Turn the Tables on Telemarketers (Hilarious)

Comedian and Prankster Tom Mabe

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Global Influence Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaways Galore!

Holiday shopping season is here again and the Global Influence network has some great gift ideas for you, tried and tested by real moms. Click on the links to check out what our team of reviewers had to say about each of these gift ideas, and then take a moment to enter our fun giveaway and take a chance at winning some of these fabulous products.

Featured Reviews



Pouchees

(Reviewed by yours truly)

Busy moms need all the help they can get to stay organized and keep life as simple as possible. The Pouchee is the perfect solution to keeping all those little things together, putting everything you need, right at your fingertips.

Duck Hunter

Duck Hunter turns the excitement of the hunt into an activity the whole family can enjoy. Launch the duck in the air and try to hunt it down with the toy shooter as it flies freely in the air. A fun choice for those who love outdoor sporting.

CardStore cards

-Personalized holiday cards are an important item on everyone's to-do list and often a hassle to create and print. Cardstore.com has everything from family photo cards to invitations for your big holiday party, simplifying your holiday season.

Great Holiday Gift Ideas


Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry
Just Elfin'Around
Card Cubby
Harumika ByBandai
HarumikaRunwayShowstopper
Harumika Style Starter
Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo
Strawberry Shortcake Playset
Kota Monty Rex
Wall to Wall Basketball
Nerf Pocket Vortex
Busy Ball Popper
Talking Chuck Truck
Leapfrog My Pal Scout
Leapfrog Tag Jr
Leapfrog Scribble and Write
Animal Planet Polar Land Playset
Animal Planet Dinosaur Playmat
Onionhead Adult/Teen Feelings Pack
OnionHead Children's Feelings Pack
Onionhead A-Z Feelings Magnet Set
FotoboxPlus MeTime Tees



Fun Holiday Giveaway!


For this holiday guide, we want to share the love with the blogosphere! Some of our generous sponsors have donated prizes to be given away to lucky readers! To enter to win one of the following fabulous prizes, simply fill out the form here:

http://tinyurl.com/y8t92rw

Prizes include:

Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry
Pouchee
Elfing Around
Harumika
Onionhead Feelings Pack
Nerf Wall to Wall Basketball
Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo
MeTime T-shirt

Entries will close on December 6, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be contacted by email after the close of the contest.

Global Influence Member Guides

Need more ideas for this holiday season? Check out the guides that some of our Global Influence members have put together on their own sites!

Thrifty Jinxy, Happy Healthy Hip , And Twins Make Five , Because Two People Fell In Love, Mommy Musings , Lipstick to Crayons , Bargain Briana , Mommy PR , Shop With Me Mama, Santa Picks, Rave and Review, Connected 2 Christ , 3 Boys and a Dog, The Classy Closet , Contest Corner, Lisa Reviews , A Giveaway Every Day, HulaHoopinMom, Spalibrations, High Impact Mom, From Cribs to Car Keys, Lisa Reviews, and Mommy Musings.

All reviews listed in the Global Influence gift guide were product provided. Featured positions were purchased by sponsors. Member gift guides are not affiliated with Global Influence.

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D (Dentist) Day: Toothache Pain and Root Canal Anxiety

Well, today's the day, and I'm so nervous about the whole root canal adventure! I go in at noon today to have this procedure done, but I'm literally having to fight the internal anxiety I'm feeling.

One of my molars cracked a while back, and about a month ago, it abscessed. My lower jaw began hurting tremendously, as the swelling and infection took over.

The pain was incredibly intolerable, mind-numbing . . . just awful! I have birthed four children, including twins, and child birth is a cake walk compared to this pain!

I went to see my dentist a few weeks ago, and was placed on antibiotics at that time. He also gave me Tylenol III for the pain, which did nothing but make me dizzy yet still in pain.

The area continued to swell, and became even more excruciating after being on the antibiotics for five days. So, I ended up going to the ER.

I was already suffering tremendously, with tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. The ER doc walked into the room with a 15 gauge needle, and said, "We need to lance that abscess!"

"WHAT? You're going to stab my mouth with that yarn darning needle?!?"

"Yes, Ma'am"

"Where's the novacaine?"

"The infection is too severe, Ma'am, and the novacaine won't help. It will hurt really bad at first, then you will feel so much better as the infection drains out."

Stupid me!

I opened my mouth and squeezed the armrests on the chair as tightly as I could.

"Here we go! Be as still as you can!"

I think I scared the kid in the next room when I let out the most painful scream! He kept pushing the needle in, and I swear it hit my jawbone. I couldn't take it anymore!

