giveaway - Live from La Quinta

Fifth Hysterversary Update and Poise Body Cooling Towelettes Review

April 4, 2013 · by Debbie Woodruff · 88 Comments

While it is a little early to celebrate, the fifth anniversary of my total hysterectomy and instant entry into menopause is quickly approaching. This seemed an appropriate time to discuss the changes I have undergone in the past five years, also because I was recently sent a sample kit from Poise.

Poise offers a complete line of wellness products designed to help women approach changes with confidence.

It’s been almost two years since I posted about my life after menopause. I took a look back at that post and realized that, while many things have changed, most especially my fitness and training, some things have not, specifically my migraines and occasional issues with my hormone replacement therapy.

Training

I am really excited that for the first time since before my hysterectomy I am actually training for a half marathon. Yes, I have run one or two half marathons a year, but beyond running enough to build the appropriate endurance, I didn’t do any other training. My times showed it of course, they were generally around 2:10 or so, not too bad considering the lack of training, but still, I felt I could do better. Now that I am currently in week eleven of my La Jolla Half Marathon training plan, I feel that I can improve my time, run a stronger race, and even recover better afterward. Time will tell!

Health

I had a very fast recovery from surgery. I was back to work in eight days, felt good from the very beginning, was able to get back to most of my regular activities within a couple weeks. I am sure that my great recovery was due in large part to being in excellent shape before my operation. Menopause has not always been so easy, though. I have written about my search for the perfect hormone replacement (if such a thing exists). In my fantasy, my energy level would always be high, my migraines would disappear, and the words “hot flash” would not be a part of my vocabulary. My reality is somewhat different. While I usually wake up well rested and ready to face the day, I find that by midday my energy will slack off. Now, that could be many things, including 1) High energy expenditure in the mornings, my main exercise time, 2) My hypothyroidism, for which I’ve been taking medication for several months (darn, need to remember to go get that follow up blood test!), and 3) my, ahem, age. While 55 is certainly not old, it is not 25 either, and one can expect some changes due to time. Then there are my migraines. I was so hopeful entering menopause that, as many older women had told me had happened to them, my headaches would disappear. That was not to be in my case, and I still get frequent headaches which blossom into a full-blown migraine once a month or so. I guess I should be used to this, it has been going on for 45 years, but I was so hopeful at the beginning of my journey through “the change.” I still have a really outstanding hot flash from time to time, though, and that brings me back to the Poise sample kit that I received last week.

One of the items in my sample kit was Poise Body Cooling Towelettes. According to the package, the towelettes offer an instant cooling sensation that can provide hot flash comfort. Oh, yes, I’m in. Since most of my hot flash moments occur at night, I took the convenient re-sealable pouch and placed it by my bed. When I awoke that same night feeling uncomfortably warm, I first moved a couple dogs, kicked off my covers then reached for a Poise Body Cooling Towelette. I fell almost instantly back to sleep. I have used Poise Body Cooling Towelettes several times since then and they always provide me with cool comfort.

The Poise Feminine Wellness line, which was the 2013 Product of the Year, consists of five products designed to help provide comfort when experiencing some of the changes such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and vaginal odor. Millions of women already rely on Poise for discreet protection from light bladder leakage, and now Poise offers a unique line of daily products specifically designed to help women with staying cool, feel fresh, and intimacy. The line includes:

Roll-On Cooling Gel helps you feel comfortable and refreshed. Squeeze the tube and gently roll the cooling gel on wrists, chest or neck for a cooling sensation that lasts up to 10 minutes.
Body Cooling Towelettes offer instant cooling and refreshment. Gently wipe the towelette on wrists, chest or neck to feel cool and comfortable. Featuring a portable, re-sealable package, these towelettes are easy to use anywhere you go.
Personal Lubricant designed to enhance your intimate experience. This lubricant features an easy to use bottle and is made without Fragrance, Glycerin or Parabens.
Panty Fresheners have a fresh and clean scent that lasts up to four hours. These discreet, hypoallergenic fresheners stick to the outside of your undergarments so you can confidently go about your day.
Feminine Wash provides daily freshness with a unique formulation that is pH balanced for your intimate area. Glycerin and paraben free, this gentle wash will help you feel clean and confident.

For more information about the Poise Feminine Wellness Line and to sign up for a coupon or sample, visit Poise’s Facebook page.

And now for the sweepstakes – How are you approaching life’s changes confidently? Each comment will be entered to win a $100 Visa gift card!

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 4/04/13-4/30/13.

Be sure to visit the Poise brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Filed Under: Giveaway, La Quinta, Product Review · Tagged: giveaway, hormones, hot flash, menopause, poise, poise cooling toilette, product review

A Tale of Three Cities: La Quinta to Alberta to Calgary. And Therafit Shoes

February 25, 2013 · by Debbie Woodruff · 28 Comments

I was a little hesitant to write this post, because frankly I’m a little embarrassed about the whole thing. It was expensive, time consuming, and completely avoidable. So I have chosen to look at this as an expensive, time consuming, avoidable learning opportunity. A teachable moment for myself.

You may recall, way back at the beginning of December, I wrote a review of the Therafit Shoe and hosted a giveaway for a chance to win a free pair. I love my Therafit shoes (I still wear them to work everyday), and I was happy for the chance to give away a pair. So excited in fact, that I forgot some of the basics of giveaways (I was kind of new to this). Number one on the list (at least for me, now), is the Terms and Conditions portion of the giveaway. Pinpointing it even closer, eligibility. Like the rookie that I was, I didn’t create any terms and conditions, and when someone asked about Canadians’ eligibility, I said, “sure, why not?” Mistake number one.

