Friday, April 1, 2011

Ultimate Blog Party 2011

Ultimate Blog Party 2011

We were asked to talk a little bit about ourselves during this event. Here is what I said:
I am the owner of 3 blogs--my personal blog, this one, and my giveaway listings blog!  Thus the name, A GAL NEEDS... at least 2 blogs!  I never would have guessed 3 years ago that I would even be a blogger at all.  So it is quite the surprise to me that I have 3 of them. 

I'm a Mom of a 22 year old son, who is in the thick of graduating from college and heading for grad school, pretty much on his own.  It's nice, though, that he lives in the same town as us and I can see him quite frequently!  He is an MMA competitor on the side and has been doing well in that arena.  I saw him fight one time and I think that will be the only time I go.  It's quite nerve-racking!

I also have a 14 year old son, still at home and finishing up his middle school career.  He is really big for a 14 year old.  He's at 6'0 right now, with huge bones and a huge frame.  I don't even know how to feed him sometimes.  Fortunately my husband is a great cook so he helps in that area!

I am a certified special ed teacher and work in a support role at a remedial high school in a self-contained classroom. Luckily, I have experience with boys because it's an all-boy classroom.  It's never boring and when I get home, I see my other boys.  That's a lot of testosterone and so sometimes I love to get away and ride my bike on the local river trail or take my border collie on walks!

My husband is the greatest and we enjoy our lives and while he enjoys his 'War Craft' and other recreational online games, I love to blog in my spare time.  My spare time seems to be less and less these days, but I still make time for reviews, giveaways and the occasional snapshot of life.  I enjoy featuring noteworthy news or in other words, news that I feel is of interest to me and other women.  


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Hope For Spina Bifada Babies!

  I am really amazed at what medical breakthroughs are actually coming through!  Who would have thought that babies with spina bifida, which can be determined before birth through tests, now have a chance to be operated on before they are born to correct this birth defect?  It is one of the most common birth defects in the United States, affecting about 1,500 babies each year.  About 10% of these babies die. Those who survive may have lifelong disabilities that include leg weakness or paralysis and loss of bowel and bladder control.  The most severe form of spina bifida is called myelomeningocele, in which the lower backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. 
   An eight-year trial has just been completed, actually having been ended early because the results were very overwhelming - Children's odds of a good outcome from spina bifida surgery are better if the operation is done before birth, a major clinical trial shows.
   For the trial, 80 mothers were chosen to receive the corrective operation before birth.  "They cut you from hip to hip, and you can imagine having a major surgery, cut twice and have a baby mov(ing) around and kick(ing).  I was in crazy amounts of pain for a long, long time."  But for one mom, it was a sweet sacrifice because at just one week old, an MRI showed her little son's brain malformation, which was a symptom of the spina bifida, completely reversed. 
   For many unborn babies, a diagnosis of spina bifida will result in death by abortion.  For those babies allowed to live, surgery is often performed soon after birth.  But unfortunately, the months spent in utero with the spina bifida untreated can result in leg paralysis, brain damage, or other problems. Hydrocephalus usually requires a shunt to drain the excess fluid and can even result in death.  
    When surgery is performed before birth, doctors have concluded that the operation decreased the need for shunts and reduced the incidence of brain herniation, but increased likelihood of premature delivery.  As these children grow, the doctors will be able to determine if the surgery prevented other effects of spina bifida, such as leg paralysis.
    
There is an elevated risk to the mothers, who elect to have this surgery.  It is a major surgery and any subsequent children she gives birth to would need to be done with C-Section.  But for most parents, this is wonderful news and gives hope to the children they so fondly hope to have and to nurture.   
 
Sources from articles here, here and here

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Gourmet Gift Basket Snack Classic Giveaway!

Congratulations to my random draw winner, #8,  leanne_mac! Thanks, everyone, for entering!
   I was ecstatic to be able to review Gourmet Gift Basket's best seller, the snack gift basket classic!  First of all, I have heard so many wonderful reports and read so many great reviews of the company!  Everyone from Oprah to The Today Show has raved about the quality of these baskets, which, by the way, are made by Gourmet Gift Baskets!  Yes, I mean the baskets, themselves!
   To put these snacks to the test, I took it to school with me and let my classroom of unruly, self-contained boys try them.   They were very happy to sample them and rate them!  The overall consensus was thumbs up!  Among my favorites were the :
 And the:
These were yummy!
   There were many more yummy selections, including key lime white chocolate chip cookies, a peanut roll, an organic coconut roll, and more!

