours quick to see if you are hooked.  As with the other flavors, Crystal Light Mocktails are available in multi-serve canisters with two quart packets so invite the girls over and have some fun watching Johnny Depp on TV or just gossiping.

Don't forget that they are just FIVE calories and ZERO carbs per 8 fl. oz. serving!

Check out Crystal Light here, on Twitter and on Facebook.


What's your favorite summertime drink and have you tried new Crystal Light Mocktails yet?




*Disclosure:  I was compensated for my time for sharing this information as part of the Crystal Light campaign hosted by One2One Network.  All opinions are my own.

2009 Year in Review

I'm sitting here watching "1984" and have noticed that it's been playing a lot lately on cable which is ironic as at one time, it was nearly impossible to ever see this movie.  Granted, I've never watched it but heard about it from my father and since 2009 carried forward, more people referenced the movie "1984" and "big brother."  There are many fears we are turning into a country that looks a lot like this movie.  So for my year in review, the change in atmosphere is one of the biggies of the past year.  Time will only tell how it ends up in history but in my little world of history, my year was a good year and deserves a toast:

• My middle daughter's epilepsy finally was controlled and her medication is just right.  She is doing great in school now and is happy and full of life.
• My youngest stayed out of the hospital for a change!  2008 was a bad year that included a near death experience of being on a vent and intubated for two weeks.  Her asthma and allergies are now under control and she's a very active, lively, funny two year old.
• My baby turned 21 over the summer and it's so hard to believe!  She has grown up to be a very warm, caring, loving, responsible adult.  I'm very proud of her.
• My father remained cancer free which was a huge relief to all of us.  He will see his 74th birthday in April while my mom remains healthy at the great age of 69.
• My husband adopted my middle child back in October and words cannot describe the meaning behind this! 
• The Indianapolis Colts almost remained undefeated this season until they threw the game away ... boo!
• I entered the world of blogging and "met" some really nice people such as Cynthia, Colleen and MaryAnn along with many others from great sites such as TwitterMoms, SheBlogs, Mamabuzz, MyBlogSpark, Global Influence, MUIB, Product Review Place, MomBloggerClub, MomSelect, One2One and so many more!

Although I'm missing many other blessings, here's to 2010!

Fall Into Good Health Series: Homeopathy Medicines for Children

As part of my series in getting healthier and having two children with chronic medical conditions both linked to elevated risks with H1N1, I am definitely in tuned to alternative methods of safeguarding them.  The homeopathic drugs allow another alternative to treating illnesses and diseases without the worry of contraindications.  With epilepsy, Keppra has warnings and with severe asthma, the same holds true.  As I approach this winter and all the reports of an increase risk with H1N1, this appears to be a good approach for me. 

These are some of the ways I'm safeguarding my family:

1. Everyone washes their hands frequently and in particularly, after a sneeze or blowing of the nose. 
2. Hand sanitizer is used when washing hands is not viable.  We go through a lot of hand sanitizer!  I don't bombard the house with an abundance of anti-bacterial products as I feel too much of a good thing could be bad.
3. Vitamins are taken by both myself and my husband as well as my children. 
4. Ensuring everyone is getting good sound sleep and eating a well balanced, healthy meal is also critical.
5. Light therapy via playing outside in the sun.  This was actually prescribed by one of my daughter's allergist for both girls as he was telling me how lack of Vitamin D is increasingly becoming an issue in the US and kids need to spend more time outside.

If you aren't aware of what homeopathy is, it's a therapeutic method to help the body and heal itself.  This type of medicine has been around since the beginning of time and with more and more people becoming concerned about what we are putting in our bodies, homeopathic medicine is a great alternative.  More and more practicing physicians are incorporating natural ways into their routine with patients.

Current homeopathic medicinces are used for many conditions such as allergies, flu-like symptoms, coughs and colds, arthritis pain, depression and the list goes on.  As a parent, I've been very attuned to the recent reports warning of over the counter medications and the dangers associated with them.  In fact, many aren't available any longer due to this concern mostly because of human error in administration.  I felt I was without choices other than Vicks and a vaporizer and really felt compassion towards the little one as they have no relief from symptoms.  To me, it's going to be more difficult to get better if they can't sleep and are too busy crying out of frustration and feeling miserable.

I just learned from the One2One Network that there are choices and I can't be more thrilled!  Boiron, been around for more than 65 years, just introduced three new homeopathic medicines for children!

1. Children's Oscilloccinum helps to nip flu-like symptoms.
2. Children's Coldcalm Pellets is a multi-symptom cold reliever.
3. Children's Chestal is for all types of coughs. 

These homeopathic medicines work naturally and safely without nasty side effects or drug interactions which means I can administer this with the six year old's Keppra and the two year old's allergy/asthma medications.  Another bonus is they are apparently sweet tasting and kid-friendly.

Bioron recommends having the Children's Oscilloccinum on hand since it works the best at the first onset of symptoms of a cold.  All of the Bioron line can be purchased without a prescription and are available at most major drug stores and other retail outlets.  Click HERE to find a retail location near you.

Because Bioron is a pharmaceutical company, they strive to maintain the highest standards in manufacturing and other areas of quality.  If you would like to learn more about homeopathic medicine, Bioron has a host of resources by clicking HERE.

For a $1 off coupon, click HERE.

After all, happy kids make happy parents!

*I was not paid nor compensated for this entry.

Michael Bublé Crazy Love CD Review

The One2One Network provided an opportunity to receive and review Michael Bublé's new CD titled Crazy Love. I have never heard of Michael Bublé before so I had no preconceptions on what type of music I would hear but I was immediately in love with him! The first couple of songs reminded me of a mixture between Frank Sinatra and Harry Conick Jr. I absolutely loved his sound, his voice and how he was able to capture my atttention so quickly.

The smooth sounds coupled with a wonderful mixture of vocals is apparent in each single. I did not like every song but a few were key such as Cry Me a River. It started dramatic with the horns heating up the sound but ended up jazzy, smooth and sensational. I loved it!

I was surprised that I also liked All of Me as I'm usually picky about how I expect a remake to sound. He added a dramatic flare to each one but it was enough to not ruin each song. He really has a sensual, soothing voice and has blend of instrumentation provides a unique flavor just his own.

I didn't care for Hold On and Heartache Tonight. At least for me, I think his vocal range is better suited for the other song choices.

Overall, I would recommend this CD to someone who likes the jazzy soothing sounds and a flare for the older genre that sounds like Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin. He is definitely crooner material with a big band jazz sound and this is a nice CD to have on a relaxing evening with a bottle of wine or during a romantic dinner.

Album Tracklisting:

1. Cry Me A River
2. All Of Me
3. Georgia On My Mind
4. Crazy Love
5. Haven't Met You Yet
6. All I Do Is Dream Of You
7. Hold On
8. Heartache Tonight
9. You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
10. Baby (You've Got What It Takes)
11. At This Moment
12. Stardust
13. Whatever It Takes (bonus track)

If you missed Michael on Oprah, you can go here to see the interview. His website http://www.michaelbuble.com/ also has the "Haven't Met You Yet" video if you would like to see and hear his soothing, jazzy music.

This CD, Crazy Love was released October 8th in the US, Canada, Mexico and Australia and according to my dear friend Annie in Australia, he is very much liked down under. Here are the remaining release dates:

• 12 Oct - New Zealand
• 16 Oct - Germany, Italy, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Switzerland and Austria
• 19 Oct – UK and France
• 20 Oct - Spain

Amazon has a special Crazy Love promo video here and you can purchase it here:


                        

Join Michael's Facebook page here.