GotchaBaby

July 23, 2014

Back to School Health Needs? MinuteClinic Has You Covered.

Two weeks from today (eek!) the kids will go off to school for the start of another school year. Where did the summer of Six and Nine go? It took forever to get here, and now it’s winding down.

As we get ready to for back to school, I’m glad the ages of six and nine don’t require any immunizations- fitting those in with everything thing else back to school brings is never easy. Last year, the boy went to kindergarten one immunization short, and I got weekly notes from the school nurse until I (well, BgK) got it taken care of. Little did I know, the MinuteClinic (inside CVS), which we pass two times a day en route to school, could have taken care of that for us. For real. Had we only known.

We’re in the clear for a couple more years, because in Indiana, it seems that sixth grade is the next “big shot” year. I won’t tell the kids if you won’t. As much as it’s a pain (literally and figuratively for all involved), I know it’s important to vaccinate. Do you know who the biggest pro-immunization person I know is? My grandma. At nearly 101, it was her friends and siblings who fell ill (sometimes fatally) with diseases that are now vaccine preventable. It comes up in conversations with her, oddly enough, more often than you might think. She remembers quarantine signs and the terror that came with disease outbreaks. It’s amazing that now my family can get all the immunizations needed at our local pharmacy.

Keep the MinuteClinic in mind as you see what immunizations your child may need to start school- no appointment is necessary and most insurance is accepted. MinuteClinics are also open seven days a week, which can come in handy when trying to fit in medical needs with everything else. The other thing I really like about the MinuteClinic is the price sheet. I know it’s unheard of, but they actually have, available online, a price sheet for their services. Even if you’re submitting to insurance, this handy price sheet can give you an idea of what kind of bill you’ll be looking at. Also accessible through their website is a list of which immunizations are required by state. Handy, right?

Other services offered at the MinuteClinic near you (chances are, there’s one near you- there are 5 of them within 5 miles of my house) include:

Sports physicals (currently $20 off)
College physicals
Immunizations & Injections
Health Screenings for all ages

Right now, any visit to the MinuteClinic will net you a coupon book worth $22 in savings. MinuteClinic will be hosting a Twitter Party on Monday, July 28th at 1pm filled with information to help all kids #GoBackHealthy. Join in the the discussion about back to school health & safety, and you could win some fun prizes.

Disclosure: Thanks for Minute Clinic for sponsoring today’s discussion.

July 21, 2014July 21, 2014

The Anniversary Post

Sunday I did something I’m pretty sure I’ve NEVER done on our anniversary. I wore jeans and a sweater to church. It’s funny because it’s July ,and as anyone who was there will tell you, our wedding was the hottest freaking day of 2001 (it was, until July 21, and then July 22nd). I think there’s a total of less than 10 formal photos of
us outside, none of the entire bridal party, and there’s no video because the video camera didn’t transition well from the air conditioning to the outside. The weather didn’t dampen our spirits though, and when we got together with friends last weekend for a wedding, we still laughed about that hot 2001 July night.

So it’s been 13 years of making the best of whatever comes our way. We’ve joked that this year for our anniversary we got a new washer and a microwave. Well, it’s not a joke because they’re being delivered this week, but does it count as an anniversary gift? Does it really matter? (I’m getting a washing machine with more features than my first (or second, or third) car!!! Call it whatever you want.)

We made a weekend of fun celebrating us- we drove cars on Friday, BgK arranged a surprise date night Friday night (so sneaky), we declared Saturday to be Caturday (there was much lounging) and Sunday we did more lounging by the pool and finished off the weekend with a steak dinner and a toast.

Works for us!

13 years and still happy together! Ignore the photobomber behind us.

July 17, 2014July 23, 2014

Earth Fare Offers Local Goodness and Better Shopping (a review) and {A GIVEAWAY}

Updated: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for playing- the winner has been notified and confirmed! Oh the grocery store. We all have to go there, all of the time, and it can be….it can be so exhausting, so overwhelming, so expensive, and so mentally draining that drinks are in order by the time you’re done. And then, just when you’ve recovered making all of those decisions, your six year old announces that you’re out of “his” cereal, and your nine year old laments that the yogurt is gone again (as the six year old licks that last of said yogurt off his own lips). And so it’s back to the store you go.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to tour a different kind of grocery store- Earth Fare. We’ve had them here on the north side of town for a couple of years, and now there’s a location for south siders in Greenwood. As I toured the store, staff was busy getting everything for the July 16th grand opening. Amanda walked me through the store, section by section, and I was impressed with everything that I saw.

Earh Fare has some store rules, which make shopping easier and if you’re a label reader, a whole lot faster. The food rule are as follows:

NO high-fructose corn syrup
NO artificial fats or trans-fats,
NO bleached or bromated flour
NO artificial preservatives
NO artificial sweeteners
NO artificial flavors
NO artificial colors

And for fresh meat and dairy products? NO antibiotics and NO synthetic growth hormones.

Case in point? Check out this candy- it tastes just like it’s supposed to, only with all natural ingredients.

Earth Fare also focuses on fresh and local produce, and sources a lot of its stock from as close as 100 miles away. It’s good to know that so much of Indiana is represented in the store, and that food producers right here benefit from Earth Fare’s business model.

Take a look and see all of the goodness they are ready to serve up to you and your family:

BULK FOODS

There are a lot of items available for purchase, including nuts, granola, all natural candy, and nut butters. Customers are welcome to bring their own containers or use the ones provided in each area.

WELLNESS

The wellness area includes all kinds of over the counter remedies, skin care, and vitamins. There are products for children, as well as natural makeup options.

LOCAL OPTIONS

Earth Fare specializes in carrying local products. Local is defined as being sourced from within a 100 mile radius of each store. This shelf offered a selection of local honey, granola, preserves and more.

GLUTEN FREE

Gluten free shoppers will appreciate the signage, as well as the wood shelving to denote the location of Gluten Free items throughout the store.

I could go on and on (there’s a deli! and a cheese center! and fresh meat! and a smoothie bar! and Kids Eat Free on Thursday nights!), but Earth Fare is one of those stores you have to see to believe. Just go and check it out- you’ll be happy you did.

{THE GIVEAWAY}

The folks at EarthFare really want you- yes, YOU (well, one of you), to experience Earth Fare for yourself, I’m giving away one $50 gift card to any Earth Fare location to one lucky reader. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment, telling me how Earth Fare’s Food Rule will make your shopping trip easier- maybe you’re a label reader, maybe you’ve got food allergies or sensitivities, or maybe you’ve committed to eating more locally sourced food. Whatever it is, you can tell me!!

For additional entries, you can share on social media (twitter, Facebook, Google+) however you like, and come back here and leave an additional comment for each share that you make, you may make one share per network per day of the giveaway. For each social share, be sure to link back to this post.

This giveaway will be open until Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 9pm. Winner will be notified by email, and have 24 hours to respond. After that, a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Thanks, EarthFare, for the tour and for my giftcard, so that I can have some fun shopping too!