Happy Friday! I'm so happy to be offering this amazing giveaway with Sneakpeeq! Have you had a chance to check out them out? Here's some background about them from their website:
At sneakpeeq, you'll aways 'Find What You Love!' We bring you new discoveries every day, from gourmet foods to home products to accessories and apparel at prices so low we have to keep them private. There are millions of wonderful companies creating amazing products just waiting for you to use them; all they need is a platform to be seen and shared. That is why sneakpeeq exists! From exciting new products by brands you already love, to awesome products by brands that we know you'll love (once you meet them), sneakpeeq is your destination for discovery! Shop with us and share something amazing! Our mission is to bring you the undiscovered at scandalously low prices. In addition to introducing all things you love, we've hidden tons of fun badges and price reducing rewards beneath the peeq button. Additional discounts will be held individually in your account from the badges and rewards you unlock. The more you buy, share, love, and peeq, the more incentives and surprises you'll receive. Spend them at anytime, and pay your special price for that thing you love. Check back often because we have new brands and products asking to be discovered daily!
With new product discoveries every morning at 10am PST...how can you go wrong?!
Just a few items I fell for today on Sneakpeeq! :)
ChicBuds
Ticings
Rosena Jewelry
Rosena Jewelry
Now onto the giveaway!!!
When it comes to the Candace Rose/sneakpeeq giveaway, everybody wins! sneakpeeq is giving away 20% off your next purchase just for entering, plus a chance at the Grand Prize: three winners will be picked to receive a $25 sneakpeeq gift card to use on your favorite food, style and home products. Five runners-up prize winners will receive a $10 gift card—that goes a long way in sneakpeeq’s amazingly low-priced boutiques!
Come see all the things you love but haven’t discovered.
Enter the giveaway by clicking on this link: http://bit.ly/sav9dk and joining sneakpeeq! Contest ends on Sunday, February 12th at 8:59pm PT. All winners will be announced on Monday, February 13th.
Mandatory first entry: Must click the link above and join sneakpeeq!
Extra entries (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry and list )
With flu season right around the corner, Dr. Susan Rehm, medical director of the NFID and vice chairman of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Cleveland Clinic, and Anna Post, great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post and co-author of Emily Post's Etiquette 18th edition book joined me yesterday to discuss flu prevention and proper flu etiquette and influenza faux paus.
Dr. Susan Rehm and Anna Post discuss flu prevention and proper etiquette
Candace Rose: Dr. Rehm, lets start with you- can you tell us about the Centers for Disease Control's "Take 3" approach to controlling flu prevention?
Dr. Susan Rehm: "The CDC has a very nice way to remember some of the big three things that we should do to help keep ourselves well, and in particularly to prevent influenza. The first one is to get vaccinated. Unfortunately fewer than half of Americans get vaccinated every year despite the fact that the CDC recommends that everyone six months of age and older get vaccine, so that's the number one preventative. It's not too late, flu season usually peaks in February or later, so please go out and get a vaccine if you haven't already. The second thing is protection, and Anna's going to talk a little bit more about that later; but these are things like covering your cough, washing your hands frequently, staying home from work- that's number two.
Should she be coughing in her hand? Should she be at work with the flu?
Number three is use antivirals. If you have influenza and your doctor prescribes it, antivirals may be helpful to you. So take three and stay well."
Candace Rose: What are some early indicators of flu and should we stay home as soon as we feel them?
Dr. Susan Rehm: "It's really important to recognize the difference between influenza and a cold. Influenza's a serious illness. It can be prevented and it can be treated as well. But it something that should lead you to stay home. And we like to remember the word FACTS to help remind you of the symptoms of influenza that are unique to influenza: fever, aches, chills, tiredness and most importantly sudden onset. If the flu starts suddenly, colds usually come on quite gradually. So if you feel that sudden onset of symptoms and it might be muscle aches or headache, extreme fatigue and it's sudden onset, really thinking about taking yourself out of the work place, out of school or whatever you're doing; calling your doctor and heading home to help start getting better."
Flu FACTS
Candace Rose: Can you tell us about some online tools that track local flu activity?
