Kristen Anne Glover

Five in Tow

My Latest and Greatest Giveaway

The most amazing cloths in the world!

Earlier this week, I promised a giveaway because Five in Tow has reached over 600 Facebook fans!  Plus, I’ve welcomed many new e-mail subscribers since the last giveaway.  Welcome!

I love doing giveaways because it gives me a chance to say thank you, at least in a small way, to all of you who support my blog.  You allow me to do what I love, to be very real and very me, and (so far) you keep coming back.  Thank you!  Because you’re so great, I have a great giveaway for you.

A few months ago, my friend Andrea sent me a box full of Norwex cleaning products.  She said she thought of me when she started using them, and I thought, “How does she know my house is a mess?”  But she said, “No, I thought of you because you’re into natural stuff.”  Oh.  “Use everything in the box,” she said.  “I know you’re going to love it!”

Her optimism was encouraging, but what Andrea didn’t know is that I haven’t had much luck with natural cleaning products.  First off, they’re almost always more expensive than their toxic counterparts.  Second, they don’t always work.  Not really.  But I use them because I can’t stand the thought of polluting my home with harmful chemicals.  So I scrub away with my ineffective green cleaners and console myself with the fact that most people are never going to see the inside of my shower anyway.

But Andrea is a friend so I had to open the box.  One of the things inside was a set of two cloths, an Enviro cloth and a polishing cloth.  Andrea said I could clean my entire house with these two cloths and nothing but water, and when I was done, I could hang them up and they’d self-purify.  Uh-huh.

I set to work using her voodoo products.  I cleaned my mirrors.  I cleaned my windows, counter tops, stove, sinks, shower and stainless steel fridge.  I even cleaned the fingerprints and other kid-griminess off the white trim around our doors.  UNBELIEVABLE.   These cloths did exactly what Andrea said they’d do, only better because now my house was clean.

I was on a little bit of a kick now so I cleaned my sliding glass door, the one that no matter how hard I clean, it always looks dirty as soon as the sun shines through it.  I wiped it with the wet Enviro cloth, then polished it with a dry polishing cloth.  There were absolutely no streaks.  None.  Not only that, but it took a fraction of the time, I didn’t use any chemicals or paper towels, and the result was better than anything I had ever tried before.  I had my daughter do another window, just to see if technique mattered.  As it turned out, my nine-year-old could clean the windows just as well as I could using these products.  You couldn’t even tell a kid washed the window.  Guess who has a new chore?  Bwahahaha!

After I finished my cleaning spree, I did a little research.  I found out Norwex cloths use two types of technology.  They’re made of high-quality microfiber that picks up all the microscopic bits of dirt and bacteria in your home and traps it inside.  But what is really amazing to me is that the cloths are woven with silver, so once the dirt is inside, the silver kills the germs and keeps new bacteria from growing.  Silver is naturally antimicrobial.  Bacteria can’t grow on it.  In fact, hospitals use silver bandages on burn patients because burn victims are so susceptible to infection.

When you are done cleaning, you simply rinse out the cloths, hang them up, and the silver kills the bacteria and purifies the cloths so they’re ready to use again.  You can use them multiple times before washing them in the washing machine (be sure not to use fabric softener—it coats the silver and the microfiber and makes it less effective) and they won’t smell or spread bacteria around your home.  Plus, unlike my other green cleaners, they are actually more effective than anything I’ve ever used before and are completely non-toxic (it’s just water!).  Amazing.

By now, you’ve probably guessed what the giveaway is: Norwex cloths!!!  One lucky winner will get a set of two Norwex cloths.  You are going to love them!

To enter, please share your favorite Five in Tow story with your friends.  Many of you have already shared and shared and shared my stories, but I’d love it if you would do it one more time because it’s amazing how this one act has helped to bring new readers to my site.  For example, How to Get your Toddler to Eat Anything has been shared over 8,000 times on Facebook, and over 18,000 people read it in one day.  Counting the Hours has been shared over 5,000 times and is my all-time most popular post.  That’s the power you have, wonderful readers!

So, pick a favorite post and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by carrier pigeon.  It doesn’t really matter.  Then, come back and leave a comment about the story you shared (this is my covert way of learning what kinds of posts you like best, so choose wisely).  I’ll also give extra entries to anyone who knows a good literary agent or publisher.  I may even kiss your feet.

One reader will be drawn at random on Wednesday, August 29th.  Please allow 2 weeks to receive your prize.  Thanks for participating!

 

Giveaway!

