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Wallaby Organic Greek Yogurt

Posted by Theresa Gould on May 14, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

Our family loves yogurt. We’ve even made it ourselves and plan to do it again once our garden is planted. So when a Wallaby Yogurt review opportunity presented itself I agreed to do it. We had tried Wallaby Yogurt before but had not tried their new Greek Yogurt.

Wallaby Organic Greek Yogurt is smooth, silky, creamy and yummy. If you don’t know the difference between regular yogurt and Greek yogurt it’s the thickness and texture, in my opinion. It stays on the spoon better for kids (and adults too!) Sometimes, but not always Greek yogurt has less sugar in it. It depends on the brand and of course the fruit flavor.

My hubby brought home blueberry because it’s one of my personal favorites. The yogurt and blueberries were in separate sections like so:

Then I mixed them together like this:

The only thing I didn’t like was the curve of the container made it hard to get all the blueberries out of the bottom. I actually used the end of my spoon to get as much as I could out and added to my yogurt. The more blueberries the better in my book. Spoken like a true Bluenoser (person from Nova Scotia ) I think one of those new inventions shown on the show Shark Tank called Spatty (and the larger one Spatty Daddy) would have come in handy to get all the blueberries out.

Otherwise the yogurt was delicious and definitely one we’d buy again.

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Cinco de Swap with Avocados from Mexico and $100 Gift Card Giveaway

Posted by Theresa Gould on April 26, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Giveaways, Health, Health and Nutrition, Recipes

“This sponsored post was made possible by The Motherhood and Avocados from Mexico. I have been compensated for my time and work on this campaign, however all opinions are 100% my own.”

Last Friday night four Chicago area bloggers gathered together to experience Cinco de Swap with Avocados from Mexico. We each made an avocado dish (or two) to pass and share. There was one blogger who had never tried avocados before. The majority of us were trying new recipes from avocado macaroni and cheese, avocado ice cream, guacamole and avocado fries. For some fabulous photos of the dishes served visit Frosted Fingers!

Did you know that avocados from Mexico are available all year round? I didn’t know this. I also didn’t know this when I chose a recipe for BLT sandwiches:

Fresh avocado in sandwiches, on toast or substituted as a spread in place of many other popular foods may help reduce your intake of calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol.

I also did not know that one ounce (3 slices) of an avocado has 50 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, making it a good choice to help meet nutrient needs! I find that amazing.

However, I did know that avocados are full of good fats our bodies need. One of the reasons I would feed it to my little ones as babies – my older girls to this day love avocados. It makes for a very easy to prepare meal. Just wash it, cut it open, de-pit it and start spooning baby bites into baby’s (or your) mouth! Easy peasy! Our younger crew didn’t even notice the avocados on the avocado BLT turkey sandwiches.

Not very many in my family liked the avocado fries. I thought they tasted good, but liked Michelle’s (of Honestly and Truly) idea of serving them with a yummy dip.

Avocado Recipes

Here’s the link to the recipe that inspired our Avocado Fries. However, we did not fry them, we baked them and we used olive oil instead of canola oil. We also used regular bread crumbs seasoned with our own spices.

Our Avocado BLT Turkey Sandwich was inspired by this Turkey Avocado Bacon Sandwich recipe.

You can visit www.theamazingavocado.com for more recipes and nutritional
information.

Cinco de Swap with Avocados from Mexico and $100 Gift Card Giveaway

You all have a chance to win a $100 gift card! Just enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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PINXAV – Pink-Salve

Posted by 278Wife on April 19, 2013
in Baby Products, Diapers and Accessories, Family Stuff, Health, Parenting, Personal Care Products, Reviews

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

Would you ever think to use diaper rash ointment to treat acne, bug bites, excema, rashes, or poison ivy? You would if you have ever tried PINXAV diaper rash ointment. PINXAV, pronounced “pink salve,” contains Zinc Oxide, just like other diaper rash ointments, except it contains more of it. PINXAV also includes aloe, lanolin, vitamin E, menthol, and other natural products. PINXAV is primarily used as a diaper rash ointment. It protects the skin, aids in preventing diaper rash, relieves chafed skin, and helps seal out wetness. It should be applied with each diaper change, especially at bedtime and naptime.

