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My Review of LetsGetChecked

As a blogger, I get compensated for some of my posts when I discuss a product and someone purchases it. This is my job and how I get paid. I will not, however, recommend or discuss a product that I don’t feel is of benefit or value to my readers. My thoughts on these products are my own.

I’ll admit, even though I feel like I’m in my 30’s, the reality is I’m smack dab in midlife and health issues I would have never considered before should now be more in the forefront of my mind.  Yes, I eat healthy, work out and get regular mammograms.  But I’ve never even considered the various tests I should be doing to see about potential underlying health problems. It just wasn’t top of mind and, to be honest, I can’t imagine taking an entire day or several days away from work to get all the testing done. But recently the company LetsGetChecked reached out to me to review their home health testing kits.

Let me start by saying I had no idea how many tests existed.  LetsGetChecked has five different categories – Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Sexual Health, Wellness and even COVID testing for those who are eligible.  They even offer testing for Lyme Disease which is a huge concern for me as I live in a heavily wooded area where deer tics are prevalent.  Under each category there are at least 10 – 20 tests with explanations as to why each is important.  For example, under Women’s Health the suggested tests include Female Fertility, HPV, Thyroid, Liver, Cholesterol, Celiac, Colon Cancer Screening and Iron.

I decided to do the Essential Vitamin Test which tests my levels for Vitamin D, Vitamin B-12 and Folate Serum.  When you click on the test you want to order it tells you about the collection method (meaning finger prick or urine) why this test is important, when you should test and how often you should test.

A few things that concerned me were:

What lab do they use to test my results? Samples are processed in the same labs used by primary care providers and hospitals.

What about privacy issues?  All data is completely anonymized to ensure that your privacy is maintained throughout the process. They will not share your information with any third party.

What happens if I get an abnormal result for my test? LetsGetChecked has a team of physicians who will review your order and results. Their nursing team is on standby throughout the testing process and, if you test positive, you will receive a call to discuss your results and treatment options.

The directions are easy to follow and everything you need is included. Be sure to activate your test online before starting.  You get 4 lancets in case you need to prick your finger more than once as you need to draw enough blood to fill up to the line. I admit I was a bit squeamish at first at the thought of piercing my own finger, but it was really no big deal.  Once you collect your sample it’s important to seal it tightly and turn it upside down a few times to be sure to mix it so it’s preserved for the lab results.  Collect the sample in the morning so it can be mailed back the same day.

Once your sample arrives in the laboratory, confidential results will be available from your secure online account within 2 to 5 days.

The way we work with doctors and monitor our health is rapidly changing thanks to telehealth.  Home testing is a natural extension of this.  Even better LetsGetChecked gives you access to their care team 24/7, utilize their E-Rx system and link all your wearable data, to get deeper insights into your health.  There’s no reason not to become more proactive in monitoring your health.

As a bonus, use the code ConfidentialHealth20 at check out to get 20% off your purchase.

 

 

 

 

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There are so many people I miss hugging but one more than anyone

For a person who loves to give and get hugs this social distancing due to COVID-19 has been tough.  I was talking to a friend the other day and said that when this is done I just want to invite all of my friends over and have a giant hug fest. But there’s one person I want to hug more than anyone – my friend Barb.

Barb has cancer. The bad kind.

Its’ been almost a year since her diagnosis and through that time I’ve learned a great deal about being a friend.

The Universe brought us together through our daughters’ shared activity of All-Star Cheer. Our first clue that we were destined to meet was the realization that I had attended high school with her husband and we had many mutual friends.

When you’re an All-Star Cheer mom you spend most weekends throughout the winter travelling to competitions.  Barb and I would share hotel rooms either by ourselves or with other cheer moms.  But the two of us were the early risers and the mornings were our time to drink coffee and have deep conversations about life.  Barb had already had a close call with death due to other health issues and my first-born Connor had died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome at 4 months old.  We came from the same working-class background and had similar beliefs about life in general.

