Hi Folks! Keep checking back on my blog. There will be several exciting and wonderful giveaways coming soon! The giveaways will give everyone an opportunity to win some fabulous prizes from companies who are willing to share their products with you – free!
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The Harried Mom
Long before I had my son, I worked at a department store. In the women’s shoe dept. to be exact. My usual customers were old ladies who were always receptive of suggestions and business women who knew exactly what they wanted; purchased their shoes and left. But I also had a distinct group of women whom I called “The Harried Moms”. The Harried Moms were women who came in with their kid(s) and strollers laden with shopping bags and mocha lattes dripping down the cup holders. Harried Moms were women who knew what they wanted to shop for but has little time to make a good choice so they end up with something sensible.
Well, the other day I think I became a “Harried Mom”. I noticed this when my son and I were browsing around at our local farmers market with no intent on purchasing anything specific. It was more of a lets-get-out-of-the-house-on-such-a-beautiful-day sort of trip and my son thoroughly enjoys walking around the farmers market and seeing all the different vendors. We stopped at practically every stand, sampling something if it looked delectable (and sanitary) and my son grabbing at every fruit and vegetable he can get his hands on. We did however pick up our favorite pita chips and some huge organic peaches after my son exclaimed that he wanted some peaches. So I picked out a few peaches that didn’t have soft spots on them and as I handed the cashier my money, my son pulled on a bunch of grapes next to us and out of the corner of my eye I can see the grapes about to topple off the table. I quickly grabbed the bag of peaches with one hand and with the other nimbly pushed the grapes back onto the table. I then quickly grasped my son’s hand and we took off. And then a sudden thought came into my head – I didn’t thank the cashier! Now some of you may be thinking what’s the big deal but it’s a big deal to me because it reminded me of my shoe selling days and those moms with kids in tow desperate to try on something cute but end up rushing out the shoe department in a huff. I never got “thanked” for helping them with their purchase and being a part-time babysitter while they were trying on shoes.
And as I think back to those “harried moms” I remember them hastily parking their stroller in front of the cashier station and throwing either cash or credit cards onto the counter hoping I would hurry up with the transaction. I remember commenting to my co-workers how those moms never bothered to thank me for helping them and I even got a bit spiffed now and then when I spent a major amount of time helping them. I never thought to sympathize with their plight although I did realize the situation they were in.
So although I wasn’t totally rude when I didn’t thank the lady at the farmers market but I did recall that she was rather pleasant and had thanked me and asked us for a return visit as we were scrambling away. But I figure I’ll make up the offense by thanking as many cashiers and salespersons from now on whether they were attentive to my agitated state of mind or not. After all, who knows more about being harried than a professed harried mom like me.
Interesting Articles
Here are some informative websites that I thought you might find good info on. I’ll add to this list as I find good articles and info. New sites will be on TOP.
Free Life Cereal bars from Walmart: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid89908.aspx
Interesting article on why men are more forgetful than women: http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/07/memory-loss-more-common-in-men-than-women/
Informative article on the health and environmental impact of eating meat: http://www.drgreene.com/perspectives/2010/09/08/fight-global-warming-eating-lower-food-chain
Want to try Nature’s Gate products? Here’s a coupon for $2.60 off any product. But hurry, coupon expires on 9/30/2010. http://www.kiwimagonline.com/EmailBlasts/2010/MomsMeet/naturesgatededicated/coupon.pdf
Here’s a list of WHY GO ORGANIC: http://www.organicvalley.coop/why-organic/overview/
Organic Strawberries: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-organic-strawberries-20100902,0,2328389.story
Toys and children’s products recall: http://www.toysrusinc.com/safety/
Has the environment increased infertility rates?
It seems that more and more people nowadays are having a hard time conceiving a child. For some it’s an ongoing battle, for others they have given up entirely and was probably told by their doctors that they’ll never be able to conceive. It’s immensely sad but very true. I’ve known people who have tried for many years and are still unable to conceive. Some are still unwavering in their mission to have their own child; others have decided to give up.