I personally tried PINXAV on a rash on my inner arm. It’s a seasonal rash I get that I have never found a cream that provided complete relief. I put a dab of the ointment on the rash and was pleasantly surprised that it is a pink ointment. I love pink! The ointment is quite thick, but it rubs in very easily. Let me tell you, a little bit, and I mean a little bit, goes a very long way. I put maybe a dime size amount and it covered almost my entire lower arm. I used PINXAV on my rash morning and night for 5 days, and was blown away with the results. After the first day, my inner arm no longer itched. After 3 days the rash began to fade, and after 5 days the rash was almost nonexistent. I still cannot believe it! I started using PINXAV on my son’s cheeks. He has sensitive skin and his cheeks get red blotches on them in the evening. I put just a dab on his cheeks at night and it is starting to clear up. I like how gentle the ointment is. It also smells very nice. I can defintely smell the menthol in it, but it is not too overpowering. The ointment makes your skin feel extremely soft, even hours later. It was definitely unexpected coming from a diaper rash ointment!

PINXAV is an all around great product to always have on hand. I cannot wait to try it on my new baby’s bottom; I am confident it will work miracles. Not only can it be used for diaper rashes, but also for heat rashes, chafing, poison ivy, psoriasis, acne, jock itch, minor burns, and many other ailments. PINXAV is for the entire family, which is why I would highly recommend it. They are so confident in their product that they offer a money back guarantee. Trust me, you won’t be dissatisfied. This would make an excellent gift to a new mom or even a veteran mom who has never tried it. PINXAV is available in either a 4oz tube or a 16oz jar and can be purchased at many Target and Wal-Mart stores, but it can also be ordered on their webiste:

www.pinxav.com

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A Smoker and a Non-Smoker’s Ecigarettes Review

Posted by Theresa Gould on April 14, 2013
in Family Stuff, Health, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

As you know, my mom was here for three weeks in March and she’s a smoker. Her first week here right on her birthday she received ecigarettes in the mail. She was anxious to try them. Not because she’s interested in quitting, but because she could smoke inside at the airport or wherever smoking is prohibitive instead of standing out in the cold. It’s my desire she’ll want to quit and slowly reduce the amount of nicotine she inhales, since the ecigarettes do have strong, full, medium, light and no nicotine.

In the ecigarettes kit she received 10 samples of two different flavors of refills, the ecigarette and the adapter. Her samples were the full and medium strengths. The first time, she only took a few drags with the full strength and she said she could have gone out and had a cigarette after using the ecigarettes. We initially thought she could have benefited from having the strong to start out with. Then she tried smoking an ecigarette and took ten drags and said she felt satisfied.

She said it was different smoking with the ecigarette. To be honest, she coughed on her first drag! Mom said that they left an after taste like cigarettes, but old cigarettes. I forgot to ask her if that gradually went away. It’s hard writing a review from another person’s perspective.

For me, it was weird to be near mom while she smoked with the ecigarette because I still had the same reaction as if she was smoking. The vapor I saw reminded me of smoke and my gut reaction was to not want to breath it in or want my children near it. The rare skeptic in me reared it’s head. I was skeptical because when mom smoked she still had to blow out the vapor. I wondered what was in it, was it harmful? Yeah I needed to do more research because I didn’t want to have a false sense of protection from harmful odors and what I was breathing in. Nevertheless, when I did get a whiff of the vapor it smelled like vanilla, the flavor she tried while she was here. It also did not make us cough as cigarette smoke would.

The FDA has not approved ecigarettes nor have there been any clinical studies done. So there is no evidence to prove or disprove any claims about the ecigarettes being better or “healthier”. However, smokers seem to really benefit from them. Even my little sister wanted to try them because she wants to quit smoking. Forgot to ask mom today if she shared any with little sis. Overall, my mom had a fairly positive experience and enjoyed trying something new. She ended up using the ecigarettes when she woke up in the middle of the night so she wouldn’t have to get up and go outside to have a smoke.