Her daughter’s All-Star Cheer career ended when she headed off to college but our friendship remained strong although we saw less of each other.

And then she received her diagnosis – Stage 3B liver cancer.

I remember just a few weeks prior we had been out to dinner with our husbands and she mentioned that she had been losing weight.  She chalked it up to stress due to new job responsibilities and her son starting active duty for the USAF as a 2nd Lieutenant for Pilot Training in Texas.

When she told me the news and we had our first “serious” conversation I didn’t have the right words yet.  Barb’s my only friend to have been diagnosed with cancer. So, I merely listened.  And then I hung up the phone and broke down crying.  I cried for many days.  This in and of itself was a strange experience for me.  When Connor died, I cried so much I didn’t think I had any tears left in my body.  And, in a way, it made me numb towards death.  Since then I have lost my father, my wonderful Uncle and several other people but few tears came. But Barb was different and it broke down a wall in me that I thought would be up forever.  My friend isn’t supposed to die! We have kids and husbands and shared experiences!

I remember after Connor died my peer support counselor told me that I’m allowed to have a pity party but then I need to snap out of it and get back to living.  I knew that Barb needed me to be there for her – I mean really be there for her.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  She immediately decided that she would not turn to Dr. Google to read about her cancer.  Rather she would focus on the task at hand of fighting it.  I intended to roll-up my sleeves and be in her corner of the ring.

Our first tough conversation was me admitting that I felt helpless and wouldn’t always know what to say but that I promised her I would always listen and really hear her. That I would not make false assurances or pretend things weren’t as grave as they were.

It’s not easy sitting with grief and death.  It’s even more difficult to actually discuss it.

Maybe it’s because my son died and through that experience I realized that the last things a person wants to hear are false promises of hope or platitudes. The person who is ill or grieving just ends up feeling as if they’re not heard or that their feelings are irrelevant.

Grief and facing one’s mortality can be an isolating experience.  Death makes most people extremely uncomfortable so by not talking about it we can pretend it’s not real.  As the saying goes, “Denial is not a river in Egypt”

But there’s a difference between denial and optimism just as there’s a difference between negativity and pragmatism.

The type of chemo Barb went through required her to come home with an IV for 48 hours every other week.  Prior to the start of that she was in and out of the hospital at least seven times over the course of two months.  She was exhausted and scared. When her chemo started she asked if I could sit with her on the days when she had her IV. She wouldn’t be able to do anything and because of terrible neuropathy she couldn’t touch or be exposed to anything cold.  Even a cold drink was too painful. She would also be too weak to get up from the couch. As a person who had been a caregiver all her life it was, at first, hard for Barb to accept care.  Being cared for creates a level of vulnerability that leaves the person almost raw. For me, however, being the caregiver was an honor.

And so began a new journey in our friendship that strengthened every other Thursday. Every visit was different.  Sometimes she was so weak she couldn’t speak and so I would simply sit there next to her.  Other times she had strength and we would talk about everything from what was new on Netflix to what our kids were up to.  Out of the blue one day she said she felt like a burger so we ordered up a meal from McDonalds on Uber Eats. And yes, there were those times when we cried together and she shared with me her deepest fears.

We talked about death in a very real, honest way. About the randomness of life and death and that none of us know what tomorrow will bring.  She has discussed with me end-of-life plans in which I listen and respect her wishes.

As her chemo progressed and her numbers improved we began to tentatively talk about plans for the future, just not too far into the future. Yes, we’ve cried together but we’ve also laughed together. We went to a restaurant and celebrated her digging into a big plate of mashed potatoes and gravy. We share stories about how our husbands are wonderful and exasperating.

Because of COVID-19 it’s been far too long since I’ve seen her in person. We’ve done Facetime calls and Zoom double dates but I miss seeing her in person. The other day she said that the support of her family is wonderful, but she misses her friends.

This is the hug I so desperately want to give.

The hugs aren’t just about comforting her, they’re also about giving me the assurance that she’s still here. It’s about acknowledging that we’re still in this fight together.

