Introducing the TB Blood Test!

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for the TB Blood Test. 

I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

I'll be honest. I'm into "health" but I'm perhaps even more into ease and convenience. Anything that combines the two is something that I'm interested in learning more about!

Let's talk TB tests. You know what I'm talking about, right? The test that tells you if you've been exposed to tuberculosis. The one that's required of all employees working in the healthcare field, for instance. The one where you go to the doctor's office and they insert a needle into your arm filled with who-knows-what, make a little bubble of who-knows-what under your skin, leave it there for a few days, and then make you come back in to the office to see if you turned all red or something like that. Supposedly if you have a reaction to the test you've tested "positive." I don't know for definite what happens if you test positive but I do know that sometimes people have false positives, etc. I also know that even though I've only ever tested negative, I've always found these tests to be inconvenient and time sucking. I live 40 minutes from my doctor's office. That means I have to drive a total of 160 minutes over several days for this little bubble. Not into it.

But, regardless, TB tests are important.

Introducing the new TB Blood Test!

The TB Blood Test is a huge scientific advance over that ridiculous skin test (which I just learned is archaic - it's 110 years old!). It helps diagnose tuberculosis (TB) infection with even greater accuracy and a more reliable result. It's the only available method of testing for TB with completely objective results. The skin test is open to the interpretation of the person administering and checking it. The blood test is not.

And, you can guess my favorite part of the TB Blood Test! One visit. No need to head back to the doctors a few days later for checking. One and done.

With the TB Blood Test you get:

• The most accurate test for TB infection - no cross reaction with a previous TB vaccination (the most common reason for false positives)
• Only a 3ml blood draw - regardless of age or anything else
• Total convenience of just one visit to the doctor's office.

Win, win, win, win, win!

So check out the TB Blood Test website, read more about it, and the next time you or your family member is due for a TB test, ask your primary care provider if it's right for you. I know I will!

Canobie Lake Park - A Perfect New England Day Trip!

We received complimentary admission to Canobie Lake Park to facilitate this review.

All opinions expressed are our own.

A day trip to Canobie Lake Park is an absolute must if you live in New England! Just a short trip north, this family-friendly Salem, New Hampshire amusement park is one you don't want to miss. It's been my absolute favorite since I was a kid... and now that I'm a mom, I love sharing it with my whole family!

My five-year-old loves amusement parks and is at a really fun age (and height) that allows her to enjoy both the kiddie rides and many, if not most, of the bigger rides at Canobie Lake Park. Whether you're a scenic train ride type person...

 or a roller coaster enthusiast...

 you'll find plenty to do on a trip to Canobie Lake Park!

Our favorite ride this year was the bumper cars. Perhaps the best part is that there is a version for grown-ups and bigger big-kids and then a version for kids my daughter's age. There was a wonderful staff member who explained to the kids exactly how to get their bumper cars unstuck - before they even started! Maybe I would have enjoyed bumper cars more as a kid if I had known this!

The trick to getting unstuck in a bumper car is to turn your steering wheel all the way to one side and press down on the gas until you move! It works like a charm every time!

Our daughter also got brave enough for the ferris wheel this year! You'll see from the picture that I was taking this picture for the ground... I haven't quite outgrown my fear of heights yet and this ferris wheel is huge!

Besides great rides, there are many other great things about Canobie Lake Park.

The park (including bathrooms) are so clean considering the number of people that are running around there any given day. We went on a busy Saturday and were very impressed with the cleanliness throughout.

Parking is free, free, free, and there is tons of it!

There are plenty of options for food and drink inside the park. You cannot bring food in from the outside, but you'll find pretty much whatever you might be in the mood for on the inside. There are sit-down options as well as snack stands and you can find everything from burgers, to pizza, to fried clams, to ice cream. In fact, within the free Canobie Lake Park Map mobile app, you can open the Menu feature and see a listing of foods and how close you are to them. This made my Root-Beer-Float-craving-pregnant-tummy very, very happy!

The app also provides a map of the park, a ride sorting feature, and even a tool for marking your vehicle's location in the parking lot and helping you find it when you're done with your day!

As I mentioned earlier, there are so many ways to have fun at Canobie Lake Park - whether you're little or big or somewhere in between. You can read more details in our last review or on the Canobie Lake Park website.

If you haven't made it up to Canobie Lake Park yet this year, don't despair! They are still open every weekend through October! Although you'll need to skip the water park portion, I guarantee you'll still have tons of fun! Canobie offers some really fun fall programming that you won't want to miss, like a petting zoo, pony rides, and a pumpkin house - we may need to head back up for those extras! Check out the Canobie Lake Park website for more info on hours, pricing, and programs!

 We can't wait to make our way back up to Canobie Lake Park again soon!