Life has been a roller coaster of emotion these last few months. My elderly father moved in with us last month and my youngest son moved out this month. He decided to continue his studies in the UK. Yep, he left the country! Hubby and I are very happy for him and very much going to miss him these next two years. He flew out on Saturday; we had a very emotional weekend indeed.

Of course, he could not take his friend Connor so we acquired a grand-puppy. It is a good thing too because not only is Connor a symbol of our son, he has become Dad’s pal. Connor is a Beagle/Rottweiler mix, very lovable, and always wagging his tail. He trots out to greet Dad in the morning and sits by his chair when he is watching TV. The dog makes my Dad smile, says he wishes he had some of what powers that tail!

Fewer Allergies, Stronger Immunity

Children that grow up in a home with a dog or cat are less likely to develop allergies, some researchers have noted. Kids that grow up on farms have shown the same results.

A healthy mind

Pet owners socialize with other per owners. Dog owners generally stop and chat with other dog owners or when visiting a dog park, engage in lengthy conversations. More interaction equals less isolation for you and your dog.

Physical Fitness

Taking your dog for a thirty minute walk not only keeps one moving but also helps one meet the minimum requirements for healthy physical activity. Playing ball in the back yard will add to your fitness dividends. Additionally, playing with your pet is a great stress reliever.

Pets fight depression

It is well known that many therapists prescribe a pet to help deal with and overcome depression. Pets present an unconditional love and loyalty. Petting a cat or dog provides a calming effect and enhances the mood as well. There is nothing more pleasurable that a purring kitty or tail wagging pup. Caring for a pet moves ones focus from inward self. Walking, grooming, and feeding a pet helps one to feel better about they way in which their time is spent.

Good for the Heart

Two separate studies concluded that pet owners had a lower risk of dying from any cardiac disease. One twenty year study showed that cat owners were 40% less likely to die of a heart attach than those who never owned a cat.

It is amazing what a pet can do for one’s life. The preceding pet information came from an article I read on WebMD. I can tell you Connor is proof positive that pets do make a difference in a person’s mental and physical health. Do you have pets? How do they help your family?

Do you remember this commercial? For all you youngsters Peter Brady is the middle son from the 1970s hit show The Brady Bunch.

The promo jingle back in the day was that “Go Go power” of Cheerios. Today Cheerios promotions focus on Oats, know as the Heart Superfood. My boys ate Cheerios for breakfast and mom gave them to us too. It’s amazing how far we have come with food and ads yet the old standards remain. According to the Cheerios website “Three grams of soluble fiber daily from whole grain oat foods, like Cheerios® cereal, in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Cheerios cereal provides 1 gram per serving.” As a fan of Cheerios® for many years now, I am elated to announce two fabulous “Do What You Love” contest giveaways!

The first contest is huge and oh so exciting! Cheerios is collaborating with country music superstar Martina McBride and professional athlete Cal Ripken, Jr. for the “Do What You Love” Contest.

Now through July 23, 2010, submit a 150-250 word original story and photo, highlighting what you love to do for a chance to win an experience of a lifetime! http://www.cheerios.com/love

1. One music lover (and a guest) will tour the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum with McBride; hang out with her in her recording studio – the world famous Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tenn. – and even get VIP tickets to one of her upcoming concerts.
2. Another lucky baseball enthusiast (and a guest) will have the chance to hang out and play catch with Ripken and to tour the Ripken Youth Baseball Academy in Aberdeen, Md., with the “Iron Man” of baseball himself. Additionally, the winner will throw out the first pitch at the Cal Ripken World Series as well as attend a Baltimore baseball game seated in Ripken’s reserved seats.

The second “Do What You Love” giveaway is being sponsored right here – ya!

Thanks to Cheerios and MyBlogSpark for providing me with a “Do What You Love” prize pack, the contest information, and a prize pack to share with you all!  The “Do What You Love” prize pack includes one box of Cheerios and a $25 American Express^® Gift Card that you can use towards doing what you love.

How to Enter

Mandatory Entry – Leave a comment telling us what you love to do!

For two more chances to win the prize pack:

Second Entry – Follow me on twitter and leave a comment with your twitter name.

Third Entry – Copy and tweet to your followers:

Cheerios “Do What You Love” Contest & Prize Pack  http://bit.ly/dd0zVL #mbsspark @WomanMomFriend

One Winner will be chosen Sunday July 25 via Random.org – Giveaway is open to US residents only per sponsor rules. Good Luck!

Your best friend has decided to get married, which means YOU are hosting the bridal shower!

