It's that time of year, everyone! The Holiday shopping season is upon us! (At least it is if you're like me and get an early start to avoid the mad rush of frazzled, last-minute shoppers in December!) 

For the 2014 Holiday season, I will be featuring tons of great gift ideas for babies, kids, men, women, pets, and even for the person who has everything. We all have some of those on our gift lists, don't we? There will even be loads and loads of chances to win many of the gifts I am featuring. How cool is that?! You can check out my 2014 Holiday Gift Guide at any time from now till Christmas. Make sure to check often, as it will be growing by the day! 

Today, I have another great product for the home to share with you all. The Honeywell  Filter Free Warm Moisture Humidifier, model  HWM705B, is a must-have for any home. Whether you have respiratory issues due to cold or flu, or you have a baby in the home, a good humidifier is essential for maintaining good air quality, especially in the colder months. 


I tend to get pretty bad sinus issues during the cooler months, probably because we have the heat running, which dries our the air that circulates through our house. I have found that using a humidifier alleviates a lot of my sinus-related symptoms.

It's that time of year, everyone! The Holiday shopping season is upon us! (At least it is if you're like me and get an early start to avoid the mad rush of frazzled, last-minute shoppers in December!) 

For the 2014 Holiday season, I will be featuring tons of great gift ideas for babies, kids, men, women, pets, and even for the person who has everything. We all have some of those on our gift lists, don't we? There will even be loads and loads of chances to win many of the gifts I am featuring. How cool is that?! You can check out my 2014 Holiday Gift Guide at any time from now till Christmas. Make sure to check often, as it will be growing by the day! 

Today, I want to talk about aches and pains. In my home, these are commonplace, especially when it comes to my husband. In addition to being a major pain in MY rear, the poor guy also suffers from pretty regular back pain. (Okay, so he's only a pain in my butt occasionally!) 

Anyway, Dan has been working in the automotive field for 20+ years. He is in management now, but he spent many years as a technician. All of that bending, squatting, and reaching has definitely taken its toll on him. He often complains that his back hurts, and has taken some pretty interesting measures to alleviate that pain. He uses topical pain relief gel, and even bribes the kids with candy to walk on his back. 

This year, I wanted to give him some real relief from his back pain, while sparing my kids from being mini-chiropractors. Thankfully, I knew just where to turn. The folks at HoMedics specialize in creating a healthy home environment so you can relax, de-stress, and simplify your life. While they're best known for their Ah-MAY-zing massage products, they also offer air quality products, sleep and fitness aids, and more! 

"Oh, my aching back"....This is something I hear in my home, almost daily. My hubby, AKA "The Old Man", suffers from pretty regular back and muscle pain. In all reality, he's not old at all. But at 37, he's put a lot of wear and tear on his body. Many years spent as a mechanic with constant bending, stooping, and reaching have definitely taken their toll. 

In my home, we try and avoid prescription drugs whenever possible. Sure, they have their time and place, but we don't want to experience any nasty side-effects, gradually built-up immunity, or God forbid addiction. Prescription painkillers claim the lives of an astonishing number of people per year in this country, and we don't want to fall victim to this growing epidemic. I have personally witnessed peoples' lives be utterly destroyed by their addiction to painkillers. It's incredibly sad to watch.  So we stay away from these drugs  whenever possible. 

Since Dan doesn't want to have to reply on narcotics to manage his pain, we have been trying out various over-the-counter solutions. One that worked quite well was BIOFREEZE, a topical pain relief gel that utilizes cold therapy. Since this is a name we know and trust, I was super-excited to learn about Perform products, by the makers of our much-loved BIOFREEZE. 

Okay, so it's an ongoing joke that I am the youngest hippie in the world. (Which I am sure is not the case...People just like to tease me!) No, I wasn't around to witness Woodstock or Free Love, and I never did get to go out with Jim Morrison. In fact, The Lizard Kind died 10 years before I was born. 

Despite the fact that I am only 33, people still call me a hippie. Which is totally cool with me. If being aware of things like GMO's, the impact of a person's carbon-footprint on the environment, and all things organic make me a hippie, then it's a label I shall wear proudly. A nice, colorful, tie-dyed label, of course. 

Anyway, I find that I am always sharing easy and painless ways to go green. Small things, such as recycling and repurposing items, can make a huge impact on our already suffering environment. 

The folks over at The Ultimate Green Store want to make going green as easy and appealing as possible, and they offer tons of must-have products that can help you do just that. Don't worry...You won't be paying an arm and a leg in most cases, and you definitely won't sacrifice quality, either. The Ultimate Green Store only carries eco-friendly products of the highest quality possible. 