   If you ever have a need to give someone something nice, showing that you care and easy to expedite, give them a gift basket like this snack basket from Gourmet Gift Baskets!
   Gourmet Gift Baskets would like to give one lucky reader a Snack Classic Basket to try for themselves!  Here's what you can do to enter:

Main Entry - Become a GFC Follower of A GAL NEEDS...(on right side bar) AND visit Gourmet Gift Baskets and tell me a basket you'd love to try!  That's it!  If you would like additional entries, please check out the following extra entries!  Leave as many comments as indicated on the left of each entry!  Thanks!

+2 Subscribe to my e-mails! (right side bar)
+3 Blog, Stumble or Facebook this! (leave me the link)
+3 Follow my giveaway listings blog on GFC 
+1 Tweet this giveaway daily for one entry per day! You can tweet this:  
"#Win a Gourmet Gift Basket snack classic @Melahelen and @gmtgiftbaskets - this is their best-selling basket! http://bit.ly/eLS7ZD  4/8"

 +2  Comment on my review for Gourmet Gift Baskets!
+1  Follow me on Twitter! 
+1  Like Gourmet Gift Baskets on Facebook and leave them a nice  comment!  (Leave your Facebook first name and last initial for me)


This giveaway will close on April 8th and the winner will be chosen by random.org and notified through e-mail!  Please respond within 48 hours!  I was provided the product above in exchange for a review and giveaway!  All opinions are authentic and represented by myself only. Thanks so much to Gourmet Gift Basket for letting me share this review and giveaway with my readers.



Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Fun At The Job With Gourmet Gift Baskets! {Review}

 I had so much fun at work today!  Gourmet Gift Baskets sent me their Snack Classic Gift Basket to Review!  I decided to share the wealth and get the opinions of those I work with.  The thing is, I work in a self-contained classroom at a high school with 7 at-risk boys and their teacher, a man.  Believe me, they will tell me straight up what is what if I ask them, and they won't try to smooth it over or make it look pretty if it isn't.  We have a class called 'Social Skills', which I am in charge of.  I figure that sending gift baskets to people is a good Social Skill and one that is very much appreciated in a variety of situations.  First of all, I asked them when might be a good time to give someone a gift basket.  I got some great answers.  One said, "When your Grandma has a birthday, you could send her a gift basket."  Some other answers were anniversaries, weddings, congratulating someone and funerals.  I next had them sample each one of the snacks in the basket and rate them.  I had a very favorable rating with all of them.  I had most of the snacks receive Excellent, Good, or OK ratings.  But one thing didn't rate well at all.  That item was the Dipping Pretzels with Dip.  The dip was  a sweet (raspberry) and sour (honey mustard) dip that I think was a bit too sophisticated for their palates--but I really liked it! My absolute favorite snacks were the Almond Pecan Crunch and the Buttered Pecan Crunch!  They are -or were- sublime for snacking (they're all gone now)!
   Other baskets that have definitely caught my eye are the Something Naughty and Something Nice Gift Basket, full of nuts and fruits along with delectable chocolate bon bons.
  I have been wanting the Sweet Decadence Chocolate Premium Gift Basket for awhile now.  It's a true chocolate lover's delight, I'm sure!
When you want to give something special to someone for any occasion, I definitely recommend Gourmet Gift Baskets.  They will be appreciated each and every time, I promise! 

Sunday, March 6, 2011

My Dabble Into Long Boarding!

 
 

My son, Joseph, invited me to go on an outing with him on the local river trail.  It was about 50 degrees outside, which to us was tropical weather after the cold winter we've had.  So he got on his trusty longboard and I on my bike and off we went.  He says he would be considered average on a longboard, certainly not a "skater" type.  But I think he's really good! 