I’d recommend you to encourage your smoking relatives to give them a try, especially if they are looking quit smoking.

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Healthy Classroom Station Review

Posted by Professor on April 3, 2013
in Cleaning, Community Issues, Education, Health, Personal Care Products, Reviews, Uncategorized

The Healthy Classroom Station Review

Kimberly-Clark Professional is taking the lead in helping transform schools into healthier learning environments.

Good Hygiene habits should begin early. The Healthy Classroom Station brings accessible product solutions to the classroom. Students learn to WASH, WIPE, and SANITIZE to help reduce the spread of germs.

Statistics show that the average student misses 4.5 school days each year due to preventable illness. Symptoms of illness are bad but so are the side effects… when children are ill their performance suffers. Student absences are linked to lower achievement and higher school dropout rates. Even when ill students are physically present but they often perform poorly. Further more, it is not only the student that is affected but parents’ work in affected. In the U.S., caring for a sick child results in 126 million lost workdays and $14.5 billion lost in productivity annually. This affects schools because schools spend over $2 billion on substitute teacher pay each year. Studies show that teacher absenteeism also affects student achievement.

Absenteeism starts with presenteeism ~ coming to school sick. When ill students touch a doorknob, keyboard, desk or other surface, they leave germs that can live up to 48 hours. Other students and teachers pick up those germs, and the cycle continues.

Kimberly- Clark Professional has come up with a solution to combat germs in the classroom. The Healthy Classroom Station!

The classroom Caddy creates a fun, engaging way to promote good hygiene in the classroom. Fill it with the hand sanitizer, tissue, and surface wipes to create a Healthy Classroom Station. The Classroom Caddy boasts a durable design, suitable for use by children age 3 and above (patent pending).

Contents of the Caddy:

KLEENEX Hand Sanitizer ~ effectively kills germs on hands with a foam formula that is perfect for schools. It is 99.9% effective against most common disease-causing germs in as little as 30 seconds. One step sanitizing solution. NO rinsing required.

KLEENEX Anti-Viral Tissue ~ moisture-activated middle layer that is scientifically proven to kill cold and flu viruses.

SCOTT Surface Wipes ~ safe enough for children to use. Clean high touch surfaces by removing soil, dirt, and other contaminants without the use of disinfectants. Alcohol and bleach free. Safe for children to use.

Our Review:

This is a neat innovative product! We really liked the Classroom Caddy and the Kimberly-Clark products. We used the products at home in order to do this review… but I WILL be giving a caddy filled with new products to my daughters preschool class. I wish I had more of these to go around as my other two children’s grade school classes could certainly benefit from a germ fighting kit!

On to the review… the caddy effectively fits all of the products securely and it easily fits next to the sink on the counter. The Hand sanitizer option is a nice plus. Having the sanitizer in a convenient pump and in the handy caddy location proved useful. I also liked that the sanitizer was of the foam variety. The foam seems to be easier for the children to dispense with less mess. The KLEENEX anti viral tissue is very nice. I must admit that I have not used this version of KLEENEX before this review…. But it is very soft and easy on the nose…plus it has the anti viral properties that are a large plus! Most of all I LOVED the SCOTT surface wipes. This is a great product! I often use regular sanitizing wipes on my counters and sometimes a bleach spray on the doorknobs. I LOVE the option of having an alcohol and bleach free product to wipe off the doorknobs and children’s toys, etc. This is a much safer option!

Overall we LOVE the Caddy and all of the contents. As I mentioned I intend to refill it and give it to my daughter’s preschool. I think that these are wonderful product to combat germs. How convenient not only for schools, but for anyone really! Think about it… homes, homes schools, daycares, in home daycare, etc… Wow! So many places…so many uses! Thank you Kimberly-Clark Professional!

