Beauty, Health, & Wellness

Chemical Conjunctivitis

March 19, 2011 By Virginia 13 Comments

Mister suddenly started crying and saying his eyes were hurting. Because his has bilateral nasal lacrimal duct stings, we take all eye complaints seriously. Upon inspection, his eyes were red and watery… and had the distinct scent of my cologne.

Ugh.

“What happened?” I asked him, as I headed for the shower.

“Sissy sprayed me.”

Sister followed saying, “Thoddy. Thoddy.” (Sorry)

I stripped off his clothes and put him the shower, turning it on. Of course, he wouldn’t hold his eyes open (duh), so I got in with him. Trying to hold him, hold his eyes open, and keep her out of the shower proved to be a futile endeavor. So, we got out, got dressed and headed to the Urgent Care down the road.

Only to discover that the Urgent Care was closed.

Really?

What is the point of an Urgent Care, if not to be open when physicians offices are closed?

Back in the van went we, and then another few miles down the road to the Emergency Room.

Fortunately, our wait was minimal.

I explained to the E.R. Physician that I had tried to rinse his eyes, but was unable to hold them open long enough to be of any benefit. I also reported that we attempted to go to the Urgent Care, but it was closed. The doctor told me that the Urgent Care would have likely sent us to E.R. anyway, since Mister has the stints. So, I suppose it was not a wasted trip to E.R.

Mister had to have his eyes flushed. It took three of us to do it, and both nurses commented on how “strong” Mister’s eyelids are. LOL. Don’t I know it! He’s had them messed with enough, he can clench them tighter than a pitbull clenches it’s jaw around a treasured bone.

chemical conjunctivitis

Diagnosis- Bilateral chemical conjunctivitis (i.e. chemical burn right and left eyelids).

After his eyes were flushed, and while we waited for paperwork, Mister’s nurse was kind enough to give both kidlets a coloring book and colors.

coloring book

Both kids thoroughly enjoyed their treasures!

kids coloring

So, what SHOULD you do when your child gets a chemical in their eyes?

For all chemical eye injuries, it is important to irrigate the eye with a lot of fluid, ideally “eye wash” or sterile isotonic saline solution, however, if you don’t have that on hand, use cold tap water. The eyes should be rinsed for ten minutes or longer, which can be done by having them stand under the shower with their eyes open as wide as possible. If the chemical happens to be an alkali or hydrofluoric acid, emergency medical care is required.

The next best step, if possible, is to find out what type of chemical you have been exposed to. You can look on the product label or call the Poison Control Center at (800) 222-1222 to find out more about a specific chemical.

If a trip to the emergency room is necessary, take the chemical with you.

As I like to say, it is always better safe than sorry.

Looks like I will be stocking up on some sterile isotonic saline solution.

Having Eye Wash in your first aid kit could save a trip to Urgent Care… I mean E.R.

Filed Under: Beauty, Health, & Wellness Tagged With: chemical conjunctivitis, first aid, firstaid

EatSmart GoFit Body Fat Scale

March 16, 2011 By Virginia 13 Comments

As I mentioned in my last Getting Fit post, I thought our scale was a bit wonky at times. So, when I received an opportunity to review the new EatSmart™ Precision GoFit Digital Body Fat Scale , I was ecstatic. The scale came in a few days ago, and I have been checking out all of it’s features.

Features? you ask.

Yes, features.

But, it’s a scale.

Ahhh, but not just any scale!

The all new EatSmart™ Precision GoFit Digital Body Fat Scale not only measures weight, it also measures body fat, body water, body muscle and bone mass using EatSmart’s newest ITO BIA technology. BIA sends a safe, low level electrical current through the body which allows the Precision GoFit scale to analyze your body in real time.

So, when the new Body Fat scale came in, I had to compare it to the old wonky one… and they both had the same result. I guess the old one wasn’t as wonky as I thought, after all. BUT, the new one measures BODY FAT! YEAH!

This is my weigh in from this morning…

The display is super easy to read, with large numbers (it has a 3.5″ Blue LCD display with white backlight). The scale is thin and attractive in appearance. Because of the high quality tempered glass platform, the surface of the scale is reflective. Hence the creative border around the photo, since I weight first thing in the morning, after I pee, and in the buff.

