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My Personal Reason for My #AveenoDailyChallenge Choice

I'm an AVEENO ambassador.  I received free product and compensation for this activity. Any opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve been selected as an AVEENO ambassador for the 4th year in a row. I couldn’t be happier. I love representing a brand that does more than just make great products. I was asked to take the #AveenoDailyChallenge. I’m going to be using AVEENO Daily Moisturizing lotion for 3 weeks. I was also asked to choose another healthy challenge. There were lots of ideas an options but I chose to take the challenge of drinking 8 glasses of water a day for 3 weeks. I’ll also be featured on Aveeno’s facebook page, along with other bloggers who are taking the challenge.

We all know we should be drinking more water but for me, this challenge is a little more personal. I’ve been trying to find the guts to write about this as the subject is a little sensitive for me. I was raised to be a lady and not talk about such things. But I know others are dealing with what I’m dealing with. Just a warning, there is “bathroom talk” here so if you’d rather not read about it, go ahead and check out one of my other posts or enter a giveaway while you’re here. I won’t be offended. Here it goes..

After the birth of my 3rd son, I started noticing changes in my body. I started having what I liked to call “bad belly days”. I would get bloated, crampy, gassy, just down right uncomfortable. It was manageable at first but I knew that the amount I was experiencing it, something was wrong. I dealt with it and doctored myself for sometime with minimal improvement. Really I was just making it through. After about a year or so of this, it started to become more frequent and a little more inconvenient. So I finally decided to go to a gastroenterologist. They did a colonoscopy and told me I had mild colitis. I didn’t feel like it was mild anything. It was effecting my every day life. They tried me on some pills but all they did was make me feel even more bloated and uncomfortable. So I was kind of frustrated and started looking for answer myself. In the mean time, my issues got worse to where I was having…..let’s just say…frequent bathroom visits. So I started taking immodium on a daily basis to make it through work and the kids activities. I started talking to close friends and trusted coworkers. I found out my one friend’s husband has had similar issues for years. Still no diagnoses. He had been to the specialists in our town and in Pittsburgh. The labeled him with IBS but his issues were so bad he had to go on disability.

I had lots of suggestions, “maybe you’re gluten intolerant” , “Maybe you’re lactose intolerant”, “Try staying away from acidic foods” etc. Nothing really helped. My doctor put me through all kinds of tests. I did not have Celiac’s disease, I did not have any obstructions, no ulcers, etc. So again I was frustrated. Nothing seemed to help. I was to the point that I had to avoid going places if I didn’t think there was going to be a bathroom. I know some of my coworkers think I’m flaky because I’d be talking to them or working with them with a patient and have to run into the bathroom in a hurry. It wasn’t really something I wanted to talk about. I’d rather they think I’m flaky then to have to talk to them about my “issues”. Then right around Christmas this past year my symptoms got really bad. To the point that I would double over in pain from cramps and I started bleeding. I went to the ER the one time. They told me they did find blood but all test were normal: my H&H (blood levels) were fine so they said even though I was losing blood my body was replacing it fast enough. So I went to another specialist after that ER visit. He did yet another test. But this one yielded results. I finally had a diagnoses, Ulcerative Colitis.

I was relieved to finally have a diagnoses and a treatment plan. I started 2 different medications and they’re starting to help some. I’m hoping to see more results with time though. I’ve been reading everything I can about ways to help myself. Avoiding things like soda and coffee which is hard because I love them. Drinking more water (this is where the challenge comes into play) and seeking support and suggestions from other that are or have experienced the same thing. Ulcerative Colitis is chronic so it is something I have to learn how to manage. One coworker told me her friend has it and she swears by drinking a gallon of lemon water a day and says it’s really helped her. I could totally do that.

So there’s several reasons for this post:

1. One to let you know I’m taking the #AveenoDailyChallenge

2. To ask you to hold me accountable for the challenge maybe even encouragement. Leave comments here, on facebook, twitter, wherever to see if I’m drinking my water.

3. To finally take some weight off my shoulders and share my personal experience and perhaps let someone else out there know that they’re not alone.

I’d love it if you could stop by my featured picture on AVEENO’s facebook page and throw me a like or comment to get me even more motivated:

Post by Aveeno.

As an AVEENO ambassador I received free product and compensation for this post.  
Regardless I only post about legitimate companies and trusted sites.