Dr. Susan Rehm: "Yes, the site FluFACTS.com includes a lot of links including links to maps of the United States indicating flu activity, and a lot of very helpful preventive hints as well as links to our applications that you can download into your phone. FluFACTS.com is a great one, and another good one is NFID.org, that's the website for the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and we also like the CDC website CDC.gov or Flu.gov which has up to the minute reports of flu activity in all areas throughout the United States."
Candace Rose: Anna, can you tell us about proper etiquette when it comes to the flu?
Anna Post: "Absolutely. You know, it's interesting, people debate how good Americans manners are but the NFID did do a survey that showed that about nearly two thirds of Americans when asked, will admit to being 'that guy' who goes about their daily business even though they have signs of the flu out and about with others, coughing, all of that and we really need to be doing better when it comes to that. This is the time to stay home, call your doctor even if you maybe wanted to go out to a lovely dinner party. It used to be considered rude to cancel on that hostess. Nowadays I think pretty much any hostess worth knowing is going to say yes, please stay home."
Don't be "that guy". Stay home when you have the flu.
Candace Rose: How do you politely address touchy conversations with "that guy" who resumes daily activities while ill with the flu?
Anna Post: "You know, it is okay to go ahead and approach people from time to time. What you want to do is show some care and concern in your voice, instead of that kind of node of ick and disgust. So say it's somebody at work who isn't looking so hot, you can say just that- 'you aren't looking so well. I'm worried it might be the flu, I think you should go home and maybe see a doctor'. That is the way to address it. You can even do that with a stranger, you know, 'I can tell you're not feeling well but would you mind covering your mouth when you cough, thank you'."
Candace Rose: Do either of you have any additional tips or information you'd like to share?
Anna Post: "One of the best things that you can do is to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Use a tissue even though that handkerchief looks nice and retro. You don't want to hold onto that so dispose of the tissue. If you can't have that, into your sleeve towards the crook of your elbow, not up the toward your wrist, that help you with some of that prevention. And visiting FluFACTS as Dr. Rehm said to learn some more tips and it will link you to the FluFACTS facebook page where you can take some more quizzes to check out your flu etiquette this season."
Dr. Rehm: "That's what I wanted, that quiz!"
Cough into the crook of your elbow to help prevent the spread of influenza
As a pet lover and proud owner of four dogs (which include two rescues) I'm thrilled to offer you the chance to participate in a live webcast/chat on the Hills Science Diet Facebook page with Alison Sweeney who many of you know as the host of "The Biggest Loser", and as Sami Brady on daytime TV's "Days of our Lives". She will be discussing proper pet health and weight management, "The Biggest Loser", her personal weight loss tips and her book, The Mommy Diet. Please feel free to visit CandieAnderson.com from 1pm EST to 2pm (10am-11am PT) on Thursday, January 26th to participate in the live webcast/chat!
Laura Kenney, Editor-in-Chief of YouBeauty.com joined me recently to share her top beauty tips for winter! From a new DDF device that will detect underlying skin problems to the top makeup and hair buys this season, Laura has you covered this season!
Candace Rose: What can we do to look and feel great this winter?
Laura Kenney: "The most important thing you can start with is your skin. You really want to get to the root of the problems in your skin versus just dealing with the visible problems, so DDF- a really innovative skincare line has a great new tool that can help you do that. The tool is available and you can have someone do it on you at Sephora stores. They're doing live events across the nation and you can check out DDF's facebook page to find an event near you. So what this tool does is you actually hold it up to your skin; it takes pictures, it can assess your pores, it can assess your wrinkle depth, it can assess your clarity. It can even look at your sensitivity and it will give you the perfect regimen for your skin which is great because I think so many of us just guess when we walk into a store. We grab the hottest new product but we don't really know if it's going to work for us so this is a great way to make sure that you're getting the most bang for your buck when it comes to skincare."
DDF (Doctors Dermatologic Formula) Skin Evaluations at Sephora
Candace Rose: What are the latest trends in makeup?
