Menopause In An Hour - Review and DVD Give Away!

I was so excited to have the opportunity to review the DVD set "Menopause In An Hour" and "What's Up With You Know Who?"  with Dr. Tara Allmen, a National Certified Menopause Practitioner and Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist.

As someone who faced menopause within two years of having their first child, this DVD  would have answered all my questions when that transition began. Being up to my neck in diapers at the time would have made this DVD an ideal solution. It's the next best thing to a one-on-one appointment with a Menopause Specialist with the added benefit of me choosing when that appointment was going to be.  

If you are a woman, this is the information you need whether you are facing a surgical or  natural transition into menopause or are now post menopausal.

In "Menopause In An Hour", Dr. Allmen covers what you need to know so you can enjoy more health and happiness regardless of where you fall within that cycle. If you are experiencing the symptoms of perimenopause or menopause, this DVD is a must see!

The most up-to-date treatment options are explained along with simple lifestyle changes that could help reduce or eliminate your symptoms. You will learn when to seek medical treatment and the latest information on the pros and cons of prescriptions and bio-identical hormones.

Also included is a segment on how to prepare for an appointment with your own physician, what you need to know and what questions to ask. Everything is presented in an easy-to-understand and humorous manner by Dr. Allmen herself and all in an Hour!

The inside cover of the DVD case holds a 45-page companion guide "Symptoms & Solutions" where you can record and keep track of your symptoms and activities and easily review the information contained on the DVD.

The second DVD, "What's Up With You Know Who?" is for your family, mainly the man in your life. Dr. Allmen walks them through the ups and downs of menopause, what they can expect and better yet, how they can be supportive!

Want more information?

Visit www.menopauseinanhour.com where you can order these DVDs

Better yet!  You can win them here! The kind folks at Menopause In An Hour have offered to ship a copy of both DVDs to one of you. Here's how you can enter to win:

Leave one comment for each of the following entry requirements:

Be A Follower of my Blog - 1 Entry/Comment

Grab My Button with a link back to me - 3 Entries/Comments

Blog about this Giveaway with a link back to this post - 5 Entries/Comments

Giveaway begins NOW and ends Thursday, May 6 at midnight CST. Winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Open to USA and Canadian residents only.


GOOD LUCK!

Go Green GiveAway Winner!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered our "Go Green For Spring" Giveaway that was sponsored by Norwex. If you haven't checked out their eco-friendly products, you can find them Here.

Before I announce the winner, I wanted to take a minute and tell you about my experience using the Antibac Enviro Cleaning Cloth.

I LOVE IT! We have polished black granite in our kitchen and absolutely nothing has worked until now. For the past three years, I've just accepted the dull streaks and finger prints knowing that I would eventually get around to resealing the granite someday. Well not anymore, I used the Antibac Enviro Cleaning Cloth with only tap water and the granite looks like new! No Kidding! Perfectly polished without a streak or fingerprint in sight! Trust me, I was bending down and checking from every angle in direct sunlight and couldn't find a mark!

Oh yeah, and hubby decided to clean our flat-screen TV with the cloth that came with our IMAC computer.

BIG mistake!!

It caused big streaks that even he couldn't get out with spit and muscle. He growled and then asked where the Norwex Antibac Window and Polishing Cloth was (okay so he got the name of the cloth wrong but I had to correct him here so you can find one!) Guess what? A couple of quick swipes with that thing with a few drops of water and the TV screen looked like new! Not a streak or speck of dust. Hubby was so impressed, he ran over and cleaned the computer screen! Now there's a benefit I didn't expect, having hubby want to clean something for a change. I should have mentioned that it works on mirrors and windows too!

So now on to announcing our winner, we need a DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!!

Using a Random Number Generator
 the winner of the Norwex
  Antibac Enviro Cleaning Cloth and Antibac Window and Polishing Cloth
 is #43:

Tammy of Tammy's Two Cents

Congratulations Tammy!! Email me at menonewmom@yahoo.ca with your mailing info so we can get these out to you and you can get cleaning!!