For more information about these products and other solutions for your home or school, visit www.kcprofessional.com

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PROBAR Review

Posted by Professor on March 28, 2013
in All Natural Products, Exercise, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews

The PROBAR Company’s goal is to change how the world thinks when it comes to real, whole food. PROBAR products are proof that a food maker can wholeheartedly commit to quality, sustainability—and sheer deliciousness. Part of the Simply Real® promise is sourcing the finest all-natural, 100% vegan organic ingredients from growers who believe in these things as well. As you check out their products, they all have one thing in common: they start with only the best raw ingredients.

There are 4 PROBAR products to choose from:

PROBAR Meal ~ This PROBAR weighs in at a solid three ounces of fruits, nuts and seeds with enough nutrition to make a fresh, tasty, satisfying meal replacement. It’s rich in raw ingredients and the right nutrient-dense calories for lasting energy and nourishment.

PROBAR Core ~ Looking for a protein bar that resembles nature rather than a science experiment? Good…because they have packed 20 grams of plant protein and plenty of real, recognizable ingredients into this bar. And it does more than build your strength – it boasts chia seeds for hydration and recovery too.

PROBAR Bolt ~ These organic chews step up your game right when you need it. They’re packed to power you from morning workouts to race days. Plus, they’re loaded with electrolytes, B vitamins, antioxidants and complex carbs for fast fuel-ups that last through the home stretch.

PROBAR Fuel ~ Go ahead, dig in and fuel up with this gluten-free bar’s superfruits, cashews and oats. It’s soft, chewy, and it’s a full serving of fruit – a scrumptious snack for action packed days. We balanced this blend with chia seeds to regulate hydration and raw oats for easy-to-digest energy.

PROBAR Halo ~ Satisfying your sweet tooth with zero grams of guilt. Introducing PROBAR Halo™, the delicious between meals treat that’s designed to do your body good. With natural whole food ingredients and heavenly taste, these bars have such big flavors they take on a personality all their own.

Our PROBAR Review:

We received the following products from PROBAR: PROBAR Meal (Superberry and Greens), PROBAR Core (Peanut Butter Chocolate), PROBAR Bolt (Raspberry).

These are VERY good bars. I enjoyed the flavor and quality of each type of bar.

PROBAR Meal (Superberry and greens)

This bar goes beyond what I thought it could do…it REALLY fills you up! When they say a meal replacement they mean meal replacement! I was surprised when I opened the package and saw how green the bar was…I was glad because I know I do not eat enough “greens” and this bar is packed full of vital nutrients! As for taste… I enjoyed the flavor of the bar… for some it might be an acquired taste if you have never had a meal replacement bar. But, if you have had meal replacement bars before this one stands out in quality and flavor. The texture and balance of the ingredients was very nice on the tongue! This product is NON-GMO product verified.

Check out the ingredients and nutritional information here: PROBAR Meal Replacement Superberry and Greens

PROBAR Core (Peanut Butter and Chocolate)

These are EXCELLENT! I am a chocolate lover… so I was pleased to see a protein bar in my favorite flavor! I have tried other protein bars before and these surpass the other brands in quality and taste. They are very flavorful and pack a punch of 20 grams of protein. I was not disappointed. This product is Gluten-Free!

Check out the ingredients and nutritional information here: PROBAR Core (Peanut Butter & Chocolate)

PROBAR Bolt (Raspberry)

This was a very nice alternative for fast fuel ups for workouts! I enjoyed this flavor immensely! These are not a bar but a “chew” reminiscent of a “gummy bear”. These are wonderful performance aides. Since I am not an avid runner or workout aficionado … I gave some samples to my brother who is a power lifter and he attested that they are a great way to boost a workout!

Check out the ingredients and nutritional information here: PROBAR Bolt (Raspberry)

OVERALL… I was delightfully surprised at the taste and texture of the products along with the nutritional values contained in the product. I do also have to add that the products are 100% Vegan ORGANIC … how wonderful!