I pushed his arm back and jumped up out of the chair! I was surprise to discover his family jewels were not harmed in the process.

I was trembling as the pain overtook my body, and was crying like a baby! It was awful!

They sent me home with stronger antibiotics and Vicodin for the pain.

Two days later, I was scheduled to go back to my dentist for the root canal. However, I had to cancel because I had picked up some virus at the ER, and couldn't keep anything down. Go figure, right?

The more powerful antibiotics ended up wiping out about 80% of the infection, the swelling went way down, and the pain is very minimal, now.

However, knowing that I'll be in the dentist chair again in a little under two hours, has my anxiety level at its peak.

The dentist had said I needed a root canal and a crown. I had asked him if he would settle for a lifetime supply of novacaine and a tiara, but it was a no go.


My husband keeps reassuring me that all I'll feel is a pinch when they inject the novacaine, but I'm still scared I'll feel the pain.

I know . . . I know . . . I'm a baby! But, I just can't help the anxiety I'm feeling.











"This won't hurt a bit!"

"Yah, right! I'm still scared!"

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Pouchee Review: The Perfect Holiday Gift for Any Woman!

I can't even tell you how many times I've held up the check-out lane at the local grocer, while digging through my huge, one-pocket slouch purse, searching for my checkbook, coupons, or change.

How many of you have found yourself on a blind search for change as you're traveling down the highway and approaching a toll booth? Raise your hand if you've ever found yourself face-deep in a dark purse, searching for your glasses, chapstick, or any other elusive essential?

How about all those times that your cell phone rings, and you miss the call because it was buried under all that internal purse clutter? Not to mention those personal safety concerns, such as trying to find your car keys in a dimly lit parking lot on the way out to your car from an evening shopping spree at the mall?

We are all guilty of a disorganized purse at one time or another. Admittedly, more often than not, I would have to dump my entire purse just to find one small item. Not anymore, though!

Pouchee to the Rescue!

I was given the opportunity to review the fabulous, 'makes life so much easier' Pouchee, and I couldn't be more thrilled with the transformation! I was able to fit all of my daily essentials into the pouchee!

Finding the necessary items is, now, phenomenally easy! I can finally switch purses in a flash, without the worry of leaving anything behind, or not being able to locate the essentials in a purse with an unfamiliar compartment layout.

If I had known about this when my twins were babies, life would have been so much easier. This is a perfect gift for new mothers! There's no need to carry more than your baby and a diaper bag with the Pouchee! Just toss it in the diaper bag and go. Everything you need will be neatly maintained and easily accessible.


This is the perfect holiday gift for all the women in your life -- stay-at-home moms (aka domestic engineers), career women, teachers, college students, campers, hikers, diva daughters, sisters, grandmothers, and even that nosy neighbor! Hey, it's the season of giving, right?



Features

• Handy Rings for ease of changing purses and bags.
• Outside pockets for pens, sunglasses, mobile phone, credit cards, keys etc.
• Inside pockets for lipsticks or small flashlights
• Inside Zippered pockets for change or personal items.
• Inside dividers to keep everything organized.

Dimensions

Width: 7.5”
Height: 5.25”
Depth: 3.5”

Roomy Interior













Logo Front

Pocketed Back

Check out this fine craftsmanship!








Check out Organize with Sandy for a large selection of colors in both cotton and leatherette materials!

* Features and Dimensions text, as well as photo credits go to Pouchee.com

Review brought to you by:

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What's it Like to Have a Special Needs Child?

When my 15 year old was diagnosed, I met a woman whose child was dying of leukemia. She and her daughter were our roommates in the hospital for several months.

She was there when Koby received his diagnosis, and provided so much comfort for us, even though she, too, was suffering.

She gave me a sheet of paper, and on it was a story written by a mother whose son had Down's Syndrome. I still cry every time I read it, and always will.

Now, as a mother of four boys with special needs, and having lost my step-son to suicide not too long ago, these words just really hit home.

I figured I'd share these thoughts in the hopes of helping someone else with a special needs child.

WELCOME TO HOLLAND
by Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome To Holland".

"Holland?!?" you say, "What do you mean "Holland"??? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy"

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills...Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy...and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned".

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things...about Holland.

© 1987, by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission of the author.

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AcipHex? Really? Yes, I HAD to go there!

You'll have to excuse my warped sense of humor here, but I just had to blog about this!

One would think that, after 15 years of well-educated research, clinical trials and FDA approval, drug manufacturers would use this same intelligence to name their product.

