GIRL Talk & Pro-Biotics: Fem-Dophilus available at Swansonvitamins.com

As an woman who has been there with periodic yeast infections, I have taken an interest in remedies that can help current and prevent further uncomfortable episodes. I am oral consumer of yogurt but probably more so when I have a Y infection. I have figured what works for me and usually keep something in stock in my medicine cabinet for the future occurrences. Even though I know the routine of what to do and what has worked for me (watching what soap I use, eating yogurt,  taking pro-biotics, being watchful when using anti-biotics, having the right creams on hand), it is still annoying.

Swansonvitamins.com, a great site for discount vitamins and supplements, sent me a probiotic to try.  For several weeks I've been using Fem-Dophilus. Fem-Dophilus is labeled as the MOST EFFECTIVE probiotic for Women's Health. Some info from the makers of Fem-Dophilus: It contains two patented and clinically proven probiotic strains, Lactobacillus GR-1 and Lactobacillus RC-14 discovered and developed by Dr. Gregor Reid and Dr. Andrew Bruce at Urex Biotech. Over 20 years of research supports the oral use of GR-1 and RC-14 to colonize and protect the vaginal tract.

Fem-dophilus® is manufactured under pharmaceutical GMP conditions with guaranteed potency and consistency. The probiotic strains in Fem-dophilus® are in a proprietary polysaccharide matrix, which protects the bacteria from stomach acid and enhances probiotic bacteria survival to the lower intestine.

It is important to keep this product refrigerated. For maintenance, it is suggested to take 1 pill a day and up to 2 a day as directed by your health care provider.

When I started taking Fem-Dophilus, I did not have an infection but because I read that clinical trials have show that the ingredients of Fem-Dophilus 1) help to maintain or restore healthy vaginal flora that are important in maintaining vaginal health, AND 2) support the health of the urinary tract. I was happy to give this product a try!

I have noticed subtle changes down there that are positive and here's my attempt to do this without giving TMI. The first noticeable change I noticed was an increase in moisture. The second change I noticed was that there was less irritation and sensitivity during my monthly cycle than usual. I feel like I haven't been on the product long enough to be able to say that it has solved my problems with yeast infections but I can say I have not had anything resembling the signs of one since I have been taking the product. If you were to google search "femdophilus and yeast infections" or similar, you'll find there are a lot of women out there who have been helped with their chronic yeast infections, B.V. s, and U.T.I.S by using femdophilus. As a woman with these issues, and also a mother of children who have been prescribed way TOO many ANTI-biotics, I am a newer fan of pro-biotics and hope humans can learn to achieve a balance of their consumption of pro and anti BIOTICs.

You can buy Fem-dophilus at Swansonvitamins.com.  Even though a bottle of 30 caps retails for $25.95, Swanson offers this product for $18.17--that's a 30% discount!  Check out Fem-dophilus and more at Swansonvitamins.com

I was not compensated for this post but I did receive a complimentary sample of this product to write this review. Any and all opinions here are mine.

Kidorable: A Review and Giveaway

 
"Kidorable delights both children and the adults who love them by transforming everyday, functional kids accessories into objects that excite their imaginations and enrich their lives at play..."

When you think of rain boots, raincoats, hangers, backpacks, towels and the like, do you get super excited? Me neither. Well, not until I was introduced to Kidorable, where these functional, yet seemingly ordinary items are transformed into an imaginative ensemble of wonderment. Kidorable's product line is one word: TOTALLYAWESOME!

Kidorable has a variety of ridiculously cute styles to choose from, including:

• Space Hero
• Mermaid
  
• Lotus
• Dinosaur
• Fairy
• Pirate
• Ballerina
• Butterfly
• Fireman
• Lucky Cat
• Frog
• Ladybug

After an intense decision-making process, my 3 year-old opted for the Mermaid rain boots and we could not be happier!!! It's been raining here in Hawaii, so she has been putting them to good use although.  Even if we were in the desert, I'm pretty sure she'd still be sporting them. The only thing she's unhappy about is the fact that we didn't get the

matching raincoat and umbrella! I absolutely love Kidorable's product line. The rain boots (and other products) showcase 3-D features and embellishments, whether it's dinosaur eyes and teeth or fairy wings. My daughter's boots have mermaid tails on the back of each (pictured), which she loves! The umbrellas and raincoats have similar features that make you wish you were a little kid again, splashing in rain puddles! The adorable styles really allow kids to let their imaginations run wild and role-play as the space hero, fairy, fireman, butterfly, that they want to be... I'm loving my little "mermaid" and the Kidorable rain boots she will never tire of. Take a look at all Kidorable's fantastic products here.

