Category / supplements

by Kelly Mattei

Safety/Wellness Items I Have Ordered for My College Daughter

Safety/wellness items I have ordered for my college daughter.

As parents, we never stop worrying, do we? Our daughter is a junior in college. A few weeks ago, she fell ill…mono/pneumonia/bronchitis. It was scary when I could hear deep wheezing through the phone, so I jumped on a plane and went down there. She is living in an apartment with three friends, but I was surprised they didn’t have some of the basics for illness/wellness and safety. I’m sharing, so you can double-check that your college student has the necessities if he/she gets sick. Here are some items I ordered or picked up for them while I was there:

  • Thermometer. I swear my daughter had one in her medicine box when she went to school, but it wasn’t there anymore, and none of the roommates could come up with one either. This is an absolute essential. In fact, go ahead and get two of them, because you know one will go missing.There are lots of them out there, but get the one I got from Amazon here. *Also, make sure they have the meds they need if they do get sick: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, cough and cold meds, etc.
  • COVID/Flu Home Test. Y’all, I had the flu in January. I feel pretty sure I acquired it standing in line at Customs when I came home from Mexico City. When I started feeling badly, I thought, “I guess I’ll be going to a germ infested doctor’s office tomorrow to get tested for flu.” But then I checked to see if there is a test on Amazon. There is, and it was delivered to my home overnight. With one sample, it tests for COVID, Flu A, and Flu B. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ITEM! Soon after receiving the test, I knew I had Flu A. After that, I knew I wanted to keep those tests on hand during flu season at my house. I also got one for our daughter at her college house. If she tests positive for flu A or B, she can call her doctor or an online doctor and get Tamiflu. ***Also, encourage your child to get a flu shot!*** Purchase the test here. (While you’re thinking about it, go ahead and order one or two for home…you’ll thank me this flu season if someone gets sick.)
  • Cold Mist Humidifier. As soon as my daughter was diagnosed with pneumonia, I knew she needed a humidifier. When I mentioned it, she said, “The doctor recommended it too.” I actually ordered one at a local drugstore for her to pick up, even though she was sick, just so she could have it quickly. This is one of those things we should just have anyway. Order one at Amazon here.
  • Pedialyte. A proven brand for replacing electrolytes and staying hydrated, Pedialyte makes powder packets that you mix with water. Powder mixes are easier to store than bulky bottles, and these last a long time. They’re good to have on hand for mono, pneumonia, flu, or even stomach issues. Get them from Amazon here.
  • Multivitamin. When I had mono as a teenager, the only things my old-school doctor recommended were lots of rest and a good multivitamin. These college students burn the candle at both ends. Get them a multivitamin, simply because you don’t really know what they’re eating or how much rest they are getting. Get a good one from Amazon here.
  • Ring Doorbell. While I was there, one of my daughter’s roommates mentioned that she would feel a lot safer if they had a Ring Doorbell, so you know I had to get one. I opted for the wireless one for easy installation. It’s not cheap, but it’s the lastest model and easy to install. Get it at Amazon here.
  • Window Alarms. Another safety feature? Window alarms. If your kids have a ground floor bedroom, they might feel safer with window alarms on the windows. For under $30, you get alarms for four windows. Get the ones I purchased here.
  • Portable Safe. I know, the words “portable” and “safe” don’t go together, but this one attached to a fixed item. She doesn’t have any real valuables, but she does have some small items that might walk away if someone didn’t ask to borrow them and forgot to return them. No, I don’t mean her roommates. I mean other people who visit. Sometimes, there are lots of people in their apartment. This safe attaches to the shelving in her closet and has a combination lock. Get it here.
  • She’s Birdie Personal Alarm. You’ve probably seen these before. Highly recommend. At about $30, it does offer a little peace of mind. Get it here.
  • Pepper Gel Spray. If you’re really concerned about safety, pepper gel spray can be a great thing to have. Instead of the old school liquid spray, this won’t blow back on the person spraying it. A friend told me about it over lunch yesterday when she was telling me a story about a guy walking into her daughter’s room! The guy was friends with someone else who lived there, but that’s not OK. Get the pepper gel spray here.***Just make sure they don’t try to board an airplane with it.***
  • Door Security Bar. After the Idaho murders, our daughter became more aware of real dangers. We have door security bars on all our exterior doors at home, but she wanted one for her bedroom door in her apartment. If your child lives somewhere that people might be in and out of the apartment or house at all hours, it could be a good idea to have one of these to secure the door. Get it here.