For those of you who want to "Go Green" and kick your regular household cleaning products to the curb, you can buy the Antibac Cleaning Cloth and Antibac Polishing Cloth Here along with a huge range of other eco-friendly products. Trust me, they are worth every penny and you won't be spending your money on cleaning products that will end up getting washed down your drains!

And of course, a big Thank You goes out to Marg Vines of Norwex who made this "Green Giveaway" possible and to all of you for entering!

Celebrate Earth Day Everyday With Our Norwex GiveAway!!

Thursday, April 22nd is officially Earth Day and I can't think of a better time to introduce you to a fantastic line of environmentally-responsible products.

Do you have children? Are you concerned about the possible affects of the chemicals used to "clean" our homes? The fumes our families inhale every time we open or spray a typical cleaning product? The toxicity of what we are washing down our drains or flushing down our toilets?

If you want to "Go Green For Spring" with Me and Erin of The Mother Load, why not take it a BIG step forward and Go Green Indefinitely!!

When it comes to cleaning our homes, I have and so can you!!

I was thrilled when Norwex agreed to sponsor a Green GiveAway to help us get the word out on how we can all make a positive difference on the environment. Any company whose mission statement includes "radically reducing the use of chemicals in personal care and cleaning" is going to get the "D&E" (Deb and Erin) Stamp of Approval (yes, we are working on a cute little button).

Norwex has introduced an entire line of eco-friendly cleaning and personal care products and today, I want to share with you information about their superior Microfiber cloths.

Their unique microfiber formula uses silver and regular tap water to clean surfaces as close to their original condition as possible. Traditional cleaners leave behind broken-down, dried on dirt and grime which over time, will attract unwanted bacteria and future dirt but Norwex microfiber cloths leave surfaces residue-free and clean.

And no fumes! The one thing the cleaning industry has done well is convince us that clean has a "smell". Nothing could be further from the truth.

To be truly clean, absolutely nothing is left behind - no strong or harsh odor, no "fresh" artificially-engineered scent, no residue, no nothing.

So guess what!!  Norwex is sponsoring our Earth Day "Go Green GiveAway"!

Here's what one of you will receive!

Antibac Enviro Cloth

This multipurpose microfiber cloth can be used dry for dusting or damp to remove dirt and grease from any washable surface like walls, tiles, bathtubs, counter tops, metal surfaces, your children's toys and  anywhere you would normally use a damp cloth.


What makes this cloth unique is its antibacterial properties that will remove more bacteria than bleach! This cloth will prevent the transfer of germs to your hands and cross-contamination between surfaces, all while using ONLY tap water!

And this same lucky winner will also receive:

Antibac Window Cloth (polishing cloth)

When it's time to clean windows, mirrors, jewelry and other shiny metal surfaces, all you need is this cloth and tap water to polish them to a streak-free shine. A little more dirt than usual? Just use the Antibac Enviro Cloth above first and then follow up with this Antibac Polishing Cloth.


Cleaning our homes doesn't have to harm the environment or the health of our loved ones. Norwex has a complete line of products for laundry, dishes, unclogging drains, oven and grill cleaners, skin creams, moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners and even car-cleaning products just to name a very few. Visit the Norwex Website to view their complete range of products so you and your family can Go Green!


Now here's how you can enter our "Go Green" Earth Day Giveaway:

Mandatory for First entry/comment

you must follow me and Erin 

Want More Than One Chance To Win? 

Visit the Norwex Website and tell me which product you love
(5 entries/comments)

Tweet about this Giveaway and send us a link to your tweet

(1 comment/entry plus you may tweet once daily)

Become a fan of  The Mother Load on Facebook. 

(1 comment/entry)
Follow Erin on Twitter (@erinlynn76)

(1 comment/entry)

Post links to this Giveaway on Facebook

(1 comment/entry)

Blog about this Giveaway

 and link up to our Earth Day posts within yours

(5 comments/entries)

Giveaway begins NOW and ends one week from today, Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 7 a.m. CST.

Winner will be announced shortly thereafter.  Open to USA and Canadian residents only with colors chosen by Norwex.

And please don't forget to go over to Erin's Place to play along in her fun Earth Day Poll!!

Overboard! Tales From A Claims Department

I haven't blogged too often about my "previous life" as a nine to five employee but every once in a while, something will remind me of a funny situation or story that happened while I was an office worker.

