The True Power of a Shark

A funny thing happened today. I was talking to my fans about a story I wrote that involved a Killer Vacuum Cleaner brought to life. That story reminded me of just how powerful our vacuum is that we were blessed with a little over 4 years ago.




The power behind our Shark Professional True Pet Vacuum, is outstanding even to this day in my opinion. You can feel the power of the vacuum trying to move on it's own (I kid you not!) as soon as you turn that baby on! It has almost gotten away from me a few times. I swear that baby really does have a mind of it's own!

The Shark Professional can be used to clean hardwood floors, area rugs and carpet. I use it sometimes on my hardwood flooring, but I use it mostly for the two medium sized area rugs we have in our living room and bedroom.

I had to actually get out my video camera and show you just how powerful this vacuum actually is. Check it out here!

Right after the video, I decided to finish vacuuming both area rugs. I have to show you guys the photo I took of the dirt cup dispenser of the vacuum cleaner.

 Look at that!

That is just from the two area rugs that gets vacuumed on a weekly basis! That's a lot of cat hair for two cats and definitely the power of a Shark Professional True Pet vacuum!


DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE KNOW, I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

I Cheated On My Love, Magnolia Health and Home in My Home Town

Yesterday I ventured outside of my own territory and decided to check out a new tea shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma called, Teavana.I love teas and had this idea that I could find some new and unique flavors.

I had been a faithful customer of Magnolia Health and Home, where there are a huge variety of teas that I love, right here in Independence, KS. But I just had to venture out and find some new stuff.

Well it wasn’t so much of a true disappointment if not downright irked at the flavors or teas. It was actually the customer service experience. I have never in my life been very disappointed with a sales rep. Sure, I’m used to them telling fibs about how great a product is, but not when someone’s health could very well be in jeopardy.

I take my tea without sugar for a reason. Diabetes runs heavily in my family and I tend to get extremely dehydrated when I consume sweetened drinks. They make me very sick. I do not believe I need to go into a long lengthy story about this to a sales associate. It’s a waste of both of our time and boring. A simple, I cannot drink tea that is sweetened with anything, should be enough.

This sales rep was determined even after that fact, and claimed that their jasmine oolong tea was not sweetened. Okay, so I decided to put my trust in her. Took the sample she had offered and quickly learned that the tea was very sweet!

I then pointed out it was sweet and asked her if they put sugar in that one like the others she had mentioned. She then admitted they did, but just a little. A little is still enough to make someone who is not used to it, notice it! I noticed it alright and regretted it later.

After that swallow, I had to point out to her my long detailed reason of why I do not drink sweetened teas, then I walked away. I was nice about it, but still irked. She was playing with someone’s health! I can only hope after my little story, she does not do that to another customer. Always be honest in a situation like that. Always!

I understand the need to make a sale, but honesty is always the best policy if you want to make a sale and a customer. And for the sake of not getting sued. And the store should also  have teas available with sweetener as an option.

This is exactly why I tend to stick with the local businesses here in Independence, Kansas. Big businesses are only out to make a buck, not a relationship with a customer who will keep coming back over and over again. Big businesses just see us as a number. Nothing more.

My favorite and first love, Magnolia Health and Home, has exceptional and outstanding customer service. Brian and Ryan, and their crew go way above and beyond with a wonderful atmosphere,  customer service and their selection of teas as well as candles and bath and body products. They offer free samples of their teas, with sugar as an option on the side. They know my name and know my favorite teas. This is why I am a customer with them as much as my budget will allow me to be. They are my heroes!

A New Journey

Lately I've been more and more concerned with the way my body feels. Each day I wake up feeling blah and find myself barely making it through my work day with very little energy.

A few days ago I was talking to an old high school classmate who decided to make a commitment to weight-loss and gain some muscle, and he offered me the opportunity to join him on his journey through http://www.shakeitoffweightloss.myvi.net/.