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What my day really looks like during quarantine

Am I the only woman out there who’s sleep pattern is completely wrecked by this quarantine? For those of us who are used to living by a schedule and keeping our family’s life running smoothly this is completely screwing us up.

Or is it?

I’m a firm believer in the universe providing teachable moments that allow us to re-adjust. OK, this is more than just a moment – it’s a giant time-out.

I think most of us needed it for various reasons but for those of us who are caregivers, moms and entrepreneurs one of the lessons might just be to ease up.

As is typical of me, I started out this quarantine with a game plan – and my trusty white board.  Afterall, I work from my home office regularly, how different could this be?

I started lists of projects my teenagers could help me with when they were done with online school.  I assigned cooking, spring cleaning and activities with their brother Spencer who has intellectual disabilities.  Spencer was my greatest challenge.  He attends a day program and routine is critical for many people with intellectual disabilities.  I planned exercise time, drawing, Facetime with his friends and “some” TV.

I also had to plan what to do about my mom who lives with us.  As with many people from her generation, she likes to go to the grocery store every day rather than do a big shopping.  She also visits my aunt in a nursing home daily.  I had recently convinced her to start doing an exercise class at the senior center a few times per week.  Even though she lives with us she has her own schedule and I was nervous about her becoming isolated.  And so, I factored her into my plans as well.  We would have game nights and I would take walks with her and look through old photos.

Then there was date time with my husband to consider.  Greg has Primary Progressive MS and uses a power chair so our dates usually consisted of going to the movies or out to dinner with friends.  Clearly that was now out of the question.  I envisioned some quiet dinners alone – which I didn’t think through given that there was nowhere for the rest of the family to go during these quiet dinners!

I even factored in my own changes.  Rather than going to the gym I’d do classes online.  I already practiced yoga at home so throwing in some cardio and weight training would be easy.

And then the first day of quarantine happened.

It felt like a snow day with the kids home.  Rather than waking up at my normal 5:30A and meditating I found myself shutting off the alarm and sleeping until 7.  I rationalized that since the girl’s didn’t have to head off for school I’d still have extra time before they got up.  Spencer turned on the TV the minute he woke up.  I figured it was the first day and I wanted to get into the new routine so I’d let it slide.  My friends and I started texting about how crazy the world was becoming and before I knew it, it was 10:30.  I started thinking about what I was going to make for our first big family dinner.  If it was our normal routine the girls would be at cheer practice and wouldn’t be home for dinner.  Now suddenly I was faced with the prospect of making dinner for six people EVERY NIGHT.

By now it was 2P and I needed to buckle down and work.  I couldn’t take the time to walk the girls through the chores I wanted them to do and they were more than happy to spend the entire afternoon watching Tik Toks.  By 4P I realized that I hadn’t gotten a workout in so I tuned in to a live Zumba session on Instagram.  I quickly learned that to do an exercise class that required me to watch an instructor on my tiny phone is virtually impossible.  By 5P my son wanted to help with dinner which is wonderful, but he can’t do this without supervision so any chance of catching up on work was gone.  When dinner was done all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch and watch Netflix.  The idea of family game night went completely out the window. Instead baking cookies seemed like a much better idea.

And so, my carefully planned out day resulted in me sleeping in, working too little, eating too much and my kids glued to their devices. Even worse I was wide awake until midnight – something unheard of for me. Which threw me off schedule again the following morning. I could see a vicious cycle beginning and was stressed out how to make it better.  Afterall I’m the Queen of running a household efficiently. I was sure I could conquer this challenge.

But I quickly realized I couldn’t. Life has taken on a new rhythm. Days and weeks feel longer and schedules just don’t seem to work.  With my daughter going off to college next year I’m grateful that I have more time with her.  Usually she’d be off with friends or at cheer practice.  I’m happy that she also has this time with her sister and I’m sure she’ll remember that fondly. I’ve taken walks with my mom and my husband and I have done double dates on Zoom.  My mom and Spencer have been playing Xbox Bowling – something they both enjoy tremendously. We’ve also set up FaceTime so she can see my aunt in the nursing home every week. And I’ve gotten back to work and have the opportunity to focus on doing more videos with inspirational people which is something I had put on the back burner.