Here's one of them.

One of the jobs I had within the large insurance company I worked for was in the claims department. Part of that job included processing dental claims.

I'll never forget the time I received a claim form requesting reimbursement for a set of dentures. Some of the questions on the form were left blank so I couldn't process it. Back in the "Stone Age", we used to have contact with claimants so I picked up the phone and called "Buddy" for the missing information.

He was very nice but became a bit evasive when I asked why he needed new dentures when he had made a claim for a set only a few months before. His contract had a five-year limit on new chops unless this claim could be processed under the special "Accidental Dental" clause.

So after going back and forth with him and not really getting an answer, I finally got right to the point and asked "Where are the dentures we just paid for?"

Hesitantly he replied, "They're somewhere in Smith's Lake".

Okay, that's the last thing I expected to hear so even though I had the information I needed and told him I couldn't pay the claim, I just had to ask "How in hell did they end up in a lake?"

Being the good sport he was, he told me he had gone on a fishing trip with his buddies, had a little too much to drink, got a little seasick out in the boat and yep, while puking over the side, had those sparkling pearly whites we had just paid for fall right out of his mouth and sink to the bottom of the lake in front of his bloodshot eyes.

And no, I didn't keep a straight face, I laughed into the phone and had a good chuckle which, unfortunately, was at his expense.

Claim denied!

Calling All Moms For A Little Advice

Thank God for blogging. Anytime I start to second guess myself when it comes to my daughter, I have the best opinions and experience to draw on right here.

So here's my latest "Should I or Shouldn't I?" question.

My daughter has been going to pre-school since September. During that time, she has made plently of little friends and I have met several of the moms while we wait outside for class to end.

My daughter just turned four this month. Many of her little friends are also celebrating birthdays and inviting her to their parties. The first one was easy to attend. That mom made it clear that parents were more than welcome to stay to watch over and it was held in a recreation center. This felt comfortable to me, the other moms I knew would be there and it was being held in a place with lots of parking and room for everyone. This center only charges $25 so it is very affordable for anyone to book a party.

The question I have now is that my daughter has been invited to a "house" birthday party. I hardly know the mother and her little boy is new to the school. I had to ask the teacher who he was when I didn't recognize his name. When I asked my daughter about him, the first words out of her mouth were "I don't like Michael".

So I tracked down his mom next time I was waiting for class to end. I asked her about the birthday party and found out they have several pets (my daughter is not used to being around animals). Then when I asked if parents would be attending, she hesitated before saying that I could stay if I wanted to. I made some excuse about our cottage and that I would get back to her about whether or not my daughter would be attending. Personally, I think that hanging around to watch my daughter in a house where I hardly know the parents is just plain weird.

Two questions today:


"How old were your children when you felt comfortable dropping them off at a birthday party when you hardly knew the parents?"


 and 


"Would you tag along with your child and then hang around in a house where you didn't know the adults or care to?"

Parking Lot Update Plus Green GiveAway Winner!

First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for not only entering the "Go Green For Spring" Giveaways that Erin of The Mother Load and I introduced last week but also for all of your supportive comments. I hope we can give you a little "food for thought" about the carbon footprint you are leaving along with what we can all do to help reduce the "footprints" of others.

And now, on to my winner!

Please join me in Congratulating:  


Alyssa of Bloggin 2 Noggin

who will soon be well on her way to "Going Green For Spring" once she receives the two cloth reusable shopping bags from my Giveaway! No more plastic bags for your Alyssa!

And before I sign off for the weekend, I wanted to let you know what's happened since telephoning the manager of that store and complaining about the garbage in the parking lot there. Anyone who is interested in viewing the before photos will find them Here.

So here's what's happened since my initial phone call. I spoke to the manager again and he told me that the first clean up has already taken place. As promised, he did hire a separate cleaning team to help his employees get rid of the first layer of garbage and crap although he was quick to point out there is more cleaning to do. In his opinion, they are about half way to how he wants the parking lot to look.

Here are a few updated photos. You can see there is still lots of crap smushed up against the curb in front of the cars and that dirty pile of snow is continuing to melt exposing more shit that needs to be picked up and scrapped off the pavement.