Fun Things to Do in Fort Myers Florida

It’s about that time, time to start planning summer vacations. Lots of places to consider depending on what you like to do, your budget, etc. Many people turn to Florida as a vacation spot whether for the beaches, amusment parks, or many of the other tourist attractions.

Fort Myers Florida is a great getaway, especially for those in the golf community. There are lots of fun things to do for a fantastic getaway.

1. Beautiful beaches – -of course, when I think of Florida the first thing I think of is beaches. Fort Meyers beach, Bowman’s beach, and a few others ensures there are plenty of fun things to do in Fort Myers Florida

2. Wildlife – Florida has many unique animals not native to other parts of the US. Manatee park allows you to see and even kayak among manatees, see many of the native birds in Sanibel Island, you can charter boats from a selection of tours for dolphin watching and more. There are plenty of options for indoors too like the Imaginarium Science Center where you can feed stingrays among many other activities.

3. Fishing – There is no lack of fishing options around Fort Myers. Try your hand a pier fishing of deep sea fishing charters

4. Family Fun – There’s no shortage of family friendly events and sites. Even free stuff like the Southern Extreme Water Ski show team that does free shows with acrobatics, stunts, and comedy.

5. Golfing – Fort Myers area has LOTS of options in the golf community from public golf clubs as well as country clubs with beautiful fairways. You’re sure to find a fit for your budget and preferences.

I’d love to know your recommendations when visiting Forty Myers, FL.

This post is brought to you by verandah.com and topfiveattractions.com

The Happy’s Interactive Toys

**This post is sponsored by The Happy's through MomSelect**

My kids seem to really like toys that are interactive. If they can get them to do things they think it’s pretty cool. If the toy can do several things, well, that’s even better. The Happy’s are interactive pets that interact with you and your kids. They’ll follow you, chase their tale, sit up, dance, and even play with special The Happy’s pet toys. Each The Happy’s pet comes with their own Happy treat bone. The Happy’s are available in puppies and kittens. There even a cool interactive ball you can get that any of The Happy’s pets will play with.

Check out The Happy’s tv commercial:

You can also find out more about The Happy’s on their website: http://www.the-happys.com

**Products and gift card received for post. Regardless I only post legitimate offers from trusted sites**

New Purex Fresh Pet Laundry Detergent

This post is sponsored by Purex

Many people consider their pets a part of their family. Some pets even have a wardrobe that probably is more fashionable than my own. You’ve seen it, I’ve seen it, we’ve all seen it. The dogs with the tutus, handerkerchieves for all occasions, halloween costumes, and the little hooded jackets. It’s cute. No doubt though, those little clothes can smell….well like a dog after a while. So how can you keep your pet’s wardrobe smelling clean? How about with new Purex Fresh Pet Laundry Detergent?

Purex Fresh Pet has odor control that lasts. So your little diva or rockstar pet can smell as good as they look. You could even wash your pet’s bedding with this stuff. Same Purex quality especially for your pet. So what do you think? Would you give it a try?

This post is sponsored by Purex.

Have a Taste for Sweets? Check Out This Cool Subscription Service

Sponsored post through Sverve for Taste For Sweets.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I love sweets, I mean, who doesn’t? I really love finding new and interesting treats. I have a coworker who travels a lot. They’re kind enough to bring back treats to share with our department sometimes. On their trip to China they brought back some interesting sweets I had never had before. Unfortunately they’re hard to get here in the states. I love how adventurous other countries are with their flavors and imagination. I don’t know about you but it makes me wonder what other wonderful treats I’m missing out on because I don’t have the opportunity to travel.

Taste For Sweets is a really cool box subscription service that brings these worldly treats right to your door for only $16 per month. There are lot of box subscription services out there, but I’ve not seen one quite like this.

Oh the possibilities! It’s hard for me to even imagine what sweet treats and confections might come to my door every month. If you know someone who would enjoy monthly treats from all over the world, you can also send a gift subscription. This would be a really nice idea for grand kids, military personnel, or a good friend you just don’t get to see as much as you like. Seriously, if anyone is looking for a gift idea for me, I’d soooo enjoy this!

Still on the fence about trying this? Just so you know, for every sweets box or snack item ordered, Taste For Sweets, donates to several non-profit organizations that work to bring safe drinking water to people around the world.

You can find Taste for Sweets on twitter: @TasteforSweets and on Facebook: facebook.com/tasteforsweets

compensation received for this post. Regardless I only post legitimate offers from trusted sites.