flu season bites.

I get the question all the time: you aren't giving your kid a flu shot?! What do you do to keep your kid from getting the flu? How is your kid never sick?

Besides the given healthy diet, healthy environment, healthy sleep, I have one word for you folks: Shaklee.

I have to say, before I started Shaklee supplements, I was a skeptic. I had a friend who would tell me about their products and I just thought, everybody gets sick. But then when I started taking them, and they changed everything in my families life, I was no longer a skeptic.

Just a few things I love about Shaklee supplements:

-They are made from food and our used in our body just like food is. Most vitamins contain synthetic chemicals, binders and fillers because that is what makes them cheaper. There are NO synthetic chemicals, binders, fillers or anything else that cannot be used in our body. Our bodies cannot recognize synthetic ingredients and are unable to use them.  For example, aspartame, found in many children's vitamins, when ingested into our bodies is converted to formaldehyde. Formaldehyde can cause allergies, cancer, immune system failings and asthma.

-Shaklee does 350 tests on each raw ingredient used in its products for pesticides, heavy metals, fungicides and any other harmful substance to ensure their products are safe.

-Shaklee users also report their children getting sick less often and for a shorter duration of time.

-Biotin is one of the essential B vitamins. It is a very expensive ingredient for manufacturers and because of that it is often left out or reduced to cut manufacturing costs. Shaklee supplements include 100%  of the recommended daily amount of biotin.

-Lactoferrin is an immune boosting ingredient found in breast milk. Shaklee's Incredivites are the ONLY children's multi-vitamin containing lactoferrin.

  

Remember,  Benji Franklin said it best..."an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of a cure."

READ ON FOR AN EXTRA BONUS AT THE END!!


When our kids get sick, as parents, we tend to want an instant cure- and alas, there is no such thing. What we can do is PREVENT these things from happening so our kids either DON'T get sick or when they do they are sick for a shorter amount of time.

I can say my daughter has never had the flu, never had a temperature, and the only sickness she had was a cold for two days. (which I added extra supplements to kick that in the rear)

Our Regimen:

 Incredivites mutivitamin -  for the system and to the whole child, a good program should always begin with a multivitamin to give a good nutritional foundation to the brain and nervous system…and this is the best.

Vita-C Chewable-(or Sustained Release, as soon as they can swallow) – essential for a healthy immune system. Take extra at onset of a cold or virus.

Optiflora- Essential for any child who has ever been on an antibiotic. ..restores essential flora in intestines where 80% of the immune system resides. .. helps keep candida yeast in check. Easy to swallow.. is the size of a pearl…encapsulated probiotics are protected from stomach acids . (my daughter could swallow it even at 9 months)

Keep Handy:

NutriFeron- Yet another recent clinical study from Cornell Medical School proves its effectiveness against flu viruses…stimulates body to produce interferon, critical to triggering immune response to germs and possibly cancer cells, according to Dr Sandra Bevacqua.

Defend & Resist Complex- Echinacea plus herbs that increase activity of white bloods cells to gobble up viruses and bacteria. Works best when taken at onset of a virus or cold … 2 to 6 a day works well . can be sucked like a lozenge. Also contains zinc.

Alfalfa Complex- natural decongestant; easily crushed and stirred into juice in sippy cups…excellent for children reluctant to eat vegetables. Also a natural deodorizer, quelling the cause of bad breath. Popular with people with arthritis and allergies.

And follow these healthy habits

• 10 hours of sleep for children; 9 for teens; 8 for adults
• Most important: Plan meals to incorporate 6 to 9 vegetables a day (tuck them into soups, spaghetti sauce, chili, casseroles & of course, salads) like celery, broccoli, zucchini, green beans, carrots
• Avoid SUGAR & baked goods – We know this is tough – but is seriously damaging to the immune system and especially the brain.  Sugar and white flour are called the anti nutrients because they deplete B vitamins & other essential nutrients.
• Maintain indoor humidity between 30 – 50% and add a few drops of Basic G when refilling to prevent bacteria & mildew. 

 The Bonus? Buy any two of the items listed above and get a FREE MEMBERSHIP! (refunded) Ends Jan 31. Email me or click the Shop Shaklee link above. Happy supplementing! Kick sickness in the behind!

Zero Dark Teething

"An Epic Teethunt that has lasted 10 months"
                           -MMY Times

                                                

                                                 "An endless ride of mommy adrenaline"
                                                                         -Mommytainment Weekly



"An experience you will NEVER forget"
                         -The Family News



                          "A timely and important reminder of the agonizing price of teething"
                                                         -Motherly Post


"Don't expect to sleep after the viewing of this film"
                       -The Family Planner




"So inspiring, you will buy an amber teething necklace at 3 am"
                          -TV Time-out




        "One of the years best films, an authentic account of the dark side of teething"
                                                      -Ring Around the Rosy




                                    "Don't ever say I didn't warn you"
                                                 - The Duggars

                           -

It's just another ho hum day in paradise.