The greatest lesson I’ve learned is that life keeps moving forward, maybe a bit messier and not as efficient, but mostly enjoyable.  We’re not the family that plays games together, but we’re all assembling masks for healthcare workers tonight which to me is even better.  But more importantly we share laughs and love and in the end that’s all that matters.

 

 

 

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Y’OUR Skincare Review

I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Last month I posted a video that I would be checking out a skin care line called Y’OUR.  I’m at an age where I’m willing to try anything.  There are a few things I insist upon however – simplicity and products that have clean ingredients.  I will admit, however that I spend way too much time trying to decide which products are right for my skin.  My main concerns are dull skin, exposure to environmental toxins, fine lines (OK, that’s a nice way of saying wrinkles) and dryness.  I literally could spend hours standing in the aisle of Ulta or CVS comparing which products would take care of all these issues.

That’s the main reason I like Y’OUR.  When I was approached about reviewing their skin care line what appealed to me most was that it would be designed specifically for me. And the quiz wasn’t just one or two questions.  I was asked what my main concerns were, did one issue bother me more than others, did I only want vegan ingredients, whether I lived in an area with high levels of pollution, how my skin reacted to the sun and whether some of my skin issues occurred after pregnancy.  Once the survey was complete, a summary of my skin and the list of the specific ingredients that would be included in my products popped up.

It was easy to understand, and I love that they use natural ingredients in the products. I also like that there are only four items – a cleanser, a day cream, a serum and a night cream.  It’s easy to follow and doesn’t require a lot of time. I did learn that the day cream does not have SPF, so I also use a sunscreen. 

A few other things that appealed to me. 

  • Personal interaction – Unlike products you buy in the store, Y’OUR representatives stay in touch to see how the products are working.  Each product lasts for 3 months but if I run out ahead of time, they send gifts to make sure I never run out of product.
  • Cost savings – When I did the math it was much cheaper than what I was paying buying individual products that weren’t custom designed for me.
  • Customer satisfaction – They have a satisfaction guarantee policy where they offer to reformulate the products for free up to 2 times during the first 3 months.  And, before they send out the next set of products, they send an evaluation form to make sure they can make any adjustments necessary.
  • Gentle but effective – The cleanser is safer and more effective than physical exfoliating cleansers since it can penetrate the skin for deeper exfoliation while does not involve actually rubbing the skin. 
  • Quality products – I only have to use a little of each product, they absorb nicely but are thick.

 They also let me know what to expect:

In the first week of using our products, you might find a bit of flaking in the first week of use. Please keep in mind that the flaking isn’t because your skin is dry but the impurities coming out. Our products draw out impurities and congestion from underneath your skin, so if you have  impurities, you will see the impurities coming out.

I wanted to wait a full 30 days before posting this review so I really could tell whether I saw a difference.  The biggest difference is the texture of my skin – it’s definitely softer and plumper.  I also think it looks brighter which was a big concern for me. 

The best thing about Y’OUR is it’s specifically designed for me and addresses all my concerns in just 4 products. 

I would recommend trying out Y’OUR skin care line.  You can take the quiz here to have products designed specifically for your needs.

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How I’m becoming a “new me.”

This summer was the season of freedom for my 16-year-old daughter.  Remember that first summer when you had your driver’s license and some spending money in your pocket, and you could head out to the beach whenever you wanted to?  It was exhilarating.

With her freedom comes mine.  I’ve got less driving around to summer activities and sleepovers. I’m starting to feel the reigns of obligations slip off me and with that I can feel myself ready to start discovering me.  Not the person I was pre-kids – she’s long gone. This new me has a lot more wisdom and confidence.