And of course I'm seriously thinking about it. I mean, why not? I could use all of the willpower/help I can get and having a shake or something simple for breakfast at the very least, allows me to start my day fairly quickly.

In addition, I'd be partnering with a great person who already knows how great this plan works, all thanks to his beautiful wife! So who knows! But, I'm also curious, before I make the commitment, what do you guys think?

If you were me, would it be something you would try out? I mean, there's really nothing to lose since there's a money-back guarantee, but do you think it would be worth it?

And then I was thinking, whether I chose to go with the plan or not, would everyone be interested in seeing me chart my progress of a healthier me on my blog? I would love some opinions on this one!


Joy Smith also known as The Insane Writer, is the author of the Sci-Fi novel, The Generation. You can email her at silent_beautie@yahoo.com She can also be found on Twitter @theinsanewriter.



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Your Blueberries May Not Be Real!

This article about blueberry imposters just goes to show you cannot trust processed foods no matter what they claim! What really surprises me is that the FDA approves of the false labeling. So instead of buying a product containing real blueberries, we're buying products that containing blue food coloring mixed with fats, sugars and other junk we shouldn't be putting into our bodies. Yuck!


Joy Smith also known as The Insane Writer, is the author of the Sci-Fi novel, The Generation. You can email her at silent_beautie@yahoo.com She can also be found on Twitter @theinsanewriter.



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Tried, a short from another story I am working on

What they classified as healthcare industry jobs were rare, far, few and in between. A doctor didn't want to be involved with the government's so-called cure for the criminally insane. They didn't want to be responsible for a human implantation file if anything were to ever go wrong. That was exactly what had happened when they'd implanted her brother with one.

The file had to have malfunctioned. A month after implanting it, they'd set him free. A week later and he was back on a killing spree. She'd tried to tell them, tried to fight the system, but her pleas had went unheard and now the city, the world was in a panic.

There was no police force to protect them, no guns to stop him. They weren't necessary the government claimed. Well, they sure the fuck were necessary now!

Changes

Things haven't been their greatest here. The infected kidney that sent me to the hospital, never really left and now I'm fighting another virus. Since my hospital visit I have been trying to eat right and drink more fluids as well as exercise. The eating right is somewhere in between and I'm constantly drinking water with lemon and lime. But, it honestly doesn't help that the air is severely dry and that there is a fan that runs constantly on us at night in the bedroom. As far as exercise? That went right out the window after doing 15 minutes of squats.

A few other notes. Yesterday was the hubby's last day of work. Unfortunately we're not sure he'll be able to file for unemployment due to a severance package he isn't expecting anytime soon and yes you read that right. I guess we'll see how it all works out.

On another note I woke up yesterday to the house being 63 degrees. Usually the temperature is set at 68. It seemed the thermometer wasn't registering that the house was in need of some heat. Interestingly enough when I kicked it over to cool it turned on just fine, but when I turned it to heat it wouldn't work. So I kicked it back over to cool and then back to heat and it finally worked. When I told the hubby about it he decided that someone simply turned off the heat. Nope. Not Unless we're being haunted by Casper the Ghost. I checked. I'm guessing it's a thermostat problem and it's not registering for some reason.

And last, but certainly not least. On the far right page you'll notice something called an Entrecard. I use it, I love it. It's a great way to get visitors. However, lately people applying for space on my Entrecard have been rejected due to the interest of my readers and the non-relevance of this blog. So, you may see it blank from time to time. Feel free to apply if you're blog/website is similar to mine or at least in the mom/writing category.

Working Out Again

Because of my recent health issues, I've been working out again. The scary thing is after 10 minutes of working out I felt like I was going to fall over. The kids worked out with me and after 10 minutes they were ready for more!

I think that pretty much sums up the fact that I definetly need to start getting into a routine for really working out again. Tomorrow I'll work out another 10 minutes and do that for the rest of the week. Then I'll increase the minutes next week and work out next week for that set amount of time. Then the week after I'll increase the minutes again and continue the routine until I can work out for a full 40 minutes.

