November giveaway: Stonyfield prize package
We love Stonyfield organic yogurt and milk so much that we want to share the love with you. We are giving away 3 Stonyfield prize packages during the month of November. Stay tuned….you could be using Stonyfield coupons, wearing a Stonyfield organic cotton t-shirt, cooking with a wood handled spatula, using the reusable shopping bag, and reading the “Going Greener Guidebook” really soon.
- Mama
Stater Bros gives free antiboitics
The Stater Bros grocery chain will give away a free refill or a 14-day supply of generic antibiotics to customers, with or without insurance, who present a prescription at one of their Southern California pharmacies.
The free antibiotics are:
– Amoxil (generic)
– Ampicillin
– Ciprofloxacin (Generic for Cipro)
– Doxycycline
– Erythromycin
– Penicillin
– Trimeth/sulfa (Generic for Septra or Bactrim)
– Tetracycline
Stater Bros also offers 300 medications that are just $4 for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply.
Good job Stater Bros! You’ve earned a gold star.
- Mama
Surprise from Rug Doctor: free rental for Southern Californians affected by fires
I love free stuff. I love free stuff even more when a warm fuzzy feeling is attached to it. Today I saw an ad for a FREE 24-hour rental of a Rug Doctor machine for individuals affected by California Wild Fires. My first thought was whether the service was really free. “Free” as in free with no strings attached.
I did a little more research (I love doing research) and discovered that it is really free.
From the Rug Doctor Website
Fire Relief Station: To help our friends and neighbors in Southern California cope with this season’s devastating wildfires, Rug Doctor is offering free 24-hour rentals at participating retailers in northern Los Angeles County (see list). Now everyone can help rid their carpet of the soot and smokey smell that can linger long after the fires are out.
The Fire Relief Station program lasts from September 20 to October 4, 2009. For more information, visit their website or call their toll free number 1-800-RUGDOCTOR
I am proud of Rug Doctor!
Great Job! Keep up the good work.
- Mama
Mama is giving away books
MamasHealth.com would like to give a very special thanks to our friends at Hachette Book Group USA and Stonyfield Farm for their support of our ongoing contests.
To enter the contest, click on the book you want to win.
Good Luck!
- Mama
Smiles: Mama’s cheap fun
As the economy shakes, rattles, and rolls through the current turmoil, we are all looking for deals, freebies, and inexpensive sources of fun. The 4th of July weekend was no exception. My cheap fun involved trying to get strangers to smile at me.
While sitting outside a Cafe with a dear friend, we decided to play the smile game. The object of the game is to see how many strangers will smile at us if we smile at them first. I tidied my hair, freshened my face, and put on my best smile. Most people I smiled at seemed a bit surprised. The surprised strangers quickly looked away and then looked back at me (but did not smile). Some people smiled. Others turned their head and pretended that they didn’t see me. One passerby smiled and nodded his head like a southern gentleman. Another guy just stared at me as he walked by. It was quite amusing really.
After playing the smile game for 20 minutes, I decided to change my game plan. Instead of smiling, I made eye contact and raised my eyebrows. To my surprise, the raised eyebrows technique received more smiles than the original smile technique.
Why were people more likely to smile at me when I raised my eyebrows?
- Mama
Hot Fun In The Summertime
The first big weekend of summer is here. Memorial Day was just a dress rehearsal and Father’s Day was opening night. By now you should be operating the grill like Bobby Flay and chugging ice cold water as if there was no tomorrow. After the last sparkler has dimmed and the smell of gunpowder has faded, it’s vacation time.
What? The Recession? Oh yes, I understand, we might not be able to vacation like it’s 1999, but we sure can “staycation” like it’s 2009. Aunt B is doing it. You can too.
I honestly think the “staycation” was invented by a single-mom, we call it go-somewhere-local-and-make-it-seem-like-we’ve-been-somewhere, urban hipsters call it a “staycation.” Go figure.
It takes some planning, keeping in mind that you want to do something that you wouldn’t ordinarily do. That means you don’t use this time to clean the garage or put up shelves.
The Tween-let and I have done a few of these and she still talks about the experience. Remember it’s about quality time, and you also get to think about how good you’re being to the environment.
- Behind the scenes tours – We’ve visited a police station, a fire station, The LA Times and the local 9-1-1 dispatch center. All for free.
- Local museums – Museums often have one day they let the public in for free.
- The Zoo
- Fruit Picking
- Train Ride
- Aquariums
- Beach/Swimming
- Backyard Camping
- Game Night/Potluck
July is National Parks and Recreation Month, now is a good time to explore you local parks, there’s something very soothing about being in nature. There are lots of parks that offer nature hikes too. Also, I think picnics turn ordinary meals into something special, so grab a blanket and some friends and head out to the park.
Let me know how your “staycation” works out. I’d love to hear from you!
- Aunt B
Buy one shoe, give one free
I love TOMS. Why? Because for every T-shirt or shoe you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need.
In 2006 an American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created a company that would match every pair of shoes sold with a pair given to a child in need.
Good job TOMS! Mama is proud of you
- Mama
Chocolate Relief
Mars is giving away free chocolate candy bars…
Excerpt from RealChocolate.com
“Times are tough and we at Mars want to help. How, you ask? Every Friday through September,
Mars will give away FREE* real chocolate to 250,000 people. That means you can enjoy your favorite Mars candy brands?M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, 3 MUSKETEERS®, MILKY WAY® and DOVE®? for free*!”
A partial list of companies who gave away free stuff this year:
- Denny’s (Grand Slam Breakfast)
- IHOP (short stack of pancakes)
- Ben and Jerry’s (scoop of ice cream)
- Baskin Robbins (scoop of ice cream)
- KFC (grilled chicken meal)
- El Pollo Loco (chicken meal)
- Subway (sandwich)
- Quiznos (sandwich)
- Krispy Kreme (doughnuts)
- Starbucks (coffee)
- The Coffee Bean (iced coffee)
- Jamba Juice (breakfast smoothie)
- Jack in the box (tacos)
- McDonald’s (coffee)
- Walgreens (treatment to unemployed and uninsured consumers at its in-store clinics throughout 2009)
- Chipotle (burrito)
- Pfizer (medications to unemployed and uninsured)
- Disneyland (admission on your birthday)
Most of the Free Food is not very healthy…pancakes, ice cream, and dough nuts, that sounds like a bad stomach ache to me. Although I do applaud Pfizer and Walgreens for their free health-related promotions.
Let’s hope some of the companies that produce health food (Luna Bars, Cliff Bars, Morning Star, Boca Burgers, Van’s Waffles, Kashi), fresh produce (Dole, Fresh Express, Del Monte), and drug makers (Amgen and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, Inc., Abbott and Astellas Pharma US, Inc) will step up to the plate and offer some free healthy alternatives.
Health food, drug makers, and fresh produce companies, make Mama proud!
Mama sweetens the offer: if a company gives emails me and tells me about their free health related promotion, I’ll promote it on MamasHealth.com
- Mama