Here are a few things the new me is excited to do:

The new me is anxious to try new things. I used to be intimidated to try a new class at the gym for fear I’d look like an idiot because I couldn’t keep up. Not anymore.  Now I bravely stand at the front of the class and laugh when I screw up but even more importantly I’m proud that I did it and congratulate myself for the moves I could do.

The new me is ready to have adventures.  I saw a show the other day about these two people touring Thailand and visiting these incredible waterfalls. When you have kids it’s darn near impossible to have trips like that. Disney is the ultimate adventure and while that was fun, I’m ready for the real world not a place that recreates adventures.

The new me is ready for the next big leap in my career.  For years now I’ve made my living blogging and doing TV segments about safety and wellness.  Don’t get me wrong – I love it and will continue to do that. The way my career started was because of the death of my first son.  It drove me to want to help save other kids’ lives. As I’ve gotten older new things drive me.  Listening to women who are scared to leave a relationship or start a new career or struggle with being a caregiver motivate me. I love speaking to these women and offering them support and guidance. I envision a world of confident and happy women and, through retreats and speaking engagements, I want to create that.

The new me is ready to have a few deep friendships.  When we’re in our 30’s and 40’s we’re building a career and/or family that consumes our time. Our friendships tend to be created around the interests of our kids. Some high school and college friendships remain but get-togethers are few and far between and finding current commonalities is tough. For years my girls have been involved in All-Star cheerleading.  For those of you not familiar with this sport, it’s year-round and requires a lot of travel.  When you’re a “cheer mom” that other moms become your friends. But one day your cheer life ends and naturally these friendships fade. But a few transcend the mutual bond of cheer (or whatever activity your child is involved with) and you connect over the big issues. Now I have time for a few friendships that are based on mutual respect, shared beliefs and willingness to talk about the real stuff.  You know the real stuff – our hopes and dreams but also the fears that keep us up at night.

The new me understands that my health is something I can’t take for granted.  When I was in my 20’s and 30’s I worked out to have a hard body and look great.  Now I work out to prevent osteoporosis and keep my heart in good shape.  I used to choose my food based solely on what tasted good.  Now I select food that tastes good and will provide me the nutrients I need to cut cholesterol and provide the right vitamins.  When the kids were younger, I would always  get them to their check-ups but mine would be missed because there wasn’t time.  Now I realize that making the time for health screenings and exercise is what will allow me to live life to the fullest.

As I’m closing in on another birthday I’m loving who I’m becoming and can’t wait for the next chapter. What’s in your next chapter?  Share below as writing it down makes it more real.

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Kiss my keto review

 I have been, or can be if you click on a link and make a purchase, compensated via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value for writing this post. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Every since I was diagnosed with high cholesterol (like crazy high) and my husband was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis I’ve been taking a hard look at how food impacts our health.  I’ve always eaten a fairly healthy diet – dark chocolate and red wine are healthy – but I felt like I needed to really start digging more into that impact diet has on chronic disease.

I started looking at Keto diets – not because it seems as if that’s what every celebrity is doing right now and everyone’s talking about it.  I know very little about the Keto diet so I wanted to find a site that lays it all out for me. 

Enter Kiss My Keto.  For those of you like me who want to improve your health and understand what Ketosis is all about, this site is for you.  Here you can find Ketocademy, modules that walk you through how to get started and what to expect. 

What’s the hype about Keto?

So why Ketosis?  Well for starters it’s simply the way your body wants to be – burning fat instead of sugar which improves your metabolism and reduces your risk of disease.  It curbs oxidative stress and inflammation which are major drivers of diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

It’s all laid out clearly on the Kiss My Keto site along with recipes and products.  The company sent me a box of their variety pack Keto Bars which included Chocolate Cookie Dough, Chocolate Peanut Butter and Chocolate Coconut.  Putting Keto aside for a moment I have to say that hands down these are the tastiest bars I’ve ever tried!  The chocolate on the outside tasted like good chocolate, not the fake taste some bars have.  The only thing to note is its best to keep these bars in the refrigerator because the chocolate melts quickly. 