WHEW!!!!

Part of My Job

Lately I've been writing about health issues when it comes to work. One of the articles I just finished writing about was on "trans fats." Before I start writing any article, I do a lot of research on it, whether I know the subject by heart or not. It's amazing what you learn even if you think you know a subject.

For those who are unfamiliar with what "trans fats" are, they are the reason many of us are at risk for heart disease, cancer, and other health related problems. Some very bad stuff.

They can also make you gain weight. The more we eat of the stuff, the more we store fat. After I started working on health articles, I started taking notice more of what I was feeding my family. The biggest culprit that puts many of us at risk is processed foods. Crackers, cookies, cakes, you name it, it's generally bad for you.

Some of us tend to try to cut back on the stuff. Yep, I've been there and done that. And others try exercise. I've done that too. But, then there are those of us who try the diet pills. These are pretty darn scary. Especially if you have no idea what you're buying.

For instance, most of us have probably sometime in our lives tried fat burners. And of course, either they worked or they didn't. Now while I've never had a fat burning pill do many any harm, I did take an energy pill that left me very, very sick. So be very careful when you consider taking any kind of pill that claims to help you burn fat, lose weight or give you energy! Some are harmless, some are not!

AneMae's, Kids and Buckwheat

One thing I have noticed in this family is that the kids refuse to touch anything that doesn't contain some form of sugar. While a little bit of sugar is not such a bad thing, I've been trying to get the kids to eat healthier. Around here we lack the energy to do much of anything.

On Saturdays we try to head downtown which is less than 4 blocks and by the time we get there, the kids are so tired that they want to sit down for the rest of the day. I know adults tire easily, but you would think kids have more energy!

Going back to the sugar, the only way the kids will eat lunch or dinner is if it has sugar in it. Now by that I don't always mean cookies, candy, etc. What I mean is processed foods that contain con syrup, sugar, etc.

Lately I've been trying to cut back on those things and fix healthier foods that are not processed. We do include desserts as a special treat on some nights, but even that has become a problem lately. Unless there is dessert for after dinner, the kids won't eat. To eliminate the problem I've tried explaining to them if dinner is not eaten for the week, desserts are not allowed. It doesn't work. They won't eat unless the dinner contains some form of sugar. Lately they've even refused to eat pizza! They will eat some fruits, however!

So now I am wondering if the problem is that their addicted to sugar. I was thinking of trying to wean them off of it, but I don't feel it's right to eliminate treats all together. After all they're kids and even I love to indulge in a bit of chocolate or sweets once in a while.

Today we stopped by a coffee shop here in Independece, Kansas called, AneMae's. AneMae's also carries health foods which is awesome for a little town like ours. They also serve organic and healthy lunches!!! They are my second favorite specialty store here, the first being Magnolia's Health and Home where we buy our teas.

The kids chose juice that was 100% pure and they loved it! They also chose apples and ate those too. While the juice and apples are both a natural sugar, at least there is some hope when it comes to the kids' health. While we were there I picked up some buckwheat mix for pancakes and waffles. It contains cane juice (sugar), but at least it's a little healthier than your average white flour.

So, tonight I'm planning to make buckwheat pancakes for the kids and I for dinner! Wish me luck because I know damn well I'm going to need it!!! LOL

Watching My Health

Lately I have been doing a lot of research on vitamins and minerals and how they can affect your health. For instance, did you know that not all vitamins and minerals are real? Many of the cheap ones that we buy to save money, actually contain chemicals and other additives that are not good for our bodies.

So, since I have started the research, my eyes have been open to a whole new world. I've been doing better and watching what I've been eating and I've been exercising more with walking and yoga.

One of the problems that I found out I had later in life is a heart murmur. While it can be common it a lot of people it does cause concern for me since I've been having a lot of chest pain lately and heart disease runs in my family. So, when I do anything beyond normal walking, I am extremely out of breath. Even 5 minutes of yoga will leave me gasping for air.