Laura Kenney: "Latest trends in makeup- we're seeing a lot of cool science in makeup, so Physicians Formula pH Matchmaker blush actually brings in, it looks at the ambient light around you and then it looks at basically the PH of your skin, puts those together and comes out with the perfect color for you. You can use it to contour, you can use it to highlight. It works in 60 seconds and it lasts for 14 hours, so it's really long lasting. They also have a bronzer and a lip gloss that works with the same technology.
Physicians Formula pH Matchmaker
And a great thing to layer this blush on top of is actually oil. It's something that I love using on your skin for winter. It makes the skin look really supple and gorgeous. This is a cult favorite from Bio-Oil. YOu can can get it at your local drugstores, it's only $12 and it contains a secret ingredient called PurCellin Oil that really allows the vitamins and the botanical extracts to seep into your skin and just leave you looking gorgeous. It's also a multitasker. You can use it on everything from stretch marks to you know, even out your skin tone to tame flyaways in your hair, so it's just something that every woman needs in the summer."
Bio Oil is great for both skin and hair
Candace Rose: Is it safe for all skin types?
Laura Kenney: "Yes, it's safe for all skin types. It's safe to use basically anywhere on your body. It's an all purpose product. Oils are very gently by nature so anyone can use them.
And also another great product that we all need is RapidLash. We all want gorgeous, beautiful lashes any time of year and this can help you get there. It's a lash enhancing serum that really increases the fullness of your lashes and it can also make them look shinier and really just healthy. So what you do is you put it on your lashline every night; in 30 days you'll see results. And it's also something that you can multitask and you can use it on your brows too to fill in any sparseness there, so it's another product that every woman should have."
You can use RapidLash on your eyelashes and eyebrows!
Candace Rose: Do you have any additional tips or information you'd like to share?
Laura Kenney: "Sure, I mean all these products you can get at drugstores which is really great, except go to Sephora for the DDF one. And I think just my overall tip for everyone every time of year is wear sunscreen, it's the most important thing you can do to fight aging and keep your skin in great shape.
Candace Rose: Where can we go to find more information on you, Laura?
As a lover of CHANEL and wine, I'm ashamed to admit I had no knowledge of the winery that Chanel has owned since 1994 named Chateau Rauzan-Segla. The winery was founded by Pierre de Rauzan in 1661 and was bought by the famed French fashion house in the mid 90's. I'm proud to announce they are lanching their 2009 vintage in March with a beautiful label designed by none other than Karl Lagerfeld.
This Grand Cru Classé will hit retail in March at fine wine purveyors nationwide for $129 (available now for pre order)
The beautiful label Karl Lagerfeld designed in honor of the 350th Anniversary of
Just a few days ago photogs caught "Dancing With The Stars" champion Karina Smirnoff ice skating (with her Cold-EEZE in hand) at The Standard hotel's ice rink in New York City looking incredibly chic in turquoise skinny jeans! I don't know about you but as bummed as I was to miss the red skinny pant bandwagon this past fall, I'm eager to purchase a pair of bright blue skinny's ASAP! How about you?!
Beauty expert Jenn Falik joined me earlier this week to share her top picks for recreating a red carpet look in the courtesy of your own home with inexpensive products.
Beauty Expert Jenn Falik
Candace Rose: What were some of the hottest trends from the red carpet at the Golden Globes?
Jenn Falik: "On the Golden Globes red carpet we saw so many beautiful looks starting with hair. I was lucky enough to get the inside scoop from Wella Professionals and their insider experts- their celeb stylists who identified two big trends in the hair category; the first one being effortless elegant and feminine styles. Madonna for one really embodied this look. She had an edgy dress but her hair was really feminine and flowy and beautiful.
Madonna on the red carpet at the goldne globes
Claire Danes and Shailene Woodley also did these updos that didn't look overdone, really effortless, beautiful; all styled with Wella Products.
Claire Danes Updo
Shailene Woodley
So these are definitely attainable looks because you can get these products at salons, and I love the warm, glistening tones in their hair. The second big trend was a retro sixties thing with a modern vibe; so we saw Nicole Richie, for example with that awesome ponytail; very structured with the big fringe bang.
