Is there anything I can do about dangerous Teen driving?

Until recently I didn't think that there was much that could be done about dangerous teen driving, other than call the local police station and report local hot spots.

Tonight I discovered an organisation in our area called STTOP (Sherrif's Teen Traffic Offender Program). STTOP is an innovative intervention program developed by the Lost Hills/Malibu Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, to educate young drivers and their parents.

It is reckless behavior and other bad driving practices that STTOP hopes to correct. The program is designed to intervene when a young driver displays poor judgment or dangerous driving behavior. Aside from following up on collision reports and citations issued, STTOP encourages citizens to call in (or log on) and report dangerous teen drivers.

How does it work?
STTOP will take the information provided about the driver, his vehicle and the dangerous driving behavior and attempt to identify the offender. After locating the driver, a Sheriff's Deputy conducts an intervention with the driver and his/her parents. The programs' intent is not to prosecute, but to correct and educate the offender and his parents. Getting parents involved is the key. Young drivers do their best to impress parents with their safe driving. The parents can't always be there and peer pressure, or simply wanting to impress friends, often leads to deadly consequences. The goal of STTOP is to make teens better, safer drivers, which in turn benefits all drivers on the roadways.

Unlike some private organizations, there are no additional fees charged to parents of teens, to put a bumper sticker with a "toll free number" on a car (which can be easily removed). No additional taxes are levied on citizens. A postcard or letter isn't sent with a one-size-fits-all message, which can be easily lost in the mail, or thrown away by the teen. An experienced, uniformed law enforcement officer from the community visits the home, unannounced, to talk to the parents and teen. The impact this has is unrivaled.

What cities are currently participating?
There are many cities that already participate in STTOP, with more in the planning stages to join.

STTOP was created over 4 years ago, and has grown faster than anyone imagined. The following Los Angeles and Ventura County cities currently participate in STTOP:

Agoura Hills
Calabasas
City of Camarillo
Cresenta Valley Communities
Fillmore
Hidden Hills
Malibu
Moorpark
Oak Park
Ojai
Santa Clarita
Santa Paula
Simi Valley
Thousand Oaks
Westlake Village

Let's all help keep teens safe!

What can I do with my Expired or extra Coupons?

For quite a while I have offered the coupons that we don't use to friends and family.

As very few have children in diapers or eating baby food I often wonder how many coupons they are able to use and had considered seperating them out so I could share the baby coupons with people who need them. Honestly I don't have the time to do that.

So I was really excited when I discovered that US Military personnel posted overseas can use expired coupons for up to 6 months past the expiration date at the commissaries. These coupons are good at commissaries within the US also, but personnel stationed overseas have ore difficulty getting the coupons.

This means that all those coupons you clipped and didn't use, along with the coupons you didn't need can be sent to military personnel overseas and they can save money!

It cost me just $4.95 to send a USPS Domestic flat rate envelope full of coupons to a friend of mine whose husband is stationed at the Navy base in Japan.

So if you know someone stationed overseas, ask them if they could use the coupons.

If you don't, get on Twitter or Facebook and offer free coupons to military personnel. I'm quite sure someone will put their hand up.

What is Connect2Mums?

Connect2mums (C2M) is a new, fast growing interactive magazine. It's an online network designed by mothers for mothers.

Connect2Mums creator and founder, Paula Kuhnemann saw a need in the market for a website where women could get together and share information. "Being a mum can be quite lonely. I wanted to create a place where mums could gather in their own time without ever needing to leave the house."

It seems the idea is exactly what mums were after. Member growth is substantial with 500 members joining connect2mums in just six weeks! And, the rate of growth is steadily increasing by the day.

connect2mums provides members with relevant information and opportunities to interact and socialise with other mums across Australia and New Zealand. Weekly Live chats, newsletters, product reviews, events, news and articles are just some of the ways women get connected at connect2mums.

“My purpose in life is to empower women to reach their full potential and support them in their quest for the seemingly unattainable Family/Work Balance. I believe you can have it all but not without support and connections.” Says Paula

So, where are all the mums? At connect2mums, of course!

For more information or an interview, please contact
Paula at connect2mums@yahoo.com.au
www.connect2mums.com.au

What Are We Doing To Women?!!

