Month: September 2017

September 7, 2017

How to Live a Healthy Lifestyle While Keeping Your Sanity with Sundown Naturals®

Living a healthy lifestyle has always been important to me, much more so after having children! After I gave birth to my children I realized that I had to be healthier, not only for myself, but for them too. I had their future to think about. Where would they be without Mom or Dad? But what was a healthy lifestyle and how did I achieve that?

About a year and a half after having my second son, I began feeling tired all the time, my hair was thinning out, and I was just not myself—I knew that something was wrong. While I do deal with depression, I knew that this was above and beyond my normal range of symptoms and that it was important to see my family doctor. After a series of tests, we discovered that I was dealing with a malabsorption issue in my small intestines which was causing me to be deficient in several key vitamins, including Vitamin D, Iron, and B12.

This was a whole new learning curve for me; I had studied various courses during my university years on nutrition and the body, but I was not prepared on how to deal with my vitamin deficiencies and malabsorption. Working with a dietician, we came up with a few great ideas:

Nourish your body with nutrient rich, organic, and (if possible) local food (or even grow your own—gardening is a great stress reliever). We get many of the good things our body need from what we eat, so make every bite count. I know this can be easier said than done as parents. I can’t tell you how many times my meal has consisted of my kids leftovers!

Get enough exercise—plan it out! If it’s not in my agenda then I tend to ignore that it should be leg day, so having a commitment on a calendar is crucial for me.

Get the right amount of sleep. I know you are probably laughing right now—trust me, a part of me gets it—but getting enough sleep really is important. It will help your body recover and leave you feeling refreshed.

Many times, this is not enough.

Let’s face it—life gets in the way and we can eat improperly at times. We put the focus on our children instead of us and we definitely don’t get the required amount of sleep and nutrients. For myself (and many others), we have to supplement with vitamins and minerals in order for our body to absorb and get what it needs in order to work at top form. A daily regime of vitamins that includes multi-vitamin, iron, B12, Vitamin D, Calcium, and Biotin (I added this in when my hair started to fall out!) was worked out with my dietician, and my blood work is ordered and monitored twice a year to ensure my current schedule is working. Sticking to a healthy, nutrient rich diet is tough because, to be honest, it can be hard to meal plan for the week when you have so much on the go and need to supplement to ensure you’re getting enough.

But how do you choose the right type of vitamin when there are so many different brands?

When I purchase a vitamin, the brand has to meet these must haves:

Non-GMO
Gluten free
Free of artificial flavours, colours, and preservatives

Sundown Naturals® is built upon the philosophy to deliver 100% goodness, 100% of the time. They sell a range of vitamins to cover your health care needs—from heart health to immune health to energy support. The best part about Sundown Naturals® is that they are 100% GMO free, gluten and dairy free, and free from artificial flavours, colours, and preservatives. They are also the first broad line vitamin brand to be available at your local pharmacy that is 100% Non-GMO.

With my health conditions, I want and need to ensure that the vitamins I am taking in are high quality and the easiest to absorb for my body. I am confident that each time I take a Sundown Naturals® vitamin, I am taking in the very best to help fuel my body to perform at its best. I am getting all the good stuff without any of the bad stuff. Knowing that I am helping to fuel my body with high quality vitamins to keep it running at its best leaves me feeling confident and at my best.

What is the most important feature you look for when purchasing vitamins and minerals?

Make sure to follow Sundown Naturals® on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest information, news and more.

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Sundown Naturals®. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 6, 2017

Common Forgotten Back to School Preparation Items + Giveaway!

My boys had their first day of school yesterday. It was full of excitement and nerves – they were excited to see all of their friends again but nervous for the changes and the new expectations. We had a lot of must do items on our back to school list that we are still working on that extends well beyond shopping for school supplies, new clothes and shoes.

So, what are the most two important items that you should include on your back to school preparation list besides the obvious?

Book important medical and dental visits.

It is so important to book an appointment with your family doctor for a general check-up for your child. As they get older and are healthier, we tend to visit the doctor less frequently. Use back to school time as a chance to re-connect with your family doctor, make sure they are meeting developmental milestones as well as being up to date with vaccines. You should also book an appointment to have their eyes checked. This is a service that is covered by OHIP and if they are struggling seeing the boards in class, this could cause other health and behavioural problems.

