Preparing for the Seasonal Flu and Giving Back with Walgreens

This Walgreens immunizations shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions and experiences are mine alone. #GetAShot #CollectiveBias

Growing up I wanted nothing more than to see the world beyond my small town. I dreamed of going places that I had only read about in books, or learned about in the pages of National Geographic.

So once I left home, I went out and saw the world.

Teaching English in Japan for 3 years gave me the opportunity to travel on school holidays. I did my traveling through Asia with a pack and second hand guide books. Traveling solo I had many opportunities to meet interesting people and quietly observe the cultures and customs of the countries I visited.  I went to Malaysia, Thailand, Korea and China.

I was scuba diving in Thailand during the 2004 tsunami. Luckily, I was on the opposite side of the country from the destruction and was unaffected by the devastation until I tried to find an open room in Bangkok before my return flight. There was a great wave of displaced tourists and I was grateful to have been able to fly back to Japan without problems. But, I never did find a room and shower.

I still remember the poverty in Bangkok. The helpful children hoping to earn extra money while showing a tourist like me around for the day.

The English language teachers in my area collected and raised money to send to an orphanage in Thailand. Even the simplest items were needed.

Another Summer vacation I headed to China for two weeks. I did see the Great Wall of China and explore a lot of Beijing before the Olympic construction was finished, but I also took planes and buses farther into the heart of China.

Compared to the rural countryside where I taught in Japan, China was another world entirely. Poverty was more prevalent outside the heart of Beijing.

That was nearly 11 years ago. Despite the weather being hot and humid I was so excited to see The Giant Buddha of Leshan in Leshan, China (Sichuan Provence). It was carved into the cliff face in the 8th century. There were stairs behind to climb all the way to the top of Buddha's head.

Now, as a Mom of 3, I don't have the time or energy left to backpack around Asia. Though I treasure those adventures, my priorities have changed.

Now my focus is on keeping my family healthy and happy. With a young toddler, and school back in session, that means we all need to get our seasonal flu shots. I don't have time to catch the flu from my kids. Who would take care of them? And my husband and I being immunized means we won't pass the season's worst gifts onto my 1-year old or the Great Grandparents.

 My kids get their shots during their regularly scheduled check-ups, but my husband and I have to get ours elsewhere. Even more than getting the actual immunizations, I dislike having to find somewhere to get it. Last year we went to our local clinic and waited around for over an hour.

Yeah, for a simple little shot!

This year I got smarter and headed into my local Walgreens. There is no appointment needed and in my store there is almost no wait. But the best part about getting my seasonal flu shot at Walgreens, is helping to give a lifesaving vaccine to a child in a developing country.

This "Get a Shot. Give a Shot" campaign helps children like the ones I met during my travels through Asia.

From now through October 13th, when you get a flu shot or other immunization at Walgreens, you will help provide a life saving vaccine through the United Nation Foundation's Shot@Life Campaign.
Did you know that 1 in 5 children around the globe still don't have access to vaccines against things like Measles and Polio?

My photos may have started to fade, but my memories and the benefit that these vaccines can have for children in developing countries are good for my soul. Yes, Walgreens not only saves me money and has convenient services my family uses, but their charitable efforts can help provide up to 3 Million vaccines to kids that need it most!

Now, that feels good.

Are your immunizations up to date?  Have you heard of the "Get a Shot. Get a Shot" campaign before?

Be Rewarded for your healthy choices at Walgreens

This healthy choices shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions and experiences are mine alone. #BalanceRewards #CollectiveBias

My day is filled with choices.

First is the choice to hit the snooze button...or not. Then, do I lace up my tennis shoes for a walk, or grab my yoga mat? Or do I skip it all together and dive straight into work?

Yes, there are a lot of choices that I have to face each day, but I am trying to make those healthy choices for myself and my family. Ultimately I want to manage my weight and be healthier. That is a great reward in itself. But, I think Walgreens knows I need a little more motivation to meet my health goals. I am all in for a dangling carrot or reward for my accomplishments. Walgreens is now rewarding me with points for my healthy lifestyle choices.

Yes! Walgreens Balance Rewards have gotten even better.

Are you earning Balance Rewards with Walgreens? The Balance Rewards program is free to sign up and I can earn points (50 points!) for every $1 I spend in-store. With all the great deals and coupons available it just makes sense for me to drop in for my my family's needs.

I don't know how many times I have started a "new" exercise and food log. Always with the best of intentions I begin writing everything down and as the days go by I lose interest and lose track of my progress. Then accountability goes as well and I am back to my old routine.

