Be Smart About Your Health

I have been thinking a lot about health insurance lately. Health insurance is a huge benefit of my employment yet I have really failed to take advantage of using it the way I should. Aetna has an article about making the most of your health benefits here and I want to share the most important tips I learned with you.

1. Make sure you know what benefits you need. Consider what is important to you. Is having full prescription coverage your priority? If so then make sure that is they coverage you have if you are able to choose. Think about what your family needs each year. It is a priority for me to have well baby check ups covered because I know that is something I have to take my son in for each year.

2. Try to predict what health needs you will have. I know that I am getting near the age to have a yearly mammogram. How I got that old I don't know...:). But seriously it is important to think ahead to future medical needs and I know this is one I will have in the future.

3. If you have a choice in healthcare, make the most informed choice. If saving money is your priority then of course go with the plan that saves the most money. To some people keeping the same doctors they have gone to for years is the most important thing and they may be willing to pay a bit more to keep the same service providers.

4. Investigate other options. I wish I had more of an option with choosing the insurance my company provides, but unfortunately the only decision we can make is do you want insurance or not. My employer does give a monetary stipend to employees who decline insurance. This leave the option of taking the stipend and using it for private insurance. I have not taken advantage of this option but it is worth considering if you can find a better plan than your company provides and it is within your financial means.

5. Keep track of your health costs. Honestly I am guilty of not following this advice as well as I should. It is best to turn in receipts and statements right away for reimbursement if that is part of your plan. Don't leave it until the last minute or you may risk not being reimbursed if you cannot find what you need. It is also a good idea to keep track of the costs to try to estimate your future health care needs.

Healthcare is tricky business if you ask me. I have spent hours trying to wrap my brain around the best healthcare plans for my family. However I do think that spending that time upfront will save time and money in the end. It may save even more than that if being prepared and organized means you end up with better healthcare in the end.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Aetna blogging program, making me eligible to get a $30 Target gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

KT Tunstall Tiger Suit - New CD Review

I get so excited when an artist I already enjoy releases a new CD. It is so fun to hear their new music and hopefully find a new favorite song. I have been a KT Tunstall fan since her hit song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree", so I was excited to review her new CD called Tiger Suit. Tiger Suit came out on October 5th and the first single "Fade Like a Shadow" is already a radio hit. The new CD does not disappoint. It is more upbeat than her previous two CDs but the storytelling is still apparent which makes the lyrics very genuine in my opinion.

This is the song list from Tiger Suit. You can listen to track samples on Amazon.

1. Uummannaq Song
2. Glamour Puss
3. Push That Knot Away
4. Difficulty
5. Fade Like A Shadow
6. Lost
7. Golden Frames
8. Come On, Get In
9. (Still A) Weirdo
10. Madame Trudeaux
11. The Entertainer

KT Tunstall has a tour scheduled that begins on Halloween night so check to see if she is coming to your area. I have not seen her live but reviews I have read of her live performances have all been positive.

I was provided a copy of the CD to review from One2One Network but I was under no obligation to write a positive review. As always, all opinions are mine and mine alone.

Free Kids CD Download from The Flannery Brothers!

To celebrate the release of their new album, The New Explorer's Club, The Flannery Brothers are giving a free download of their album Dance Songs For Silly Kids. I am not sure how long this will last but I just downloaded a copy and it worked well. Thanks to The Flannery Brothers and Congrats on your new album!

Sunday Sweeps - 10/10

It's Sunday which means it is time to promote your blog giveaways. Make sure to enter some too...good luck!

Capri Sun 100% Fun House Party

Thanks to HouseParty.com I was able to host a Capri Sun party! My first thought when I found out I was a hostess, was to have the party with my son's soccer team the Hurricanes. Every game a parent is responsible for bringing a healthy snack and drink for the team soccer players. I have always chosen to bring Capri Sun because they are so convenient. My favorite Capri Sun are the Roarin' Waters varieties because they contain no artificial colors or flavors.

The date set for the Capri Sun House Party was coincidentally my son's soccer team's first tournament of the year. The kids played their hearts out and at the end were thrilled to drink the refreshing Capri Sun I brought for them. Capri Sun and kid's soccer teams are a winning combination! The hit of the after game party were definitely the Capri Sun Frisbees and the kids had a lot of fun with them. All the team members and their siblings were also able to take home a Terra cycle pencil bag made from Capri Sun pouches.


If you are not familiar with TerraCycle it is a great program that reuses empty drink pouches and gives them a second life as bags, pencil cases and other fun items. If you are interested in starting your own Drink Pouch Brigade the process is simple:

1. Visit TerraCycle.net to sign up.
2. Collect empty pouches and send them to TerraCycle.
3. The pouches are made into cool school gear and other products, and your school or organization gets money.

I sincerely love this program. It keeps garbage out of the landfills and is a super easy way to raise much needed money for schools.

Thanks again to House Party, Capri Sun and TerraCycle for a great party. Go Hurricanes!

CSN Stores Upcoming Review

I am so happy to announce that I am now a CSN Stores preferred blogger! This means I will be able to have several upcoming reviews and giveaways for you here at Cute Stuff. I am loving CSN Stores because with over 200 stores there is something for everyone.

Are you in the market for an ottoman coffee table? This Handy Living Microfiber Cube Storage Ottoman is adorable and great for storage.

I will have a review coming shortly from CSN Stores. Do you think I chose the ottoman to review? You will have to stay tuned to see.

Sunday Sweeps - 10/3

Time to list your giveaways and enter others. Good Luck!