To Vaccinate or Not?

By now you have heard about the rise of the flu epidemic has become this winter. Either you caught it or someone you know has been suffering from it. Unfortunately, the flu hit our home & my son has been victim to it. I have never felt so helpless before. I can't do anything to make him feel better. He has bursts of moments when the fever is gone, his stomach pains have diminished and he's back to playing. Then in a quick turnaround, its all down hill. Its been a struggle with keeping him home from school. Hubby & I work full time jobs so we had to shift our work schedules on who can stay home with him. It's not how I wanted to use my personal days from work but its a sacrifice that all parents make for our kids.
If you ask yourself, "did he get a flu shot?" Well no, none of us have ever gotten the flu shot and we still won't get one in the future. I have never "believed" in the shot. My mom chose not to have us get it while growing up & I've never had it. Yes Andre got the flu but he's only 6. He's amongst germ infested classmates all day . As much as I can drain it in his head everyday about washing hands, he's a boy & he's just not into cleanliness right now. I can't run behind him every second of the day sanitizing him down. Its just not going to happen. Do I regret not getting Andre vaccinated? Absolutely not. I have known people that received the shot and still got flu like symptoms. I think as anything you can take preventative measures. That's what my family will do.

Here are some tips on how to avoid catching the flu from WebMd.

1. Achoo! Cover Your Mouth and Nose to Stop the Flu
It starts with a tickle, a prickle, an itch: Achoo! Cover up that sneeze to avoid spreading flu germs. Here's the latest tip on how to cover up the right way.

2. Prevent Flu: Soap Away Germs
Scrubbing germy hands is one of the top tips for preventing spread of the flu. So is a quick splash-and-dash all you need?

3. Don't Be Touchy: Keep Your Hands Off Your Face
Rubbing your eyes, nose, or mouth is a sure-fire way to get the flu. But how long are surfaces contagious?

4. Good Health Beats the Flu: The Power of Healthy Habits
When you're in good health, your immune system is stronger. So keep yourself in top health this flu season -- and throughout next year! Here are five healthy habits to get hooked on. 

These all seem like common day to day habits that we should all do but for a kid its just not that easy to remember. We can just try to instill these in them and hope they will keep these habits up as adults. So hopefully you can avoid the flu for the next month or so. If you believe in the shot, then get it now! Happy Winter!

PBR Takes on NYC

This past weekend, my family was given the opportunity to attend the PBR (Professional Bull Riding) event at MSG to kick off their season. At first we were a bit hesitant about going. We're city folks and don't know a thing about bull riding. But little did we know how country this BIG city really is!
We started the night off at  the VIP Garden party sponsored by Monster Energy. Their drinks were all over the place so you can try. They were delish & I have to admit it did give me a bit of a kick at the end of the night. I made sure to keep them away from my little guy! He definitely didn't need any more energy added to his excitement.
During the party, Supermodel Christy Teigen attended with her Grammy winning fiance John Legend. Vh1 was filming their Top 20 Countdown show so be sure to check it out this weekend! I was able to snag a picture of Andre with John Legend. Little does he know how famous he is, but they spoke about their fave Knick players which I thought was pretty down to earth for Mr. Legend to do.

After a few hours of partying, the competition was about to begin! The opening was a blast with pyrotechnics and fireworks. What a thrill already. Then the show began with its first rider out of the gate. It was amazing. We were literally on the edge of our seats counting those 8 seconds hoping the rider didn't fall.

The show was amazing. We totally went in blind not knowing a thing about bull riding. We definitely didn't realize how any Brazilian riders there are! The current back to back PBR Champion is Silvano Alves. He bought the house down with his ride.
To cap the fun time we were having, my husband was selected out of thousand attendees as Wranglers Worst Dressed for the night! LOL It was hysterical.

Disclosure: I was given tickets to attend opening night. No other compensation was received. Thank You Alan Miller PR for an amazing time!

1st Wordless Wednesday of the Year!

Christmas 2012

A New Year A New Start

Happy New Year! I hope everyone has a safe & blessed 2013. I took a mini vacation from blogging last month. With the holidays, work, Andre's school and life it self, I was feeling overwhelmed. I apologize not being around.
With the break, it gave me time to relax and try to enjoy the holidays. I really can't believe 2012 is behind us now. It felt like yesterday when I turned 40 in February. I remember dreading it as well as all my other friends who faced the same battle last year. We made it through & partied like rock stars. Now with my birthday coming up yet again in a few weeks, it just reminds me that time is truly a moving missile of life. There's no stop watch to pause or slow it down.
As I reflected on this past year, it brought back so many memories. As I turned 40, we also found out we were expecting. The joy & excitement quickly turned to sadness as we suddenly lost the baby. I still think about it till this day and I always will. The holidays brought some sadness to me knowing that we should've had a 3 month old celebrating with us. This year also had laughter & fun times as Andre graduated kindergarten and turned 6. We went on a family vacation to Paradise Island Bahamas for the first time. We had a road trip to Portland, Maine. I went on a all girls trip to Puerto Rico to celebrate my BFF's 40th birthday. There were so many others that I almost forgot it all happened.
Now with 2013 here, I have so many goals, not resolutions to accomplish. Resolutions just seem easier to break. I fell off track with Weight Watchers last year & I've promised myself to get back on that track. I'm going to start hitting the gym with hubby and aim for a healthier me. I want to become more organized and spend more time with my friends, which I hardly ever see anymore. I literally saw one of my dearest friends in a "drive by" when she stopped by my office for 10 minutes. That was the first time I saw her since February. Now that is just horrible. More time with my husband. We are both so busy & tired after work that we don't take advantage of date nights. We were able to go out last month a few times thanks to my mom babysitting and it was so much fun. I miss those days.
I put up the Oprah quote to remind myself that I have to work at achieving all these goals & more. If you don't work at it, then you're not giving yourself a chance for improvement.
So I make a goal to also commit more to you, my readers. I want to post more & do more for you. I know my blog has been lack luster lately which has been disappointing me. I want to make it better.
Have a great year everyone. Even if you don't make resolutions, make goals for yourselves. We can support each other.

Thanks as always

Denise