Buster Brown Socks on Sale!

Amazon currently has their 6 pack of Buster Brown 100% Cotton Socks on sale for $16.95. This is the cheapest they have been for at least 6 months, probably longer. While I have never used these socks personally, some people with latex allergy love these elastic free socks.

Lots of Summer Items on Sale at Amazon!

Today's post has nothing to do with anything health-related, but I wanted to share regardless as I'm all about saving money, and there are some great deals on random things from Amazon!

Remember to always check the price before purchasing on Amazon as prices can change quicker than a latex-allergic person in spandex.

Amazon currently has Six Popular Children's Albums (in MP3 version) for just $0.99.

With wedding season coming up, the True Fabrications Picnic Stix Set would make a great gift. Currently $7.55 with free Prime shipping, this is so unique the chosen couple would undoubtedly think you paid a much higher price for it.

Another great gift is this Essential Oil Diffuser. It's BPA free and runs with your choice of essential oils and distilled water. I feel more relaxed just imagining it running in my home! Currently $30.58 with free Prime shipping. If you add it to your Subscribe and Save order with 4 other items, it's reduced to just $25.99!

If you're a fan of snow cones, this Old Fashioned Snow Cone Maker is on a great sale- $29 with free Prime shipping, reduced from $84.76!

 

This Inflatable Crystal Blue Swimming Pool (45in X 10in) is just $8.10 with free Prime shipping. One of the reviews mentions using it as an indoor ball pit. Fun!

This set of one dozen mini rubber ducks isn't really a sale, but they'd make great party favors as they are already a good price! These are a $4.95 add-on item.

Thanks, Cheap Mama Chick, Deals in the Mitten, Pandora's Deals, Utah Sweet Savings, and A Few Short Cuts!

Size 3X T-shirt for $8.98 after Shipping!

Amazon currently has the Anvil Ladies Organic 100% Organic Cotton T-Shirt in size 3X for $8.98 after shipping! While not overtly stated to be latex-free, most t-shirts do not utilize latex thread, so it should be safe.

This is a great deal that won't last for long!

My allergy mask/ respirator

Gah! I must be working with some scary stuff, huh? Nope, just vinegar. Did you know some white vinegar is made from corn? And guess who's allergic to corn?

While my local Home Depot sometimes has these super-fly respirators available, I ordered mine online last fall from some random website.

Now they're available for less on Amazon!

The 3M 6391 P100 Reusable Respirator Gas Mask - Large is $14.18 with free Prime shipping. They are also available in smaller sizes, and are easily adjusted. While they aren't the most comfortable thing in the world, they don't steam up my glasses and they do stay in place when properly fitted.







A 2-pack of the Particulate Filters is $6.91, also with free Prime shipping.




Whether you have severe latex allergies or get stuffy when mowing the lawn, these respirators come highly recommended. Since your eyes and skin will still be exposed, these aren't a magic bubble, but they sure do help!

Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutter for 65 cents shipped!

Unless you're picking up cookie cutters at garage sales, you can't beat the price on this Mickey Mouse Face Shape Cookie Cutter. At just 65 cents with free shipping, these would make great favors or gift tie-ons! (Plus, you don't even need to have Prime to get free shipping!)

Thanks, This Mommy Saves Money!

Amazon- Sales on Health Products

More sales!

The Holista Echinacea Tincture, Natural Wild Cherry Flavor, 1.7-Ounce bottle is on sale for $3.70 as an add-on item (with free two-day Prime shipping), regular price $20.10!







We can all use more Vitamin D. So the Holista Vitamin D3 Liquid 1000iu, 0.83-Ounce is a no-brainer, especially since it's currently available for $4.63 as an add-on item, down from $12.30.







Yet another Amazon add-on deal (and this one is a great one): Homeocare Labs Sinus Relief, 85-Count Tubes (Pack of 2) is currently available for $3.65 as an add-on item. The regular price is $17.14- a savings of $13.49 or 79%!

Bob's Red Mill Sorghum Flour on Sale on Amazon!

Have you tried sorghum flour? I haven't tried it yet, but I see it my future!

Amazon currently has a four pack of Bob's Red Mill Gf Sweet White Sorghum Flour, 22-Ounce on sale for $10.16 with free Prime shipping.

Add it to your Subscribe and Save order and save another 5%!