The next stage of the clean up is the re-writing of job desciptions for some of the employees. He will be dividing the parking lot into zones and giving each of those employees their own zone to be responsible for so he can monitor who cleans up and who doesn't. He is also planning to hold a meeting with his staff in the hopes of encouraging them to take more pride in their place of employment so they pay attention to the outside of the building and the impression it makes on customers.

So that being said, I agree with him that the parking lot is about half way to where it needs to be and you can bet that bitchy Meno Deb is gonna keep right on his ass to not only get the job finished but to keep it clean.

So now go on over to Erin's place and see who the lucky winners of her "Go Green For Spring" Giveaways are. You just might be one of them!!


And by the way, there are more "Go Green For Spring" Giveaways coming up so stay tuned!

Just When You Think You've Heard It All......

This little story comes to us compliments of my folks who have been married for about 55 years. You'd think with that many years together under their belts, they would be out of surprises but you'd be wrong.

You see, the other day, mum was sitting in her favorite chair in the living room, probably with her laptop when dad walks into the room looking a bit sheepish and says "I just did something I've never done before".

Mum looks up and sees the shitty look on his face and wonders if she dares to ask "what?" but curiosity being the bitch it is, she says "What did you do?"

His reply catches her completely off guard.

"I just flushed my wallet down the toilet." Turns out that while my dad was straightening up after hitting that flush lever, his wallet popped out of his pocket and right down into the toilet bowl and out of sight with the cascade of rushing water.

Now, the good news, my dad is a plumber which saved him the embarassement of calling someone in to help him retrieve the thing, so he made a plan. Knowing that one flush wouldn't be enough to move the wallet out to the pipe on the street, he goes down to the basement and opens up the trap in the cement floor. His plan was to get mum to flush that toilet again while he waited downstairs watching for the water to shoot that wallet right out through the trap and into the sewer pipe. He thought if he moved fast enough, he could catch it on its way by.

So he hollers "Ready!", mum hits that toilet lever on cue but instead of flushing, the bowl fills up with water. Turns out that wallet hadn't made it all the way out of the toilet but was stuck.

She yells down that the toilet is plugged so upstairs he comes. He bails out the toilet bowl, tries to reach the wallet but no luck. Finally, he gives up, goes out to the garage and gets his toolbox. In he comes, the water gets turned off, bolts get unscrewed and that toilet comes up off the floor.  There wedged in the back of the trap is my dads sopping wet wallet.

A new wax seal goes down, that toilet gets bolted back to the floor, the water gets turned back on and mum goes back to her computer. Dad dries his wallet and goes back to whatever he was doing.

So there you have it, just another normal day at my folks house.

So tell us, what's the funniest thing that's been flushed down the toilet at your place?

Yes, When It Comes To The Environment, I'm A Bitch!

It's been an eye opener linking up with Erin of The Mother Load in an effort to convince as many of you as possible to "Go Green For Spring". Doing that post and the research that went along with it have drastically changed my own perspective when viewing the environment.

Like everyone else, I shop on a regular basis for food, clothing and other necessities and up until the other day, was more focused on my shopping list than my surroundings. For as long as I can remember, the parking lot of this one particular store has always been a mess of swirling paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, styrofoam food trays and of course, countless plastic bags. Usually I would just wade through it anxious to get in, get my shopping done and get the Hell out.

So after doing my post the other day with Erin, I went to this same store to pick up a few items and suddenly, that swirling cesspool of paper, plastics and cardboard pissed me right off. How dare they allow such a mess to clutter up not only their own lot but blow freely into every other yard and probably right down to the harbor about a mile away and into the ocean.

I happened to have my camera in my purse and here is just a sample of how that parking lot looked. It was an absolute disgrace and I knew their head office would be appauled by the state of it.

So guess what this Bitchy Meno New Mom did? She got on the phone when she got home, she asked to speak to the manager and then very nicely told him of her concerns and that the state of their yard was unacceptable. After making a few excuses for the mess, the manager admitted that they could do better and that I was right. It would be addressed and he was going to hire a cleaning crew to take care of it immediately.

