Please Keep your Car Clean

Cleaning your car can be annoying but it has its benefits. It is so much easier if you go out with friends or have people in your car. I don’t like when Noah has to ride in a dirty car. It also takes longer when they have to clean out their car to make room with you waiting. It can also cause you to hit your head on flying soda bottles and other trash if you are in an accident. Mom cars are gross a lot of the time. You can find lots of stuff like half eaten fruit, sippy cups with old milk or juice in them, or maybe a handful of cheerios on the floor. Toddlers will eat cereal that they find on the seat or in their car seat. When Noah was a baby and toddler I was so happy when I realized that his car seat cover was washable. It was washed often because there was always something spilled on it or rubbed in to it. It was a mess. I think that sand is one of the worst things you can have in your car. It is so hard to clean up. I remember taking Noah to the beach, and using the showers and still finding lots of sand in the car and in his car seat. It didn’t help that there is naturally sand everywhere too. I remember how dirty the car would get on road trips too. Especially when we would constantly have fast food in the car. My family was always good about using bags to throw stuff away and emptying out the trash when we were stopped.  I think that is an important habit to get your children in to so they are more likely to keep their car clean when they are older.

Here are some quick clean car tips to help you keep safe.

Helios Heater Review

Now that I am older, I am starting to experience a sore back occasionally. My son is old enough where I don’t have to carry him around, but I do occasionally pick him up if he is hurt. He weighs 76 pounds, so I definitely hurt after picking him up. I also have to carry in groceries and move things around. Needless to say I hurt quite a bit. When you are in pain, it can rob you of some of the enjoyment of the activity you are doing. Sometimes it even prevents you from doing those things all together. There are many different things you can do for pain. You can take over the counter pain medicine or apply heat to the sore spot. I am not a stranger to heating pads. I have probably owned every heating pad on the market. Traditional heating pads are not safe because they are plugged in and they get so hot that it can burn you. It’s pretty common to fall asleep while laying down with a heating pad. You also have to have an outlet and that isn’t really an option when you are in the car or on a plane. We don’t have an electricity pack that we can carry around like on Ghost Busters. There’s also heat packs that you can microwave. Again they only work if you have a microwave with you. If you have cramps, you have to get up, put it in the microwave, wait for the heating pack to warm up and then go lay back down. I know it’s only two minutes but with cramps it can feel like ten!

I learned about an amazing product called Helios Heater. It comes in different sizes and if you aren’t in pain it will also keep you warm.  You don’t need an outlet or a microwave! You just snap the metal coin and it starts heating to 130 degrees in less than 30 seconds. Helios Heating Pads are filled with non-toxic safe materials. They are also non-hypoallergenic. Your Helios Heating Pad starts out as a liquid and once you press the button, it turns in to a solid as it heats up. They are filled with sodium acetate which is basically water, salt and vinegar. It’s totally reusable too. You can use it for forever! 

It has a life time guarantee so if anything happens to your Helios Heating pad you can get a replacement.  Recharging your Helios Heating pads is easy, you just boil a pot of water and carefully place the heating pad in with a cloth underneath. You boil it for 5-15 minutes depending on the size of the heating pad. The back and shoulder pads take 15 minutes and the pocket size takes 5 minutes. It’s important to boil them long enough or they will re-solidify. It’s just like making spaghetti. Be very careful when you remove the pad and let it cool completely before re use. I used a cookie sheet to cool mine. It’s a great idea to recharge them when you are boiling other things. I recharged my Helios Heating Pads when I was making Jello.  If your Helios Heating pad breaks, cleanup is really easy and safe. Save the packaging of course so you can get a new one. Just wipe it up with a towel and wash it. It’s like spilling salad dressing. They are also safe for kids but are not toys!

