Florastor Kids Giveaway

This week, I'll be traveling from my safe little country home town to the metroplolis that is Houston. Why, you may ask? Well, for my son's annual school trip. It's our first year in school, so we're all really excited! We'll be staying in a hotel, visiting countless museums, the Johnson Space Center, and riding on public transportation. Can you say GERM CITY? Yikes.


Since moving from Houston to a city with a population of 387, I've become a bit of a germaphobe. We just don't have city germs out here in the sticks. Sure, we have germs, but they are mild and few and far between. My son's elementary school has 18 students and he hasn't missed a day of school this year due to illness. Yet.


My biggest worry for this trip is that my kids will pick up a virus. Sure, we deal with cold viruses and that dreaded runny nose just like any family with little kids, but the virus I'm worried about is the stomach virus. AKA the Rotavirus and Norovirus. Yeah, you know 'em. You've dealt with them and so have we. So what can you do to help your children once they've picked up one of those dreaded stomach viruses? Well, I'm glad you asked!

MomSelect was nice enough to send me a box of Florastor Kids to keep on hand and try in the event that one of my kids came down with the stomach flu. FloratorKids is a probioctic powder that you add to your childs drink (or food). It's used at the onset of the dreaded stomach bug and is supposed to help get things 'back to normal' in a more timely fashion.


What exactly is it?

Florastor® Kids is a clinically-tested, natural, yeast-based probiotic that aids
in the growth of good microbiota in the intestines, while destroying and
removing pathogenic (bad or disease-causing) microbiota to help maintain or
restore optimal intestinal health. Unique because it can be safely given to
babies and children from the age of two months, Florastor® Kids is a
great-tasting powder that can be dissolved in beverages, including infant
formula, or soft foods, such as applesauce.

Dr. James Sears, board-certified pediatrician, author and co-host of the CBS-TV show “The Doctors,” has recommended Florastor Kids to patients for years, first of all because he’s seen its efficacy in pediatric diarrhea, and because it’s backed by scientific studies.

You can also give your child Florastor Kids 4 days before travel to help avoid the dreaded travelers diarrhea.

I'll be taking my Florastor Kids with me on our trip to Houston in the event that one of my kids comes down with diarrhea. Hopefully we won't need it, but if we do, I'll be glad to try it and see if all of the claims are accurate!

Sadly, my 17 month, Mia, started running a fever today and I'm hoping it's cleared up by morning so we can leave as planned :( Cross your fingers for me, K?

MomSelect also sent a box of Florastor Kids (valued at $21.95) for me to giveaway to one of my readers! It comes with a book titled The Budding Boolees and the Department of Intestinal Defense as well as a plush Budding Boolee toy.

If you'd like to be entered to win, leave a comment tellling me about your worst traveling related illness! For an extra entry, tweet about this giveaway and come back and leave another commented to let me know!

Enter to win until Saturday, May 16th @ 11:59 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Open to US readers only!

Weightloss, trip recap, and illness

As I type this, I'm laying on the couch. Flat. It's hard to type, but I'll manage a few words :)

Today is weigh-in at the Sisterhood! I stayed the same as last week: 154. That's truly amazing to me since I was in Indiana visiting Beth and I ate and drank a few things I shouldn't have!!

Mia was struck by a nasty stomach virus on Sunday. N-A-S-T-Y! We boarded our flight home on Monday, and by the time we arrived in San Antonio 2.5 hours later, I was covered in puke. COVERED. It wasn't pretty.at.all.

I managed to wrangle both kids and our luggage into the truck and then BJ start screaming that he needs to go potty. Thank goodness is was only #1! So I totally let him pee in the parking garage. Don't worry, he was in between vehicles with the doors opened creating a privacy screen. He was very exciting though and also careful not to pee on the neighboring car or on himself. Boys can be very silly with their pee. Just sayin'.

