*This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CampaignHashtag #CollectiveBias Most nights, I often have a lot on mind about everything from what I am going to teach my students the next day to what project my sons have due for school. This is a given for someone like me who juggles having a full-time career and a family, among other things. What I don't want to have to worry about when I'm trying to go to sleep is bladder leakage because, although it is a reality for many women, it's not something that should be keeping me from a good night's sleep. After having two children, bladder leakage can definitely be an issue at times but I manage to keep feeling confident with protection for the Unexpected Leak™, with TENA® incontinence products for women. I love that they are designed for comfort and made for performance while allowing me to do the things I love, without missing out on any moment or experience. If you … [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...]
Ladies, Your Financial Future Awaits! #OwnMyFuture @Prudential @SheSpeaks #Ad
*This post was sponsored by SheSpeaks for Prudential. All opinions are 100% my own. I can still remember the first time that I started thinking about my long-term finances. It was in September of 2000 and I had just started a new job as a NYC public school teacher. As I was filling out papers for my pension, another veteran teacher sat down next to me and advised me on the importance of starting to think about my retirement from an early age. At that moment, I recall stifling a chuckle because nothing was further from my twenty two year old mind. She persisted and went on to tell me how women's social security benefits are 27% lower than that of their male counterparts.* This statistic shocked me as well as the fact that she shared with me that she had failed to make those important financial decisions at the beginning of her career. As a result, her pension consultation had left her disappointed and worried about her future. That day, my eyes were fully open to … [Read more...]
Get Back Out There And Live With Impressa! #LivePadFree @walmart @poise #ad
This might come as a surprise to some of you but there are some changes that come about after having children that aren't always considered a blessing. Not sure what I'm talking about? Imagine worrying about every little sneeze or cough giving birth to a potentially embarrassing moment, pun intended. Yes, I am referring to those little leaks that no woman wants to talk about. The thing is that we should be talking about them so we could tell each other that there is help out there in the form of Poise Impressa ® Bladder Supports! As the holidays are quickly approaching, we all look forward to spending valuable time with our loved ones and friends. However, nobody wants to have to worry about laughing a little too hard or the odors that are involved with suffering from bladder leakage. It's definitely not a pretty picture but now we can all feel empowered to get out there and do all of the … [Read more...]
Tips For Getting Thicker, Fuller Hair! #RogaineRevival @DuaneReade @JNJCares #Giveaway #Ad
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending an event co-hosted by celebrity hairstylist, Jill Crosby. It was nice to get pampered for a couple of hours and to enjoy a little "me" time. The event was held at the fabulous Salon Ziba in Manhattan and we all learned some tips and tricks for getting thicker, fuller hair. After all, what woman doesn't want to boast a glorious head of hair? According to Jill Crosby, one of the biggest hair issues that her clients have is the desire to have thick hair that looks full and healthy. I had the privilege of spending some time with Jill and getting some tips directly from her on how I could maintain the fullness of my hair: Setting heat styling products on the highest setting can damage your hair. It's better to style your hair using a moderate heat setting instead. Using thermal sprays on hair before applying heat during styling can protect your hair from unnecessary damage. A great haircut can add volume and fullness to your … [Read more...]
It’s Not A Taboo Subject Anymore! #DropYourPants #Underwareness @Depend #Ad
Ever since becoming a mom, I have realized that there are many topics surrounding pregnancy and childbirth that some women never talk about because they are not so pleasant. One of those subjects is bladder leakage and, let me tell you, it might not be sexy but it is definitely a reality for a lot of us after having kids. It's a common misconception that this condition only affects older people because I'm 37 years old and I've had my own experiences with it already. After giving birth to our second son, I noticed that sneezing and coughing hard would sometimes cause me to have a little bladder leakage. Other times, I would just notice that it would happen during the day while engaging in everyday activities like working or walking. I was embarrassed by it at first but, over time, I have learned to accept it since most of the women in our family are open about going through it as well since having kids. To deal with my slight bladder leakage, I've used pantyliners … [Read more...]
Why Do Women Put Up With This?
This evening I was watching a popular reality television show when I found myself sadly wondering why women put up with men who cheat. In this particular episode, a man has three kids with three different women and they are all arguing with each other due to him. The thing that troubled me the most about this whole situation is that the ones who lose out in this fiasco are the children. As siblings, they should all be raised around each other or, at the very least, know each other. Since the mothers can't seem to get along, it doesn't seem like this will ever be possible. Even more galling is that, while these women argue with each other, this man is like a spectator who is watching a show being acted out on stage. Some of you might argue that this just happens on television but I beg to differ. Time after time, I see familial situations like this one where women are devaluing their worth for the "privilege" of being with a man. It brings me back to my childhood when my … [Read more...]
When Life Gets Tough, I Rise Above It And Get Tougher! #RiseAboveIt #NoTeRindas #Ad
This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Pine-Sol® and Latina Bloggers Connect. When I was 30 years old, two things happened to me that year, I gave birth to my youngest son and I found out I had cancer. If it is shocking for you to read that, imagine how shocking and bitter-sweet it was for me to go through one of the most joyous events in my life while, at the same time, going through one of the most devastating things that could possibly happen to me. Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of falling apart because I had a three year-old and a newborn that needed me to keep it together. I remember the weekend after my diagnosis, I lay in bed feeling sorry for myself and wondering why this would happen to me. After a while, I realized that the answer was "Why not me?" People go through tragedies and receive bad news regularly so what made me exempt from it? At that moment I decided that I was going to stay strong and rise above my cancer diagnosis, not … [Read more...]
Celebrate The Women Of Steel In Your Life! @SamsungTweets #Samsung #Sponsored
This is a compensated campaign on behalf of Samsung Home Appliances U.S.A. All opinions are 100% mine. Six years ago, my life was rocked with a Cancer diagnosis and I really didn't know what to do or who to turn to. Being a teacher and a lifelong student, I decided to become proactive about my health and my mental state and I researched cancer support groups online to connect with others who were going through the same struggles. One of the angels whom I met was Mike Tufo. He was a Synovial Sarcoma Survivor and we would chat online during the wee morning hours about all of the concerns that were keeping us up at night. He was an amazing man who loved his sweetheart Dianne and their four sons. I can still recall how he would comfort me and give me hope during those dark early days when I was first diagnosed. While he was fighting for his own life, he still found time to support others and be a mentor. Unfortunately, Mike passed away on December 1st, 2009 after 19 … [Read more...]
