Friday, September 30, 2011

Katie Long- It Works Independent Distributor

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Katie was so generous and gave me a wrap to try. I was excited because the results that I had seen in pictures looked promising. She was VERY prompt with shipping and super helpful and kind. I wasn't sure that it was going to do anything for me really. Once it got here I had to wait a week because AF decided to make a stop and apparently results aren't as profound, so I waited. The first thing I noticed though when I did get to use it was, it smelled DIVINE and had a nice little tingle to it. I took my before hand measurements, put the wrap on, and left it on for 15 hours took measurements again. Commenced in drinking tons of water and took measurements again two days later.

I saw results! I was really skeptical to start with, I was amazed that there was a difference. Granted I didn't get the huge results that some did but I for sure got results!

After only 15 hours I had a 1" difference. 48 hrs later I had a 3" total difference.  I would definitely consider using more of the products in conjunction with a total fitness program. I think that would be the way to get optimum results.





I didn't take pictures of me using the wrap... I KNOW no one wants to see ALL that lol I did borrow some pictures of others proudly displayed results.

Katie was great, she answered questions, checked back up on me and was a pleasure to deal with. I highly recommend working with her!

She has graciously offered up a wrap to one lucky reader! Katie is also currently running a special of a free wrap when signing as a loyal and 4 wraps when signing as a distributor.

To enter complete the Mandatory entry below, contest ends October 7, 2011 11 pm est.

Each entry should be entered as a separate comment, a winner will be chosen at random via random.org. The winner will be emailed and posted on Mama Digs It facebook page . Winner will have 48 hrs to contact me before I draw a new winner. DO NOT contact the sponsor directly, I will be the facilitator. To be contacted via email please leave your email address in each comment.





Do you know how?

Some of my readers know and some do not.... We had the unfortunate privileged of dealing with a burn crisis in our home. Ansel my 21 mo old was in the kitchen with me, right at my heels while I was cooking.  He was beyond ready for lunch,  bombarding me with his array of , "I want to eat, I want a dot dog, I want noonles, dot dog, dot dog," I clearly wasn't moving fast enough for him. All the while I kept telling him to go sit at the table, get away from the stove because it was HOT. I had just finished making the Mac N Cheese for him, had moved the pot from the front burner to the back burner, and turned the front burner off. 

By some miracle I was able to catch his hand before he put his WHOLE hand on the burner, but not quick enough to avoid it all together. Ansel touched that screaming hot electric stove burner with his little cute chubby fingers. All the while he reached up he said "no, hot, don't touch" and then screamed in tremendous pain.  Brian rushed in and took him to run cool water on the burn, I was on the phone talking to my sister as well, and I heard Brian say, "Heather gotta go NOW, it's bad." My heart sank.

After the call to the pediatrician, visit to the ER, and a dx with an rx, I realized...I didn't know exactly how to treat my poor little ones emergency.

I started on google when I found the need to know how to wrap his hand and keep it dressed. He was pulling his dressing off quicker then I could get it put on.  Then I expanded, determined that I would KNOW what to do if, heaven forbid, it should ever  happen again.

This is information that EVERYONE should know, not just Mom's, not just care takers... EVERYONE.

Burns are classified into three degrees...



First-degree burn
The least serious burns are those in which only the outer layer of skin is burned, but not all the way through. The skin is usually red, with swelling, and pain sometimes is present. Treat a first-degree burn as a minor burn.

Second-degree burn
When the first layer of skin has been burned through and the second layer of skin (dermis) also is burned, the injury is called a second-degree burn. Blisters develop and the skin takes on an intensely reddened, splotchy appearance. Second-degree burns produce severe pain and swelling.




Third-degree burn
The most serious burns involve all layers of the skin and cause permanent tissue damage. Fat, muscle and even bone may be affected. Areas may be charred black or appear dry and white.



While not all burns of course require emergency medical help, do you know the most effective way to treat them?

Did you know that most 2nd degree burns are treated as minor but there is a line where you treat them as urgent as a 3rd degree burn?

Uh yeah I didn't know all this information either, and the Mommy guilt is KILLING me!

So the line to be drawn... when is it more emergent?

