I am participating in an influencer program on behalf of Claritin®. This program is paid for by the makers of Claritin® and I have received compensation for my participation. All opinions expressed are my own. Seasonal allergies have been the bane of this family's existence for as long as I can remember. Not only did I suffer from them as a child, but now my son suffers from them as well. The problem is that he is also asthmatic, so his asthma is aggravated whenever he gets congested or irritated from his allergies. As a result, we have spent a lot of time in doctor's offices over the years. Thankfully, the Smart Allergy Mom Toolkit® by the makers of Children’s Claritin® has empowered me with the information that I need to get a handle on my son's allergies once and for all! In my son's case, he happens to be allergic to something in every season, so it has been difficult to get his allergies under control in the past. Some of the most … [Read more...]
Remove Snow Safely This Winter
How will you remove snow safely this winter? Once again, New York City is scheduled to get some snowstorms this weekend for the New Year. It's something us New Yorkers are used to with the kinds of winters we get around these parts but they still require some preparation on our part. Many people are unaware that removing snow can become a dangerous task and should be done with some caution. Unfortunately, we learned this lesson the hard way when the father of an old friend of ours suffered a heart attack while shoveling snow in front of their home. He subsequently died as a result and it was sobering to think that something like snow removal could prove to be such a perilous activity. Studies show that shoveling snow can increase a person's risk of having a heart attack. Additionally, there are other injuries that can arise from clearing snow including pulled muscles, broken bones, and hypothermia. There are some precautions that one can take to decrease these … [Read more...]
Real Women Have A Real Conversation! #AlwaysDiscreetBoutique @AlwaysDiscreet #Ad
I have become a firm believer in the fact that, in order to have a healthy lifestyle, you have to be in tune with what your body needs and honest with yourself about addressing these needs. Over the years, I have noticed that we women are not always open with one another with the changes that our bodies go through after childbirth and as we mature into our beautiful selves. One of these taboo subjects has always been Adult Incontinence, despite the fact that it is a lot more prevalent than you would think. As a matter of fact, 1 in 3 women experience bladder leaks1 and 2 in 3 who have tried bladder leak underwear avoid wearing them all together, even when they know they need them2. It's time that we have a real conversation about how AI has affected many of us. There shouldn’t have to be a tradeoff between bladder leak protection and feminine underwear that makes women feel beautiful and confident. Part of being true to all of you and to myself includes me sharing my … [Read more...]
Let’s Reduce Breast Cancer Risk Together! #BCERP #Ad
Those of you who have been following Tough Cookie Mommy for a while know that cancer advocacy is a cause that I am deeply committed to. As a Leukemia Survivor, I know all too well the importance of being proactive about my health and the medical care that I receive. Additionally, I also educate myself on the foods that I eat as well as what I expose my body to on a daily basis. In my role as a parent, I have also worked hard to impart this awareness on to my children. Since this month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is fitting that we should discuss how we can attempt to lower the risk of breast cancer by having these important conversations with our daughters, our nieces and the other women in our lives. We all try to help our children grow up healthy. But the environment around a young girl may change the way her body develops. It is too soon to say for sure that avoiding certain chemicals or foods lowers the risk of breast cancer. Still, to help protect our … [Read more...]
Teach Students Healthy Habits #Lysol #Ad
It's fitting that I should be writing this post as I currently battle pink eye in, not one, but both of my eyes! Getting sick during back to school season is one of the things that affects teachers and students alike. It's something that occurs but it can be prevented with a few precautions. Back to school supply shopping is a must-have for students, school administrators, parents and teachers know that Lysol® products are a must when it comes to keeping students healthy! Although it's difficult to prevent exposure to all germs within a school setting, Lysol® Disinfecting Wipes kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria. I am keeping illness-prevention on all of our minds this Back to School season and reminding parents to donate disinfecting products to help create a healthier classroom. This is possible with Lysol® Disinfecting Wipes and Lysol® Disinfectant Spray. Helping to stop the spread of germs in the classroom not only helps reduce a child’s absenteeism but can also be … [Read more...]
