WIN Prize Pack- Advil® at Work™ “The Sickest Day Ever” Sweepstakes

The Advil® Sinus Congestion & Pain product, information and gift have been provided by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.

If you were to call out sick, but not actually BE sick- where would you go?  This is the question Advil® is asking with their new contest called “The Sickest Day Ever”.  The idea behind the contest is where would you spend your “sickest” day ever if you could pick?

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Advil® introduces Advil® Sinus Congestion & Pain, which provides fast, powerful relief for a number of severe cold, flu, and sinus symptoms.  Advil® Sinus Congestion & Pain provides fast, effective relief of your severe cold symptoms, so you can enjoy your sickest day.  It is the only over-the-counter cold and sinus medicine that combines the speed and strength of Advil® with a proven nasal decongestant for fast, effective relief of severe cold symptoms including, sinus pressure and headache. It contains Phenylephrine, a nasal decongestant which reduces swelling and allows the nasal and sinus airways to expand to their natural state for easier breathing.  Advil® products contain ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that has been repeatedly proven to reduce pain safely and effectively when taken as directed.  Advil® Sinus Congestion & Pain is intended for use in adults and children from ages 12 and older.

All you have to do is record yourself in a video format and upload it to Advil’s contest site reciting their tongue twister, “Six of my sickest sinus symptoms solved with the speed and strength of Advil® in Advil® Sinus Congestion & Pain for a chance to win the Sickest Day.  After that just fill out a short form and cross your fingers and hopefully you’ll be the winner.

Even if you don’t win the Grand Prize, you still have a chance to jump in on the “The Sickest Day Ever;” after entering our Grand Prize Sweepstakes, click the link to the Weekly Prizes page, and confirm your email to be entered into the drawing.

One of you can win a $25 gift card as well as the prize pack above. Just use the RC form below to enter to win.  Good luck! Ends Nov. 30, 2015.
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Amwell – a new way to see a doctor #getwellwithamwell #ad

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Amwell, otherwise known as American Well, is a new company which puts patients in contact with doctors with simply a few clicks.  Instead of leaving you home to see a doctor simply go online, or download an app and a doctor is a video chat away with a few clicks and registration.

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With all the modernizations around us, it is time to start modernizing the visit to the doctor.  Instead of driving to the office, waiting the waiting room, and seeing your doctor for moments of their time but hours of yours, try something different.  Try Amwell.  Amwell lets you video conference with one of hundreds of doctors of many different specialties who can help treat you of a variety of ailments including:

•             Bronchitis
•             Cough
•             Sinus infection
•             Sore throat
•             Urinary tract infection
•             Vomiting
•             Diarrhea
•             Fever
•             Pinkeye
•             Flu
•             Sprains and strains
•             Cold
•             Respiratory infection
•             Headache
•             Depression
•             Anxiety
•             Weight concerns
•             Smoking cessation
Doctors on Amwell can diagnose, suggest follow up, and prescribe, when appropriate.  In addition to be board certified doctors you can also see a description of each doctor before your visit and also be assured your privacy is in good hands and is secure and HIPAA compliant.
Amwell was created by actual doctors.  It is the most popular consumer telehealth app worldwide in 2014 according to App Annie.  As well as the first telehealth service awarded accreditation by The American Telemedicine Association Amwell is also the first telehealth platform to integrate with Apple’s Health App.  It also is the only service that allows you to select the doctor you want to see for an on-demand visit. You will have more time to spend with your family.
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I would suggest giving Amwell a try today.  It can help save time and money for a variety of people in a variety of situations.  I can see this being a huge help when someone is just so sick they don’t want to go to the doctor or their favorite doctor has just stopped taking their insurance and its time to find a new one.
Be sure to find out more today, you can use this coupon code for 25% off a $69 urgent care visit- Amwell25

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Triple Play with Boys & Girls Clubs of America #TriplePlay10 #IC #Sp

Disclosure- I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Boys & Girls Club of America. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

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In his dance class

Children like to take part in all sorts of activities, from dance class, to karate, to soccer, and more.  It’s been recommended that kids are moderately to vigorously physically active at least 60 minutes per day, but not all kids get that kind of activity.  It seems only about one fourth of the kids in the USA ages 12-15 meet that goal, which isn’t good for mind or body.  Getting kids active from a young age and keeping them that way is important for their developing and maintaining healthy habits for life.  That’s where the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Triple Play program is great- it encourages kids and families to get up, get out, and get moving as a family.

