Hair Loss: What is Hereditary Hair Loss and How Do You Treat the Condition? (Giveaway)

There are so many transitions women go through as they age and it's not always easy to deal with. I am officially over 40 and have had a rude awakening with getting older. Heredity has hit and I have been going through so many changes including hair thinning. Let me tell you about it--- I have always had tons of thick, luxurious hair. It has been one of those things that most people who knew me when I was younger, remembers me by. My hair was so thick that of you put your had on top of my head, you felt a blanket of hair to the point that you could not feel my scalp at all. Things have changed significantly. With being older and going through hormonal changes, my hair has thinned out a whole lot. Most people would disagree since my hair is still long. Trust me, I do not have the thickness I once did and fear it will only get worse. It is normal to lose 50-100 hairs a day, but anything over 150 can be signs of a problem. I'm guessing the fact that I can gather up almost enough hair from the floor, furniture and shower drain to make a full braid is an indication for me that I need to take action now.

Heredity hair loss has played a huge role in my hair changes. It turns out that hair thinning is not uncommon and 1 in 3 women will experience it in their lifetime, as early as their 20's. Most of the women in my family have thinning hair to where you can see their scalp, especially along the top where you part it. It takes a lot of creativity to style it so that you can fake like you have thicker hair. Thankfully there are products today to help fight the issues associated with hair thinning and hair loss. Women’s ROGAINE® Foam is the first and only FDA-approved once daily treatment with 5% minoxidil proven to regrow hair.

Women's ROGAINE® Topical Aerosol can be purchased without a prescription. It can be used on any hair type including those who color or perm their hair.

The application process is very simple. The foam can be applied once a day, morning or night. Just part your hair to expose areas that need it the most and apply and allow to dry. The foam is so lightweight and does not cause any buildup on hair.

The safety cap works well to keep kids away from it. I had a hard time getting it off at first.

The key to managing hereditary hair loss is treating it at the earliest signs with Women’s ROGAINE® Foam, which is clinically proven to regrow hair in 81%* of women with new hairs growing in up to 48%** thicker than before. There is a wealth of information about Women's ROGAINE on their website so be sure to visit. They offer styling tips and have videos as well. If you want to try the product out, be sure to grab a coupon here.

Giveaway: I'm so pleased to offer a giveaway for a full year's supply of Women’s ROGAINE® Foam (ARV $150.00) for one lucky Mom Files reader. Enter below...
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Products were provided by the Women’s ROGAINE^® Foam. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

How You Can Support Your School With Red Robin's Burgers For Better Schools ($75 GC Giveaway)

Closed- Winner is Saira H. Congrats! 

Are you a Red Robin Royalty Rewards member? I have been for about two years now and we enjoy the perks membership comes with. The fact that it's FREE is number one. I love seeing the number of entrees we have purchased add up to a freebie (every 10th item is free). It is really nice receiving email updates about daily meal deals and promotions. Oh, and let's not forget your FREE Birthday burger! Red Robin is a fun spot to celebrate birthdays.

Red Robin has recently added another perk to their Royalty Member card with their Burgers for Better Schools. By being a member, you can log into your account and add a K-12 school of your choice. A percentage of your dining bill will then be given to that school. This is such a great idea since so many families dine there regularly. This is like fundraising for your child's school without feeling like a chore. This is a win-win for parents and their PTO/PTA. I really encourage you to add your child's school.

Information about Red Robin’s Burger for Better Schools Program:

·Burgers for Better Schools is an extension of Red Robin’s loyalty rewards program. Red Robin Royalty provides members with added perks when they dine at Red Robin restaurants throughout the year, such as granting every 10th item purchased as free, a free birthday burger, exclusive surprises and more

·Burgers for Better Schools gives Red Robin Royalty members an opportunity to support local K-12 schools simply by dining at participating Red Robin restaurants and using their Red Robin Royalty member account. When a Red Robin Royalty member’s account is presented at the time of purchase, Red Robin will donate one percent of the total bill to their school of choice (excluding taxes, gratuities and gift card sales)

·Participating in Burgers for Better Schools is as easy as becoming a member of Red Robin Royalty. Red Robin Royalty members can sign up for Burgers for Better Schools on their account dashboard on Red Robin’s website or by visiting http://www.redrobin.com/betterschools. If you are not already a Red Robin Royalty member, sign up for free and select your child’s school BEFORE your visit!