My daughter is probably more picky than I am about protein bars and she also loved them.  Note – these bars are not vegan.  They contain egg and milk as well as Stevia which some people might not like but I didn’t find it overly sweet, especially in the peanut butter one which was hands down my favorite.

Otherwise, they have healthy fats from coconut oil, fibers, and sunflower lecithin.

I hadn’t really spent much time on the site before sampling the bars but it really is a one-stop-site for all information about Keto. 

Will I buy more products?

I’ve been warned that while you do get an energy boost from going into Ketosis you still experience brain fog so I need something to keep my energy up in the afternoon.  I’m a big coffee drinker so that next thing I’ll be trying is the coffee which they note is a good energy boost pre-work out so I figure it will do the trick for the afternoon slump.

Overall Thoughts

A Keto diet is going to be tough if I don’t at least get my hubby to go along with me but the benefits of reducing oxidative stress and inflammation for helping with his MS symptoms are huge.  He loved the bars so we’re on the road.  Stay tuned…..

Excited to offer all my readers 10% of their purchase. Use coupon code THESAFETYMOM when shopping at Kiss My Keto to receive this awesome discount.

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Why You Need Your Girlfriends More Than Ever In Your 40’s and 50’s

Today I start on a new journey with one of my girlfriends. It’s one that I have no experience with even though I’ve been a caregiver for many years now.  Together we’re entering into a world of medical terms we’re forced to learn, side-effects that are unknown and outcomes that are not certain.

While she has an incredibly supportive family, sometimes you just need your girlfriends.  They’re the ones that you can share your fears with because your family will just be too freaked out.

It got me to thinking about the richness of my friendships now and how they are so different than when I was younger.  I still have girlfriends from when I was in my 20’s.  In fact, the first friend I made when I moved to Los Angeles is to this day one of the people who knows me best.  But as we got older the requirements of our relationship changed. In our 20’s and even 30’s we spent most of our time on crazy adventures laughing or consoling each other over our latest break-up.  We talked about our burgeoning careers and our next step up the corporate ladder. Our friendship got real though when my infant son died of SIDS. Within hours of me calling her with the most horrific news I would ever have she was on a plane coming across the country to stay with me and comfort me.

Her way of dealing with tragedy was different. She needed to deal with it privately. She didn’t call me when she was going through a rough divorce and becoming the caregiver for her mother. I didn’t pry – I just waited patiently. When she was ready she reached out and I too was then on a plane across country to listen and support.

There are other women who have entered my life in my 40’s. As is common we were brought together through our kid’s friendships or activities. But our friendships transcended this connection. As I got older I was able to more quickly assess the women who I would form true bonds with and who, like me, needed girlfriends with whom they could be honest and vulnerable. To share hopes and also fears and know it was safe. In my 40’s the conversations changed from comparing toddler’s achievements and celebrity gossip to the evolution of relationships with your older kids and spouses, health issues, aging parents but, most importantly the next steps in our lives towards personal fulfillment. The s&*t gets real.

These are friendships that aren’t perfect selfies (although God knows there are those times that are insta worthy) These are friendships where often what you see is what you get – no make-up, dry shampooed hair in a pony tail and unshaved legs. 

There is incredible beauty of friendships in your 40’s. You’re dealing with the real stuff but also the pleasure of being vulnerable. I was ever so lucky when one of my best girlfriends moved around the corner from me. Being able to sit down after a horrible work day, vent about our kids or significant others or our worries about the future has saved thousands of dollars on therapy. The simple texts we share with one another after one of our chats “Thanks pal for being there” is exactly what it’s about.

So today as I accompany my friend for her doctor’s appointment we begin a journey that will be filled with tears, some laughter and most importantly honesty. As I said last night to her – “we’ve got this.” <3

How have your friendships changed and deepened over the years?  Share some of your girlfriend stories in the replies below.

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5 Kitchen Essentials for Busy Moms

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I never thought I’d see the day where I was asking my hubby for kitchen appliances rather than jewelry or shoes but……well, life changes doesn’t it?  I’m trying to get my family to eat healthy (especially my husband who has Primary Progressive MS) but I barely have time to grocery shop let alone the time needed to make healthy meals.

