Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Drinking Your Vitamins (Life Hack I LOVE!)

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Thanks to Zarbee’s for partnering with me for today’s post. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always. 

Two weeks I downloaded an app on my phone that I was certain would take care of the problem I have remembering to take my vitamins and other supplements throughout the day. This app dutifully tells me every time I’m supposed to take something and what that something is. It also sends me two gentle reminders and then a third reminder that sounds like a pill bottle shaking in a desperate plea to get me to go take my vitamins. Every time I hear that pill bottle I straight up SCOWL at my phone and swear I’ll delete the app…tomorrow.

And so I have learned that the problem is not that I don’t remember to take my pills. The problem is that I don’t like to take my pills. I didn’t even learn how to swallow pills until well into my teenage years, and it’s always been a rather dramatic moment of my day when I take them.

I know all about how great vitamins and supplements can be as a compliment to making good food choices. And yet, I just don’t wanna.

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Bless you, Zarbee’s, for your newest product line. 

Have you seen this awesomeness, yet???? Zarbee’s, a company whose homeopathic products fill our children’s medicine cabinet, has launched these great Vitamin Drink Mixes, with individual packets that you add to water (either hot or cold, depending on the product…it states the best use on the back). Each packet is loaded down with great vitamins and great flavor! I have been particularly liking the Multivitamin with Antioxidant lately, though I’m so glad to have each product type in my pantry.

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Now when my app tells me to take my multivitamin, I do so without hesitation! I grab my water bottle, put roughly 6 ounces of water in it, grab a Zarbee’s Vitamin Drink Mix, and give a good shake.

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And then I just enjoy an honestly delicious beverage! I’m getting a glass of water AND my vitamins. BOOM!

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This is the type of product that is making life a little less hectic for me, or at least a little less anxiety-filled!

Do you struggle to remember to take your vitamins? Or are you like me and you remember just fine, but you just don’t WANT to take them (seriously, why are multivitamins horse pills???). This might be just the thing for you! Or if you could use an extra vitamin boost (hello back-to-school GERMS starting to come home!) then grab a box o Zarbee’s Vitamin Drink Mix the next time you’re at Target. The following types of vitamin drink mix are offered:

Which one would you buy first??

Zarbee’s Naturals and the Seasonal Relief Project (Free Sample!)

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I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Zarbee’s Naturals. I received a promotional item and a product sample as a thank you for participating.

I’ve been talking a lot lately about seasonal congestion on the blog. It’s just something you have to deal with on a daily basis for about 5 months of the year here in Chattanooga, and I know many of you guys are dealing with it in your communities, as well.

But this year I have totally ditched OTC medications for a few key reasons. #1 is the cost (mine was $100 for 5 months just for me!). And #2 is the side effects. How can I possibly take a medication for 5 months that advises against operating a vehicle while taking it? No way!

Seasonal Relief Project

I’m sticking to natural seasonal relief remedies, and if that is something that interests you, too, you should look into Zarbee’s Naturals. Zarbee’s is made with Butterbur, which is actually a weed! Imagine…a weed that helps alleviate seasonal congestion! As someone with a sensitivity to grasses and weeds, the irony isn’t lost on me! Isn’t nature fascinating?!

butterbur photo credit: –char– via photopin cc

Zarbee’s also has a cool Seasonal Relief Project. Every time someone visits the project website and shares how the product is working for them, the brand donates to one of four awesome causes that support exposure to and the protection of fresh air, including Fresh Air Fund, Children & Nature Network, and Moms Clean Air Force, and Healthy Child Healthy World.

But what if you have never tried Zarbee’s Naturals? No problem! You can sign up for a free product sample while you are there! And don’t miss out on the tips that can help you deal with seasonal congestion in other ways, too. I just had a customized list of tips sent my way based on my particular seasonal congestion triggers!

With the weather finally improving, don’t let seasonal congestion get in the way of having an active outdoor lifestyle. Find a natural solution and breathe a bit easier! You can find Zarbee’s Naturals’ Seasonal Relief at CVS and Target. It is suitable for anyone ages 12 and up.

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Back to School: Back to Germs! Let Zarbee’s Help Naturally (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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If you’ve left the house at all in the last few weeks, then you’ve seen the signs everywhere: it’s “Back to School” time. Depending on where you live in the country, school might be starting as early as next week, or you might still have a month to go before it’s time to head back.

For Darah, “school” is her part-time day care program, and it doesn’t start back until mid-September. That feels like a million years from now, but I know it will be here before I know it!

I’m going to be shopping at some consignment sales in the next few weeks to get her some “new” clothes, and her Grammie-O is also coming in September with tons of those awesome hand-me-downs that my sister-in-law so generously shares with us. So we’ll be all set with clothes. I’m also taking advantage of the various school supply sales happening in the drug stores every week so that I can help stock the room with crayons and such.

But there’s another thing that I’ve stocked up on, as well, and it may be something that you aren’t thinking of: remedies for when the wave of germs hit. That’s right, back-t0-school means back-to-germs! If your child has ever been in a classroom full of other kids, toddlers or babies before, then you know that getting a cold (or worse) in August or September has just as much of a chance of happening as getting one in November.

You need to do an inventory of the medicine that you have on hand that is safe for children, and then add what you need to your list.

I happen to have a recommendation for you: Zarbee’s. This is a brand of cough syrups that are designed for children. They have a really cute bee on the packaging, but that’s not why I’m suggesting that you get them. From their site: “Zarbee’s Cough Syrup contains a blend of special dark honeys, vitamins and immune-boosting ingredients. The ingredients in Zarbee’s are all-natural, side-effect-free and proven in clinical trials to be effective at calming coughs and sore throats in children and young adults.”

You see, most cough syrups on the market have not been proven to be effective at all (a nurse taught me this last year and I will never forget it). In fact, in studies, honey has been shown to have more of an impact than the majority of cough medicines available over the counter. That’s why I love that Zarbee’s makes use of the ingredient that actually works, and adds to it immunity boosters.

And you can imagine that if the key ingredient is honey, that this is actually something your kids will be willing to take without a fight! Hooray!

Buy it!: Zarbee’s is available at retailers nationwide, including Walgreens. For a complete list, click here.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a variety of Zarbee’s products to get you ready for all those germs headed your way once school is back in session (ARV $24). The contest will run until August 12th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Check out the resource page at Zarbee’s and tell me something you learned!

Additional entries:

1. Sponsor love: Like Zarbee’s on Facebook

2. Blogger love:  Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter 

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of the page.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.