It’s 11pm and I can hear a kid up who can’t sleep for coughing! Nooo! We can’t have any more sickness in this house! Well, Sammie has sick days available, but, the boys sure don’t! And it is Patrick that is coughing!

Our little mini-district has a five-absence-per-semester rule - after that the children need doctor’s notes in order for their absences to be excused. And if your absence is unexcused, your grades for that day’s work? Zeros! Ack! Zeros? That’s terrible.

A lot of times kids get sick and it doesn’t warrant a trip to the doctor. This is a hard rule to follow.

We just had our town Christmas parade, and Patrick and the school band were in it - so hopefully he just got chilled and his allergies are acting up. He doesn’t usually catch the infections that are going around, and if he’s just ’sort of’ sick, I’m not taking him to the doctor - just to ‘buy’ an excused absence! That’s $50 for an excuse note!

No more coughing, kid! And most definitely, for sure - no

This is just really strange. We all have to get checked out like common criminals just to get our cold medicines, because, amateur chemists like to do funny things with them. But the funny thing is that they (the amateur chemists) turn them into uppers. But, when I take them, they turn me into the zombie queen. (A zombie queen who should just maybe, refrain from writing… ah well!) Anyhoo, the Sudafed I usually get doesn’t usually zombie me out too badly, just a touch, but, my husband accidentally picked up the wrong one. The reason he didn’t notice that it was the wrong one is that it only has two little, bitty letters added onto the end of it. And let me tell you - them’s some STRONG little, bitty letters. Meet the ‘Blog-Posting Zombie Queen’! Yikes! This stinks.

And yet, when the rotten, creepo, street chemists tinker with this stuff, they turn it into UPPERS. Maybe I should be buying it from them, you know?

No drivers license checks, no forms to fill out, no signatures needed - and I get enough energy plus some, to clean the house, or run and play at the park with the kids!

Or maybe the ‘real chemists’ could take classes from the ’street chemists’. I mean,think of it - the pharmacists are turning us all into zombified space cadets, and the street punks are turning out a bunch of super-charged, energized go-getters!

What’s wrong with this picture?

Has anyone ever said that to you? Did you go out one night and impulsively have the dumbest thing ever tattooed on your body? Or did you break the cardinal rule and have someone’s name (besides your mother’s) permanently inked on your body? Yikes!

Often, people come to discover that they don’t really like ‘fairies’ forever. Or maybe you’re pretty sure you aren’t happy having a bar code on your neck anymore. Whatever the case may be, you want to get your tattoo removed, and you have to be careful about what method you choose.

There has actually been a ban on the over the counter bleaching creams, by the FDA - I had not heard about that until today. They apparently can cause cancer. That is definitely scary. But there is a safer way of tattoo removal than creams, and it is also more cost effective than laser removal. It is called TCA and it is a non-prescription skin peeling agent and it has been used for much more than just tattoo removals.

InkBusters.com Press Release

Headline: FDA bans Tattoo Removal Creams?

San Diego - With the launch of it’s new website, Inkbusters.com warns the public about possible health risks associated with using tattoo removal creams purchased on the Internet. The new site states “many” tattoo removal creams sold online contain Hydroquinone, which is usually the active ingredient in skin bleaching creams.

In August 2006 the FDA proposed a ban on over the counter skin bleaching creams containing Hydroquinone due to concerns about Cancer and Exogenous Ochronosis. This proposed ban is similar to those already enacted in Japan, France, Great Britain and Australia for the same reasons.

InkBusters.com CEO Rick Barker notes, “Indirectly—and probably without knowing it—the FDA is saying they think the tattooed public may be at risk if they use tattoo removal creams containing Hydroquinone. This is particularly true when you consider most skin bleaching cream makers––prescription or OTC––never recommend Hydroquinone be used more than 4-6 months for maximum effect. Many tattoo removal cream makers online offer supplies well beyond this recommended period.”

InkBusters.com sells TCA at its website to help consumers remove tattoos in a natural non-laser fashion. TCA is a popular non-prescription skin-peeling agent commonly used by doctors, health spas and private individuals to remove fine lines, wrinkles and acne scars on the face. TCA has twice been medically tested and proven to fade and/or remove tattoos on the body. TCA looks and feels like water and is applied with a q-tip. There is no Hydroquinone in TCA.

I would love to try this organic skin lightener by Emerge Skin Care! I used to get compliments on my youthful complexion all the time! That just doesn’t happen anymore! It’s such a bummer, because, that is one of the things that I was most proud of, as far as physical features, that is. And so I’ve been thinking about how to better take care of my skin so that it can look better and be healthier than it has been.

