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Under Armour Sale at Macy’s #UnderArmourAtMacys

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Under Armour at Macy’s

We’re on Spring Break right now. We’re not traveling anywhere this year. Who am I kidding? We rarely go anywhere for Spring Break. Actually, since my one child goes to a private school, they often have different Spring Breaks so it’s not even really possible.

But on our to-do list this week is to get Brian some clothes. I am so tired of the clothing war every morning. In his defense, he did recently have a growth spurt so he doesn’t have much that fits.

Thank goodness for the Under Armour sale at Macy’s.

Under Armour is pretty much what he lives in. I guess it’s a sensory thing, but he cannot stand to wear cotton clothing. He only likes that tech-type material. I don’t try to fight it. I grew up in a generation that was constantly forced to wear uncomfortable clothing so I won’t do that to my kids. (lace tights and too-small patent leather shoes, I’m looking at you)

orange under armour shirt macys
This is pretty much what he lives in. Click to see them for just $15.

Last night at Flag Football practice, we were freezing! It was 50, but the winds were terrible, making it feel much colder. He only has one pair of these tights from Under Armour, in camo. They work really well for cooler days when he wants to wear shorts.

under armour leggings
These are on sale too. Click to see more.

It can be pretty chilly here up until Memorial Day, so I think I will pick up another pair.

This sale runs through April 21.

This post was sponsored by Savings.com. All opinions are my own. No, really, come look in Brian’s closet–it really is all UA.

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How and Why your Kids should be an Upstander. #BeInternetAwesome! #ItsCoolToBeKind

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How and Why your Kids should be an Upstander

The other day, I heard my 9-year-old call his friend a potato. My stomach dropped. First, he was playing a game with a friend, so it was friendly teasing and not bullying. However, I did not like the use of the word. In case you haven’t ever seen it, there are some incredibly distasteful and disrespectful memes floating around on the internet. And, they refer to Intellectually Disabled people like potatoes, linking it to the R-word and so on.

I could tell by the shock on Brian’s face that he had no idea about the memes and the link to disabled people. I told him he wasn’t in trouble, I just wanted to explain to him why I didn’t want him using that word in a derogatory manner anymore. He understood and I’m certain he won’t do it again.

But it just goes to show that even a seemingly innocent word can hurt people.

I only wish that I had agreed to do this post for Google a few weeks ago, and knew about being an Upstander. Because I would have taken the conversation one step further, and not only told Brian not to use the word but that maybe he wants to explain to his friends why it might hurt other kids. While Brian’s phrase was verbal and not online, it still is a good time to have the conversation about this Google program. Be Internet Awesome is Google’s free multifaceted program designed to teach kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety so they can explore the online world with confidence.

 

google for education

What we know about bullying:

  • 28% of students have experienced bullying personally.
  • 71% of students have witnessed bullying directly.
  • Only 20% – 30% of students notify adults about bullying.
  • Over 50% of parents are concerned about their child being bullied.

I don’t even remember the statistics about disabled kids and their siblings being bullied, but it’s astronomically high. Depressingly high, I guess it’s why I try to forget. But it’s that 71% who have witnessed that I want to talk about.

Turn your Bystanders into Upstanders.

Sometimes bystanders don’t try to stop the bullying or help the target, but when they do, they’re being an upstander. A person can choose to be an upstander by deciding not to support mean behavior and standing up for kindness and positivity. A little positivity can go a long way online. It can keep negativity from spreading and turning into cruelty and harm.

I’m going to present it to Brian as having the power. If you find yourself a bystander when harassment or bullying happens, you have the power to intervene and report cruel behavior. 

How to be an Upstander

When you see someone being mean to another person online, making them feel embarrassed or left out, making fun of them, disrespecting them, hurting their feelings, etc. You always have choices.

First, you can choose to be an upstander instead of a bystander by helping the target. Second, if you choose to be an upstander, you have options for what kind of action you take. The most important thing to know is that it can really help someone being targeted just to be heard if they’re sad and to know that someone cares. For any of these options, if kids cannot find the words to use, you can help them. Google gives you options in their Be Internet Awesome program. There’s even a whole plan for teachers.

Now, not everybody feels comfortable standing up for others publicly, whether online or in the school lunchroom. If you do, go for it! You can:

Call out the mean behavior (not the person), saying it’s not cool.

  • Say something nice about the target in a post or comment.
  • Get friends to compliment the target online, too.
  • Offline, you can invite the person to hang out with you on the playground or sit with you at lunch.
  • If you don’t feel comfortable helping out publicly, that’s fine.