   I enjoyed watching him glide along the fairly smooth trail, his hands casually shoved into his jean pockets and when there was an occasional bump, he would jump slightly with the board to get over, with as little impact on the board as possible.  We went for about a mile and a half, with me just kind of coasting on the bike and not working up much of a sweat.  In contrast, as we were coming back, I noticed that Joseph was definitely working up a sweat.  I realized that pushing off and gaining momentum on a long board can be quite the anaerobic exercise!  
   Somehow I found myself on the long board and Joseph on the bike.  He was a great instructor,  telling me how to push off and how to line up my feet.  I found out that indeed, it takes a lot of work to push off and obtain a workable speed.  Having some sense of balance is certainly key.  I longed to be as good as my son and be able to glide gracefully along, looking so nonchalant, as if it were effortless.  Unfortunately, my movements were rather choppy and spastic, more akin to an old-time silent picture movie, where all the actors look robotic.  I would obtain a glide for all of  2 feet and find that I needed to once again push for momentum.  I hadn't been doing it for even 10 minutes, and I was sweating like a pig.  And darn those bumps where roots from the trees along the path extend out under the trail and break up the asphalt.  Somehow you need to clear those!  Joseph did so effortlessly, and when he told me to just go over them instead of getting off the board and walk across, I obediently attempted to do just that.  Unfortunately, I was not as successful as Joseph.  My board seemed to catch on the jagged lip of the bump and just stalled out.  I, on the other hand, lurched awkwardly forward, landing in an incredibly awkward and painful position, my left leg twisted under me going one direction and my right leg going in the opposite direction.  Crap!  Not my bad knee, the one I have been babying along for 2 or 3 years now, after a previous, equally awkward fall on the ski slopes.  It has never healed back to its original, healthy state.  Now, here I was, with a re-injury and in my mind, probably more serious.  I lay there on the pavement yelping and crying in misery and Joseph standing there in dismay and concern.  I had the luxury of laying there to collect myself without any passers by.  I would have gotten up quickly just because of embarrassment if anyone had come by!  After a few minutes I got up and dusted myself off, hopped on the bike and off we went. 
    We stopped on the way home to say hello to some horses and when I got off the bike, my leg wouldn't support me and kept buckling under my weight.  Not a good sign!  
    It is the day after the event and I haven't been out of my pj's all day.  I didn't walk the dog and I lounged around in bed reading, after I was served breakfast in bed, which was definitely a perk of the whole unfortunate episode.  Thankfully, I have one more day to recover before the work week begins.  Hopefully nothing got torn and I will be back to full throttle soon!
   But what this is telling me is that my days of reckless abandonment with trying new things may be almost over.  I want to keep the mobility I have and not wreck the great quality of life I enjoy.  I have to think of the consequences more than the immediate gratification I might have when trying fun and exciting physical challenges.  It's rather sad to come to that point and a far cry from when I got on the ski slope for the first time.  (Wow, another story for another time!)  I'm glad that it was with Joseph when the realization arrived.  But never say never!  Even now, I feel the need to prove myself.  I like the board I found above!  Ironically, they are called 'Old Lady Skate Boards'.  I can tell you one thing, I'd rather be the old lady riding the board than the old lady ruining other people's fun, like this lady!    Stay safe!  Live life to the fullest but be wise!


K coop and Judi Oyama Hawaii Photo Dano 

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

A New Way To Monitor Tailgaters

  Driving is something that almost everyone does.  But what makes somebody a good driver vs. a bad driver?  I've noticed that anyone going slower than me is an idiot and anyone going faster than me is a maniac! 
  One of the most annoying things is when someone is tailgating you.  Nothing can incite road rage like someone who is following too closely.  For one thing, someone driving too closely on your tail is telling you that you're driving too slowly.  I can somewhat understand that when you're on the freeway in the fast lane and someone is not driving faster than the other lanes of traffic.  They need to MOVE OVER!
  One time I was actually driving along in the fast lane and came upon a car that I swear to you, was driving 45 miles an hour.  I couldn't believe it.  I, apparently, was following this car too closely for its comfort.  All of a sudden, the brake lights came on and it slowed down even more.  Whereas before it was slightly dangerous, now it became high risk.  This car slowed down to 35 miles an hour!  I got the heck around this idiot and avoided potential danger. But there are all kinds of speeds on the freeway, each person thinking that theirs is the ideal. Tailgating is not a great way to enforce speed, however.  
  And what about in town? So many crashes could be avoided by just following your state's following laws.  Most states say that at speeds over 35 mph, you need to have 2 second following space.  I think one of the only things I remember from my Driver Ed days, fifty billion years ago, is the directive to say "one--one thousand, two--one thousand," to yourself for judging the two second following distance. It's actually a very helpful rule because if I were to actually rear-end someone, I would be given a ticket, without question, as the one who was at fault.  
  Well, now there is a new instrument in the law enforcement arsenal to help police officers enforce that law even more.  It's called the 'TruCam' and it targets tailgaters before the accident happens.  Ohio already has it on the law books and my state of Utah will soon follow suit.  'TruCam' is a radar gun that measures actual distance between cars and then videotapes the actual cars involved.  Police say that it really isn't to give more tickets, but to educate and show people how badly they really are driving.  (Great, just what I needed!)  "We're hoping this will help us be proactive and actually educate the public and stop the accidents from happening rather than just responding to them after they happen."  Alrighty then, maybe I'll have a little less irritation from those pesky tailgaters.  Good idea?  What is the most irritating thing for you when driving?  Will these Trucams be a big help? 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Was This 3rd Grade Teacher Going Overboard?

