I have been taking 4X Pro-B for over 5 weeks now. In my previous post I wrote about the process of ordering them from Costco.com (including the cost), Benefits from taking these supplements, and showed the box with all of the Supplement Facts and the comparison chart of 4X Pro-B to another Probiotic.

Today I would like to share my TOP TEN reasons why I like taking them, and why you may like the benefits of taking them as well (These are in no particular order).

• The multiple strains of good beneficial bacteria they contain. They contain 4 strains & also 10 mg of B. infantis.
• They are Natural, this was a huge factor for me in participating in this Social Shopper insight study.
• The packaging, I love the way the caplet’s are placed in an easy to use daily form easy to open blister pack (which, with someone like me with MS is yet another huge plus), so you have less chance of forgetting to take your daily supplement, and it is easy to follow (and you know if you missed a day). And you can be sure just by looking at the package to know you took it for the day. See Photo below:
  
• The ease of shopping on Costco.comwith the bonus of FREE shipping!
• The quick shipping, When I ordered it, it said 3-5 days, well, mine came in 2!! (this might not be the same experience for everyone, but even 3-5 days is quick! For people like me who procrastinate, this is awesome! (See Picture below on my shipping experience):
  

  email confirmation that the product was shipped

  

  package arrives at my home

  

  opened package notice packaging "pillow"

  

  I love the bright green box the supplements come in.

• I love that you get 63 caplets for $21.99 (free shipping) which comes out to a 9 week supply! These are so reasonably priced, that was another HUGE plus for me.(see image below):
  

  showing amount of caplets (63); 9 week supply, and also actual size of the supplements

• It is only 1 caplet per day, and the caplet is released gradually into your body over time. Easier to manage then say eating a yogurt every day.
• They make me feel not so bloated, and more “regular” all week long. A feeling I haven’t had in a while.
• Helps you to not have “digestion congestion”, helps build your immune system, and also helps you not get into bad bacteria overload. Something you can get if say, your taking many antibiotics, or even just by getting older.
• Since the start of taking these, I felt a difference rather quickly (within a month). Having this non congested feeling makes me feel like eating healthier, because I feel so much better. I have been eating more healthier options, such as apples, whole grains, and vegetables. And at the same time, I find myself eating out less, because I almost feel like I don’t want to “gunk” up (with greasy/fatty fast food) my system since it is now feeling so much better and my bowel movements are more regular. It would be like putting old, dirty oil into your car, instead of fresh new oil. Or never getting an oil change. 4X Pro-B is my way of changing the “oil” in my digestion system

Again, here is the link to my online shopping experience on google+   - https://plus.google.com/photos/103798906992046528970/albums/5721875402611814449

Please also join in the conversation by using the hashtag #digestivecare on Twitter  and if you have tried or are currently trying 4X Pro-B from Costco, please share your experience’s with us. Or if you take another Probiotic, please let us know which one it is and how it is working for you.

And of course Costco has a Facebook page, where we are also taking the conversation. Visit it at Costco Facebook. To order yours today just as easily as I was able, go to Costco.com.

We would love to hear your #Digestivecare stories. So please join in!

The Plus Size Mommy

Disclosure- This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias (#CBias). All of my experiences and advice,idea’s, & thoughts are my own. Other’s may differ.

The first thing I did was look at price’s and compared it to a competitors special offer.

and I found a coupon for the STP Multipurpose Motor Treatment that my wife got at Walmart when she got her last oil change.

A couple weeks ago I was asked to have a Picnic and Family movie night to watch the Yogi Bear movie. My kids were so excited (as was I) because we love Yogi Bear and Boo Boo in my house. It brings me great memories from when I was a kid. I just thought it was so funny to watch Yogi stealing all of those pic a nic baskets

When the new movie came out, we didn’t have the ability to go to a cinema to watch it (with 8 of us living here, it is quite expensive) so we did the next best thing (and much more inexpensive thing) We rented the Redbox movie of it.
And I completed it with a picnic dinner of our own. The kids loved it so much, they wanted to watch it again, and have a picnic lunch the next day! It was a ton of fun. We all loved the movie and the picnic, it was fun to pair the 2 together to have a nice family night together. The only thing we weren’t happy about was that we really wanted to have our picnics outside but with all of the rain we have been getting we weren’t able to, so I did the next best thing, and had it in the diningroom complete with a red and white checkered table cloth and of course a pic a nic basket!