Confession #7: Medicine Makes Me Happy!

Remember my last confession, "I Should Be Happy but I'm Not?" Scratch that. I'm happy!

Within about five days (maybe less) of starting Cymbalta, I was smiling without feeling like an old dried out wax doll. I felt happy. I was happy!

So far I haven't really noticed any side effects of Cymbalta, which is quite rare for me. I'm still sleepy, having lots of fibro flares, and having allergic symptoms, but I'm able to smile through (most) of it like before!

This drug is supposed to help with anxiety, depression, and fibromyalgia. The fibro seems to be about the same, but it's definitely helping normalize my wacky brain chemistry that was triggering the anxiety and depression.

Have you taken Cymbalta? What were your experiences?

The Fibromyalgia and Diet Series: What You Need to Know about Meat (Part 2)

If you haven't already, check out part one in The Fibromyalgia and Diet Series: What You Need to Know about Meat.

It's All about the Benjamins, Baby

No, really. It's all about the money. The fact is that the companies that provide your nourishment have a bottom line: money. Now this doesn't necessarily translate into all companies being evil; rather, it provides a framework for interpreting the choices that the CEOs and board members of corporations must make- as well as your local farmer.

Any business that doesn't make money won't last. Naturally, if you want to support your family, you want your business to succeed. (We'll assume that is the case at least!)

The truth of the matter is that today's meat industry is cutthroat (no pun intended). Family farmers are being pushed out of the running by factory farms. Farming is just becoming too difficult financially to continue in the family business for all too many farmers. While I would not say that all family farms are moral, caring operations, I do believe that family farms are preferable to factory farms.

Every company must make their money. Factory farms utilize genetic engineering, steroids, antibiotics, and God knows what else to produce animal flesh that looks appealing, develops quickly, and costs little to manufacture. The entire process must work like a well-oiled machine, a successful assembly line, for the maximum amount of profit. It's really quite similar to an assembly line.

It's really quite simple. Consumers want the best deal for their money. If two different packages of meat look about the same, and one is cheaper, we're going to buy the cheaper one.

The problem is that the consumer demand for cheap meat has bankrupt countless farmers that have been forced to sell out to a factory farm. Since the factory farm is able to produce what appears to be the same product for a cheaper price in assembly-line fashion, the rural farmer can't compete. Costs of raising livestock in what I would consider to be humane conditions have skyrocketed, leaving consumers happy that they are getting a good deal.

We all love a good deal, right?

The problem is that what we are being told is a good deal is actually killing us.

Sound scary? It is! We'll explore more about what sorts of fun stuff is in meat shortly.

In the meantime, what are your thoughts so far?

Chronic Pain Is a Slap in the Face

The Fibromyalgia and Diet Series: What You Need to Know about Meat (Part 1)

Sometimes you just can't get away from it. That little stirring inside you that gently urges you to do something. Well, today I tried to ignore that stirring more times than I can count. No matter what I was doing- looking at Facebook, checking my e-mail, or even briefly dropping in on Pinterest, everywhere I looked there was something about meat. I give up.

Where I'm Coming From

Personally, I've been a vegetarian since late 2005. I was a demi-vegetarian for 2 or 3 years before that, and now I would consider myself a demi-vegan. I try to avoid dairy unless I know where it came from; relying primarily on a local(ish) Amish farm for raw milk, raw cheese, and other good stuff. Admittedly I do buy organic yogurt, but none of that aspartame-ridden carcinogenic crap the dairy industry wants me to believe could possibly be good for my body. The occasional pizza finds it's way onto my plate, even though I know it will make me feel awful. So that's me.

Before you start going all PETA lover or hater on me, let me be clear. I believe that the Bible is truth, and as such, that man was originally vegan. I also believe that now that Christ has come we are each to make our own choice regarding the consumption of animal flesh. So, when it comes to the morality of eating meat, I'm not going to put down either side of the issue. Rather, I'll simply share with you my thoughts and what I have found, and you can make your own decision. I respect that and expect the same in return. It is only in cases in which individuals choose to be ignorant in which I have issue.

Meat: Were the Good Old Days Really that Good?