A Baltic amber giveaway (baby not included)!

Update: This giveaway is now closed!  Congratulations to reader Sarah who chose the Lemondrop necklace as her prize!

 

Thanks to all of you loyal readers, this website keeps growing and growing, which means it’s time for another giveaway!  I’m proud to offer one of my favorite products as our latest giveaway, a Baltic amber necklace from Hazelaid!

What’s so great about an amber necklace, you ask?  Well, let me tell you.

A Testimonial

A year ago, I was introduced to the Hazelaid company.  A friend of mine recommended their Baltic amber and hazelwood products, which she said had incredible healing properties.  I read everything on their site, including the following description of Baltic amber:

“Amber is not a “stone” but a natural resin.  So as it warms with the body’s natural temperature, amber releases its healing oils (these oils contain succinic acid) which are readily absorbed into the skin and then into the bloodstream. Baltic Amber has some of the highest concentrations of succinic acid found in nature, and this is what makes it so special. Succinic acid is a natural component of plant and animal tissues, and its presence in the human body is beneficial in many ways.

Commonly known as “teething jewelry” in Europe, Baltic amber has been a natural remedy for pain relief for hundreds of years. Baltic amber is a natural analgesic that will help relieve headaches, reduce inflammation of the throat, ear and stomach and fight irritations, infections and respiratory diseases as it dramatically improves the body’s immunity. Many adults report improvement of arthritis discomfort and carpal tunnel pain in their hands when wearing amber on the wrists.”

I then bought two items, hoping they would help with some of my life-long health issues including inflammation, joint pain, and a chronically weak immune system.

But I was skeptical.  How could tree sap and bark help?   I’ve been dealing with these issues for so long, I couldn’t believe anything so simple could help.

I received my order very quickly, put on the products, and waited.  I was stunned—simply stunned—at how the products began to work and my life changed.  It sounds dramatic, but when you deal with chronic health issues, and they suddenly go away, you can’t help but be amazed!   Here are the changes I experienced:

  • Since I was a child, I have experienced chronic pain in my limbs due to the way I grew.  I used to have to take medication every night just to sleep, and often more during the night because the pain would wake me up.  Since wearing the necklace, I have been able to completely cut out all pain medication!   I have not been able to do this in years.
  • My immune system has never been stronger.  I am the kind of person who used to get sick all the time.  Since wearing the Hazelaid products, I have only gotten two colds this year.  This is a miracle for me!  I didn’t even get the flu that my kids caught.  Usually, I’m the one who brings it home in the first place!
  • My menstrual cramps have virtually disappeared (male readers, you have my apologies!).  I did not expect this to happen, as it’s not something Hazelaid talks about on their site.  I have always suffered from extremely painful cramps during my period.  I live on Advil, and if I don’t take 3 at a time, I can’t function.  I sleep with Advil beside the bed because the pain wakes me up.  My menstrual cycle has always been a huge source of stress and frustration for me because of this.  I feel like once a month, I have to enter a long, dark, painful tunnel.  I was astonished when the natural pain relief in the necklace was powerful enough to combat even my menstrual pain.  I now take, at most, 2 Advil the entire duration of my cycle.  It’s absolutely incredible!

I  have become such a believer in the power of Baltic amber that I contacted Hazelaid and asked if I could give away one of their products.  They were gracious enough to give me a discount so I could order two necklaces.  I chose the strongest, most powerful necklaces they have!  The winner gets to choose their prize, either 16” Super Butter Baltic amber necklace or an 18”Lemondrop necklace.

The Super Butter amber necklace has the highest succinic acid content.

The Lemondrop necklace also has a very high succinic acid content, but the more neutral color might work better with your wardrobe!

How do you win one?

The contest is open to all of my readers around the world!  Simply leave a comment below and the winner will be chosen at random at 4 pm PST on Sunday, April 29, 2011.  Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.

A discount for everyone!

I wish I could give everyone a necklace to try, but since I can’t, Hazelaid has graciously offered a 10% discount for all my readers!

Simply shop online and enter code tow10 at checkout.  This code has no limitations and no expiration, so feel free to share it! 

Thank you all for your continued support!

Kristen

 

Fasting for Health–The Update!

Two weeks ago, I challenged myself to do a three-day juice fast.  It was the longest fast I have done in the last ten years, and if I wasn’t convinced it was the best thing I could do for my body, I wouldn’t have done it at all.