· Through the Burgers for Better Schools dashboard, Red Robin Royalty members can select their school of choice to receive support, and change their school selection at any time throughout the year

· Members who have opted into Burgers for Better Schools can follow their progress in supporting a K-12 school of their choice on their Red Robin Royalty account dashboard. Details include individual contributions, how many others are supporting that school, and total donations raised by all supporters

· At any time, Red Robin Royalty members can donate an additional sum to the school of their choice by using the credit card option featured on the Burgers for Better Schools homepage

· Red Robin also makes it easy to help spread the word about the Burgers for Better Schools program at school, online and socially with a variety flyers, website banners and social media-friendly content in the online digital tool kit

We dined there on Labor Day to celebrate our younger daughter's 19th birthday. We had a party of 6 and as usual, we were well taken care of despite the restaurant being jam-packed. Their servers always seem to have a lot of energy and even with many tables to wait on, they never make you feel like they have forgotten about you. My daughter was thrilled with her complimentary birthday sundae and song. They put on quite show at Red Robin.

Our entrees were cooked to perfection and I can't ever say no to those bottomless fries. And the burgers? They are the BEST! I can't ever finish the whole thing because they are so big. In addition to its many burger offerings, Red Robin serves a wide variety of salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, desserts and signature Mad Mixology® Beverages.

Be sure to connect with Red Robin on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

So what are you waiting for? Go sign up or sign into your Royalty Rewards account so you can add your child's school to help support them in a simple way. Also, one very lucky Mom Files reader will win a $75 Red Robin gift card! Go enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only and will end on September 25, 2015. One winner will be contacted via email to claim prize. Be sure to follow all rules in Rafflecopter widget for all entries to count. Good luck!

The Red Robin information and gift cards have been provided by Red Robin. All opinions are 100% my own. 

Effortlessly Add Flavor To Your Meals #PublixFlavorExcursion

Do you have a few go-to meals that you make all the time? Do you ever feel like they need to be kicked up a bit? By adding a couple of extra ingredients, you can really make your meal stand out. The first step is to keep your kitchen stocked with some basic staples so that you always have add-in ingredients on hand. Products like Ro*tel Tomatoes, Hunt's Tomatoes, Progresso Bread Crumbs, Kraft shredded cheese, Kraft dressings and even avocados from Mexico can transform any meal.

I just love to use Progress Italian Style bread crumbs in my favorite Italian Cheese-Stuffed Meatball recipe.

I make my meatballs with both ground beef and ground pork. Of course, you can use turkey, chicken or whatever you prefer. I seasoned my meats with finely chopped Italian parsley, jalapeno pepper, red onion and garlic, along with 1/3 cup of Progresso Italian Style bread crumbs, one beaten egg and a dash or two of my favorite dry seasonings. Once meat mixture is well mixed, I form them into balls and insert a small cube of cheese.

I put the shaped meatballs in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes to chill up and ensure that they stay in the round shape. I pan fry them in a tiny bit of canola oil until they are brown all over and continue the cook in a preheated 375 degree oven. These are great as an appetizer or even to drop into your favorite spaghetti sauce.

Another favorite meal I make is my stewed chicken and veggies. It sort of had a little Mexican-Italian fusion.

I start with washed and dried chicken wings that I season with garlic powder, Spanish seasoning and Italian seasoning. I brown my wings and drain the excess oil. I then add a can of Hunt's Diced Tomatoes in the Basil, Garlic & Oregano variety, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup water and one bag of frozen Gumbo mix veggies. I add additional seasoning to taste including a pinch of sugar for balance and some dried Italian herbs and Adobo seasoning. I let it all simmer until the chicken is completely cooked through and the veggies get tender. All you do is serve over your favorite rice and you have a hearty meal, perfect for a weeknight supper.

Be sure to visit your local Publix Supermarket for In-Store Savings.
Look for the in-store displays and recipe cards to find delicious recipe ideas and coupon savings. Offers available from 9/10-9/23

• $2.00 off Publix Produce with the purchase of Any Four (4) participating products 
Participating products: select Old El Paso items**, Ro*tel Tomatoes, Hunt’s Tomatoes, Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese, Avocados from Mexico
**Items include Dinner Kits, Seasoning Mixes, Enchilada Sauce, Refried Beans
• $2.00 off Publix Chicken with the purchase of Any Four (4) participating products 
Participating products: Progresso Bread Crumbs, Progresso Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth, Kraft Salad Dressing, Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese, Hunt’s Tomatoes
• $1.00 off Any Five (5) Ro*tel Tomatoes (10 oz.)
• $1.00 off Any Five (5) Hunt’s Tomatoes (14.5 oz.) 
• Save $1.00 on Avocados from Mexico when you buy three (3) Old El Paso products (1-31 oz.) 
• Save $1.00 on three (3) Betty Crocker casserole potatoes (4.5-5.1 oz.) 
• Save $1.50 on two (2) Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes (12.5-17.9 oz.) 