You can also support the target privately. You can:

  • Say something kind or complimentary in an anonymous post, comment, or direct message (if you’re using media that lets you stay anonymous).
  • Tell them you’re there for them if they want to talk after school.
  • Ask how they’re doing in a text or direct message.
  • In a quiet conversation in person or on the phone, tell them you thought the mean behavior was wrong and ask if they feel like talking about what happened.

No matter how you choose to be an upstander, you have both public and private options for reporting. This could mean reporting bullying behavior via a website or application interface, or reporting what’s going on to an adult you trust.

For Parents:

  1. Play Interland with your kids and put your kindness skills to the test at g.co/KindKingdom

  2. Learn more about how to Be Internet Awesome at g.co/BeInternetAwesome and tell your kids’ teachers about the online curriculum so they can introduce these activities in the classroom.

Download the Be Internet Awesome Curriculum:

Download to Print [3.53 MB]

 

About Be Internet Awesome:

Be Internet Awesome is Google’s free multifaceted program designed to teach kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety so they can explore the online world with confidence. The program is available in English and Spanish and consists of an ISTE standards-aligned curriculum, ready-made Pear Decks for each lesson, Interland – an adventure-packed online game about digital safety and citizenship – and plenty of resources for educators and parents.

This has been a sponsored post done by me for Google and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

 

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{Precision Medicine Initiatives} How to Join the NIH program ‘All of Us.’

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I create products to make the IEP process easier. Take a look!

Do you know what a Precision Medicine Initiative is?

Precision Medicine is just what it says it is. “Medical care designed to optimize efficiency or therapeutic benefit for particular groups of patients, especially by using genetic or molecular profiling.” You can help change the future of medicine by participating in the All of Us Research Program.

My son’s genetic condition is not new, but the knowledge of it is. The technology that was used to determine what he has is called a FISH test. It’s short for Fluorescence in situ hybridization. (Now you see why they just call it FISH.)

precision medicine research participants

But the technology to perform such a test has only been around for a few decades. As a result of that, there are probably many individuals walking around with his genetic condition (and others) who don’t know specifically what they have. Precision medicine helps researchers to develop targeted treatments for health conditions.

I’ve said a zillion times before, I love and accept my son for who he is, 1000%. I don’t want to change a thing about him. Except for the seizures. I am always looking for new opportunities for my family to participate in research that is related to his condition, only because of the of his life-threatening seizures.

Many parents are in my shoes.

I’ve been asked by All of Us Pennsylvania and The Motherhood to help find 120,000 Pennsylvanians to join the All of Us Program. Here’s what you need to know.

All of Us: Pennsylvania

So, first of all, “harumph!” They chose Pittsburgh first. Ok, we’ll let them have this one. And I’ve been looking for an excuse to visit Pittsburgh anyway. But yes, for now, it’s only in Pittsburgh. I will keep you informed if it expands to this side of the state. There are 6 locations in Pittsburgh and one in Altoona if you wish to participate.

  • The University of Pittsburgh was awarded $4.2 million for the first year, with a potential of up to nearly $67 million over five years, to build the infrastructure needed to launch the program.
  • All of Us Pennsylvania, the University’s program, plans to enroll 120,000 patients in the region, and fund pilot studies using accrued data to advance precision medicine care.
  • Precision medicine or personalized medicine is health care that is based on each individual. It takes into account factors like where you live, what you do, and your family health history and genetics.
  • By signing up for this study, you can help change the future of medicine, you may improve your or others’ health and you may improve healthcare for your children.
  • Participants will get compensated ($25) for participation.
  • All of US Pennsylvania has enrolled more than 8,000 participants so far.

So what are you waiting for? All of Us Pennsylvania is creating the largest health data resource ever. Your health information will be added to the All of Us Research Program database. Researchers may use this data in health studies. This may lead to the next big medical breakthrough. And of course, all your personal information will be kept private!

“The is a sponsored post in partnership with All of Us PA and The Motherhood.”

 

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There is no magic pill. Why it’s important to Be Antibiotics Aware.

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This is a post prepared under a contract funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and written on behalf of the Mom It Forward Influencer Network for use in CDC’s Be Antibiotics Aware educational effort. Opinions on this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CDC.

Remember this? It tastes like bubble gum. antibiotics aware

I’m a Gen Xer. My childhood was filled with this stuff.

Our parents and doctors were not antibiotics aware, were they?

