I've tried something UNREAL...Candy Unjunked!

Being a Mom Ambassador for Moms meet I get the opportunity to sample products that are good for us and good for the environment, then I get to share my opinions with you!!  Just yesterday I was at Target and came across the UNREAL candy aisle and decided to try them since I had read and heard so many good things about them!

      I am not really a big candy lover, mostly because it is so bad for you!  All the sugar, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and whatever else they can find to shove in those delicious little morsels!  Unreal is 100% real Ingredients, No artificials, no corn syrup, and less sugar!!  Unreal also prides itself In using sustainable palm oil, grass fed dairy, and traceable Cacao!  They are Gluten free, have no GMOs, and No preservatives!!
     My family and I got a bag of "The Loaded One"chocolate caramel peanut nougat bars!  These bars are much like a Snickers bar, but with less guilt!  They were delicious!!  Two thumbs up from this mom!  Next time I have a sweet tooth, I will definitely go the UNreal route!  This is truly an amazing Idea!  The bag of 10 individually wrapped bars ran me only $3.99 which I found very reasonable.  The next time you find yourself wanting something sweet I recommend you try them out!  Unreal has all types of our favorite candies 'UNJUNKED"!  Have a wonderful day, If you try them I hope you find them as amazing as we did!

My child has Selective Mutism...now what? #selectivemutism

     I remember the day she came into the world.  I remember the fear of the unknown and the excitement of having my first baby.  Am I going to be a good mom?  Will I know what to do?  How do I know when she's hungry, or tired?  Am I going to have complications in the delivery?  Is she going to really be a girl, I better get something blue just in case or yellow...yes yellow!  All these thoughts running through my mind as I prepare to go to the hospital.
     My daughter was born first thing in the morning.  After 18 hours of labor and an hour and a half of pushing there she was!  Out in this crazy world, no longer protected by her mommy shield.  As she began to cry I could physically feel my heart filling up with so much Love.  You really can't explain that feeling, but all moms know it!  A whole new level of love only a mom could feel!  She was beautiful!  The most beautiful thing I had ever seen In my lifetime.  All I wanted was her to be happy and healthy in life.  I wanted her to have everything she ever needed.  I wanted to be her protector as I was when she was in the womb.  We brought her home and I was so scared!  Every little sound she made or cough I would panic and pick her up!  She slept on my chest for the first month so I could hear her breathing and feel her heart beat.  I was totally freaked out by (S.I.D.S)!  She was growing at the normal rate and was healthy besides having colic (which made for some sleepless nights) but all in all a healthy child.  My daughter didn't really crawl, she was content with the toys I put in front of her and didn't have the need to go anywhere.  She started walking a little later than the toddlers in her playgroups, but again she was just very content with where she was and never very outgoing.

     My daughters first birthday came and we had almost a hundred guests.  food, drinks, bounce house, crafts...everything!   Now you have a toddler you start to envision going to soccer games, girl scouts, sleep overs, and all the fun things kids do in their childhood.  I couldn't wait!  I ran a home daycare and my daughter had three other girls her same age she was growing with.  The girls played, did crafts, ate, slept, did everything together.  My daughter had a great time playing with these girls, she seemed normal until their parents would come to pick them up.  My daughter like the typical "shy" child would hide behind my legs when the parents would say hi to her.  As the years went on the same thing would happen, while out of the house when someone would say hi or ask her her name she would close up and hide.  typical "shy child" right??

     My daughter started kindergarten.  At the first parent teacher conference her teacher told us she was very "shy" and did not engage with the other children or speak when spoken to.  I thought well that's kind of rude, I can't have my child not respond when someone is talking to her.  That night I sat my daughter down and told her, "it is OK to be shy, but not OK to be rude!, when someone says hi, you need to say hi back!"  I would discuss Her shyness with the teacher when I would drop her off and pick her up, my talk did not help!  I went to the store and bought a poster board and some stickers and made a chart.  The top of the chart read "being friendly has its benefits"  every time she would say hi to her teacher or bye she would earn a star!  when she got five stars she got to pick a prize out of a treasure box.  It kind of worked for a couple weeks then she didn't care to get prizes.  I was frustrated beyond belief!