Now I can set my goals, sync a device or App, track my weigh, bloodpressure or other health indicators and earn points for my effort. Check out the Walgreens Balance Rewards for healthy choices page for all the ways your can track and earn.

I have had my Balance Rewards card with Walgreens for a few years now. I use it to save money and even clip coupons for the products we need. But now just by taking my morning run or enjoying a family walk in the evening, I am earning points.

I was so excited about this new program, I had to get outfitted. My husband watched the kids and I went shopping alone in my neighborhood Walgreens for products just for me. My big goal is to walk daily. I know that just 30 minutes a day can make a huge difference in my health and I am also aiming to get 10,000+ steps into each day. This is just a start, but after having my last baby I have a long way to go to reach my health goals.

Walgreens has a whole variety of items to help me get up, get out and make all those healthy lifestyle choices a little easier. Here is what I found at my local store.

1. Lip gloss - Walgreens has a great selection of brands and flavors to keep my lips happy.
2. Friction Reducer - This runner's glide is helpful for any running chafe that may occur. It is non-greasy and scentless.
3. Pain Reliever - I am not getting any younger and taking an extra strength pain reliever after a run helps me to not be slowed down with aches and pains of exercise and aging.
4. Mixed Nuts - My favorite mid morning or after run snack is a handful of mixed nuts. I love portable protein!
5. Blister bandages - I have new shoes and want to be prepared for the pain of breaking them in. I like to manage blisters when they first start so they don't slow me down.
6. Water Bottle - I only take one bottle on my walks so I grabbed a new one with a built-in carbon-based filter so I can refill as needed on the way.

I was also originally going to buy a FitBit in the store, but when I found out I could sync the RunKeeper App already on my phone, I decided to try that out first. It was easy to add the App and have been earning 20 - 60 points a day for my walks.

When I weigh myself weekly, I add that to the App too and am rewarded. It doesn't get much easier than that.

My kids love my new found motivation. We have had a lot more races lately and my kids are getting fast, too! I know I need to put in some major mileage to be in good enough shape to keep up with them. All that exercise will not only keep me healthy, but will quickly earn enough in rewards to treat us all to drinks and snacks at Walgreens afterwards.

So what are you waiting for? Healthy choices start with a single step and Walgreens is handing out plenty of motivation with their healthy choices program.

As for me, I went ahead and ordered that FitBit from Walgreens.com. It should arrived any day now. Being motivated has re-energized me to take better care of myself for my family. I am really curious to not only track all workouts, but also all my steps and activity throughout the day. There is lot that goes into staying healthy was we get older, but I am on my way.

Ready to be rewarded for your healthy choices? Ready, ...set, ... get connected and GO!

How will you be rewarded?

Filling Our Home with Laughter and Help from Ology Healthy Home Products

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetsSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and share my honest opinion and experiences. All opinions are mine alone and are not necessarily shared by May Media Group LLC or hte manufacturer of this product. #Momsmeet

I don't like to clean, but I am motivated by these two little people and 30 sticky fingers, 3 tongues, 3 noses and a whole lot of mess left in their wake.

If you have small children I know you feel my pain, right? It is a constant balancing act to keep the house clean and disinfected enough to keep us all healthy while also cleaning with products that are free from harmful chemicals and eco-friendly to protect my children's future.

My son just finished Kindergarten and believe me it was a year full of amazing milestones and many days where we were all layed up by illness. Yes, being thrown into the petri-dish of a classroom, my son brought back a lot of new germs to share.

This was not the kind of sharing I try to teach my children.

My daughter is following right behind and though I hope we have built up a little immunity to these germs, I know there will be some new surprises in the coming year. I am already stocked up on All-Purpose Cleaner from Ology. Suitable to clean kitchen counters as well as most household surfaces, it also doesn't contain harmful chemicals that I don't want to use around my young baby.

Cause if the baby can reach/touch it... it is going in his mouth!  Yes, I have even caught the kid licking walls recently. Sheesh...

Luckily I can rest easily knowing the cleaner is plant-derived, but also cuts through the grease and greasy finger prints that seem to coat every surface within 3 feet of the ground. Please don't look at my baseboards and walls too closely.

Now, I am a re-usable rag sorta gal. I like to re-use anything I can, but some messes require a handy stockpile of paper towels. I am not ashamed to admit that there are times I just don't have time to throw in one more load of rags. Ology has an alternative to traditional tree-paper options. Their paper towels are 100% tree free! Score one for the forrest, right? They are actually made out of renewable sugar husks and quick growing bamboo.