One of those things I have been wanting to do is wear sunblock on a regular basis, and this has SPF 30, so that is perfect! I could get rid of blemishes and discolorations, and at the same time be protected from the sun! And it has both UVA and UVB sunscreens.

You can use it on your hands, as well as your face, and any skin type can use it.

It has antioxidants and Vitamin C, and also nourishes your skin. I really, really want to try this stuff!

I really have a lack of energy lately. I mean, I’ve always kind of been that way - ever since I was a child. I can remember being at soccer practice and just wishing that the hour would hurry up and finish. Funny, I never felt that way when I was at gymnastics. I guess a passion for the activity distracted me from my tired body. I think blogging does that for me a lot these days, too. That is definitely a cool thing.

My mom and my grandma had it, too, so I always just kind of figured it would be something I would have to live with. And with triple digit temperatures right now, I guess it’s not really surprising to feel weak. But you know, I’ve often wondered about getting a colon cleanse, because, I’ve heard so much good stuff about them. People talk about how they felt immediately energetic, and they felt better than they have felt in years. Some people even say they felt better than they ever have. But I was talking to my mother-in-law about it one day, and she said that she had one years ago. And she said that she didn’t notice any difference in the way that she felt. So I wonder if all that I’ve heard is just advertising bologna.

Oh well, one thing that I know to do is to drink more water. That always makes me feel better. And with these scorching temperatures, hydrating myself is definitely a good thing!

Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease that affects more than five million people in the United States alone! Every seventy-two seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s. It is a progressive and serious brain disease, for which we have no cure.

The first known case of the disease was a woman named Auguste D., who was treated by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1901. She became bedridden very quickly, and died in 1906, of infections from bedsores and pneumonia. Since he had never seen anyone like Auguste before, Dr. Alzheimer got the family’s permission to perform an autopsy. He found dramatic shrinkage in her brain, especially of the cortex. And under the microscope he found widespread fatty deposits and dead and dying cells. The disease was entered into the medical literature in 1907.

One hundred years - and we still have no cure. That is mind-boggling and heartbreaking. We need to get on the MOVE to finding a cure! And there is one way that we all can do that! There are walks happening around the country to raise money for awareness and to find a cure for this horrible condition. The walks are spearheaded by the Alzheimer’s Association and are called Memory Walks. I’m sure you can find one in your area. I live in a little bitty town and I found one just forty miles from me - I was really impressed with that!

You can sign up as a Team Captain for the Memory Walk, and recruit people to walk with you and to help raise funds. It would be great to sign up early, so you can get a start on your fundraising. Oh, and the walks are really great, because, they are only two to three mile walks. So even those of us not in the best of shape should be able to handle it just fine!

Now that is the perfect way to start my day! A nice, hot cup of coffee in my favorite cup and some Freeze It Pain Relief Gel rubbed on my sore shoulders! I know I’ve talked before here about having migraines, and often I wake up in the morning with my neck and shoulders hurting. And that pain almost always leads me into a day of icky head trauma. So nipping it in the bud is of paramount importance for me. And I have never found anything that does such a good job of it as Freeze It! I received some Freeze It samples the other day, and knew exactly what I would use them for! I was so excited to discover how well it works!

I usually use Icy Hot, but, I can only use it on my shoulders and be really careful not to get it on my neck because it burns my neck like crazy for some reason. I tentatively spread the Freeze It on, letting my fingers rub just slightly up on my neck and discovered that it doesn’t burn at all! So I went ahead and put it on my shoulders and my neck! That is probably a large part of why it worked so well. I mean, when you are only putting the cream on half of the pain, that is going to maybe work and maybe not work. But on those mornings when I wake up like that, the pain is definitely connected from my shoulders to my neck!

It was also much less greasy than Icy Hot, and easier to clean off of my hands once I was through applying it. They do, however, have a roll-on, which is another positive mark in their court! That would make application so easy! And I can buy two roll-ons for just about $15 - that is a good deal, considering how long they will surely last.

Another really awesome point about Freeze It, is that it didn’t get my shirts all gunky. When I use Icy Hot, it ruins my shirts! The stain from Icy Hot is still on some of my shirts even after washing them! Freeze It totally didn’t mess up my shirts!

