Saturday, March 17, 2018

Am I the only one who struggles with Sciatica and Back Pain?


MY TWO CENTS:
For a very long time, I did not know what that shooting pain was that I continued to feel going down my left leg. I was absolutely clueless!!

I didn't know anything about sciatica or chronic back pain and certainly didn't feel like I could have these symptoms at such a young age. However, being in my thirties with a history or cheerleading injuries, retail jobs in college, athletic wear and tear, fluctuating weight gain, genetics, and a host of other contributors, I begin to understand more about why my back was hurting me so badly and why my sciatic nerve pain was rearing its ugly head. I begin to look for non-surgical solutions and I found one in the ComfiLife Coccyx Cushion for Sciatica & Back Pain.

According to the Mayo Clinic:
Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg. Typically, sciatica affects only one side of your body.

Sciatica most commonly occurs when a herniated disk, bone spur on the spine or narrowing of the spine (spinal stenosis) compresses part of the nerve. This causes inflammation, pain and often some numbness in the affected leg.

Although the pain associated with sciatica can be severe, most cases resolve with non-operative treatments in a few weeks. People who have severe sciatica that's associated with significant leg weakness or bowel or bladder changes might be candidates for surgery.


QUALITY:
This cushion is really made well and I can see it lasting for many years to come. The cover is thick and soft and fits snugly around the cushion insert. It comes in this really nice grey color that is super universal and is gender neutral. It could fit in any decor in your office or your car without looking like an odd ball.

Additionally, I love that it has a zipper so you can take the cover off and clean it without having to wash the entire unit. I don't know about you, but I hate putting whole pillow in the washing machine because I never know if it is going to come out like its original version.

Lastly, there is this rubber-type gripping on the bottom of the pillow that helps the cushion stay in place. It fits nice and snug in most regular-sized office chairs and also fits well in the seat in my truck. The grippy bottom makes sure it never slips off the seat.

VALUE:
The price for this product couldn't be a better deal or steal!! Other competing back pain cushions run about $40-$50 but I got this one for a price in the high 20's. It also comes with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and full warranty. The product was shipped and received quicker than I thought and I have had my own product specialist corresponding with me via email to ensure that I was happy with my purchase and didn't have any questions. Talk about awesome customer service!!  You can check out this cushion, as well as some of their other product offerings here. http://amzn.to/2syzV14

FINAL THOUGHTS:
These also make the perfect gift. Perhaps there's someone in your life that doesn't know that they need it or someone who keeps putting off the purchase of buying one for themselves. Either way, this would come as a pleasant surprise and with a sea of gratitude, I'm sure. It's one of those things that people don't know they need until they have it. Then they wonder how they ever lived without it. LOL

Lastly, there is this cute "Cool Gel" version that I am hoping to try out soon.

#comfilife #comfilifecushion #seatcushion #coccyxcushion #coccyxpillow #coccyx #coccyxpain #office #officechaircushion #carseatcushion #driver #drivercushion #wheelchair #wheelchaircushion #backpain #sciatica #sciaticarelief #pregnancy #pregnancypillow #hippain

Disclaimer: I received this product at a discounted price from ComfiLife in exchange for my honest and unbiased review and opinion. If you have any questions, please feel free to complete the "Contact Me" form. #Sponsored #Ad




Wednesday, March 14, 2018

HOTEL REVIEW: Our stop in Charlotte, NC - Comfort Suites by Choice Hotels

Comfort Suites University - Research Park
7735 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC, 28213

Charlotte, North Carolina (Queen City) is one of my absolute favorite American cities!! The nightlife is lively, the food is great, the neighborhoods are so cute, homes are beautiful, and life balances perfectly between fast and slow according to what you need!! They have one of the most beautiful downtown skylines of all of the places I have visited and I love that downtown doesn't exactly sit on the main highway that runs through town. Therefore, there is a work around for traffic during rush hour if you are just passing through...... not like home in Atlanta but that a blog post for another day.




I am in Charlotte about twice a month and each time, I am so very impressed by the choice of lodging accommodations at my disposal. Charlotte is a very progressive, southern city, that is not far from other major cities in North Carolina including Raleigh - Durham, Greensboro, and Wilmington.



Charlotte Center City (sometimes called Uptown) is the central area of Charlotte, North Carolina within the bounds of I-277. The area is split into four neighborhoods (Wards) by the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets.









Several Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters here, including Bank of America, Duke Energy, and the East Coast operations of Wells Fargo. Athletic and event facilities located in Center City include Bank of America Stadium – home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, Spectrum Center – home of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, BB&T Ballpark – home of the International League's Charlotte Knights, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Museums, theaters, hotels, high-density residential developments, restaurants, and bars are heavily concentrated in the Center City, with over 214 restaurants and 50 nightspots.

Charlotte's Center City (including South End) employs 113,800 people, hosts more than 18 million visitors a year, and 25,970 people call the area home.

Check out my review of the hotel below:


PARKING: Parking was a breeze! They have well lit parking including in the front and the back of the building. Although one side of the lot feel like your car is about to fall off the edge because it is on a slant, there's plenty of even level parking surrounding the hotel.

EASE OF CHECK IN/CHECK OUT: Checking in and out was easy peazy! There was no wait time on either end and the attendant was swift and efficient with the process.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Customer service was great. The night shift gentleman answered all of my question and engaged in conversation concerning the best places to sight see and do while in Charlotte. The morning attendant checked to see if I'd gotten a chance to eat breakfast and discuss the options with me. They were both friendly and professional. And of course, the best sign of good customer service is actually getting the much anticipated "wake up" call that I request to be scheduled. I received my call on-time and as scheduled. YYIIPPEE!!

