Tuesday, September 27, 2011

HouseParty.com

I joined a new website HouseParty.com. As a member I can fill out applications to host a House Party based off of there theme. After the party I let them know how it went and share this information with other members. Cool stuff for someone like me who loves to entertain. I have applied to host a Halloween House Party and a Sabra Taste Discovery House Party. I chose to apply for parties I was interested in, but members have all kinds of parties to choose to apply for. For example video game parties, household product parties, kids parties and TV, Music, Video parties.

I was invited to a House  Party on September 24th 2011 by my girlfriend Stefani. The party theme was B the Chef with Chef Boyardee and I was impressed. HouseParty.com sent her a party pack with goodies for the party like a chef hat, gifts for guests, recipes to choose from and other directions. The goal of this party was to try Chef Boyardee products in some new recipes using there products as a base. The food was better then I expected it to be and my children, surprisingly, enjoyed the food.

I think this whole House Party thing is a great idea and rcommend it highly to any moms out there who like to entertain. Check it out at www.houseparty.com and maybe some day you could share your HouseParty experience with me...

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Living with PKU

My husband, Ryan, was born with PKU (Phenylketonuria). PKU was initially discovered in 1933 because of a mother persistent in finding someone who could help her two mentally retarded children. One doctor even referred her to a phychiatrist to help her with her "delusion" because she described the penetrating and peculiar odor of her children's urine. A doctor in Norway, Dr. Asbjorn Folling, verified the presence of the urine odor, and it was identified as a chemical compound called phenylpyruvic acid, from which PKU gets it's name. Dr. Folling tested hundreds of mentally retarded children and adults and found that PKU was an inherited condition that only occurs when both parents are carriers of the disease. With years of research and studies the amino acid phenylalanine, found in normal food proteins, was the culprit and a phenylalanine-free mixture of amino acids was created to replace this normal food protein.

PKU gone untreated as an infant will lead to severe mental retardation and behavioral issues.

As a child Ryan was on a strict diet until he was about nine years old. Then the doctors believed that children would grow out of the disease and at that age his diet became much harder to control. A rapid decline in school was to follow with many behavioral issues, by his teenage years he was getting into trouble with the law. This decline took it's toll on his family, friends and most of all him. He dropped out of school in the 9th grade and hit the streets. His life became a daily struggle to survive. In the past year I have done great amounts of research on PKU and we have managed to control his diet much better, unfortunately there are still limits to what we can do without insurance he can't get the very needed formula of good proteins. We do our best but unfortunately we still have to deal with some issues of an improper diet.


Problems of untreated adults with PKU include (but are not limited to) those listed below:
Behavioral and Psychological Problems
  • hyperactivity
  • irritability
  • inability to sit
  • sleep disturbances
  • pacing
  • psychomotor agitation
  • temper tantrums
  • uncontrollable attacks of rage
  • short attention span
  • erratic or aggressive behavior
  • poor ability to follow directions
  • poor ability to learn new things
  • psychotic behavior
  • destructiveness
  • self-injury and self-mutilation
  • autistic-like behavior
Neurological Problems
  • mental retardation
  • seizures
  • tremors
  • muscular hypertonicity or hypotonicity
  • whole body repetitive movements
  • spastic paraplegia, quadriplegia or tetraplegia
Other Problems
  • eczema (can involve large areas of the body)
  • sensitivity to sunlight and very light skin (due to excess PHE inhibiting melanin formation)
  • body odor identified as "musty" or "pungent"


Needless to say every day is a journey for us and I know we are not the only family out there dealing with PKU. I wanted to share a bit in hopes that I may have viewers living with the same thing and I wanted to reach out and say you are not alone. I have good days and some not so good but living with PKU has taught me to be Patient, Kind and Understanding. 

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Tahoe Sands Resort

On Sunday September 11th, I was invited to attend a sales presentation at The Tahoe Sands Resort, at 10:00 am. I showed up 15 min. early and was welcomed by a friendly front desk clerk. We were invited to enjoy some coffee and to help ourselves to the free Sunday brunch they put on for owners/ guests.

