#NSNation: Week Three

I dreaded weighing in this week.  I just knew it was going to be bad.  Well, it wasn't bad, but it surely wasn't good either.  I didn't gain or lose this week so I am excited that I am holding strong at 12 lbs lost!

It has been such a crazy week.  Three different days, my complete day was thrown a curve ball, and I had to  run out of the house.  Hours later, I come home having not eaten all day.  For those of you who think you can just starve and lose, I am living proof that not all people can.  I am one of those people with metabolism still so slow that if I don't eat my 6 mini meals, I don't lose.  I did  stay on Nutrisystem food and didn't cheat while I was away from home, but let me tell you 12 hours without any food, then eating at midnight isn't great for anyone!

My son has been so sick, and with the trip to the hospital and two doctor's visits, it's been insane here.  On top of it all, this the "retain 5 lbs of water weight" time for me, so I am glad I don't have five extra lbs on the scales this weeks just because I'm a girl!


My Beginning Measurements:  

Upper Arms: 15.0

Chest: 49.8

Waist: 54.0

Hips: 59.0

Thighs: 23.6

Last Week's Measurements:

Upper Arms: 14.6

Chest: 48.0

Waist: 51.6

Hips: 57.8

Thighs: 21.1

Current Measurements

Upper Arms: 14.4

Chest: 47.8

Waist: 0.0

Hips: 57.4

Thighs: 21.1

For me, logging my food and water and exercise is essential, and I am getting back on track with it all TODAY!  I was thrilled with my inches though since despite my crazy week I lost in small increments everywhere but my waist.  Thanks to bloating, my waist is bigger, so I will tell you the inches on that next week!  Slowly but surely, I am melting away!

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting Nutrisystem

*Nutrisystem is providing me with 4 months of free food and support service as part of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger program. In exchange, I will be posting each week with my progress. All thoughts expressed are my own, and my experience using the system may vary from that of other participants.* 

Thanks To Perky Plus Stain Remover, I Don't Have to Replace My Carpet!

With four children and now one dog, stains are inevitable in our home.  We get everything from grass and mud stains on football uniforms, ketchup and mustard stains  from hot dog drips, to blood stains from frequent nose bleeds.  I scrub, pre-treat, soak, bleach when possible, use stain removers and sadly, most of the time none of it works.  I have thrown out more clothing items in the past 13 years than I thought possible.   I can also guarantee that if an outfit is brand new or white, it WILL get a stain that nothing seems to penetrate.

I have found a stain remover that I was actually pleased with.  I know, hold the presses!  Perky Plus Stain Remover Perky PLUS Stain Remover has been approved by the E.P.A’s “Design for the Environment” program so it meets my desire to always use products that are safe for Mother Earth.  It works on water based or oil stains, and is safe for both carpets and clothes.  The bottle does recommend to test the product on the item before using just in case your fabric isn't color set.  

My husband just cleaned our carpet 2 weeks ago, but sadly there were two stains we couldn't get up.  I honestly don't know what they were.  One was of a dark nature, and the other one was black, but matted my carpet like bubble gum.  Ice didn't work, pre-treatment from the store didn't work, and I had resigned myself to this ugly black matted spot in my bedroom  Great.  

I saturated the spot with the Perky PLUS Stain Remover and scrubbed at it with a scrub brush, and was amazed as the matted goo started breaking apart like gum does when you put peanut butter on it.  I applied a little more spray, scrubbed it in, and let it sit for 5 minutes or so and the spot was gone.  For that reason alone, I am sold on this product.  

You can even see from the picture that the whole area is a little lighter than it was before.  I'm completely sold on it, but I know you will want to form your own opinion about this!  You can find the Perky PLUS Stain Remover on the Groom Industries Website along with the other products they offer.  

You can get 50% off now by entering the Coupon Code 50OFFGRM

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers

Color Nook Giveaway 9/13!

Welcome to the Nook Color 8GB Giveaway!

BuyDig has teamed up with Kate n' Kaboodle and co-hosts News Wahl and Colleen's Book Nook to bring you this wonderful Back to School giveaway!

This fabulous giveaway includes a 8GB Nook Color and a $25 Barnes & Noble Giftcard!

I am thrilled to partner with Kate and Kaboodle on this giveaway, because who wouldn't love a Color Nook?  This is such a wonderful opportunity, I couldn't possibly pass up sharing it with you! The Barnes & Noble 8GB Nook Color features the 7 inch VividView Touchscreen that displays 16 million colors ultra-bright. This touchscreen is specially designed for remarkable clarity, minimal glare and is ultra responsive. The Nook Color is fully customizable so you can make the text bigger, choose your favorite font or read in portrait or landscape. Books, Magazines, Newspapers, Textbooks, Comics...if you want to read it, the Nook Color can deliver in seconds with it's built-in WiFi capabilities! With over 2.5 million titles available, there is something for everyone. There is an endless list of free books and you can even save up to 90% on textbooks! Concerned about storage? Worry no more! With 8GB (up to 5,000 books) of built-in memory and expandable storage up to 32GB with microSD memory card, there is plenty of room! Whether you want to watch movies with Netflix, read your favorite book, listen to music, check your Facebook, search the web or enjoy a wide variety of apps, the Nook Color is for you!