To learn more about the PROBAR company and their products, please visit their website www.theprobar.com

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Walgreens Pharmacy, App and Rewards

Posted by Theresa Gould on March 18, 2013
in Health, Health and Nutrition, Organization, Shopping, Uncategorized

My mother-in-law is in her 80s and is on a lot of medications for various ailments. I’m not sure how she keeps track of all of them, seriously. When I found out about the Walgreens app I wondered if it could assist her in keeping track of her pills all in one place. She shops at Walgreens all the time and has bought her prescriptions there for many years.

The Walgreens mobile app certainly has plenty of helpful features to keep track of all your prescription needs. Like most apps, it is downloadable from iTunes and all you have to do once it’s downloaded to your phone is create your account…

Then choose Pharmacy or Refill by Scan or Pill Reminder on the home page according to your current need and go from there. Of course, there are other options too, but for the purpose of this post we are sticking to prescription needs.

There is even a Web Pickup option, which is rather convenient. Order via the web and it will be ready for pick up at the store. I thought this was great since my husband runs a lot of errands for his mom and we could place an order then pick it up for her.

The Pharmacy section also gives you access to Refills, Pill Reminder, Transferring Prescriptions from one pharmacy to another, if need be, as well as Refill for a Family Member, which is what we would want to use for my mother-in-law. You can also check for prescription history and status updates or receive alerts. All in one convenient place.

Through Walgreens innovations you can even just scan a prescription to get it refilled.

The Walgreens app is pretty easy to use, in my opinion. It is very straight forward.

So if you are already a part of the Walgreens Community, I would highly recommend you check out their app for a #HappyHealthy way of organizing yours and your family’s prescription needs as well as their Balance Rewards program for additional ways to save money when you shop at Walgreens – Find out about my recent Walgreen’s shopping experience here. Thanks to #Cbias for this opportunity to learn how to manage my mother-in-law’s prescriptions.

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Walgreens #cbias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own.

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Flexible Spending Accounts Can Save Your Family 40%

Posted by Theresa Gould on March 6, 2013
in Family Stuff, Health, Money & Finances, Saving Money, Uncategorized

It’s been a number of years since we did any health care “shopping” and it really isn’t a problem if you know your way around, however, it can get overwhelming because of the various options available. Something like, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), can offer relief from increasing health care costs, because these benefit plans rely on pre-tax money for qualified health expenses.

Not only can you save on FSA eligible products, but an FSA also gives you access to health care services and thousands of everyday products such as sunscreen, contact lens solution, band-aids, heat wraps and baby care – a bonus for families like ours.

How Does FSAs Work?

Each FSA plan year, employers take money out of your paychecks based on how much you choose to set aside. Beginning in 2013, FSA plan contributions are limited to $2,500 per person. Before you get an FSA, it is vital to calculate how much you want to spend using your FSA.

A word of caution…because FSAs are “use it or lose it” any money unspent is forfeited when your plan year ends. Some employers provide a grace period – or an extension of coverage – up to two and a half months. One big deadline coming up is March 15. Do you have FSAs? Better check to see if you need to use any of your FSA funds before March 15.

FSAstore.com is a one-stop-shop stocked exclusively with thousands of FSA-eligible products, a national provider database and a Learning Center that answers FSA-related questions. You can save on FSA-eligible products throughout the year with FSA Store’s special offers. Check these out before your grace period ends on March 15.

This is a featured post.

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10 Ways to Beat the Flu Naturally

Posted by Theresa Gould on February 26, 2013
in Health, Health & Garden Tuesday, Health and Garden Tuesday, Health and Nutrition

Did you know….

Dr. Richard Schultz (world-renowned Herbalist) calls this “The Deadliest Cold & Flu Season in Decades”

Dr. Joseph Mercola says “vaccinated persons, especially seniors, are still gettting the flu”

We have been fortunate enough to avoid illness this winter, at least so far. That’s amazing since we have eight children…..and we all know how often young children get sick. The only thing I can contribute our healthiness to, besides God’s grace, is to our new health regimen that includes using thieves hand purifier and 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils, which have in turn healed our cells, and diffusing essential oils into the air of our home keeps our air quality good.

