June 2016

How to dance through life with Tena

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TenaTips #CollectiveBias

“Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams.” – Og Mandino

If anyone was to ask me one word to describe my life, without hesitation I would say charmed. I consider myself to be a very fortunate individual and in many ways, “I have a big life,” a life that I never envisioned for myself. I have been able to attend law and graduate school, study the arts, and start a family of my own. I have always prided myself on being able to enjoy the joie de vivre each day.

But for the past year I’ve also led a double life. You see, I’ve dealt with incontinence stemming from pregnancy and delivery as well as PCOS-induced weight gain. These issues caused much of my charmed existence to be placed on hold. And it was this hold on life which prevented me from being a continent person who traveled each weekend and most summers, to a person afraid of spontaneity.

Thankfully, there are products like TENA® incontinence products for women, that have helped me get back into my full swing of life, including travel and dancing. So today, I wanted to share five tips for travel this summer with bladder control leakage:

Researchers have found that the key to living with PCOS is all about managing insulin levels. So, wherever I travel, including quick trips to New Orleans for the weekend, I always make sure to pack my glucose monitors as well. For me, when my blood glucose levels are high, I tend to have more issues with incontinence as well!

For those suffering from bladder leakage, recent studies have shown that Kegel exercises (pelvic floor muscles) help strengthen the muscles that help control the urethra. When these muscles are weak, the result can be urinary incontinence. Kegel exercises are really awesome to help you naturally ease bladder leakage issues.

I’m a planner. I always have been. So, when I know I am heading out the for a family trip or vacation I always make sure to plan an in-case bag. For me, this includes:

A wax-lined bag in case I need to carry food (which may leak), wet bathing suites, or any items which should need to be aired out.
An extra set of keys to our car and home.
Any feminine or emergency items I might need.
A wristlet to hold the above, should I not want to carry a larger bag.
A money organizer which contains gift cards, emergency cash, and insurance cards.
A planner and pen.
Sunglasses.
Two coin pouches; one for tolls and transportation and one that holds bills for tipping while on vacation.

For me, it’s always a good idea to keep my in-case-of-emergency bag close at hand. This is especially true for me when going on trips that involve visiting large bodies of water, such as our family trip earlier this year to Niagara Falls. To say that bladder incontinence products like TENA® are a lifesaver, would be the understatement of the year in that situation!

With TENA® incontinence products in my bag, I was free to enjoy my day of site-seeing, and the only leakage I had to contend with the mists of the falls!

Another good way to help control bladder issues this summer is to avoid foods that trigger urinary incontinence. Some of these foods include: tomato products, caffeinated beverages, chocolates, citrus fruits, alcoholic beverages, artificial sweeteners, processed foods, and onions. A fun summer tip: Prep yourself small, make-ahead meals that help you stay hydrated, fit, and ready for your travels ahead.

Bladder incontinence may be demanding. But what even more demanding is the need to live your life to the fullest each day! This summer, remember to find something each day that makes your heart sing. For me, this was a recent college reunion ball with my husband. It felt awesome to get back into my dancing shoes, with the confidence in knowing that bladder leakage won’t be an issue for me when I use TENA® pads. I was able to focus on being arm candy for my husband without the fear of embarrassing leakage issues. I was able to spend my time simply shining!

My favorite thing about these pads is their Unexpected Leak™ technology, which gives me the confidence in knowing that even perfect evenings are safeguarded when I use TENA® incontinence products. So, if you’re like me and suffer from incontinence and are worried about unexpected leaks during exercise, travel, and summer fun this season, then before you take to the road or gym this summer, just stop by CVS and pick up a package of TENA® liners, pads, or underwear.

What’s even better is that you can shop in-store or online at CVS.com for the full line of TENA® products.

And for all of my savvy saving readers, you can request a rebate on TENA® Pads/Liners/Underwear and Overnight Underwear on the iBotta savings app. So, you can keep living your life to the fullest and on a budget.

So, I hope this list may help those who have bladder leakage dance through life with PCOS-induced bladder leakage. I urge you all be check out TENA® pads and products so you can live your best self this summer, too!

Here’s to better health,

Welcome to this week’s Happiness is Homemade Linky Party!

Welcome back to another great week at Happiness is Homemade Link Party !

THIS WEEK’S FEATURES

DIY (faux) Wildflower Wreath from A Pretty Fix

Patriotic Candy Coated Pretzel Sticks from Meatloaf And Melodrama

DIY Beverage Station from Inspiration For Moms

Grilled Caprese Zucchini Boats from Home Cooking Memories

MEET YOUR HOSTS

Want to follow us?

Just click on the circle to connect to our blogs!!

The rules are really simple! Make sure you visit a few other blogs and make some new friends along the way. Feel free to link up your favorite recipes, crafts or your latest DIY project. We want you to share it all! As always, please make sure to follow your hosts and co-hosts!! Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured at Happiness Is Homemade Link Party! We will feature the favorite posts each week!

Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to all 12 Hosts, along with any co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Happiness Is Homemade, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to your original source. Therefore, linking up you agree to allow us to use your images on each of our blogs in features relating to Happiness is Homemade Link Party.

An InLinkz Link-up

Better Summers Start with #NuCulture probiotics

Please note, this post is made possible by iConnect and AlternaScript. I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine. These following statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Results may vary. Although this product helped me with PCOS, it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

If you are anything like me, you know the value of a good probiotic. From helping to regulate digestion, to keeping acid reflux symptoms at bay, a good probiotic can be a lifesaver! I would say this is especially true for busy WAHM’s and business owners, who never seem to have enough time in the day for healing, self-care measures.

One product that I have been using lately to combat my Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is NuCulture probiotics. Keeping in mind, I’ve been taking this for the past couple weeks, and I have seen a change in my overall health.

One major game changer for me since taking NuCulture, is that I have had far less daily bouts of stomach discomfort and bloating. You know that too-full-to-be-comfortable feeling. Well that feeling after eating is gone. This is important to be as this allows me more time with my family during the after dinner hours that previously had been devoted to stomach issues in lieu of family movie nights and bonfires.

I also suffer from eczema, and I have seen my breakouts clearing up much faster this week. During the summer having Eczema is not fun at all, due to the high heat and humidity of warm Dixie days. I am sure I’m not alone in disliking how my skin reacts to the sting of the summer heat. Not to mention how horrible it looks! Since taking NuCulture, I have not been getting as many breakouts. And what does this all mean? More days of summer shorts!

However, the biggest perk for me in having taken NuCulture, is that this probiotic did not trigger any acid reflux symptoms for me over the past month. Meaning that there has been no acid burping, metallic tastes, bloating, sinus backwash, or the like. This has been a big bonus for me.

Something else I’m excited about, savvy savers? AlternaScript, the company that makes NuCulture, are currently offering a free trials of their products; please see the details below.

Each trial offer will contain a seven-count capsule pack.
Trials are free to try for 14 days.
If you feel NuCulture is for you, then simply do nothing and after 14 days and every 30 days and you will be shipped a one count bottle of NuCulture and bill $47.89 plus free shipping and handling.
Special discounts are available for students, military, and current subscribers of AlternaScript products.
If for any reason you do not want any future shipments then you must email orders@getoptimind.com.
You can also contact customer service at (888) 784-9315 to cancel to avoid being charged.

For those interested in a free trial offer, click here.

Also be sure to check out Nuculture to check out their other health products or follow them on their Facebook page as well.

Here’s to your health,

Niki-designstyle-friday-m

Natural Cleaning e-cloth Product Review

Please note, I received two free e-cloth samples for demonstration in this review. I was not compensated for my review. My opinions are 100% my own. Thank you.

When it comes to cleaning, less is always more. Call it my nature as an homebody or simply my zero-waste, greener living, minimalist mindset that craves simple, natural, effective cleaning methods in our home. Either way, the less chemicals and caution that goes into cleaning my home the better I feel about it.

So when I was given the opportunity to try out E-clothes and so I jumped at the chance to review these products because I had heard great things about them from Milk Allergy Mom and Humorous Homemaking.

And before I begin, let me just say that these are my thoughts on how well e-cloth products work in my home, and while I welcome your comments and thoughts below, please consider that my opinions are based on my own experiences with the products before making any outlandish declarations. I also am not an e-cloth (or any of their competitors) salesperson. I try to keep my reviews honest and unbiased as I can.

Again, I received both the e-cloth general purpose and the e-cloth glass and electronic cleaning clothes for the use of this review.

An e-Cloth is a microfiber cleaning cloth.
Each e-cloth has 480,000 fibres per cm2, giving each e-cloths enormous, lasting cleaning power.
The volume of cleaning edges, or fibers, when run across a surface allows for a deeper, lifting clean.
The fibers remove grease, dust, and dirt with only water.
Fabric makeup: 80% polyester& 20% polyamide
Clothes are made in Korea.
e-cloth ® General Purpose cloth penetrates and removes dirt, grease, oil, grime and bacteria on hard surfaces.
All e-cloth ^® cloths and mop pads come with a 300-washings performance warranty.
Each cloth measures 12.5″ by 12.5″ square.

You can use your e-cloth ® dry to dust. I used the general purpose cloth to clean walls, including drywall dust, ceilings, lamps, shades, and anything you could think of in terms of dry cleaning. All worked out well!
You can use your e-cloth ® wet to clean the fridge, outdoor furniture, toys, grill, smoker, bathrooms, chrome, dishes, counter tops, fabric, clothing stains, ceiling fans, soap scum, and much, much more. I loved them!
Also, all e-cloth ® cloths can be washed in your washing machine with low lint items, on a hot rinse cycle to hot allow the fibers to release dirt and grease each wash.
When washing these cloths you cannot use bleach or fabric softener.