When Tina from Calgary won the giveaway, I was excited. She sent me her address (at her parent’s in Alberta) and chose the Red Therafit shoes (the ones I would have chosen if I didn’t need a more neutral color to wear to work).

That was when I found out that the contest was meant only for the United States. Oops! Well, no problem, just ship the shoes to me, and will forward them on to Tina. Easy! Um, no.

Oh, the first part was easy. The shipment from Therafit arrived within a week. The next day, I took the package to the nearest UPS store. And discovered why many companies don’t ship to Canada.

First of all, the cost. Just a little short of $40. What? For a two pound package, valued at about $100? (Tina offered to help with shipping costs, but I turned her down. This was my teachable moment.)

I was committed to getting Tina her shoes. I paid the shipping charges, sent her the tracking number, made the assumption that she’d receive her shoes in a few days (mistake number two), and managed to misplace the shipping receipt (mistake number three).

I watched the package’s progress on UPS.com for the next 10 days. I originally shipped on December 24 (not the best timing for quick shipping under any circumstances). After about two weeks (not the five days I was told when I shipped), the shoes were scheduled to be delivered. Hurray! I forgot about it for a couple days, then checked back to see that the package was “unable to be delivered,” on its original date, which was a Friday, but would be delivered the following Monday. In the meantime, I received an email from Tina, asking how I shipped the shoes. I’m sure that, not really knowing me, she was doubting the existence of her Therafit shoes.

When I checked that same day, the tracking results said, “Delivered” along with a code that ended with the word REAR. Later that same day, January 9, Tina emailed to tell me not to worry. The driver had the address transposed, but the package was at a UPS office about an hour away. She should have the shoes by Friday, January 13.

For the next two weeks, Tina communicated a situation that would have been funny if it wasn’t happening to us. UPS had the package, they didn’t have the package. They would deliver the shoes to her work, then they didn’t (the original address was her parent’s home in Alberta, so that someone would be home when the delivery came). Then she told me that they couldn’t find the package, would I call, as the original shipper, to see what I could do? This was January 24. A month to the day since I shipped the shoes.

I called UPS, and after being bounced around a little bit, I found out…nothing. I was speaking to the International Customer Service, they couldn’t find the package, weren’t sure where it was. When I told them that there had been some talk about sending it back, they told be to call the Palm Springs UPS Center. Fine, I said, and hung up. Only problem, apparently the Palm Springs Center does not have a telephone (or doesn’t want us, the public, to know what it is), and the only contact number is the general UPS phone number. Which immediately switched me back to the International customer service, where I had to explain the story to yet another person. If this long explanation is confusing you, you have a good idea of how I felt.

When I finally spoke to a fairly intelligent rep at UPS, she opened an inquiry, the first step in the process of recovering the value of a lost package. They would call me on Monday, January 28, to follow up. Before I heard from UPS on Monday, though, I received a message from my local UPS store…my package had been returned. What did I want to do with it?

Before I called back, I called UPS. They told me to go ahead and ship the package back to Canada. They would reimburse me what I spent on shipping, did I have the receipt? Um, no, remember mistake number three? So they would reimburse me about $20. Not sure where they pulled that number from, but without a receipt I was SOL.

I shipped the package back that afternoon. Another $40. If you’re doing the math, I’ve spent $80 with the promise of a $20 refund. Yes, that’s why I’m calling it an expensive lesson. An hour after I shipped, I got an email from Tina..don’t send it to the original address. That’s my parent’s house and they won’t be there. Oops!

Fortunately, Tina was able to get her sister to be on the lookout, and on February 8 I got this tweet:

Whoohoo. My @TherafitShoe package from @LivefromLQ arrived!! now waiting for my sis to bring em to me nxt week!#ThankYou #soexcited

February 8, 2013 8:03 am via Twitter for iPhone ReplyRetweetFavorite

@crantina

TinaFab

We’re not through yet.

It was another 10 days, waiting for a sick sister to recover, then finally I heard from Tina again:

Ooooo lookie what I just unwrapped! #ThankYou @livefromlq for my fab looking @therafitshoe gift! #soexcitedtotry twitter.com/crantina/statu…

— TinaFab (@crantina) February 18, 2013

February 18, 2013, 56 days after shipping, Tina finally had her hands on her Therafit shoes.

I put my new $60 knowledge to use at my very next giveaway. If the company does not ship to Canada, I’m sorry, but you, my dear Canadian friends are not eligible for my giveaway.

So, have you made a similar mistake (don’t tell me I’m the only one!)? How much did it cost you?

By the way, I have no regrets about this. Tina is a lovely woman, I’m happy that she won the Therafit shoes. I only hope she loves them as much as I do!

Edit: Tina has written her own post about her experience. Check it out!

Filed Under: FitFluential, La Quinta, running · Tagged: FitFluential, giveaway, therafit, therafit shoe, ups shipping nightmare

Therafit, The Comfortable Shoe for Women: A Review and a Giveaway!

December 4, 2012 · by Debbie Woodruff · 21 Comments

I Need a Good Shoe

The giveaway is over, but please enjoy the post and the review:

On the day that my Therafit shoes arrived, I was at the tail end of a 15 hour workday, most of it spent on my feet. I was tired, a little cranky, but most of all, my feet just hurt. I couldn’t wait to kick off my shoes, put up my feet, and relax.

When I ordered my Therafit shoes, I purposely chose the Silver and Blue combination, even though I felt the allure of the vibrant red or black with bright pink accents. I wanted to be able to wear them to work, which requires white shoes (I figured silver was close enough). At this time of year, my work days average about 10 hours, sometimes stretching to 12. I’m a fitness director and I also teach classes and do some personal training. I am active at work and at home, where I’m walking the dogs, running errands, cleaning up. Plus I manage to get my own workouts in.

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