SHOP

You can purchase these Mermaid rain boots or lots of other imagination-sparking gear at Kidorable.com. Also, Kidorable is currently sponsoring an art contest!  Is your child ready to share his/her art on a bigger stage than the refrigerator door? Let the world admire your little Picasso with Kidorable’s Facebook Artwork Contest.  The winner will receive a complete Kidorable ensemble of their choice.  Here’s how it works—your child draws, paints, sculpts, or collages his or her favorite Kidorable theme. Send Kidorable your child’s artwork of frogs, ladybugs, pirates, or any other Kidorable style, and you could win the entire collection in his or her favorite style! Have a look here and choose your favorite.  Just email a picture to contest@kidorable.com to enter.

WIN

One lucky Moana Saves winner will win a Kidorable umbrella for the special child in her life. To earn a mandatory entry in the Kidorable umbrella giveaway, go to Kidorable.com and leave a comment telling us what Kidorable product your little one would love!

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).

2. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).

3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter. 

4. Follow Kidorable on Twitter.

5. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following:
#Win a @Kidorable umbrella on @moanasaves #giveaway ends 3/5 http://bit.ly/gta56d

 

6. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).

7. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.

8. Like the Kidorable Facebook page.

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S.  This giveaway ends on Saturday, 3/5/11 at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a product sample to facilitate the original review.  Any and all opinions here are mine.

Aloha Friday #174 (It's back!)

from Kailani's blog:

Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too.

Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

My question/statement: In honor of Valentine's day this week, dark chocolate or milk?

Review of Country Life Zinc Lozenges at Swansonvitamins.com

Did you know that Zinc is an essential mineral in your daily health? And did you also know that Zinc Deficiency affects about two billion people in the developing world and is associated with many diseases? Well I actually did not. I assume because I take a daily multi-vitamin that I am getting everything I need. Well Swansonvitamins.com sent me:

ZINC LOZENGES with Vitamin C
Dietary Supplement
Helps support immune function.**

When I found out that my multi was only giving me 60% of what I needed in Zinc, I was glad to add the ZINC LOZENGES to my vitamin routine. I let the lozenge dissolve in my mouth and the cherry flavor (although not my favorite) was not bad-- it went well with my chewable vitamin C (which after inspecting the label I didn't need to take because the zinc lozenge was packed full with it! 167% RDA!).

You can BUY IT at Swansonvitamins.com. Their site was very easy to navigate; great pictures of all kinds of natural health supplies, simple, detailed descriptions, a rating system and reviews of products when available. You can find the zinc lozenges in a bottle of 60 for under $5--what a great price!

I did not receive any compensation for my review of Swanson Vitamins Zinc Lozenges although I was given a bottle of 60 lozenges to facilitate this review. Any and all opinions here are my own.

Ameba TV: Review and Giveaway!

Kids television without commercials? Is this for real? Yes! Let me introduce you to Ameba TV. An Ameba TV box is basically like an external hard drive ("box") that I connect to my TV. The setup is surprisingly easy and once it's completed I can look online at AmebaTV.com where I select the shows I want my kids to watch. Once I or my children start up the Ameba it automatically checks via a wireless connection to see what shows the parent selected online for download. This setup is similar to the concept of Tivo except I have immediate access to what shows I choose for my kids to watch and I'm not paying for cable service. (*Ameba TV is now available as a premier children's channel on the Roku player and online streaming options through your computer will be available in the next few months as well.)

Ameba recently sent me a box to review.  In the past, television has not played a large role in our home because: a) I don't like my kids watching commercials that push products b) more importantly, I like to know what type of content my children view. With the Ameba I get both of these benefits as well as access to an online library of hundreds of current episodes.

TV time in our house still has a time limit but I'm glad my kids were able to spend some time viewing these educational shows. Yesterday morning while eating breakfast my eldest daughter said: "Dad, did you know there are pink, white and black pearls?" A World of Wonders, one of her favorite shows, has episodes on everything from Japanese Robotics to Tanzania Rainmakers. Head on over HERE to browse what episodes are available on Ameba TV!

