Coastal Eyewear

You are being redirected to the new blog.

When I was ten, I got the privilege of discovering that I was near-sighted. I have worn corrective lenses ever since. For thirty years now I have worn glasses and contact lenses. Many of my friends have chosen to get laser eye surgery. This was not an option for me; not only can I not afford it, but I am too much of a wuss to have unnecessary surgery. Therefore, glasses it is.

I am fortunate that my health insurance covers an eye exam and lenses each year. Unfortunately, I always have to choose between glasses or contact lenses. So, for the past seven years I have chosen the contacts. I have had the same pair of glasses since. Needless to say, it was time for a new pair. When I discovered that Coastal lets you get the first pair of glasses free, I did a little dance. (I did have to pay for shipping.)

70 Reasons to Love Your Birthday

Redirect to new blog You are being redirected to the new blog.

Diamond Candle Giveaway!

These Diamond Candles are so HOT right now! Every candle has a ring in it, valued between $10 and $5,000!

If you've been wanting a Diamond Candle, here's your chance!

Bargain Hound and My Frugal Wife are hosting a Diamond Candle giveaway!

And they are not giving away just one Diamond Candle, they are giving away TWO of them!

Yes, this means there will be 2 winners! Will you be a winner? Get your entries in!

The winners will have their choice of scent from the Diamond Candles website!

These look like so much fun, it makes me want to enter it myself. Come on Mommies, you want to pamper yourself - don't you?

This will run from 6/29 at 12:01 am EST through 7/13 at 11:59 pm EST.

This is open to US residents only. Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

\

TriLight Health Products Review & Giveaway

This Giveaway and review is done by SaraLee's Deals Steals & Giveaways . Personally I think the product sounds wonderful.

 So what makes Trilight unique? For over 20 years now, we at TriLight Health (formerly TriLight Herbs) have faithfully supplied our customers nationwide with our high quality line of liquid herbal products. We were the first company to specialize in great tasting, non-alcoholic herbal formulas for pregnancy, children, and the family. 

  Contains echinacea and astragalus for immune and eczema support. Also contains red root, an herb historically used to shrink swollen lymph nodes. In combination with echinacea purpurea (which has been used to cleanse and rebuild the lymph system) along with other infection fighters and blood purifiers, this formula has been used for chronic respiratory conditions, ear infections, swollen lymph nodes and tonsillitis. NR Glow is one of the all time favorites of our customers! Formulated by Lyle Bennett.
My husband has been taking this and he says that this is helping with the eczema on his arms. Also he says that it don't taste bad. I am glad that it helps with his eczema. My husband also feels more energy while working all day.

An especially delicious herbal combination which children enjoy. As a cough syrup replacement, Wild Cherry Coffaway includes expectorant herbs traditionally used to break up congestion due to colds and coughs.

Safe for kids for over 20 years!  Always a Big seller!

I was glad to have this on hand when our good friend got a summer cold. I asked them to try this and to tell me if it worked. I am please to say it did. They liked it and said the cold only lasted three days. Now I have whats left for when anyone in my family comes down with a cold.

Now for the Giveaway:  Two lucky readers will win an 8oz bottle of winners choice just by filling out the Rafflecopter below! Giveaway ends 7/12/12 Open to US.
 a Rafflecopter giveaway RC Share code: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YzA2MWUyZmNlNzExNDIyOTg3YWNlZjc1MDQ1NjY4OjYw/

Exercise

This year I have been noticing that I have not had the energy that I need in order to get through my day. I was told that exercise would boost my energy. What? Exercise makes me tired..and sore...and sweaty. Why the heck would I want to do that? Well, according to science, it does a lot for you. According to the Mayo Clinic, "physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores." Not to mention, it boosts health, maintains weight, enhances mood, and  improves sleep. Okay, I am sold.
I guess this means I will be scheduling exercise into my lesson plans. I have not really taken exercise seriously before, as my job had always kept me moving. So, I have done some research to try to find some exercise plans that are free and require very little equipment. This is what I found.

