Review: Keep Colds At Bay With ColdZyme® Mouth Spray

We were recently sent a ColdZyme® mouth spray to try. This claims to be a "revolutionary mouth spray which targets the cause of the cold, not just the symptoms" and is also clinically documented to help reduce the duration of a cold.

Since we are all recovering from the latest horrid virus the kids brought home from school, I was very interested to find out more about this product!

It is an easy to use, pleasant-tasting mouth spray which works immediately by forming a protective barrier in the throat and it also helps to lessen the duration and severity of symptoms when used in the early stages of infection.

Unlike other over the counter remedies, ColdZyme® actually targets the virus itself rather than just alleviating the symptoms. The product is suitable for use by adults and children from the ages of four and up.  

If you do not have any symptoms of a cold but are likely to be exposed to the cold virus,  you are advised to spray 2 puffs (1 dose) into the throat every 2 hours up to 6 times a day while you are exposed to the cold virus.

ColdZyme® was tested in a blind, placebo-controlled study under advice from a UK expert in respiratory disease, Professor Sebastian Johnston from Imperial College, London.  

The study was conducted on 46 volunteers who were all infected with the most common virus that causes the common cold.  Half of the volunteers received ColdZyme® and the other half received a placebo product.  

The study showed that ColdZyme® reduced the virus among those infected by more than 99% compared with the placebo and the duration of the symptoms was also reduced from 6.5 days to 3 days.

I think the biggest challenge with this product will be to know exactly when to start using it but if, for example, you work in an office where your colleagues have colds, that would be an very good time to give this product a try.

If you notice coughs and sniffles among your children's friends, again, I'd be tempted to break out the ColdZyme®.

And if you travel via public transport, you may want to stock up!

We were certainly be using ColdZyme® this winter because you can bet that a cold will strike at the most inconvenient time possible and if one of us gets it, we all get it.  There's nothing more miserable than doing the school run with a streaming cold!

ColdZyme® is available from Boots and independent pharmacies nationwide at an RRP of £15.99 for a 20 ml bottle (which offers effective treatment for three colds) and £9.99 for a 7 ml bottle for protection on the go.

*A PR sample was sent for the purpose of this review.

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You Don't Need To Go Back To The Future To Change Your Life Today.

Today, 21 October 2015 is "Back To The Future Day".

October212015.com

In "Back To The Future II", this is the day on which Marty McFly and Doc Brown return to the return to the future to save Marty's future son from disaster, (at 4:29 pm to be precise).

But it's got me thinking about those times in my life when I wish someone had interfered with the events unfolding in my life.

For a start, I can think of at least two ex boyfriends who should have been jettisoned into the far reaches of outer space before I had the bad luck to meet them.

It would have been helpful if someone had made my path cross with that of The Husband at least 10 years earlier.

Somebody could have replaced the school careers officer with somebody who could think about something other than just blindly pushing pupils into the university system.

I actually wanted to study beauty therapy but was told I had "too many 'O' levels".

Then there was the coven of dreadful bosses I had, each of whom did the minimum they could get away with whilst making the lives of their team members as unpleasant as possible.

There was one in particular who, every time you entered her office, would quickly slam her laptop shut to hide the fact she had been doing her weekly shop at Sainsburys.

But be a minute late with an assignment?  Woe betide you.

If only someone could have made me sverve away from those particular firms.

The more you stop and think about it, the more you realise that there are many, many occasions when, had the hand of fate been given a shove in the right direction, your life may have turned out quite differently.

But here's the thing.

It's the old destiny versus free will conundrum.

Are we the product of an arbitrary fate?

A bit of inter-stellar flotsam being pushed here and there to experience the good, the bad and the mundane willy nilly?

Or are we a product of our own choices?

Our lives are really the sum total of all the choices we have ever made.

I'm not saying we were never pushed or coerced into making those choices.

Nor am I saying we have always been free to make the choice we wanted.

But when I think about my life, most of my choices have been mine.

And if Marty McFly and Doc Brown had turned up to change the course of events, I reckon I'd still be more or less exactly where I am right now.

We don't need time travel.

We can change the course of our destiny by making different choices RIGHT NOW.

We can choose to say sorry, to phone an old friend, to leave a relationship.

We can choose to stop smoking, drinking or eating junk.

We can choose to be happy no matter what life throws at us - and in that choice alter our entire destiny.

That has to be worth more than a flying car, doesn't it?

Thanks for reading Mother Distracted.  I really appreciate your support and I'd love it if you could share this post across social media. If you’re new to Mother Distracted, why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

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How To Choose The Best Toothbrush For Adults And Children

Looking after the kids' health is part of my role as a mum.