Growing up in rural Indiana, I'm quite familiar with your everyday farmer. My grandparents are almost 100, and listening to them talk about when they were younger is like manna from Heaven. They milked their own cows, gathered their own eggs, and raised their own pigs. They knew exactly where their food came from and the conditions in which livestock were kept. But it wasn't all so peachy.

My mom has memories of seeing chickens butchered, having a pet pig sent to the butcher, and getting up ridiculously early to do morning chores before school. Decisions had to be made to keep food on the table for the family above all else, requiring hard work from all the family members.

As far as the conditions at the butcher, your guess is as good as mine. There didn't used to be regulation, so while I'm sure most butcher's were humane and sanitary in their practices, there's really no way to know.

Before the butcher, pretty much everyone slaughtered their own livestock. While I won't go into the details, I recall reading a passage in a book for one of my literature classes of a pig being butchered, and I still have nightmares.

Despite the negatives, the bottom line is that almost everyone knew where their food came from. What about today?

Ignorance and the Meat Industry 

You've undoubtedly seen the commercials on television depicting the atrocious conditions livestock endure, as well as the cruelty inflicted. On the flip side, there are the commercials picturing happy cows in California singing in the shower and making slapstick jokes. Look at the walls in the meat and dairy section of your local grocery and you will likely see a calm pastoral scene.

Regardless of your reaction to these images, chances are that you will really need to dig a little (or a lot) to get to the truth.

Are you ready for the truth? I know I'm not. I'd much rather eat whatever I want and assume that the powers that be have my best interests in mind. As you can see this isn't going to turn out to be a one-post wonder. The state of our food supply in general has really been laying on my heart lately, and the more I learn, the more I want to grow everything.

Why Should I Care?

If you're wondering why the heck you should care about your food, think of this. Would you stop and get gas at a place with a cardboard sign, dispensing gas from a sewage tanker truck? Of course not! It's crap! It would ruin your car!

Food is your fuel. And behind those pretty pastoral scenes and blue skies in the supermarket, there's a greasy-haired man with a crooked finger pressed to his lips. Shhh!

Join me on my journey. Let's smack the creep upside the head and scream at him "I want to be healthy!"

Are you in?

Happy Mother's Day!

Reasons Why I Love You, Mom:

You love unconditionally.

No matter how old I am or how safe I am, you worry about me.

You lead by example.

You listen.

No matter how crazy the idea or concept, you always respect my thoughts.

You are the strongest person I know.

You have faith. Faith in God, faith in people, and faith in yourself.

You cry with me.

You laugh with me.

You value relationships over all else.

You are spontaneous.

You taught me the "yea much" cooking technique, which is now helping me maintain a semblance of sanity.

You've taught me that the only friendships worth having are those in which there is not judgement, but acceptance.

You helped me come to terms with a little known disease, and taught me that just because you accept a problem doesn't mean that you don't fight it.

You trusted me with managing my own medications when I was barely a teenager, allowing me to develop a sense of what I need to even begin to function.

You cried with me at my wedding.

You always have a full meal at hand, despite what you may consider to be a full meal.

You taught me how to bargain shop on everything.

You instilled in me an appreciation of other cultures and backgrounds.

You care more about the other 364 days of the year than you do about Mother's Day.

You let me forget holidays like Mother's Day without reproach.

You give of yourself freely, and are surprised when you receive.

You are open to new ideas and concepts.

You let me pursue my goals and aspirations, no matter how far-fetched.

You give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

You don't ascribe intentions.

You are creative.

You won't believe me when I tell you that this list could go on infinitely.

Confession #6: I Should Be Happy But I'm Not!

The past year has just been insane. From taking 6 months to figure out why my stomach was giving me so much trouble, going to Mayo Clinic and coming home with no answers, losing almost all of my income, having my world turned upside down by latex allergy, having a hysterectomy, and losing our house, this has been (excuse my French) one hell of a year. (And that isn't even the whole list!)

Moving was a big fat mess with everything falling through multiple times. Thankfully one small business finally came through for us and we got the big stuff moved- but it wasn't cheap. The landlord at our apartment is fantastic, constantly asking what he can do and saying he wants us to be happy. We even have a small area where we can garden however the heck we want.

We're eligible for food stamps now (yet to be approved) and can actually afford our living situation now. Money will still be tight, but we won't be playing catch up all the time. My husband is within ten minutes of work and we are able to keep our four cats (our surrogate children). Granted, family relations are crappy and we're still going to need to file for bankruptcy due to my medical debt, but things are on the up and up, right? I should be singing praises to God and dancing in the streets like David!

