Mega Morning Sickness

Kate Middleton’s baby is due to arrive any day now. The royal newborn will make the Duchess and Prince William first-time parents. It’s hard to tell who is more excited about the impending birth—Kate and Wills or the paparazzi. Middleton is said to be counting down the days to motherhood by clothes shopping near her parents’ home. Her retail therapy is a far cry from her hospitalization for severe morning sickness earlier in her pregnancy. Duchess Kate admitted to suffering from an acute form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum.  The serious-sounding condition can level even the toughest moms-to-be.  Doctors … Continue reading

Avoid Swimming Pool Sickness

And I thought chasing after a wet, naked child in public was a problem… Imagine taking your kids to the city pool to cool off on the first day of summer vacation, then being forced to spend the next week nursing them back to health. A growing number of kids are getting sick from swimming in public pools.  The problem has become so widespread the Center for Disease Control recently issued a warning to parents about protecting their children from recreational water illnesses. Heath experts say even regularly maintained pools can contain contaminants like cryptosporidium.  If a person doesn’t shower … Continue reading

Picture-Perfect Mother’s Day

What are you asking for this Mother’s Day? A clean basement? Not if your husband’s idea of “cleaning” is tossing out all of your stuff. An expensive vacuum? Not if you have to use it more to justify the price. Breakfast in bed? Not if it means doing damage control in the kitchen until dinner. What about a peaceful day surrounded by the people whose existence affords you membership in the sweetest sorority on earth? This Mother’s Day consider cuddling up with your kiddos and enjoying a quiet moment with these picture-perfect holiday reads: The Berenstain Bears: We Love Our … Continue reading

When Being Sick Is Not An Option

What do you dread more?  Dealing with a sick kid or running a household while running a fever and to the toilet every few minutes? When my daughter was an infant she got violently ill.  In a moment of utter fatigue and desperation, I tried bargaining with her doctor.  I offered him all of my appendages in exchange for a cure for my child.  I wanted to alleviate her pain at any cost, even if it meant dismembering my own body. It’s a scenario most parents can relate to; we’d rather be the ones suffering than see our children in … Continue reading

Mallory’s Birthday was on 12/12/12

There has been a lot of talk about 12/12/12 and how it will only happen once in 100 years. Wouldn’t it be cool if your twelfth birthday fell on that date? Mallory Taylor got to celebrate her “golden birthday” on December 12, 2012. A “golden birthday” might also be called a “lucky birthday”. It is the birthday when you turn the age that matches that day’s number. For example, let’s say that your birthday is on the fifth day of a certain month. The year you turn five is your “golden birthday”. It has been said that this is a … Continue reading

Exercise Each Days Keeps Illness Away

In my blogs, I talk a lot about the long-term health benefits to a fit lifestyle. I emphasize how fitness is about more than just losing weight; it is about preventing serious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Well last week I read an article about immediate health benefits you can reap as a result of exercising. It was found that it could reduce the number of days you miss work because of respiratory illnesses, such as the common cold. Are you one of those people that always seem to catch a cold? Do you find that you … Continue reading

Insurance Blog Week in Review – June 24 – 30, 2012

Once a week, the Insurance Blog Week in Review brings you a fast way to “ketchup” on all the blogs that were posted here in the past seven days. There can be anywhere between twelve and fourteen blogs that appear. What did you miss? A Brief Comparison of Health Care Plans Obama’s plan includes coverage for adults and children who have a pre-existing condition. Romney’s plan includes coverage for people who have a pre-existing condition – but only if they have had continuous health insurance coverage. The Insurance Podcast Roundup went up on June 25, 2012. This week, I’d like … Continue reading

Father’s Day Reflections

I am so grateful for Father’s Day to celebrate both my own father and my husband. I have been so blessed to see good men in my life that set an example of how to be a good Dad, but also how to support a family no matter how hard it is. Father’s day didn’t turn out quite like we planned. I wanted to get up and make my hubby breakfast with the kids. But, instead, I was sick with a cold. I managed to occupy the kids with a craft for their Dad, though and give him a little … Continue reading

Some Days It’s Just Hard

I love being a mom. It truly is one of the greatest joys in my life. Watching my daughter grow into the person she will become and knowing I had something to do with that, makes my heart happy. That’s not to say it is the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I thought parenting was difficult when I was married but it’s much harder as a single mom. For me, the toughest thing is not having that sounding board to bounce ideas off and get advice from. We all want to do what’s best for our child but sometimes it’s … Continue reading

Dog Days of Summer: Pets on Vacation

Pet owners face a unique situation when making our summer travel plans: we have to worry about our pets. Do we only go places where we can take our pets, or do we try to find care for them while we’re away? Website Pet Relocation released its third annual Summer Pet Travel Survey. They found that 70% of the people questioned plan to travel with their pets. If you want to take your animals along with you on vacation this summer, there are a few things you have to consider. Make sure you can bring your animal with you where … Continue reading