Is this for real?!?!

That was my first thought as I skeptically watched.  I thought it was just a very well produced practical joke.  Not real.  Just a spoof.  BUT, it’s not! It’s actually 100% real, and that’s just way too scary.   I thought I would post it since the vaccination issue is something that we are all so concerned about with our own families right now.

The topic of vaccination is something that we make a decision on whether we we want to or not.  “No decision is a decision” as my father always says, after all.

As of right now, we’re still a “no” here at Chez Bellaziza on the H1N1 and Flu vaccines.  We’re also careful of where we go and are trying to limit outside contact to a reasonable minimum since there seems to be an outbreak in our area within the past few days.  Lots of probiotics and hand sanitizer here!

I have to say though that I have never felt quite this way before. It could be because of the media circus surrounding the flu, vaccinations and/or H1N1, or because of being a medical statistic a little more than I’d like to have been over the past year.  Okay, perhaps both.  Pretty scary video though either way.   I just want to make sure my kids stay safe… oh, and healthy! Didn’t those words used to not go together that way?  Know what I mean?

With all of the current controversy over the H1N1 Vaccine as well as vaccines in general, I found this video interesting.  Will you be vaccinating your kids for H1N1?  Will you not be?  Dr. Oz says his kids won’t be getting the H1N1 vaccine.  Do you vaccinate in general?  Do you wait?  Will you be getting the H1N1 vaccination yourself?  We’d love to know since as moms we all struggle with these tough decisions and could use each other’s support in frightening times like these.

I just found something that is going to save me time and money on a regular basis!  It’s a lot of fun too:)!  Check out Alice.  It’s a service to help you buy all of the kitchen, bathroom, household, baby, kid and lots of other STUFF that we all have to get regularly but have to go find first, put it in the cart, purchase and then lug it home.  We are now happily ‘lug-free’!  Heck, let UPS do it, right?!?! Oh, it’s ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING at Alice too!  Even for tiny orders:)!!!  Definitley, let UPS do it since it’s easyyyy and only takes 2-3 days!

Saves me MONEY:  The best part (other than saving a ton of time on a regular basis, which I know I mentioned) is the AUTOMATIC COUPONS!!!  Yes, that’s right!  All of those manufacturer’s coupons are automatically found and applied to your order!  Yesterday I placed my first order and bought a pack of Huggies Supreme diapers that retails for $10.99 and usually costs $9.69 from Alice… for only $3.50 after coupons!  Take a peek and notice how MANY of the things I bought had coupons!!

All in all, I bought over $80 worth of things I buy ANYWAY, I got it delivered for free, and AFTER COUPONS I ONLY SPENT $56.76!!!!!!!!(…)!!!

Saves me TIME: Now instead of tromping though the store and forgetting a few things along the way… and buying some more that I don’t really need… I get to pull up my “Shelf” to see what I always buy!

You can even get automatic reminders if you want.  Alice’s organizational features are truly fantastic and I am really looking forward to never running out of anything ever again, and the cumulative savings of both time and money thanks to Alice.

Also, Alice makes shopping Green and Organic very easy!  They carry lots of great brands like Earth’s Best, Gerber Organic, Tom’s, Kashi, Seventh Generation and MORE!

Want to try Alice and save $10 off of your first order?  CLICK HERE, sign up to shop and never run out of anything again!  It’s SO simple and trust us it’s going to be one of your Favorite Things just like it is ours:).

I’ll see ya there!  Look for me online at Alice as Bellaziza in the “Neighborhood” and we can chat or tell me what you think in the comments of this post:)!  For now, back to shopping….

Crista

We looooove to snack here.  There’s always something crunchy and sweet not far from reach from carrots to Crunch bars…oops, let that cat outta the bag!  It’s great to be healthy, but sometimes you just want that great flavor… you know, the one that’s NOT usually in the “healthy picks” aisle.  Sometimes you just want that chocolate chip cookie!  Or maybe some cheese puffs?  I know we do.  This is precisely I was SOOOO happy to find our newest Favorite Thing, Snikiddy!!!

Snikiddy has the absolute BEST line of snacky yet healthful foods that kids and adults alike will absolutely crave!  Do you like the sound of Chocolate Chip Bites?  Nacho Cheese Puffs?  How about Chocolate Chocolate Bites?  Oooh yeah – chocolate ON CHOCOLATE and our absolute Favorite!!  Not only that, but have you ever tasted or seen flavors like Mac’n Cheese and Grilled Cheese on your average bag of cheese puffs?  We thought not.  The best part of Snikiddy is that not only is everything really delicious, it’s all natural and quite healthful to boot!  (*Oooh, Aaah!*)

The Snikiddy founders, Mary and Janet, are actually mother and daughter!  Their secret to true tastiness is in the ingredients that they choose.  The pick the absolute highest quality, freshest and most healthful ingredients out there and that is what goes into each bag and boxfull of goodness.  Great job girls and thanks from us and all of the loyal Snikiddy fans!  Yummo!  (Rachael Ray loves Snikiddy too so we can say her little “yummo” here as many times as we want.  Yummo-yummo-yummo!  Ok just try Snikiddy and you’ll understand.  It’s even available in snack packs, and easy to throw in those lunchboxes so stock up for back to school now!