A friend recently shared this article with me. I have had hormone issues since I was a teenager and am constantly looking for more information to help me lead a more balanced life. I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did.

Family Physician Reevaluates Traditional Hormone Treatment
By Dr. Deanna Osborn, D.O.
Hormone imbalance is an epidemic among American women causing many ailments from severe PMS to breast cancer. Estrogen dominance is thought to be the culprit of hormone imbalance.

Symptoms of hormone imbalance include:
PMS
Hot flashes
Difficulty with concentration
Hair loss
Vaginal dryness
Loss of sex drive
Certain auto immune disorders
Migraine headaches
Mood Swings
Depression
Osteoporosis
Fatigue
Fluid Retention
Irregular menstrual cycles
Heavy bleeding during menses
Thinning hair
Fibrocystic Breasts
Symptoms of slow thyroid
Sleep disturbances
Uterine fibroids
Unexplained weight gain
Dry, thin, wrinkly skin

A recent journal article published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) July 2002, entitled The Women’s Health Initiative Study, found that traditional HRT (hormone replacement therapy) increased the incidence of breast cancer, stroke, heart attacks, blood clots and pulmonary embolus even within the first year of therapy. The results were so overwhelming that the FDA ruled it was unethical to continue the study because it was putting women at too much risk for serious side effects.

Here’s how we were designed:

Estrogen is the dominant hormone during the first half of a woman’s monthly cycle. It is a growth hormone and is responsible for proliferation (growth) of cells in the lining of the uterus so that a fertilized egg can implant. Progesterone is the hormone we should find in the second half of the cycle. It is released into the body when a woman ovulates. It is responsible for sustaining the newly fertilized egg that has implanted in the uterine lining.

Progesterone also functions to:
Restore sex drive
Act as a natural diuretic
Stimulate /Build New Bone
Act as a natural anti-depressant
Normalize blood sugar levels
Facilitate thyroid hormone action
Protect against fibrocystic breasts
Normalize blood sugar level
Protect against endometrial and breast cancer
Restore normal vascular tone
Facilitate thyroid hormone function
Help use fat for energy

A 1996 Johns Hopkins study concluded that women low in natural progesterone have an 80% higher risk of developing breast cancer and that the risk of developing other malignant cancers increase ten fold.

How do our hormones become unbalanced?
Hormones and our health become unbalanced due to stress, hormone replacement, diet and environment.

1. STRESS: Studies show that by age 34, 50% of the women in America have no progesterone. American women are always on the go, go, go. This causes increased stress which depletes our bodies of its own progesterone. When our bodies are stressed, we make cortisol, a hormone that uses progesterone as a building block. In addition, when a woman’s body is stressed she may not ovulate, and therefore not produce progesterone, furthering the downward cycle.

2. RX’s: We consume a tremendous amount of prescription hormones in birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), etc. (Please note that Progestin – used in HRT is not the same as natural progesterone.) These prescriptions further add to the imbalance by adding more estrogen to the problem.

3. DIET: One of the most appalling contributions to the imbalance is found in what we eat. Beef, chicken and pork all contain estrogen. They are fed estrogen as a growth hormone to get them to the market more quickly. Sugar, refined starches, and petrochemical infused foods all add to the problem. (When plastics are heated in the microwave, they emit certain toxic carcinogenic (cancer causing) chemicals.)

4. ENVIRONMENT: Petroleum based products like mineral oil (baby oil); most soaps, skin care and hair care; plastics, pesticides, detergents, etc. are found to be sources of xenoestrogens (or “false estrogens”) – which bind up our estrogen receptors and cause hormone imbalance in the body. (Any product placed on the skin that contains mineral oil actually dehydrates the basal cell layer of the skin contributing to premature aging, not to mention that it is a gasoline byproduct and carcinogenic.)

What can we do to protect ourselves?
For starters we can balance the estrogen dominance by supplementing with natural progesterone cream. When looking for a natural progesterone cream it is important to look for USP grade progesterone, at 20 mg. per dose. Look for a product that is in an airtight, metered dose pump container such as Arbonne International’s Natural Balancing Cream. (Products in jars are oxidized when exposed to air; they are usually hand mixed which can separate, as opposed to machine mixed, and are usually formulated in a mineral oil base.) Arbonne’s Natural Balancing cream is formulated in a botanical (plant) base.