Make Your Child Feel At Ease At The Dentist
Every summer, I make sure to catch up on all of my kids' appointments since I teach full-time the rest of the year. Going to the dentist regularly is an important part of instilling good oral hygiene in my boys so we all go every six months for a checkup and a cleaning. My older son now sees the same dentist that my husband and I do because he is fourteen but our younger son still sees the pediatric dentist since he is eleven. Since we often made doctor's visits as a family, my younger son has had the opportunity of being present for his older brother's dentist appointments which has helped a lot by way of soothing his fears regarding what to expect during his own visit. I also allowed him to ask the dentist a lot of questions during my cleaning because he was very curious about the whole process. It really helped him to understand why we place so much emphasis on brushing his teeth a few times a day and flossing twice a day. Once the time came for his own dentist … [Read more...]
Keep Your Eyes Young While Aging Gracefully! @EyePromise_ZV #Ad
Recently, an old high school friend of mine shared on social media that her vision is getting worse and that it is because she is getting older. I think most of us are aware that aging can have adverse effects on our eyes but we don't really think about it much until it affects us directly. What most people don't realize is that the foods that we eat in our daily diets have a direct impact on our eye health. When I was a kid, my parents and grandparents would always tell me to eat my carrots because they were good for my eyesight. While they were partly right about the benefits on the eyes of beta-carotene, which is contained in carrots, just eating this food was not going to be enough to protect my eyes. The reality is that it's almost impossible to absorb all of the vitamins and nutrients that are required to protect vision from food alone. So you're probably wondering how you can keep your eyes young and healthy while aging gracefully and looking, as well as … [Read more...]
Be Ready For Any Emergency! @SSIGuardian #StopTheBleed #Ad
When it comes to reacting during an emergency, every second counts. This is especially true when you suddenly have to save someone's life. Believe me, as a mother of sons who play sports, I have had to deal with my share of injuries and emergencies. Having the right tools can make bleeding control more effective. Last year, my older son sustained a serious eye injury during one of his basketball games and everyone was unprepared. The coach didn't even have ice packs in his duffel bag because he had forgotten them at home. We ended up having to rush our son to urgent care and it took the entire summer, along with many doctor's appointments to make sure his eye healed properly. In some injury cases, time is of the essence and you cannot afford to be unprepared, especially when there is bleeding involved. Stop the Bleed kits include pressure dressings, gauze bandages, tourniquets, and other tools, along with … [Read more...]
How Educated Are You About Your Health Care Plan? @MyUHC #Ad
Those of you who are long-time readers of this blog know that I am a nine year Leukemia Survivor. As a result, I have had to learn how to be my own best advocate when it comes to my health. After all, you have to be an educated patient and understand your health care plan in order to navigate the medical system wisely. Open enrollment is about the begin, and for some it already has, so now is the time to acquire all the knowledge you can about health care plans in order to make the most informed decision you can. Just this past month, UnitedHealthcare launched a new site that has several engagements educating people about their health care. Learning about and purchasing a health care plan can be extremely overwhelming for many of us, but UnitedHealthcare wants to help by allowing us to take advantage of our health care by becoming empowered and learning the ins and outs of it. You can do this by using their interactive learning … [Read more...]
Set The Tone For The 2016 School Year With Visionworks! #VisionWorks #Ad
Starting the school year off on the right foot is always a very important part of the month of September for our family. That includes making sure that the kids have all of the school supplies that they need as well as ensuring physicals are up to date along with new eyeglasses. This is no easy feat since every single member of our family of four wears glasses and designer eyeglass frames can get pretty expensive. Our boys both have their own fashion sense and color preferences so they put a lot of thought and time into choosing just the right frames that will express their individual styles. Visionworks has the largest selection of kids' frames for Back to School with the bold and bright colors that have become all the rage this back to school season. Here are some of the current trends that they have for kids: Fiery reds: A hue not for the shy, frames with pops of red are perfect for your fiery spirited child, who … [Read more...]