Now that Arctic air is making its way across the United States, people are really rushing to make sure their vehicles are ready for Old Man Winter and all of his wrath. My husband, who is a service manager at an automobile repair facility, has been in the automotive field for over 20 years. He said that he's never seen so many people flock to the shop to get those last minute oil changes, system checks, and of course, snow tires. No one wants to get stranded somewhere in the bitter cold. Here in NE Ohio, winters can be brutal. They're truly no joke. Preparedness is super-important, especially when you're traveling with kids in tow. 

True story. It didn't happen in the winter months, thank goodness, but it was still quite stressful. We were in Cleveland for the weekend, and had the chance to stay at a gorgeous hotel and see some of the many attractions that downtown Cleveland has to offer. (Yes, we really do have more to offer than LeBron James!) 

Here in NE Ohio, it's getting cold. Frigid, in fact. Right now, we have about 6 inches of snow on the ground, and the wind chills are well below zero. (I am snuggled up on the couch wearing footie pajamas and a snuggie. Don't hate.) Anyway, with the temps plummeting, the sniffles are happening here. It seems that fall and winter are the times that my family seems most susceptible to colds and other seasonal bugs. 

Luckily, no one has gotten sick yet in the Crunchy household this season. (Knock on wood.) We've been taking a lot of precautions to try and squash the "winter sickies" before they strike. This is actually a lot simpler than you might think, and takes very little effort. 

It's that time of year, everyone! The Holiday shopping season is upon us! (At least it is if you're like me and get an early start to avoid the mad rush of frazzled, last-minute shoppers in December!) 

For the 2014 Holiday season, I will be featuring tons of great gift ideas for babies, kids, men, women, pets, and even for the person who has everything. We all have some of those on our gift lists, don't we? There will even be loads and loads of chances to win many of the gifts I am featuring. How cool is that?! You can check out my 2014 Holiday Gift Guide at any time from now till Christmas. Make sure to check often, as it will be growing by the day! 

Today, I want to tell you about my daughter, Sophie. She will be 5 on New Year's Eve, but she has the smarts of a child considerably older. She reads chapter books with no problems at all, and she can even write pretty well. (We're practicing this daily!) 

My Sophie is definitely a Daddy's Girl. She may look more like me, but her personality is all Dan. She loves pink and purple and is quite girly in some respects, but in all reality, she is a "geek in training." In fact, if you ask Sophie if she's a princess, she will matter-of-factly reply, "No. I'm a GAMER GIRL." and then roll her eyes at you for asking such a ridiculous question. Yep, I am going to have my hands full with this one when she's a teen! 

Since Sophie loves all things tech and gaming, I was truly excited when I learned about the Ozobot. This is a tiny, oddly cute, robotic game piece. It is often referred to as the game piece with a brain. (No, really....This little guy is one smart cookie!) 

I love  the Holiday season here in NE Ohio. Something about my hometown just tugs at my heart...And I am so grateful to finally be back home after a couple of decades away. They say home is where the heart is, and I have to admit, nowhere else has ever felt like home to me. The fact that I get to raise my own children in the same place all of my fondest childhood memories were created? This fills me with so much joy and gratitude.  There's something magical about my little mid-western suburb. Something that can't be put into words. I know know there's no place in the world I'd rather raise my family. 

And once again,  I actually get to see snowy winters, and quite often, a white Christmas. After spending about 20 years in Virginia, where snow was lacking, this is a wonderful treat. My kids will be able to build snowmen and snow forts, and go sledding down massive hills, just like I did when I was a young child. These are things I had missed so much when I was away. Experiencing and celebrating all four seasons, now with my children, is such a blessing. 

I have to admit, this time of year is pretty hectic in my home. Okay, who am I kidding...Most days, I literally feel like a chicken with its head cut off, running in circles aimlessly, trying to accomplish about 5 million things at once. For one, I have LOADS of Holiday features to write. (That's a full time job in itself, as any fellow bloggers know all too well.) I also have 2 preschool aged kids to chase around, a moody teen to console and advise, and dishes that don't seem to want to do themselves. Oh, and a marriage that needs time and attention, as well. I'm sure a lot of you moms can relate! It's HARD to keep up with everything this time of year! 

So with so much already on my plate, planning for Holidays can be quite the challenge. Luckily, I have a secret weapon...One that saves me time and makes my family very, very happy. In fact, over the past couple of years, it's become a new family tradition in my household.

Rather than spending hours and hours in the kitchen on Thanksgiving, I head to my local HoneyBaked Ham store. They have literally everything you'd need for a grand Thanksgiving feast, and all the hard work has been done for you already. The prepared foods at HoneyBaked Ham are already fully cooked, you just take them home, heat them, and enjoy. It really doesn't get any easier than that! And of course, with HoneyBaked Ham, you never sacrifice quality or flavor for convenience. These entrees and sides are to-die-for, and feel very fresh and homemade.