I thought they were soft on my hands and held up to scrubbing down my stove and counters quite nicely. I have also been keeping a roll right on the table since my 5-year old is going through an ultry klutzy phase. Liquids anywhere near arm's reach are sure to be upturned during dinnertime. These Ology Paper Towels quickly soak up the mess and we can get back to our meal.

I also tried out Ology's Laundry Liquid. I have mentioned before that my kids have sensitive skin and we are a fragrance free household. I am always on the look for new fragrance free options that won't break the bank. It just amazed me that the absence of dye and perfume usually costs more to buy. But, whether you go the Free and Clear route or try their lavender vanilla scent, it is all  using natural ingredients - nothing artificial.

I quietly switched out our usual detergent and tried the Ology brand. You know what? I didn't hear a single complaint.  Our laundry came out smelling clean - not unnatural from an artificial scent, and it also looked clean. Now, with a farming husband and three young children, that is amazing!

Safe for high efficiency washers, it worked well for us.

All these products are part of Walgreens Ology brand and are free of harmful chemicals and safe for you, your family and the environment. You can find these three products exclusively at Walgreens. And if you were curious about the packaging?  Every Ology bottle is created with 100% post consumer materials.

Yes, I love seeing a company create a product that consumers have been asking for. Now, if Ology products inspire you and your family to make positive changes in your home, be sure to submit an #OlogyPledge for a chance to win a $100 Walgreens gift card. Learn more about the Pledge to Create a Healthy Home Sweepstakes at  greenmomsmeet.com/ologypledge.

Well, my home may never be completely spotless and clean, but with the Ology products I can keep my family a healthy and happy family.... and my surfaces will definately boast a few less greasy fingerprints.

A Girls' Night In with Sally Hansen Nail Block Manicures

 *This post has been sponsored by Social Fabric and Sally Hansen. All opinions and experiences are my own. Full disclosure below.

I used to have all the latest shades for the season in nail polish. I loved experimenting with my nails and loved the fun splash of color they added to my wardrobe. Then I became a Mom.

During college I looked forward to my nail appointments. It was something fun I did just for me. I continued this into my working life after school. I looked forward to a new color, a simple design or even a good French Manicure. Then I became a Mom.

Now my cuticles are a little ragged. I tend to only wear hints of washable marker on my nails and I break my nails easily as I help my kids fix a toy or pry open a lid. *Sigh*. I am a Mom.

So what is a girl to do? #IHeartMyNailArt Well, with a little help from Sally Hansen and my local Walgreen's I decided to bite the bullet and jump on the most recent (and fun!) fashion trend of color block nail art. With little to no skills, and even less time I was going to grab some friends to see what fun we could have with our plain and abused nails.

Have you seen all the luscious Sally Hansen colors waiting for you at Walgreen's? I was impressed. I would love to own each and every one of them, but was sure I could grab enough to satisfy all my friends and their daughters for a Girls' Night In of pampering. I had requests for pinks, purples and lots of glitter. You can check out my entire Walgreen's shopping trip to see the complete selection at my store.

My shopping cart overflowed with everything I needed to throw a manicure party! From the base and top coat to assorted nail files and a whole range of Sally Hansen Extreme and Salon Effects polishes, 2/$5 w/ 1,000 points on the Walgreen's Balance Rewards Card (3/31-4/27).

If you have a local Walgreen's, I suggest downloading their app for your phone. I love the different services they offer, including the bar-code scanner, coupons as well as being able to keep my Balance Rewards Card right on my iPhone. I was able to rack up the rewards points during this visit with all the beauty supplies and munchies for the party.

For the party I whipped up some fun themed cupcakes with marshmallow polish bottles with tootsie roll lids or cotton ball mini marshmallows for the guests to enjoy and simple lemon or cucumber water for drinking.

Before the party I did a little research on color block nails. There seemed to be two main ways to achieve big blocks of fun vibrant colors, either you free hand it with the use of an item like the Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen to dry lines and then touch-up afterwards.

Or you can use tape, I tried washi tape I had already, to mark off areas and create lines of color.

We experimented with both methods and I think it was a personal preference. I had an easier time using the nail art pen on someone else's hand than my own, but I can get pretty shaky.

