At a recent fundraiser for our Avon Walk, we had more than one person ask us how she could walk, or how she could get involved with Avon as a volunteer for the walk. All we were able to do was to tell people the website address for the walk, so I’ve been brainstorming on ways to easily share that information if we’re asked at our next fundraiser. I think I’ve got it…

I’m contemplating ordering business cards from VistaPrint that will provide people with the URL for this blog. I think the end result would be more traffic (duh) and it’s always a way to engage people who are interested in learning more about our cause. Why VistaPrint? They did my business cards for my other blog last fall, and I was super pleased with my order and the price. They do business cards, checks, baby announcements, invitations, and even car magnets. Ooh, that’s another idea! A big pink car magnet for the side of my SUV with 3DayMom.com printed across it - that would definitely get us some attention! There are definitely a lot of well priced options at VistaPrint for shameless self promotion. Hey, it’s all for a good cause, right?

My daughter is going on a camping trip in May, so we’ve been shopping for a new sleeping bag for her. If we can find one we like, it’ll end up being a birthday gift for her. I’ve been looking around and I don’t just want to get her a cheap sleeping bag - I want it to be something that will hold up and keep you cool or warm in all kinds of weather. My reasoning is a little bit selfish - I know that I’ll be borrowing any sleeping bag I purchase for her when I go to New York for the walk next October!

I’ve not been real excited by the selection I’ve seen in local sporting goods stores, so of course, I turned to the internet to help me out. And there’s no point in shopping online without looking for a great coupon code to help you save money. Don’t blame me for getting distracted by the Blue Nile coupon I found for $100 off on a diamond order over $500. Would it be wrong to forward my husband Blue Nile coupons along with a recommended Christmas list?

Ok, back to the sleeping bag search!

During both of the breast cancer walks I’ve participated in, I’ve ended up with various injuries. In addition to the expected blisters and aches and pains, I experienced shin splints and the hyper extension of a ligament in my left knee. I was in such pain after the walk last year that I sent Jim to the store to buy me a brace for my knee, so that I could walk without constantly hyper extending the ligament again.

Given that any walk over a distance of 10 miles seems to bring on the pain, so to speak, I’ll need a better brace for the Avon walk in 2008. I found a site offering knee braces and ankle braces online and they look quite a bit better than the generic version I picked up at the drug store.

The site features brands like DonJoy and Aircast orthopedic braces and other sports medicine products. The most helpful part of that site is that in addition to selling products, they educate consumers on the right kind of product. For example, in the knee brace section, I’ve got a choice of compression and a variety of different braces for ligament issues. I selected one of the mild to moderate ligament support braces (the Donjoy economy hinged knee support). The product information page detailed the features of the brace, offered multiple pictures of the brace in use, information on how the brace could help me, and instructions on measuring your knee to ensure you purchase the correct size.

It’s a pleasure to find a site that not only offers a wide selection of products AND an education on how to correctly use those products!

I received a sample of Biotene toothpaste in the mail a few weeks ago, and with all of the traveling we’ve done recently, I only just got to try it! I buy whatever toothpaste is on sale. I’m not very picky, or brand loyal, so I was more than willing to try a sample of free toothpaste. Biotene protects against tooth sensitivity and can also treat dry mouth - not something I have an issue with, but I don’t recall seeing another toothpaste that can say the same thing. I do experience tooth sensitivity though, and it seems to be worsening, the older I get. Cold water, ice cream, ice - they all bother me now. Biotene fights bad breath, helps to fight cavities, and offers potassium nitrate to protect sensitive teeth.

I gave Biotene a try and was surprised by the flavor. It’s not minty like regular tooth paste, and in fact, it reminded me a bit of the fruit flavored toothpaste my kids have used. It’s not overly sweet though, and it was a nice change from my regular toothpaste experience. I’m sure I’d need to use this new sensitive toothpaste a lot more often to reap the real rewards, but I was happy with it, and if I can help me enjoy ice cream again, it’ll be a regular in my medicine cabinet!

Before the 3-Day walk this year, I went off to the drugstore for supplies to carry with me. I needed to get blister band-aids, plenty of Advil, and my very own tube of Freeze It. I knew from doing the walk in 2006 that my calves would be killing me by the end of the first day, and I also knew I didn’t enjoy using greasy pain relief creams. Sure enough, my calves were screaming at me with every step I took on that first day of walking - step after step after step will bring on that kind of pain quickly! When we were done walking for the day, and all showered, I grabbed my tube of Freeze It and rubbed it all over my calves. Freeze It Gel is amazing - I already mentioned that it’s not greasy at all, and it doesn’t have that old lady smell like the other pain relief gels have. I’m too young to smell like a nursing home!

By the end of the 3rd day, you can see I was a mess. My ligament was hyper extending, and my shin splits were marching to the beat of their own (very slow) drummer. I was rocking an awesome farmers tan, and had dunked my hat in cold water so many times it permanently shrunk. And I’m planning to walk AGAIN next year? Let me tell you, I see a lot more Freeze It in my future! You can use it for a muscle strain, or sore, over exerted muscles, arthritis pain, or for an aching back or neck. So…I can use it during the walk, when my calves revolt against me, and after the walk, when my back aches from camping for 2 days Just rubbing it on feels good - it tingles and it’s warm, and then cool…it’s instant relief!

