This week there will be limited blog posts…
Not because I have forgotten…but because I have been busy..
Working…
Networking…
Coordinating…
Scheduling…
Living!
I will update our blog come Friday!
Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products
www.countrymeadowltd.com
As of yesturday there have only been 20 confirmed cases of Swine Flu in the USA none of them here in Washington.
I will not be overly concerned unless we start getting cases here but I wanted to post information for you to have handy just in case this turns into something worrisome!
As far as I can tell at this time you don’t really need to worry, even if you come down with Swine Flu UNLESS you exhibit the worst warning symptoms.
Here is a link to the CDC webpage concerning the most recent information: Swine Influenza
Swine Flu Q&A
What you need to know and how to protect yourself from infection.
By the Editors of MSN Health
Swine flu in the U.S.? If you’re worried about the flurry of news on pandemics, epidemics, and public health emergencies, here are some key facts provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Conrol and Prevention to help you understand how swine flu is spread and what you can do to prevent infection. Current updates on the spread of swine flu are available at the CDC’s Swine Flu web site.
What is swine flu?
Swine flu is a respiratory disease normally found in pigs and caused by type A influenza viruses. While outbreaks of this type of flu are most common in pigs, human cases of swine flu do happen. In the past, reports of human swine flu have been rare—approximately one infection every one to two years in the U.S. From December 2005 through February 2009, only 12 cases of human infection were documented.
How is it spread?
Humans with direct exposure to pigs are those most commonly infected with swine flu. Yet, human-to-human spread of swine flu viruses have been documented, however it’s not known how easily the spread occurs. Just as the common flu is passed along, swine flu is thought to be spread by coughing, sneezing, or touching something with the viruses on it.
If infected, a person may be able to infect another person one day before symptoms develop and up to seven or more days after becoming sick. Thus, a person is able to pass the flu on before they know they are sick. Those with swine flu should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are demonstrating symptoms and up to seven days longer from the onset of their illness. Children might be contagious for longer periods of time.
Can I catch swine flu from eating pork?
No. The CDC says that swine flu viruses are not transmitted by food. Properly cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills all bacteria and viruses.
What are the symptoms of swine flu?
Symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of a regular flu: fever and chills, sore throat, cough, headache, body aches, and fatigue. Diarrhea and vomiting can also be present. Without a specific lab test, it is impossible to know whether you may be suffering from swine flu or another flu strain.
What precautionary measures should I take?
The same everyday precautions that you take to prevent other contagious viruses should be used to protect yourself against swine flu. “The best current advice is for individuals to practice good hand hygiene. Periodic hand washing with soap and water, or the use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when hand washing is not possible, is a good preventive measure. Also, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, as germs can more easily gain entrance into your body through those areas,” suggests Dr. Rob Danoff. Covering your mouth with a disposable tissue when you cough and sneeze is also a good practice.
The CDC recommends avoiding contact with sick people and keeping your own good health in check with adequate sleep, exercise, and a nutritious diet.
What should you do if you think you are sick with swine flu?
Contact your health care professional, inform them of your symptoms, and ask whether you should be tested for swine flu. Be prepared to give details on how long you’ve been feeling ill and about any recent travels. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed. If you feel sick, but are not sure what illness you may have, stay home until you have been diagnosed properly to avoid spreading any infection.
Watch for these symptoms in children. Seek emergency medical care if your child experiences any of the following warning signs:
Fever with a rash
Dehydration
Fast breathing
Bluish skin coloration
Slow to wake or sluggish interaction
Flu-like symptoms improve, but then return and cough worsens
Severe irritability
For adults, emergency medical care is needed if you experience these warning signs:
Difficulty breathing
Dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Pain/pressure in the chest or stomach
Remember that the symptoms for swine flu are almost identical to those you might experience with the regular flu. Only your doctor can give you the correct diagnosis.
Are there medicines effective in treating swine flu in humans?
The swine flu responds to the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) for those infected. For treatment, these antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).
Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Shea Butter Products
www.countrymeadowltd.com
Every year for the past several years we have had three specific soaps included in gift baskets that are given to cancer survivors (through a special fund based in New York). Our soap is just one of many items that are included in the gift baskets.
Each year we always include the same three scents:
Rose
Lilac
Lavender
This year we decided to spruce things up a bit in two ways:
#1 We used a more complex fragrance blend based on the original three
#2 We modified our soap boxes just a tad
Honeysuckle Rose – Beautifully balanced floral combing a soft rose with sweet honeysuckle
Lavender Orchard – A perfect blend of fruit, floral and woods. Red Delicious Apple, Oak and Herbal Lavender makes this an unusual lavender scent
White Lilac – A complex, soft lilac with notes of blessed thistle, musk, borneol and aster rounded out with jasmine and white rose
(Note: We have a handful of each of these soaps available for sale in our Limited Edition section of our website. Once these are gone they are gone for good. The soap boxes have been modifed to remove the pink cancer ribbon that are on the boxes below.)
Honeysuckle Rose Soap - Event Product
Lavender Orchard Soap - Event Product
White Lilac Soap - Event Product
Cancer Event Soap
If you or your company/organization has a special event and you would like customized products please contact us for more information! (sales(at)countrymeadowltd.com)
Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Shea Butter Products
For wholesale clients only:
We now have our summer Arctic Raspberry Salt Scrub available!
This item is available for wholesale clients only and is available in 32 oz. jars ready for repackaging in your own company containers or for use as an end-use product (spas/salons).
This product is an emulsified scrub meaning no oil slick during use. Product is semi-solid in form and made with Himilayan Pink Salt and Raw Sugar with cranberry seeds added for gentle exfoliation.
Arctic Raspberry is a light, aromatic raspberry without the sugary sweetness of most raspberry scents, with hints of green leaf, tea, ozone air and mountains.
Wholesale clients please contact us for your free sample!
If you are a retail establishment (gift store/boutique, spa, salon etc.) and would like a wholesale account please contact our wholesale division at: wholesale(at)countrymeadowltd.com.
Arctic Raspberry Salt Scrub
Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products
www.countrymeadowltd.com
Dibspace – A new and LOCAL startup company designed to help you fill up free time by offering your products or services and earning ‘dibits’. You can then spend these ‘dibits’ with other Dibspace members in lieu of cash!
You get 100 free ‘dibits’ when you sign up as well as more dibits when you post an offer and refer other businesses.
Please help us out and signup using THIS LINK. We get free dibits for everyone that signs up using this link!
From Dibspace:
Dibspace.com is a brand new startup designed to help local economies become more self-sustaining by giving businesses and individuals a powerful new way to support each other.
Dibspace.com is by no means the first alternative currency, but it is, we believe, a major breakthrough in alternative economies. Designing Dibspace has been a gargantuan effort involving many brilliant advisers in fields ranging from economics to technology to user interface design. The differences may be subtle, but they’re powerful. After all, sometimes it takes a lot of work to make something simple.
How it Works:
Dibits
Transactions on Dibspace are based on Dibits rather than Dollars. Why? Because we’re all about helping you fill up your workday even when cash is in short supply. Though Dibits aren’t cash, the pricing is the same. So if you normally charge $100, you’d charge 100 Dibits on the site.
Offers
On Dibspace you can offer just the time that’s not filled up with cash paying clients. To make this possible, offers come in three flavors: Appointment, Date Range and Available Now. If you have a business listing, you can try it out for yourself.
Dibbing
If you see an offer you like, you can Dib it by clicking “Dibs This”. You’ll be given an optional message window where you can ask questions or provide details. A Dib doesn’t lock either of you into anything. It’s really just a way of saying, “Oooh! I might want that.” From there it’s up to the two of you can communicate to see if it’s a good fit.
Invoices
This is how you earn and spend Dibits.
At the moment Dibspace is open to residents in the Seattle Metro area but they will soon be coming to a city near you!
If you are in the Puget Sound area and are interested in earning/spending dibits please use OUR LINK so we can get free dibits!
Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products
www.countrymeadowltd.com
Just adding a little sunshine to your day and hopefully bring a smile to your face!
