Cold and Flu Season - Triaminic

Let's face it, this weather is driving everyone insane and chances are either you just got over a cold, are going through one right now or may be affected soon.

As a mom there is nothing worse than seeing one of my kids sick, but nowadays there are so many options out there and one of the things I most count on with my own children, is Triaminic Thin strips. Look my kids hate being sick and absolutely hate any kind of medicine, no matter how much I tell them it's for their own good or to make them feel better, they're kids....and medicine immediately means yucky and bad tasting.

They never turn their noses up at Triaminic though. Score one for mommy.

Today I want to share with you a few tools to help you get through this Cold and Flu Season, information is power right?

If you're not sure about Triaminic, here is a little info for you:

When dispensing medication to children, remember to always read and follow medicine labels exactly, to ensure that the child receives the right dosage. Single-use products like Triaminic Thin Strips® provides a pre-measured dose of medicine that dissolves quickly on the tongue, so parents know their children are receiving the recommended amount for their age.

Now let me tell you about the Cold and Flu Tracker, it's this nifty little online tool that gives you a weekly feed of cold and flu trends by State. (the date is from SDI Fan, a source used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Cold and Flu Tracker

Just click on your State and it will show you, for example for me it shows as Phoenix being Moderate right now.....5 to 10% of the population affected.

Another great place for you to visit is the Sick Day Guidelines, which Triaminic and the National Association of School Nurses, partnered together to created.

Look it's frustrating for me when one of the kids is sick and you know that you're only allowed to keep them home a certain amount of days before the school starts contacting you, but you also know that if you send them in when they're sick, they'll be immediately sent back home.

It gets difficult at times trying to figure out whether they can go in or whether it's something the school nurse would rather have them stay at home for.

Sick Day Guidelines

Click on the picture above to download the tip sheet.....I actually have it up on my refrigerator.

You can print a coupon for $1.50 off your next Triaminic purchase, right here.

As with any other kind of medication, remember to read and follow the product labeling information for use.

I'm also giving away 3 packs of Triaminic, which comes with 4 boxes and each box contains 14 thin strips.

If you're interested, just leave me a comment and a way to contact you. I'll run this giveaway until Friday! Open to USA only!

This thing called Military life.......

One of the hardest things about being a military family is the constant moving, yes it's fun and it's a way to travel and see the world but it's also hard to make roots, to really make a place your own and to forge friendships that are meaningful.

Why you may ask?

Because just when you get to know someone and you forge that bond, either you or them or both get orders and you have to yet again, say goodbye.

We're extremely blessed to have the benefits and the job stability that come with being in the military and for the most part we've learned to live with the pros and cons....but for me there is a huge con that I will never get used to and I doubt I'll ever really accept it, even though it's a daily part of military life......... saying goodbye to friends.

If you're lucky you make friends for a lifetime, the type that no matter where you go or what you do, you stay in touch through phone calls, through emails, through blogs and facebook and whatever else you have at your disposal.

And then there's those times that no matter how much you want to stay in touch, life just throws you a curve ball and unfortunately you end up loosing touch.

It's happening yet again for us, one of my friends just left today, they're headed to England. Can you believe that? I mean...how much do I love England and want to go there? LOL

But we hugged and said our goodbyes yesterday and this morning when I pulled up to the school to drop off the kids, I missed her, I missed seeing her smiling face and her adorable boys -- and it hit me -- it's happening yet again, another good friend, someone I had so much in common with, gone!

It got me thinking again that this kind of life is not for everyone, it's tough, it's excruciatingly painful when your husband is deployed and heartbreaking when you're far from family which is 99% of the time.

I remember before we got married, I had no clue what being a military wife meant, what it entailed, what I was getting into and in retrospect I wish I had the tools and the information at the time to better equip me for this job, truth be told though, it's a learn as you go experience, you won't know how it feels and what happens until you've said goodbye to your husband, watched his uniformed back walking away from you as a you hold a baby on your hip, tears running down your face and make your way back to a cold empty house.

It's at those moments in time when the friends you make, step in, these are women and men who have gone through it, who ARE going through it and know exactly what you need to get you through this.

Making friends in the military is not always easy, even when you're stationed at a base for 2 or 3 years, it's a constant come and go, you're sure to get new neighbors a couple times a year, so when you do make friends, you make them fast and you make it last.

It may feel like I'm venting, I'm not, I'm just thinking out loud and reminding myself that it's not the first time I've had to say goodbye to a friend and it certainly won't be the last....after all....it's this thing called Military Life.

Winter Break is over.....

