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Contests on Yoursphere

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (1)

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Another thing I love about Yoursphere are the contests for the kids! Morgan’s first week on Yoursphere she won a $25 Gift Card to Game Stop! It came within just a few days and she was so thrilled to have won something. The contest she won was guessing who someone was in a photo that showed only a piece of the person. She guessed Lady Gaga and was right!

They have contests going all the time on Yoursphere. You can win Gift Cards, Points and other prizes! The contests involve all sorts of things. Some are questions about movies, photo contests, celebrity contests and more. The rules are extremely easy to understand and Morgan has needed minimal help from me.

Right now Morgan is working on the “Young Writers Contest”. This is right up her alley! Morgan has a dream of being a published author and I think she has a real shot! The contest begins at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time (“PT”) on July 6, 2009 and ends at 11:59 p.m. (PT) on August 15, 2009.

This is an essay contest and all they have to do is submit an essay between 350 to 600 words or less describing their summer passion. Now, for the coolest part…

Three Grand Prizes of a $300 savings bond and a one year membership to yourshpere.com will be awarded. In addition, winners will be invited to become paid Yoursphere.com contributing editors. How awesome is that? This would be an awesome opportunity for any kid!

So? If you haven’t signed up your kids…why not? Come join us and all the fun we are having at Yoursphere.com! Signing up is easy!

You can sign your kids up for their own free account by clicking here and entering YSMC-0002 in the referral box.

I wrote this review while participating in the Yoursphere Test Drive program by Mom Central on behalf of Yoursphere. I received a free lifetime Gold membership on Yoursphere.com, Yoursphere t-shirts, and a $50 American Express gift card to facilitate my review.

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Health and Wellness at Sam’s Club

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (3)

Monday, July 12th, 2010

It’s no secret that I do not have health insurance. Shoot, at this point an insurance company wouldn’t touch me. When I was told about the free Health and Wellness Checks at Sam’s Club I was on it! First of all it was free and second of all it was like getting a mini check up.

When I arrived there was a bit of a line and I thought it would take forever. However they had plenty of people and it went quickly. Everyone was extremely friendly and didn’t even care that I was taking photos. They were more than happy to be included.

The first thing I did was fill out a form with a little information. Basically just who I was. There was no health history, that would have taken me forever!

Next was getting my blood pressure checked. I had just ran in to the store through a flooding parking lot and a downpour that hurt when it hit you. Normally my blood pressure is perfect, but this time it was a little high and she said it was most likely from me running into the store. It was only a wee bit out of the normal range so I’m not worried about it. I’ll be checked again today at the OBGYN and I am sure it will be normal.

Next I was sent over to have my BMI checked. I knew it would not be good considering that the tumor hindered my bodies ability to process normally. It also had thrown my thyroid out of whack and I had tested abnormal on my thyroid before surgery. I am happy to say that my thyroid is now testing normally and the weight is literally falling off without me doing anything differently. My BMI was in the overweight range and I expected that. I was thankful that it was not in the obese range! After testing my BMI, I was given some information on a weight-loss group that meets not too far from my house. They charge a low weekly rate and tech you about nutrition and exercise. they also said that Morgan could attend with me for free. Pretty cool! I might check it out because it would be a great learning opportunity that Morgan and I can do together.

The last check was my Cholesterol and Blood Sugar. I am hypoglycemic and have been since I was a kid. I am prone to sugar spikes depending on what I have eaten or drank. I then do a hard crash. My blood sugar tested in the normal range, but my cholesterol tested a bit high. This was shocking to me considering the way I eat. I eat a diet of mainly fruits and vegetables….most of that being raw. I rarely eat meats. So I probably should check out that class I mentioned above so I can figure out where this hidden cholesterol is coming from. It is something that is not obvious to me and it is important that I figure it out and take steps to get it out of my diet. Amazing what one little prick to the finger can tell you!

If I would have had these tests run at the Doctor’s office I would have paid about $150! Thanks Sam’s Club for providing this great service to your customers!

Sam’s Club provided me with a $50 gift card for my participation in the Health & Wellness screenings, to provide testimonial content via the samsclub.com/pharmacy site and post to my individual blog.

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Checking out OurWorld on Yoursphere

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (2)

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

We are still exploring and loving Yoursphere. If you have not signed your kids up yet, I really wish you would check it out! I see so many young kids on Facebook and Yoursphere is a much safer, suitable online community and social network for your kids.