About Triple Play

“Triple Play, which is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company and the Anthem Foundation,  is a program currently offered in Boys & Girls Clubs that demonstrates how eating right, keeping fit and forming positive relationships add up to a healthy lifestyle. The goal of the Triple Play program is to improve Club members’ knowledge of healthy habits; increase the number of hours per day they participate in physical activities; and strengthen their ability to interact positively with others and engage in positive relationships. “

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Since 3 in 10 American kids are either overweight or obese, there are measures that need to be taken to get and keep kids healthy.  Diet and exercise are important for not just the child, but the whole family to participate in together.  Triple Play has a mind, body, soul approach that focuses on the person as a whole, instead of JUST the body or weight portion that is so easy to get hung up on.

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Choosing his own veggies as a little bit

Eating healthy is important.  I take my son to the farmer’s market every week so that he can choose the fresh fruits and vegetables he likes best for his meals.  His lunches are primarily fruit and veggies, because that’s what he likes (that, cheese, soups, and yogurt). If he can’t have hot food, that’s what he prefers, and that’s fine with me. Since he has always chosen his own foods, he likes what he eats, and it’s not been a battle now or when he was small.

While he doesn’t love team sports, he is in karate, and he maintains good relationships with peers and also stays active in 4H, boy scouts, library reading club, Sunday School, and computer club.  He likes what he does, and we both like that he has groups of friends in each class and club.  It’s good for him developmentally, socially, and physically.

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Exploring a new city

These kids will be the next generation of leaders- keeping them fit through nutrition and health education, giving them access to healthy foods, teaching avoidance of risky behaviors and giving them a safe place to learn and grow, and helping them build a lifelong commitment to fitness and health is vital to their well being and growing into the best adults they can possibly be.

Check out Triple Play’s site for more information and to download the plan for your own family. You can also follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bgca.clubs?fref=ts and Twitter: https://twitter.com/BGCA_Clubs

Good Oral Health With #LISTERINE

Disclosure- This is a sponsored post. I received LISTERINE® Brand products from Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc. as part of my participation in this project. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

You can only make one first impression. One of the best ways to make a great first impression is by smiling. Here’s the thing: Many people probably don’t realize that the health of their mouth says so much about them!

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Having poor oral health can have a big impact on your life and in more ways than people expect. Most people know that it can make a bad first impression, cause health issues but it can also one’s career. Nearly 7 in 10 Americans think having an unhealthy mouth threatens one’s chances of getting hired. In a recent study by LISTERINE® Brand and GFK’s, while more than 8 in 10 people believe they have a healthy mouth (83%), the truth is that nearly all Americans suffer from some form of oral disease. More than half of Americans believe that oral health issues can negatively impact one’s success in their relationships (52%), more than an unhealthy weight (33%) or bad skin (19%). To learn more about the LISTERINE® Brand survey, click here

People fail to realize that brushing alone just isn’t enough. That is because brushing alone misses 75% of your mouth, and that leaves millions of germs behind. If that is left untreated, these are the germs that can lead to oral care issues such as plaque and gingivitis. Using LISTERINE® Antiseptic cleans virtually 100% of your mouth. It can give you up to 5 times healthier gums in 2 weeks and up to 9 times healthier in 4 weeks.

LISTERINE® wants to talk to you about having better oral health. Be sure to join the Twitter Party Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT / 9 a.m. PT. #LISTERINE, whether it’s during the Twitter party or in blog posts and additional social promotion, will trigger a $10 donation, up to $40,000, to support Oral Health America’s Fall for Smiles campaign (October 1 – December 1, 2015) to educate communities about the importance of proper oral care.

Change your Chicken Challenge @ASPCA #ChangeYourChicken

There is a ton of information on the web about organic products, grass fed beef vs grain fed, having too many hormones and antibiotics in meat and dairy, and buying chickens that have been raised “cage free.” But what does all that mean and why is it important? It should always be important to know and understand what you are feeding your body, especially when you have kids. But how do you know what is really “good?”

There are some pretty shady foods and labels out there, so make sure you are doing your research. Even then, don’t be fooled by fancy words and claims. Words like Organic, humanely raised, natural, cage free, free range, hormone free, antibiotic free and vegetarian fed, are thrown around all over the place. But in reality, they do not mean much.

A great example is “Cage Free.” This is a misleading claim for meat chickens because, unlike egg-laying hens, they are never raised in cages. If someone claims “Hormone Free,” well of course they are, because it is already illegal to feed hormones to chickens. So you aren’t getting anything different than what anyone else has. Another great claim is “Antibiotic Free.” Antibiotics are fed to animals on factory farms as a band aid fix for unhealthy living conditions. However, removing drugs does not alone make for a more humane system.