Sometimes when I can hear and feel my heart rate shoot up, I'm able to count how fast my heart is beating. Other times I can't even tell, even when I check for a pulse on my neck or wrist. It's just very faint and not really there.

One of the products I just discovered is what's known as a pulse oximeter. This little gadget can tell you how fast your pulse is beating per a minute. Neat idea and great for anyone wanting to keep an eye on their heart rate before and after working out!

The only downfall I saw was the price. I don't know too many people who would be willing to spend nearly $200 for one of those little gadgets! They do have one for less than $50 which is better as far as price range, but if you're on a budget like me, you'll probably be thinking twice on purchasing one! Still, it's a cool idea, especially if you're able to afford one.

The Disadvantage of Being Self-Employed

Unfortunately one of the disadvantages of being self-employed I have discovered, is that you're on your own when it comes to health and life insurance benefits. So lately I've been doing a lot of research on both.

The main reason is because I am still not able to get on my husband's insurance at this time. It seems that every time he calls, we're given a later month/date on when we can enroll me on his insurance. And without it, I am unable to be seen by a doctor unless I have big bucks.

So I've finally became fed up and I've been looking into things like term life insurance quotes and health quotes on my own. It's not easy and I've found than many insurance companies are very expensive! So until I can decide what is what and where I am going from here, I've changed my eating habits for the better and I'm still doing yoga!

Life is Too Short

Yesterday afternoon while my husband and I were in Braums, my cousin spotted me. Not too long ago, his son whom I consider a nephew was killed in an automobile accident. I know it will be a very long time before he or his wife are able to really live their lives once again, but it struck me as odd that after my cousin said hi to me, he stood there as if he had something else to say and couldn't seem to say it.

I had planned to call him earlier in the evening just to make sure that everything is ok, but I think I will call him after I put the kids to bed tonight.

When I got home last night, I checked my emails as I usually do, and saw that one of my aunts was forwarding something to me. It reminded me of an email she'd responded to that I had yet to reply to.

So I replied, but with a different purpose. Our family is known for feuding and for a very long time there was a big feud going on after my grandmother passed away. Then, another feud started, this time between my aunt and another aunt. It saddened me that two sisters were fighting when life could end at any time.

Although many of us may go on to believe that we'll live to the ripe old age of 100 or even 70, the sad truth is, life may not happen in that way. Life may take a different toll just as my nephew's did, or a friend's sister did, or a friend's father did.

We will never really know when our time is up. I remember a lady who enjoyed life and loved sports cars. She was always talking about them and showing them off. She flew a helicopter and was a police officer among many things.

She had a common cold and wanted to treat it. So, she took an over the counter medication meant for colds, but was also on a prescription drug that her doctor had given her for another illness. The two medications fought one another and as a result she passed away in her sleep.

It's too easy for lives to end. Instead of fighting and feuding, we should be living our lives and enjoying it while we can. What good is stress, really? All it does is causes serious health problems or worse yet, death.

Lately I haven't been doing too well myself. My husband knows what's going on, but I haven't really let on as much as I should about the seriousness of it. My family doesn't even know. I've done it to keep stress to a minimum and to keep drama at bay. There's no reason to worry more people than necessary. Besides, not everyone will care about my health and that is a given fact.lol But, I'm not losing any sleep over it and don't plan to.

Instead, I'm trying to relax more, get out more, enjoy more and I've even been doing a little yoga and eating a little better. Generally my eating habits are once a day when we don't have the kids. Sometimes I don't feel like eating and other times I'm just busy working on articles.

Life is way too short to be bitching and I told my aunt so. I also wrote my other aunt and told her the very same thing. Then I considered writing my mother and telling her the same thing. I guess I was in one of the moments were I missed the family get togethers that we once had. So now its all up to the rest of the family. Hopefully it will all end well, but if not, I will still love them all the same.

Working Out is Absolutely Worth It!