I haven't been by yet to see it but you can bet that if I'm not happy with the result, photos will be going to their head office where I know a mess like this will not be tolerated.

So here's what I want you to take away from this experience. Pay attention to the garbage that you see blowing around. When you see a store that is so obviously doing a piss-poor job at managing it, call it to their attention. They have a responsibility to their neighbors and the environment to keep their grounds in reasonably good condition. If they don't, WE ALL have the responsibilty to hold their feet to the fire until they do.

And just like I pointed out in my "Go Green For Spring" post, it's never been so easy to make a difference. All I did was make a quick phone call and take a few photos. All of us can find the time to do that for our environment.


And if you haven't already entered the Giveaways to help you "Go Green For Spring", links are Here and Here.  Good Luck!!

Go Green For Spring! And A Little GiveAway To Get You Started!

With the warmer weather and the first signs of Spring, who better to join forces with when doing a blog post promoting "Going Green For Spring" than Erin of The Mother Load.

And just like Erin, one of my biggest pet peeves are the more than 500 billion new plastic bags that are passed out to shoppers each and EVERY year. Did you see that staggering number? 500 BILLION!!, with a "B"!

And yes, I've read the excuses the plastics people shove down our throats of how these bags will be re-used to store our crap, or to carry our junk around in and even end up in our homes for decades just like in the houses we see on the TV show Hoarders.

Okay then, for arguments sake, let's say it's only Millions per year that end up in the landfills, blowing across our yards, hanging from trees, floating in our rivers, lakes and oceans and stuck inside the bellies of wildlife. Does common sense tell you that even that number per year is outrageous, sickening or ridiculous? For the sake of our children and grandchildren, I hope it does.

Saying "NO" to plastic bags and making the switch to cloth can make a HUGE difference in putting an end to this disturbing trend. I know that finding good quality cloth bags at affordable prices is probably a heck of a lot easier in Canada since Superstore, one of our largest grocery chains has stepped up and is now charging for plastic bags. They've done the research on fabrics and durability and now offer their customers a good quality, low-priced, reusable cloth bag alternative. If you're thinking of making the switch, Erin gave us lots of great tips and other ideas on how to "Go Green" in a post she did Here.

When selecting your cloth bags, just make sure they are washable so they can be cleaned on a regular basis. You don't want bacteria, mold or mildew growing in the bags you pack your groceries in. So simple, just keep those bags in mind any time you throw on a load of laundry and notice a little extra room. Once the bags are clean, hang them to dry either inside or outside your home and they will be good as new and ready for your next shopping trip.

And while we're thinking about "Going Green", let's make our blogs carbon neutral too. It's so easy, just write a quick post like this paragraph announcing that your blog is now Carbon Neutral, link to this Website, pick a "Carbon Neutral" button to match your blog, display it proudly on your sidebar, send a quick email to confirm that you've done your post and they will plant a tree on your behalf to help neutralize the carbon dioxide emissions from your blog. Hell, you don't even have to get your hands dirty!

So to get you started on the "Go Green for Spring", I'm giving away 2 brand new Superstore reusable cloth grocery bags. These are well made and I use them every time I'm shopping and need a bag to carry my loot home in. Doesn't matter if it's groceries, a trip to the mall or to the corner store.

And it's never been easier to enter a GiveAway


Mandatory:
  Leave a comment here for 1 Entry

and make sure that you follow both me and Erin of The Mother Load and that's it. You're in the draw, sweet, simple and so easy just like using these bags is.

Want to increase your chances of winning? Here's how to earn extra entries:

Tweet about this giveaway and send us a link to your tweet
(1 entry plus you may tweet once daily)
Become a fan of  The Mother Load on Facebook.  
(1 entry)
Follow Erin on Twitter (@erinlynn76)
(1 entry)
Post links to these Giveaways on Facebook
(1 entry)
Write your own "Go Green For Spring" post
 and link up to our posts within yours
(5 entries)

Giveaway begins NOW and ends one week from today, Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 7 a.m. CST.

Winner will be announced shortly thereafter.  

So now that you're thinking of "Going Green For Spring" and how you can be a big part of the solution, head on over to Erin's Place and enter her "Go Green For Spring" Giveaway too!

