If you read my blog regularly, then you know I don't usually make FYI posts. In this case, I think that psoriasis is such a common condition and unfortunately too many people just take whatever medications are prescribed to them without even a question. So if you take the drug Raptiva or know someone who does, it can only help you to be aware of possible risks.
According to this article about Raptiva PML (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy), it is a viral infection of the brain that is rare but deadly. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty scary to me. This infection is most common with people who suffer from certain medical problems who also take this drug. For more information, visit http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=32883&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.raptivapml.com.
More possible Raptiva side effects are increased risk of other serious infections such as meningitis and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. Anyhow the point of this post is to remind you to stay informed and ask questions. You may read many different studies favoring both sides, but remember to consider the source. You can also ask your doctor or pharmacist about recommending alternative medications. Some doctors today may even have homeopathic treatments to suggest. You never know until you ask.
It is time to draw the 3 winners of the Honey Kix Prize Packs! I will do this with the help of my handy Random.org widget. And the winners are . . .
I seriously never thought it would be so hard to find a sterling silver Hello Kitty pendant for my daughter. Everything that I've come across online or even on Ebay has not been for children. The one simple silver one I found was sold by someone who had horrible feedback. I've learned from past experience that I shouldn't risk it. Anyone else have any ideas that would be cute if my Hello Kitty search ends in failure?
Several months ago, I inadvertently bent my husband's glasses (while they were on his head *cough*). Well, since we had spent an arm and a leg on those glasses at a local mall store, we were not very eager to get rid of them. So my poor husband straightened them out as best he could and just kept wearing them all these months.
When I had the opportunity to review the EyeBuyDirect website plus a pair of eyeglasses, I just had let my husband be the one to select a new pair. Out of the vast selection available, the frames he selected were The Saint.
(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)
Good luck in the drawing!
First of all, I would like to apologize for my blog having been misbehaving the past few days. Every comment left was received even though you may have gotten a message saying "Blog not found." Now it's time to draw the number for the lucky winner of one pair of Stride Rite shoes of their choice.
Recently, Jake and I were invited to try out a new online math game for children grades K-2 called Dreambox Learning. This game has been featured in the New York Times and USA Today, so I was eager to have my 5yr old try his hand at it. After you read my thoughts on this game, you are cordially invited to sign up for a 14-day free trial for Dreambox Learning.
Here is what I like about Dreambox Learning:
1) It starts off with an activity that actually measures what level the game will start your child on.
2) The child can choose from many different characters to play.
3) While registering, the password is not a series of letters or numbers, the child only needs to pick a graphic. The next time they sign in, they only need to select the correct graphic to login successfully.
4) The instructions for the game are easy to understand and are given verbally, so there are no road blocks if your child has not mastered the art of reading yet.
5) The games are engaging and challenging. Each level targets a particular skill.
6) Dreambox Learning tracks your child's progress and emails progress reports to the parents. Here is a sample of one of the emails I have received . . .
"Congratulations! Jake successfully completed a group of DreamBox Learning lessons. In this group of lessons Jake learned to build amounts up to 10 making use of parts in relation to the whole amount. The counters available for his use were arranged in chunks of 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10. As the lessons progressed Jake was encouraged to make use of the larger chunks, in particular the group of five. "
8) Once your child has reached a milestone, there is a certificate of achievement you can print out and present to him or her.
9) Each account can hold 4 different characters, so this would work out great for any household with more than one child.
One thing I absolutely encourage is not to allow your child to play on his or her own for too long. Since this game becomes increasingly difficult, it is easy for a child to become discouraged. I found that if I help Jake with the first few trials of a new level, that he can catch on and become more confident as the level progresses. Then he is ready to continue unassisted for awhile. Dreambox has a guide for when you should and should not offer help to your child because you want the child to attempt using their skills of logic to figure things out for themselves first. The game is also tracking your child's progress, so if he or she is getting too much help, then the activities will become more difficult too quickly.
If you would like to learn more about Dreambox Learning, there are 5 Dreambox Learning videos available for viewing.
(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)
Good luck in the drawing!
Since I spend so much time blogging, I thought it would be nice to create a blog for my son. Yes, he is only 5, but he will be closely supervised. All the comments come to my email. Since he only knows how to spell a handful of words, he mainly just dictates to me and I type. He also thinks of things he would like to show in photos, like his artwork for example, and I help him post those as well. I think this would do a great deal to develop his storytelling skills, his spelling, and his reading abilities.
He decided on his own to name his blog Hi 'n' Welcome. He is so enthusiastic about posting, he made five posts on the first day. I am so happy that he can share this part of my life because I don't really know any other bloggers in real life.
If any of you have younger children who have blogs and would like Jake to visit, just let me know and I will add the link to his blog list.
I am in the middle of making a transition to the domain name www.3Garnets2Sapphires.com. I apologize in advance if any part of my blog is behaving oddly. My other blog transitioned in less than a day, so hopefully this one will too. Thanks in advance for your patience.
"Tale of a Princess & Her Spatula"
"13 Going On 2"
"Cooper Mini or Mini Cooper?"
"Cheeky Princess"
"Self-Love"
I almost had nothing to post for Sunday Smile this week again, but then I received this email from a friend of mine. Thanks for the save Christine!
Sorry I'm pulling the winner for the Pledge Fabric Sweeper giveaway so late in the day. Everyone else seemed to have other ideas for what I should be doing with my time, especially my children. So here we go . . .
About a week ago, the nice UPS man dropped off a box at my door. Inside this box were three pairs of Stride Rite shoes . . . one for each of my monkeys. I have never seen such an uproar. Even my husband was excited. Can you tell that we were already fans of Stride Rite?
(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)
Good luck in the drawing!
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