If you're familiar with my blog, then you probably already know how much I am for exercising and eating right, verses taking diet pills. Unfortunately now that the winter season is vastly approaching, many of us will probably exercise less do to the cold winter months outdoors.

You don't always have to exercise outdoors, however. Working out indoors can be just as effective and fun. I found that out just a few days ago when I got off of my butt and started strengthening my back using some yoga techniques. It was awesome and afterward I felt great!

Getting in shape doesn't always have to mean heading to the gym either. While I wouldn't mind going to a gym, I really can't afford the monthly fees at the moment, and having people follow me all over the building who ask if they can help you every five minutes is just not my idea of fun.

So for now I'm going to be working out indoors. Okay, so if you're anything like me the same old exercise can get really boring. Well, XFLOWSION is making workouts a little less boring with a variety of martial arts, power yoga and dance techniques. How insane is that?

I checked out their website and I love their DVDs. The idea of dancing, doing yoga and martial arts all in one workout sounds like so much fun and not so boring as most common workout videos. I'll probably end up ordering the DVDs unless my visitors decide to order by going through the SUPPORT MY SPONSOR link below. Then I have a chance at getting the DVDs for free, which I would love!

Either way, I'll share with you how things are going. They're about $20 per a DVD which is reasonable enough. Plus they were in my shape magazine not too long ago. I love Shape Magazine.

The cool thing is that they do have a 30-day money back guarantee a great thing if you decide you don't like their exercise routine. I wouldn't use the money back for the purpose of not losing any weight in 30 days, however. Losing weight takes time and it isn't always the workout video that is the problem.

Like take me for instance. There are days when I don't feel like working out or eating right. Then there are days when I know if I don't eat better or I don't workout even just a little bit, my body is going to let me know! But, even working out just a little is absolutely worth it!

Sick

I thought by now I would be getting over my sickness, but it seems I am only getting worse. Every time I cough I get to the point that I stop breathing. The only reason why I haven't been to a doctor yet is because I don't have insurance. The insurance my husband has won't allow it because my husband missed the window of opportunity to put me on the insurance plan. He only had about a week to add me and because he works so much, he wasn't able to get a hold of human resources.

Speaking of work, they're now considering having him and everyone else in his department work 7 days a week. They've already done this with another department and the results were disastrous. Someone died because they fell asleep at the wheel from exhaustion from work and lack of sleep. I'm surprised the company isn't under investigation for this. I didn't think they could make employees work 7 days a week permanently.

Diet Pills. Are They a Risk?

In the past when I still had a lot of baby fat to lose, I decided to try dieting pills. As a matter of fact it was a endorsed by a famous blond who is no longer with us today. The diet pills did not work.

Not everyone has probably experienced the same results as I have. For some maybe diet pills work. For me however, I won't be trying diet pills again. Since then I've just been eating healthier and walking a lot. I've cut back on the walking, but I still eat healthier than I have in the past.

I think it's just as easy to lose weight with proper nutrition and exercise. Control is another key. Eating healthy and exercising won't work if you're still eating in huge quantities. Also just eating healthier alone or exercise alone won't work either. You have to be willing to do both. I think it's why so many diets fail. And diet pills? Well, some of them now scare me. I've heard too many horror stories about heart failure due to diet pill ingredients or people taking too many at once.

But as I said, everyone's experience varies. So, what's your opinion on diet pills, exercise and eating healthy?

Please Note: This post is sponsored by SyberVision and Payperpost.

What Insurance is Really Necessary?

This morning one of my co-workers was telling me about how expensive it is to keep all of the different insurance policies she has on her family. I know that having insurance for some things is necessary, but where is there a limit to what is really needed.

Take for instance, term life insurance. For some people this may very well be something to have on your side. For me however, it's not something I need or want at the moment. But, that's my own personal opinion. I am very sure many of my readers will probably disagree with me. Life can be short and life insurance is definitely a must for those who have bills they will leave behind, among other expenses.