Decide first if this bridal shower will be a surprise party. If not, ask the bride for her thoughts, ideas, and expectations. In either case, be certain to talk with the mother of the bride. Often times there are two bridal showers planned, one for the bride’s friends and co-workers while the other includes family and friends of the bride’s mother.

With today’s economy, a single DIY bridal shower with several hosts seems to be a common occurrence. Have several bridal shower themes ready for discussion. Once the theme is decided upon, prepare a bridal shower budget, set the date, time, and place.

The guest list has an enormous impact on the party atmosphere. Attendees will generally include family, in laws, friends, and co-workers, some of whom will be total strangers to each other. To facilitate a memorable, entertaining party within a DIY budget, forget the restaurant, hall, or nightclub; the food and games become the most important aspects of the event.

Appealing displays of themed appetizers are the perfect ice breaker. You know how women just adore a beautiful hand crafted display! Can you hear them, “Oh look how clever and fresh that table looks?” or “Isn’t that cheese cake fabulous?”

The other sure fire way to induce a friendly, fun atmosphere is playing games. Pop in a new twist on those traditional bridal shower games. Andrea Britt has created a whole host of bridal shower games online. Many of the bridal games are simply hilarious. One example is the “Naughty Know the Bride” game. Rather than the traditional, boring “Know the Bride” questions, this list of questions includes the bride’s first kiss, first crush, and favorite eeehhem position. This is just one of many free printable bridal shower games.

As you can see creative, fun bridal shower games as well as DIY fabulous food turn a budget bridal shower into an incredible, unforgettable lasting memory.

A woman goes to a doctor to discuss her husband’s infertility problem. The doctor says, “Just give your husband these Viagra pills in his next meal, and stand back.”
The woman goes home and hands the pills to her cook who was preparing dinner for a dinner party later that night. The woman says to the cook, “Just put two of these in my husband’s dinner tonight.”
As the woman walks out of the kitchen the cook thinks, “Sure, like I got nothing better to do,” and she throws the whole bunch into the soup.
As the guests were sitting down to dinner, the cook comes out of the kitchen and advises the lady of the house that she must speak to her in that there is a big problem in the kitchen. The lady of the house follows the cook into the kitchen and demands to know what is going on.
The cook admits to throwing all the pills into the soup and cries, “I don’t know what to do, the meat balls have doubled in size, and the vermicelli is standing straight up!”

……………..

Q: What do Disney World & Viagra have in common?
A: They both make you wait an hour for a two-minute ride!

……………..

A man and his wife went to the pharmacy to pick up his prescription for Viagra. Seeing the $10 per pill price his wife was astonished – but then realized “it’s only going to cost us $30 per year”

………………

An elderly man went into his local pharmacy and asked the pharmacist to refill his prescription for Viagra. The pharmacist said, “No problem, sir. How many would you like?”
The man answered, “Just a few, maybe 3, but cut each one into 5 pieces.”
The pharmacist said, “It’s not going to work that well, cutting the Viagra that many times.”
The elderly man said, “That’s all right. I don’t need vigrx for sex anymore as I am over 80 years old. I just want it to stick out far enough so I don’t pee on my shoes.”

When TwitterMoms posed this question, I just had to blog about it! The economy stinks, the housing market (our source of income) is gone, my children are grown and moved out of the country, and our house is now upside down. With all of that negative information you are probably thinking, how can she possibly be better than ever?

Well I am better than ever because I have learned to look forward to the GOOD THINGS that WILL come to be and mull over only the GOOD THINGS that have happened.  Doing ones best, then leaving the rest to God has been a difficult task for me to accomplish. This year I will be fifty. I remember a time when not knowing when our next project would start caused me to loose sleep. I would think, we are going to run out of money, oh no. How will I pay the bills? Time has proven to me that worry will gain nothing. Difficult situations have made me a stronger person. In the meantime, I focus on things that bring a smile to my face, like blogging.

Dove teamed up with TwitterMoms to promote their newest gofresh™ REVIVE. Quoting from the post on TwitterMoms.com, “The folks at Dove® feel this has taken Dove® gofresh™ from good to great.” How ironic is that? They have the right idea; focus on things that are invigorating, refreshing, and yes reviving! Dove® gofresh™ is also sponsoring a Facebook photo contest so be sure to check that out as well. You might just win a spa weekend for two, bet that would make you smile!

When I think about my past, I now focus on the good things. I survived a motorcycle crash 20 + years ago that should have been fatal, raised my sons to be upstanding men, have a loving husband of 24 years. My extended family is always supportive and we keep in close contact with one another. There is plenty of room in the house that is up side down if someone needs a place to live. We have food, clothing, shelter, blogging, and each other… life is good and I am better than ever!