There are many reasons that causes infertility. And the ironic thing is – age isn’t necessarily a factor in the inability to conceive. I’ve heard from friends who’s doctors have told them that they are past their “age” which I thought was pretty ridiculous. I told them to get a second opinion – or several more. Yes, age does matter in the whole biological-physiological spectrum and science has proven that the health of the sperm and egg does decrease after a certain age and even the ovaries ability to release eggs for fertilization may become affected with age. But I have also met women well in their 40’s and 50’s who have conceived albeit with a little medical intervention. And then on the other side of the scale there are women who are in their early 20’s and 30’s who have had problems conceiving.
Infertility or any aspect of it is such a sensitive topic. No one really wants to discuss it outside of their spouses let alone hearing from their doctors that they are infertile. It’s a dreaded word for couples who so desperately want to have a child of their own. But the reason I’m writing this is because I want people to know that there is hope! First of all, the most important thing is to take a deep breath and realize that there are many options out there (besides adoption). You just have to find the underlying problem.
My husband and I always knew we wanted to have children. But before we started I knew I had to get my body and mental health in optimum shape. I’ve always considered myself to be pretty healthy – I try to eat well, I exercise, I don’t drink alcohol or smoke. So I started to take my prenatal vitamins as suggested by my OBGYN, I practiced Dayan Qigong more regularly to enhance my internal health, I ate better, and I eliminated caffeine products entirely. After a few months of trying to conceive, I decided I needed an extra boost of help – and help came along the lines of my father and sister who are both doctors. I wasn’t infertile by any means, but with certain obstacles in the way (such as age and stress) I wanted to be sure to have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. Realistically, getting pregnant isn’t as easy as you think – forget about soap operas where the girl spends one night with the guy and then discovers months later that she’s pregnant. That happens all too rarely. And if you happen to get pregnant on the first try – then that’s great news. So I decided to do a little research of my own and realized that the environment actually has a great part in this whole infertile scheme.
So you factor in age, and you factor in the environment, add a little prayer and what is the result? Well, the ability to conceive relies a whole lot on how well your body can ovulate, on the health of your eggs and your partner’s sperms, and timing. But there is more to that and most regular doctors won’t concede to the fact that our environment plays a key role in how our bodies work. Some fertility specialists have done research of their own and can count that as part of the reason and while recent research and data has supported the evidence that the environment and what we eat can contribute to infertility, I hope people can become more aware of what they do to their bodies prior to conception.
So you may ask why is the environment a culprit in infertility? Because the environment is the air we breathe and the atmospheric substances that travel into our bodies through our skin. If our bodies are consistently exposed to toxic chemicals whether through the foods we ingest or through skin contact, these toxic chemicals start to break down our delicate endocrine system thus resulting to various health problems. Toxins stay in our body and not all toxins can get eliminated through the daily excretion process. Our liver and kidneys work strenuosly to eliminate these toxins, but if one has an overexposure to certain toxins (like cigarette smoke and harmful chemicals), then those toxins stay in our body and eventually corrupt our major organs, including the ovaries and the women’s reproductive organs. Once these reproductive organs become compromised then it’s harder to reverse the damages.
My father who is a retired doctor has treated many women with infertility issues. He became worldly known as an infertility specialist although his specialty is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture. He explained to me that the kidneys govern the reproductive organs and if the kidneys are weak or hold too much toxins, then the reproductive organs will become greatly affected. I then went through a series of acupuncture from my sister (who is a doctor of TCM and acupuncture as well) and special herbs targeted at strenghthening the kidneys and the reproductive organs. I figure that this will give Mother Nature a helping hand and a slight advantage over other women who aren’t doing anything to help their fertility.
After a series of acupunture treatments and ongoing herbs, my dad read my pulse (proper TCM and acupuncture practice) and noticed that my kidneys have become stronger and my overall health better. By eating a strict diet, avoiding toxic chemicals in the house and in my body, and reducing my stress level, I felt it greatly increased my chances at conceiving.
So if you’re thinking about conceiving a child or have had endless problems, then examine your lifestyle first and do your best in eliminating all kinds of toxins in your body and your environment. I stayed away from people who smoked, stopped using my not-so-environmentally safe cleaning materials, and upped my intake of organic produce.
It’s okay not to share everything!
So you probably learned early on in life that it’s important and good to share. You share your pencil in school; you share your lunch with your friends; you share your locker if your friend’s is jammed; you share your secrets and hope no one will find out; you share basically everything. Well today I am here to say, “it’s okay not to share everything“. And by that sense, I mean do not share any germs.
