4BabyAndMom

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

WIN: New Moon Soundtrack- Satellite Heart (Air Mail Remix) by Anya Marina Download on iTunes!

So... I just pre-ordered my tickets to see NEW MOON on the 20th at 12:01am, and by pre-ordering my tickets through Fandango, I received a coupon code to for a FREE download of the exclusive remix Satellite Heart (Air Mail Remix) by Anya Marina, only on iTunes. The bad thing for me is that I don't have iTunes, nor any desire to download iTunes, so the good thing is that I would love to extend the offer to my followers.

Want to win a free iTunes download code??

Here's How:

Leave me a comment on any other post that's not a giveaway.
Follow me publicly on blogger/google friends.
Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. 3x's /day max
Subscribe to the 4BabyAndMom channel on YouTube!
Become a FAN of 4BabyAndMom on Facebook. Leave a message on my wall, & a comment here.
Subscribe via email, so you never miss a giveaway or review! Sign up box is on the right tool bar. Email must be validated to count.
Grab our Hyped 4 the Holiday button or banner and post it on your sidebar or blog-roll. You can also add it to your facebook, and include the link to the 4BabyAndMom Fanpage or website in the comment. See our fan-page for more details. Include the link to your website or blog in your comment.
Fave this post on Technorati & leave a comment with your ID/link.
Digg, Stumble or bookmark this post on any other social media outlet.

This giveaway is open to residents of US & Canada and will end on November 13th, at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. The winner will be emailed the secret coupon code for one free download of the aforementioned song. Special thanks to Fandango for the coupon code/special offer deal.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Fighting for your Gifted Child. Mom vs. The School District, a true story. Part 2

Part One

Part Two

As I drove to the school, every thought was bubbling in my head as to why my son was acting out. Never before had I experienced such pains of helplessness.. the teacher had kept insisting that everything was going well. It was just the "transition" from preschool to kindergarten. I didn't believe it, and felt that the transitional time had passed. There was something deeper, and I wouldn't rest until I found out what it was.

When I met with the administrator, I informed her that I was not going to stop until we figured out what was wrong with Alex. I had plans to meet with our Pediatrician and ask for a referral to a developmental pediatric specialist to help figure out what is going on. What she said not only surprised me, but knocked me off of my rocker completely. "We think that what Alex has wrong is in his head. He needs to see a neurologist and a psychiatrist, as these behaviors are not normal. In fact, I believe that he has Asperger's Syndrome, may be mentally challenged or autistic. Only a psychiatrist can completely diagnose him, but we've seen many children like him at our school. We recommend transferring him to another school* because it has the specialists that he deserves, and would be able to better understand him."

Are you kidding me?! Three years before I had my son, I worked in a school with children who were severely behaviorally challenged, mentally and physically disabled. All of my parenting choices from birth until now flew threw my head and I began to question everything. Are you telling me that I missed all of the detrimental signs and symptoms for five and a half years? After asking a handful of questions, the response I got was simply, "I believe that you are in a state of denial, many parents in your predicament are at first." I was flabbergasted, and left shortly thereafter feeling like I had a boulder in my stomach, yet just got ran over by a steam roller.

I came home, vented to a friend, and listened as she blew up on the phone with me. "Get off of the phone now, Lauren, and call this doctor. She will help, and if she can't, she'll tell you who will." I hung up the phone and stared at the Early Intervention Developmental & Behavioral Pediatric Specialist's name. I called and spoke with her directly, explained that I was at the end of my rope, and needed someone to help direct us. She advised that in the meantime I should see a child psychologist to start testing him, and she set up an appointment for December. It was the earliest appointment she had, and the agency my pediatrician recommended wasn't available until April. I asked about the specific test my pediatrician recommended, and she said that the psychologist would be able to help.

I fought with our insurance company for three days, trying to find a psychologist that they would cover, that was within decent driving distance, and that would be willing to answer our phone calls and see my son. I finally found someone to agree to meet with us- over 30 miles away and an hour traveling distance, as it was close to the heart of our nearest city.

