In Gloria's Place I can be a mom, a woman, a daughter, a wife, a writer, a customer, an observer and a person all at the same time, without judgement or remorse.
I love springtime. Besides spending more time outside and with my family one of the things I do more in spring is experiment with new recipes. After all, who wants to eat the same old thing all the time? My family doesn’t. So, lately I've turned to places like Allrecipes and other cooking websites for new recipes. Thanks to Mom Central I have discovered one more website, from Unilever, filled with recipes.
That’s right, Unilever has consumer website called Making Life Better, for moms or anyone else interested, filled with quick easy affordable recipes just in time for the spring holidays. Many of the recipes include using well known brands like: Shedd's , Bertolli, Ragú, Knorr and Breyers. Signing up to get access to the recipes is easy. A quick 5-minute survey and you are done. Once signed up consumers have access to information, tips and e-newsletters in other categories: beauty and style, home and family, vitality and wellness, tips, news and offers.
Once signed up consumers can also save the recipes to their favorites, share the recipes by emailing them to family and friends or bookmarking the recipes, rate the recipes, print the recipes in 3 x 5 sizes and or leave a comment about the recipe or how it turned out after making it.
Last night my family and I tried the Savory Chicken & Asparagus Hollandaise recipe and enjoyed it very much. The Hollandaise and the Asparagus made a wonderful difference to a routine chicken and rice dish (we served the dish with white rice). It was easy to make and since everyone approved of it I plan to make it again. I also plan to make these recipes in the near future: Savory Seasoned Potatoes, Toasted Ham & Cheese Tortas and Avocado Breakfast Sandwiches. All these recipes have easy to make instructions with ingredients I enjoy.
Nice recipe features:
Below every recipe is a nice feature, the Cost Per Recipe and Cost Per Serving. The Cost Per Recipe and Cost Per Serving is a nice touch. I am always trying to calculate how much cheaper it is to eat at home versus going out to eat so I like this small, but very useful feature. If I am ever tempted to go out to eat with my family all I have to do is compare costs and I'm convinced it just isn't worth going out to eat especially in these economic times. Eating in can be just as delicious or more than going out. It is also healthier and since you are making the meal yourself you know exactly what is going into your families tummies. That is always comforting to me.
In addition to this new website, Unilever is offering a rebate coupon where you can get up to $20 back on your ham or turkey purchase by mail when you buy $40 in Unilever products during the month of April. The coupon was in Newspapers Sunday, April 5th. Sorry for the late notice.
So, if you haven't read your Sunday newspaper yet, check it out. If you don't get the Sunday newspaper ask someone that does. Maybe they are willing to part with the coupon. It's worth a try anyways.
At the website you can also find The Family Fun Book, an interesting read you can download from the Unilever website and read at your computer. It has plenty of good tips about making eating with your family fun.
As always the one of the things I like to see encouraged more on websites like these is living and eating more earth-friendly. Making Life Better does encourage this. In one of their newsletters I read easy tips to Green Your Cleaning. I would like to continue reading these types of tips from them. In addition I suggest to anyone wanting to cook more organically to use locally grown and or organic vegetables and fruits in all or most of your meals. The cost may very a little bit from those on the recipe, but not by much especially if you are shopping in season. It’s healthier for your family too.
I really enjoy being a Mom Central member. As a member I have the opportunity to review and spread the word about new products and websites all the time. Sometimes a new product or website will come along that I really like. This time it was Current by Discover Card.
Although I don't have teenagers to try the Current Card with, I will however have some in a few years. My kids are growing quickly. The thought of that is as scary as it is exciting. Why is it scary? Because as teenager once myself, despite the fact that I was one of the responsible teenagers, I know how addicting spending money can become. My husband does too. Still to this day we are paying back some of our irresponsible financial actions and so now, if there is anything I can do to help my kids start off on the right foot I am going to try it. I think Current by Discover Card is something I will keep in mind when the time finally comes. I think it is a great compromising financial option, between teens and their parents.
It is a good option because as a parent I am able to give my children access to money when they need it but restrict it from when they try to use it irresponsibly. That's right! I CAN set up the account so that my teenagers cannot use their card in places like: Tobacco stores, ATMs, bars, hotels and more. At the same time I get to live with the peace of mind that if my child needs to use money in an emergency, say the car breaks down, than my child has instant access to that emergency money.
After compromising with my children about their spending limits I can also set up the account to daily, weekly, or monthly spending limits. I can track my children's spending via email or text alerts. My kids can track it too which I think is a great idea because it shows them how to keep track of their money. As a parent this is what I want. I want my kid to have money for emergencies or necessities but not frivolous spending. I want them to know how much and how fast they are spending and I want them to keep in mind that they have a budget to keep to or they are out of money.