Nicole Richie looked great at the Golden Globes
Nicole Richie's updo
And Michelle Williams had such a sweet pixie cut with the headband; while all these styles were different in their looks the thing that they all do have in common to pull them off - you need healthy hair. So starting with a great foundation, with a good regimen you can use everyday something along the lines of Wella Professionals Enrich shampoo and conditioner treatment. It's going to give you lightweight moisture. It leaves your hair soft, shiny and bouncy; so when the time comes for a big event your hair's ready to go.
Michelle Williams great pixie cut
Wella Professionals Enrich Shampoo and Conditioner Treatment
You can use their velvet amplifier hair primer after you get out of the shower, before you style. That's going to help your styling products work with your hair to the best possible potential. Before you walk out the door spritz a little shine spray, that completely fakes people out that you have healthy hair because it makes your hair glisten. Wella Shimmer Delight Shine Spray is a great bet here, and for more hair advice you can follow Wella on Twitter at WellaHairUSA. You can also check them out on Facebook at Facebook.com/WellaUSA.
Wella Shine Delight Spray and Wella Velvet Amplifier Spray
Moving on from hair, we saw a lot of leg this year on the red carpet. Nominees like Charlize Theron who showed us some leg and Zooey Deschanel are huge fans of Cetaphil.
Charlize Theron on the red carpet at the Golden Globes
Zooey Deschanel on the red carpet at the Golden Globes
Cetaphil has fragrance-free and non-comedogenic cleansers and moisturizers. Their moisturizing cream is great for winter because it quickly absorbs into the skin when your skin's feeling really sensitive, it's not going to irritate it. My advice is to put it on right when you get out of the shower so you sort of trap that dampness into the skin; you get the most out of your moisturizer- $15 at the drugstore for a big jar so you can really slather it on."
Cetaphil
For makeup we saw smokey eyes make a big, big comeback and more traditional smokey eyes. No crazy colors here but Angelina Jolie had this going on with her red lips and very classic smokey eye.
Angelina Jolie's classic red lips
We also saw Sofia Vergara working more of a navy toned smokey eye to compliment her dress. When doing a smokey eye at home I think it's all about options because one day you may want drama, the next day you may want something a little big more subtle.
Sofia Vergara
Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips give you options. They enhance your own eye color, they apply smoothly. You can use them wet or dry for varying intensity and they are $11 at mass market retailers.
Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Eyeshadow
And the final celebrity essential for red carpet season obviously is amazing, clear skin. Makeup artists tell them time and time again- do not go to sleep with your makeup on even though it's very tempting. I'm sure when they roll home at four in the morning and they just want to get in bed, so having a supply of cleansing towelettes is going to pretty much ensure that you don't get lazy with your routine because they couldn't be easier to use. Something like Neutrogena makeup removing cleansing towelettes- stash them in your nightstand then this way right before you doze off to sleep, wipe away dirt oil, makeup, even waterproof mascara. Give your skin a chance to breathe so you wake up in the morning feeling fresh faced."
Neutrogena Makeup Removing Cleansing Towelettes
Candace Rose: Do you have any additional tips or information you'd like to share?
Jenn Falik: "For more on everything we talked about today, you can check out LifeMinute.TV."
Celebrity stylist, Mary Alice Stephenson joined me on the morning after the Golden Globes to discuss everything from fashion, beauty and how we can recreate these celebrity red carpet looks in the comfort of our own homes!
Celebrity Stylist Mary Alice Stephenson
Candace Rose: Who were some of your favorites last night?
Mary Alice Stephenson: "There was a lot. I thought it was a really glamorous red carpet; Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Sofia Vergara. I could go on and on. It was really phenomenal and everyone looked glamorous and sexy."
Sophia Vergara on the red carpet at the Golden Globes on Sunday evening
Candace Rose: What were some of your top trends from last nights Golden Globes and how do we incorporate them into our own lives?