Really it is.

4 am wakeup from daughter and dog, oatmeal all over my pjs, working from home while she naps, house is a MESS, wash, rinse, repeat.

Sometimes I find myself complaining- Im SOO tired, she's into everything, I can't get anything done....But I need  to think before I speak.

I should be so glad our daughter wakes us up at 4 am, it just means I get more time with her. That I can't get anything done because I am chasing after my daughter, that the house is a mess because that means there's a child in our home. Or oatmeal all over me because that just means she's eating with me. Thank you Lord for this wonderful life.

So blessed.

She's aliiive, ALIIIIIVE!!

Cue in the Frankenstein movie. Or at least I feel like I am Frankenstein, walking around half brained with my arms hanging out dead dog tired from the holidays. Or maybe I just look like frankenstein....the Bride sure looks like a honey!

So here I am, back after a holiday hiatus. I have to say, I don't know how some people do everything, and get everything done. Is it possible? Or do they have someone doing it for them? Well, I kinda got in over my head because .....three months ago I started a small business, I bought myself a spankin new sewing machine last week (I don't know how to sew) and Hayden started crawling.

I think the biggest point I need to make here is that I have entered a whole knew era of what it takes to take care of a baby. Or almost toddler? Who knows. It's this crazy mommyhood world of up and down: I got this, I don't, I got this, I don't, she's napping, shes not....ey yey yey! 4 weeks ago, when she was not crawling, I remember us wishing for it, and now I don't even know what to do with myself. Not to mention I don't even think I can realistically baby proof half the things that need to be babyproofed in a 3 bedroom apt.

And I want more kids!

Which leads me to the point of, I must be wired for crazyness, and I accept that. Crazy is who I am. Because this year, I need to expand my business, learn how to sew, attend bible study on a weekly basis, read 10 books and become a Le Leche League volunteer, all while chasing the creepy crawler around! Can I do it? I have no clue how but I think I can, I think I can.

Really, as long as I use that new sewing machine I will be one happy camper......

But what happens when she starts to walk?.......uh oh.......

Reflection. Not the one in the mirror...

A year ago at this time, I was a swollen beach ball with a belly monster inside. I could eat whatever I wanted, work a full time job, take uninterrupted baths, and go to the movies. It was awesome, in a pregnant awesome kind of way. (of course, due to the amnesia of post pregnancy, I already forgot what it felt like, so I guess I'll just have to do it over again!)

One year later,  our lil cracken is a crazy crawling loving bald baby. I can still eat whatever I want (yes, breastfeeding!) but I quit my job, cannot take uninterrupted baths, go to the movies or have a  moment of silence to myself. My mama job is 24/7/365, with no vacations, no breaks, and no alone time. And it is the best paying job in the world!

It is the happiest I have ever been in my entire life. I am so thankful for my healthy family, my loving husband, and my crazy child. I wasn't quite sure about the whole mom thing when I was pregnant, but now that I am a full time mom, I wouldn't trade it in for the world. Thanks to my awesome husband for working so hard so that I can be a full time Domestic Engineer!

And here is to the future of many more kiddos running around!

Happy 2012 everyone!

Wierd Science.

One of my favorite experiments this year was taking my vitamins and analyzing them, mommy style. Sounds wierd, right? Read on.

See, I was taking prenatals because I had a baby and am nursing. I also believed even before I was pregnant that supplementing was the way to go to keep me and my family healthy. But I had a friend who told me that I probably was not getting  all the nutrients that the supplement I was taking was supposed to be giving me. Wait- WHAT I said?! You are joking. Right?

She encouraged me to take my current prenatal vitamin (or any vitamin around the house) and put it in apple cider vinegar to mimic the acid in my stomach and see how long it would take to dissolve. Sadly, my prenatal vitamin was still whole after one hour. That meant that my body was not getting the nutrients it fully needed! Not only that, since I was nursing, neither was my daughter! Total-bummer! I asked her how long Shaklee supplements took too dissolve, these apparently AMAZING (and they are!)  supplements she was telling me about, and they took only 15 minutes!

How could my body absorb the nutrients in the vitamins I had if it can't even break down in apple cider? One reason Shaklee differs from other vitamins is their bio-availibility. (ability for your body to absorb the nutrients it needs when and where it needs) I was clueless that my body was not getting all the nutrients my former vitamins were claiming to be giving me.

Now, I get this alot:

"I dont need to supplement, I'm a healthy eater.."

or

"Shouldn't we get all the nutrients we need already from the food we eat?"

In a perfect world my friends because....

• Only 2% of the population gets the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables in our diet.

• Most foods are not grown locally or organically, thus losing a lot of the important nutrients our bodies need.

• There is a 38% decline in nutrient value in produce, and even the soil is not as rich as it once was.