So after a two hour drive, we arrived home at 11:30 p.m. I was still covered in puke and the smell was starting to get pretty rank. I grabbed both kids from the truck, tossed them in bed, and changed clothes. And then I went to bed.

Mia continued to puke and whatnot yesterday and I was getting worried because she had not eaten since Sunday a.m., so I took her to the doctor. He basically told me to continue nursing her even if she promptly puked it up. She would get something from it and it would keep her hydrated. She's getting better and only puked twice today. I, on the other hand, woke up with the funny feeling in my tummy, and I'll spare you the details, but there's been lots of running today. LOTS.

Keep your fingers crossed that BJ doesn't get it. Or Brian when he's home this weekend.

So I had a wonderful trip to Indiana. The snow was amazing. Hanging out with Beth and Brian was so much fun. The kids got along great. Everyone slept when they were supposed to. I got to hang out with several of my favorite blogger friends and even meet a new friend, Erin, who is so cool with her Bobbi Brown makeup in her hot little train case. And I drank a little too much that night and made snow angels, that's a story for another time! Luckily there were no witnesses....

Traveling bugs

Yesterday, I had plans to write a nice post about my New Year's goals and reflect back on the year past, but frankly, I was too busy having fun at my friends Lisa's house. Oh, and then last night I was hit by a nasty stomach issue. Not sure whether it's a virus or food poisoning. Trust me, it was intense and not the way I wanted to spend the evening of the first day of the new year. Nope. And then BJ came down with some mystery cold-like bug and it still pretty yucky.

Today I'm feeling fine. A little tired, but no lingering symptoms. Not that I had an symptoms last night, really. There were none. But I digress.

We're about to start packing up the family truckster for a quick weekend trip to Houston before we head back home to Leakey. Let's just hope that the rest of our family can maintain their health for the trip. No stomach issues for the kids! PLEASE!

To wrap up the week, we had a wonderful time visiting Lisa's house. She and I have discussed it many times throughout the week and we've both come to the conclusion this is the best visit we've ever had. The older kids got along amazingly. No whining or tattling, etc. Sam is now old enough to hang with the big kids and they accept him, but he's also Mia's hero, so he enjoys hanging out with her as well. And Little Anthony, well, he's just perfect in every way! That sweet boy is almost as big as Mia. No lie. I think there may be a couple of ounces separating them, if that. It's so funny.

Lisa and I got a record number of scrapbooks/pages done this week as well. I was able to complete a last minute gift album and almost catch up on Mia's baby album as well as start my 2008 album. Lisa finished a couple too. Very productive.

So look for that deep and meaningful post from me sometime next week. After we get home from our weeklong trip and get settled back in to our regularly scheduled programming.

p.s. Go over and wish Lisa and Daddy Mo' a happy anniversary today. It's been 10 great years for them!!!! TEN! Wow!

Smilin' through the snot

Lovey, my dear sweet, Lovey has come down with croup. Croup?, your saying. Yes, that lovely, wonderful barking croup. And I can hear you mumbling, "Aren't you supposed to leave for Indiana, like tomorrow?" Why yes I am! Luckily, we took a quick trip to Lisa's pediatrician yesterday and discovered that it's only a very minor case and she'll be fine to fly. Thank goodness.

Did I mention that my worst nightmare about this trip has been that one of my kids would get sick and we wouldn't be able to go. My kids are never sick, but if they were to get sick, this would be the time. Of course. And my nightmare got even worse after I booked our non-refundable, non-changeable tickets. Why would I book tickets of that sort? Because they were insanely cheap and to upgrade them to refundable/changeable tickets cost 2 arms and a leg. I happen to like my appendages.

So now Lovey's just got a runny faucet for a nose and little cough at night. No big deal. She's as happy and smiley and, well Lovey, as always. And she's so excited about meeting Beth. For real. She told me last night. BJ is also beside himself with glee. Planes, new friends, new places. All good stuff in his book.

Tomorrow morning we'll be leaving our favorite second home and going to reunite with old friends and make lots of new ones. I cannot wait.