Here is a ThisMoment.com picture story of our shopping and preparing and all of the fun!

For the Dinner we had : Chicken from Walmart, macaroni salad, cupcakes with cute watermelon picks in them also from Walmart, cantaloupe and strawberries, baked beans, and dinner rolls.

WHAT: Share outdoor living ideas and get backyard entertaining tips from lifestyle and party-planning experts.
Use Hashtag: #KmartOutdoor
Date: Thursday, May 12th 9-10 EST
Prizes Include : 3- $50 and 1- $100 Kmart gift cards

If You would like to Join us, please visit these sites for more information and to RSVP via the Linky:

1. http://www.skimbacolifestyle.com/2011/05/kmart-outdoor-living-twitter-party.html

and

2. http://www.partybluprintsblog.com/party-themes/the-partybluprints-skimbaco-lifestyle-and-kmart-outdoor-living-twitter-party

On these sites, you can also see the fantastic makeover’s and get pumped up for partying with us! Plus get some great idea’s on making over your own outdoor spaces.

1. Sheena http://sophistishe.com/2011/05/part-3-how-our-kmart-outdoor-living-space-makeover-came-together/
2. Katja http://www.skimbacohome.com/2011/05/kmart-backyard-makeover-diy/
3. Crissy http://dearcrissy.com/kmart-outdoor-living-makeover-wrap-up/
4. Courtney http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2011/05/this-is-kmart-with-french-cottage-twist.html
5. Allison http://petitelefant.com/back-yard-renovations-part-three/

Hope to see you joining in with us!!!

The Plus Size Mommy

Disclosure: This post is part of a compensated campaign for Kmart and Collective Bias. All Opinions are 100% my own.

There are many ways to use social media. You can use it to get your view’s across to others. You can use it to meet people and make new friends. You can use it to promote products. You can use it to tell other’s how to get great deals, or teach them about how to save money. You can use it to make money. You can use it as therapy as an outlet to help you get through hard times. There are many many ways to use it. Social media can be a wonderful thing when used in certain ways.

One way I love using social media is to help other’s and for charities. I love to give. There is nothing more rewarding to me than to see a smile on a person’s face. Whether it be a child, a grandmother, a teen, my husband, or anyone. To give without expecting anything in return and to give surprisingly to other’s is the BEST part about social media to me.

I love to be able to make a difference in people’s worlds, even if the difference is small. Change can be good and to help other’s through a change is so rewarding.

I can remember when my family was down and out. We had to use food stamps and stand in the dreaded lines at food banks. My kids hated it, and so did I. But it was the only way to provide for my family at the time. My husband had lost his job due to a grant not being renewed (he worked in research). And, I wasn’t able to work at the time.
It was rough. It was painful. And at the time, I didn’t have social media, or I wasn’t aware of it.
But I can tell you all of the people who knew of our dire situation and who knocked at out door and made us a meal, or sent us a gift card. Or those who brought toys to my kids at Christmas time. Those people I honestly will never forget.
Those people gave without expecting anything back from me. And those are the people I hope to become.

With that in mind, it is back to school time. Many American’s all over the USA are out of work. But school will come no matter what for the children of those people who are out of work. And nothing builds self confidence in children like new back to school supplies. – Remember how you used to feel getting brightly colored tablets, folders, new pencils, and pens, and crayons ? Remember the smell of them (esp. the crayons?) I can still to this day remember my mom buying me a new coloring book and crayons when I was sick. I would have to stay home from school and she would bring me those to lay on the couch to keep me busy. It made it all better to me back then. Remember how it feel’s to get a new dress, or new jeans or shoes? Remember how confident it makes you feel. Shoot, even today it makes me feel good to buy some new clothes.
It helps to build confident, self -esteemed people.