Part of that is leading by example and teaching them how to take responsibility for their own health. There are lots of aspects of health and well-being to think about, from our diet to our happiness.

One of the things that we all have to take care of is our dental health so we can keep our teeth nice and healthy.

I recently had to buy some new toothbrushes for everyone.

I realised that we don't always put a lot of thought into buying a toothbrush. So I did some research to help me decide which toothbrushes are best.

Manual or Electric

The biggest decision you need to make when you buy a toothbrush is whether to buy a manual one or an electric one.

We're all familiar with a normal toothbrush; it has a plastic handle and some bristles.

You have to do all the work to brush your teeth, which I'm sure my kids would prefer not to do!

The other option is to get an electric toothbrush, but many people wonder whether they're good for your teeth.

In terms of effectiveness, there isn't really a difference between the two types of toothbrush.

You can see toothbrushman.com to read about some of the benefits of buying an electric one.

Some other things to think about are the cost, and how you use it.

Electric toothbrushes can make it easier for you to be gentle if you need to.

Windell Oskay 

Bristle Softness 

When you look at toothbrushes or heads for electric brushes, you will usually see soft, medium and hard bristles.

Many people go for medium or hard ones as they feel they will do a better job.

But I recently found out that it's often better to use a soft brush.

It can be gentler on your teeth, whereas medium and hard bristles can sometimes be too harsh.

If you (or your child) brushes vigorously, you may only need a soft brush to do a good job.

Choosing Toothbrushes for Children

Picking toothbrushes for the kids is a little different to buying them for me.

While they might be tempted by cartoon images and bubblegum toothpaste, I'm more concerned about how well they can clean their teeth.

The most important thing is that it's the right size to reach every part of their teeth.

If a toothbrush is too large, they won't be able to get it to the back of their mouth.

And since children aren't great at being gentle at the best of times, a brush with soft bristles is best.

Even though I have final say, I like to take the kids with me to get new toothbrushes.

They can be more excited (or at least less unenthusiastic) about using it if they get to pick it out.

I never knew there was so much to think about when it comes to picking a toothbrush.

But now I know it's a bit more complicated than I first thought, I'll try to get the right ones every time.

Thanks for reading Mother Distracted.  I really appreciate your support and I'd love it if you could share this post across social media. If you’re new to Mother Distracted, why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

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Review: Hey, That's My Fish! Game

Sometimes, the simplest games are the most fun and this one, "Hey, That's My Fish!" from Esdevium Games has kept Caitlin and I playing for a good couple of hours.

Hey, That's My Fish!

The game involves moving your penguins over the ice floe and capturing as many fish as possible.

You have 4 penguins each and they move across a selection of tiles each marked with one, two or three fish.

There is a strategy involved.  You create a square with your 60 hexagonal tiles which represents the ice.

Turn the tiles over and shuffle them, then flip them over and start creating your ice floe.

Caitlin laying out the ice floe tiles

The tiles are hexagonal and you can move in any direction, unless you are blocked by your opponent.

Basically, your penguins jump from tile to tile and the tile they jump off is added to your stock of fish.

It's a race to get your penguins on the tiles with two and three fish.

Our ice floe creation needs a bit of work

Beware though,  if all the ice (tiles) vanishes around you, you're stuck and are out of the game.

The winner is the player who collects the most fish before the ice melts.

The game can be played by 2 - 4 players and is, I would say, suitable for children aged 6 and up.

Caitlin intends to win!

Caitlin really enjoys this one and can't wait to challenge her dad when he returns from his latest business trip.

Hey That's My Fish! retails at £9.99 and is available from Amazon and from other gaming stores. You can use this handy store locator to find your nearest stockist.

You can also read our review of Dobble, Disney Pictopia and Hotel Tycoon.

Thanks for reading Mother Distracted.  I really appreciate your support and I'd love it if you could share this post across social media. If you’re new to Mother Distracted, why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

*A PR sample was sent for the purposes of this review which contains an affiliate link.

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Win A Footcare Bundle From Scholl

Since I had kids I must confess that most of the time I am in flats or boots - largely so I can keep up with Caitlin and Ieuan.

Just occasionally, and usually for a date night with The Husband, I put on a pair of heels.

There is a definite art to walking in heels and I think I've lost it.  It's a bit ironic that in my working days I lived in heels and thought nothing of sprinting for buses and trains wearing them.

Nowadays I find I'm teetering like an old lady whilst holding on to The Husband's arm!

Having big feet doesn't help.  I take a size 8 shoe and it's only in recent years that footwear manufacturers deigned to make shoes in that size!