     Every year that went by nothing changed.  My daughter was getting older now and still was not growing out of her shyness.  Every parent teacher conference was the same.  "your daughter seems very "shy" and does not participate in class",  "we are unable to test her reading because she won't talk", "your daughter doesn't have any friends, because she won't talk to anyone", "this is going to effect her grades".  We were called into special conferences...always the same thing.  What was I suppose to do!?  I can't put my hand down her throat and pull her words out!  I can't make her talk!  No soccer, no girl scouts, or sleep overs.  She was interested in nothing outside the home.  Finally she was in junior high and yet again we were called into a conference with her teacher.  My husband and I sat there in front of a panel of teachers, none of whom had ever heard her voice.  The teachers told us they were going to have to fail her for lack of participation.  I did not think this was fair because she always had aced her exams, was in the 98 percentile in the state standardized testing, and had always been very "book smart".

     We returned home devastated and told her they are going to fail her if she does not start talking at school!  The next morning I sent her off to school heart broken that she was this uncomfortable outside the home and was not getting to live the quality of life I had always hoped for her since that day in the delivery room.  I started doing my own research and came across SELECTIVE MUTISM.  I read stories from other parents that matched ours to the T!   The child is completely normal at home.  They talk and interact with the family, they are fun and outgoing but as soon as they leave the front door they climb inside a shell and stay there until they return home.   They do not make eye contact with anyone, there shoulders curl, they appear frozen in their own skin, and they are mute!  I watched some heart breaking YouTube videos of folks with this disease.  That afternoon when my little girl got off the bus I asked her to sit with me at my computer and showed her the YouTube video I had watched earlier.  Tears began rolling down her cheeks as she told me, "that's what happens to me!  my words get stuck in my throat and won't come out!  I want to talk, the words just won't come out!"  I now knew I needed to get her help!
     I called her pediatrician the next day to set up an appointment.  We went in to her pediatrician, they asked why she was there.  I told them about her being mute outside the home and I believed she had selective mutism. For the next twenty minutes that darn doctor tried everything to get my daughter to talk to her!  Putting someone with selective mutism on the spot to talk is the #1 thing you ARE NOT suppose to do!  The person closes up more and climbs deeper inside their shell.  The pediatrician recommended I send her to see her personal therapist.  This was not good enough for me, I wanted someone who specialized in Selective Mutism and knew how to interact with my daughter.  I knew a regular therapist was not going to work because my daughter does not talk outside my home!  I searched and searched the Internet and found nothing!  Finally I found there was a doctor in another state, which I was considering traveling a couple times a month if this was going to give my daughter a quality life.  After weeks of research I had finally found a medical group in Scottsdale, AZ that had Selective Mutism on their list of specialties!!  I made my daughter an appointment!   My daughter has been seeing her doctor there for about a year now and I am happy to report, people have now heard her voice!  The doctors were able to break her silence and I am forever grateful!  My daughter has attended a junior high dance, is in an after school art club, and hosted her first sleepover!  She has come a long way, but still has a way to go.  Do I think selective mutism is treatable?  Absolutely!  Curable?  Only time will tell.

     What is selective Mutism you may ask?  This is why I wrote this super long story on my blog to get the word out!  Most people, teachers, doctors, and even therapists have never heard of it.  Selective Mutism is a complex childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a child's inability to speak and communicate effectively in select social settings, such as school.  These children are able to speak in situations or settings where they are comfortable, secure, and relaxed, such as at home.  More than 90% of children with SM also have social phobia or social anxiety.  Selective Mutism is not brought on by a tragic event, the child is born with it.  Studies have shown selective mutism may be genetic and the child often has a family history of anxiety.  This disorder is quite debilitating and painful for the child.  Children and adolescents with SM have an actual FEAR of talking and of social interactions where there is an expectation to speak or communicate.  It is common for children with SM to have a blank facial expression and never seem to smile.  Many of these children have stiff and awkward body language when in a social setting and seem very uncomfortable and unhappy.  Some will turn their heads, avoid eye contact, curl in their shoulders or completely withdraw into a corner or away from the group seemingly more interested in playing alone.  Studies vary a little bit but it is said about 7 in 1000 children suffer from selective mutism in the U.S.  This is a very sad disease that needs some awareness!!  We need help to break the silence and give our children their voices back!  Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day :)

#selectivemutism #shychild #family

I'm a Puffs House party hostess!

