Manage your meds with the help of Drugs.com

Although I have been compensated to write this post, that fact did not affect my opinion of this service.

When I found out I was pregnant, I started panicking. Had the medications I'd been taking affected the newly growing fetus? If so, how? (Oh, my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!) It took awhile to wade through all of the info on two of the allergy meds. And what about the Ambien? Plus I take a pill for hypothyroidism. And what about the medicine I'd taken a few days ago for a nasty migraine? (Insert a bunch of "Oh my God's" here too!)

I would have LOVED to have been able to go to ONE website to get straight answers on this big issue. (Especially since I was getting conflicting info on several sites.) That was before I found out about Drugs.com

Drugs.com is a site that can help you manage your family's and your medications. Registering is free and easy. And once you set up your account, you can begin listing your meds. (You don't have to know exactly how to spell the med -- type in the first few letters, and a list of meds pops out.) Chose your med, enter the dosage amount as well as a few other details. Then viola! A new page will pop up listing lots of important information about the drug as well as any known warnings and news articles for the product.

For example, I input my Armour thyroid medicine. And immediately found there are several other medications used for hypothyroidism as well. Course when I saw the user rating, I was happy to find my medication had the highest rating. (I had been wondering if I should switch to a different medication but I guess not!)

And if there are medications you are thinking about using but want to research first? You can do so here. Also, the service isn't just for prescription meds. You can obtain information on over-the-counter medications as well. (So if you're curious about that Benedryl...)

Often, when I'm at the pharmacist, I'm in a rush as is the pharmacist. Drugs.com is a great way to get the info I need, when I can take the time to do my research.

This post was written on behalf of MomCentral.com.

Superbowl Prize Pack

You gotta love Super Bowl parties. Lots of friends, food, and football. Pepsi and Frito Lay have joined forces to create a Super Bowl Party Pack jammed with tons of cool stuff. The kit, valued at about $250.00 contains:

• 1 football
• 1 beverage pail
• 1 snack helmet
• 2 key chains
• 2 hats
• 2 t-shirts
• 5 Pepsi 24 pack coupons
• 5 Frito Lay coupons

You can give away the t-shirts, hats, or key chains as attendance prizes or keep for yourself. (Personally, I'd be using a keychain and hat to bribe my son to help clean the house before hand.)

I'm giving one pack away. All you have to do is leave a comment here or at http://www.midwesternmommy.com/ between now and noon on Saturday, Jan. 17th. You must be 18 to enter and live in the United States. Winner will be drawn randomly (I write your names on a sheet of paper, deposit into a bowl and my son draws the name.) and notified by January 19th.

Ok. Now that I'm thinking of Frito Lay, I'm thinking potato chips and would some yummy, salty chips taste SO awesome right now? Mmmmm. Oh and a Pepsi. A real Pepsi. A combo of Cola-y sweetness and salt. Mmmmm....

Good luck!

Get fresh and stay fresh

I hate it when I have to throw out a half a container of grapes or box of cereal. Why? Because if we didn't eat it, that means I just overpaid for that item. And I hate to waste money, energy or food. (I come from generations of German stock who believed efficiency was next to cleanliness and godliness.)

I guess the Ziplock people felt the same way. Not only do they now have a "freshness shield" built into some of their products but they've also created a new feature on their website, called "Shelf-Life 101".

This newest feature gives you an idea of how long certain foods stay fresh as well as tips on how to keep your food as fresh as possible. How cool is that! (Especially with rising grocery costs and dwindling disposable income.) Check out this neat little page here and look in the lefthand column.

Let Safeway reward you!

Recently my husband and I were discussing the family budget. I mentioned that (especially this summer when gas prices were crazy) there's less discretionary income this year than last. Just the basics seem to cost more than they did last year.

And shopping for Christmas toys? Does it seem prices increased there too?

Either way we, like alot of other families, are seeking out opportunities were we can get more value for the money. And for those who have Safeway stores in their area? Well you've got an extra opportunity! If you are more inclined to purchase gift cards (like me) you'll be happy to hear that this season, if you buy gift cards, you can double your PowerPump Rewards.

Here's a locator so you can find out if your local Safeway store is participating

Also, earn additional rewards with every $100 you spend on gift cards. And according to their site, more than 300 gift cards count toward earning those PowerPump rewards.

And while you're at Safeway's site take a gander at the recipies, party planning tips, and even holiday activity ideas. (The kids are out of school for the holiday. Let's face it, you need SOMETHING to keep them occupied.) And if you need grocery delivery? They got your back there too!

This post was written on behalf of MomCentral.

Winner of Pilsbury giveaway

The winner of the Pilsbury giveaway is Stacy!

Congrats!

Thanks to everyone who has been participating in the giveaways. More are in store for 2009!

Nature's Gate: gateway to healthy beauty products

Every night before I go to bed, I apply lotion to my hands. This ritual began years ago when my son was itty bitty. My hands had gotten so dry and chapped from all of the handwashing I was doing (thanks to all of those dirty diapers I was changing).

I have a ton of products in my nightstand. But the one I've been using alot these days is Nature's Gate Organic Fruit Blend Body Lotion in Pineapple.

For those of you unfamiliar with the brand, Nature's Gate creates natural, (certified) organic personal care products. Their main goal is to keep your skin healthy by using natural ingredients and connect with communities. How cool is that?

The lotion isn't too thick or creamy. It has a nice consistency that is easily rubbed into the skin, drying quickly. A few minutes after application, I can always tell the lotion is still on my skin but it feels somewhat like a thin protective layer. Some people might not like that but I don't mind at all. But the best aspect for me? Is the smell.

Usually when lotions claim to smell like a fruit, they often smell like a hint of fruit with a heaping helping of chemicals. That is definitely not the case here. This stuff smells so much like real pineapple that after I've applied and and I smell my hands? It almost makes me want to bite my hand off. Yeah. That good.

Another cool component is that the company is working with WaterAid to provide Asian and African communities with clean drinking water. Plus, the products are paraben free, Phthalate free, and there's no animal testing.

Go to Nature's Gate website for a full listing of product lines, where to buy and more about the company's vision.

New Monday Giveaway!

Just in time for that big holiday family meal! I've got a Pillsbury gift package featuring:

*Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts,
*Two 9-inch glass pie pans
* A pie server,
* Pie-top cut-outs
* A CD-ROM with photos and recipes of Pillsbury pie favorites!

The Pillsbury peeps want to remind you that pies are a classic dessert to any holiday meal. And they don't have to involve alot of time and effort.

Leave a comment with your email address. Anyone can enter. (As in this isn't just open to those in the United States.) Just do so by Saturday Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. The winner will be notified that weekend. Anyone above the age of 18 can enter.