You can sign your kids up for their own free account by clicking here and entering YSMC-0002 in the referral box.

OurWorld is another awesome feature on Yoursphere. In Our World you can create your own avatar. The skin color, face shape, eyes, hair and clothing! Morgan had a great time designing her avatar. Once you have your avatar designed you can check out the many game choices they have. Morgan has a few favorites. I’ve listed her favorites below:

Cake Mania 2
Create a mall
Jane’s Hotel
Ultimate Leprechauns

While playing the games you can earn coins and flow. The coins can be used to purchase items for your avatar such as…

Clothes
Condo Decor
Cars
Hair
Skateboards

Flow can be used to level up, spin the prize wheel and win the daily jackpot.

Overall, Morgan enjoys spending time in OurWorld and would really like some of her friends to join her on Yoursphere! Remember, it is FREE and you as a parent have access to your parent dashboard to be sure that your child is being safe online.

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Fibromyalgia, Foods to Avoid

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (7)

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

My mom linked me to a great article about how diet can contribute to Fibromyalgia. My mom now has gluten sensitivity that she never had before and I always say how much better I feel when I consume a mostly raw diet.

There are certain foods and food groups that appear to make a difference for a significant amount of people. There is no guarantee that this will help you with your symptoms, but hey…it’s worth a try right?

I also read in the article that a small study published in the journal Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2001 found that patients who ate a vegetarian diet consisting of mostly raw whole foods did see a reduction in their fibromyalgia symptoms.

Aspartame (NutraSweet). All the experts WebMD talked to agree that for a large majority of people with fibromyalgia, foods sweetened with aspartame could exacerbate fibromyalgia symptoms.

Food additives including MSG (monosodium glutamate) and nitrates. MSG is an additive or flavor enhancer that’s found in many processed and frozen foods and in some Asian cuisines. Experts say it can intensify pain symptoms in many individuals. Like aspartame, MSG is classified as an excitotoxin and has the same potential for affecting NMDA receptors.

Sugar, fructose, and simple carbohydrates. There is no clear evidence that cutting out simple carbohydrates — like sugar, cake, or white bread — will have an impact on fibromyalgia. What it can do, though, is reduce symptoms of chronic yeast infection — a fungus that thrives on sugars and may be a secondary condition contributing to the pain of fibromyalgia. This theory, however, is still being debated by experts.

Caffeine — including coffee, tea, colas, and chocolate. Because it is considered a stimulant, many fibromyalgia patients turn to caffeine-rich beverages as a source of energy. But McNett says the boost you get is false — and can quickly exacerbate fatigue.

Yeast and gluten. Although these are two separate food substances, they frequently appear together — particularly in baked goods like cake, donuts, and bread. For this reason, cutting out one, usually means you are cutting out both. That can actually yield two separate benefits for people with fibromyalgia.

Dairy. Be they low fat or high fat, some experts say, dairy products — particularly, milk — have been known to drive the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Avoiding these products may help some people turn their health around.

Nightshade Plants: Tomatoes, chili and bell peppers, potatoes, and eggplant. There are over 2,000 species of plants that that can be listed under the category of “nightshade.” Those which are edible comprise a group that some say can trigger flares of various types of arthritis, including fibromyalgia.

This information is from WebMD, please click to read the entire article with more detailed information on why these foods may cause symptoms to worsen.

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Wordless Wednesday, Playing Catch Up!

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (17)

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Wow, Wednesday again already? Things have been busy busy busy as always around here. I am taking the Neurontin and have been on it for over a week now. Next Saturday the dose will double up. We shall see….it doesn’t make me tired like they said it will, so maybe they will give me something to help me sleep. The pain is still there for sure.

Tomorrow I have a check up with the OBGYN who preformed my surgery. I think everything is doing good with that besides the fact that my belly is now deformed and lumpy. She said it would go away, I hope she is right…I really don’t like being lumpy! Weight is coming off and that makes me super happy! Courtney took a photo of me and posted it to her facebook. Normally I would have been bitchin’ at her about double chins and crap, but guess what…I didn’t even look fat in the photo! That is progress!

I went out Friday night with the J-man, his band (HIT & RUN) was playing. It’s been 2 years since Ben died and they played at one of Ben’s favorite venues called The Doublewide. We had a great time and I even got to meet some of my Facebook friends in person.

