The Tree of Life has many meanings to many people. There are stories about trees that produce peaches every 3,000 years that give you immortality if you eat it and trees that connect the underworld. There are also more realistic things concerning trees including global warming and the destruction of forests. We often forget that trees benefit the environment, and provide us food and medicines. “What better symbol of our world, of life itself, than a tree - to remind us and inspire us to do all we can to protect our environment,” says Paula Brooks, owner and designer at Alef Bet. “Many of us do small acts to improve things each day, from carpooling to using cloth totes at the market. I wanted to create something that is fashionable and is a reminder about taking care of our planet.”  These Tree Of Life pendants are not only pretty but also lets you where your heart on your sleeve errrr neck.

One of the few things that I have ever bought for my kids and got a ton of use out of is my Braun Thermoscan thermometer. I love this thermometer that I actually bought one to stay at both grandmas’ houses. It is so easy to use that Madison can take her own temperature (and she often does too!). All you have to do it hit the on switch which is right below the screen. When turned on, the screen will show —F (or the last temperature you took). Now, it’s time to take temperatures. Your next step is to put the thermometer in the ear and hit the button on top of it labeled Start. You will see a green light blink and in less than 3 seconds you have your temperature. Now, if you have a screaming child, the light also stays on when its done so you can tell. It is seriously that easy. I hate doing rectal temperatures, so this was a heaven sent. It is so easy to use, and you need that when you have a screaming baby on your hands. I love that it tells me the last temperature I took also. When you are stressing when your kids are sick, you often can’t remember if the temp has gone up or down. This is a nice reminder. Its amazing to see how far thermometers have come since I was a little; I wouldn’t be too surprised if they start coming out with their own video cards!

Do you worry about your kids or a senior in your life that spends time home alone? If so, Directalert is the product for you.

There are two parts to this system. The first is a bracelet. In case of an emergency, you hit the button on the bracelet. It is water resistant and has a range up to 150 feet. That will put you in contact with Directalert. The second part is the control panel. It has a two way voice speaker phone. Directalert’s Emergency Response Center will then find out what the emergency is. Once they have determined the situation, they will either make the 911 call for you or contact the emergency contact person on your list. They will then stay on the line with you until help arrives (be it 911 personal, your neighbor, etc).

Seniors tend to use this service the most. It allows them independent living with a backup plan in case something does go wrong. They use the bracelet more as a medical alert bracelet . The control panel can also be programmed for medication reminders. If the person does not acknowledge that they took their medication, a call is made to them to make sure everything is okay.

The cost of this peace mind is minimal. The control panel is $299.95. The monitoring fee is $17.95. However, there is no contract that you need to sign nor is there an activation fee. There is no extra charge for the medication reminders either. If this allows your loved one to stay in there home longer, it is worth every cent and then some.