But these parents may not or can not afford even a 25cent box of crayons. Some of them scrape to get by daily. Some people cannot afford all the supplies that are needed to help their children academically survive. And the teachers try and help sometimes, but they cannot afford to supply every child with supplies either. Some schools do provide, some don’t.

So, this is where social media comes in. Remember the saying, “It takes a village” ? Well, I say it also takes a “Social Media Village”.

A few weeks back I was asked to participate in a project with Elmer’s and Collective Bias. (You know the glue company?, which by the way makes soooooooo much more than glue). They asked that I do a project where I buy 2 reusable shopping bags from Walmart and fill them with some back to school supplies. Three of the products in each bag had to be Elmer’s.
Then, I would keep 1 bag for my kids and donate 1 bag to a child in need.

Which got me thinking. I am not rich, but I am not poor. There are sooooo many kids who are in need this school year, that I wanted to try and rally my troops (anyone I knew from Pittsburgh and nearby) and see if we collectively could do more. You see, I am not looking for anything in return. I just want to help some kids in or near “My Village”. So, I got in touch with this guy named - Bryan Douglas, he to me, is the king of helping charities and people. I asked him if he could help me on this project. And within days, we had posts up online and we were talking to people. Family members, member’s of People Helping People and meetup, etc.

Within days later he got back to me and said, People love this idea and are going to help. I was excited. He asked me what my goal was. I told him, well, this is the first year, so we will have to see how it goes. But that I would love to see 50 children ages 5-17 get a backpack filled with school supplies.
His response, oh this should be no problem.

About a week went by, supplies started to trickle in. I shopped and got $100 in supplies. But everywhere we asked to donate backpacks, we heard no responses.

I asked a few more people to help and asked them if they could volunteer at an event planned at Panera Bread. Some could, some couldn’t, which is fine. People are busy, and I totally understand.
Then the media contacted me. Said they would like to hear this story. They said they needed some “good news” to put on (which I totally agreed) so I gave them the time and date at Panera Bread, and they said they would send someone to cover the event on the news.

More supplies trickled in and I went and bought some more as well. Bryan started getting items in the mail. Another friend of mine – Alaina, asked a movie store to help out, to “host” a collection box so people in her area could make drop off donations.

Things were falling into place.

I started to get a little discouraged when I saw we were getting an awesome amount of school supplies but only had about 30 backpacks.

Until TODAY.

Today, Bryan contacted me via Facebook and asked if I had gotten his message (which I didn’t) a man named Joe Deible and EF Tours sent Bryan 120 brand spankin new back packs for the kids !!!!!!

Praise the Lord, Praise the People. I was so touched that I not only doubled my goal of 50 backpacks, I tripled it!

By using social media and outlets like Twitter, Facebook, and Skype I have been able to participate and put together an awesome project benefitting 150 children in the Pittsburgh area!

When I heard the news I was shaking, crying, and so filled with joy. There is nothing like this feeling in the world.

To do good and great things, to “Pay It Forward” and for this project to “Bag It Forward”. Without wanting anything back but to see that smile on those children’s faces as they get their self-esteem boosted, and their confidence boosted and to know that people in THIS VILLAGE care. We want them to learn and not have to worry about adult issues.

This my friends, THIS IS HOW I LOVE TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA.

“Even on my worst day, there are people who have it much worse than me, and if given the chance, I am certain they would love to trade places with me … I think about the poor people that would love to have my problems.” — Ed Buettner

You can see what other’s are doing to #BagItForward by visiting http://www.bagitforward.org

You can also send your own “virtual bag of school supplies” to a friend and help to raise $10K for Adopt-A-Classroom by posting this info. to your site, read more HERE.

The Plus Size Mommy

*Disclosure- I am being compensated for working on this project. Part of it I am donating back to the project.

Congratulations to the winner of the Your Shape for Wii Fitness program from Ubisoft is :

Lynette (my3sonsmom) !!!!!!

