Ugly Stretch Marks, Help!

Is there anything more unflattering than stretch marks?  Worse, just about every one has a stretch mark or a few somewhere on the body, and goes to considerable lengths to cover the unsightly marks.  This post will confront squarely the issue of stretch marks, what they are, and how to get rid of them.

Stretch marks (striae) are scars that develop when skin undergoes continual or rapid changes usually related to hormonal flux.  For instance, puberty is typically a time when hormones are in flux and bodies are experiencing growth spurts.  During the time of puberty, it is common to discover a stretch mark or two on the thighs, hips, breast, and buttocks. Another time many women develop abdominal stretch marks is during pregnancy when the skin is stretching to accommodate the little one growing inside.  In addition to growth spurts and pregnancy-related changes, stretch marks can appear because of a medical condition such as Cushing’s disease.  No one is immune to stretch marks, and the ugly scars occur regardless of race, age, and sex; however, they do tend to occur more frequently in women.

Since, it is known why stretch marks appear, are they reversible? Fortunately, there is treatment options with most focused on topical creams.  Before starting any treatment, it is important to consult your health care provider because although stretch marks are common, there exist the possibility of stretch marks occurring because of a medical diagnosis such as Cushing’s disease.  Best stretch mark creams can range from products with natural ingredients to those, which contain more powerful retinoid products. In addition to topical creams, dermatologists have seen improvement of stretch marks with laser treatments. 

When considering to seek treatments for your stretch marks, it is important to do research to discover what methods are available and as always, before starting any treatment regimen contact your health care provider to determine if your chosen method of treatment is right for your.

We know one good thing about stretch marks, they appear to fade and become less visible with time.

Smart and Healthy Grocery Shopping

At the grocery store, it is tempting to focus on special deals such as buy one get one free cereal deals. These deals can distract you from buying products based on their nutritional benefits for yourself and your family. It is important to save money on weekly shopping trips without sacrificing the health of your family. Make smarter grocery shopping choices by following these tips.

Try to spend more time shopping for fresh products and buy only minimal purchases from the dry food aisles and frozen food sections of the store. Buy fresh by focusing on shopping in the produce department and the meat department. If it would help, create a grocery list that starts with visiting the produce aisle.  In general, you will also want to skip the deli department because many of the foods that you could buy in this area are processed just like dry foods and frozen foods.

Plan your meals. For example, buy enough fresh meat, not frozen, by counting the number of dinners that you need to cook for the week, and then buy meat accordingly. In addition, if you need to, buy larger packages and cuts of meat and then split them up into smaller portions and freeze for later in the week.

Also, try to buy organic as much as your budget will allow.  Organic fresh fruits and vegetables are not just empty calorie products like lettuce and cabbage; they are also potatoes, carrots, apples, oranges, bananas, beets, onions, peppers, and so forth.

My Top Ten Freebies - Tuesday 1/17/12

Today is Top Ten Tuesday Freebies.  Just as last week, I searched online yesterday and today to find a crap load of freebies.  There are literally hundreds of freebies and samples just for the taking everyday.  Because it would be near impossible to list each one, I am listing the top ten of my haul here, for you. Please browse below and click on the items that interest you.  Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event, so check in again next week for more.

Grab Your Choice of Free Splenda Essentials Sweetener Samples

Curves  - Get your FREE one-week guest pass today!

Join the IKEA Family Program for Free Items In-Stores

Free Kindle Download -Naturally Skinny: 100 Organic Recipes

Grab Free Neo-Energy and Neo-Carb Bloc Sample Packs

Panda Express -Free Firecracker Chicken with Coupon on 1/23 Only

Get a Free 7-Day Sample of Lancome Genefique & Visionnaire

Send an Email for a Free Align Probiotic Supplement Sample

Nescafe Taster’s Choice - 6 Free Flavor Samples

Join & Get a Free Medium Beverage from Dunkin Donuts

Thank you for visiting and don't forget to take a peek at what coupons will be in the Sunday newspaper coupon inserts. Sunday Coupons Preview

Mad Bananas December 2011

Mad Bananas December 2011

If you happened to catch the “Mad Money” post last month, then you know that Our Banana Moments decided to monetize. Below is how much cash Our Banana Moments raked in last month after trying out a variety of monetizing methods.