Anytime that we didn’t feel good, off to the pediatrician we went. On the way home, we would stop at the pharmacy and pick up that bottle of pink stuff. It was a common sight in any of our friends’ refrigerators because we never finished the prescribed dose either.

Ugh. Now we know that antibiotics are inappropriately being used and bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Why do we ask for antibiotics? When do we really need them?

Parents sometimes ask for or expect antibiotics from healthcare professionals, even when the illness is not caused by bacteria, because they:

  • Think the antibiotic will help them feel better more quickly and/or stop their illness from getting worse.
  • Don’t know the condition is caused by a virus, and therefore antibiotics won’t help.
  • Don’t know or understand the side effects of antibiotics.
  • Have received an antibiotic in the past, or know someone who has received one in the past, for the same illness, and it seemed to work.

There is no magic pill, folks. I get it, we’re sick, our kids are sick, and we just want to make them feel better. Guess what? In cases when you or your child has a virus, or in certain cases of bacterial infections, antibiotics are not needed.

Antibiotics Awareness

  • Antibiotics do not work on viruses that cause colds and flu, bronchitis, or runny noses, even if the mucus is thick, yellow, or green.
  • Antibiotics are only needed for treating certain infections caused by bacteria. Even some bacterial infections get better without antibiotics, including many sinus infections and some ear infections.

And throughout my childhood, we weren’t very aware of this. Kids with ear infections? Antibiotics. Kids with runny nose or bronchitis? Antibiotics.

I guess we thought that we were feeling better sooner, but we weren’t.

Why it’s a problem

 Any time you take an antibiotic it contributes to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people get infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. At least 23,000 people die as a result. Antibiotic resistance is one of the most urgent threats to the public’s health!

What everyone should know

  • Respiratory viruses usually go away in a week or two without treatment. Ask your healthcare professional about the best way to feel better while your body fights off the virus.
  • When antibiotics aren’t needed, they won’t help you, and the side effects could still hurt you. Side effects range from minor to very severe health problems, such as a rash or difficile (C. diff) infection. When you need antibiotics for an infection, the benefits of the drug usually outweigh the risk of side effects.
  • You can stay healthy and keep others healthy by cleaning hands, covering coughs, staying home when sick, and getting recommended vaccines—for the flu, for example.

As a mom of a child who is medically complex, I am glad that my pediatrician follows good practice on this. There have been several times when I have taken my child to see her, and she’s just shrugged and said, “Sorry, just has to run its course. Here’s what to watch for.”

We need to do better

A lot of this falls on us. We have to be better patients, better consumers, and better advocates for ourselves and our kids. While it can be frustrating to go home without medicine for your child, I think as parents we just need to get used to this and find ways to help relieve their symptoms. Because there is no magic pill for some illnesses.

Antibiotics are critical for treating people with serious infections, such as pneumonia or sepsis, the body’s extreme response to an infection. Improving the way we take antibiotics helps keep us healthy now, helps fight antibiotic resistance, and ensures that life-saving antibiotics will be available for future generations.

To learn more about antibiotic prescribing and use, visit www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use.

To learn more about sepsis, a life-threatening condition that is treated with antibiotics, visit www.cdc.gov/sepsis.

antibiotics awareness

 

Also read:

What All Special Needs Parents Need to Know About Life-Threatening Sepsis

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{Twinings of London} Just as good iced! #BeYourBestBlend #ad

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I create products to make the IEP process easier. Take a look!

This post was sponsored by Twinings of London in partnership with the Mom It Forward Influencer Network. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

That happened fast! Just last Sunday, I was sitting at my 9-year-old’s flag football game and I was freezing. I was wrapped up in a blanket and I had my carafe mug of Twinings Tea with me.

 

Now, just three days later it is 90 degrees out. Not exactly hot tea and blanket weather.

 

But, last night I brewed some of the Berry Fusion and put it in the refrigerator. It is just delightful! I particularly like it cold when it gets watered down a bit with my ice cubes.

 

And, no caffeine!

Twinings of London

 

According to Twinings of London, “This one-of-a-kind tea starts with ingredients expertly selected from Europe, South America, Egypt and Asia. We blend together rosehips, hibiscus, orange and blackberry leaves, apple pieces, licorice root and natural berry fruit flavors to craft a mouth-watering tea that is simply irresistible.”

 

Next up I am going to try the Lemon Delight. When they first asked me to do this campaign, it was almost six months ago. I have now used up all that they sent me and replaced it many times over.

 

I like their black teas when I do need a little caffeine boost mid-day, or sometimes even as a replacement for my morning coffee. Twinings of London has several varieties of black teas in addition to the three latest herbal blends.