In my opinion, this would be the equivalent of naming an anti-depressant Effitol (still in Phase II of clinical trials).

AcipHex is intended for the treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or G.E.R.D. (aka Acid Reflux). Ass Effects? Really? Yes . . . it is pronounced just like that. My oldest sons and I just died laughing when we viewed the commercial on television one evening. The name seems to refer more to the treatment of gas, bloating, and even more unpleasant bowel issues.


Watch the actual commercial here, and tell me that your mind doesn't wander South of the Equator.






According to the name, I do believe the video below would be a more suitable 'jingle'. Ok, so maybe not, but the similarities are hysterically priceless!

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Make History! Only 2 Hours left! #BeatCancer Raises funds for Cancer Research!

Utilizing Social Media for Good!

I'm helping to raise funds to
#beatcancer, by blogging, tweeting
and posting Facebook status
updates.

Click here to join me!




I'm quoting directly from the site to save precious time, and get the word out faster.



Get a badge for your blog here.

#BeatCancer is a social media experiment and movement created by
Everywhere, a social media communications and content company based in Atlanta,
Georgia. The idea was spawned by Managing Partner, Tamara Knechtel. "We were
headed to BlogWorld in Las Vegas with a few of our clients, including Jermaine
Dupri. We knew we'd be in a hotbed of major bloggers and twitterers and Don
Lemon and I were talking about how the power of social media should be used for
more than just marketing products. If Ashton Kutcher could get a million
followers, couldn't we take on a social cause through social media? My business
partners who've watched as I've struggled with cancer suggested we try to beat
cancer through social media. Thus #BeatCancer was born." Knechtel immediately
reached out to Rick Calvert, organizer of BlogWorld, and Guinness World Records
to see if they could compete to set a record for the distribution of the largest
mass message through social media. Both agreed and in no time, others joined in
the movement providing sponsorship support.

In a 24-hour period of time starting Friday, October 16th at 9 am (PDT)
and lasting until Saturday, October 17th at 9am (PDT) people all over the
internet stratosphere will be asked to send tweets and Facebook status updates
and to blog using #BeatCancer in their posts. Ebay/Paypal and MillerCoors
Brewing Company will donate a penny ($0.01)* for every Twitter message, Facebook
update or blog post that includes the phrase #BeatCancer. All money will be
donated to non-profit cancer organizations including SU2C (Stand Up to Cancer),
Alex's Lemonade, Bright Pink, and Spirit Jump. All of the non-profits are 501
(c)(3) organizations and accredited by The American Cancer Society. A listing of
all organizations and a live stream of postings can be found at http://www.beatcancereverywhere.com/.

"The team at BlogWorld is proud to be part of this record-setting
social media event," said Rick Calvert, CEO of BlogWorld/New Media Expo http://www.blogworldexpo.com/. "We're
especially excited that we can be the launch point for bringing people together
to help fight cancer."
In addition to the corporate sponsors (eBay/Paypal and
MillerCoors Brewing Company), Radian6 is donating its services for best in class
tracking and monitoring. Slash7, a web design firm, donated time to build the http://www.beatcancereverywhere.com/
site which will showcase real time tweets and data. Sevans Strategy, a
public relations and new media firm, donated media outreach and partnership
services.

*up to a designated amount.

For more information about #BeatCancer

For more information about the #BeatCancer Story, please
contact:
Tamara Knechteltamara@Beeverywhere.tv404-862-8240
(phone)

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Spooktacular Soiree

Check out the awesome Halloween Extravaganza going on over at Mission Mommy and 3 Boys & a Dog. Enter for your chance to win some really cool prizes!

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Fiber One 50 Calorie Pack and Gift Giveaway!

My Blog Spark just sent this awesome "Healthy & Fit" weight management gift pack in exchange for my reviewing the Fiber One 50 Calorie Yogurt Pack and hosting this giveaway. The gift pack includes one insulated lunch tote, one large shaker/tumbler with lid, one divided plate with lid, a set of sturdy utensils, and a coupon for a free Fiber One 50 Calorie Pack.

The entire set is perfect for a healthy "on-the-go" lunch.

• The insulated lunch tote has ample room for lunch, as well as snacks.
  
• There is a separate zippered portion at the bottom of the bag that I use to hold my yogurt snacks, along with an ice pack.
• The covered tumbler is wonderful for salads. Just stuff with your fixings, add dressing and shake until the salad is perfectly tossed. This fits into the upper portion of the lunch tote.
• The divided plate is great for keeping foods separated, too.
  

