A better way to deal with lice

It's the moment all mothers dread - the moment you realize that your child has caught head lice.

There is such a stigma attached to lice, like it is a character flaw or something. Many people don't want to admit that their child has it. They are afraid that they will be judged as bad parents, unclean, sloppy. They fear that their child will be shunned and ridiculed. The treatments have not helped the situation. In the past they have been smelly and horribly unpleasant. Some have even been unsafe. In fact, in 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency even went so far as to ban lindane, an ingredient found in some lice treatments, as an agricultural insecticide due to its toxicity. Yeah, just what I want to put on my child's head.

Lice MD is a new treatment for lice that puts an end to most of the fears moms have about treating head lice. It is pesticide free (which also means the lice cannot develop pesticide resistance to it) and completely odorless. It works in 10 minutes and conditions rather than dries out your child's hair. It will eliminate the lice, eggs, and nits which is important to prevent continued outbreaks.

The box also includes a comb to help eliminate the nits and eggs and detailed directions on how to rid your house of the little buggers. LiceMD is sold over-the-counter at food, drug and mass retail outlets and wherever lice treatments are sold. It doesn't make having lice pleasant (nothing could!) but it does make treating them a little less unpleasant.

Dare to Wear White

So you may remember that a while ago, I posted about some, um, feminine issues I was having. And how I had a minor meltdown in my ob-gyn's office when she decided that there was "nothing wrong" with me and that I should just go on the pill.

Well, I am happy to report that the pill has somewhat helped with some of the issues I was facing, mainly the incredibly heavy periods I have been having since giving birth to Little J almost four years ago. (Migraines are still an issue.) However, I am not thrilled with the idea of spending the rest of my menstruating life on the pill and I can't bear the thought of going back to the ways things were before.

Turns out there is another option. Who knew? Not me - which makes me wonder WHY didn't I know this? Which also made me jump at the chance to help Mom Central spread the word about this option. It isn't for everyone - you need to be sure that you are done having children. But if you are, be sure to check out the Dare to Wear White (I love that name!!!) website and take their survey. If you are one of the first 250 women to take the survey, you will get a $10 Amazon gift card. (Please only take the survey if you have heavy periods AND are done having children.)

Here is some additional information about heavy periods from Barb, the resident nurse at Mom Central:

Frequently Asked Questions & Answers about Heavy Periods

By Barbara Dehn NP
MomCentral.com
AskNurseBarb.com




How do I know if I have heavy periods?

Although many women may feel as though they are the only ones experiencing heavy periods, women of all ages have heavy periods that interfere with their day-to-day lives. You may have heavy periods if your period:
• Lasts a long time
• Is so heavy that you need to change pads or tampons every 1 to 2 hours
• Is so heavy that you often have a tampon AND a pad for more protection
• Is so heavy that you have to change pads at night

Is it normal to miss work or other activities once in a while because of heavy bleeding?

Many women are surprised to learn that it’s not considered normal for periods to disrupt their normal activities and life. Heavy periods may be interfering with the quality of your life if you:
• Wear dark clothing because you worry about “accidents” during your period
• Miss work or social activities because of heavy periods
• Find that your mood is significantly affected by your heavy periods
• Have had to significantly alter sexual relationships because of heavy periods
• Feel that your life would be much better without your periods

Who is likely to experience heavy bleeding?

Women of all ages may experience heavy bleeding, yet many women in their 30s and 40s may develop heavy bleeding for the first time. Women who have stopped taking birth control pills, those who have had their tubes tied (tubal ligation) and women who are pre-menopausal are especially likely.

What causes heavy periods to occur?
Hormonal changes are usually the cause of heavy periods. This tends to be most prevalent in younger girls and teens who are beginning adolescence, and women in their late 30s and early 40s, due to big swings in their hormone levels. These hormone fluctuations usually mean that she is not ovulating regularly and heavy and long periods may result.

What else may cause heavy periods?