Last month was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  In an attempt to illustrate what it was like for the slaves to ride in a ship, below deck, without moving for days or even months, a teacher made her 3rd graders lay down on a rug and not move for 45 minutes.  Now, for me, I'd love it.  I'd pass out and not wake up for awhile and totally come out of the teaching experience thinking that while it must have totally sucked to have had to travel worse than steerage class, and against my will at that, I definitely needed the rest.  But for a classroom full of 3rd graders, that might be a little bit of a  hard lesson.  A real concept of time and a sense of empathy for others based on their own experiences are things that we don't really expect them to fully grasp at this time in their short lives
   I think that possibly a 15 minutes stretch would have been ample time to show them how hard it must have been to lay like that on a ship coming to America. 
  Evidently, though, a parent feels so strongly that this was a misuse of a teacher's authority that she has filed a complaint with the Canyons School District's office of civil rights.  The mother, a legal emigrant from an Eastern European country several years ago said this kind of teaching tactic hits too close to home.  She grew up in a school system ruled by the old Soviet Union, which "introduced a destructive educational system: teachers enjoying corporal punishments, verbal abuse and humiliation, voiceless students and helpless parents."   
    I believe that the above is a true statement, based on my acquaintance with my friend, Viktoriya, who grew up in the Ukraine and told me tales of the teachers there, who were very cruel and humiliating to students.  
   I do not believe, however, that this teacher was acting irresponsibly or cruelly.  Perhaps, uninformed and overly dramatic would be better descriptions.  I don't believe there is any looming danger of our school systems becoming encumbered with teachers who are empowered with weapons of corporal discipline and lack of guidelines.  Not a chance. I think this teacher was a young and zealous teacher, with strong beliefs about this historical event in America.  I say no harm, no foul! 

Friday, February 11, 2011

My Milestone!

 It has been a year since I opened up the first giveaway on my blog--It was just because I thought it would be so fun to give things away to readers who came across here!  So I decided to do something for Valentine's Day!  It was a gift set of great Cinnamon Lotion and Massage Oil.  Of course it was provided by moi, yours truly, me, myself and I!  But I had a great time and was really excited that I had 76 entrants!  The year went by and I just realized that I have had 36 winners since then!  I'm so excited about that.  Any little thing that I can do to spread the love about products that I think are incredible and provide some free ones is all my pleasure! 
  Thank you so much to the incredible sponsors I have had the chance to work with.  Sponsors like, Pink Bench, Tropical Traditions, CSN, Breeze Comfort, Misikko, NGlassworks, Grateful Body and many others.  
  Of course, I'd like this coming year to be just as great as last year. So please keep stopping by and checking out my giveaways and reviews. I fully intend to keep them coming!
  Of course I love to enter your giveaways as well.  If you want to see the giveaways that I list and enter, please go to my site called, A Gal Needs At Least 2 Blogs!  Please feel free to follow along! I only list the giveaways that I absolutely love!  You might agree!  

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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Alpine Weight Loss Secrets {Giveaway!}

Congratulations to #2!  You will be e-mailed and have 48 hours to respond to claim this prize!  Thanks so much to Stefan Aschan for the opportunity to host this great giveaway! 