Monday Emma was running a fever. So pitiful. It only lasted one day and one night and all is good with her today. Doesn’t she look so sweet here…

Yesterday I went to the thrift store and dropped off a Suburban load of stuff! Yes! I emptied 6 totes in our garage of stuff! All gone and available to clutter up someone elses house. Still working on getting the house more decluttered. It’s coming along though. Anyhow, while at the thrift store I noticed they were having sales on everything. Most things were 20% off and I scored this beauty!

So what’s going on with you?

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Educational Vacations!

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (5)

Monday, July 5th, 2010

Yes, you read it right. Educational vacations! The J-man and I had planned to take several trips around Texas this year with the kids camping. All of these mini trips were going to revolve around some great historical locations. We thought this would be an awesome way to teach the kids some Texas history.

Having the surgery threw a wrench in our plans, but we are still planning some of these mini vacations. I mean really there isn’t going to be much of an expense to them since we plan on camping and cooking for ourselves. We plan to hit some ghost towns around Texas as well.

Think about how much more fun it will be to learn about things like the Civil War by actually visiting Civil War Battlefields as compared to just reading about them in a text book! Much more fun is the answer I get from my family. So think about making your summer vacations a bit more educational this year!

Where are you planning on taking the family on vacation?

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Wordless Wednesday, as if….

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (6)

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

I went to the Rheumatologist last week and he checked me again for Fibromyalgia and did confirm his previous diagnosis. I have it. However, he still does not believe my horrible arm pain and head jerking headaches are caused by it.

He said that the hospital never x-rayed my elbow, so now I need to go have that done. Maybe something in there is messed up and causing this crap. He also re-ran my labs and now, since having the tumor removed…my Thyroid is testing normal. Thank God! I did not need another problem on top of all the others.

My Red Blood Cell count is still low and he will re-test that again to see if that is because of the recent surgery. My SED rate is still pretty high. We will also re-test that again.

For now though, we are trying Neurontin. I started it on Saturday and so far no strange side effects. I have to work myself up gradually. So, right now I am taking one pill before bed. After 2 weeks I move to one in the morning and one before bed. Then we will increase as needed for there.

I have not taken a pain pill for any surgery related pain since Saturday. All my horrible pain seems to be from my arm now. It sucks. Hopefully we will have an answer soon.

On the plus side…the weight is like falling off of me! It’s awesome!

For my “Wordless” Wednesday photo I have chosen to show you the itty bitty butterfly that hung out with Jenny and I. I never met such a friendly critter!

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My Online Friends Keep Me Going!

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (6)

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

It’s true, I have online friends. Friends that I may never meet in “real life”. Some people can not understand how you can actually build friendships with people over the internet. Well, you can. Shoot…just look at the J-man and I.

YES, we did meet a few times in person over the years. But it wasn’t until we found each other in the same chat room online that we started to really get to know each other, it was sorta fate the way I see it. Neither of us went into these chat rooms..I think it was AOL or something like that. Ate those still around? He lived in Texas and I lived in TN. Running into each other in person sparked the interest. But the relationship grew from getting to know each other online and over the phone. It’s been over 7 years not that we have been together and probably 11 or so years since we met for the very first time.

Then, as I became a stay at home mom again, I really needed to socialize. Socializing in person was hard having three kids, two of them being so little. My online friendships started when I was pregnant with Lauren and on bed rest. Social networking for women was getting really big. There were online groups, forums, chat rooms, etc…on every topic you could imagine.

I formed some friendships that I still have to this day! My most recent friends have come from being online as well. Being sick for over a year now kept me in constant pain with a lot of questions. When I just went through my most recent health scare people from all over the world supported me. They continue to support me. People I may never know in person! They have become awesome friends and I am so thankful for the internet so that I have this chance to know them.

It is totally possible to have a great relationship with someone that you meet online. There are people just like you out there and the easiest place to find them in online!

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4th of July Savings with Sam’s Club!

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (4)

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Moms are busy plain and simple. Whether you work in the home or out of the home we are all busy!

Planning a great 4th of July party can be made easy by getting all of your party needs in one location.

For me, that location is Sam’s Club! Sam’s has such a great meat selection. Everything is fresh and the prices are amazing.

Sam’s Club has some great party plans posted up for you right now on their Summer micro-site to help you get it together easily! Click here to check it out! We chose to go along with the Kid Friendly Party and were able to preview it for you compliments of Sam’s Club!