So tell us, what makes your life better than ever?

Check out Dove^® gofresh™ with NutriumMoisture™Dove^® Better Than Ever Facebook Contest

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Dove® gofresh™ blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card and some product. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of FriendGiftr. All opinions are 100% mine. And for those who know me personally, you will smile and agree this post is sooo true

Oh, My Gosh I wish I would have known about the Friendgiftr Network sooner! What a fabulous idea, buy and send digital gift cards, or physical cards if you choose, to anyone whether it be a business, family, friend, co worker whomever. Friendgiftr has over 120 merchants that include restaurants, retail stores, and online merchants as well. Gift card values begin at just $10, with $20, $25, $35, $50, $75, and $100 increments. What makes this even more awesome is the fact that if someone does not like their card, no problem they can change it at no cost and without anyone even knowing, no hurt feelings to deal with!

Friendgiftr is just perfect for my family; I always give gift cards for Christmas. The family gift card run down goes something like this: all the teenagers living nearby that drive receive a gas gift card and if they do not drive, they get an AMC movie gift card. I buy the nieces and nephews restaurant cards and parents’ department store cards like Kohl’s or TJ Max. Of course, the little ones still get toys but the rest of the family, gift cards. Then there is the problem of family abroad. We have relatives all over the country, from Massachusetts to Hawaii!  Thinking about it further, I could have sent all of those gift cards digitally with no postage, no postal time constraints, or lost mail. Friendgiftr would have been a huge advantage for my Christmas shopping needs. Now that I found them, next Christmas shopping will be a breeze!

The icing on the gift card cake – FriendGiftr is available from not only their internet website but users can access them via Facebook, iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android too! See the Applebee’s logo over there on the left, that’s my favorite restaurant, eehhemm

Now do you see why I was so excited to blog about this site?

Should I really be blogging about fireplaces and mantles in July? Oh c’mon others do Christmas in July so why not fireplaces? Besides that, we are past the halfway mark for 2010. Before you know it, New Year’s Eve will be here again!

Mantles direct has some beautiful fireplace mantles on display. My hubby would really love to have a fireplace, even if we do live in Florida! He has talked about building a fireplace in the family room for several years now. Our neighbors have one, ceiling to floor made of real stone and it is beautiful. Yes, they did use it during the winter months this year. Seems the weather patterns are changing quite a bit. I was surprised when we made it through April without using the air conditioner.  Getting back to those mantle pieces, not only does Mantles Direct supply single shelf mantle pieces, they also offer outdoor fireplaces, direct-vent gas fireplaces, ventless gel fireplaces, traditional surrounds, and accessories as well.

The hubby would be keen on this site I am certain. They must be thinking Christmas in July too because they are offering an easy 3 pay plan, available until July 31^st . And if that’s not good enough, they are offering free shipping, no sales tax, and the outdoor fireplaces are on sale. Oh I just love those outdoor fire pits, don’t you? So, if you are interested in a fireplace, you might want to check them out soon.

Rambo Alert – TwitterMoms – Glue Dots Oh My!! I was so excited to be a part of the Glue Dots Summer Craft event!

The Glue Dots Project immediately brought to mind my niece Erika. There is a story behind my excitement so please indulge me, as a share my parenting story first.

You see I have a wonderful, loving niece who as a teen, had a passion for scrap booking and crafts. We spent many nights scrap booking together. Today,  Erika loves to do crafts with her three year old baby girl. Of course that makes Lulu, as well call her, my great niece. I am so pleased with and darn proud of my niece; she is a wonderful mom and has a beautiful, well behaved, and charismatic daughter. No one in the family would have ever imagined her life would turn out this way. You see, my niece was one of those unruly teens and I was the wicked aunt who took up the challenge of taming her. She lived with our family for some time, and after moving out continued working in our office until she graduated from high school. With due diligence we kept her close, rallied for family support, and expelled more love than could be imagined. My niece went on to married a fine man, further her bookkeeping skills, and give us precious  Lulu!

When I told Erika about the Glue Dots Summer Bonding Project she was excited too! “Another project for Lulu and I, oh yeah we can do that!” Without further delay I would like to share with you Erika’s quick and inexpensive Glue Dots Summer Bonding project, suitable for boys and girls alike. These cute canisters serve an abundance of purposes, including a lovely way to store just about anything, fun and economical project to create with kids, and a great way to recycle cans, jars, or boxes.