1. Body Rock TV would be an easy way to do have a regular routine. It is an online program that schedules new workouts regularly. It requires very little equipment and is free. All you do is log in and do the daily routine. It has 5 routines a week and two rest days.
2. Woman's Health magazine has printable workouts with fantastic explanations. They are free and once again require very little equipment. I think the bikini workout looks very interesting because it is a plan that has three different routines that you do for six days. Then, you have one rest day. It is recommended for 21 days. There are so many great workouts on this site.
3. Livestrong wrote this great article on how to exercise as a family. I love some of the ideas. I think the dancing together is a great idea and I plan on using the video games that we have at home in order to do so. My kids love their gaming system and I think if I could convince them to do 30 minutes of dancing with me, I could get my exercise in as well as spend quality time with them.
4. Prevention magazine also has some great workouts. I have always been interested in yoga. The yoga workouts (among others) on this site look interesting. Plus, this would be a nice way to try something new without a large investment.
5. Divine.ca is a great website. Select what part of your body you want to work on and it will give you different exercises for that specific area.
6. Hiking is a great activity for the family and is often free (we usually have to pay for parking). Trails.com is an excellent resource for finding local trails and for getting information. I like the feature that allows you to create a profile and save the hikes that you are interested in.

My plan is to make weight and inches goals using a measurement tracker. I will then pick a workout plan and do it for three weeks with a sprinkle of family workouts as well. I will check my measurements weekly and check for progress. If the workout is interesting and is working, I will continue it. Otherwise I try different workouts until I find the one I want. Also, workouts will need to vary based on the results I am looking for. For example, I am not happy with the jiggling in my arms, so I will want to choose plans that address that.

What's Free

You are being redirected to the new blog
One of the most important things you need to make mommy lesson plans successful is knowing what activities are free in your area. I have discovered that there are some businesses that offer free activities for kids to do. Unfortunately, most of them are on the weekend. But, the way I look at it, the hubby and I can take tuns taking the kids to these events and give each other a little bit of alone time. Here are the freebies that I have found so far.

1. Lakeshore has free crafts every Saturday from 11 - 3.
2. Click on the link to find out what this weekend's craft is.
   Family Weekend Science is one of the Museum's founding programs. The Program was created to offer new experiences to repeat visitors. This year Family Weekend Science is featuring Critter Connections, with live animal encounters. Weekend Science - Activities every Saturday beginning at 11:15 A.M. & 1:15 P.M. and Sunday 1:15 P.M. Note: All activities are subject to change and will be done while supplies last. 
   Critter Connections - Come face-to-face with one of the Museum's live inhabitants! Connections are every Saturday at 11:00 A.M. & 1:00 P.M., and Sunday at 1:00 P.M. FREE ADMISSION for Bank of America customers on the first full weekend of every month in 2011.
3. Lowes - Saturdays at 10 am. "From project basics to giving your child the opportunity to say, "I built it!", our Build and Grow kid's clinics are a great way to help build confidence! Bring the kids into any Lowe's store and build a FREE wooden project. Each participant also receives a free apron, goggles, a project themed patch, and a certification of merit upon completion of their project."
4. "The Home Depot's Kids Workshops offer useful projects including the creation of toolboxes, fire trucks and mail organizers, as well as more educational projects, such as a window birdhouse, bughouse or Declaration of Independence frame kit. The workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills and tool safety, while at the same time helping to instill a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, this fun time allows for quality one-on-one time between adults and children.
   
   In addition to the newly constructed project kit, each child receives a kid-sized orange apron, similar to The Home Depot associates' aprons, and an achievement pin."
   5. Star Nursery Kids Garden Club is for Kids from 3 to 11 years of age every other Saturday. Parents or Guardian presence required. For registration, please click HERE. 
   6. Avengers Assemble at Disney Store!
   • Junior Avengers training and orientation at Disney Store. Come dressed as your favorite Avenger!
     Choose from one of the following Saturdays:
     May 5 or May 12
     Session 1 – 10:30 am
     Session 2 – 11:30 am
     Session 3 – 12:30 pm
     *Minimum age for participation is 3 years. Event limited per session based on store capacity. No lineups prior to 30 minutes before event begins. Event subject to change or cancellation without notice. Call store for more information.