See store for more details including dates and specific products and sizes included in offers.

Cheap or Free Ways You Can Help Others

The inspiration for this post came from something I heard my 7 year old son say... "Wow, my dad helped the neighborhood and he helped the world". I wanted to share some ideas of how you can help people in little ways to make their lives better. This may spark something within them to want to pay it forward and help someone else.

• Volunteer at your child's school. 
• Getting rid of outgrown clothing from younger, school-age children? Consider donating them to your local elementary school's nurse's office. They always have the need for bottoms, underwear and socks. 
• Text a friend just to let them know you are thinking about them.
• Smile. A genuine smile triggers other people to smile. 
• Check up on your neighbors.
• Be a "Mystery Reader" for your child's class.
• Offer to help an elderly person in the grocery store.
• Hold the door open for someone.
• Compliment a stranger (within reason).
• When you get a buy-one-get-one free deal, why not share the freebie with a friend or neighbor.
• Offer to babysit for a new mom.
• Give your neighbor's dog a treat at the fence.
• If you are in a store and see someone purchasing something that you have a coupon for, offer it to them. You would be amazed at the joy $1 off can bring to someone.
• Be the Coupon Fairy. Leave coupons in front of the items they are for in a store. Someone will be very happy to save a little extra money. 
• Call someone out of the blue. 
• If you baked something, send in extra for you child's teacher.
• Always ask the cashier at the store you are at how their day is going. No matter the attitude they may give off, you can still show that you care.
• Tell someone that you love them. 
• If you get a gift certificate for purchasing a certain amount in a store, consider giving it to someone. My kids give me their $10 Kohl's cash certificates all the time and it makes me so happy.
• Hug someone.
• Make people laugh!
• Rake or blow leaves for your elderly neighbor.
• Do a chore for another person in your home. I love when my walk into my bedroom and see my bed already made up.
• Paying with a gift card and have a small balance left? Give it to the person behind you in line. 
• Saying, "good morning" or "have a great day" gives off a positive vibe. 
• A simple "thank you" is always in order.
• Allowing your inner happiness to shine can bring much needed light to others.
• Send in a special treat for your child's class or your spouse's co-workers.
• Write notes to your family members.
• Write a letter and mail it to a friend. Embellish the envelope with fun stickers.
• Let your kids eat dessert for dinner once in a while. There's nothing wrong with the occasional ice cream sundae dinner.
• Show gratitude and appreciation every day.

Sharing love is FREE! What will you go out and do today that will make a difference to others? 

CardNInja Smartphone Wallet Review #TossYourWallet

I don't know about you, but I am a sucker for gadgets that help make my life a bit easier. I'm a busy woman and I admit, I love convenience. I received a neat item called the CardNinja Smartphone Wallet. I have heard about it before and was curious to see it in action. I was so happy to get one in magenta. Isn't it pretty?

The CardNinja comes in 6 colors: black, steel, eggplant, gold, blue raspberry & magenta. So what exactly do you do with this thing? This sleek smartphone wallet has an adhesive back designed to stick to most phone cases. All you have to do is peel the paper backing off, position it on your case, cover or phone back itself, and you are ready to use it. You can store your license or ID card, credit/debit cards, cash, earbuds or a single key with ease. This means not having to carry a wallet or purse when it's not convenient.

This is the perfect item for me to take to my son's school on days that I volunteer. I usually take my license out of my wallet and put it with my phone in my pocket. This always had me so paranoid because I once dropped my license on the floor and a teacher handed it to me. With the CardNinja, I can easily keep my license in the pouch along with my car key and feel confident about not losing anything.

You can purchase the CardNinja Smartphone Wallet on their website currently for $9.99 (reg $12.99) or at select retailers including CVS and Walmart. I think this is a perfect back-to-school gift for high school seniors and college students. It's also perfect for moms or dads who are always on-the-go, and would be a good teacher gift or stocking stuffer for the holidays. I love my CardNinja and I know I will get a lot of use out of it.

Find CardNinja on the web, Facebook and Twitter.

I received a sample product for review purposes and all opinions are 100% mine as always.