Lovin' a Stylish Dad Sweepstakes

My teenager, Kyle, is very creative. He's a phenomenal artist, and has a very good eye for design. Seriously, this kid has a bright future ahead of him in the arts. Should be choose to take that path, of course. It's up to him and where his passions and dreams lay. Anyway, Kyle absolutely loves art. He's very visual, and definitely appreciates beautiful things. 

So when I learned about the amazing, museum quality artwork from Alphabet Photography, I knew it would make the perfect gift for Kyle. This unique form of alphabet art is the process of photographing everyday objects that resemble letters of the alphabet, then arranging the photographs in a collage to create any name or word. Alphabet Photography Inc. is the original and leading company in the letter art industry, and boasts the largest collection of photographs collected from around the world. Each official Alphabet® Photography art piece is hand crafted, high quality, and truly original!

In my family, we are all about inclusion. I teach my children that no matter what someone looks like on the outside, we are all the same and everyone is deserving of respect and love. The same goes for people with different abilities. The way I see it, tolerance and love start at home, and by teaching my children to give everyone a chance, they might just end up finding a best friend where they'd least expect it. 

When I learned about the "Once Upon a Sign" series, I was definitely excited. These children's DVD's include fun fairy tale stories such as "The New Goldilocks and the Three Bears", "The New Little Red Riding Hood", and "The Magic Mirror". What makes them special? Well, they are made specifically for kids who are deaf, and are told in American Sign Language. Of course ANYONE can enjoy them. 

Woo-Hoo! Summer is finally here! Well, sort of. It's not "officially" summer yet, but it's getting pretty darn close! I love this time of year. The weather is nice, there are loads of events starting to take place here in my little town. Summer really is the best time of year, and we like to celebrate it any way we can.

One way I like to celebrate the arrival of summer is by adding some fun color to my look. Unfortunately, I can't just go out and buy an entire new wardrobe. So rather than buying loads of new clothing and shoes, I get a few staple pieces and then add pops of color using accessories and nail polish. These little things make a huge difference, and let's be real....Nail polish is fun! 

In my home, we have 2 favorite things: Disney and our pets. We are definitely a Disney family, and we love spending time together as a family, enjoying their animated features and live-action movies alike. And of course, we are major animal lovers. We have cats and dogs, and have been blessed enough to raise our kids with an appreciation of all living things, great and small. 

So when we learned about the new DVD from Disney, "Minnie's Pet Salon", we knew it would be an immediate hit. Come on, Minnie Mouse, her pals, and fluffy, adorable pets? What's not to love?

Now that summer is upon us and the school year is coming to an end, I have been looking for nutritious and delicious lunch options for my family. Sure, popping some chicken nuggets or a hot dog in the microwave is quick and easy, but that's just not something I am willing to do everyday. The kiddos love them, but I cringe when I think about all of the preservatives and additives they contain. 

One fail-proof lunch all of my kids enjoy is a nice sandwich. Come on, who doesn't drool over the thought of a good sandwich? They're easy to make, convenient, and even portable. What's not to like, right? 

Well, there are good sandwiches, and then there are not so good sandwiches. It's all about the ingredients. You can easily grab a sub roll and pile on tons of salami, mayo, cheese, and other fattening, high-calorie fixings, or you can start with some delicious Brownberry®  Healthfull® Bread and load it with fresh veggies, lean meats, and other seasonal, fresh favorites. 

“Mom just got a hip replacement. She has to be out of the hospital, but she’s 
too sick to go home. What should we do?”

“Dad has dementia, and his health has declined to the point that it’s unsafe for 
him to be at home. Help!”

“I need somewhere to recover from heart surgery. I don’t want to be a burden to my kids and wish there were somewhere I could go with advanced medical care. Do I have any options?”

Sometimes you need medical care that can’t be taken care of at home … or in
a hospital. We all know that home health companies can come in and take 
care of the basics. But if you need more advanced medical care, help is 
available in what is called a “post-acute” care center, also known as a “nursing 
home.”

Nursing homes have gotten a bad rap over the years. But what most people 
don’t know is that there are really good ones out there—rehabilitative centers 
that look and feel more like hotels than hospitals and give you more 
personalized therapy and attention than if you were in a hospital.

“Where can I find this heaven on earth?” You may ask. Welcome 
BestNursingHomes.com. This is an online site, provided free to the public by 
the Association of Skilled Nursing Providers, that lists five-star nursing homes 
and rehabilitation centers rated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services.

What’s different about this site than others?

1. BestNursingHomes.com lists ONLY the best sites. Anything on the list has 
been preapproved by Medicare as one of the top in the country.

2. There’s no annoying sales center. Best Nursing Homes is run by a nonprofit 
organization whose public mission is to make people aware of the good 
places to go. It’s a free list.

3. You don’t have to enter any personal information. No one is going to 
contact you when you search the site.

4. You can contact the nursing homes directly. If you see an option that you 
like, simply call the facility or send an email using the contact form.

5. You can see what the center looks like. For the facilities that have chosen 
upgraded listings, you can take a virtual tour of the building with slideshow 
photos and videos.

6. You can review what others’ experiences were like. Best Nursing Homes 
uses proprietary software to get real reviews from real residents and family 
members. And they’re authentic—there’s no gaming from competitors or 
advertisers.

Best Nursing Homes has been made possible by the generous donation of 
North American Health Care and its CEO, John Sorensen. John has made it 
his life's work to serve the elderly population and has sponsored the 
development of BNH and donated it to the ASNP for use. “We are very 
grateful for the leadership of John Sorensen in the post-acute care industry,” 
said Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Association for 
Skilled Nursing Providers. “John is a leader in his field, a generous 
philanthropist, and a great example of someone who places serving the 
patient above anything else. We are proud to be associated with John and 
North American Health Care and grateful for his support to promote best practices in skilled nursing.”

For more information about Best Nursing Homes or the Association of Skilled 
Nursing Providers, please contact Dr. Cook at amyc@bestnursinghomes.com or 949-813-0182.

I have a confession to make.....While I am always great about making sure my kids eat a healthy, balanced diet, I often forget to eat, myself. How is this even possible, you might wonder? Well, from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed, I am constantly being pulled in about a thousand different directions. I stay so busy worrying about everyone else that I completely forget about my own needs. I can't be the only person guilty of this, right? 

Anyway, recently I made the decision to start making sure my own needs are met. I deserve to look good, feel good, and finally work on losing those last 20lbs. Well, in order to be healthy in general, the body needs fuel. All foods are not created equal, though, and each calorie can either work with you or against you. I'm focusing on finding nutritious, protein-rich foods that can help me get through my day without making me gag. Tall order, right? I mean, I have tried some protein bars that have tasted like cardboard before. 

Well, that has changed, thanks to NoGii. You may have heard of this wonderful, gluten-free brand before, since it's actually owned by the fabulous Elisabeth Hasslebeck. You see, she was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and had to switch to a gluten-free diet. Since, bringing awareness to this autoimmune disease has become a passion for Ms. Hasselbeck. She has written books like "The G-Free Diet" and "Deliciously G-Free", and has also helped to develop the NoGii family of products.