This morning was a little tough to get back into the routine and that was just two weeks off LOL

Little kids with sleepy eyes stumbled into the living room and groggily complained that they were not ready to start school again. Guess what? Mommy wasn't ready for it either, I was actually enjoying the sleeping in and lazy days.

But we did enjoy our two week break, we got to hang out with friends,

take walks

ride scooters every day

watch movies, stay up late, sleep in and one or two days we got to lay in our pj's ALL.DAY.LONG.

Now you may be laughing but it's not something we usually do, I'm just weird like that, it doesn't feel right staying in my pajamas all day long.....but I put those feelings aside and actually enjoyed it LOL

We also made a few trips to the library. It's time to get my TBR pile ready for this month and here are the first ones on the list:

The Matters at Mansfield: Or, The Crawford Affair (Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries) by Carrie Bebris

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

A Love to Last Forever by Tracie Peterson

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Blindspot by Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore

While the kids were at school today I was able to run out and get the last items on my grocery list from the commissary, then came home and whipped up a big batch of Breakfast Burritos to freeze.

I love these and if you've been reading my blog for a while then you know I make them quite often, they're great to have on hand not just for breakfast but for lunches and even a quick dinner.

Now I'm off to take a long hot bath, the weather has been so weird lately, cold in the mornings and then reaching the 80's in the afternoons, it's been completely messing up my sciatic. Boy do I feel old on days like these.

Long bath, a little Stargate SG1 on the tv and some reading before turning in for the night.

Happy Homemaker Monday

<a href="http://familycorner.blogspot.com" title="hhm by jasnicmommy, on Flickr"><img width="150" alt="hhm" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3362/3608789834_4d1bac04e0.jpg" height="150" /></a>

The weather in my neck of the woods:
It's 42 degrees right now and dark and cloudy and the perfect weather to jump back into bed, but unfortunately it's back to school this morning, so no more sleeping in.


One of my simple pleasures:
Taking walks after dinner


On my bedside table:
A lot of good books I picked up at the library, but none of which I can remember the names at this moment haha


On my TV:
Stargate SG1 Season 8
Julie and Julia
Love Happens


On the menu for tonight:
Meat Lover's Lasagna (recipe will be up on food blog later)


On my To Do List:
Laundry
Trip to the commissary for the last few items I need


New Recipe I tried last week:
Samburgers (recipe will be up this morning)

In the craft basket:
Granny Square blanket


Looking forward to:
The holidays being over and a New Year ahead, the possibilities are endless.


Homemaking Tip for this week:
It's that time of the year to get the big cleaning done, or at least that's when I like to really get in there and do a big clean around the house in preparation for the new year.

Here's a checklist that I plan on using, I try different ones each year and this one comes from Organized Home.

• Front Porch - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Entryway / Foyer - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Living Room - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Kitchen / Pantry - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Dining Room - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Family Room - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Master Bedroom - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Master Bathroom - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Guest Room - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Kids' Rooms - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Attic / Storage - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Garage / Storage - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Holiday Decor - Cleaning Grand Plan
• Finish-Up Week - Cleaning Grand Plan
• 2010 New Year's Cleaning Grand Plan Challenge
• Complete Text - Cleaning Grand Plan

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
I'll have to put down my own just because of the huge amount of money we saved on groceries and who knows...maybe someone else can do the same.


Favorite photo from last week:

Food Value Club - all of what you see, plus 3 other boxes full for $48



Lesson learned the past few days:
That you have to think outside the box, just because you've been doing something the same way for years, does not mean it's the best or right way. Don't be afraid to take that leap and try something new.


On my Prayer List:
Family and Friends


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
Mark 6:49-50

Grocery Shopping

Remember how I was saying that I want to cut down on our spending money?

Well I've started looking into ways of doing just that and the first big change we're making is on our grocery shopping. That's not to say that we'll go without, it just means that I've found a way to cut down on our food budget dramatically while still getting everything we need.

Far too many times we get stuck in our ways and don't realize that if we just look around or even ask those who have lived in the area longer, we may just find that there are cheaper places to shop.

That is exactly what happened with us.

A few of my friends had mentioned the Food Value Club, so last payday I decided to give it a try and see just how well it would work.

This is what the FVC say:

Open to the general public, the Food Value Club helps families and individuals stretch their grocery dollars. Food Boxes include a menu of purchased canned and boxed food and frozen meat items in a variety of packages. You will also receive a Bonus Box of donated items with each purchase!