In addition we have the options of direct deposit. If my kids have jobs their money can be set up for direct deposit into their Current Card account. If the card is lost or stolen, like any other card account, the card can be frozen or deactivated until a new card arrives. "Discover’s $0 fraud liability, which means card members are never responsible for unauthorized charges – online, offline, anytime, anywhere".
Because Current is not a credit card there will be no effect on my teenagers' credit history. I would never give my kids credit cards. I know what misuse of one can do to their financial future. I would however be willing to give them a debit card like this one.
As a parent I can also:
* Add funds from your Discover Card or other major credit card
* Add funds from your checking, savings account or direct deposit
* As a reward my teen would receive online discounts to AMC, AMF, Target.com and so on.
This is the type of card there should have been years ago when my husband and I were in college. This is the type of card I want to sign up for now. I would sign everyone up in my family, my husband, my fast growing children who already want thing from Book Fares and school fundraisers and myself. Shouldn't every American be signed up for it? Maybe it would teach us a bit about our spending habits. It allow us to set up our own restrictions without letting us easily back out of those own restrictions, like we often do when we make a budget for ourselves.
What I don't like about Current is the membership fee, however low it may be. In my opinion, there shouldn't be a fee on my money. Then again my teen would receive discounts using their card and as a parent I would earn Discover Cashback Bonus or Miles when I load my teenagers’ Current Cards using my Discover Card. So technically, I would earn the membership fee back in no time. I guess that’s okay. I also don't like restriction from the company on the amount of withdrawals (4 free withdrawals) my kid can my make unless I set up the restrictions. I would also like Current by Discover to set up a financial education program for my teens to attend in person before receiving their Current Card, teach them how to drive before they hit the road, so to speak.
What do you think about Current by Discover? Don’t know yet? If you have teenagers or tweens and want more information visit CurrentbyDiscover.com. Then come back and share your feedback.
Good news! Mom Central has partnered with Disney On Ice to provide a special family ticket package offer to Disney on Ice Shows. So, if you would like the opportunity to take your family to a Disney on Ice Show, but can't seem to budget the show in (like me), maybe the discounts below will help :
Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code "MOM" at select ticketing channels*. Offer good on all performances, minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Gold Circle Seating, Front Row and VIP seating or combinable with other offers. Other restrictions may apply.
Offer #2: A select amount of Front Row and VIP seats have been reserved for you to buy before they go on sale to the public - just enter the code "MOM" when purchasing those seats.
Dates and cities where families can use the national MOM code are as follows:
Houston: Disney On Ice presents Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey (April 15-April 19)
Dallas/Ft Worth: Disney On Ice presents Mickey & Minnie's Magical Journey (March 18-March 29)
Sunrise/Miami: Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy (March 26-April 5)
Toronto: Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy (March 18-March 22)
Kansas City: Disney On Ice presents Mickey & Minnie's Magical Journey (April 1-April 5)
Denver: Disney On Ice presents a Disneyland® Adventure (March 12-March 15)
Phoenix: Disney On Ice presents a Disneyland® Adventure (April 9-April 12)
Chicago/Rosemont: Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic (Sept 8-Sept 13)
To learn more about Disney On Ice shows touring the country this year, visit http://disney.go.com/disneyonice/ and visit ticketmaster.com to use the 4 tickets for $44 code, MOM. To locate shows near your city go to www.disneyonice.com and type in your zip code. Also, if you like this deal feel free to spread the word to your
What I like...my daughter's birthday is coming up soon. Considering how much she loves Disney characters, the size of our family and this discount price compared to the regular price of the tickets, this may just be the perfect gift for her and for us. All we need now is a good deal on a nice healthy dinner out.
Upromise has improved over the years. I just logged on after many months. When I first signed up only a few stores and cards could be registered.....
Today I noticed new partners, new programs and a new look. Erewards is my favorite of their partners. I love it when online programs like this link up. They added Sallie Mae too and we need this one. I can now add my kid's school to the allocations. They have also added a community... I could go on. It isn't perfect yet. There are still things I would like to see improved or changed, but it is getting better. I can't wait until they realize how important it is to add eco-friendly retailers and other local grocery stores like HEB. Don't worry I will be emialing them my suggestions.
Inauguration day has come and gone and still there is media of it on TV, in the papers and online. The Inauguration ball, the first lady's white gown, Obama's speech are all hot topics. It doesn't surprise me. This inauguration is a historical event, one of the most historical Inaugurations in some time. A man that at another time would have had little to no chance of ever being elected for reasons such as: his "lack of experience", his politics and the color of his skin, won the election. He proved that change is possible.
While many of us watched the Inauguration on TV, thousands of people had the opportunity to witness the inauguration events in person. Of those thousands 24 of them where a group of Chicago inner city fifth and six graders sponsored by the McCormick Foundation.