Alex was still having issues at school, every day was being reported as a "red" day, and his night terrors were out of control. I began sleeping on the couch, (if you'd even call it that), waking at every tiny squeak or thud. I tried calling the principal of the school, as the more I thought about the way the assistant principal presented herself in our last meeting, the more it wasn't sitting right. I called one day and left my name, and within 15 minutes, the assistant principal called me back. I then began calling and saying I'd call back- conveniently she was always in a meeting, at bus duty, off of campus. Off of Campus was a popular one. Some days I stayed on hold for awhile, some days I just hung up. It was frustrating to say the least.

I took Alex to his first psychologist appointment, and at the end of the hour, the psychologist told me exactly what I was thinking- Alex was bored. He had to do official tests to confirm it, but he seemed "extremely intelligent", a little hyperactive, and very inquisitive. Praise God, I could handle a little hyperactivity.

I left the appointment content with the fact that the psychologist was going to give him an IQ test, and some behavioral assessments, but the fact that he was just a smart kid made my day. I couldn't have asked for a better report. As I drove home, the words the assistant principal spoke to me at our meeting echoed in my ears, and my blood began to boil. I was beyond infuriated, I needed my son out of that school, but I wanted to make sure that he would be ok with that. Over the weekend I let my temper cool, and planned the events for the week.

In the morning, I took my son to drop him off at school. He started to cry, and told me he didn't want to go. I took him, and asked him why. He said he just didn't want to. I told him that he had to tell me what was going on if he wanted me to help. He dried his tears and told me that he would try to make it through the day. I continued trying to get in touch with the principal, but again, had no luck.

I began to call the district office, and ask them how to go about transferring him. I got passed from one department to another, to another.. it was rediculous. I began to get even more infuriated, feeling as if all fo my options have been exasperated.

To be continued....

ZeroWater Review and Giveaway!

We gave up on filtered water since moving to Florida. The tap water is so hard and tastes absolutely disgusting, none of the filtration systems on the market could cut it. Even my mother- (who used to be a die-hard Brita fan)- made the switch to bottled water after relocating, herself.

The average amount of water we drink is about a case to a case and a half per week, and Brian drinks about 2 gallons each week at work. In total, that's about 5 gallons a week in filtered water. One case (on sale) costs about $3.99, and two gallons of water for Brian is about $2. If you total one and a half cases + Bri's two gallons, it costs our family approximately $8 a week in water. $8 a week, times four weeks is about $32 for the MONTH.

Recently, our family was given the opportunity to review the new ZeroWater filtration system. You may have seen ZeroWater commercials on television, or even on the shelves of your local Target, Walmart, or on Target.com.

The initial cost of the Z-Pitcher is about $32, comparable to other systems on the market. The pitcher comes with a filter already, and on the box it says that the filter will last about 22.5 gallons. That is more water than if our family consumed one case and two gallons per week, and just a little less than if we drank a full case and a half. Month number one we broke even but got a sleek looking pitcher with spigot.

The replacement filters have been reviewed as "expensive" everywhere online. Two filters cost $30. Again, one $15 filter lasts about a month, so for month number two, my water bill was lowered by more than half. Same for month three. The extra money I saved months two and three, allowed for us to purchase the next set of filters. If you purchase the 2-pack of filters online, ZeroWater offers a $5 off discount as a part of their recycling program, which in turn, saves you more money, and you're doing a good thing for the environment.

How does it work??

Along with your Z-Pitcher, you'll find a TDS tester so you can test your tap water and bottled water to see how clean it really is.

I must say, I was truly impressed by the system itself. We tested our Aquafina water, and the bottles registered anywhere from 001-003 TDS (total dissolved solids). Aquafina makes their money by being one of the purest bottled waters sold on the market.

The directions said that it can often take two cycles to filter hard water to absolute zero, and I was worried after testing our water that it would take two cycles. Our tap water through the month has tested on different levels- some as high as 386 and sometimes as low as 273. I thought it was interesting how the levels fluctuated.