When possible, buy organic meats and produce. Many health food stores, co-ops, and local grocery stores carry organic. Never use plastics in the microwave. Do not use products on your skin that contain any mineral oil or petroleum based products.


What else can be done?
Supplement your diet with quality vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They must meet the US Pharmacopeia (USP) standard of 30 minutes disintegration time or they will pass through the digestive tract unused. Arbonne’s nutritional products meet those standards.

The Cancer Prevention Coalition released a statement on June 17, 2002 stated that mainstream cosmetics and personal hygiene products pose the highest cancer risk, due to exposures, to the general public – higher than smoking.

Use personal products for your body that are pure and safe.

Arbonne’s products contain:
NO mineral oil
NO SD40 Alcohol
NO animal products or by-products
NO chemical fragrances or dyes
And are:
PH correct
Botanically based
Hypoallergenic

Arbonne’s skin care, hair care, make-up, and nutritional and specialty products are of premium quality and can be trusted to be pure, safe, and beneficial. Not only are they good for you, they make you look and feel wonderful!

For testimonials and general information log on to Arbonne.com

For research information on natural progesterone log on to JohnLeeMD.com

For product information and ordering contact:

Rebecca Doll, ID #18015599
Arbonne Independent Consultant
805-498-4642

PhytoProlief Item #800 and Prolief Item #805

Books: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Pre-Menopause by Dr.John Lee
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause by Dr. John Lee
Hormone Balance: A matter of Life and Health by Kristine B. Klitzke, R.N., B.S.N.

Dr. Deanna Osborn is a family practice physician who practices in Springfield, Tennessee, in the Nashville area. The information contained in this article can be supported by medical research

If your Hormones are controlling you, I would like to have the opportunity to give you additional information about which product would best meet your needs and the appropriate dosage. I can be contacted at rebeccad@myarbonne.com

Vitamin D Testing: Why It Matters, How It's Done

In paying my bill at Quest Diagnostics I came across this great video about Vitamin D importance and the tests available.

Coming from a family with Vitamin D deficiency I think it is very important to learn more about this.

Did you know low Vitamin D levels are linked to higher levels of pain in Fibromyalgia patients?




You know Vitamin D influences health. But did you know that there are two types of Vitamin D? Or that laboratories use different testing platforms to measure the vitamin? In "Vitamin D Testing -- Why it Matters, How it's Done," experts from Quest Diagnostics and Harbor UCLA Medical Center provide an overview on Vitamin D and how two common testing technologies measure levels of the vitamin in the body.

How can I protect myself from identity theft?

I received this email from a friend today and I think it is important to share.

This is ATTORNEY's ADVICE - at NO CHARGE and is Not A Joke!!
If you dislike attorneys..... You will love them for these tips.

A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company.
1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put 'PHOTO ID REQUIRED.'
2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the 'For' line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.
3. Put your work ! phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address.
Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get it.
4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have first hand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieve(S) ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:

5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where yo u can find them.
6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

But here's what is perhaps most important of all : (I never even thought to do this.)
7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fra ud line): 1-800-269-0271

Please retweet this as I really think this is important information to share.

Are any Arbonne products gluten free?

The following Arbonne products are gluten free:

ABC Arbonne Baby Care® Body Oil
ABC Arbonne Baby Care® Herbal Diaper Rash Cream
About Face Blusher
About Face Brow Wax
About Face Cream Concealer
About Face Eye Pencil
About Face Eye Shadow
About Face Line Defiance Liquid Foundation SPF 15
About Face Lip Pencil
About Face Lipstick
About Face Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 15
About Face Sheer Shine
About Face Translucent Pressed Powder
About Face Wipe Out Eye Makeup Remover
Acne Spot Treatment Acne Medication
Age Spot Brightening Day Cream with SPF 30
Age Spot Brightening Hand Therapy with SPF 30
Arbonne Intelligence™ Body Lotion
Arbonne Intelligence™ Cleansing Gel
Arbonne Intelligence™ Daily Balancer
Arbonne Intelligence™ Daily Eye Cream
Arbonne Intelligence™ Daily Moisturizing Cream, Day & Night
Arbonne Intelligence™ Hand Cream
Arbonne Intelligence™ Skin Conditioning Oil
ASN HYBRIDS - Daily Nutritional Chews for Teens
ASN HYBRIDS - Daily Power Punch for Kids
Awaken Sea Salt Scrub
Bio-Nutria® Get Well Soon Dietary Supplement
Bio-Nutria® Heart Formula
Bio-Nutria® Herbal Colon Cleanse
Bio-Nutria® Herbal Lip Ointment
Bio-Nutria® Herbal Muscle Massage Gel
Bio-Nutria® Herbal Vapor Rub
Bio-Nutria® Herbal Vapor Soak
Bio-Nutria® Joint Formula
Bio-Nutria® Leg Vein Formula
Bio-Nutria® Lip Service Dietary Supplement
BodyBetter Body Cream
Clarifying Lotion Acne Medication
Clarifying Toner Acne Medication
Clarifying Wash Acne Medication
Concentrated Age Spot Minimizer
EyeQ™ Cream Eye Shadow
EyeQ™ Cream Eye Shadow - Dramatic
EyeQ™ Cream Eye Shadow - High School Sweetheart
EyeQ™ Cream Eye Shadow - Prom Queen
EyeQ™ Cream Eye Shadow - Quarterback
EyeQ™ Cream Eye Shadow - Sheer Genius
f.y.i. Arbonne® Secret Crush Color Palette
Figure 8 Daily Detox Tea
Figure 8 NRGGO3! Fizzing Beverage Tablet
Figure 8 Vanish Pre-Shower Cellulite Scrub
Figure 8 Vanish Water Relief Treatment Serum
Figure 8® Going, Going, Gone! Dietary Supplement
Figure 8® On the Go! Weight Loss Chews, Berry Burst
Figure8® Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX®, Chocolate
Figure8® On the Go! Weight Loss Chews, Chocolate
Figure8® On the Go! Weight Loss Chews, Peanut Butter
General Questions
GetEven Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15
Go Anywhere! Fiber Booster
Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX®, Vanilla
Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX®, Chai Latte
Go Easy! Protein Shake, Chocolate - 15 servings
Go Easy! Protein Shake, Chocolate - 30 servings
Go Easy! Protein Shake, Vanilla - 30 servings
Go Easy! Protein Shake, Vanilla - 15 servings
Hydrating Eye Crème
Intensive Pro-Brightening Night Serum
ItShines Lip Gloss
Lip Saver Sunscsreen SPF 30
Moisturizing Night Crème
No Sun Intended Bronzing Powder
NRGGO3 Fizzing Beverage Tablets, Pomegranate Splash
Nurturing Day Lotion with SPF 20
Oil-Absorbing Day Lotion with SPF 20
On the Go! Weight Loss Chews, Café Mocha
On the Go! Weight Loss Chews, Creamy Caramel
Personal Space Spray Fragrance
Purifying Cleanser + Toner
REgain Illuminating Enzyme Peel
REsurface Shave Gel
REtaliate Wrinkle Filler
SeaSource Detox Spa™ 5-in-1 Essential Massage Oil
SeaSource Detox Spa™ 7-Day Body Cleanse
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Detoxifying Rescue Wash
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Foaming Sea Salt Scrub
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Fortifying Hair Mask
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Purifying Sea Soak
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Re-Mineralizing Body Lotion 24H
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Renewing Body Gelée
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Sea Mud Face & Body Mask
Shea Butter Hand Care Duo
Skin Conditioning Oil
SugarSlush Body Scrub
Translucent Loose Powder
Ultra-Hydrating Hand Crème
Unwind Bath Salts
Unwind Massage Oil
Virtual Illusion™ Dual Volume Mascara
Virtual Illusion™ Eye Definer
Virtual Illusion™ Lash Enhancer
Virtual Illusion™ Lip Definer
Virtual Illusion™ Liquid Eyeliner
Virtual Illusion™ Makeup Primer

Please note that although these products do not contain any gluten, they are not manufactured in a gluten-free facility.

Interested in purchasing Arbonne products, visit http://try.myarbonne.com