Mary Alice Stephenson: "Well, there was a lot of skin on the red carpet last night and there was a lot of strapless dresses. So you saw Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Alba, Salma Hayek, Elle Macpherson all in strapless dresses and that means they've got to show their skin. You know, any woman can wear a strapless dress or wear a cocktail dress without stockings no matter what your age if they use body makeup which is what all these women use. My favorite is Sally Hansen's Airbrush Legs. You can get it at drugstores, it really does work. We use it all the time for the red carpet and for magazine shoots, and it's $9.95. You spray it on, it eradicates veins, bruises, blemishes. It makes your skin look flawless and it's really a go-to for many women on the red carpet and you can buy it easily, afford it and use it at home so that you can wear your sexiest dresses.
Reese Witherspoon
Salma Hayek
Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs
Another big trend from last night was nude blush tones. Angelina Jolie looked phenomenal in her Versace dress, I love that hint of red on the top of that dress; Kate Beckinsale in her Cavalli, gorgeous; and Charlize Theron in Dior.
Angelina Jolie in Versace
Charlize Theron in Dior
And with all that nude color it's fun to pop nail color and so when you're wearing nude color at home- go big, wear red like Reese Witherspoon did on her nails. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure is another favorite Sally Hansen product. It's $7.99 and it really doesn't chip. It lasts forever. I love the color 'All Fired Up', it's one of my favorite reds that you see there. And it is just fast and easy and you can do it at home.
Reese Witherspoon's red manicure on the red carpet at the Golden Globes
Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure
Another thing from Rembrandt is a product that I love and we've tested a lot of them and it's all about smiles. Sophia Vergara- that smile lights up the red carpet every single times. She's so joyful and vibrant. She looked gorgeous in her Vera Wang dress, and her teeth were really white. And you can do this at home. Even if you're taking pictures even for facebook you want to have a very white, bright smile. My favorite is Rembrandt, it's called the Deeply White Two Hour Whitening Kit and you don't have to do it every single day which a lot of those brands out there that whiten your teeth, you have to do it for a week or do it for three days and put the strips on, and this is hassle free. It's one time only for two hours. You know, you put it in like a retainer and it is clinically proven to lighten your teeth up to three shades, so that's only $23. It love it, that's one of my favorites.
Rembrandt Deeply White Two Hour Whitening Kit
Also, Angelina Jolie wore that great red lip and if you're really tired and you've been with the kids, you've been working all day and you know, you're going to be at an event or even at dinner- a birthday dinner, people are going to be taking your picture, thrown on red lipstick. It works every time. It's kind of a little trick we use if you're exhausted- make them look at your lips and my favorite reds are NYC New York Color, it's called Ultra LipWear and what I love about this is that it's number one long lasting. It lasts up to six hours. I used it yesterday and you don't have to reapply, and also it's $1.99 so that's phenomenal to actually only have to spend $1.99 to get a great lip color.
NYC New York Color Ultra LipWear Red Lipstick
Another trick is remember do not pile eyeshadow heavily on the eye. A lot of women last night on the red carpet, they had a lot of eyeliner and big yummy eyelashes and that's a trick for you at home to really use the right mascara. I've tried a lot of them, one of my favorites is Rimmel London Volume Scandaleyes mascara, so if you go to a drugstore remember Rimmel London Scandaleyes, that's easy to remember and it's only $6.99. And it elongates your lashes up to 12 times their size and it adds a lot of volume. Zooey Deschanel last night was on the red carpet (a new TV star) and she's in their ad campaign and she had a lot of Rimmel on (Scandaleyes on) and she looked great.
Actress Zooey Deschanel
Rimmel London Scandaleyes Mascara
There was a fashion mishap on the red carpet so if you have a hem that comes down or a bra strap that keeps showing, I love Hollywood Fashion Tape, it's really strong and works every time and everyone should have it in their closets. I hope you've enjoyed some of these little tips, that you can get your glamour on in your real life and look your most fashionable!"
Candace Rose: I have! I can't wait to get to the store!