The scale allows you to set up to eight profiles on it, which is also a neat feature. I set up my own profile, and Hubs set up one for himself. Mister and Sister were upset that they didn’t get their own profiles, but they weigh 34 and 26 pounds respectively. Um, they don’t need a profile.

The percent body fat and percent body muscle measurements are cool tools, as well, since I am in the process of getting fit. It will be SO much fun to watch the % body fat number drop, as the % body muscle goes up.

You can get your own GoFit Body Fat Scale on Amazon.

Learn more about EatSmart products at http://www.eatsmartproducts.com/

Follow them on Twitter at @EatSmartScales

Filed Under: Beauty, Health, & Wellness, Fitness Tagged With: eatsmart, gettingfit, scale

Getting fit- it is a start

January 17, 2011 By Virginia 15 Comments

We have been weighing the pros and cons of getting a gym membership versus getting home exercise equipment for several weeks now. While a gym membership does have the benefit of each of us being able to use various machines, we both pretty much agreed that a gym membership just isn’t feasible with our schedule right now. I prefer to exercise during the day. He prefers to exercise in the evening. We have two young children. Etc. Etc. Etc. So, we decided it would behoove us to go the route of home exercise equipment.

I prefer an elliptical because of the low impact. I have nerve damage in my lower back and, according to my pain management specialist, the less impact the better. Of course, we had an elliptical once before, but I didn’t like it. The stride was wonky and made you feel like a newborn foal trying to get your legs under you.

wonky legs
Photo credit: taliesin from morguefile.com

Consequently, it was only used a few times before we sold it. In my defense, I was pregnant for over half of the time that we owned it, so there.

So, when I said I wanted an elliptical, of course, Hubs was a little less than enthused…

less than enthused expression
Photo credit: click from morguefile.com

And had several questions, including…

Will she really use it?
How often will she use it?
What if she doesn’t use it?
What if she quits using it?

I certainly understood his hesitancy, and had to reassure him that I would use it, at least twice a week, and that if I quit using it, he could sell it.

So, last weekend we spent several hours trying out different elliptical equipment. And we found one that I like! So, this past weekend,
we purchased it and Hubs put it together. We purchased the Vision Fitness X30, because it felt smooth and the stride was just right.

Vision Fitness X30 Elliptical

Hubs finished putting it together last night, so today I kept my promise and used it, despite the fact that I am not feeling quite up to par.

Not the best 30 minute workout I have ever had, but it is a start!

Here’s hoping the scale will soon stop screaming HELP every time I step on it!

My fitness goal? To whittle my BMI into the healthy range. One step, or stride, at a time!

What are your fitness goals?

Filed Under: Beauty, Health, & Wellness Tagged With: Fitness

BrytonPick Review

October 11, 2010 By Virginia

Most people brush their teeth on a regular basis, but few realize that brushing alone isn’t sufficient enough to prevent plaque build up and gum disease. Most gum disease starts between the teeth where standard toothbrushes don’t reach.

Hubs has perfect teeth.

He brushes his teeth with an electric toothbrush, and has never had a cavity. But he is always getting food stuck in between his teeth, which we know increases the risk of gum disease. So, when I heard about the BrytonPick, I thought I would get it for him to review. It would certainly be more convenient to keep in his desk at work than a bunch of floss!

About the BrytonPick…

it is reusable (up to 30 days)

it is germ resistant

it is flexible and has thin stainless steel edges

it is as thin as dental floss

it is portable and has a convenient credit card size carry pouch

it is made in the USA

it can be used with braces

it can be cleaned with a napkin, tissue, or hot water

it is not recommended for children under 10

it is recyclable

Hubs said that he did like the BrytonPick, although he is still a fan of good old fashioned flossing. He said he could see how the BrytonPick would be convenient when traveling or out at restaurant where you wouldn’t want to pull out a wad of floss and wrap it around your fingers. He also said that he would keep using it.

BrytonPick

Of course, since I only have two natural teeth, and they are on opposite sides of my mouth, I did not try the BrytonPick, so I am going to take his word for it.

BrytonPick is comes in a 3 Pack ,10 Pack, and 20 Pack. It is available at many local drug stores, at http://www.brytonpick.com/, and Amazon.com.

Disclosure- The marketing team for BrytonPick provided complimentary samples to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed are my own husband’s and are based on my own his report of his experience with the BrytonPick. Your experience may differ.

cmp.ly/5/wyadsz

Filed Under: Beauty, Health, & Wellness, Reviews

Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner Review and Giveaway

August 24, 2010 By Virginia

***Please Note–This Giveaway Has ENDED. ***

Please see Winners page for winning entrant information.