Though most heavy periods are caused by hormonal changes, there are other medical conditions that can also cause heavy bleeding. Before considering any treatments for heavy bleeding, the following possibilities need to be ruled out:

• Polyps – Small, non-cancerous growths attached to the lining of the uterus
• Fibroids – Non-cancerous growths of the uterus that are common in women over 30. Fibroids may be within the lining of the uterus, within the muscle, or on the outside wall of the uterus. While some women experience no symptoms, some fibroids can lead to irregular bleeding or pain
• Pre-cancerous or cancerous changes within the lining of the uterus – The lining of the uterus is known as the endometrium, and cancer here, thankfully, is rare. However, if a woman over 35 has been bleeding continuously for more than a few months, she should consult a health care provider to rule out this possibility
• Adenomyosis – In this condition, the lining of the uterus grows into the muscle of the uterus and causes heavy and painful periods
• Thyroid imbalance – Too much or too little of the thyroid hormones can interfere with normal cycles

Are there safe treatment options available for heavy periods?

There are a number of different options available to women with heavy bleeding. The treatments depend upon whether a woman wants more children, the results of any tests she may have had, her age, and how long she’s been dealing with heavy periods.

For a complete list of treatment options see: www.DareToWearWhite.com

What tests may be performed on a woman experiencing heavy bleeding?

Depending on how long a woman has been bleeding heavily, one or more of the following tests may be recommended:
• Pelvic Ultrasound – This test looks at the size and shape of the uterus and ovaries, and measures the thickness of the lining of the uterus
• Endometrial Biopsy – A thin, flexible tube is passed into the uterus to obtain a small sample of the tissue, which is analyzed for any abnormal or cancerous cells
• Sonohysterography – During an ultrasound, a small amount of fluid is introduced into the uterus through a thin, flexible tube to look for polyps or fibroids that may be interfering with regular cycles
• Hysteroscopy – A thin flexible scope is passed into the uterus to obtain a view of the uterine lining. Polyps or small fibroids also can be easily removed during this procedure. Anesthesia is necessary for this test
• Other lab tests – Health care providers may order blood tests for anemia, thyroid issues and bleeding disorders

Extreme Makeover: Blog Edition

So you may have noticed that my blogs have gotten a much needed face lift lately. This is all thanks to a very talented graphic designer who managed to interpret my lame (that is being kind!) explanations of what I was looking for. Seriously, I think I answered a few questions for her and she nailed the designs on the first try. Very impressive stuff!

I highly recommend her should you have any design needs: headers, buttons, etc. You can find her over at Flibby Pie Graphic Design and her prices are MORE than reasonable. And tell her Wisconsin Mommy says hi!

The New Greener Clorox

Clorox has come out with a new line of cleaning products in response to the demand for products that are safer for our homes and for the environment. Green Works can be found in most stores where the traditional Clorox products are found and includes a number of cleaners such as bathroom, kitchen, glass/window, as well as a concentrate that can be mixed with water.

Green Works cleaners work just as well as their more toxic counterparts without giving off the harsh chemical fumes and residue that can result. Green Works products are made from biodegradable ingredients and NOT tested on animals, two things that are important to me personally. They are 99% natural and have a pleasant scent.

Two things which I really like about these products (and that set them apart for me) are:

1. the fact that they are easy to find in the stores where I am already doing my shopping and

2. the cost which is a bit higher than traditional cleaners but lower than other natural cleaners.

Good for Clorox for taking this step! I hope other companies follow their lead and begin coming out with environmentally friendly lines of products as well.

And the winner is....

Rebecca R! Congratulations...I will be in touch with you next week via e-mail with details on how to claim your prize. Thanks to everyone for entering and check back often for more exciting giveaways!

Homework Helper in a Box

Because I can’t resist worrying about things long before I need to, I’ve been wondering how we are going to deal with the whole “Mom I need to research _____ for school” issue once Little J is a bit older. I am completely against him having internet access in his room and we don’t really have the set up for a centrally located computer where I could keep an eye on him. Maybe we’ll move before it becomes an issue.