Read Kate n' Kaboodle's Review here and check out her other Back To School giveaways!

Connect with BuyDig

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Buy It

BuyDig currently has the 8GB Nook Color available on their website for $149!

Win It

One winner will receive a 8MB Nook Color and a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card!

Enter on the Rafflecopter below. US Only.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: This blog is not responsible for prize fulfillment, nor did I receive any compensation for this post.

Write without the pain with Uglee Pen Giveaway!

I am a little unsure why this is, but every time I have a pen and put it away so I can find it and use it when I need it, someone steals it.  So inevitably, I spend way too much money on pens that I ultimately don't get to enjoy, and end up writing with the marketing pens that I collect at various craft shows and such!  Did I mention the carpal tunnel that comes with around 25 years of playing the piano and another 7 of constant typing?  My hands always fall asleep when I try to write with a pen, and it can be painful.

Not anymore.  I have been introduced to the Uglee Pen, and I don't think I will never use another pen again. Ever.  This pen was designed by Dr. James Lee and is an ergonomic pen.   These pens were designed for hands of all sizes and ages!  They are super comfortable, have a soft gel comfort grip, and the pen is even perfect for children. Why?  Because they haven't developed their muscles yet, and using the Uglee Pen can correct the way they hold a pen and prevent years of injuries!

It honestly took me a minute to get used to using a pen that is so comfortable.  It is so soft to hold that I kept checking my grip to ensure I had hold of the pen right because I am used to feeling at least discomfort when  I write.  While it isn't a cure for my carpal tunnel, I was able to complete almost 3 whole school packets (you know, the 50 pages of forms per packet we have to fill out every year) before my hand started going to sleep.  I usually can't get through the first page without stopping and shaking my hand.  My husband loved these pens and thought he was going to pirate one from me for work. Well, I had the last laugh because my pen is blue ink and the State requires black ink only.  Yes, I did a little "hahahah point" as he gave me back my pen!

The original cost of the pen, $19.99 is the bulk of the cost for the pen.  The refills are $15 for 10 refills which is less than I spend on either a new pen or ink refills at Walmart!

You can watch more informative videos on the Uglee Pen website, Facebook, or Twitter. You can also win a pen of your own by jumping on the Rafflecopter!  Happy Entering!

First Day of School....

Always makes me nostalgic because it's a mile marker that time is flying by, and my babies aren't babies anymore!  So I am starting a new tradition called Then and Now!

Then

Suzannah-2 years old

  Max-7 years old

  Gracie- 1 year old

Now

Note the really cool Gutzy Gear on their backpacks!  You can find out how to get your own by clicking here!

Back to School with Crayola Giveaway 9/9!

When I remember my school days and products I needed for a successful year every year, one name is front and center in my mind:  Crayola.  Whether I needed simple crayons for Mrs. Comer's Kindergarten class, the bazillion color pack for Ms. King's 6th grade projects, or the 24 pack of colored pencils to shade my maps in Mrs. Howard's High School Geography class.

While those were the days of the past, Crayola still offers those products.  However,  I was so shocked to discover the range of products they now offer:  Dry erase markers, Window Markers, Fabric Markers, Dry Erase Boards, Dry Erase Crayons, and much more! 

We were super blessed to receive a package of products to facilitate our review which included a selection of Wild Notes, Window Markers, Bright Fabric Markers, and a Dry Erase Board and Dry Erase Crayons.  The Fabric Markers came with 8 bold colors that are perfect for jazzing up any outfit, hat, shoes, or even an apron.  

I think the two most used items thus far in the package are the Dry Erase Board and Dry Erase Markers, and the Window Markers!  I don't know why drawing on the windows is so much more fun than writing on paper, but Crayola is definitely onto something here!  I have palm trees, hearts, butterflies, roses, and even names of family members adorning all my windows and I love it.  The Crystal Effect Window Markers are my favorite because they literally dry with a crystal finish and are beautiful.  

Since Mika is 3, he is always sitting with his Dry Erase Board and Dry Erase Crayons drawing some new masterpiece, and I even use it as I show him different letters and numbers and how they are written. The Wild Notes are super cool. The marker that comes with each paper item draws clear on most paper, but if you use it on wild notes, it draws multicolored. Each of the three older kids quickly picked which one they would need in school and stored them away for Monday!

Crayola keeps inventing quality, exciting products that appeal to kids of all ages, and you can keep up with their latest products and promotions on Facebook and Twitter.  One of my lucky readers will win a great back to school package of their very own!  Just enter on the Rafflecopter below!

Disclosure:  The information, products and additional Crayola Back-to-School gift pack was provided by Crayola® through MyBlogSpark.