Kiss and cry house party! 

Have you eaten your banana today?

Bitten by the flu bug...

     It seems just last week I was boasting to my husband at dinner time about how healthy our family has been this year!  No real sicknesses to mention, then BAM!  Today I find myself calling into work with two very sick kids!  As I sit here in my living room two sickies layed out on the couch, the sound of a two bubbling humidifiers, coughing, sneezing, and moaning I am really considering dressing up like a bank robber and covering every one of my orifices to block out the germ!  I know that sounds silly, but if you could see the Mt. Everest size mountain of tissues overflowing our trashcan you might consider the same!   Every time one of us gets sick now, I picture that darn Musinex commercial with all the ugly germs having a party.  As much as I love to host a party and love my party guest to have the best time ever, these party guests have got to go!!  It is kind of ironic in a way, next week I am hosting a Houseparty for Puffs with lotion.  It would be great to get my party pack a little early and let the sampling begin!
     So we caught it...now what?  My favorite thing to do is go all natural!  Time to mix up some concoctions (my husband calls it weird voodoo drinks) but whatever you want to call it, I try and live by the idea that our Mother nature provides us with the best medicine!  Apple cider Vinegar with the mother is my favorite!  I mix 2tsp of ACV with echinacea and goldenseal in a warm mug of water and add honey to sweeten it up!  Homemade chicken noodle soup is good for your body and good for the sole!  Lots and lots of water to drown those ugly little party goers, moist air and lots of rest!
     The germs are out there, are you going to host the next party?  Take your vitamins, get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and wash those hands!  Til next time, May good health be with you!

Go Bananas for Potassium!!!

     I always thought of myself as pretty healthy.  I maintain a thin body build.  I get into different workout routines, take several herbal supplements for overall health.  I don't drink soda or eat candy (except on rare occasions), not really a huge sweet eater of any kind, drink my daily 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar in a tea form, and try and drink the recommended amount of water daily.  With all that being said, I recently found myself in an emergency room!
     For a few weeks I had no energy, very lethargic.  My thoughts were real foggy to the point I crashed my car into a pole, simply because I "forgot" to stop.  I was dizzy, light headed, and short of breath.  My skin on my face was dry and flaky, and my overall health just seemed diminished.  I came home from work one afternoon feeling like I had indigestion.  As I began to prepare dinner the pain moved to the left side of my chest, then around to my shoulder blade.  I proceeded to take a few Motrin which did nothing.  Still having chest pains, shoulder pain and light headed, my husband recommended I take a few baby aspirin, "just in case".  We got through dinner and I decided to call it a night because I just felt like I needed to lie down.
The following day, I went to work.  I was still very lightheaded.  My co-workers helped me with my daily duties and told me I should see a doctor because something just wasn't right with me.
     The second evening at home, I still was short of breath and very light headed.  I decided to pull out my old blood pressure cuff I had bought when my mom was sick.  I sat up straight, knees bent at the waist. arm propped level with my heart, and began taking my blood pressure.  My blood pressure read 85/55.  I texted my younger brother who has been a fire fighter for years and asked what my blood pressure meant.  He told me, "it meant I needed a visit to the doctor!" or my blood pressure cuff was not working proper.  I stayed in and took it easy that night.  I called my boss and said, I was going to take the next day off to get some rest.  The following day I had a weird freezing sensation in my chest cavity.  Still lightheaded my heart pounding!  I walked my kids to the bus stop and decided I would take a shower to see if the freezing sensation would go away with warm water.  It did not!  I decided to take a trip to Urgent Care to make sure everything was OK.  Upon entering the nurses Triage they took my blood pressure and asked my symptoms.  Not even two minutes into my visit I was on my way to The Emergency Hospital!
     I sat in the parking lot of the emergency hospital and cried.  I called my husband at work and told him I was sent to Emergency and to please come home to get the kids when they are done with school.  Upon entering Emergency the man behind the desk asked how he could help me.  I told him I had been having chest pains and was sent there by urgent care.  A nurse rushed out with a wheel chair brought me into my room I would spend the next eight hours in.  Once in the room they had me strip down to nothing and hooked me up to an EKG, a bunch of machines, and started doing blood draws.  I had chest x-rays to insure I didn't have blood clots in my lungs.  My blood pressure was taken every thirty minutes, I was on an IV and oxygen.  After a couple hours all my tests came back normal EXCEPT my Potassium levels were low.  That sounded stupid!  I have a low vitamin in me and I am in the emergency room!?
      Potassium is both an electrolyte and a mineral. It helps keep the water (the amount of fluid inside and outside the body's cells) and electrolyte balance of the body. Potassium is also important in how nerves and muscles work.