(thanks for the link mom!)
Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products
www.countrymeadowltd.com
In celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd we are having a week long (ok..its a little more than a week!) sale.
(Big Hint: This would also be a great time to buy for Mothers Day next month!)
Starting today (April 17th) and ending April 26, 2009 we are offering you a 30% discount on all products excluding sale or clearance items! We also have FREE shipping for all orders over $75.00 (pool your money with your friends and place one order!).
To receive your discount enter the code:
Earth2009
in the coupon area during checkout. You must use this discount code to receive the discount.
Discount is valid from April 17 – 26th on regular priced items.
Discount is not valid on sale or clearance items, shipping costs or sales tax.
Discount is not retro-active.
We also want to invite you to sign up for our VIP newsletter. VIP newsletter subscribers are eligible for additional discounts, free offers as well as notification of new products.
Order now for yourself and don’t forget to get extra for Mother’s Day!
Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products
www.countrymeadowltd.com
If life had a do-over I would make cake!
I’ve always had a fascination with the creativity, endless design and skill people have when making custom cakes.
I watch Ace of Cakes, Food Network Challenge (when it has to do with cakes…wedding cakes are especially fun to watch!) and I use Flickr (do a search for cupcakes) and Bakerella for inspiration.
I have never attempted to make a fancy cake..I would love to take lessons but time is an issue (as in not having enough hours in the day!)..so I thought I would get into cupcakes instead. They are small (who needs a big cake anyway!) and in my thinking since the surface area is dramatically less than a cake decorating should be a snap!
My first attempt at fancy cupcakes (last October) was a flop mostly, I think, due to the frosting (canned) I used. It just never firmed up so I could not decorate the top in a halloween theme as I wanted.
Bakerella and Cupcakes Take The Cake gave me hope for Easter.
I scoured the Food Network for cupcake/frosting recipes and made both from scratch. I won’t post the cake recipe as I was really disappointed in it. The cupcake was dense and crumbly…I have no idea if it was the recipe or if I did something wrong in the mixing/cooking. I will however post the recipe for the frosting as it set up very nicely! At the moment, for future cupcakes I’m going to stick with box mixes which, for me, always end up nice, light and fluffy!
Below is a picture of our Easter 2009 Cupcakes.
Please don’t laugh..these looked better in person than they do in the picture and I promise next year’s will be better!
Fluff Frosting (from the Food Network)
1/4 c. Whole Milk
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
10 Tbl. Butter, softened, unsalted
5 c. Confectioners Sugar
1/2 c. Marshmallow Fluff
Pinch of Salt
Whisk the milk and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.
In a larger bowl beat the butter and sugar. Add the milk/vanilla mixture and blend on high until light and fluffy (5-7 min.). Add the marshmallow fluff and salt (and food coloring if applicable) blending on low. Increase speed to high and beat briefly 1-2 minutes.
Yield 3 3/4 c.
Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products
Gentle on your body…
Gentle on the earth…
Britain’s Got Talent
Susan Boyle
I really don’t need to say more other than I hope with all my heart Susan gets her dream! She has the most amazing voice!
**Update**
Apparently Simon Cowell is in the process of setting up a record deal for her on his own label (YES!!!!).
**Update April 22, 2009**
Why We’re Fascinated by Susan Boyle!
Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Spa Products
Gentle on your body…
Gentle on the earth…
www.countrymeadowltd.com
We will soon be discontinuing our Mechanic’s Orange Spice soap (both bars and logs). Even though this scent has served us well it does not belong to any scent category (we group our scents into ‘threes’) and now that we have used up all of the fragrance oil it is time to say good-bye!
Available:
Mechanic’s Soap Bars 4.5 oz. (limited supply)
Mechanic’s Soap Logs 2+ lbs. (2 logs left)
Once the above stock runs out there will be no more!
Mechanics Orange Spice Soap Log
Sweet orange blended with clove, nutmeg and cinnamon with ground apricot meal added for extra scrubbiness!
Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Spa Products
Gentle on your body…
Gentle on the earth…
www.countrymeadowltd.com