Materials:

glue dots (craft size)

crystal light can

12×12 scrap book paper (on hand)

green ribbon (on hand)

buttons (on hand)

Assembly

Clean a crystal light canister (or any can you have lying around) dry well

Cut paper to size of can

Using the Go dispenser, roll glue dots along the edge of the paper.

Apply Glue Dots to container and continue to do so every 2 inches.

Be sure to use glue dots along the paper crease.

Apply ribbon to cover paper crease.

On the opposite side of ribbon use one glue dot to hold ribbon in place, wrap around the can and tie.

Decorate as desired based on use or by theme

The buttons and foam letters spelling out “buttons” were attached with one glue dot each.

Try using an empty Grated Parmesan Cheese Canister to use as a Ribbon Dispenser!

Erika authors  Deals I have Received, sharing coupons, matching deals, and frugal tips.

Glue Dots Go Dispenser is quite convenient for younger children to roll onto paper. The glue dots have great substance and the adhesive is very durable. The spacing of Glue Dots make placement easy and consistent.

I would like to thank Glue Dots and Twittermoms for this opportunity. I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Glue Dots blogging contest to be eligible to receive a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here for Twittermoms or visit Glue Dots Facebook fan page.

I remember when Rogaine was first being advertised about twenty years ago, several friends were very excited to test it out. Engaging in lengthy conversations on the subject with both men and women, I learned the emotions associated with balding are very similar to having a mild disability or disfigurement. That somehow sounds silly, I know.  The onset of balding is the time these emotions are strongest, from what I was told. The self-consciousness is even more pronounced with men and women who begin to loose hair at an earlier than normal age. It was really rather sad to hear how this hair loss affected their lives.

While Rogaine has been approved by the FDA and testing has proven it to promote hair growth, it does not reverse hereditary pattern baldness. What it does do is regrow hair for those who have other types of hereditary hair loss. Here are two excerpts from reputable sources concerning, Minoxidil, the active ingredient in Rogaine:

Medline - “Minoxidil is used to stimulate hair growth and to slow balding. It is most effective for people under 40 years of age whose hair loss is recent. Minoxidil has no effect on receding hairlines. It does not cure baldness; most new hair is lost within a few months after the drug is stopped.”

Mayo Clinic - If hair growth is going to occur with the use of minoxidil, it usually occurs after the medicine has been used for several months and lasts only as long as the medicine continues to be used. Hair loss will begin again within a few months after minoxidil treatment is stopped.

Notice that neither site claimed that Minoxidil didn’t work at all. I have to hand it to Rogaine; the product does grow hair in 85% of the men that use it as well as giving help, hope, and an alternative to many who would remain very self conscious, unhappy people. In my opinion, Rogaine would be the first topical hair rejuvenation solution to try rather than topical products like  shampoo for thinning hair.

Everyone loses approximately 100 hairs per day, out of the 100,000 contained by the average scalp. A few contributing factors are lifestyle, styling, and the infamous aging process. Other common causes of hair loss include Genetic hair loss, age, gender, and hormones.

Stress and Hair Loss:
It is true that stress can cause hair loss. Extreme physical or emotional stress, for instance stress associated with injury, illness, or surgery, can cause one of two types of hair loss:

1. The most common type, Telogen Effluvium is the less severe type of hair loss where the hair stops growing and lies dormant, only to fall out 2 or 3 months later. It generally grows back within 6 to 9 months.
2. Alopecia Areata is the second type and involves a white blood cell attack on the hair follicles. Similarly, the hair also falls out within weeks and usually in patches. The main difference is the entire scalp and even body hair can fall out. Hair sometimes grows back on its own however; in many cases, treatment may also be required.

There are lots of  hair loss treatment for men and women that can help to relieve or even regrow hair. Do some research, talk to a doctor, and then decide what might be best for you.

Mothers know the importance of oral hygiene and finding a reputable, conscientious dentist can sometimes be a difficult task. My youngest son had inherited my under bite however the pediatric dentist never noticed the improper position of the teeth until the second teeth where completely grown in. This was very upsetting to me. I assumed that with all of the visits and x-rays this would have been evident to the dentist.

With that, I proceeded to find a new dentist. In those days, other than word of mouth, cold calling and medical screening organizations were about the only way gather information. After a hefty amount of manual research, I thought I found the perfect dentist. Let me tell you, the general dentist I chose did a wonderful service in referring me to an affordable, competent orthodontist in Ft. Myers. The orthodontist did a fabulous job on my son’s bite and teeth. Being so pleased with the orthodontist, I continued with the general dentist who referred me. That is, until his bedside manner became more than inadequate. On our last visit, as the dentist was filling a tooth, a tear ran down my son’s face and he had the look of pain in his eyes. My son was one of those little tough guys where nothing hurt him. Seeing that tear and that look of pain alarmed me. Upon questioning the dentist about the boys’ pain level, he got very short with me saying if I interrupted again – (this was the first thing I said) – he would have to ask me to move to the waiting room. At that moment, not only did I insist on more Novocain; I threatened to pull my son from the chair! That was our last visit with him.