"The DC 24 are 5th and 6th grade students from Frazier Preparatory Academy in inner-city Chicago who were chosen by a committee of faculty and staff to attend Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration and witness American history as it unfolds. The students were chosen for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity based on a series of criteria, including a written essay, grades, test scores, an oral interview, but most importantly, citizenship. Once selected, the students participated in a weekly civics course where they learned more about the Constitution, our election process and African-American history."
As part of this opportunity they blogged about their experiences and shared it with the world, thoughts, pictures and videos. Read about their experience here and then take a look at the essays they had to write in order to be part of this group. I just love the way fifth and sixth graders write. They are so honest.
If you have an inauguration story and would like to share it with the world too follow this link. Here you will also have the opportunity to read other people's inauguration stories.
I'm not much of a Super Bowl fan. My husband is, so ever-so-often I get curious (with all the hype and all) and I do take a seat next to him to at least watch the commercials. Some of them are pretty funny. Some of them are a waste of money and my time and shouldn't have been aired at all in my opinion and some actually make a positive difference, like the one to air this year from Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.
"Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Earn Your Stripes program has initiated a call-to-action for a national field renovation program that kicks off this coming Super Bowl Sunday with a commercial entitled "Plant a Seed." The ad focuses on the role we all play in building stronger communities and making a difference in kids' lives. Because the Earn Your StripesTM program is about inspiring kids to be their very best, "Plant a Seed" shows that before anyone can earn a single stripe, someone has to plant a seed and help give kids places to realize their promise and potential.
The field renovation initiative will make over approximately 50 fields across the United States to help provide better places for families to stay active. Through this program, fields will once again become central and vibrant places of activity and community in cities and towns across the country.
Playing sports can build values like determination, confidence, and friendships in our children and communities. We encourage you to nominate your local field at www.FrostedFlakes.com. We wish you the best of luck, and encourage you to tune-in to watch the "Plant a Seed" commercial as Frosted Flakes launches its national call-to-action to millions this coming Super Bowl Sunday. "
So even though I am not a fan of the Superbowl I am a fan of sports, youth, safe family and friend gatherings and maintaining places for sports to be played if it helps kids stay active, healthy and happy. Hopefully planting a seed also has a double meaning and maybe someone will plant a tree or two on these renovated fields far away enough not to get in the way of the game, but close enough to have a picnic under the shade while watching the game. For more information on "Plant a Seed" follow this link.
Drugs.com MedNotes – Personal Medication Records Tour Review
One of things I don't like about going to the doctor is answering the question, "Are you (your children) taking any medications?” I answer yes and then they ask, "What medications are you (your children) taking?" I'll tell the nurse or doctor what I'm taking the medication for and what they medication looks like, but I can never recall the name of the medication itself. The doc or nurse will call out a list or names and I'll pick the name that sounds familiar to the medication I'm taking, but I'm never positive and the nurse or doctor will look disappointed that I can't remember what I'm putting into my body, or my kids bodies. Then I have to make an excuse for myself, "I'm terrible with names". It's true. I am terrible with names and unless I carry my medications with me everywhere to pull out when a doctor ask me what I'm taking I wont recall what I'm taking.
This isn't safe especially when certain medications shouldn’t be taken together. We don't take a lot of medications at one time, but we are always taking something...ear infections, eye infection, strep, prenatal vitamins...etc. I've made lists before but I'm not very organized and I'll loose the list or the meds change and I don't keep it up to date. There are five of us now. My kids, my husband and I so its hard to keep track of medications, what they are, when to give, what can't be taken with them etc. So when the Drugs.com MedNotes – Personal Medication Records Tour came along I was relieved. Drugs.com the website was already a useful place to find out information about all sorts of medications.
Now that Drugs.com has added MedNotes – Personal Medication Records it's even better. Here I can make a list of medications I take or that my family takes. It’s very convenient. In addition I can sign up for notifications (news and warnings) to be sent to me as they become available. The website also makes taking medication a lot safer. For instance, if certain medications can't be taken together or need to be taken with food or have certain side affects or can't be taken with certain health conditions a warning will pop up next to the medication.
What I like best about it all is that the next time I go to the doctor I can just print out the list of medications and hand it to the doctor. There wont be anymore forgetting medication names or mispronouncing them. I just print the list and hand it to them. If I forget to print it while at home, no worries. I can log on to Drugs.com wherever there is Internet access, click on Mednotes and print the list before I go to the doctor. Worst-case scenario, I leave home and forget to print out my list and can't print it anywhere else, no worries. If the doctor really needs to know what drugs I'm taking I can tell the doctor, "Go to drugs.com and I can print you out a list right now". I love that! The list will have the medications I'm taking, plus the dosage, allergies and any special notes.