This list, obviously, is not a complete list of everything they need for health and wellness, but it’s a start! Don’t forget you can likely order groceries for them through Instacart! ***Also, remember to check/replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors! *** Do what you can for your child!

***I am an Amazon Associate, so I am compensate for items purchased through my links.***

by Kelly Mattei

Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies

Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies.

Y’all know I love to share when I find a great product! My latest find? Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies! ***As always, consult your doctor before taking any dietary supplements.***

61DOyVv18wL._AC_SL1280_

Are there benefits to consuming small amounts of apple cider vinegar? Maybe. Studies have shown it might help control blood pressure, and it might aid in digestion. I don’t know how scientific those studies were, but according to WebMD, studies have found that drinking vinegar might help fight obesity, and one study found that “vinegar improved blood sugar and insulin levels in a group of people with Type 2 diabetes.” So believe me when I say I’m no snake oil salesman. I’m not pushing this product. I’m simply telling you that I like Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies. Purchase here.

If you’ve ever tried to drink apple cider vinegar, you know it’s not easy. But a year or two ago, I read that it would help with a gallbladder attack. What I read suggested mixing it with apple juice. When I had a gallbladder attack (I have gallstones), I mixed the concoction, but I didn’t really expect it to help, but on that day, it was either the shortest gallbladder attack ever, or the concoction really helped. I don’t know which was true, but I drank the concoction the next time too…and the same thing happened.

So when I was ordering some things with a friend who works in a store in LA, and he suggested the Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies, I decided to try them. I told him to add two bottles to my order, and honestly, I forgot about them till the box arrived.

I opened one bottle and tried two gummies. To my surprise, they were delicious! I put the two bottles in the cupboard in my kitchen, so I could take two in the morning and two in the evening, and one bottle disappeared way too quickly! How did I go through a whole bottle in under two weeks? My husband, when questioned, confessed. I explained to him that he should have read the directions on the bottle…it’s not recommended that anyone take more than six a day, and I promptly ordered more directly from the Goli website.

Now, here’s what I can tell you…before you try any kind of supplement, you should consult your doctor. I don’t know if these Goli ACV gummies have actually helped me in any way, and I hate to jinx myself, but I can say that my gallbladder attacks have been fewer and farther between. Before you start to lecture me about the gallbladder, I should tell you I have consulted a doctor and practically begged them to remove it…to no avail. Are the gummies helping me with the gallbladder thing? I don’t know. Maybe it has a placebo effect, but whatever it is…I’m planning to keep taking the gummies!

Like I said, I placed my first order with a friend who worked in a retail store in Los Angeles. Since the store is closed right now because of COVID, I had to order from somewhere else when I started running short. I went straight to the Goli website (click here) and ordered, but after a few days, I received an email that the shipment would be delayed. I waited. And when I eventually called Goli, they refunded the cost of shipping, but they still couldn’t tell me exactly when my order would ship. So I went to Amazon and ordered there. The Amazon order arrived way ahead of the order shipped directly from Goli, but I’m well supplied for a while, since I ordered five bottles from each place! You can order from Amazon here.

So this is my way of sharing information with you about a product I love. Does it have any real benefits? I don’t know. My own experience is that my gallbladder seems less crazy. Is it because of the gummies? I don’t know, but I’m going to keep taking them. They’re so good, it’s almost like having a little treat in the morning and a treat in the evening!

***Since the writing of this piece, I have had my gallbladder removed. I had instant relief from that malady, but I still take Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies, because I have read that it help control blood sugar, weight, improves skin health, and kills harmful bacteria.***

by Kelly Mattei

Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies

Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies.

Y’all know I love to share when I find a great product! My latest find? Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies!