Have you been through a similar experience with a medical professional?

Just recently, I needed dental work and had to find a new dentist. I used the internet and found the perfect dentist, first attempt. I thought about that wise guy who worked on my son. Did I just get lucky?  It would have been much easier had the internet existed to the extent it does today. Need a charlotte dentist, conduct a search to find references, reviews, and ratings, read and choose.

Do you think internet reviews and references are valid means to finding dentists, doctors and other medical professionals?

Age spots, aka liver spots are quite annoying let me tell you. These buggers seemed to simply appear one day and continue to pop up randomly. I think this aging symptom is worse than grey hair. What do you think?

Age spots typically develop in fair skinned people like myself, lucky me. They range in size from a freckle to more than one centimeter and can be grouped, looking more pronounced and ugly. Of course, years of sun basking without UV protection increase the amount of age spots. Wish someone had told me that back in the day. I mean I did use sun block but may have opted out of being on the beach simply to tan had I known about these brown blotches.

There are many over the counter bleaching creams available to lighten age spots. With the pigment being at the base of the topmost layer of skin, the epidermis, treatments will have to penetrate that layer. According to the Mayo Clinic, prescribed bleaching creams used in combination with retinoid, a chemical that is structured similar to vitamin A, will have a greater effect. In either case, age spots should fade slowly over a period.

It is so hard to know what creams might work and what are bull. Plus, my skin is really sensitive. Maybe you all can shed some more light on the subject.

Have you used age spot creams or had medical treatment for them? Do you have a recommendation?

Audrey Meadows & Jackie Gleason – The Honeymooners

Alice: Boy, you men kill me; you’re all alike. You want us women to bow and scrape at your feet. You men just think that you own this world.
Ralph: Yeah, but you women get revenge. You marry us!

eBaum’s World

A man had a hemorrhoid and badly needed cream. He would be so embarrassed to go and buy the best hemorrhoid treatment cream at his local pharmacy for obvious reasons.

What should he do to get the cream without stealing, buying it at the register, and not be embarrassed?

He should buy the cream along with a box of tampons! He is not embarrassed, and he looks like a wonderful husband.

Lucille Ball – I Love Lucy

“Oh Ethel did you ever wish there was something else to marry besides men?”

Rodney Dangerfield

“I’m sitting on top of the world, and I’ve got hemorrhoids.”

My wife made me join a bridge club. I jump off next Tuesday.

“With my wife, I get no respect. I fell asleep with a cigarette in my hand. She lit it.”

Jerry Seinfeld

Men want the same thing from women that they want from their underwear… a little support, comfort, and freedom.

Print Direct for Less is just as the name implies. This easy to navigate site offers a straightforward design center, mailing lists, as well as unlimited business forms, stationary, cards, and flyers. Not only does the company offer opportunities to gain free mailing lists, they boast the customer is capable of tracking the entire history of each jobs order down to the time, date, and step by step details.

In business since 1986, this company is located in the suburbs of Cleveland Ohio and services the Untied States and Mexico. Their internet service was added in 1996 to afford all customers the advantage of doing business online. Of all the statements listed on their website, this attests to customer dedication with no gimmicks, “We have entered the on-line marketplace with every intention of fine tuning our operation to the point of pure efficiency so we can offer the absolute best, up front pricing, and turnaround, while also allocating proper discounts for different client buying levels.”

Claiming the best prices and turn around time for true color printing, they are without doubt worth a look if interested in purchasing online printing services.

Since incurring those nasty hacks in May on GoDaddy, I have been checking out other hosting providers. From what I have gathered thus far, the smaller companies were not hit so badly. I came across this offer for one year of free hosting and thought I would share it with you.

Robson Communications Inc. is located in Vancouver, Canada. They provide hosting plans with UNIX and Windows servers. All hosting plans included a 30 day money back guarantee, are business ready with instant activation, no monthly contract, and no setup Fees. For a limited time Robson is offering 1 Year Free Website Hosting. No strings attached, no commitment, and Robson will even migrate you from your current hosting provider free! Use Promotion Code: VHP25589 but hurry, offer expires Sept 30, 2010.