Now I know I've said this many times before but I still come across people daily who think that military people get paid really well. We DON'T, unless you're an officer. Times are tough for everyone and prices are constantly on the rise, it makes it very hard to get by if you don't count every penny and watch every move you make.

But back to the Food Value Club, here are the packages available.

$13.00 Pantry Box - one *Bonus Box given with this purchase
Approximately 14-16 non-perishable pantry items i.e. canned soup, vegetables, fruit, pasta or rice, etc.

$16.00 Meat Pack - one *Bonus Box given with this purchase (pork free and vacuum sealed meats)
1 lb packed Beef Tips
1 lb 80/20 Ground Beef
6 - 4oz Individually packed Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 lb Chicken Fajita

$ 18.00 Entree Boxes - one *Bonus Box given with this purchase
7 individual 14 oz entrees rotated for a variety
All microwavable or oven heated.
One Bonus Box included.
Great for kids, teens, and elderly.

$20.00 Griller Box - one *Bonus Box given with this purchase (vacuum sealed meats)
4 - 4oz Individually Packed Sirloin Ball Tip Steaks
1 lb 80/20 Ground Beef
4 - 4oz Pork, Italian Sausage
4oz Individually packed Chicken Breast
4 - 5oz Individually packed Pork Chops

$30.00 Variety Box - two *Bonus Box given with this purchase (vacuum sealed meats)
1 Pantry Box (see above for contents)
1 lb packed Beef Tips
1 lb 80/20 Ground Beef
6 - 4oz Individually packed Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 lb Chicken Fajita

$35.00 Meat Lovers - two *Bonus Box given with this purchase (vacuum sealed meats)
1 lb packed Beef Tips
2 lb 80/20 Ground Beef
6 - 4oz Individually packed Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 lb Chicken Fajita
4 - 4oz Individually Packed Sirloin Ball Tip Steaks
4 - 4oz Pork, Italian Sausage
4 - 5oz Individually packed Pork Chops

*Bonus Boxes
Our Bonus boxes contain donated items such as produce, fruit, bread, pastries and other food/non-food items. Contents of the boxes varies daily and at each location based on current inventories.

As you can see they are very affordable.

I got the Meat Lovers and a Pantry box and I'm not kidding when I tell you that 6 big boxes later, I have most of my two week groceries done for $48.
There are a few things that I will have to get at the commissary, like the toiletries and cleaning supplies but that is IT, so I'm counting on spending another $20 which would bring my total to $68 for two weeks of groceries.

Compared to the usual $250, I would say that is a HUGE difference, wouldn't you?

Let me show you what we go, you'll be shocked at how much food you get.

That's only two of the boxes unpacked. We have an assortment of canned goods, pastries, tons of bread and salad and fruit.
2 Gallons of milk
4 Gallons of orange juice (gave two gallons to my friend)
6 dozen eggs (gave two dozen to my friend)

There are two meat boxes which include:

1 lb packed Beef Tips
2 lb 80/20 Ground Beef
6 - 4oz Individually packed Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 lb Chicken Fajita
4 - 4oz Individually Packed Sirloin Ball Tip Steaks
4 - 4oz Pork, Italian Sausage
4 - 5oz Individually packed Pork Chops



I've had to start freezing bread, I have so much of it.



As you can see, my refrigerator is full and I gave two boxes of food to my friend and in turn she will also pass them on to the church.



I have bananas coming out the wazoo, so this weekend I'm making a couple loaves of banana bread to freeze.

I'm not sure if there is a Food Value Club near you guys, but I would certainly look into it if you're wanting to cut your grocery budget down.

So every payday, my first stop is the FVC then I make my menus according to what we got.

Here's the menu for the next two weeks:


Saturday 2nd

• Sam Burgers
• Fries
• Salad

Sunday 3rd

• Split Pea Soup using the leftover Ham bone from Christmas

Monday 4th

• Meat Lover's Lasagna
• Salad

Tuesday 5th

• Chicken Fried Chops in the Slow Cooker
• Rice
• Veggies

Wednesday 6th

• Beef Kebabs
• Garlic potatoes

Thursday 7th

• Chicken a la King
• Mashed potatoes

Friday 8th

• Beef Stew

Saturday 9th

• Breakfast for dinner
• Bacon, Eggs, Pancakes

Sunday 10th

• Beef Curry

Monday 11th

• Bean Soup

Tuesday 12th

• Quick Hamburger Stroganoff
• Egg Noodles

Wednesday 13th

• Italian Sausage Hoagies
• Corn
• Salad

Thursday 14th

• Baked Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Are you trying to cut down on your Grocery budget too? I would love it if you could share some tips on how you're doing it.