You have 48 hours to claim this by emailing me at plussizemommy@gmail.com with your name, address, phone# (for shipping).

Enjoy, and come back and tell us how you like it, after you try it out

Thank you so much for all who entered!

The Plus Size Mommy

*This prize is being sent at no charge to me. I was sent a Your Shape for Wii exercise program for my challenge from Ubisoft & Collective Bias. All thoughts & idea’s about it are my own honest opinions.

Have have you heard or seen the new BlockBuster Express kiosks that are now around town? Haven’t seen any? Goto www.blockbusterexpress.com and find one near you today! And I have some more fab. news !!!  If you rent a movie at www.blockbusterespress.com and use my unique code  :  5G13B29    You can rent 1 movie for $1 and get another one FREE!!!! (offer expires 3/31/2010).

I recently found a BlockBuster Express kiosk near me at my local Sheetz gas station but they are located throughout the US at many places.

Here is a Whrrl of my visit there

We had a great movie night. Why don’t you have one tonight, or over the week end ?

The Plus Size Mommy

*Disclosure – I was able to rent 1 dvd FREE and also sent a gift card for my family night expenses. All idea’s, thought, and opinions are my own.
**Code is valid thru 3/31/2010. When you rent a movie at the regular price, you’ll receive the first night’s rental on a second movie FREE. Extra night charges and taxes apply. May not be combined with any other offer. Rental terms and conditions apply. Not valid at Blockbuster store locations.

A couple weeks ago as part of the Your Shape Challenge I am in, the challengers were asked to come up with healthy snack idea’s.

I found nuts, Craisins, blueberry rice cakes, and dried fruits to be some healthy snacks that I loved to eat.

This upcoming week, we are going to be preparing healthy meals for our whole family to share as part of our challenge.

Also this week, I am getting to give away a copy of the YOUR SHAPE by Ubisoft for Wii game to one of YOU

Here is my challenge to you, for you to try and win :

1. Leave me a comment with a healthy snack idea you use, or you would like to try. = 1 entry
2. Create a healthy meal idea for a family, comment and share with my blog readers = 1 entry
3. Fave Your Shape by Ubisoft for Wii on Momfaves.com = 1 entry
4. Share the luv and share this giveaway on Twitter using the following quote, ” Win a #Yourshape exercise program by Ubisoft for Wii on @plussizemommy  ’s blog here :     http://twurl.nl/37wx8w  ”  = 1 entry per tweet (comment with the tweet thread, you may tweet up to 3 times per day for a total of 3 entries per day)
5. Share a “Get Healthy Tip”, comment with a tip you have that can help others get healthier = 1 entry
6. Write your own blog post about the Your Shape exercise program for Wii and why you would like to win one, link back to this post. Leave a comment with the link to your blog post = 3 BONUS entries!!!!

Winner MUST be a subscriber to this blog in order to win. Winner must also be a resident of USA (continental U.S. only). This giveaway starts NOW and ends on Sunday March 28th, 2010 at 9PM EST. Winner will be posted to this site by March 29th, and will have 48 hours to contact me with address,phone number to claim their prize. (my email is plussizemommy@gmail.com). One winner will be chosen by random.org.

Have Fun with this giveaway, I cannot wait to read all the great comments, hear all the great recipe idea’s and hear your thoughts!

Good Luck!

The Plus Size Mommy

*Disclosure – The Your Shape Challenge is sponsored by Ubisoft & Collective Bias. So is the Your Shape exercise program giveaway. The Your Shape program will be sent direct from the company at no charge to me.

I have been using the Your Shape for Wii fitness program for a little over 7 weeks now. I can definitely tell a change in my energy and have been feeling more active. I have changed my diet and been keeping track of my calories more and have been drinking a ton of water everyday, walking, and also cut wayyyyy back on soda.  My new healthier living lifestyle along with the Your Shape workouts have helped me to lose 12 pounds!

The your shape program puts a twist on all other Wii fitness programs. This one has a camera that hooks up easily to your Wii and you can see yourself side by side along with Jenny McCarthy on your television screen. It is really neat.  Seeing myself on camera and against Jenny’s fit body, motivated me to work out even more and to look like Jenny as a goal.