Potassium levels often change with sodium levels. When sodium levels go up, potassium levels go down, and when sodium levels go down, potassium levels go up. Potassium levels are also affected by a hormone called aldosterone, which is made by the adrenal glands.                                                                                                A potassium level that is too high or too low can be serious. Abnormal potassium levels may cause symptoms such as muscle cramps or weakness, nausea,diarrhea, frequent urination, dehydration, low blood pressure, confusion, irritability, paralysis, and changes in heart rhythm.                                                          Many foods are rich in potassium, including scallops, potatoes, figs, bananas, prune juice, orange juice, and squash. A balanced diet has enough potassium for the body's needs. But potassium is passed in the urine even if the level in the blood is low so the level of potassium in the body can get lower.                                                     Our hearts are big muscles.  Without the proper electrolytes allowing our brain to send signals to our muscles our bodies cannot work properly.  So next time you are at the store don't pass up those bananas!  Keep your heart healthy...this world needs a lot more Love in it!  Have a blessed day!  

The best part of waking up...

COFFEE!  What is it about coffee that makes it so wonderful?  The very first thought that comes to mind as I open my eyes in the morning is "I need to get the coffee started".   It seems when you awaken from your slumber and are so blessed to have another day in this fabulous world your first thoughts should be of your children, or your husband, or your dog.  But why coffee?  How do you have your coffee?  Do you have it at home or do you purchase it on the go?  Do you take it Black, with creamer, iced, mocha, latte, cappachinno, frappe, the list goes on and on.  Why does coffee have such a presidence in our lives?  I sleep over eight hours a night, I surely can't still be that tired that I need coffee to wake me up!  When we want to get to know someone better, we ask them out for a cup of coffee.  How many cups of coffee do you think you've drinken in your lifetime?  Besides eating, and using the facilities I bet having a cup of Joe is the next thing you've done most in your life!  Something to ponder...and I think I'll ponder it over a cup of Joe!  Good morning to all and have a fabulous day!!

Here we reside in Buckeye, Arizona!  How did we end up here, you may ask?  We did not grow up in Buckeye, which a lot of the residents here grew up here and never left!  I guess you can say we were part of the great migration of '04!  My husband of 13 years (together 20) and I were born and raised in San Diego County in California.  We owned a small duplex about five miles from Pacific Beach that we had purchased in 1998.  In 2000 we were married and shortly later gave birth to our first child in may of 2001.  Our small duplex was getting cramped so we had a second story three bedroom addition added on to make room for our growing family.  In december of 2003 along came child number two!  Our addition was closing in around us and by now the housing prices were booming as was the cost of living in San Diego!  We began looking for other options, buying a single family home in San Diego on our income was not an option.  We could not believe the cost of homes in Arizona and saw plenty of job oppurtunities.  My husband and I decided to drive out to Arizona one weekend and look around.  A couple weeks later we had planned a meeting with a realtor, and drove out for the day.  We saw a beautiful 2156 sqft home in Buckeye!  We thought Buckeye would be a good choice because we can skip back home quickly when ever we got home sick.  We made an offer on our home before leaving the realtor that day.  We have now been in Buckeye for almost ten years ( that seems crazy to think).  We have since had another child in November of 2006.  I work for the Buckeye school district, am an Avon representative, a host for houseparty, and a mom ambassador for  greenmomsmeet.  I try and keep myself busy in this town far out west.