It's never been so easy to make a difference!

In Honor of Easter Weekend!

What a perfect time to share the support and awards that everyone has been so sweet to pass along to me and I admit, I'm getting behind in saying "Thank You". Being recognized by other bloggers will always put a big smile on my face so please take a moment, visit these terrific bloggers, take a look around their place say "Hello".

And rather than hand them out one by one, in honor of our long weekend, anyone who wants to snag any or all of these awards today can BUT only after doing the following:

Stand up;
Clap five times;
Jump up and down three times;
Spin around three times;
Do five hula rotations;
Shout "Holy F-ing Monkey Balls" (this is only required for award #5)
Take a bow
Sit down, and then

FOLLOW each and every one of these great blogs

From Traci of 38 and Growing, New Mom Over 40 (to be), Susan of Just Me And My Thoughts and Kiss Keep It Simple Sister I received the Sunshine Award and I can tell you that after the long Winter we've had, I'm happy to have it!

From GunDiva and Debbiedoos Loves Livin in the Carolinas I received the Beautiful Blogger Award and what a nice pat on the back that was - twice!

From Boobies Babies and a Blog I received the One Lovely Blog Award with all these pretty pink roses. I'm just getting to know this gal and I can tell you, she's good people and you want her on your blog roll!

From New Mom Over 40 (to be) I received the Best Blog Comment Award, Wow! Who knew?! She's a real sweetie so pay her a visit.

Tina,  Kat, and Heather all honored me with the prestigious Holy F-ing Monkey Balls Award which I have to admit, is my favorite new expression.  Just wish I had known this little "saying" when I found out I was pregnant at the age of 44!

And Susan at Just Me and My Thoughts honored me with the Sweet Friends Award and oh those cupcakes look delicious!

Linda of The Good,The Bad,The Worse gave me The Circle of Friends Award and I can tell you, this gal is a riot and I'm so honored to be included in her gang any day. 

From Suzicate of The Water Witch's Daughter I received The Golden Cup Award.  Talk about an honor! Kind of makes me feel like I ran a race or did something athletic for a change!

So everyone, please grab whichever award here catches you eye or makes you smile.  And don't forget to do the little dance number above to make it legal.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Hope you have a wonderful time with your family and if not, just think of the blogging material you'll have!

Post Stealing or Deja Vu??

I'll be the first to admit that I'm no author and that's obvious to anyone who reads my blog. For the most part, I just sit back and wait for something to happen that triggers that lightbulb of "I need to write up a post about that!"  If life is boring, I just don't write. 

Unfortunately, that isn't always the case when others experience "writer's block" or life in a rut.

A few months ago, I read a post by Theta Mom where she wrote about having one of her posts copied and published on another blog. Of course she was outraged. She is one author who puts a heck of a lot of research and effort into her blog and to have someone just copy/cut and paste it and pass it off as original material is frustrating.

Then I read Arizona Mamma's post on Wednesday and my jaw hit the table. It's too late now but I give you my word, I saw all four posts before the "other" blogger put up an "Invitation Only" sign on their blog door. No kidding, the material was copied practically word for word on two separate occasions directly from Arizona Mamma's blog. If you want to know who, just check out her blog.

This same blogger published a photo of Erin's (The Mother Load) twin girls and when she was confronted about that picture, her explanation was that she had just googled "twins photo" and Erin's girls came up. Might work once but to have this same blogger copy/cut/paste Arizona Mamma's two posts? I'm just not buying it.

So what can we do when we learn that someone has stolen our material? Leave a comment in the hopes that someone will read it and be just as outraged as we are? Not much chance of that considering that your comment will probably just be deleted by them.

Here is what we can do though.

Get the word out.

Warn your readers and maybe this will stop or at least happen less often. Our own blogs is somewhere we can out a dishonest blogger and that information is safe from being deleted.

You can read Ian's thoughts on it Here.
Erin's post is Here.

 Anyone else who does a post, let us know and we'll gladly link up with you.

Bottom Line:  PLAGIARISM is not cool and if we find out, we're gonna yell about it!! If you don't believe me, check out your blog roll and I'll bet others are already shouting!