The only problem I have run into with this program has been the camera. It sometimes doesn’t pick up my moves and so it gives some wrong results, about how accurate my moves are. I do not let it frustrate me, I just modify my moves and keep on going with Jenny and keep with the work out.

I like that I have been able to use this program in my home. I am in PA and it has been a rough winter, so I haven’t been able to get out so much to do work outs or goto the gym as much. I enjoy being able to do this right at home. It has very modern, upbeat music that you can work out to. My children have sometimes even joined in.

Another of my favorite things about this program is how it has MANY different exercises. Do not get frustrated about not getting new ones right away, the more you use Your Shape, it seems the more you get to do. It took me a little while to figure this out.  Getting to do a new exercise is nice too. I like it to change it up a bit.

If your looking for an easy fitness program, this one may not be the one for you, however, if your like me, you can still do the work out with Jenny and just do it at your own pace.  Then as your more comfortable with it and get better at it, you can then start doing it at Jenny’s pace. Do not think that just because this is a “game” that it is going to be an easy peasy work out, cause that is not so at all! You WILL feel the “burn” and you will sweat, and you will see results with the Your Shape.

Some other equipment that I suggest you to buy along with this game, for maximum usage would be a body ball, weights (small hand type), and a step.

The Plus Size Mommy

* I have been sent the Your Shape for Wii by Ubisoft on behalf of my relationship with Collective Bias. I am in a 12 week challenge with a group of ladies who are all a part of Collective Bias. I also receive incentive gifts and gift cards for my time as part of the challenge. All of the thoughts, idea’s, and reviews and weightloss that I post are all my own honest results,opinions, and info.

Collective Bias, an interactive marketing firm that connects brands with shoppers at the store shelf by facilitating conversation and building relationships, has partnered  with Whrrl, a location based mobile application that lets people capture and share the stories of their lives one moment at a time, to create a unique platform that helps shoppers find the best deals on Black Friday.

Twenty bloggers, led by well-known mom bloggers Melissa Garcia, the “money-saving” Consumer Queen, and Courtney Velasquez of Giftfully Simple, will hit stores on Black Friday and upload photos and tips through Whrrl to My Black Friday Deals.

Visitors are encouraged to check the website throughout the days leading up to Black Friday and then all day, Friday November 27th, 2009 to find the best deals at nationwide chains and local stores, and to find the best prices on the biggest shopping day of the year. Visitors can vote for the deals they like the best, and the participating blogger with the most votes on a deal will receiveGoogle Analytics training or tech/design assistance for his or her blog.

“We wanted to integrate a strong social media campaign to show the power that the average person or blogger has to reach so many others,” said John Andrews, Managing Partner of Collective Bias. “By working with bloggers, Whrrl and social media sites, we can effectively spread this idea like wildfire.”

My Black Friday Deals will also be promoted through channels like Flickr, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook to reach a wider audience. 

About Collective Bias
The first company of its kind, Collective Bias offers an alternative to the traditional agency model. Formed at the nexus of and Social Media and Shopper Marketing, we address the need for a comprehensive approach to facilitate ongoing conversations amongst brands, retailers and consumers. Our philosophy is to build true relationships between brands and consumers that make those consumers “part of something” and engender a sense of ownership that manifests itself in advocacy.

About Whrrl
Whrrl v2.0 lets people capture and share the stories of their lives, one moment at a time. Whrrl is a product of Pelago, a Seattle-based company led by an executive team from companies including Amazon, RealNetworks and Yahoo. Pelago is backed by pioneering Internet and mobile investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Bezos Expeditions, T-Venture, Trilogy Equity Partners and Reliance Technology Ventures.

My Black Friday Site: http://mybfdeals.com/
My Black Friday Flickr Photo Stream: http://www.flickr.com/groups/bfdeals/

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• HOW TO: Use Social Media to Find Black Friday Deals (mashable.com)

The Plus Size Mommy