What I’ve learned is that I needed kitchen gadgets that make cooking easier and faster with less clean up.  Here are the products that I either have or are on my wish list.

Instant Pot

Click to purchase on Amazon

I’m a huge fan of one pot meals in my crock pot.  I almost always have something in my crock pot at least two or three times a week.  I started hearing about the Instant Pot last year and this is on the TOP of my list now!  An Instant Pot is a pressure cooker, crock pot, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, sauté/searing pan, steamer and warming pot all rolled into one handy item.  I originally thought that it was merely a pressure cooker and was able to cook brisket and other tough meats in a fraction of the time but then I learned it is so much more. This isn’t your grandma’s pressure cooker!  You can make mashed potatoes in minutes, rice comes out fluffy, ribs are tasty like slow-cooked but half the time – you can even make cakes in it!  And, unlike a traditional slow cooker, you can put frozen meat directly into it.  This

 

Nutribullet

Click to purchase on Amazon

I’m a huge fan of smoothies.  It’s a quick breakfast or lunch when I’m running late but even more importantly I can get in at least 4 fruits and veggie servings for me and the fam at the start of the day.  I literally get spinach into every one of my smoothies and trust me – it might be green but you do not taste the spinach at all! At first I thought I could just get by with my blender but I learned there’s a big difference! First, the Nutribullet mixer is the cup so no need to mess up another glass and then have to clean the blender like I used to.  Plus, with the Nutribullet I can just throw things in – no prep except for washing the fruits and veggies.  Most importantly, unlike a blender, the Nutribullet literally pulverizes every you put into to it which helps unlock vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids (such as omega-3s) that have been trapped within the cell walls of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. It’s a smooth smoothie loaded with nutrients.

 

Whiskware Pancake Batter Mixer with BlenderBall Wire Whisk

Click to purchase on Amazon

 

My son loves pancakes.  My mom who lives with us is in charge of making pancakes on the weekends but it’s a ridiculous mess (she uses her old fashioned electric frying pan, no stove top for her!)  to clean up.  Plus I’d love my son to start doing this on his own.  Enter the Whiskware Pancake Batter Mixer.  The batter mixer cleans up in less than 30 seconds and parts are top-rack dishwasher safe. Plus, the base doubles as a stand to keep the mixer stable while cooking. Now if I could stop him from getting the syrup all over the place!

 

5-Blade Spiralizer Vegetable Spiral Slicer, Noodle Maker, Fruits & Veggies Slicer

Click to purchase on Amazon

I’m working really hard to get carbs out of our life but it’s hard when I have two kids who LOVE pasta!  I’ve been slowly introducing zoodles (zucchini noodles) with marinara sauce and they’re enjoying it.  But the price of one package of fresh zucchini noodles is ridiculous and if I buy them on the weekend if I don’t use them right away they get a little funky.  This Vegetable Noodle Maker makes perfect noodles quickly and a lot cheaper than buying them in the store.

 

 

GeniCan

Click to learn more at genican.com

Nothing makes me crazier than planning out my dinner menu only to find that I don’t have one ingredient because no one bothered to tell me that we ran out.  I’ll admit, sometimes that person is me!  I’ll finish up one of my spices and completely forget when I get to the grocery that I need to replenish.  The GeniCan puts an end to that.  This is a smart device that attaches to the inside of your garbage or recycling bin and scans the bar code on anything you’re throwing out.  So, when your kids finish the last piece of sandwich bread when they toss the wrapper into the garbage they can scan the bar code on the bag and it will automatically be saved to a shopping list on your smartphone or delivered directly through Amazon Dash.  If something doesn’t have a bar code, like a banana, just hold the peel over the sensor and you’ll be prompted to say what item you want added to your list.  I love the idea of having everything added to my grocery list as soon as it’s finished.  And, when I’m on the road for business I can have it all delivered!

 

 

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