Sweet on your feet - The Ryka MC2 Walk

I can't remember who it was one time that told me they weren't built for speed, but to go slow and steady. Well, that's me.

I've done a few 10K races - running part and walking part. Honestly, the running is kind of like torture. Unlike some of my friends who love to run, I'd just as soon skip that part. I'm like the Little Engine that Could - I just chug along.

A few months ago, I got an email from Parent Bloggers Network asking if I'd be interested in reviewing some fitness gear. Little did I know what little gem would be showing up on my doorstep - some awesome shoes from Ryka.

Behold, the mighty MC2 Walk. Ain't it purty?





















Ryka makes all of their gear specifically for women. And while I've always been kind of a shoe snob - mostly due to design issues and my pesky achilles tendon that seems to rub on 99.9% of the shoes that I try - I was eager to try the MC2 Walk. I already had a few of their shirts that I loved, so why wouldn't I love the shoes too?

Well, I have to admit that at first I put them on...and I didn't like them so much. I believe the predominant thought running through my head was OUCH. So I wore them around the house a few hours and - well - I started to like them. Really like them. Like skipping around the house like them. Like finally having to take them off because athletic shoes don't really go with my pajamas. That's how much I liked them.

It does take a little getting used to if you're used to either running shoes or cross-trainers like I am - the fit is definitely snugger but it gives great support. The MC2 Walk fits your heel so you don't get that pesky slippage - which would probably help women with narrow heels that have such a hard time finding athletic shoes that fit. Ryka calls that "True Motion Control" - and they really deliver. It offers great stability, especially when walking outside where they handle rough sidewalks and uneven pavement like a champ.

As I mentioned earlier, one of my biggest problems with athletic shoes is that my achilles tendon tends to rub on most athetic shoes out there. The MC2 Walk's upper heel isn't cut down as low as my old shoes, but I found that as long as I wore good quality socks that weren't cut too low that I didn't have that problem. The only time I had an issue with the MC2 Walk rubbing my heel was when I stupidly put on a pair of extra-low cut socks - and it wasn't the shoe that left a teeny blister, it was the elastic on the sock. Color me happy! I had one pair of the "swoosh" shoes that I ended up giving away because no matter what I did, the stupid things rubbed my heels raw.

Overall, I was very pleased with my MC2 Walk shoes - inside on the treadmill, outside on the street, and running errands, they held up to the abuse that I regularly dish out to my footwear. I'm hoping that once I run these into the ground, I'll find a different model of Ryka shoes to try since they have a really good selection for walking and running.

Now through the end of October, register with Ryka's Good for Your Sole campaign and you have the chance of winning some awesome gear - Ryka is giving away 50 pairs of shoes and 50 performance tees every single day plus they are donating one pair of shoes for every pair given away to the Women's Sports Foundation for distribution across the country to women in health and wellness programs. How cool is that?

Finally, some alternatives - The 24-Hour Pharmacist

Two years ago when I shed almost 50 pounds, I started a new lifestyle of trying to take better care of myself. Yes, I became the dreaded "hi-may" type of person obsessed with exercise and looking and feeling better about myself. I've done the dreaded cleansing diets, I've popped vitamins, I've rubbed lotions and potions all over. And despite all of that, I'm always looking for the next best thing.

Enter The 24-Hour Pharmacist by Suzy Cohen, R.Ph. Ms. Cohen is the author of the syndicated column "Dear Pharmacist" and has compiled this incredible reference book focusing on personal health and well-being. Divided into sections - Above the Waist, Above the Neck, Below the Waist, And Everything In Between, it focuses on health issues like fatigue, insomnia, depression, libido, arthritis, and a multitude of other topics.

I immediately dove in and found a multitude of topics that I've dealt with over the years like cervical dysplasia, antibiotic overusage, weight loss, and skin revitalization. What I liked most about the book is not only does she discuss prescription drugs, but also non-prescription remedies that range from vitamins to "Suzy's Secrets from Behind the Counter" which are basically home remedies - for example, drinking rosemary tea to combat dandruff or seborrhea. She also includes warnings for drug interactions as well as consulting your physician when necessary. It's very, very thorough.

The book also contains a feature called "Finding Your Dream Doctor" which lists professional organizations that can refer you to a good doctor that meets your needs. Also, an extensive list of "drug muggers" which are medicines that rob you of essential nutrients from your body or cause other side effects like muscle pain or interfere with your sex drive. The book is capped off with a jam-packed Resources section that includes a recommended reading list, recommended CD's and DVD's, cosmetic and skin care resources, food resources, labs and testings, organizations, and a myriad of other useful resources.