When I was a waitress at a local pizzeria (1992-1997) one of my most dreaded job duties was cleaning the toilets. I HATE cleaning toilets. But I cannot STAND a dirty toilet. A true conundrum.

To this day, I dread cleaning toilets, although, I must say that our toilets at home have never gotten anywhere near as gross as the ones I had to clean as a waitress.

So, when I received the opportunity to review the new Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner, thanks to Family Review Network, I couldn’t have been happier!

The Scrubbing Bubbles^®Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner provides a 360-degree clean, three times a day (no flushing required) by automatically spraying a powerful cleaner inside the toilet bowl, tackling unsightly toilet rings, lime scale and hard watermarks. Simply clip onto the toilet rim, add a new cleaning solution refill approximately every 30 days and the Scrubbing Bubbles^® Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner does the dirty work for you.

When the cleaning system arrived in the mail, I asked my husband to help me put it together, because I expected it to be a complicated process.

He readily agreed, and together we went to assemble the system. Much to my surprise, and delight, the system was EASY to put together. So easy that I am certain that my technically inclined two year old could have done it. Speaking of two year olds, we decided to put the toilet bowl cleaner in our bathroom instead of the kids, because I think the flashing light on the device would have attracted more of their attention than I cared for.

The system is battery operated, but it came pre-loaded with batteries, so it was ready to go once we assembled it. We attached the system to the tank (although it could sit on the floor) and the clipped the sprayer to the rim.

That’s it. My work is done!

The system automatically sprays the cleaning solution every 8 hours for a continuous clean. I was glad to read that it is equipped with a motion sensor, so it will not spray unsuspecting bottoms. It attacks hard water stains and the hard to reach under-rim stains. It has a nice scent to it, and I love walking into our bathroom to a clean toilet that I didn’t have to scrub. I love this thing! It is recommended that the cleaning solution be refilled every 30 days. I will certainly be getting the refills! And, I am debating whether to get a second one for the kids bathroom. I think I may have to just suck it up and keep hand cleaning their toilet for a while, though, because I don’t think they would leave it alone.

Did I mention that the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Toilet Cleaner carries the Good Housekeeping Seal? As you know, only the best of the best are awarded that seal, so that meant a lot to me when I saw it!

The Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Toilet Cleaner system is available online only at Amazon.com and Drugstore.com. It retails for $34.99, but is currently just $26.61.

The refills are available in twin packs and retail for $12.99 (they are also currently on sale on Amazon.com.

The fine folks at Scrubbing Bubbles would like to give one lucky Lady V dZine reader their own Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner system.

Mandatory entry—tell me why you want to win this AWESOME product OR tell me another Scrubbing Bubbles product you love.

***Please note*** Mandatory entry must be completed before any bonus entries will be counted.

Bonus entries–

1 entry- Fan Scrubbing Bubbles on Facebook and comment back with your screen name. You are not required to post on their wall, but if you do, be sure to tell them I sent you.
1 entry- Follow Scrubbing Bubbles on Twitter
1 entry- Follow me on GFC—right side bar, comment with your user name.
1 entry- Subscribe to Lady V dZine by RSS or email and comment back with the e-mail you signed up with (one each)
1 entry- Follow Lady V dZine on Twitter- comment with your user name
1 entry- Tweet this contest using @ladyvdzine and @ScrubbingBubble- comment with your tweet status (up to 4x/day, at least 30 minutes apart)
1 entry- For each current giveaway that you enter- comment with name of giveaway
2 entries- For each non-giveaway post that you leave a RELEVANT comment on- comment back with post title or link to post
5 entries- Blog this contest linking to this post and ScrubbingBubbles.com leave 5 comments here with a link to your post

The fine print…

Contest open to the US. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST on 09/06/2010. Winner will be selected randomly. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond with mailing address. If no response is received from the winning entrant, a new winner will be selected. Prize will be forfeited and donated to charity if not claimed by primary or alternate winners.

This post was written for Family Review Network & Scrubbing Bubbles who provided the complimentary product for review (and giveaway) in exchange for my honest opinions.

Filed Under: Beauty, Health, & Wellness, For the Home, Reviews