On the site you will find menu and party ideas for these other themes as well!

Traditional
Gourmet
On the Go
Large Scale

My family loves Ribs! I myself, eh…no ribs for me. I was able to pick up some huge Country Style Pork Ribs for our party and I want to say the package was around $10.00. These were not small ribs, they were HUGE!

I picked up Hot Dogs and Chicken Nuggets for the little’s. The Chicken Nuggets are already prepared and only required a quick heating in the oven. I also made Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and purchased Country Style Red Potato Salad. The potato salad tasted just like homemade and I can promise you that there were no leftovers!

We also picked up pre-made hamburger patties to save me even more time. Sam’s Club sells frozen patties that are terrific, but I opted for the fresh pre-made patties for our party.

I was amazed at the deal I got on buns! Mrs. Baird’s buns at the grocery store are over $2.00 for 8 of them. I picked up a package of 16 Mrs. Baird’s Hamburger Buns and a package of 16 Mrs. Baird’s Hot Dog Buns for only $1.98 each! That is a huge savings!!!

I picked up the individual packages of baked chips. This way everyone was sure to find a favorite. We also had huge bottles of ketchup and mustard.

The kiddos drink choices were a variety of individual Welch’s Juices. The kids loved them so much more than the traditional drink boxes and pouches that I normally purchase for them. I do believe these are probably a healthier option as well and came in fun summer flavors.

For desert we skipped the ice cream and instead went with Fruti all natural fruit bars. These things are so awesome! I had a sample last time we were shopping at Sam’s Club and I knew this is what I wanted to serve at our cookout. They have chunks of fruit in them and are so yummy! This will most likely be a summer staple in our freezer!

Sam’s Club has more than just the food covered! Our cutlery and plates were also from Sam’s Club. When you have a huge gathering, the last thing you want to be worried about is doing dishes. I wanted to sit back and enjoy this time with my friends and family and that is just what i did!

Entertainment was covered with Nerf toys and Super Soaker water guns! We had so much fun! The Super Soakers are highly recommended by my family as way to have fun and stay cool this summer.

So don’t spend your day running from store to store to prepare for your 4th of July party this year! Just head to Sam’s Club and pick it all up in one place. From food, decor, supplies and fun…they have you covered! Thanks Sam’s Club for letting this mama relax!

Sam’s Club provided me with a full 4th of July party pack of items and a gift card for my participation in this campaign.

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Wordless Wednesday, Damn it’s Hot!

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (4)

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Summer is here and it is hot as hell in Texas! Trying to do everything we can to stay cool! We’ve already had the AC break down and had to get a new one…ugh, the joys of Texas heat! We have been busy busy busy and I tell you what, I am worn out!

The surgery has taken a lot out of me. I find myself napping these days. Napping is something I have only done while pregnant or very sick. Even a trip to the grocery store has me wiped out and sleeping on the couch for a nap.

Today I see the Rheumatologist. I know I will be getting more labs done to see which abnormal labs were taken care of by the removal of the tumor. I do know how much my non baby weighed, but we are going to save that information for a contest for you all. So hold tight…

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Mmmmm Mmmmm Good! ConAgra Blog Tour

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (0)

Monday, June 21st, 2010

We are a grillin’ family! Especially when the summer heat kicks in. It is just not pleasant to cook in the kitchen when it is this hot! We take full advantage of the joys of outdoor cooking!

I myself am not a Hot Dog eater, but the rest of the family is. We had never tried ConAgra’s Hebrew National Hot Dogs. I sure did like what I read on the label though. Made with premium cuts of beef and no fillers, by-products, artificial flavors, colors or other nastiness was listed. This made it a better choice to feed my children in my eyes.

They were a hit, especially with Emma, she is a Hot Dog fanatic and chowed them right up! Everyone seemed to be pleased with them.

I was especially pleased with the Hunt’s No High Fructose Corn Syrup Ketchup. I hear so many bad things about High Fructose Corn Syrup, so it is nice to see that Hunt’s has ketchup that does not include that in the ingredients. Another item that I feel better about feeding my family. I really liked this Ketchup!

I love Gulden’s Mustard. The J-man doesn’t care for Mustard so he didn’t try it out, but myself and the girls all are Mustard fans and love the taste! I prefer the Spicy Brown the most!

The food choices were a hit with my family for this cookout! I would have to recommend them to my friends.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of ConAgra and received a picnic bag with samples of ConAgra products to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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