Fasting is scary to me, but the more I read about the benefits, the more I had to do it.  I put a date on the calendar and tried to be brave.  I was nervous about it, not just because I don’t like to be hungry, but because I wasn’t sure I actually could fast for three days and still take care of five busy kids, my husband, and all my responsibilities.  Could I really fast for three days and NOT kill someone?

I planned my fast for a time when my husband was going to be away for the weekend.  I thought it would be easier to have him gone because we tend to indulge in special snacks and extra coffee when he’s home on the weekends.  I couldn’t imagine watching a movie with him and not making popcorn!

As it turned out, our area of the country was hit with a significant (for us) snowstorm the week before my fast.  Everything was shut down, and my husband didn’t have work for a week.  His duty weekend at Ft. Lewis was cancelled (he’s an Army chaplain).  I barely made it out of the house to load up on fruit and veggies for my juicing.

The first day of my fast, I had to endure my husband’s coffee-making ritual as I downed a glass of the worst tasting juice I have ever made.  I felt a little sorry for myself.  Did you know there’s such a thing as too much kale?  There is.

But, having my husband home turned out to be much more of a blessing than it was a temptation to eat.  He is extremely supportive and it was nice to have someone to talk to, and to have an extra hand with the kids (always a plus).  I found out that I wasn’t very tempted to cheat.  I had decided to do this fast and I didn’t want to break it.  I wanted to see if I could do it.

The first day was the hardest for me.  I had a sinus headache that made it difficult to function.  And I was hungry.  Some people say they aren’t hungry when they fast but I think they are all liars because I WAS HUNGRY.  Granted, I’d been eating nothing but salad for a week ahead of the fast in an attempt to really, really clean out my system, but still.  The kale-juice-of-awfulness was just not cutting it.  I could barely drink it.  Finally, I gave up and dumped it down the sink.  It was liberating.  Starting afresh with far less kale in my juice, things began to get easier.

That night, my mother-in-law invited us over for pizza and games.  We’d been stuck in our house for a week because of the snow, with no one to entertain us but the neighbor kids zipping down our hill on their sleds, so we jumped at the chance.  Even though I was going to be around food, I didn’t care.  It was nice to think about being around people and doing something fun.  The pizza and the snacks didn’t really bother because I don’t usually eat that kind of stuff anyway.  But the salad looked good.  And then my husband made a pot of coffee and I thought I was going to have to keep kissing him just to get a taste of it.  Ah!  Coffee is my downfall!

Day two and three were much easier for me than the first day, and not just because my hubby was happy from all the smooching.  My headache went away and I felt great.  I had a lot of energy and was even able to work out like normal.  I wasn’t nearly as hungry, either.  I only drank juice at meal times and didn’t feel like I was suffering beyond reason.  I did drink a lot of herbal tea, especially Echinacea because it supports the lymph nodes and helps to detox.  Plus, it was cold outside and I was freezing.   Not eating made me feel colder than usual.  I just wanted to hold a cup of soup!

By the time the last day of the fast came around, I knew I could do it.  I went to bed with the happy thought that I’d be able to get up and make my usual cup of coffee.  It was reassuring to know that I could eat again, but I wanted to make sure that I didn’t overdo it.  I ate a pear for breakfast and it felt indulgent.  I tried to eat the same things I’d juiced and avoided even healthy oils and sprouted nuts for the first couple days.

Before I began the fast, I wondered if I would lose much weight by not eating for three days.  I didn’t need to lose weight, but like most women, I wasn’t going to complain if I did.  The first two days, the scale didn’t move at all.  I was a little annoyed.  Here I was, practically starving myself, and the scale didn’t show it.  I kept telling myself that I was healthy and that is all that matters (lies, all lies).  But still.  Not an ounce?!   I woke up the third day and gave the scale a dirty look.  Why do I even own one of those things?  But I hopped on anyway and was shocked to see that I’d lost five pounds overnight.  I don’t know how a person loses five pounds while they sleep (I guess I toss and turn a lot), but that’s what happened.  And it hasn’t come back.  I feel a sense of redemption in that.

More importantly, I feel a great sense of accomplishment because I did something I didn’t think I could do.  And it wasn’t awful and I didn’t kill anyone and I was (mostly) my usual delightful self.  But, I did feel like three days wasn’t quite long enough.  I have read several doctors who say that a three day fast removes the toxic build-up in the body, but it takes five days (or longer) to really begin to undo any past damage.  Five days lets the body really accomplish something.  So, my next challenge is to complete a five day fast.  I haven’t set the date yet, but I think it will be sometime this month.  Stay tuned, and please consider joining me!