I'm very excited to announce that My Blog Spark is allowing THREE of my readers to win the same gift pack by entering this giveaway (details below)!

They are also extending a money-saving coupon to all of my readers. Click here for your $1.00 off coupon!

Let's face it! We all need more fiber in our diets. Not only is fiber important for optimum digestive health, it is also thought to be significant in lowering cholesterol, as well as maintaining a healthy blood sugar level.

For those of us watching our weight or striving to lose weight, fiber plays a huge role in controlling hunger by keeping our appetites at bay. Forget appetite suppressants! Just eat more fiber!

Just one Fiber One 50 Calorie Yogurt provides a whopping 5 grams of fiber. The recommended daily allowance is 25 grams. Eat one as a snack between meals, and I guarantee your appetite will be tremendously reduced when it is time to sit down at the dinner table.

The texture is smooth, and the flavor is just phenomenal! My personal favorites are the strawberry and key lime pie flavors. It's just the 'pick-me-up' I need in between meals, not to mention a highly-tasteful, guilt-free snack. Snacking on healthy foods between meals also speeds up your metabolism, promoting healthy weight loss.

Check out these guilt-free facts:

• 0 grams of Fat
• 50 calories
• 5 grams of fiber
• Excellent source of vitamins A & D

Available Flavors:

• Strawberry
• Peach
• Vanilla
• Key Lime Pie

The infamous Hungry Girl, Lisa Lillen, has given Fiber One 50 Calories Packs her seal of approval. Check out her video below.

To enter the giveaway:

• Answer any one of these questions by leaving a comment below:

1. What is your guilty snacking pleasure?
2. How do you manage your weight?
3. Which of the flavors, listed above, would you like to try?
   

This entry is mandatory. No other entries will be counted unless this is completed.


Extra Entries:

• Follow me on twitter and tweet this giveaway as many times as you'd like (one entry per tweet), and leave the link in the comments section. If you'd like, you can just cut and paste this:
  

@naturesencore Fiber One yogurt Healthy & Fit Weight Management gift bag #Giveaway! Enter Here: http://tinyurl.com/Fiber1

• Fan me on facebook and write about this giveaway on your wall (one entry)
  
• Subscribe via email or reader, confirm your subscription, and leave a comment with the email address you subscribed under (one entry).
  
• Add to any other social media site, and leave a link in the comments section (one entry per link).
• Blog about this giveaway, linking to this post (worth 5 entries).
  

Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm, on October 31st. Winners will be selected randomly via random.org.


Good luck!

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FreshDeals.com Review

As a mother of four, I am always searching for ways to save that hard-earned cash. In these tough economic times, it's just not feasible to drive from place-to-place, looking for that perfect deal, so I do a great deal of my shopping online.

Most of you know that I am a research nut when it comes to finding bargains, and how I love to share these finds with my readers. I was recently approached to write a review for freshdeals.com, and I am just thrilled that they have given me this opportunity to spread the word.

Fresh Deals, although fairly new, is a wonderful resource for those of us who like to find the latest and greatest deals on products we use on a day-to-day basis! I have ventured other comparative shopping sites, but Fresh Deals is, bar none, far superior!

Why?

Not only does Fresh Deals find up-to-the-minute pricing on a plethora of products from major retailers, it goes a step beyond, setting itself apart from similar sites with an innovative Questions and Answers Forum.

Every product listed on the website has a link to post a question you may have about a particular product. Fresh Deal's experts or other users within the community can provide the answer. If you have experience with a particular product, and you would like to share your expertise, you can do so in this forum, as well. Fresh Deal's Q&A forum is fully interactive, and offers a more personalized means of making a fully-educated purchase.

Click on the "deals" tab on the upper right side of the homepage, and you will be lead to the
Freshest Deals, along with promotional codes and special offers to save even more on a variety of other retail websites.

Sign in with your facebook account, or browse the site anonymously. When you find a deal that's just too good to keep to yourself, simply click on the "share this page" link in the upper right-hand corner to email, tweet, or post your money-saving find to facebook.

If you know exactly what you're wanting to compare, simply type it in the search box. If you would rather browse by category, check out the wide variety of categories sure to tickle your shopping fancy.

I will definitely be utilizing FreshDeals.com for my upcoming holiday shopping ritual. I encourage you to check out the Fresh Deals website for yourself, and see how effortless it is to locate the freshest deals.






This review was sponsored by freshdeals.com. Although I was compensated to compile this review, these are, as always, my personal, honest opinions. I had agreed to write this review because this service would be beneficial to my readers, as well as myself.

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