Using the e-cloth I was struck by how simple cleaning my counter tops, glass, chrome, and wood furniture was – throughout my home, office, and work spaces. Traditionally I would have spent twenty minutes each day cleaning my kitchen, with the e-cloths only 5-6 minutes. Using e-cloths makes my daily cleaning routine faster and easier.

I also loved not having to use any chemicals, cleansers, creams, or agents while using the e-cloths. This made cleaning with e-cloths safe for everyone in my home, child and animal-friendly, and is especially beneficial to me as I am prone to allergies and asthma. This cleaning method is conducive to my beliefs in natural, holistic living.

I also liked being able to clean without using paper towels, as this helps us save money as a family; using e-cloths daily can help you save up to $200.00 yearly. And the best part? e-cloths help lessen our home’s overall carbon footprint and landfill waste, along with pollution that general cleaning chemicals could potentially create. This was an awesome fact to have in mind while using these cloths.

A few other points worth noting:

These cloths are antibacterial and help pick-up over 99% of bacteria on hard surfaces.
Are lightweight and easy to store.
Easily fits behind all my bathroom fixtures and toilet surrounds.
Removes small amounts of daily, humidity-induced soap scum. Build-up won’t be removed with e-cloths.
Dries quickly; my cloths dried in two hours in Mississippi summer humidity!

Also, I was able to try out the Glass & Polish E-Cloth, too!

With just a little water sprayed on my windows, these cloths cleaned my windows to a streak-free shine.
The other side of the Glass & Polish cloth, the polish side helped get my glass and mirrors to a polished finish in under a minute. The best part? They were also lint-free! This polish cloth is amazing if you love gorgeous, streak-free glass and mirrors!

General purpose e-cloth: $7.99US (or $14.99 as a part of a package with a Glass and Polishing cloth)
All e-cloth products can be purchased directly online from ecloth!

So, folks that’s it! I have really enjoyed using these cloths and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for affordable, natural cleaning methods in their homes this season. Also, if any of you have used the e-cloths of have tips and tricks for using these awesome cloths, I’d love to hear about it below!

Here’s to you,

Going for Mom Gold with #PampersDreams & Giveaway!

This post and giveaway were made possible by iConnect and Pampers. Please note, I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% my own. Thank you!

As women, we tend to wear so many hats. From being spouses, to mothers, business owners, educators, caretaker, friends, and children ourselves, our lives are spend always looking to the next goal in life. This commitment to personal and professional excellence goes the next level when you are a Dana Vollmer, wife, mother, and soon-to-be champion in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games; Vollmer will be participating in her first Olympic Games since giving birth to her son, Arlen, last March.

Like with most moms, the eternal love and encouragement from her family are what led Dana back to the pool each time. Her journey to Rio is not her trip alone, for she will share with them, because her goal of winning gold at this year’s Olympic Games is not just her dream – it’s her family’s continued dream. Vollmer’s committed to getting back into swimming after becoming a mom, was to set the example for her son Arlen to grow up with both strong paternal, and maternal, influence in his life!

Pampers knows that the biggest of dreams, include the dream of Olympic wins, starts as a child, one good night’s sleep at a time. This is why Pamper’s has created products designed to help little ones sleep comfortably by offering comfortable, breathable, overnight protection.

Moreover, Pampers will continue their celebration of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on their social channels throughout the Rio 2016 competitions! And though you may not be headed to Rio this summer, Pampers recognizes that being a parent each day makes you a winner, and Pampers will be giving away one LadyPrefers2Save reader a $50 Babies R’ Us Gift Card and Pampers Diapers prize pack!

To enter, please read the giveaway requirements and rafflecopter entry below:

Please note: this giveaway will be open to readers age 18 or over and are US residents.
This giveaway will be open through 06/27/2016 at 12 pm.
All entries will be verified and duplicate entries, ISP addresses, and false entries will be disqualified.
Only entries from subscribed LadyPrefers2Save members will be allowed.
Subscriptions must be active previous to time of entry.
Entrants are only eligible to win one #PampersDreams prize package from all participating iConnect campaign bloggers.
Winners will be notified via email, and prizes will be mailed from the above mentioned sponsor.
TheLadyPrefers2Save is not responsible for any unforeseen issues in regards to gift cards, gift card delivery, and gift card redemption.
Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And that’s not all! Want to win MORE Pampers? Enter their #PampersDreams Instagram Contest:

The #PampersDreams Instagram Contest will take place from June 20^th to June 30^th. One winner will receive a $400 AMEX gift card!

Rules:

Post a picture of your slumbering little one with a caption either telling their dream, or yours.
Include #PampersDreams in the post
Follow @Pampers on Instagram.
Find out more about Pampers and get their mobile app.
Good luck, everyone!

Here’s to you,

Niki-designstyle-friday-m