One of the most overlooked visits is to the dentist. Good dental hygiene is so important for your child as they learn to develop good habits now for later on in life. Unfortunately, some children can develop a fear of the dentist early on which can stop them from visiting the dentist and could cause complications like cavities and plague build up. Ensuring you take them for their regular dental checkups will help to feel comfortable at the dentist’s office. Just like a visit to the doctor’s office, you want it to be fun and enjoyable for everyone involved. Choose a dentist and hygienist that your child feels comfortable with. Our boys have long and hilarious conversations with ours – from talks about soccer, school all the way to their friends and what they like to eat.

Help your child return to their school routine at least a week in advance.

Trust me, the earlier you start the routine, the better it will be for you in the long run. During the summer we tend to relax on our rules, spend more time outside and stay up later. This is harder to do once school starts up again and your child needs all of the sleep that they can get.

Start getting them into the habit of waking up at a set time, making their bed and brushing their teeth in the morning. The same goes for bedtime – set a realistic bed time that will be the same during the school year and follow your routine of bath, brushing your teeth and reading a good book.

Children can easily become bored with routines, so keep it fun! Allow them to choose their own toothbrushes – from beloved characters like Spiderman to My Little Pony, from Arm & Hammer™ Spinbrush™ and Orajel™ will make brushing more enjoyable!. I have always loved the battery-operated brushes, it helps to ensure that each tooth is properly cleaned even when your child is not in the mood to brush properly. While they are brushing, play music or dance – get silly! All kids love being silly, no matter what their age.

As we return back to school, the most important thing that you as a parent can do for your child is keep an open line of communication. This is a stressful time for everyone, when your child knows that they can confide in you about their emotions and fears they will be more confident.

Are you ready to help your child get back into the dental swing of things with a prize pack from Arm & Hammer™ and Orajel™?

My Canadian readers can enter now to win a Dental Prize pack including three Arm & Hammer™ Kids Spinbrush™ Battery Brush and Orajel™ Anticavity Fluoride Toothpaste . Enter via the rafflecopter form below – good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What is the most important back to school preparation item that you do in your house?

Disclosure: I received Arm & Hammer dental products. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 6, 2017

The Nomad’s Premonition

Eric Martin is desperate to forget his past, one that almost cost him his future.

About The Nomad’s Premonition

Working in Paris as deputy head of a bank’s internal security department, Eric notices a high-speed trader’s uncanny ability to predict extremely profitable trades. Even though there’s nothing illegal about the activity, he knows the trader’s success is more than just luck.

But, no one believes him. Armed only with a handful of data and a powerful instinct, Eric searches for the mysterious trader on his own. He suspects that a predictive algorithm has fallen into the wrong hands.

Eric sets off for Istanbul to find answers promised to him by an informant. He finds an unlikely ally in Interpol agent Stephanie Brule. With Interpol wanting him back in Paris and out of the way, Eric’s quest is also hampered by the sudden appearance of his ex-lover, a boss he’s not sure he can trust, and a terrorist who always seems one step ahead.

Will Eric put an end, once and for all, to the nightmare that began when he accepted a job that was too good to be true? Or will his need for revenge and justice lead him deeper into a treacherous world he has no way of escaping?

My Thoughts

I loved every moment of this suspenseful book! It was full of twists and turns that you never really see coming.

Eric is a man tormented by what happened to him several years ago (events that occurred in the first book) but are retold throughout this story. He wants to seek justice in any way that he can. When he uncovers a series of profitable trades that just seem to good to be true, he knows he is on to something. The only problem? No one believing him. At times you wonder if they don’t believe him because they don’t want him to uncover the problem and if they are working for the enemy but you are constantly left guessing as to who is really helping him and who is the enemy.

This sets him off on a course of action to solve the case and this route throws him into constant danger. Sometimes I am never quite sure how he makes it out alive! He puts everything into uncovering the truth, regardless if everything also includes his own life.

Nomad’s Premonition is a well written, fast paced novel full of suspense and action. I loved how vulnerable and open our main character is and how quickly you become attached to him. It is a definite must read novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Georges Benay is a former international banker who is now working as a Toronto-based writer and award-winning photographer. He is the author of two novels, including The Nomad’s Premonition and a collection of short stories. His award winning pictures have been featured in several magazines and book covers.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 6, 2017

Journey’s End Spotlight Tour

In Journey’s End, we write about death, dying, and end of life issues.