What do I have to do to get Freeze It to sign up as a walk sponsor??

After 4 nights of walking around Las Vegas last week, I was beat. My blisters had blisters! Jim and I left Vegas and headed towards the Grand Canyon for a night there, and our hotel had a hot tub. We grabbed a few drinks and headed to the spa area for a little rest and relaxation. It was just what my aching muscles needed, and we slept SO good that night! We don’t have a hot tub at our own house, but there IS one next door at my mother’s home - we just need to take advantage of it more often! I always feel better and sleep better after a soak in it. One of the things my mom did with this hot tub was to buy a cover for it. It keeps bird droppings and bugs and leaves out of the hot tub, and allows you to keep the tub on all the time. It’s bliss not waiting for the hot tub to heat up, knowing you can just pop the cover off and go in anytime you want!

You can buy spa covers of superior quality at HotTubWorks.com - you want to be sure to get something that fits your hot tub or spa and something that will last a long time. Look for strong recessed handles and foam insulation. I prefer the covers with a skirt around the edge to keep the extra dirt out too. Tie down straps are helpful if your hot tub or spa is outside and faces the elements from time to time! HotTubWorks.com makes covers for almost any model of hot tub and they’ve got a great warranty on their product. For $299, you’ll get a cover guaranteed to fit your hot tub, and that includes delivery!

It’s hard to watch a friend go through a tough time, especially when you’re too far away to physically help. I really missed Sindy’s presence this year during the 3 day walk, but I know she’s got a lot going on in her life with her family and her new job. I’m really going to miss seeing her this week in Las Vegas too, and getting the chance to celebrate her birthday with her. I haven’t seen her in quite a few months and with all that’s been going on in our lives, I’m really missing the chance to hut her and just sit and talk for a while.

It’s funny how I feel about Sindy now, considering I really didn’t care for her the first few times I interacted with her online. We’re both strong women with strong personalities, and I think we initially clashed a bit and ran in different circles. Kind of funny how things turn out, isn’t it?

When you can’t be there for a friend, you can still show someone you’re thinking of them. Send an email, a card, a text message. Send flowers just to show someone you’re thinking of them! Sure, it’s nice to get flowers on your birthday, or another special occasion, but it’s even nicer just to get the for no reason at all. Who wouldn’t like to know that a friend is out there thinking of them?

With Flora2000, you can order flowers online for any occasion, and send them to 150 countries worldwide. It sure does make it easy to let your friends and family know that you’re thinking of them, no matter where they are!

I miss you Sindy!

On the 3rd day of our walk last year, my sister was hobbling down the street wondering if she could make it much further. A fellow walker handed over a pair of shoe insoles and Cheryl stopped at the next pit stop to put them on. Ahhh! I could see the look of relief on her face once she took a few steps. Those inserts made the difference for her! You don’t just need custom insoles when you’re walking 60 miles for charity either. Shoes today are often made (and purchased) for looks, instead of comfort. Feet are all different, yet when we buy shoes at the shoe store, we’re limited to one or two choices - size, and width. Our feet are so much more than a size and a width!

Take me for example - I’ve got an extremely high arch. When I was little, my parents had to poke extra holes in the straps of my dress shoes so that they could buckle over my high arch. Some people tend to over-pronate or over-supinate constantly, which can lead to foot pain and blisters. By taking a simple test on YourSole.com, you can find the right custom footbed for your foot, and alleviate foot and back pain. This Sole Slim Casual has the extra arch protection I need in my tighter fitting dress shoes!

There’s a new hair care line from France making a big splash here in America. Boost is a new line of hair products that promises to fix issues like slow growing, or thinning hair, without making the hair you have weighed down, heavy feeling, or oily. The products use herbal extracts instead of silicones to keep your hair feeling oil free and weight less. The line even includes products that can assist with Alopecia Areata, which is a rare condition in which patches of hair are lost from the head.

During trials of the product, 16 of 35 patients showed a significant improvement while using the Alopecia Areata hair care products.

When I was 14 or 15, I started getting really bad headaches. A few weeks after the headaches started, I noticed a clicking feeling in my jaw when I chewed gum. It got to be quite painful, so a trip to the dentist was in order…and he told me that I had TMJ. When your Temporomandibular joints of the jaw don’t work properly, it can cause painful chewing, headaches (even migraines), an aching jaw, and even ear aches! My Temporomandibular joint disorder was very mild though, so once I stopped chewing gum, and did a few gentle stretches for my jaw (recommended by my dentist) I stopped having any pain.

For some though, that’s not enough to solve the problem. TMJ can be treated with the Night Guard, a new mouth guard that will users from grinding their teeth at night. Bruxism is the term for grinding the teeth, and it can also cause TMJ. People who grind their teeth at night sometimes clench their jaw as well, and the use of a night guard will protect your teeth and keep you from experiencing TMJ due to what you’re doing when you sleep.