So here is my favorite method for achieving a great home manicure:

1. File and buff the nails, trim or push back cuticles.
2. Apply a little hand cream
3. Apply a base coat like Sally Hansen's Diamond Shine
4. Apply the base color, usually the lightest color you selected
5. Apply tape and paint the remaining areas. Block out where you want the base color to show through
6. Outline with the Nail Art Pen, if desired
7. Apply a top coat
8. Show off your creation!

We were hard at work creating out nail art, want to see some of the results we had? Here are our nail block art creations.

To cheer on our local collegiate sports team, the University of Oregon Ducks, here are the "Go Ducks!" nails. We also had...

...sophisticated and pretty purple nails,

...bright and fun nails the kids loved,

...as well as attention grabbing purple chevrons.

It was a great time to chat while our nails dried and remember that even Moms are allowed a little fun and sparkly nail polish. 

If you end up getting in the "blocking mood" or just love your nail art, share with Sally Hansen on Facebook. Find inspiration through suggestions like, Block Party or Sweet Stripes. You can also connect with Sally Hansen on Twitter and Walgreen's on Twitter.

How would you design your nails?

*Disclaimer - I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and COTY #cbias #SocialFabric. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Save with Walgreens Prescription Savings Club even if Insured! #rxsavingsclub #CBias

So, here's a personal question. What's in your medicine cabinet?

Ours is bursting.

There are enough odds and ends that we have a whole drawer devoted to just blood tests, a place for our daily vitamins and seasonal allergy medications in the actual bathroom medicine cabinet.

We are a healthy family of 4, but we have prescriptions for the kids' multivitamins, My prescription prenatal vitamins, assorted medicine for seasonal allergies (3 out of 4 of us are affected), and my children require special prescription medical beverages and blood testing supplies for their PKU. Whew!

It is a lot to be in charge of. We are insured and most of what we need is covered, but in the past we have experienced glitches in the system or found things that were excluded. When I heard about the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club, #rxsavingsclub,  I knew I needed to find out more.

If you think a prescription club might not be right for you because you are already insured, you might want to keep reading. What I discovered made me eager and excited to join the club. It can provide savings for my entire family and our pets even though we are currently insured.

It just so happened that our local stores currently have reader board messages posted about the program.
Before I set foot in the store though, I did a little research online. On the pharmacy page at Walgreens.com you can find more information about the cost, benefits of the club and even sign up right online. I was hooked when I saw the savings is guaranteed. How? Well, the average savings is over $170/yr, but if you don't save your membership cost, they'll give you the difference. 


Okay. I am willing to give it a try.

Our stores are relatively new in town and I started using them occasionally because the hours were much longer than any other pharmacy in town. I remember driving around with my husband after having my first C-section and not knowing who was open to fill my pain medication prescription.

Of course there is more to Walgreens than just the pharmacy, but it is usually what gets me in the door. I always grab a circular when I walk in. There are often great deals on vitamins and other non prescription items as well as make-up.

To sign up for the Prescription Savings Club I went back to the pharmacy to speak with a pharmacist. Signing up was simple. I added all four of us to the club and only needed names and birth dates. Sign up doesn't require insurance cards or information and was completed in less than 5 minutes. Family coverage only cost $35 for the year and now I feel better knowing we will have options if our insurance won't cover an unexpected new prescription.

I also wanted to let you know that this club covers pets prescriptions as well. We have both a cat and a dog, but I am not sure we would be comfortable having to pay a large prescription bill for either of them out of pocket. Our cat is older and this gives me another option.

One of my favorite parts of the club is that when I purchase Walgreens brand products, like the allergy medication we all use, I get a 10% bonus applied at check out.  There is also a 5-20% discount on most immunizations offered as a club member. That will come in handy around Flu season.

We left with a couple boxes of Band-Aids and our Prescription Savings Club membership information. You can view our entire shopping experience in my Google+ album.  Our card will arrive in the mail in 10-14 days, but our discounts started immediately. With receipts we can either go online or call to add our earned bonuses to the account until the card arrives.

When our current prescriptions are ready to be refilled I will call to make the switch over to our local Walgreens. Until then I won't see any savings but I did get another option in keeping our medical bills affordable. Check with your store since some areas even have incentives for switching pharmacies. Sadly, Oregon is not one of them.

You can also connect with Walgreens on Twitter or Facebook and find out more about the Prescription Savings Club online (bit.ly/rxsavingsclub) or in your local Walgreens pharmacy.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this program. Are you a member? What benefits sound best to you?

*Disclaimer- I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Walgreens. #CBias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own.