Mad Bananas: December 2011

	Escalate Network	$164.31
	Google Adsense	$14.74
	Sponsored Tweets	$4.55
	My Savings Media	$0.00
	Sponsored Reviews	$0.00
	LinkShare	$0.00
	Commission Junction	$0.00
	Brandcaster	$0.00
	Swagbucks	$0.00
	Amazon	$0.00
	Total Bananas in the basket	$183.60

As you have probably noticed, there will be no first class round the world tour in the foreseeable future; however, it was fun and challenging, but, make no mistake, it is not as easy as it may seem.  Additionally, I noticed that figuring out how various methods work, I started neglecting my writing. I hope that January will find that Our Banana Moments makes a few more pennies while having a whole lot of fun.

I look forward to how many bananas will be collected this month.  Please, if you have any tips, I am open, just respond to this post or email me at followthebanana@ourbananamoments.com 

 

Raisin Bran Muffins

Raisin Bran Muffins Recipe

This is the easiest muffin mix ever!  If you are thinking that the recipe is so easy that the muffins taste like cardboard, you are wrong.  With or without a little butter, these muffins are moist and are a delight to eat while sipping a nice cup of hazelnut coffee.

4-cups of Raisin Bran Mix

1-Egg

1-Cup of water

Pre-heat your oven to 400^o.  Grease (or use cooking spray) muffin cups.

Place the muffin mix in a bowl.  Beat the egg and water; stir into mix just until moistened.

Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 (two-thirds) full.

Bake at 400^o for 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

This fast and easy treat makes one batch of 12 muffins that can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Don't forget to preview the upcoming Sunday paper coupon inserts.

My Top Ten Freebies: Tuesday 1/10/2012

Today I was struck with the urge to scour the net looking to see what I could find free.  I was shocked at the sheer numbers of manufacturers offering full or sample sized products.  Rather than sitting on my newly found goldmine of free goodies, below is what I considered the top 10 of the day.  I hope that you are able to find a few, if not all, worthy of a click.

Free Short Stack at IHOP – National Pancake Day is 2/28/12

Send for a free sample of Swerve ALL-Natural Sweetener

Free Sample of Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Hair care

Free 12-ct Box of Green Mountain Cafe Express Hot Cocoa K-Cups

Eucerin Calming Itch Relief Lotion - Free Sample

Secure a Free Shout Color Catcher Sample

L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream – Free with coupon

$250 in Free Gifts from Enfamil

Waffle House - Free Coffee with Coupon

Request a Free Beech-Nut Stage 4 Toddler Kit

Meal Planning: Healthy & Friendly

You may not realize how many food allergies can affect the health of you and your kids. For example, you may have dairy in your diet and it might be causing your body to produce extra mucous, which can then aggravate your sinuses and/or respiratory allergy complaints.  Avoid these with proper meal planning.

When planning a special family meal with invited guests or just menu planning for the kids, it is suggested to make it as healthy as possible. You can plan meals in such a way as to minimize the impact of the meal on the guests’ health, including your own kids, with these tips.

1.      Avoid putting dairy products in the meal. For example, dairy aggravates some people’s food allergies and/or stomach and intestinal complaints. It can also be hard to digest some meals if you use a lot of cheeses or steak.  

2.      If you know about people’s seafood tastes, you can serve up a healthy meal using shrimp, white fish, or even tuna. For example, you might serve up tilapia, which is budget-friendly too, and cook it in an olive oil sauce with garlic.

3.      Use fruit in your dessert plan. Some guests may have diabetes or other diet considerations. If you use fresh fruit, not frozen, canned, or processed, you can whip up something light such as a fruit salad or a fruit topping for a sugar-free cake, and everyone can enjoy it. Hint: A dessert pastry mix should not have dairy products if you are using tip #1.

Budgeting Your Monthly Expenses

Budgeting your monthly expenses by categories is a surefire way to ensure that you will save money in the long run. Let’s talk about exactly what this means. In your household budget, you should have a list of categories. They might be set up on a spreadsheet or on a piece of lined paper.

At the top of the list of categories are the most essential payments that must be made every month. For example, you can place your mortgage payment, rent, groceries, insurance, daycare, and utilities at the top of the list. Underneath these major recurring expenses, you will have spots for other expenses that recur every month. These are secondary expenses that could be cut if you had a sudden change in income, such as a job loss or a reduction in work hours at your job. Examples of secondary expenses are a gym membership, a cell phone plan, a cable bill, and extracurricular activities for the kids.

At the bottom of all of these expenses are discretionary spending categories where you have some flexibility. You don’t have to take the kids to the Chuck E. Cheese every week and spend $30, and you don’t have to send the kids on every field trip with the Cub Scouts or the dance team. Also, sometimes the kids can take their lunch instead of buying school lunch. What you have to do is prioritize so that you have discretionary cash available when needed.