Over the last few decades, corporatized, industrialized agriculture has largely replaced America’s independent small farms—with catastrophic consequences for animals. While there is no strict definition, industrialized “factory farms” are characterized by extreme confinement of large numbers of animals with practices designed to maximize efficiency and profit, and little regard for animals’ well-being, sentience or natural behaviors. Factory farms often use animals bred to produce unnatural amounts of eggs, milk or meat, causing painful disorders and lameness.

The ASPCA is hoping to raise awareness about the plight of factory farmed chickens in order to inspire the public to demand healthier, more humane conditions. They launched Change Your Chicken– a 30 day challenge that encourages Americans to shift all their chicken purchases from the worst factory farmed products to more humanely raised products.

So how do you know what you are getting yourself into and what to look for if you are looking for chicken that is truly good? One great place to start – These three certifications represent a range of better environments for birds than conventional farms and require annual farm audits:

A few good ways to start your search for healthier meat are to find meats that have specific standards with labels that match those standards:

Animal Welfare Approved – Look for chickens that have continuous access to pasture or range. No feedlots. Cage confinement, hormones and sub-therapeutic antibiotics prohibited. Standards extend to breeding animals, transport and slaughter.

Certified Humane, Raised & Handled –Look for chickens that have continuous outdoor access for ruminants. Cage confinement, hormones and sub-therapeutic antibiotics prohibited. Minimum space allowance and bedding required for indoor environments.

Global Animal Partnership 5 Step Program (Steps 2 and above) –Step 2: indoor space and enrichment requirements. Step 3: outdoor access. Step 4: access to pasture. Step 5: full pasture environment. Step 5+: slaughter on farm.

Certified HumaneAnimal Welfare Approved and Global Animal Partnership (levels 2 and above) represent a range of higher-welfare practices, but all three certify that the chicken you’re buying was not subjected to the terrible crowding, filth, sickness and suffering found on the worst factory farms.

As a part of this challenge, the ASPCA has put together some great resources to help along the way.

So, are you ready to take the #ChangeYourChicken 30 day challenge? I am challenging everyone to not only take the challenge, but post on social media, and encourage friends and family members to share and take the challenge as well! There are some awesome resources on the ASPCA website, including the challenge toolkit, which has resources to help you change your chicken. Pledge takers will also receive exclusive tips and help along the way by email. If you’re a fellow blogger, reach out to me to find out how to create your own blog post and spread the word about the #ChangeYourChicken challenge.

With every purchase we have the power to reduce farm animal suffering. Take a stand and #ChangeYourChicken!

Is Your Child in the Right Car Seat? #therightseat

Did you know that motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children age 1 to 13 in the USA? In 2013, a child under 13 was involved in a crash every 33 seconds.
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During Child Passenger Safety Week, please visit SaferCar.gov/TheRightSeat to determine your child is in the right seat for his or her age and size and to locate a car seat inspection event in their area.  Additionally, parents and caregivers can register their child’s car seat with the manufacturer so as to be informed in the event of a recall.
  • If a car seat is not installed correctly, your child’s safety could be compromised. Every car seat has different installation instructions. You can find resources and tips here to help you get “the right fit” on your car seats:     http://www.safercar.gov/parents/RightFit.htm
  • Free Car Seat Inspections: During Child Passenger Safety Week, there will be events across the country where Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will inspect car seats and show parents and caregivers how to correctly install and use them. In most cases, this service is free of charge.  Locate a car seat check event here: http://www.safercar.gov/cpsApp/cps/index.htm

 Car Seat Safety Tips:

  • Find a car seat that fits your child. As children grow, how they sit in your car will change. Make sure the car seat you purchase is designed to fit your child’s current size and age and allows some room growth.
  • Not all car seats fit in all vehicles so test the car seat you plan to buy to make sure it fits well in your vehicle.
  • Before putting your child in a car seat, read the manufacturer’s instructions so you know how your car seat works and how to install it.
  • All-in-One car seats offer you the advantage of using the same seat for the following positions: rear-facing, forward-facing with harness, then booster. These seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time, which physicians and safety experts strongly recommend.

Remember, the best car seat is the one that fits your child properly, is easy to use,  fits in your vehicle correctly, and which you’ll use every time…

  • The information here can help you choose the right seat for your child. Keep in mind that:
    • Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat.
    • Children ages 1-3 should be kept rear-facing as long as they fit the car seat.
    • Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.
    • Be certain you’ve installed your car seat correctly by having it checked at an inspection station or by a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. Bring the car seat instructions AND the vehicle owner’s manual with you to a seat check appointment!

Liquid Oxygen For Your Skincare Routine

Disclosure- I received the below in order to facilitate this post.  All opinions are my own and honest.

