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?