I’m by no means a “germaphobe” because I know that some “germs” are a natural process in our bodies and the environment, but when it comes to unwanted germs that leaves us sick, then, no thank you! There are too many people out there who couldn’t care less about spreading their germs around and they wonder why they’re always sick with the flu or cold. Most likely they don’t wash their hands or maintain good hygiene.
Several years ago, a good friend of mine and I were thinking of starting a company that sold “cootie-killers” products to help eliminate germs in the home, workplace, and any other public areas. I really wish we had gone forward with our plan because there are so many dirty people and places out there. Don’t laugh at me right now – you know what I’m referring to when the guy in the cubicle next to you keeps coughing and blowing his nose and he doesn’t cover his mouth or wash his hands and he’s breathing right into your face. Next thing you know – you get sick yourself. Or how about the numerous types of germs and unhealthy bacteria and viruses lingering on the menu in your favorite restaurant or on the handlebars of shopping carts? I see moms and dads plop their kids in the utility section while ignoring their children chewing gleefully on the plastic handlebars. Most stores have jumped on the bandwagon by providing disinfecting wipes, but I still see most people not bothering to wipe down the handlebars and carts before they seat their kids in them.
So in reference to my “it’s okay not to share everything” opinion, I try to teach my son that while it’s okay to share certain toys, it’s not okay to share utensils or personal items. But how do you teach a toddler that when he sees it on Nickelodeon or PBS about sharing toys or hears it from his relatives and friends that it’s good to share everything. It’s just one of my ongoing conflicts on what to teach him and what not to go overboard on. I don’t want him to not make friends or be phobic about germs (after all, he is a boy and he’ll get dirty no matter what), but I do want him to know the difference between sharing something safe and literally throwing caution to the wind.
Healthy Child, Healthy World
I
love hearing that soft “clunk” on my door step. It usually means a package that I’ve been waiting for or a nice surprise has landed. Yesterday my son and I heard the familiar clunk at the front door. With excitement, we both shouted, “Yay, mommy’s got a package”, and my son eager to open the front door before me, ran to grab his Buzz Lightyear sandals so he can go outside.
With a quick glance at who the package was from, I set the heavy box on the floor ready to tear it open. With my son hopping up and down with anticipation next to me, I slid open the lid and was very pleasantly surprised. It was the package I’ve been waiting for quite some time now and even after a few emails to the company, I finally received it. It was my Healthy Home Party Kit, part of the Healthy Baby Home Party sponsored by Healthy Child Healthy World.
I must say, I was indeed pleasantly surprised at all the great stuff that I got. I was expecting maybe a few samples here and there and maybe some pamphlets, but I got more than that. I can only imagine what others received in the bigger Healthy Baby Home party kit. Here is a breakdown of what was in my party kit:
Mohawk cleaning samples and floor sample
Revolution Foods sample and coupons
Clif Kids Organic Twisted Fruit samples
Earth Friendly Products – Randomness of Six sample and coupons
Say Yes to Baby Carrots bubble bath
Klean Kanteen
Cleanwell hand sanitizing wipes and coupons
Organic Valley coupons
Seventh Generation samples and coupons
Earthbound Farm coupons
Dapple wipes
Eat Clean Veggie wipes sample
Soy Socks
Luna coupons
And a whole slew of informative materials and guides to help your family provide a healthy and toxic-free environment.
Healthy Child Healthy World (http://healthychild.org) is a non-profit organization dedicated in educating and supporting the public about eating healthy and staying healthy without the use of toxic chemicals in our homes. Children do not inherently know what is good for them and what is bad. That’s why it’s up to the parents to teach their children the importance of eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle. Children’s bodies are more vulnerable to toxic chemicals since their little bodies are still developing. But if you take an early start in giving them healthy and nutritious meal choices and using non-toxic products at home, then those little bodies will most likely grow up to be healthy big bodies and are less susceptible to certain diseases and illnesses in the future.
I plan on using my kit for a little “party” in the near future. I know some of my friends and family are still on the fence about going the non-toxic/organic/all-natural route and that’s okay because most of them do not have the time or the resources to go on that route. But we all live on this planet and we have to think not only about the present but about our future generations as well.
Happymomblogger 