REWARDS STATUS PERKS: Although I am a Choice Diamond elite Member, I was not offered the 200 additional points or the welcome gift that you get to choose from with this most recent promotion that they are having. I guess it didn't matter much because I was going to pick the points anyway and they attach them automatically but it would have been nice to have been asked which one I wanted and been given the choice. It's likely the agent just forgot. Oh well.

CLEANLINESS: The hotel was extremely clean. There really is not much more that I can say here because it was basically impeccable. Everything from the inside of the fridge and microwave to the linens and shower was clean and acceptable. It was indeed a pleasant experience.

DECOR: The decor is the hotel was absolutely beautiful!!! There were these beautiful circular lights in the lobby and these pictures just do not do them justice. There were also large pictures of various Charlotte landmarks all throughout the hotel as well as a cute little waterfall welcoming you when you first enter the lobby!!

LOCATION: The location was fairly easy to find and near the city's IKEA store. There was a small challenge in the one-way direction of traffic on the side street because the city's rail car system. Additionally, the hotel is not located off of a major interstate but that worked out great because we were not disturbed by any highway traffic during sleep time, which is typical of our hotel stays.

BREAKFAST: Unfortunately, we didn't get to experience breakfast because I overslept in the very comfy bed but I do know that they have a hot breakfast complete with sausage and eggs, a waffle maker, and a host of other "continental styles' breakfast items. Additionally, the breakfast area appeared to be spacious and clean.

WI-FI & TECHNOLOGY: The Wi-Fi was super fast in the guest rooms and common spaces. Additionally, they had a ton of television channels, a computer business center with printer, and all of the electronics in the room worked well and appeared to be new and updated. And of course, you that I can always appreciate a hotel room that has an acceptable amount of power outlets. I was impressed.



EXTRAS: This hotel has a large conference room, as well as a well-equipped gym and business center! The doors on the business center and gm lock so that they are only accessible to guest which I like. Additionally, the business center had the printer included in the room and space to write while at the desk. it was well lit and comfortable. The gym was certainly one of the better ones that I'd ever seen. It was a nice size, clean, and quiet. It was equipped with towels, water, instructions, wall pictures, and an updated television. There was more than enough equipment and a mirror wall. I really enjoyed my time at this gym!!

Additionally, I was super impressed that the property had on-site recycling. I was able to recycle plastic and paper that had accumulated during our road trip and that always does my heart good!!

VALUE: The value of the price was just okay. While I used points to stay, the website indicated that it was over $100 a night to stay which can be a little high for a value hotel, not immediately off the highway, and in downtown city center. However, it was an amazing hotel with lots of amenities!! You get a great service for the price so I think it's very worth it.

What's your favorite North Carolina City?

Have you ever experienced Charlotte? Any recommendations on "must try" things to do while there?

Also, let me know if you've ever been to this Comfort Suites and your thoughts!

Where are you in your corner of the world today?

























Thursday, March 1, 2018

Perfect Music In My Shower.... And Its Not My Own Singing LOL


I could not have been more excited to receive this package in the mail today!! It finally came..... My AncordWorks Bluetooth shower speaker in Army Green. And while I'm not the easiest critic on new technology because I've tried some duds in my day, I could wait to rip open the Amazon box on this little ray of sunshine. It didn't disappoint!!

I had been considering purchasing a BlueTooth speaker for quite some time but there are so many on the market these days that I had a hard time narrowing down my choices. I considered a "Beats By Dre" brand but ultimately, I just don't believe the hype about them. I think they are too expensive and are mostly recommended based on the celebrity fan fare associated with Dr. Dre and the brand. While I am, of course, a fan of Dre, I wasn't about to drop over $100+ bucks for a simple speaker, especially considering I probably wouldn't use it daily.

As you can see, I've been living in the stone age using this ancient, trusty corded speaker for the last couple of years but really........ it's 2018. Time to step my game up. Plus, no one wants to get electrocuted in the shower just because I need to play a little Beyonce' in the morning to get my day started.

First things first, I have to admit that I wasn't a fan of the color. Seeing it on Amazon, I already knew this might be a problem. LOL However, I was secretly hoping that there would some type of glimmer or sparkle to make me fall in love with the color but nope! It was a true matte Army Green. And being the girly-girl that I am, I need a little umph. Luckily, I didn't select it for it's looks and it didn't fail me in the function department!

This little device packs a powerful punch!! One of my favorite things about this speaker is that it doesn't require batteries. It can be charged through the computer or the wall with your basic USB cord. That makes it so easy for me! So at night, I can just plug it up with my phone and it's ready to go, fully charged for the next day and several days after. The battery really does last a long time. I was extremely impressed by that.

Additionally, there are several options from which to play music. I can turn it on Bluetooth mode and stream music from my phone or any other Bluetooth enabled device. You all know how much I love my Amazon music unlimited subscription!! I can also insert a microSD card into a small secret compartment and it will play music from the SD card, over and over.

I can't wait to tote it to the beach and enjoy Spring Break and a summer fill of days at the pool with my favorite tunes in tow. Being that it is a wireless, cordless, waterproof speaker, it's prefect for the shower, the pool, when I'm washing dishes, whatever!! (And yes, I still wash dishes by hand 😁)

My favorite part was the affordability!! To get in on the action, you can grab this and other cool speakers at: http://amzn.to/2HrW9WO

AncordWorks Bluetooth shower speaker Water Resistance 5W Driver 23 Hours Playtime with 8G TF Card/Card Reader/Suction Cup/Carabiner/DC Charger Black/Army Green 

Disclaimer: I received this product at a discounted price from Ancord Works in exchange for my honest and unbiased review and opinion. If you have any questions, please feel free to complete the "Contact Me" form. #Sponsored #Ad



Check out my YouTube Unboxing of this item by clicking the video below!

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