Term life insurance was something a friend of mine's father didn't have. He was killed in a tragic car wreck a few weeks ago.My friend was lucky enough that some of the funeral expenses were covered by the VFW.

Have you thought about what you will do if you knew your life could very well end tomorrow? Are you prepared or will you leave your family the expenses and debts you have or may very well accumulate? If not, term life insurance may very well be something to consider.

Be Aware of Oysters and Live For Hope

Give me Gulf oysters any day of the week and I'll give you the world. Okay, so maybe that's just insane enough that it doesn't make sense. Hey, I never said I was a normal writer. Yet, as insane as my writing may be, sometimes I wonder if beoysterware.com is even more insane than I am.

Why, you may ask? Well... beoysteraware.com has just asked me to talk about what I might enjoy finding inside of an oyster vs. a pearl. Hmm. Okay, so maybe I am not a huge fan of pearls, so it's a rather interesting thought. A thought that however, can be easily answered by me. The answer is simple. Hope. Hope for this world and those who choose to be a part of it. Hope for those who are hated upon because of appearance. Hope for those who have been abused in this life. Hope for those who cannot see beyond a color. Hope that everyone can simply, just get along.

Maybe what I would enjoy finding in a pearl is not very realistic, but then again, neither is something as simple as a carrot.

If you have a passion for oysters like me, you may be interested in visiting beoysterware.com. There you will find information on oysters, the disease Vibrio Vulnificus and how it can affect your health if oysters are not cooked properly. Please be aware of your health. After all, you only have on life to live.

This Stressful Thing We Call Life

Generally when certain events happen in my life, I just let them go. Lately however, my health has told me no. Yesterday evening I made a phone call and the ending result was stressful. Then late last night I was awakened with a very stressful phone call that has caused my health to decline once again.

I have tried to explain time and time again that it's causing problems. Since listening is not an option for them, it doesn't work. Unfortunately the phone calls are not avoidable due to the importance of other individuals who are involved. So I'm not sure what else to do.

This is not only affecting my health, it is also affecting my job which isn't good. Last night I was unable to sleep, so it's caused problems with my concentration today. The best I can do is keep pushing forward and hope for the best I guess.

I know I am not being specific with the situation, but it's a personal matter that talking about just does more damage to my health and others, than good.

My Passion For Sushi

I was going through articles with www.carefair.com when I ran across an article on sushi. I absolutely love sushi, but it didn't dawn on me until now... How good sushi can be for you when it comes to trying to stay healthy. As quoted by the article, "Consuming foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are good for the body because of its ability to lower blood pressure, helps with blood clotting, and improve cardiovascular health." 

See, I knew there was a reason I loved sushi! Now they just need to open a sushi restaurant closer to here and I'll be good to go!

BTW, if you have never tried sushi, it is an acquired taste since it's primarily raw fish that is eaten. If you're open to new foods, then you should definitely try it!

Sushi Lovers, Unite

 

USAEyes and Lasik

Not too long ago I talked about eye care and lasik surgery in another post. I can't stress enough how important eye care is. USAEyes wants you to know about Lasik surgery and eye care as well.

USAEyes is a non-profit Lasik patient advocacy, founded by Glenn Hagele. They have been featured in US News and Oprah Magazine.

USAEyes provides lasik information and they certify doctors who meet the requirements for performing the surgery. Check out their Who and How to Pick section when you're ready to choose a certified doctor. Have a specific question about lasik? Check out their Ask a Lasik Expert section. While USAEyes does provide detailed lasik information, they do not provide the surgery. What they do provide however, is a ton of information about Lasik and their certified doctors. USAEyes is definitely the resource to use before you consider Lasik surgery. If you're considering lasik eye surgery, remember -your eyes are precious, so treat them with the best knowledge in the world. After all, they deserve it!

For more information about USAEyes, check out their website at:
http://www.usaeyes.org/

For more information about USAEyes' founder, Glenn Hagele, please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Hagele

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