But if we don’t, I will definitely let him use Microsoft Student! The folks at Mom Central Consulting kindly asked me to review a copy of Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2008. This is a great solution for families facing the exact problem I will be – how to provide a collection of relevant, reliable information without setting your kids loose on the internet. It includes articles that can be accessed through searches as well as an atlas, dictionary, thesaurus, and language translator. It also has a companion, Encarta Kids which is geared younger learners aged 7 to 12.

But, Microsoft Student goes beyond just an encyclopedia. It is a full service homework helper! It includes the amazing MS MATH which includes tools, tutorials and step by step problem solving instructions to help students learn math concepts. Included in MS MATH is a full featured graphing calculator (valued at $100+) AND free online access to “Hotmath” ($49.95 value). Students can quickly find their textbook, and select the problem they are solving. Using the Equation Solver, they can instantly receive step-by-step guidance on how to solve a problem, and what the correct answer should be. (Take it from a former tutor…at $30 - $50 an hour, this more than pays for itself after one or two uses.)

The learning essentials section has great templates to get students started writing reports and presentations. It includes great organizational and brainstorming tools such as K-W-L charts and Venn diagrams that support the types of things your student is learning in school! It even has organizational tools to help with college applications.

The language section is a must-have for anyone who is taking a beginning level foreign language. It supports four languages and can translate either way as well as conjugate verbs. (I SO wish I had this when I was struggling with Spanish in high school!)

The literature feature contains over 1,000 book summaries in a Cliff-Notes type format. The teacher in me cringes a bit at this feature but realizes that most students have access to this type of material somewhere or other and any good teacher can tell whether or not a student has actually read the text. These can always be a good review tool. ‘Nough said.

This really is a great program and is an absolute steal at $37.50. The great folks at Mom Central Consulting and Microsoft have generously provided me with a copy to give away to one lucky commenter. If you’d like to have a copy for yourself, leave me a comment . Please remember to leave me a way to get in touch with you! Our random winner generator (Little J) will be picking a lucky winner out of a hat.
All entries must be in by midnight CST Friday February 29th.

Please check system requirements here. Please read them carefully – I did not and had an old version of Office 2000. I managed to make quite a mess of my laptop and wasn’t able to get much work done for a couple of days until the wonderful folks at my office’s tech-support (thank you guys!!!!) upgraded me to Office 2003 and got me back up and running. Lesson learned!

Need More Time in the Morning?

Yeah right, who doesn't! And what is the one thing that we all know shouldn't fall victim to the morning rush, but often does?
Breakfast.

The folks at Breakfast Breaks know that mornings can be crazy and they have put together a portable, and more important HEALTHY, breakfast in a box. I admit...I was a bit skeptical of these at first. I am a huge fan of convenience, but it usually comes with a high price: empty calories, high fructose corn syrup-laden juice imposters, sugar-loaded cereals...you know what I'm talking about, right?

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened up my box of Breakfast Breaks and found.....
100% real juice
whole grain cereals
100% natural dried fruit
(The stuff I was already giving Little J anyway!) plus
a spoon, napkin, AND a wet wipe already packaged up and ready to go, all I needed to supply was the milk for the cereal.

Now on an average day, I can probably handle getting all of this together for my child on my own - but the next day was the day that we needed to bring my parents to the airport for their early morning flight out of this wintry abyss and getting out of the house on time was going to be a struggle. Throw in ANOTHER snowstorm and a frantic call from my mother saying they would like to leave an hour earlier than planned and my whole schedule went completely out the window.

Enter Breakfast Breaks! Little J happily ate his yummy, nutritious breakfast in the backseat while I drank down a Grande Latte (at least it has calcium) for my nourishment. Now, if they can come up with an adult version that can be eaten with one hand while battling airport traffic in a snowstorm....

Breakfast Breaks come in four varieties.