 

Spring and summer are here! Take a look at what Twinings of London has to offer and considering putting it on ice. There’s nothing better on a sunny day than a glass of crisp iced tea. And take it from the experts at Twinings and follow their directions. Over brewing your tea will cause it to be flat.

 

Be Your Best Blend in the summer of 2018 and tag it with #BeYourBestBlend .

 

You can see all the other photos and fans here:

 

See also:

My healthy new way to Rise and Shine~Twinings

My healthy new way to Rise and Shine~Twinings

And now I’m a tea drinker. {Read and you could win free tea!}

 

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And now I’m a tea drinker. {Read and you could win free tea!}

By on

I create products to make the IEP process easier. Take a look!

This post was sponsored by Twinings of London in partnership with the Mom It Forward Influencer Network. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I knew that 2018 had to be different for me. I just didn’t feel right. I knew my health was declining and I was putting on weight. Your 40s come at you quickly. All those articles you read about slower metabolism and all that fun stuff? It’s true. My BMI was 1 point into the obese range and I was at Stage 1 hypertension.

Like millions of people, with the start of the new year, I ‘resolved’ to make some changes. I signed up for a Lifestyle Challenge at my health club. I threw out about 90% of the junk food in the house and switched myself to low/no carbs or sugars. I gave up wine and soft drinks.

When you give up so much, you have these giant gaping holes in your daily routines. For me, it was a soft drink with my lunch and a glass of wine after dinner.

Thankfully, right around the new year, I also committed to this series of blog posts for Twinings of London. They sent me tea. So, with a renewed determination to not drink wine, and with all these teas in the house, I thought, “why not?”

I read the boxes carefully to make sure there were no sugars or caffeine. Check.

#beyourbestblend

 

So, I just started a new habit. Now I drink a glass of water with my lunch and a cup of tea afterwards, when I return to my desk to work. For that time of day, I like the Lemon Delight.

In the evenings, after everything is cleaned up and everyone is settled, I make a cup of the Buttermint or the Berry Fusion. These are so much better than my glass of wine habit! Both satisfy that “sweet craving” I have after dinner. I don’t want to indulge in desserts since I’ve given up sugar.

These teas are perfect because they have a bit of natural sweetness to them that make you feel like you tasted a dessert. The Buttermint is awesome, even my husband agreed after I got him to taste it. The mint is soft and mixes well with a light butterscotch flavor. It’s very sophisticated tasting. I was afraid that the mint was going to be harsh, which I don’t like. But it’s not.

I’m not going to lie. The first 3-5 days were tough. Giving up sugar, a midday caffeine boost from soda and wine….all at the same time, was hard. Really hard. I was exhausted and had a headache. But once I got over the hump I was fine. And it really was only about 3 days because since I am substituting herbal tea for sugar, alcohol and caffeine, I’m getting more sleep and better quality sleep. I’ve since purchased several more boxes of Twinings of London.

Opportunities often present themselves at just the right time. I am so glad that Twinings of London sent me tea right around the same time I wanted to make some changes.

One of my highlights was that I treated myself to a vintage Corning tea pot. I collect vintage Pyrex, so I wanted a tea pot too.

corning vintage tea pot

Twinings of London tea

● The latest Twinings herbal blends include Lemon Delight, Berry Fusion and Buttermint
● Twinings of London has been providing quality tea experiences for more than 300 years.
● The Twinings story began in 1706, when Thomas Twining opened the House of Twining in London with the vision to sell only the finest teas, herbs and infusions
● Beginning with the finest ingredients sourced from all over the world, each unique blend is expertly crafted by a team of master blenders to provide the perfect balance of taste, flavor and aroma.
● Nine Twinings master blenders travel the world to find only the best teas, spices, herbs and fruit infusions available.
● The latest Twinings herbal teas include Lemon Delight, Berry Fusion and Buttermint.
● Twinings herbal teas offer a range of 17 blends for you to explore and enhance your relaxing moments, recharging me-time and roxy.

Now, I’m going to give you, one of my readers, the same opportunity to try tea from Twinings of London.

[promosimple id=”cc4b”]

If you want to learn more about what Twinings of London has to offer:

 

 

 

Good luck!

{Twinings of London} Just as good iced! #BeYourBestBlend #ad

This has been a sponsored post done by me on behalf of Mom It Forward Media and Twinings of London. All opinions are my own.

My healthy new way to Rise and Shine~Twinings

 

And now I’m a tea drinker. {Read and you could win free tea!}

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