1st degree burns- Treat a first-degree burn as a minor burn unless it involves substantial portions of the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or a major joint, which requires emergency medical attention.

2nd degree burns- If the burned area is larger or if the burn is on the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or over a major joint, treat it as a major burn and get medical help immediately.

Keep in mine proportions as you are reading this. These proportions are going to be subjective. Substantial on an infant or toddler is not going to be substantial on a 10 yr old or an adult.

While Ansel's burn was the majority a 2nd degree burn, it was .5-.75 cm on his finger, sounds minimal but that was 3/4 of his finger! There was a minimal area that was classified as 3rd degree as well.

So how to treat MINOR burns:

1. COOL IT DOWN! Hold the burned area under cool (not cold) running water for 10 or 15 minutes or until the pain subsides. If this is impractical, immerse the burn in cool water or cool it with cold compresses. Cooling the burn reduces swelling by conducting heat away from the skin. Don't put ice on the burn. Doing so can cause frost bite, skin damage, and in some cases hypothermia.




2. Cover the burn with a sterile gauze bandage. Don't use fluffy cotton, or other material that may get lint in the wound. Wrap the gauze loosely to avoid putting pressure on burned skin. Treat with an antibiotic ointment. Bandaging keeps air off the burn, reduces pain and protects blistered skin.

3.  Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 2, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns.

Minor burns usually heal without further treatment. Sometimes they'll be a different color for a while. You shouldn't try to tan the discolored area, and always use a sunscreen. If the area increases in redness, pain, or swelling seek additional medical attention.

DO NOT apply butter, eggs, honey, spit, or anything of the like to a burn. It needs to be kept clean and relatively dry to avoid infection.

Do NOT pop any blisters that may appear, that introduces the risk of infection. They will burst on their own, at which point continue to keep them clean and dry and watch for signs of infection.

What about major burns? Is treatment different? YES!!! 

For major burns, call 911 or emergency medical help. Until an emergency unit arrives, follow these steps: 

1. Don't remove burned clothing. However, do make sure the victim is no longer in contact with smoldering materials or exposed to smoke or heat.

2. Don't immerse large severe burns in cold water. Doing so could cause a drop in body temperature (hypothermia) and deterioration of blood pressure and circulation (shock).

3.  Elevate the burned body part or parts. Raise above heart level, when possible.

4. Cover the area of the burn. Use a cool, moist, sterile bandage; clean, moist cloth; or moist towels.

As most 3rd degree burns are a result of fires and other usual high risk situations, you will want to also check for the ABC's which is Airway, Breathing, Circulation... report to emergency and start CPR if you are trained to do so if the need is there.

It is a scary thing when you don't know what to do, or how to know when it's emergent and when it's not. If you think it's more emergent, get help don't just sit and wonder! NO ONE will fault you for being overly cautious...

I have made this information accessible to my family, and in an area should any baby sitter need it. I hope to heaven I never need it again, but dang it I KNOW it now if I do!

Make sure you know it too, don't wait until the unthinkable happens, google it now, find out NOW so that you are prepared when the situation arises!

Thanks to the mayo clinic web page and University of Utah web page for the information gathered.











Thursday, September 22, 2011

Accountable Kids

Accountable Kids is a unique program designed to teach accountability and responsibility in the home. No more entitlement. My kids were off the charts on this frame of thought. They were consistently demonstrating their thoughts on entitlement and how they had RIGHTS, the right to do this, the right to do that... no more! It is a back-to-basics system which includes parenting principles and concrete stepping stones that strengthen relationships and build a foundation for raising up good hard working people. Children learn to balance choices and consequences in a fun, productive manner.  They experience the joy of being a vital, contributing member of the family and develop confidence and self-worth. The Accountable Kids program includes a book, Quick Start streaming video, Progress Board, 50 Reminder Cards, 3 blank Reminder Cards, 10 Tickets, 10 Bonus Bucks, 3 Special Date Cards, 4 Best Behavior Cards, and 2 Privilege Passes, and 2 sticker sheets.
All of this was included in my basic package. I also got additional sets for the rest of the kids.