About Journey’s End

In Journey’s End, we write about death, dying, and end of life issues. We attempt to define and describe these real-life circumstances, and we discuss ways to proactively deal with them. Multiple personal and professional perspectives provide valuable insights.

What is dying like for dying persons, for loved ones, and for those who lend support in the process? Each experience will have unique qualities. Everyone dies in his own way, on his own schedule. While we explore the dying process, we make no assumptions about how any particular death will unfold.

Grief and bereavement support, training tools, and educational resources are included.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Amazon Canada and Indigo.

About the Authors

Victoria has a master of social work degree. She has worked as a case manager with older adults for the past seventeen years and as a group facilitator. Her past work experience was as a therapist with children and families, and as a case manager for adults with mental health issues. She just launched a consulting business, NorthernMSW to focus on end of life issues, planning, training, and advocacy, along with memoir writing and life legacy writing.

Julie was inspired equally by her professional backgrounds as a biomedical researcher and long time educator. Julie values open and lively discussions based on interview and research findings, trends in health and wellness, and exciting new modalities of treatment and professional education. She believes it will be through such discussions that we will create new and more satisfying cultural paradigms within which we may live all the days of our lives with dignity and quality of care.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This is a spotlight tour, I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 5, 2017

A Thousand Salt Kisses Forever Book Review

In A Thousand Salt Kisses Forever, Crystal finds herself increasingly torn between two worlds.

About A Thousand Salt Kisses Forever

Crystal White, formerly an ordinary human, is finally back together with her true love: the handsome, charming mer-prince Llyr. Granted supernatural abilities of her own that will allow her to live underwater, Crystal finally seems to have a shot at happiness with the man she’s waited for so long. Not, however, if obstacles both below and above the ocean have anything to say about it. Llyr’s undersea domain is becoming increasingly discontented by their relationship, and to make matters worse, ancient denizens of the Black Seas are capitalizing on this to wage a formidable war. Meanwhile, Crystal’s human friends begin to learn of her secret love for the mer-prince, sending shock waves across the land and sea. With social pressures surrounding her above and all-too-physical threats lurking in the waters below, Crystal finds herself increasingly torn between two worlds. Will she and Llyr together conquer the dangers in their way, or will Crystal once more have to say farewell to the watery depths?

My Thoughts

This is book three in this series that follows Crystal and her romance with Llyr, a merman. It is the most beautiful romance story and I am sure I am bit biased as I personally always wanted to be a mermaid (how could you not with their beautiful tails, flowing hair and ability to swim underwater in our beautiful ocean). In the first two books, our main characters had to fight hard for their relationship to be not only accepted but they also had to hold on to each other as others tried to get in between them.

I thought this would be the perfect ending for them, that they would finally deserve a happy ending. How much can one couple go through and still emerge loving each other even more? In this novel, they face both obstacles in the form of an ancient group of merfolk who have the power to control their lives and the human folk finding out about their relationship. This puts them in a very dangerous position. The merfolk can’t risk having their secret exposed nor have humans trying to invade their home. They are forced to have Crystal make a decision while on land she is facing the same decision. Some of her friends know the truth while others think of her as selfish and only thinking of herself. Either way, Crystal faces one of the most difficult choices of her life – leave her family and the home and comforts that she knows and enter the unknown with the love of her life. How do you even begin to choose?!

There is an amazing twist about 3/4 of the way through the novel, that you can just kind of see appearing throughout the novel but it is confirmed near the end. It adds a whole new element to this plot and makes Crystal’s decision that much more difficult to bear but easier to make. Can’t give away too much more or it will give away too much of the secrets!

A Thousand Salt Kisses Forever is a well written story with the perfect plot and ending for my favourite couple. I could not put this book down this long weekend! I had to know what was coming next for these two and if they could defy all odds against them. If you loved the other two novels in this series, you will fall in love with this one. I can not wait until a next book comes out in this series, I really am hoping Josie writes another one! I would love to see what awaits this beautiful couple.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Josie Demuth is an author based in London. First published on Wattpad, her Salt Kisses series has garnered nearly four million reads and are now serialised on Radish Fiction. The second of this series, A Thousand Salt Kisses Later is her fourth novel.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.