Actually, I'm in good company.  Look at the celebs below who have less than dainty feet!

Elle Macpherson - size 12 feet

Elle Macpherson - size 12

Kate Winslet - size 11

Uma Thurman - size 11

Paris Hilton - size 11 feet

Paris Hilton - size 11

Oprah Winfrey - size 11

Meg Ryan - size 11

Audrey Hepburn - size 10.5 feet

Audrey Hepburn - size 10.5

Cindy Crawford - size 10

Jacqueline Kennedy - size 10

Surprising, isn't it?

But when I do find heels that fit, I usually have to sacrifice comfort for style.

I rely on products like Scholl's Party Feet, thin gel inserts which just slip into your shoes and stop that awful burning sensation on the ball of your foot.

I also make sure my feet are well moisturised and that I've removed any uncomfortable hard skin.

Scholl have just brought out a new Dry Skin Instant Recovery Cream which moisturises and exfoliates to give an instant soothing effect that lasts for up to 24 hours.

Scholl claim that your feet will look much healthier after 7 days which is a time-scale I definitely like!

Shoes and boots can also be kept fresh with Scholl's Fresh Step Shoe Spray which has a 24 hour formula.

Very useful for trainers and keep fit shoes!

Scholl products are widely available at supermarkets and chemists.  For further information, visit their website at www.scholl.co.uk.

If you would like to try some Scholl products, I have a bundle of Scholl Footcare products to give away to one lucky winner comprising:-

Scholl Dry Skin Instant Recovery Cream 60 ml
Scholl Fresh Step Shoe Spray 24 Hour Performance 150 ml
Scholl Party Feet Ultra Slim Invisible Gel Cushions - 1 pair

Just enter via the Rafflecopter below.  UK entrants only.

The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Friday 30th October 2015.

Please note that the prize will be sent out by a PR company and I cannot be held responsible for items lost or damaged in transit or which do not arrive.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*PR samples were received for the purpose of this post.

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My Sunday Photo - 18/10/2015

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Essential Fashion Guide For Your Children This Winter

This winter is looking to be particularly chilly, so I’m already thinking about wrapping the kids up warm.

They’ve reached the ages where they want a say in their fashion choices.

They want to look like all the other kids and wear the big brands and the right movie merchandise.

It’s not always easy to get hold of the things they want, so I’m spreading my search on the internet to see what is looking good this winter.

Baby wear in winter is really easy.

Babies can’t regulate their body temperatures in the same way we can so it’s essential to provide layers to trap their body warmth in.

Protecting little fingers and toes is important too. I really cringe when I see barefoot babies in buggies at this time of year!

Lots of mums are looking for designer baby clothes to ensure the quality is good, and the look is just right too.

Toddlers are trouble with a capital T!

They run around and make a mess in no time.

When you’re looking for winter fashion for a toddler, you need to find clothing that moves with them.

Most toddlers are quite wobbly on their feet, so it's important to avoid any clothing that restricts them too much.

I love those cute, fluffy snowsuits, but they can be hard for a toddler to move about freely.

For a baby, they’re perfect because they’re easy to take on and off in a nappy emergency.

Pic from Flickr.com 

Preschoolers are very determined little people.

They don’t want to wear scarves and socks, and good luck getting them to wear a jumper!

If your preschool has a uniform, I would recommend buying it, if your budget can stretch to it.

You may have more chance of getting them to wear things like jumpers and hats if everyone is wearing the same thing.

Snow boots are the big thing in footwear right now. They’re warm and robust, and muddy puddles are no cause for concern!

Once kids are at school, they are determined to be wearing the latest thing but I avoid V-necks and Tees at this time of year.

Long sleeves and warm collars help keep chesty coughs at bay.

Gloves, hats and scarves get lost a lot, but if you choose a set featuring their favourite movie characters, the kids are more likely to keep them safe!

With the bad weather coming in, I prefer to stick to clothing I can run through the tumble dryer.

Pic from Flickr.com 

When it comes to teenagers, you sometimes have to give them a clothing allowance.

Let them make their own choices.

Appearance and fashion are very important to children at this age.

If you get something they don’t like the look of, they simply won’t wear it - and boy can they be stubborn!

It’s important not to panic if they don’t look appropriately attired for the weather.

Teens are hardy creatures, but they won’t let themselves be cold or wet for long!

When it’s cold and wet outside you want to wrap your children up in long coats, hats, scarves and gloves.

But not all kids will be willing to wear what’s needed!

Have a warm and healthy winter.

Thanks for reading Mother Distracted.  I really appreciate your support and I'd love it if you could share this post across social media. If you’re new to Mother Distracted, why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

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