Helios Heating Pads are great for staying warm. If you are in a cold grocery store, restaurant, at the movies, fishing, at sporting events, ice skating, or on a plane Helios will keep you warm and toasty. You can definitely fly with Helios Heating pads, I always get so cold on planes and I can’t ask people to turn off their air vent. I never want to carry a blanket because it takes up too much space.  Most TSA agents know what they are so you can pack them in your carry on. It’s great to have a couple though or your family might fight over who gets to use them.  I have started carrying the pocket warmers in my purse for when I go to the grocery store and it’s cold. After my surgery, I seem to get cold a lot easier.  You can also use a Helios Heater to warm up a baby bottle. They are also good for your kids practices to stay warm or if your kids are sore. Noah loves Helios Heating pads too!

The Heating Pads work for pain and sore muscles. I had really bad cramps and I activated my Helios heating pad and the cramps went away! It was the perfect temperature too. It was warm but I didn’t have to worry about burning my skin. I have also used the back heating pad on my legs. I just put it between my legs and rolled on my side so both legs were getting the benefits.  Helios Heating Pads will replace all of the other heating pads I have.

If you didn’t think Helios Heater could get any cooler…think again. You can also use them as a cool pack. If you put them in the REFRIGERATOR not the freezer, the liquid gets really cold and will be great as a boo-boo pack for bumps and burns, or to just cool off during the summer. You don’t even have to activate it.  I think that the round pocket size would be the perfect breastfeeding soothers. I know that cold packs are supposed to work great after a feeding. They are the right size and shape to help your sore breasts after breastfeeding.  If your child is teething or likes to bite, this can help give you some relief.

Helios Heaters come in the following sizes:

The Helios Neck & Shoulder heating pad is designed to give comfort to the upper back muscles, reducing tension that builds up during the day in the lower neck and shoulder area. It comes with a shoulder pouch that is specially designed to fit the heating pad, increase heat time, and provide comfort to the upper back muscles.

The Lower back heating pad is the perfect solution for stressed back muscles, providing constant heat waves to the hard to reach inner group of muscles of the lower back. The pad can also be used for treatment of upper back muscles when placed across the upper back. The lower back pad is accompanied by a fitted lower back waist belt which holds the heating pad tight around the body and allows you to freely move while treating your body. The belt has two sides – each provides different level of heat and is only available with Helios heating pads. The first, made of fleece heats up to 90 degrees F, and the second, made of a net that allows maximum heat transfer at 130 degrees F. 

Helios Heater Pocket Heat Packs are lightweight and compact, stylish and in bright colors, they are a wonderful showcase for the innovative Helios Heater product range. Helios Pocket Warmers have multiple-uses to keep your hands and body warm while outdoors or at home. They come in both square and round.

I have a very special deal for you:

 
 Use the code Bogo at check out and you will get buy one get one free of the same model of heating pad. This is a great deal! It will not show up in your cart but if you use the code Helios Heater will send you an extra one!  You can keep one at home and one in your car or keep one cold!

For more information and to order, please visit the Helios Heater Website. Don’t forget to use the coupon code for a free heater when you buy one!

Why I Use a List when I go on a Road Trip

When I go on vacation, I always make a list because I don't want to forget something. I do really well with making a list.  It is so expensive when you forget to pack something and you have to pay for it in a hotel gift shop or a beach store. They know you don't really have much of a choice so they charge whatever they want. I remember when we went to Disney World and I forgot to pack aloe. I ended up spending $14 on a bottle of it because I was so sunburned. It's also really important to remember to take with you some travel essentials when you go on a cruise. There is no other option to shop anywhere except locally and if you are at sea you are out of luck. I also remember a time when CD players were still big having my batteries run out at the airport and having to buy batteries at the airport to listen to music. I know I didn’t really need the batteries, but it helps when I listen to music when I fly. It makes the flight go by so much faster.  Sometimes you don't want to go to a big store or that's just not an option. Depending on where you visit, you may not have access to a car.  My aunt and uncle live in the mountains and the closest store is thirty minutes away. I love visiting my aunt and uncle because we just hang out and watch movies and chat the whole time. We sometimes do a little sightseeing and have a great time.  You can prevent these worries by making sure you have everything you need when you’re traveling. When you are driving in the car, it can waste time if you have to stop at a store that you can't find. 

As you are packing for your summer trips check out my list of road trip essentials.