Crista

SWAG ALERT:  We will be swagging FIVE lucky readers with a big box full of Snikiddy treats valued at over $60 each!  That’s a lot of crunchy goodness, but we’re sure you’ll know just to do with it!!

To enter, go to www.Snikiddy.com and take a look around.  Then come back here and comment on this post telling us what you think of their products, company and/or website!  You know how it works and what to do .  This SWAG ALERT will be open for daily entry until we say so!  Good luck and happy snacking!

Looking for some snacks to stock up on for the kids heading back to school?  When you hear the word “nutritious”, you usually do not immediately think, “delicious”.  But Nana’s Cookie Company totally changed my mind on that thought!  Nana’s Cookies are baked with all natural ingredients and what I love the most is what you WON’T find!!  No Dairy, No Refined Sugars, No Eggs, No Cholesterol, No Trans Fats, No Hydrogenated Oils, No Preservatives, and No GMO’s. (And they’re also vegan and kosher!)  This “crunchy-granola-health-nut” Mommy is happy about that!  I work so hard to make sure that my kids eat healthy and it’s truly delightful to find treats that I don’t have to feel guilty about giving to my boys!

My wheat and dairy free boy loved the No Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies (”You mean, I can have a cookie…out of a package?!”)  And I was handing out cookie bars left and right after I read that they are full of Omegas AND have 5 grams of fiber each! Now that’s nutritious!

But Nana’s Cookie Company did not forget about delicious, oh no!  The cookies were moist, soft and fresh…just like I made them myself that day!  Very impressive for an avid baker like myself!  And Nana has impressed celebrities too!  In fact, Jim Carry’s fave is Nana Banana and Jenny McCarthy swears by them for her autistic son who is on a special Gluten-Free diet!

Making good choices is what a healthy and fabulous lifestyle is all about.   Nana’s Cookie Company can help you make treat time nutritious, delicious and fabulous!

Allergy season is in full swing and the snot is a flowin’! Is it ok to say snot on here? I have three boys. Snot is an every day word. Anyway, with all the achooing and God Bless yous roaming around our house, my three favorite snot noses are breathing clearly at night. How? Well, I’m glad you asked!

Our Crane Humidifer is saving the day, er, night! With the cool mist lightly filling the bedroom as they sleep, my boys are breathing clear, waking up with NO sore throats or dry coughs! I love, love how easy it is to use, fill and clean.

Oh, and did I mention that it’s adorable?! Forget questionable cough syrups to help your little one sleep, the Crane Adorable Humidifiers provide 11 hours of sweet relief! And I don’t mind leaving our cute little frog (which our boys have named Yoda, of course) out on the dresser, cause he’s adorable! I have even left this baby out on my dresser when the allergy fairy visited me! Its a must have if you have any snot nosed brats darlings running around your house! You can find Crane’s Adorable Humidifiers at many local stores, like Target, or online! And at only around $35, it’s worth every easy breathing cent!

How many of you have kids that have had an ear infection? Most of us, right? Well, how much better would it be if we had a little extra something in our mommy or daddy tool belt to help in early diagnosis, the ability to accurately monitor progress / recovery, or just add a little extra peace of mind? Yup, we thought so! Now, with the touch of a button, EarCheck® Middle Ear Monitor accurately and painlessly detects the presence of middle ear fluid, a key sign of an ear infection. Used by pediatricians for years, EarCheck® helps you determine when your child might have an ear infection and allows for more meaningful conversations with your child’s doctor. Visit www.EarCheck.com for more information.

When even the littlest noses are running, Graco Baby is there to help! With the NasalClear Aspirator on hand, you can gently and easily clear even those teeny tiny nasal passages! It’s quick and easy to use…and even plays music! Kids and even babies really are entranced by the melody which distracts them from what’s actually going on! And with soft silicone tips (they even come in different shapes for different noses!) and the fact that it’s battery operated which lets you control the suction, the NasalClear Aspirator is a must have for those little tiny runny noses!

Note from Crista: I personally swear by this little device and used it with Camilla when was hospitalized with RSV this past winter at 4 weeks old. Tarek and I were SO grateful to have found it as that typical bulb syringe that the doctors gave was just plain ineffective with Camilla’s tiny little nose. When a product truly helps your child through a life-threatening experience, you’re not only thankful but want to shout it from the rooftops! This is my little rooftop . Every parent with a baby should have one. It was our tiny miracle… and yes, I cried…:).

We hope you stock up on these Favorite Things for your sweet sick kiddos…because if you aren’t using them now, you will wish you had them come the next cold season! So channel that Boy Scout in you and Be Prepared!

To enter to win all three of these sick kid must haves, simply visit www.crane-usa.com, www.earcheck.com and www.gracobaby.com and leave your comment on this post letting these great companies know what you think about their adorable and practical products! You know how it works and what to do . This SWAG ALERT will be open for daily entry until we say so:)!!!