The relaxed atmosphere was quite comfortable. About five min. after 10am we were greeted by a gentleman by the name of Chad ( sales rep). Chad only does one on one presentations so we had his full attention (plus in my book). The presentation began with Chad informing us that in no way whatsoever would there be any high pressure. They pride themselves on having thousands of happy families that have joined their program because they see something spectacular. No Pressure, We Promise.

We were informed of the time-share opportunities available and then given a tour of the facilities. First stop the pool (82* temp all year), spa and dry sauna. Then across the street to see the two bedroom cabins. Newly remodeled on the interior nice Pergo flooring, full kitchen with glassware, dishes and pots and pans, fridge, oven, stove, etc. Dinning area, living room, 1 1/2 baths, TV in every room (sleeps six). Next stop a studio, small kitchenette, bathroom and a Murphy bed that pulls out of the wall. Last stop was a one bedroom cabin settled right next to the lake with a great view.

Unfortunately for my family they don't have a unit large enough for eight or we would of signed up. Their finance man, North Shore Resort Realty, Inc., meet with us to discuss pricing and he carries all the financing himself. Buying in to the resort was defiantly reasonable. Your purchase includes 7 days a year in their resort with the ability to trade, rent or bank your week for future use.

The financials were so involved that I would recommend giving them a call if interested and set up a sales presentation. If my family was smaller I would of jumped at the opportunity. As a mom I enjoyed the relaxed environment, there were lots of families playing out on the large green grassy area in the middle of the resort and the beach has some of the softest sand ever. What a great family place!!

Tahoe Sands Resort
6610 North Lake Blvd.
Tahoe Vista, CA 96148

Thursday, September 8, 2011

The Lasik Vision Institute

I had a free consultation today at The Lasik Vision Institute. I'm happy to find out I qualify for surgery. I have been wearing glasses for over 25 years. The thought of being able to see without corrective lenses is very exciting. The Institute was very thorough in examining my eyes. The appointment took about two hours all in all. I wish they would have given me a heads up on dilating my eyes, before the appointment, but other then that the experience was quite pleasant. I'm going to be scheduling an appointment for surgery sometime after February 2012 ( need that tax return). I will share my surgery and recovery results as they happen. Hopefully by next summer I will be out on the boat with my family free of contacts and/or glasses...

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Make-up Recomendation

I recently tried Mineral Simplicity 100% All-Natural Mineral Cosmetics, I was surprisingly impressed. The product was easy to apply and I didn't feel like I had anything on. My skin tone evened out nicely and looked natural.
As I've said I work for SportClips cutting men's hair. Men are not known for noticing the little things, but they sure did notice my face with Mineral Simplicity. Several of my regular clients have made comments like "you look younger" and "why are you glowing today?". Well the only answer I have is this new make-up, Mineral Simplicity, and I LOVE IT.


Cooking club of America

Today I joined The Cooking Club of America. I love to cook and this club has all kinds of great cooking info. Recipies and recommendations from real people who have tried them out. There are oppertunities to test products for free and then provide vital reviews to other members. I will be sharing my experiences with you as they happen...

Check out their site www.cookingclub.com

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Mom's Fish Bowl

Just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. Being a mom is my first job, and a full one it is. I have six kids a step-son almost 14( 8th grader), a daughter 13( 8th grader), a son 10( 5th grader), a step-son 10( 5th grader), a son 7( 2nd grader) and a son 5( kindergarten). Yes it's true, 5 boys and a girl.


The first question most ask me is "How do you do it?"..... with Patience, Kindness and Understanding.

The second question "How can you afford it?" Well, I work part-time as a hair dresser for Sport Clips and I spend about 2-3 hours a day on my computer. My girlfriend (lucky me) owns MommyEnterprises.com a great stop for all kinds of info and free stuff. There are lots of opportunities to make money right from the comfort of your home to be found on the internet.

So, I have started this blog to be able to share with other mom's any and all wisdom I have aquired through the years. The good, the bad and most of all the future....