"Drugs.com, the largest and most comprehensive online drug information resource, wants to offer Moms an easy place to keep track of all their family's medications in one place. Their recently released, award winning tool, MedNotes, provides a free online personalized medication management program that can be used to track the whole family's medication profiles. On each personal family member profile you create, you can enter the names of all the medications being taken and then register to receive drug safety or interaction alerts to ultimately help reduce dangerous side effects and avoid unwanted drug interactions. In addition, MedNotes will send you new drug and specific condition news released by the FDA or drug makers related to the medications your family members take. "
If I could add anything I would add a reminders option. I need reminders. I wish it had reminders to remind me when to give medicines to the members of my family. The reminder options would allow me to set it up so that I could receive reminders to my landline phone and or my cell phone. This would be so helpful. For more information visit Drugs.com (www.drugs.com) and MedNotes (https://www.drugs.com/mednotes.html)
Last year, an online friend of mine spent months telling me about the mess she had to go through after having her third baby, major surgeries, self-absorbed doctors, infections, pain etc. I felt so bad for her and at the same time counted my lucky stars I wasn't in her shoes.
"The US News World reported that, out of the one in four women who receive hysterectomies, approximately 85% are still treated with traditional open abdominal surgical methods, despite the perfection of a decades old laparoscopic procedure that leaves the ovaries and cervix in place."
This year I'm a few months away from having my 3rd child and healthy as I am I worry about those invasive, painful depressing surgeries I've heard my friend and so many other women talk about. What if I have to go through the same thing? Is it really all that bad? Is it really all that invasive, painful depressing? It turns out it doesn't have to be. It turns out women have more options these days then ever before. "Less invasive approaches are now available for many gynecologic procedures that once required major surgery", unfortunately many women don't know about these options. I didn't, not until Mom's Central lead me to a website called AAGL.
I now know we do have better options and if the situation ever arises I can let my doctor know that I know about these options and would like to discuss them all before making the right decision. I feel like, this is a very empowering tool especially since some doctors are just so stuck in their ways they'll convince you that their way is the best way. If you're not informed how can you know if he's right or wrong?
These are our bodies. We need to empower ourselves. If he isn't even willing to consider another options, we need to switch to another doctor and get a second opinion. If our health insurance isn't willing to allow a second opinion, then we need to appeal it. After all we are the ones who have to live with the results of surgery. What do you think?
If I could change anything about this website to make it more research friendly for the patient I would add a chart that summarizes the conditions and treatments that are found on the Patient Education Topics page. For example, under Hysterectomy I would have a link for Hysterectomy and then next to it would be a link for possible alternative procedures. This way the invasive and less invasive procedures can be placed side by side and made easier to compare. Each link of course would lead to more detailed information. Widening the width of the text area would be nice too. This way I wouldn't have to keep scrolling down to keep reading.
If you would like to know more about your options check out the AAGL website.
First of all I would like to say I am a fan of those TV commercials about people doing nice things for strangers. These are the kinds of commercials we should be exposed to more, instead of the more violent and sexual ones we often see. Thanks Liberty for doing this and thank you even more for expanding your idea with this website.
About the Website
I've been trying to teach my six year old responsibility for some time now. When she does something wrong or feels a certain way she tends to blame others for her actions and her feelings. I keep telling her she "needs to take responsibility". She then asks me "What's responsibility?" I struggle to come up with the perfect answer. There is no kid friendly definition to answer her with, at least not one that I can think of, so I give her examples and show her what I can, still I struggle to communicate it well.
I was hoping this website from the Liberty Mutual Responsibility Project would help me explain it a little better. As much as I like this project and the idea of it it wasn't as kid friendly as I had hoped- not for the age level of my kids any way. I see this more of a good website for teenagers, parents and everyone else. I'm not complaining about the website, I'm just wondering if there is any way a section for younger children can be introduced. For example, more cartoons like Hot Seat, maybe some printable worksheets or question and answers page specific to young kids.
What was kid friendly options there were available on this site I showed to my kids. They really liked Hot Seat. I asked my six year old what she learned from it and she said "Lieing is not okay" and she went of saying somethings about not giving people a bad chair. I was happy she picked up on it.
I found the site interesting. "What Is Your Policy?" is my favorite section. I get the chance to voice my ideas of responsibility (which I did) and I also have the opportunity to read what other's think of responsibility. The Resources and Blog are interesting as well and the video New Boy was just so sweet and wonderful. Check it out. For more information on the project visit The Responsibility Project and Mom Central.
P.S. I entered my idea under PERSON “When you make a mistake admit it, apologize and then fix it. Don't put the blame on someone else or something else.”