Needless to say, I set up our ZeroWater filtration system and let the tap water flow right into the reservoir and watched as it filtered all of the contaminants and dissolved solids into pure Zero Water. ZeroWater is the only filtered water that meets the FDA's definition for 'purified' bottled water.

There are only two 'cons' that I've found with this system, if you should even call it that.

In today's "on demand" society, it takes quite awhile for the water compartment to fill up. Other brands on the market do filter quicker, but do not filter all of the total dissolved solids. So what this really boils down to is whether or not you have the patience for this filter. How important is good, clean water for your and your family? For us, the wait was well worth it!

The other, is that although I love the way that the reservoir is designed to hold the TDS meter that's included in your purchase, I feel that it is "lost space" that could hold more water, or that takes away from the total amount of filtered water. I keep my TDS meter in the kitchen drawer with all of my other kitchen gadgets.**Edited to add: after posting this review, I was advised that the new design of ZeroWater pitchers have in fact removed the compartment that holds the TDS meter.**

Another reason for keeping it in the drawer as opposed to in the nifty compartmentalized area on the reservoir is that in the directions on the TDS it warns that over saturation or being exposed to excessive moisture could ruin the device or cause it to perform badly. Considering the fact that ZeroWater recommends you test your water and replace your filter once the water gets to 006, that little tool is rather important... in my opinion, too important to keep IN the pitcher itself.

The kids love the fact that to get water they only have to open the fridge and press the button on the spigot to release water. No more fighting about the bottle tops that are too tight or hard to take off, and no more balancing over weight, over-sized pitchers destined to spill.

Overall opinion:
Despite the upfront cost of the replacement filters, the ZeroWater filtration system actually ends up saving our family money in the long run. Saving money in today's economy is always a big plus. The product itself delivers on it's word, and follows through with great tasting water all month long. I would (and have) recommend this product to my friends and family members.

Want it?
You can buy ZeroWater online or head to your local Target, Walmart, Walgreens or Home Depot to check out the ZeroWater Z-Pitcher and 5 Gallon water cooler set-ups. So far, I've only seen the Z-pitcher and replacement filters in stock at my local Target.

WIN IT!
Our friends at ZeroWater have offered one ZeroWater Z-pitcher Filtration System to one lucky reader at 4BabyAndMom.

How to enter:

Visit ZeroWater and get to know the product and company. Come back here and tell me something I didn't mention here or why *you* want to win this giveaway! How much money would you save? What would you use this water for the most? If you drink a lot of water- why, and what's your original brand of bottled water or water filtration system? Why do you want to switch? Get creative, but be honest!

EXTRA ENTRIES:

Leave me a comment on any other post that's not a giveaway.
Follow me publicly on blogger/google friends.
Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. 3x's /day max
Subscribe to the 4BabyAndMom channel on YouTube!
Become a FAN of 4BabyAndMom on Facebook. Leave a message on my wall, & a comment here.
Subscribe via email, so you never miss a giveaway or review! Email must be validated to count.
Grab our Hyped for the Holiday button or banner and post it on your sidebar or blog-roll. You can also add it to your facebook, and include the link to the 4BabyAndMom Fanpage or website in the comment. Include the link to your website or blog in your comment.
Email at least 3 of your friends and CC 4BabyAndMom [at] Gmail [dot] com
Fave this post on Technorati & leave a comment with your ID/link.
Digg, Stumble or bookmark this post on any other social media outlet.

This giveaway is open to residents of US & Canada and will end on November 18th, at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Special thanks to our new friends at ZeroWater and JB Cumberland PR for allowing our family to try the ZeroWater Filtration System at no cost, and for sponsoring this giveaway. This review is soley my opinion and your personal experience may differ.

It's almost that time of the year again!

Keep your eyes out because beginning this month through early December, 4BabyAndMom is bringing you some of the best of the best. You'll find reviews and giveaways from toys, to food, to adorable clothing and accessories, not to mention jewelry- because I don't know anyone who doesn't like a little sparkle under their tree.