Countless studies show the health benefits of nutritional supplementation. With proper nutrition AND supplementation you can prevent 80% of all heart disease in women, 90% of all type II diabetes and 60% of all cancer related deaths. Even Shaklee users of over 20 years have only .6 different perscriptions compared to the average american that has 12.2 throughout the year (UC Berkley). That is pretty outstanding!

Why Shaklee?

Shaklee spends over $100 million in clinical research at some of the more respected universities in the country (Harvard, Yale, MIT, Georgetown, University of Texas, Stanford..etc) There are countless number of studies that show Shaklee supplements improve the health and wellness of people. 80,000 quality tests are performed on the nutritional products alone and their ingredients every year. This is particularly important in producing herbal products. The proper plant genus and species must be used and grown with no pesticides or herbicides. The active ingredients in each herb are measured to be sure the herb is fresh and properly harvested, dried and prepared to insure its safety and effectivness.

Many store bought vitamins are synthetic vitamins. Synthetic vitamins are part vitamins part CHEMICALS. SCARY! There are four reasons to stay away from synthetic vitamins:

1. Nature intened you to consume vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes in the WHOLE FOOD form.

2. Your body can only absorb a small amount of synthetic vitamins.

3. Many synthetic vitamins give you too much of inexpensive nutrients and not enough of the important ones.

4. Side effects come from synthetic vitamins

Shaklee is a company that has been around for over 50 years and the average Shaklee user uses their products for over 17 years. The landmark study alone showed that people who tok Shaklee supplements had overall BETTER HEALTH than those who took another supplement or no supplement at all.

Shaklee products are always safe. There are 350 tests on every single ingredient to screen for heavy metals, pesticides, or any of hundreds of other harmful contaminants.

Shaklee products always work. Over 90 publushed clinical peer reviewed studies prove their effectiveness, including Landmark Study at Berkely proving that poeple who took Shaklee supplements had markedly better nutrient levels in their  blood and far less incidence of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other serious illnesses (Landmark Study, Published 2007).

And of course, they are always green. Shaklee was the first company in the world to offset all its greenhouse emissions, the maker of first biodegradeble cleaner Basic H, and the popular non toxic environmentally safe cleaning products called Get Clean. The company partners with Nobel Laurete Wangari Maathal planting 1 million trees in Kenya and the U.S. Shaklee continues to join forces with people all over the world who care about the planet enough to create moevements of change. Committed to making truly sustainable natural products that respect the earth.

Now for  the GIVEAWAY.....



I will be giving away a one month supply of Shaklee's Vitalizer to ONE winner. This is definitely one of my favorite products. My husband and I noticed a change in our overall wellness, including: our energy levels, improvement in digestion and keeping us healthy when everyone around us is sick.

After a Landmark Study, Shaklee developed Vitalizer- a vitamin strip packed with 80 nutrients. Vitalizer not only comes packed to the brim with highly tested raw materials, it has a patent-pending, cutting edge delivery system designed to improve absorption of key nutrients. I guarantee you will feel better in 30 days! I know I did.

Here is how to enter for the giveaway:

REQUIRED: Leave a comment on my blog about why you would like to try the Vitalizer or how you think Vitalizer will help you.

OPTIONAL: To enter your name in the drawing for a SECOND time, share this post on your facebook page.

I will pick the winner by Saturday, Dec 22  at 9 pm central using a random drawing system.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions about Vitalizer, or any Shaklee products in general. If you want to shop, click on my Shop Shaklee link.

schlipf@gmail.com

Vogue.

Jeans are a great invention, one of my favorites even- you can wear them with a shirt, sneakers and a ponytail or dress them up with high heels and still feel beautiful. Three cheers to Mr. Levi Strauss.

Since I have become a mommy, jeans have taken a bit of a backseat in the closet. Why you ask? YOGA PANTS.

Yoga pants are the new jeans. No, I can't really dress them up with high heels at all but....

-I can get spit up out of them very easily.

-I know that when I bend over to to change my child's diaper, no crazy cracks will show (you all know what I am talking about.....).

-They will not restrain me when I need to run after my child.

-I go to sleep in yoga pants, I wake up in yoga pants and oh, yeah, I don't have any time to change....

-One word: COMFY.

-They will still fit when I get pregnant again.

-Because of the awesome "adjustable fold over panel" I can hide any kind of wobbly bits I may have .

-Last, but not least, they are cheap. At target the other day I found two pairs of yoga pants for 20 dollars. It used to be that my jeans were at least $120 for a pair. So, if you are reading this late at night, and you are really tired, that means essentially I could get 12 pair of yoga pants vs 1 pair of jeans. That my friend, is a bargain.

So moms everywhere, don't be embarrassed about those totally tubular yoga digs you got going, throw in some downward facing dog, strut your stuff and be proud, 'cause you are a mom on a mission.