It took me an evening to read the book, it gave me an understanding on how to gauge what level of thinking my kids were capable, while not perfect it was pretty darn close to right on.

I will say the changes have been enormous, some easy, and some very hard. There are days that there are major melt downs, but those are becoming fewer and farther between. I am not perfect, it's not just a program for the kids, it helps me to be a better mom too.  The hardest part has been on Grandma, she doesn't like to not have the TV on, but really it HAD to be done. Now my kids don't just veg in front of the TV, they read, they get their homework done, most of their chores, and are from what I can see happier. We are all more productive because the entitlement mentality has been removed.

The basics of the program:


1. Chore Cards-There are chores that are a MUST, they are the basics they must complete as a contributing member of the house hold.  Right now it consists mostly of getting dressed and personal hygiene because we were having struggles with that, the kids getting teeth brushed, hair brushed etc. Soon all of those individual chores will turn into one card to encompass getting dressed etc. They do a chore in the afternoon along with homework and practicing music, and then in the evening they have a chore along with all the bed time stuff, (ie getting ready for bed, brushing teeth, showering etc.)
There are TONS of different chores to choose from, and some that are general enough that you can use and modify to make them work for you!


2. Reward Tickets- the kids get a reward ticket for each time of day they complete their chores, so up to 3 tickets a day. Morning, Afternoon, Evening. If they complete each designated chore in the area they earn a ticket. If they do not complete each chore, they get thanked for what they did complete but no ticket. That one has been hard, they don't like not getting their tickets.  They then turn the tickets into activities they want to do, such as, playing video games, watching tv, going outside to play etc.

3.Date Cards- for every week of completion they get one sticker added to their special date cards. Once the cards are filled up they get to plan a special date with just them and either Mom or Dad. This teaches them the difference between planned rewards and instant gratification. The program suggested doing the date card stickers for each day they did with perfection, I chose to do it weekly because they are older and perfectly capable of doing their chores easily.

4. Bonus Bucks- these are paid chores. Things that I need help with, and need to be done and that I am willing to pay them for. What we do is take what they were getting as a weekly allowance and turned that into what we are now rewarding for paid chores. Things get done so much quicker and easier then if I had just given them the money.

5. Helping Hands- not only do they have their basic chores, they also have a helping hands card. This card is apart of their basic chores, but it's more then that. They use helping hands to provide at least one act of service for a family member. This is random and unprompted, they get to choose what they do. It is so fun to see them provide an act of service for one another.

6. Family Meeting- we incorporate the family meeting in with our Family Home Evening. We go over how we thought the week went, what we can do to contribute more and to make the week better. We still have a LONG way to go but we are working hard to make our family one that Heavenly Father intended it to be.


Overall the program has helped us immensely, we have been able to incorporate it into our household fairly easily. There has been change, there has been tears, there has been laughter. Overall they are learning that things had to change. We started Ansel on it now because it will be easier for him to go with it later when we get full into it with him then if we just introduce it and start fresh when he is 3.

On a scale of 1-5 I would give Accountable Kids a 4, and only because it would be SO much easier if I could keep track of tickets online as well as the boards. 
We love that the boards were such that we could personalize them, the kids had fun picking out images to put on their boards that represented them.
 You have the option for ordering it laser etched with your child's name
 Or customizing it yourself
Or leaving it natural. We opted to decopage ours with the kids names and an image that they chose.
 James chose an archer and a pokemon dude, Madilyne chose a fairy ballerina, and Ansel chose the sharks from finding Nemo.


Accountable Kids program is for SURE something that I'd reccomend, and have seen it change our household for the better. We are only a month in but I see positive changes already and can only see where my kids can go from here!

Accountable Kids has been generous and offered a 10% off coupon for EVERYONE who'd like to purchase their system!
 www.accountablekids.com

use code 9728B at check out.



 

Monday, September 19, 2011

Happy New Year!

A year ago today I wrote my very first blog post on Mama Digs It. I dove into the review and give away blog scene full on. In one year I have gained over 2000 fans, 307 blog subscribers, and a couple few twitter followers.. though I still need to figure twitter out, but I digress.