Are there benefits to consuming small amounts of apple cider vinegar? Maybe. Studies have shown it might help control blood pressure, and it might aid in digestion. I don’t know how scientific those studies were, but according to WebMD, studies have found that drinking vinegar might help fight obesity, and one study found that “vinegar improved blood sugar and insulin levels in a group of people with Type 2 diabetes.” So believe me when I say I’m no snake oil salesman. I’m not pushing this product. I’m simply telling you that I like Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies.61DOyVv18wL._AC_SL1280_

If you’ve ever tried to drink apple cider vinegar, you know it’s not easy. But a year or two ago, I read that it would help with a gallbladder attack. What I read suggested mixing it with apple juice. When I had a gallbladder attack (I have gallstones), I mixed the concoction, but I didn’t really expect it to help, but on that day, it was either the shortest gallbladder attack ever, or the concoction really helped. I don’t know which was true, but I drank the concoction the next time too…and the same thing happened.

So when I was ordering some things with a friend who works in a store in LA, and he suggested the Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies, I decided to try them. I told him to add two bottles to my order, and honestly, I forgot about them till the box arrived.

I opened one bottle and tried two gummies. To my surprise, they were delicious! I put the two bottles in the cupboard in my kitchen, so I could take two in the morning and two in the evening, and one bottle disappeared way too quickly! How did I go through a whole bottle in under two weeks? My husband, when questioned, confessed. I explained to him that he should have read the directions on the bottle…it’s not recommended that anyone take more than six a day, and I promptly ordered more directly from the Goli website.

Now, here’s what I can tell you…before you try any kind of supplement, you should consult your doctor. I don’t know if these Goli ACV gummies have actually helped me in any way, and I hate to jinx myself, but I can say that my gallbladder attacks have been fewer and farther between. Before you start to lecture me about the gallbladder, I should tell you I have consulted a doctor and practically begged them to remove it…to no avail. Are the gummies helping me with the gallbladder thing? I don’t know. Maybe it has a placebo effect, but whatever it is…I’m planning to keep taking the gummies!

Like I said, I placed my first order with a friend who worked in a retail store in Los Angeles. Since the store is closed right now because of COVID, I had to order from somewhere else when I started running short. I went straight to the Goli website (click here) and ordered, but after a few days, I received an email that the shipment would be delayed. I waited. And when I eventually called Goli, they refunded the cost of shipping, but they still couldn’t tell me exactly when my order would ship. So I went to Amazon and ordered there. The Amazon order arrived way ahead of the order shipped directly from Goli, but I’m well supplied for a while, since I ordered five bottles from each place! You can order from Amazon here.

So this is my way of sharing information with you about a product I love. Does it have any real benefits? I don’t know. My own experience is that my gallbladder seems less crazy. Is it because of the gummies? I don’t know, but I’m going to keep taking them. They’re so good, it’s almost like having a little treat in the morning and a treat in the evening!

by Kelly Mattei

Now I lay me down to sleep…

12347959_10208215809817771_8449681458556832707_n

Ahhh…sleep. Remember when your bedtime routine as a child was to say a prayer before getting in bed…and that was it? You’d fall asleep. Some of us said the classic prayer that started with, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep…” I thought it was creepy, because the next line was, “If I should die before I wake…” What?! How scary is that to a six-year-old?! I was probably five or six when I thought about the meaning of it, and it kept me up all night! I stopped saying that prayer and didn’t want to hear anyone else say it, either. Without that creepy prayer, sleep came easily.

Oh, how times change. Adulting can be hard, especially the sleep part. My original plan was to write about sleep later in February, but because one of my favorite sleep aids has received some media attention in the last few days, I decided to do it today. If sleep eludes you, stick with me. Even if sleep doesn’t elude you, stick with me.mpho-mojapelo-109897

As adults, “Now I lay me down to sleep” doesn’t keep us up at night, but other things do: work, family, worries, TV, social media, etc. Here’s where I should tell you no one values sleep more than I do. It’s listed among my favorite hobbies. But when I turned 30, little things could gnaw away at my brain and keep me awake, or for some unknown reason, I simply couldn’t fall asleep.