Can I get a Do-Over? Weekend at the ER!

A Mere Scratch caused WHAT???

*** Warning-longer than normal post, but bear with me, I couldn't make this up if I tried***

My 3 year old woke up on the wrong side of the whole world yesterday.  He was a pill and a half, and refused to sleep or nap, opting instead to grace us with his unpleasant new personality-I almost gave it a new name since it was so far different from my normal happy-go-lucky 3 year old.  About the time I instructed the kids to turn in the Wii and to give Crankypants every turn so I don't have to hear him scream anymore, I sat down to try and get in one blog post.  Just one.  A tiny one.  Not too much to ask.  Especially considering it was due, like, yesterday.  Hey, there were two 13 year olds, a 9, and an 8 year old told to stay in the living room with the 3 year old, so I felt comfortable to sit right next to them in the dining room where it's a tad quieter.  Except that my oldest son snuck outside to play with his homemade toy that shoots Nerf balls.  Super fun.  Everyone loves it.  Usually.

His finger got stuck in the knob on it and rather than calling for help, he rips his finger out tearing the skin off. Great.  Super sore boo boo, but not much blood so I told him to wash his finger at the kitchen sink and before I could even hand him the band aid, he falls flat out cold into my compost bin that was full of 12 eggs that floated.  I grab his arm, fall to the floor holding him.  He is twitching all over, eyes rolled back in his head, tongue rolling back, obviously having a seizure as we both are covered arms down in egg yolk and broken shells.    I am yelling at my daughter to find the phone and call 911, but of course, the phone is hiding and not on the base.  Yes, that is Alanis Morisette you hear singing "Ironic" in my head.

He comes to about 5 minutes later, has no idea where he is, is sobbing, scared, disoriented, and wanting a shower.  Hey, OCD doesn't pick when it rears it's head which for him is all the time.  So we laid him on the couch, the girls cleaned up the eggs, and I got the phone and phone book to call the gym where my husband is working out with my minivan.  Remember all the kids?  He left me with a big mud truck.  Fun to go Muddin' won't hold all the kids.  A surf's up dude I am pretty sure was named Fred (go Scooby Doo) answered the phone, and sure thing, he can find -------------- (insert hubby's name) .  But other than putting me on hold, he doesn't find my husband who was riding a bike with his IPOD set to Puddle of Mud.  Let's just call it loud, and that is likely the reason he didn't hear himself paged.  Great.  This is two hours before he's due at work.

So I call my sister who is working an hour and 20 minutes away.  She leaves work immediately to relieve me of the darlings so I can go to the ER.  I did try to call the Doctor's office, got a message to call the Dr on call, but it was missing the phone number.  I finally got a hold of my husband at his job, so he and my sister arrived within minutes of each other.  Relief!  Finally there is help.  So he and I take my darling oldest son to the ER on the busiest night of the week.

He has what??

The doctor in charge thinks it's just a fainting spell which can look like seizures, but since I had seizures when I went through puberty, they want to do testing.  No problem.  I'm down for finding out what's wrong with my kid.  Some blood work and a Cat Scan are in order, and results should be back "quickly"

SIX HOURS LATER....

The doctor comes back in after sitting at the computer outside of our room looking at my son's Cat Scan for over 30 minutes-Never a good sign.

 >>>>>>Quick side story.  My son got an ear infection at his Nana's from being in the pool.  Well his ear hurt, and he got sick with a high fever, throwing up. She took him to the ER who ran a bunch of tests, called it a virus, but never looked in his ear, and sent him home with some nausea pills.  Two weeks later when I bring the kids home, Max is up sobbing in the night, his ear is throbbing and I saw it draining green goo.  Fabulous.  Definite ear infection.  No worries, I took him the day after I got him to the doctor who gave him antibiotics.  A week later, the doctor still couldn't see Max's ear drum, still oozing-now yellow stuff, so he told us to take more meds and come back this coming Tuesday.<<<<<

The Cat Scan shows that my son has  a mass on his ear bone.  The doctor diagnosed it as Mastoiditis, a form of Staph infection that is in his bone behind his ear. It's "rare in developed countries"  per the doctor thanks to antibiotics and is caused by an ear infection going untreated and spreading to the bone.  It's serious.  Hard to treat because antibiotics often won't reach the bone, and I won't go into the treatment it MAY mean.

He has referred him to an ENT to look at his ear and for a second opinion, but either way a mass on my 13 year old's ear bone doesn't calm my spirit in the least.  He also has to go to a neurologist to rule out seizures, but that isn't a huge worry.  If he has seizures, there are good meds to control them.  Bottom line is I am worried, and I don't know whether to pray it IS Mastoiditis, a severe staph infection, or a mass in his bone that could be...well I won't even type it, but I would insist on a biopsy.  So, now you know WHY I named my blog My Wild Crazy Life.  It is wild, it is crazy, but it is MINE, and I wouldn't trade it for the world!


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