In the few months my family has had to use the Ameba I found a number of things I like.

• Parents can hand pick which shows their kids watch
• Children can watch shows as many times as they want
• Wide selection of content including over 1,000 hours of programming
• I'm downloading educational content for viewing purposes and not just fluffy entertainment!
• Quick download speed
• $9.99 monthly subscription rate is reasonable
• Each show can be downloaded to an individual Ameba profile. An example might be downloading Rainbow Fish and assigning it to my Kindergartner's profile and then assigning Einsteinabot, a show teaching multiplication tables, to my older child. When the child clicks on their Ameba avatar the shows will be hand selected for their age and understanding.
• The remote control is very simple and child user-friendly
• I can filter my browsing experience by language (including English, Chinese, French & Spanish) 

There are a few areas for improvement that I need to honestly share regarding the Ameba. First, when an episode is selected you must watch a short preview (approximately 10-15 seconds) before playing the show. My younger children get frustrated because they think the show has stopped right when it was getting exciting. It would be nice if users had the option to press 'play' directly from the menu and forgo the preview option. The second feature I wasn't a fan of was that once an episode finishes the Ameba plays another previously viewed episode instead of automatically going to a newly downloaded episode. If you want to view a new download you have to go to the menu and scroll through all the previously viewed episodes before seeing a list of new episodes.

To get additional details about Ameba TV and to subscribe for yourself visit http://amebatv.com

The generous people at Ameba TV would like to offer one Moana Saves reader an Ameba box with a complimentary 3 month subscription! To earn a mandatory entry in this giveaway, become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).

2. Like the Ameba TV Facebook page.

3. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.

4. Follow Ameba TV on Twitter

5. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.

6. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following: #Win an @AmebaTV box and 3 month subscription from @amebaTV and @moanasaves! ends 3/3 http://bit.ly/heuBiz

7. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).

8. Grab the Moana Saves button and put it on your blog until the giveaway is over.

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. or Canada. This giveaway ends on Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this giveaway although I did receive an Ameba TV box and subscription to facilitate the original review.  Any and all opinions here are mine.

LillyMae Bag Review

Remember the fanny pack?  Those went the way of the parachute pants (I bid good riddance to both!).  But there has always been a need for a small, hands-free bag to keep your important stuff in while you shop, work out or travel.  Hooray for the Lillymae bag which combines the utility of the fanny pack with the style of a regular  purse!I was lucky enough to review the Lillymae bag in basic black (see below).  I’d ordered this style so that I could wear it when I walk outside.  I love that every bag has a reinforced hole in one corner to thread headphones through so you can listen to music on the go.   I also love the versatility of the strap which allows me to control its length and convert the bag to a fanny pack or cross body bag.
I was able to test my basic black Lillymae bag when I went with my 3rd grader to camp for two and a half days (some of the longest of my life—yet another story).  I left my big old honkin’ bag at home, packing only my driver’s license, debit card, phone and lip balm in my Lillymae.  Everything else went into the dufflebags we kept in the cabins.  I had my Lillymae bag with me all day as I accompanied 3rd graders to meals, activities, etc.  Other chaperones were carting around backpacks and totebags.  Not me: I wore the bag across the body so my hands were always free.  I loved it!  About halfway through camp, my daughter’s asthma flared up and so her inhaler was another item that stayed with us throughout the day in the bag.  The Lillymae bag can really simplify your life when you’re on the go!
My only suggestion for improvement of the Lillymae bag is that the fabric could be water resistant to protect valuables from getting wet.  Otherwise, the Lillymae rocks!  At the Lillymae site, there are some adorable bags and some innovative possibilities for wearing them!  Right now, when you use the coupon code 15001, you can get 15% off the Lillymae bag of your choice.  Because of their versatility and style, Lillymae bags are practical AND cute.  A win-win!
I did not receive compensation for this post although I did receive a free sample to facilitate my review via Family Review Network.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

CSN coming up soon!

Have you heard of CSN? As in, CSNstores.com? If you don't know, now ya know! There are over 200+ CSN stores where you can get almost anything! Seriously. They've got swing sets for kids (my kids will NOT stop bugging me about these since seeing them online), housewares for moms and workout equipment for dads (or vice versa)... and that's just the beginning. Take a look for yourself at CSNstores.com. They've even got aCSN Clearance Center! We're going to have a CSN product review coming up. Love their stuff! Woohoo!