I still love writing, I still LOVE reviewing, and I now have MORE time to dedicate to it!
I will be getting  more products for review, as well as adding in some other things, like deals steals, and just general fun.


I am thankful for my readers, and grateful to my sponsors. Much love and dedication goes out to each and everyone of my readers and fans, without you, I couldn't do what I LOVE doing.



I had intended on a birthday celebration, alas... time got away from me. I will do something fun though for October!

Thank you for your continued support!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Flexi Clip Winner

Congrats! Ansley, you have 48 hrs to email me at mamadigsit@gmail.com with your choice and address to pass on!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Adrienne Smith: Lilla Rose

***CLOSED***

Adrienne asked me if I would be interested in reviewing a flexi clip. I LOVE hair clips, bows, pretties of all kinds for Madilyne. When I said yes, I ordered something for ME instead of her. I love these flexi clips.  They are easy to use, easy to figure out which size is right for you, and for someone who wears their hair up most of the time, gives me flexibility and variety without too much hassle.

From Adrienne's facebook fan page: "The Lilla Rose product line centers around unique, functional, and well made hair jewelry. From the Flexi Hair Clip, Lilla Rose expanded to Hair Sticks, O-Rings, Hairbands, and Bobby Pins. Lilla Rose also offers complimentary designed Eyeglass Holders, Badge Holders, Necklaces, and Earrings."  I love the products and can easily see myself expanding into trying their other products.

We all know the famous, or should I say infamous,  plastic claw hair clips? You know you all have at least 5 like this and all have broken teeth. They hurt, are uncomfortable, and don't really hold the hair well.





I have a hard time with elastics even sometimes, I have baby fine hair but tons of it. My hair is long, past my shoulders. I used a large clip and was able to get it all up, tight and secure and with no extra hair pins.
I originally had gotten this cute dragon fly clip.



But I lost it... I am sure it's behind my head board or something on my bed. I'd go to sleep forgetting I had it in and would take it off in bed. I will go on a search and rescue mission later. So then I purchased two more, one for me and one for the princess.




I got another Large for me and a small for Madilyne. She LOVES pink, pretty, and dangly. It held up well in her baby fine hair.  There are so many different ways you can use this clip to style your hair. From french twists, tails up, pony tails, half up and more. You can see different style ideas at the website too.

Here is a comparison picture for sizing that I found from Adrienne's pictures.

And a picture of what it looks like open. This is THE BEST hair clip I've ever used!
You can see they are metal, but not uncomfortable at all! The figure 8 piece flexes and the stick has three notches in it to adjust how tight it is. Very sturdy, very very comfortable, and super pretty!
They aren't priced like gold either, $15 for the non dangly ones, and $20 for the dangly ones.

Thanks to Adrienne for introducing me to these amazing clips, and one lucky person is going to win!
Winner chooses a clip of their choice from the $15 styles.


To enter complete the Mandatory entry below, contest ends September 14, 2011 11 pm est.

Each entry should be entered as a separate comment, a winner will be chosen at random via random.org. The winner will be emailed and posted on Mama Digs It facebook page . Winner will have 48 hrs to contact me before I draw a new winner. DO NOT contact the sponsor directly, I will be the facilitator. To be contacted via email please leave your email address in each comment.

Mandatory Entry:
Visit Adrienne Smith: Lilla Rose and tell me what flexi clip you'd choose- 1 entry

Additional Entries:
Become a fan of Adrienne Smith: Lilla Rose on facebook- 1 entry
Become a fan of Mama Digs It on facebook- 1 entry
Follow my blog publicly- 1 entry
Follow Mama Digs It on twitter- 1 entry
Share this give away limited to twice a day-1 entry

Purchase a carrier from a retailer for Adrienne Smith: Lilla Rose, email me the invoice and receive one extra entry for every .50 spent excluding taxes and shipping. MUST be dated during the give away.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Getting back into the saddle again!

After a hiatus and getting the kids settled in school I am ready to come back at it full force. I've been around nearly a year and enjoy every minute of it.

I will be looking for and taking new sponsors, offering up ad space, and will be including more posts of my other favorite things...

I hope you enjoy and thanks for hanging around with me!