How are you New Year resolutions coming along? Looking for a little motivation to lose weight and keep it off? If so, look no further as former "Biggest Loser" trainer, Kim Lyons has joined the Fast Track to Fat Loss Challenge! She's the creator of the "Your Body, Your Life" nutrition bar and she's motivating you to get healthy and lose the weight with the chance to win a Maserati Sports Car, $10,000 Cash, and a Luxury Vacation!
Kim Lyons and her husband Mr. Universe, Gunter Schlierkamp
Here are the details:
"Contestants will enter in the 12-week "Most Improved" contest, with one male and female winner chosen. Each winner will get a vacation to Loreto, Mexico, and the chance to win a Maserati, $10,000 CASH, and a coveted spokesperson contract for Fast Track to Fat Loss! The final contest is underway and ends at midnight on February 12, 2012! Participants will not be alone! A Fast Track Trainer will be with them every step of the way to make sure you achieve the results THEY want. For more information visit http://www.fasttracktofatloss.com/network/user_contest.php"
Disclaimer: Contest is not sponsored by Candace Rose and is not responsible in any way.
Many of us got our first taste of young fashion designer, Jason Wu when he designed First Lady Michelle Obama's beautiful Inaugural Ball gown in 2008. As one of the top designers in the industry, he is falling in Missoni's footsteps and designing an exclusive line for Target! I am now officially on countdown for the next 19 days! How about you?!
Jason Wu knows a woman can't go wrong with a little black dress!
Exclusive Sneak Peek at Jason Wu Styling His New Line At Target - A Bullseye View
In a recent issue of "On The Dot" Nina Garcia documented three reasons why EVERY girl needs a little Jason Wu in her life!
I had the pleasure of being joined by Miss Coupon Diva, Joyce K. House who has truly mastered the art of coupon shopping. She was kind enough to offer her favorite tips on saving money from grocery shopping to your electric bill and even that costly monthly cell phone bill!
Candace Rose: You've been known to save up to 95% when you shop. How do you do it?
Miss Coupon Diva: "I pay attention. Before I ever go to the grocery store I've looked at my circulars. I write down the items that I see on sale and then I look in the coupons and see what I can match them with. So I'm prepared before I ever walk out the door."
Candace Rose: When is the best time of the month to grocery shop?
Miss Coupon Diva: "Going toward mid month is a better time because at the end of the month and the beginning of the month, that is when the people that are on fixed income get their money and the stores know they're going to shop, regardless of the price."
Candace Rose: What can we do to save money on our electric bill?
Miss Coupon Diva: "One of the things I do is I have all my electrical appliances that can be turned off on a power surge strip so I just hit the switch at the end of the night. I mean a lot of people don't know just by setting the clock on your microwave it's like using the amount of electricity that you would use in a reheat cycle. The other thing I did was I looked at my utility bills and I decided I wanted to decrease the amount I was paying on my cell phone bill so I switched to Metro PCS which costs me a maximum of $60 a month for unlimited text, talk and the web. I don't have to sign a contract so I decide what I want to pay. If maybe next month I don't want to do that plan I can switch to another plan and they have a great website that has a lot of my tips on it- it's BeASuperSaver.com. Oh my God, it's just a phenomenal just by paying attention to how much you can save."
Miss Coupon Diva dishes on saving money on your monthly cell phone bill with Metro PCS
Candace Rose: Where are the best places to find coupons?
Miss Coupon Diva: "Going to your local papers. In some of the cities your coupons come with your circulars. If you look, Candace, some of your stores will even tell you to look for a coupon in your paper. You can also go to the internet and get some coupons but just be careful because some stores are getting really tight on accepting internet coupons."
Miss Coupon Diva shares the best places to find money saving coupons
Candace Rose: Do you have any additional tips or information you'd like to share?
Miss Coupon Diva: "Besides going to BeASuperSaver.com to get tips, I have a great website: MissCouponDiva.com where I share my tips with you. And just paying attention and being a super saver, being a smart saver. But it's mostly paying attention will save you money."