Of course, you should consult your physician before taking any supplements, herbs, vitamins, or treatments - but The 24-Hour Pharmacist provides a healthy dose of alternative treatments that are worth discussing with your physician. There were so many little tidbits in the book that I had no idea about (like the symptoms of having low acid are amazingly similar to the symptoms of excess stomach acid that many times it is misdiagnosed) that it really opened my eyes to not always taking things at face value and exploring alternative treatments.

The 24-Hour Pharmacist is a great resource to keep on hand to tackle a myriad of problems. This book is available on either Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Want to win a $50 gift card to CVS? Stop on by Parent Bloggers and leave a comment on the kickoff post or the mid-campaign post in order to be entered for a chance to win! Then you can buy some of the cool stuff in the book!

CleanWell - Disney Survival Guide

Normally I don't plan on updating any of these product reviews, but we had two things happen at Disney World that I felt like I should share.

First, Monkey Man took a header on the sidewalk and scraped the ever living crap out of his knees. CleanWell to the rescue! I sprayed both knees and cleaned all the dirt out, the best part being that it didn't sting at all. Both knees ended up having no visible scabbing or anything, but more than just aesthetic reasons I was relieved to have something so handy to clean him up with that didn't make him howl in pain even worse than he did on the fall.

Then, on our last day, we were in the ladies' restroom right inside the gates of Epcot and apparently someone had spilled water all over the floor making it super slippery. And of course, Monkey Man slipped and fell right on that nasty bathroom floor in all that water and dirt and who knows what else. Again, CleanWell was there to save the day! I grabbed handfulls of paper towels and adjourned to a bench outside of the restroom, where I liberally sprayed it all over him and then wiped him down with towels. He was as good as new in minutes and I wasn't scared to death that he'd come down with ebola or something like that.

So that's it in a nutshell. CleanWell is great for disaster recovery as well as regular hand cleaning. Thumbs up again from me!

CleanWell - Germs begone!

When ParentBloggers contacted me about reviewing this product, I was skeptical. Alcohol-free hand sanitizer - bah! What good was this going to be?

Then I checked out their website. I was intrigued. This product was inspired by a child with an immune system disorder. If you're familiar with the story of my family, you know that Monkey Man was tested early on in life due to multiple illnesses to see if he had such a disorder. Luckily for us, he didn't. He is within the "normal" range, but seriously - he is ROCK BOTTOM.

Having a kid like this makes me the hand-sanitizing and hand-washing queen of the universe. But this comes with concerns for me personally, too - like how do you keep the "good" bacteria too if you're killing it all off with alcohol and other stuff? Well, that's where CleanWell comes in with Ingenium. Ingenium is a blend of essential oils from plants that kills 99.9% of germs. The theory behind this is that some germs have become immune to the other anti-bacterial products due to overuse - so you use the natural ingredients in Ingenium, and they use nature as the weapon. Smart stuff!

So I signed on right away. I knew we'd be a good test family, not just because of Monkey Man's issues, but also because we were preparing to head to the Germiest Place on Earth - Disney World. What better place to test it than there?

CleanWell sent me the 1-ounce spray bottle as well as a batch of their fabulous wipes. Immediately I fell in love with the bottle - it's smooth, sleek, and has a hinged cap. For someone whose purse is like the Burmuda Triangle, this is a huge thing. I loved it! And I really loved not having a leaky bottle in my purse.

But enough about that - how does it work? I found that the most that you need is two good sprays. I tried some on my friend using three sprays and she felt like it was a little tacky-feeling on her hands afterwards. But the main thing is the smell - what a clean, awesome smell it has. The main note in the fragrance is thyme, but everyone that I sprayed with it had a different idea - some thought it had a little bit of lime scent to it, others thought maybe some lemon. But the general consensus was that they loved the smell - it's fresh, clean, and doesn't have a heavy floral scent. The guys in our group even liked it, and that says something!

The wipes are fabulous - they come in individually sealed packets and what I liked was that they didn't drip the cleaner all over when I opened them. The wipes were moist enough to get the job done without having cleaner dripping everywhere. I loved that part, and used them to wipe down grungy looking handles on the amusement park rides. I wish I'd had more!

The coolest part was the reactions of people that saw me using the CleanWell hand sanitizer. People wanted to know all about it. They wrote the name down. They took pictures of the bottle. It was like a little celebrity right here in Orlando!

Our group gives CleanWell an enthusiastic thumbs up! And to check it out, visit the CleanWell website and learn more about this very cool product.