Instead, Tuesday I woke up with suicidal thoughts. I put on Christian music, opened the drapes, started trying to unpack in my cute little kitchen. And they just got worse. It took me hours before I got up the nerve to call anyone. I felt like such a burden- all I could think about was how everyone I knew would be better off without me around. Ignorant, cruel comments from family members (not my hubby) kept shoving their way into my stream of consciousness.

Finally, I called my neurologist and got right through to the nurse. She confirmed that my relatively new medicine, amitriptyline, could indeed be causing these thoughts, even though I was on a low dose. I was told to stop taking it immediately and to hold off on starting the Cymbalta which I was due to start up. She told me to call a friend to stay with me, which I did. Praise God for non-judgmental friends!

The next night I stayed at home. Lo and behold, I woke up the next day feeling so sad and heavy. All I wanted to do was cry! This time there weren't actually any thoughts triggering my depression. It was as though there was this invisible shroud of heaviness over me. I had already planned to see my friend that afternoon again (is she the best person ever or what?) so I called to get in to the psychiatrist.

At the psychiatrist I didn't wear my combat gear and my anxiety level was through the roof, so once again thank God for my friend who spoke up for me. I felt like one of those automatic liquor shakers. Up and down and all around, jitter jitter jitter- don't fall on the floor!

The Doctor said that it was probably a combination of going off the Celexa and my crazy menopausal hormones that were wrecking havoc in my brain. He told me not to beat myself up and to think of it like a headache. When you have a headache you take meds and rest until you feel better, so do the same with this. I don't know how many times I've reminded myself of these statements since I saw him!

Naturally the guilt has been kicking me like crazy, I should be making the apartment a home for my amazing hubby, unpacking, helping my cats settle in, doing some writing to make a little money, getting the rest of things from our old house.... and on and on.

Of course there is this little voice in my head saying I am such a burden on my friend that is so generous. Telling her this, she's told me that she's happy to have a babysitter for her precious little one, and that it feels so good for her to be needed!

Needless to say, I am so very blessed. Even if I just have the consistent support of this one friend and my hubby, I know God is in control.

I'll leave you today with "Blessings" by Laura Story. If you've never heard this before, grab some tissues.

Free Ebook Roundup: Fibro, Gluten Free Cooking, Asthma

Today's selection of free e-books look promising!

Remember to check prices before ordering- Amazon prices change frequently!

Fibromyalgia And Chronic Fatigue: A Step-By-Step Guide For Fibromyalgia Treatment And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatment. Includes Fibromyalgia Diet And Chronic Fatigue Diet And Lifestyle Guidelines.

SMART SCHOOL TIME RECIPES: The Breakfast, Snack, and Lunchbox Cookbook for Healthy Kids and Adults I personally recommend this e-book. With all my food allergies and sensitivities, it is one of a select few recipe books that I have actually kept after I downloaded.









Medical Tai Chi:The Essentials










Fibromyalgia: Living a Life of Blessing and Hope

Free cookbooks for special diets:

Weight Watchers New Points Plus Plan The Very Best Gluten Free Recipes Cookbook

Gluten Free Cupcakes - Fabulous Gluten Free Dessert Recipes (Gluten Free Cookbook - The Gluten Free Recipes Collection)

30 Days Of Amazing Paleolithic Lunches: Easy Gluten Free Recipes (Paleo Recipes Made Easy)

Celiac Disease In Children: How To Guarantee Nutritious GLUTEN FREE LUNCH TIMES at School! (Celiac Disease In Children: Gluten Free Recipes For Kids)

Jump Start Your Gluten-Free Diet! Living with Celiac / Coeliac Disease & Gluten Intolerance (Let's Eat Out with Celiac / Coeliac & Food Allergies!)

And a few random ebooks that look promising:

The Elimination Diet Journey: What It's Like to Identify Food Sensitivities and Intolerances by Avoiding Dairy, Gluten, Egg, Soy, Corn, Tomato, Caffeine, and Other Allergenic Foods

Living a Gluten Free Life - A Beginners Guide to Gluten Free Diets

Beating Asthma. Seven Simple Principles