That first morning that I used it I was so excited, because, I had forgotten that I had put it on, but, I also forgot that I had woken up with any pain that day!!! I gently stretched my neck back and forth in each direction, and I didn’t feel ANY pain! Any other method I’ve used to get rid of that pain (Icy Hot, ibuprofen, hot pad, etc.) usually leaves at least some residual pain. In fact, once I do wake up with that pain, I usually have it for at least a week and sometimes longer. But the pain was completely gone! I was totally floored!

I’m so glad that I got these samples, and I am definitely stocking up on some Freeze It! Chronic migraines are a real downer! You can ask my kids. “No honey, we can’t do that today, Mom has a headache…” If I just had a penny for all the times I had to tell my kids that, we’d all be set for life! So anything that can help me avoid those nasty headaches is a WINNER in my book!

Freeze It ROCKS!!!

A lot of drug addicts become drug addicts by a much different route than those of us who were partying, having a good time, looking for a high. These other drug addicts maybe had surgery with an extended recovery period, or maybe they suffer from chronic pain. And they wind up addicted to their pain pills. It might not even be that their surgical recovery was so bad. They might have had some other stress in their life happen at the time they were trying to recover, and so they convinced themselves they were in pain, when they really weren’t - so they could take extra pills. I knew of one mother, who was very stressed out in young motherhood, with an active alcoholic husband, and her doctor prescribed pills to help her cope with everything. And next thing you know, she was lying on the couch all day unable to function. The thing that is so scary about prescription drug addiction is that the rationalization works so much ‘better’. “My doctor prescribed this for pain… to help me calm down… etc” So they often get to lie to others around them, and usually do succeed in lying to themselves about the true reason for popping so many pills.

For those who need help, however, there is a great service that can help you find appropriate services. Finding prescription drug addiction treatment can be an overwhelming process, but, with 1-800-nodrugs.com to guide you, it can be a lot easier. They are a non-profit service that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And there is never a charge for their services. They have compassionate, caring counselors available to talk to at all times to assist you in finding the appropriate drug rehab for you or your family member. I think that’s an amazing thing, really - it can just be so scary dealing with drug abuse, and knowing which action to take that’s best for the addicted family member can be hard. And if you don’t know where to turn, this can certainly be a good place to start.

I am not very good about eating my vegetables! I have gotten to where I will try to at least eat some fruit every day, but, I’m a little more stubborn with veggies. Well, here is an interesting idea - how about drinking your veggies? Or mixing them into your favorite foods? With these single serve packets, we can all do just that! Each packet of My Daily Veggies, which is a delicious blend of whole dried vegetables, contains two full servings of whole vegetables. Now this is cool, ya’ll, because we can mix this into soups, dips, or drink mixed into water. Hey! I’d like to try it on a baked potato - that might be really good! And the cool thing is you can try it out for free for 7 days! You can get a My Daily Veggies Free Sample and see if it really helps you out to get your daily allotment of vegetables. There are no added salt, sugar, or preservatives - it’s only 35 calories per serving, and it’s 95% dried whole vegetables and 5% dried whole vegetable extracts. This might be the perfect solution to getting more vegetables into my unhealthy body. And also into my middle child, who won’t touch vegetables with a ten foot pole!

It is so bad, and so totally unhealthy of me! It’s been gnawing at me lately that I really need to start thinking about changing my ways! Yep - it’s time to make The Switch! My SIL came home from the the store the other night with my nephew, and my nephew was so excited he was skipping and singing! See, he’s not allowed to drink soda. However, his mother found a ’soda’ that he could have. It is an all natural 100% juice ’soda’!! And you know what? It’s good - it’s really good! So DJ and I are excited! He gets to have a special ‘treat’ and be a big boy and drink ’soda’! And I have a good way to get my unhealthy arse off soda!! That is totally cool!

So let me tell you a little bit about them - they are 100% fruit juice and 100% carbonated. They have no preservatives, no corn syrup, no sugar added, and best of all - no mystery ingredients! I like that part! It’s annoying and kind of freaky to read the labels on food and drinks and have no idea what the heck those ingredients are!!

The 12 ounce bottles have 1.5 servings per bottle, and there are 120 calories per serving. And there is also 100% vitamin C!

When we get home, I’m definitely going to have to get myself some of these!! Tracy got them at Target, but, we only have Wal-Mart in our town. I sure hope Wal-Mart sells it, too! And I know, I know - a ‘good’ hippie wouldn’t even shop at Wal-Mart - but, the nearest Target is 20 miles away, and the Winn Dixie is way too expensive, so I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. Hey, my own mother tolerates it, so I don’t want any flack from the blogosphere, ok? Alrighty then!

Now ya’ll all go out and make the big Switch!!
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