 I've never been one to diet because it really messes with my phyche.  I was actually a bulimic adolescent for a short period of time and was also anorexic before that.  The pressures of society were so great that I succumbed to the need and desire to be ultra thin. Now, I absolutely adore food and if I am blessed with an occasion to enjoy a tasty morsel, such as the incredible tacos made with corn tortillas, homemade guacamole, chicken and salsa that DH made, I'm not going to pass up on it.  But fortunately for me, tasty also means healthy.  I don't like junk food with empty calories and artificial ingredients too much because I feel gross afterwards.  

When I got the opportunity to read Alpine Weight Loss Secrets, I was really impressed. I can put so many of the ideas found in this book into my life without actually feeling like I am dieting.  The great thing is that I will still lose weight if I follow any number of the tips found in Alpine Weight Loss Secrets!
The chapters in the book are:
  • Change your mind, change your body (flex your mental muscle)
  • “Lighten” your metabolism
  • Alpine Eating: Choose Tomatoes Not Potatoes
  • Improve Your Fat-titude
  • Instant Anti-Ager: Your Posture
  • The At-Home Alpine Aerobic Solution
  • Train Yourself “Jung” (young)
  • A Flat Belly – “Schnell” (fast)!
  • The Joy of Living: Think and Grow Thin
  • “Hudry Wusch”: Eat Yourself Thin
  • “Holodrio!” Stay, Feel, and Look Young for a Lifetime
 I feel like this book is great for any age or stage in life because it is a philosophy that works with you and your lifestyle.  The recipes are totally healthy, easy and tasty.  The only thing is that some of us may not have access all of the time to organic meats and vegetables, like Stephan recommends.  Of course organic is better, just not always accessible.  I say, do the best that you can at where you are, it will still be great.   
My take:  This isn't just another diet book.  It is a fresh and very motivating approach to food and exercise that makes losing weight fun and not drudgery! My suggestion would be to work on one chapter at a time until it is part of your lifestyle and you don't have to think about it anymore.  A simple change that I have made is that I have lemon water in the morning.  It is really simple, but it makes a world of difference because it speeds up the digestive system and metabolic processes!
Stephen would like to give one of my readers a free copy of this book and here is all you need to do to qualify!

Tell me how your weight loss experience has been in the past and a weight loss tip that has worked for you!

Additional entries:

Like Stephan Aschan on Facebook! (1 entry, leave 1 comment)
Follow Stephan Aschan on Twitter! (1 entry, leave 1 comment)
Sign up for Stephan Aschan's daily weight loss tips! (1 entry, leave 1 comment)
Follow me on Twitter! (2 entries, 2 comments)
Tweet this Giveaway, leaving the tweet status! (Once daily and one comment daily)

"Ready to get in shape, look and feel younger? #Win a copy of Alpine Weight Loss Secrets here: http://t.co/hDbxwca #fitness #diet #health 2/25/11"

Follow along on Google Friend Connect! (2 entries, 2 comments)
Subscribe to my e-mails! (3 entries, 3 comments)


Giveaway closes on Friday, February 25th at 11:59 MST.  Winner will be chosen by a random number generator and winner will be notified by e-mail.  I was provided a digital copy of the book to base this review on.  The winner will receive a hard copy of the book, Alpine Weight Loss Secrets, from Stephan Aschan.  Thanks to everyone who participated!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Attention Utah!

Are you looking for something creative and fun to do Friday night? I  work with an amazing gal, Cassi Palmer, who is spearheading a super benefit music and comedy concert featuring Jason Hewlett and some great local musicians!  Her cousin, Dan Sloan, discovered he had a huge brain tumor during an eye exam.
 He has had it partially removed but doctors couldn't get it all because it was too close to vital brain tissues. The remaining portion was rated a stage 3 tumor, 1 being the least serious and 4 being the most dangerous.  He is seasonally employed and has minimal insurance.  This is a great way to help a wonderful person while enjoying a great night out.  Please join us!  There will be a bake sale and silent auction at 6 pm, before the concert, which starts at 7 pm.
 It will be held at The Waterford School, 1480 E. 9400 S. Sandy, UT  84093
To buy tickets online or find out more, visit dansloanconcert.com. Tickets are $15 for one person or $35 for a pack of four. Tickets can also be purchased at the door on the evening of the 4th.
And for those who wish to donate in lieu of or in addition to attending the concert, there is a paypal account set up for taking donations electronically (there is a charitable account set up at America First Credit Union in Dan’s behalf). It’s difficult to express how much your generosity is appreciated.
 Thanks so much!
Hugs,

Helena