Around my 40th birthday, I discovered one reason I had trouble falling asleep was Restless Leg Syndrome. (If you suspect you have RLS or any other sleep disorder, talk with you doctor.) I started taking a medication for RLS, and it helped me immensely, but often I still had trouble falling asleep, despite the fact that my legs were no longer “restless.”

I needed help but was terrified of Ambien, because a friend took it one night and woke up the next morning in the backseat of her car in a parking lot with no recollection of how she got there or what had happened. Yikes. I have a history of sleepwalking, so there was no way I was going to try anything that might make me sleepDRIVE. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is out, because it makes me hyper. Weird, I know. What to do?

I’m no sleep guru, but I have finally found what works for me. Three things: EXERCISE and two PRODUCTS I love. I’ve never been the person who would fall asleep while reading a book. My whole life, I would realize I was getting a little drowsy and close the book before trying to go to sleep. Now, I’m the person who can fall asleep WHILE reading.

FIRST: It was purely accidental that I noticed the exercise/sleep connection. I can’t exercise after 7pm, because that just wakes me up. As long as I exercise earlier in the day for 30 minutes to an hour, it helps me get to sleep at night. Lots of people know this…no big surprise.

arek-adeoye-213476

SECOND: This product hasn’t been featured on the Favorite Things Instagram page yet, but since we’re talking sleep, I’m putting it out there: OLLY BRAND RESTFUL SLEEP GUMMIES.

Attachment-1

This discovery happened because I accepted an Olly vitamin sample in Target. I tried it that night, and the next day, went back just to check out the Olly products. The health aisle can be daunting…lots of colors, brands, and lots to read. I focused on the OLLY products, and I saw the purple jar with RESTFUL SLEEP on the front. (Yes, I noticed the pictured jar says “20% more fun,” which is odd for a sleep product, but at least you get 20% more gummies.) It’s an herbal melatonin supplement, no big surprise, but having never taken melatonin, I asked the pharmacist, who said it would be fine to try.

That night, I fell asleep faster and slept more soundly than I had in years. I’ve been taking it since. It makes me drowsy FAST, so you should not plan to operate any machinery (like automobiles!) after taking it. I’d love to hear your feedback if you try it. You can purchase them on Amazon here. Sign up for their emails on the Olly website and get 15% off your first purchase, and they offer discounts if you subscribe quarterly.

THIRD: Now, THIS product is the reason I’m posting this earlier than planned. It’s the one I’m most excited about! Again, it’s one of those chance discoveries. Over the holidays, we were on vacation, and the hotel placed samples of this product on our pillows. Why not, right? It’s THISWORKS BRAND DEEP SLEEP PILLOW SPRAY.FullSizeRender-17

We posted on Instagram about it from the hotel on December 22. I liked it that much. It’s part of the bedtime routine at our house now. Yesterday, as I was looking through my Facebook timeline, I saw one of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills opening her latest Fab, Fit, Fun Box, and you know what was in it? YES! The Deep Sleep Pillow Spray!

The label says it’s a “fast acting, natural way to restore normal sleep,” and I have found that to be true! It also says it’s “expertly blended with essential oils of lavender, vetivert, and wild camomile.” It must be the lavender that has relaxation properties. Try it, and let me know what you think. It has an added benefit too: your hair will smell terrific the next morning! Even if you don’t have sleep issues, you might want to use it for that! In fact, you might want to try more ThisWorks sleep products. You can order the Deep Sleep Pillow Spray for $29 (2.5 fl oz) and check out their other sleep products from Amazon here.

So, from now on, do all the things you’ve always been told to do: don’t go to bed mad; tell your loved ones you love them before bed; brush your teeth; and clear your mind. Then add these to your bedtime routine: get some daily exercise; take OLLY Restful Sleep Gummies; and spray your pillow with Deep Sleep Pillow Spray.

FullSizeRender-18

***As always, read all directions before using any product, and take only as directed. Ask your physician before trying any supplements. ***

Please look for the next post Thursday, February 8, when I offer some Valentine’s Day gift ideas for men and women! Also, we love feedback!

Sweet dreams!