Did you know our cells have memories? This explains why in past years we have always got sick at the same time every year. I think we have finally hit a plateau and the essential oils have repaired our cells’ memories. Did you know essential oils could do that? We didn’t until we started learning more about them. This leads me to share our 10 ways to beat the flu naturally before I go off on a totally different tangent, like explaining how the cells repair themselves! Another day….

10 Ways to Beat the Flu Naturally

1. Food and Supplement Supply. Healthy food and the right supplements are very important to staying healthy. We have been trying to keep a steady supply of Ningxia Red in the house but I cannot. We always run out.
2. Healthy Elimination. Lots of water, fiber, fruits and veggies help aid in healthy elimination. A build up in our colon can lead to a build up of toxins in our body.
3. New Toothbrush. If you have been sick get a new toothbrush or at least sterilize the one you’ve been using while you have been sick because it is harboring your cold or flu germs.

4. Pure Water. Not tap water. Make sure you filter your tap water to remove harmful toxins.
5. Clean Air. During the winter months it’s hard to get the air circulating in our homes. This is why we use a home diffuser to diffuse essential oils into to the air as it helps purify it.
6. Daily Exercise. Daily exercise is not only good for the body but your mind and spirit as well.
7. Hand Washing. Frequent hand washing helps eliminate the risk of illness being spread. A good hand sanitizer, like thieves hand purifier, that doesn’t kill the good bacterial is an essential in our home.

8. Changing Out Towels and Washcloths. When illness goes through our home I make sure to wash the hand towels and washcloths once a day, if not more depending on the illness.
9. Avoid Sick People and Crowds. Stay home. We don’t have any trouble staying at home. We stay home so much that a few of our children have become homebodies preferring to be home than going out anywhere. If that is impossible for you then at least stay at home when you know there’s illness at your destination, like a sick relative’s or friend’s.
10. Get Enough Rest. This goes without saying. Getting enough rest helps our body fight off any invasion of viruses and sickness.

Hope these 10 ways to beat the flu naturally helps you consider a healthier alternative to over the counter drugs and prescriptions, which often have harmful side affects. All of the above do not.

How about you, have you been sick yet this winter? What do you do to beat the flu? Leave me a comment telling me about it!

This post contains a link to one of our other businesses.

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Children’s Mucinex Review for Smiley 360

Posted by Theresa Gould on February 24, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Health, Parenting, Reviews

’tis the season. Oh the joys of noses running and hacking coughs. As much as I appreciated the Smiley 360 Blogger offer to do a Children’s Mucinex review, I didn’t want to have to try it. I’m sure all you Mom’s understand. Well, low and behold my little darling started showing signs of the stuffy nose and cough. Good thing we had our Children’s New Formula of Mucinex in the closet. The multi-symptom cold with expectorant cough suppressant and nasal decongestant was just the thing we needed. It covers the stuffy nose, cough, chest congestion and breaks up mucus in a favorable flavor of Very Berry. After I read all the warnings, uses and directions the first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the dosing cup. It’s a short and wider than other dosing cups included in other brands. Which was much easier for my daughter to drink, it fit her mouth more like a cup she normally drinks out of. She’s not fond of tastes of medicine (but who really is, right?), she said it was good. The Children’s Mucinex helped her cough and stuffy nose, especially throughout the night, which makes this Momma happy.

Children’s Mucinex is alcohol free and there are 7 kinds of liquid forms to choose from depending on the ailment. In addition, there are 3 “mini melts”. From what I read about Mini Melts, you open the packet and pour the contents on your child’s tongue and they swallow it.

Complete drug facts, uses, warnings, dosing chart, and active ingredients please click here.

If you are unsure about using Children’s Mucinex® Multi-Symptom Cold liquid for
your child, talk to your pediatrician. With Children’s Mucinex and all medication, please read all the instructions before you dispense it to your child! Please call the toll free number 1-866-MUCINEX (1-866-682-4639) if you have any product related questions.

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product and promotional products from Smiley 360 in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.