Many people suffer from acne, from teenagers and continuing. I still get acne on a regular basis, both with my “special” time and when my skin is irritated.  Fun things!  As an adult, I assumed I wouldn’t get acne anymore, but I was quite wrong.  When I was pregnant, it was crazy, too.  For other people who suffer with it, let me tell you about the all-natural skincare line  Liquid Oxygen.

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Liquid Oxygen, an oxygenated skincare line, was designed to be gentle while also combating acne. It is the ideal solution for those seeking clearer skin. Liquid Oxygen starts working from the first application, so it is great for special occasions or anytime you want your skin to look and feel flawless.

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It also has no harsh smells or orders, and feels nice on your skin. It has three steps- first you use the cleanser, then the astringent, then the moisturizer.  Your skin will feel smooth all day long, and the products did not irritate my skin at all.   I’ve been using the product for a few days now, and can say that the skin on my face has improved.  I get many “tiny bumps” (for lack of better explanation) all over my hairline, and those have diminished quite a bit, which I am thrilled by. I also get larger ones on and around my nose often, and they are almost gone as well.  I am very happy with this product so far.

I also like that it is all natural- that is hard to find.  It’s so much better for your skin and the environment then all those harsh chemicals some other brands use.

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According to Liquid Oxygen, here is why they are different and better for you-

“Bacteria and viruses associated with acne find it difficult to grow in an oxygen rich environment. 

Liquid Oxygen acne products contain Oxygen, Salicylic Acid, Vitamins A C D & E, and essential ingredients to deliver clinically proven results.

In a double blind independent Clinical Study, Liquid Oxygen was proved effective by reducing acne in 100% of the people in the study from Day 1 through 3 – when you want it and need it most – And then each and every day for the 30 day test.

NO OTHER ACNE PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET CONTAIN OUR SCIENCE OF OXYGEN.

If you want to try these products for yourself, head to http://www.liquidoxygen.com/ . They have free shipping going on for orders over $40 right now, which is always nice. You can also get $50 credit if you submit before and after photos- that’s something to take advantage of.  Head over and start your journey to better skin now!

 

Anti-aging body lotion

The first anti-aging body lotion for the U.S. retail mass market is being rolled out nationally by Sun & Skin Care Research, LLC (SSCR) under its new NO-AD Skin Care™ label.

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NO-AD Prevent & Repair™ and NO-AD Prevent & Brighten™, which are packed with a premium blend of vitamins, antioxidants, and SPF 15 broad spectrum protection, are multifunctional products unlike any moisturizers sold in mass market outlets. Designed to promote more beautiful skin all over the body — not just on the face — each product is chock-a-block with powerful ingredients that repair, brighten, and prevent aging caused by cumulative daily sun damage.  These multi-functional products provide powerful anti-aging protection in three ways:

Incidental Sun Exposure

A new survey conducted by GfK Custom Research North America and commissioned by NO-AD Skin Care found that a majority of Americans mistakenly believe they receive most of their total lifetime sun exposure from extended outdoor activities like going to the beach. “Actually those activities account for a mere 20 percent of lifetime sun exposure,” said Brevard, Fla.-based dermatologist Dr. Richard C. Kirkpatrick. “In fact, 80 percent comes from daily incidental sun exposure, such as in driving to the store, walking the dog, or just sitting indoors next to a sunny window.”  Kirkpatrick stressed that incidental sun exposure accumulates incrementally and prematurely ages the skin.

SSCR CEO Stuart J. Straus observed that when most consumers think about “anti-aging protection,” they think of a product just for the face. “Beauty is more than face deep,” he said. “No matter how much attention you give your face, it’s the constant UV skin damage to your neck, chest, arms, and legs that can give away your age. It’s why you need to apply body lotion daily to any exposed skin. This need for total body skin care — an all-day, everyday, all-the-time, anti-aging lotion that delivers SPF 15 protection — is precisely why NO-AD jumped into the highly competitive skin care category.”

NO-AD Breaks Into Skin Care Category

Straus noted that, at 46 cents per ounce each, NO-AD Skin Care lotions cost half what competing SPF body lotions do — and yet those other lotions don’t contain NO-AD’s high-quality anti-aging ingredients. They will be available starting March 2015 at select Wal-Mart stores, walmart.com, drugstore.com, and HEB, as well as food, drug, and mass market retailers.

“This is a category breakout for NO-AD,” Straus said. “NO-AD’s new skin care line is the first of its kind — anti-aging body moisturizers with SPF 15 created expressly for the mass market. Leveraging its 50-year sun care heritage, NO-AD Skin Care is delivering more for less, in ingredients and innovation — and is proudly made in the USA.”

NO-AD Skin Care’s non-greasy, fast-absorbing formulas are dermatologist-tested and carry the Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of approval. NO-AD products are also PABA-free and are not tested on animals.