I don't know about you but I love a good awards show! From the nominees to the fashion, I can't get enough! If you're anything like me you have your trusty iPhone or tech gadget by your side while watching in the hopes of educating yourself in no time flat on everything from who is nominated for 'Best Motion Picture Drama' to what my Ryan Gosling is wearing. Well, fear no further as this is where MentorMob comes in! Not only do they organize the best content on the web in playlist form, they make it super easy for those of us looking to educate ourselves on everything, especially tonight's Golden Globes!
Here are a few playlists for example. Please scroll down to the bottom for a youtube video which explains further how great MentorMob is!
Christine Taylor greets teacher, Christopher Pendergrast at A Midwinter Night's Dream, a fundraiser for ALS research. Photo credit: Sam Levitan
Jackie Martling and Billy Baldwin greet each other at A Midwinter Night's Dream for ALS research. Photo credit: Sam Levitan
Former NY Ranger, Adam Graves arrives at A Midwinter Night's Dream for ALS research. Photo credit: Sam Levitan
Northport High School held it's annual Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) fundraiser which supports ALS research, at Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York on the evening of Thursday, January 12th. The event is run by 43 high school students ranging in age from 15 to 17. Each year they honor several Heroes for Hope that give support and inspiration to the students and the charity. Past honorees include Curtis Martin, Nick Swisher, Billy Baldwin, Curt Schilling, and Edie Falco. This year honorees were Christine Taylor, Katie Couric and New York Yankee Dave Robertson. Although Ms. Couric and Mr. Robertson were unable to attend, they sent video messages to the students thanking them for the honor.
Katie Couric stated in her message "In my TV career I've interviewed presidents and politicians, prime ministers, actors and authors, even Lady Gaga, but believe me, my most rewarding work has been raising money and awareness to fight cancer. I know personally how good it feels to do something so meaningful, and how much you all are learning from this experience."
The group has raised over $2 million dollars for ALS research since organizing the event eight years ago when a second teacher was strucken with ALS. In 2006 students started the ALS Research program where the students participate in ALS research over the summer at the following labs: Jenifer Estess Stem Cell Lab, Jackson Labs, ALS TDI, Columbia University, ALS HOPE, Johns Hopkins and Stony Brook. AMND has also created and funded a variety of ALS-related initiatives including a patient services program for those diagnosed with ALS, and a Philanthropy Center that teaches grade school students about the importance of philanthropic work in their lives.
Those in attendance also included: Students and faculty of the Northport High School, Billy Baldwin (Gossip Girl), Adam Graves (New York Rangers), Jackie Martling (Comedian).
Valerie Estess, Don Strasser, Christine Taylor and teacher, Christopher Pendergrast arrive at A Midwinter Night's Dream for ALS Research. Photo credit: Sam Levitan
Christine Taylor is awarded the "Hero for Hope" award at A Midwinter Night's Dream for her support of ALS causes. Photo credit: Sam Levitan
Billy Baldwin at A Midwinter Night's Dream for ALS research. Photo credit: Sam Levitan
A recent study conducted by Playtex revealed that the majority of moms don't know often to clean in order to avoid spreading germs especially in their infant's nursery. Microbiologist, Dr. Benjamin Tanner and Savvy Mommy, Victoria Pericon stopped by to share advice on properly cleaning and disinfecting germs.
Victoria Pericon and Dr. Benjamin Tanner
Candace Rose: What can parents do to maintain a clean and germ free nursery?
Dr. Benjamin Tanner: "Alright, well I have three tips that hopefully will help out quite a bit to that. So first tip is you want to know where the germs are in the nursery. Most of the germs in the nursery are going to come originally from a dirty diaper. I hate to say that but it's true. So cascading down from that you'll see that there's a hot spot for germs on the changing table and then what we call high-touch surfaces that are surfaces that people have their hands on a lot like toys and door knobs, etc. So you want to first identify where the germs are and then after that there's two more tips- the first is about preventing the spread of germs in the nursery. What you want to do for that is you want to have a mess-free diaper changing routine. So you want to have for example antibacterial wipes nearby, everything you need at your fingertips and you want a good place to dispose the diapers. So if you have a Diaper Genie Elite it has a foot pedal that allows you to dispose of the diaper without having to fumble with the lid or set the diaper down and potentially spread germs in the that matter. And then the last bit of the puzzle is to do regular disinfection and for that I like for anyone who is maintaining a nursery to know to use an EPA registered disinfectant; and then there's a tip I can give there which is to do a water wipe down after the disinfection process. And then you get the benefit of the chemical disinfectant without any of the negativity associated with chemical residual."