Grab a button now to spread the word and get Hyped 4the Holidays at 4BabyAndMom!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Christmas Cards for Noah

While on Facebook today, I happened to stumble on an article from Mojo in the Morning regarding 5 year old Noah Biorkman. Here's the article:

Send A Christmas Card To Noah Biorkman

Thursday, November 5, 2009 Email article
Noah Biorkman is a very brave 5-year-old boy. He is losing his fight with Neuroblastoma, a form of Cancer that attacks the nervous system. Noah absolutely loves Christmas, so his mom, Diana, is trying to get him as many cards as possible!
Please take a few minutes out of your busy day to do something special for this courageous kid, send Noah a Christmas card.
NOAH BIORKMAN
1141 FOUNTAIN VIEW CIRCLE
SOUTH LYON, MI 48178

You can click here to listen to the interview with Noah's mom.

With Thanksgiving approaching quickly this year, I took a moment to give thanks to God that I have two beautiful, happy and healthy children. My heart goes out to Noah and his family, and tomorrow I am going to buy my first Christmas Card of the season. I urge all of my readers to send a card to Noah, and brighten his day in your own special way!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Pillsbury simply... Refrigerated Peanut Butter Cookies COUPON!

Not many people know that November is National Peanut Butter Lovers Month, but Pillsbury is going to help you celebrate by offering a coupon to try their new Refrigerated Peanut Butter Cookies! Made with wholesome ingredients, no trans fat, no high fructose corn syrup, these cookies are sure to delight.

I love peanut butter cookies.. whether you use a fork to make the classic imprint and sprinkle sugar crystals over the top to add some holiday cheer, or press a chocolate kiss into the middle as they're cooling for an extra sweet surprise, peanut butter cookies are a great part of my holiday traditions.

What are you waiting for? Click on the coupon link above to print out your coupon for $1.25 off of Pillsbury Simply... Refrigerated Peanut Butter Cookies now!

Monday, November 2, 2009

PremiumAutoInsurance.net- Save money and time!

When I lived in NY, I could tell you exactly where to go to shop for car insurance. In fact, insurance brokers were honestly the most affordable places to go to collectively gather rates, and find the best deals on car insurance.

When we moved down here, we first purchased car insurance straight through Progressive. They had the best deal for us that we could find online, and it was one of the very few sites that compared insurance quotes from other competitors. Since then, we've tried several other sites that claim to be easy to compare quotes, but never found a better deal than what we had. We switched car insurance companies twice since then, because of special promos, but we are actually due for renewal very soon.

While shopping around for car insurance, I found a website called PremiumAutoInsurance.net that actually just saved me a ton of time shopping for car insurance- but I'm waiting to see if it saved me a few extra dollars.

When you visit PremiumAutoInsurance.net, you just enter your zip code, and within seconds a list pops up of many different auto insurance companies that serve your area. There were 6 companies that I didn't even KNOW insured in my area.

Needless to say, I couldn't wait to compare free Auto Insurance Quotes. Once you hit the green "GO" button, it opens a new tab or window, and allows you to shop around from one company to another in quick, easy steps.

I visited several sites comparing quotes, (below are three screen shots of quotes I got from Insurance.com, Allstate, and General). The quotes I got were fairly comparable to my original insurance rates with Progressive a year and a half ago. The rates I have with our new insurance company are a little less than what my quotes were, so I haven't fully decided whether or not to switch to a different company or if I should stick with the one I've got. I'm also waiting for a few of the places from Premium Auto Insurance.net to email me my quotes, so hopefully I can find a more affordable alternative to our current plan.

I was happy to see that the most affordable quote was actually from Liberty Mutual.. one of the companies that I had no idea even insured automobiles in Florida. General is a company I've seen advertised on the television before, but had no experience with; and I loved the fact that the Allstate quote gave you three different forms of coverage to choose from.

Overall, using PremiumAutoInsurance.net for free insurance quotes was extremely easy, quick, and decreased a ton of stress that shopping for car insurance usually causes. I can't wait to receive my emails from the other companies I asked for quotes from, and encourage you to visit PremiumAutoInsurance.net to shop for car insurance now!