The Diaper Genie Elite's foot pedal makes it easy to maneuver and be germ free at the same time!
Candace Rose: Dr. Tanner, you recently conducted a nursery germ swab test in Victoria's home. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Dr. Tanner: "Sure, so Victoria was brave and kind enough to let a microbiologist into her nursery and what we did there was we swabbed with sterile swabs on a variety of surfaces like the side of the crib, the inside of the crib, a toy, a changing table and we looked for two different categories of germs. The first is just background germs which aren't harmful and then the second is germs that can indicate the presence of bad germs and we found very low levels in general in her nursery, so she has a very hygienic nursery and is doing some things right and not surprisingly we found intestinal type germs on the high-touch surface of a toy, and also the changing table."
Dr. Tanner swabbing the door knob in Victoria's son's nursery.
Dr. Tanner tested Victoria's nursery for germs.
Candace Rose: What can moms do on a daily basis in order to minimize germs?
Dr. Tanner: "Daily basis just have a nice well prepared set up diaper change routine first and then disinfect those high-touch surfaces after you certainly have a messy change; and wash your hands regularly as well."
Candace Rose: How about when it comes to cleansers- how do moms know which ones are safe to use on their baby?
Dr. Tanner: "Well, there's two things going on there. So you have the safety of a cleaner and then you have what we call its efficacy or the ability to kill germs. You want to look for signal words on the label like 'disinfectants', 'sanitizes', 'kills germs' and that tells you it's an EPA registered disinfectant and that will help keep germs under control. In terms of safety with disinfectants you have the benefit of they have signal words on the back and they'll either have no safety warning or they'll say 'caution', 'warning' or 'danger'. You want to stick with something that's either caution or no signal word on the label when you're using it in a sensitive environment like a nursery."
Candace Rose: Victoria, as a busy mom of four, can you tell us a little bit about your cleaning routine?
Victoria Pericon: "I pretty much have been doing the same routine since I only had one child. I've just kept it going and try to make it a little bit more efficient with the time that we have now. So I've been washing my hands after doing the diaper changes, I've been wiping down the diaper changes, I've been wiping down the changing table mattress and also making sure that things are in the right place in the room so that the toys are in the toy bin, and the diapers are in the diaper caddy so that things aren't on the floor. And then now because of the results from Dr. Tanner's swab test of the nursery I've also made sure to clean the hard toys that my son has a little more frequently to make sure that those are always great for him to have."
Victoria's highly organized changing table and diaper caddy.
Candace Rose: What advice do you have for busy moms, such as yourself?
Victoria Pericon: "I find that germs are everywhere so don't be too frightened about it and think that you have to clean nonstop in order to have a good home for your family. Pair it with commonsense like most of us do and you'll find that what you're doing in your routine is perfectly find and things are going to be okay for children."
Candace Rose: This question is for both of you- do you have any additional tips or information you'd like to share?
Dr. Tanner: "Sure, so you can find; we've shared a few tips with your viewers but you can find some more tips at PlaytexBaby.com on how to keep a clean and germ free nursery, and I think probably SavvyMommy.com has some tips also."
At 3am PT/6am ET I will be hosting the LIVE webcast with the International Olympic Committee and Proctor and Gamble. Hint: the topic will feature a tribute to Olympians and the moms who got them there. Here are a few of the big names that will be part of the announcement:
Marc Pritchard, Global Marketing and Brand Building Officer, P&G
Jacques Rogge, IOC President
Roger Federer, Olympic Gold Medalist
Paula Radcliffe, Women’s Marathon world record holder.
Just remember the webcast will be live at 6am ET from the Youth Olympic Games, in Innsbruck Austria. Don't miss out!!!
For additional news and footage be sure to head over to The News Market
