Happy OT Month!

Posted on 9 April, 2013 by activeforever

April is the month for Occupational Therapy!

In honor of OT Month, ActiveForever has chosen The Fund to Promote Awareness of Occupational Therapy as their Check-out Charity for the month of April.

Don’t forget to give a donation to the AOTA upon check-out!

What Is Occupational Therapy?

In its simplest terms, occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants help people across their lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes. Occupational therapy services typically include:

OT at Cincinnati Children’s

an individualized evaluation, during which the client/family and occupational therapist determine the person’s goals,
customized intervention to improve the person’s ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals, and
an outcomes evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the intervention plan.

Source: AOTA

Massachusetts Association for Occupational Therapy

Nothing Says Love like Dark Chocolate

Posted on 14 February, 2013 by activeforever

Holidays are full of traditions and Valentine’s Day is no different. No matter who you are, you have most likely been on the giving or receiving end of a box of chocolates on this most cherubic of days.

Fortunately, you and your valentine do not have to sacrifice health in the name of holiday celebration. Dark chocolate is actually good for you. It contains a higher level of beneficial, heart healthy, cocoa flavonoids than milk chocolate.

Image courtesy of m_bartosch at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

According to an abc news article published today, the dark chocolate trend is picking up steam. Dark chocolate sales broke records this year. When pressed for an explanation, experts point to the buzz in recent years about chocolate being good for the heart.

Some studies link high chocolate consumption with a “37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease risk, a 31 percent reduction in diabetes risk and a 29 percent reduction in stroke risk when compared to low chocolate consumption.”

Also, it is safe for all the lovers out there who are lactose intolerant.

So this year make sure the goodies inside that heart shaped box are actually good for the heart!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Congenital Heart Defect survivors and their stories

Posted on 12 February, 2013 by activeforever

February 7-14th is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. Congenital Heart Defect, also known as Congenital Heart Disease, (CHD) is any birth defect which affects the heart or the large blood vessels. Congenital means that the defect is present at birth.

Congenital Heart Defect is considered to be the most common birth defect, and is a leading cause of birth-defect related deaths worldwide. Congenital Heart Disease affects approximately 1.8 millions families in the United States according to the Congenital Heart Information Network (C.H.I.N.)

The inspirational and heart-warming Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week Pinterest page is something you don’t want to miss. Here are some of the CHD survivors on that page and their stories:

Kaden (above) was diagnosed with Transposition of the Great Arteries the day he was born. He had open heart surgery at 12 days old. Complications during and after the 11-hour surgery led the surgeon to believe his heart wouldn’t sustain life. He went home two weeks later. He has pulmonary stenosis and a small VSD but is doing amazingly well.

Olivia (left) was born with half a heart as a result of a severe and complicated congenital heart defect known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). During the past four years she has endured three open-heart surgeries, five heart catheters and a stroke.

Norah (right) was born with Heterodoxy, an ASD, VSD, interrupted IVC w/ Azygos continuation, an Intestinal Malrotation, minor Hydronephrosis, Pulmonary Stenosis and Polysplenia (she has 2 functional spleens). She had Ladd’s Procedure when she was 5 weeks old and open heart surgery at 9 months.

Mother says:
“We were fortunate enough to know she’d have a CHD before birth. It was tough to go through the pregnancy not knowing what would be wrong with her (bad news started when I was about 12 weeks along), but always loving her. She was, and IS, perfect. It took a long time to remember that she was perfect (at least to me) before I knew about her conditions and that they didn’t change anything. She was still the baby I loved, she’d just have a more colorful story than some.”

National Wear Red Day!

Posted on 1 February, 2013 by activeforever

It’s National Wear Red Day! Not because it’s such a beautiful color, but rather because it’s a way to show support for the women who are taking action to protect their hearts and by extension, their lives!

They do this by reducing high blood pressure and cholesterol. They maintain a healthy weight by getting regular exercise and they do not smoke. All of these actions taken together go a long way toward decreasing the risk of developing heart disease.

Are you at risk of developing heart disease? The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute helps you find out.

Happy NYE everybody!! It’s Resolution Time!

Posted on 28 December, 2012 by activeforever

More than any other holiday, NYE is perhaps the most intensely and raucously celebrated night of the year. After all the fanfare, fiestas and fun that are over, the resolutions (sometimes begrudgingly,) begin!

It’s a brand new year. A time of great hope and optimism as we pocket all the old worries, fears and failures that plagued the last one.

At ActiveForever, we believe there’s no better way to mark the significance of such a blessed milestone than committing to some fresh New Year Resolutions. What are yours? Have you given it any thought? Now’s the time!

We all know the “usuals” and they invariably have to do with achieving a greater level of health. People everywhere want to begin anew by getting in shape, eating healthy, exercising. So we’ve put all of our best and most popular exercise equipment on sale! With free shipping too. All the details are in our Discovery Digest.

We researched a list of the most popular resolutions and posted them for you here. See any that strike your fancy?

ActiveForever’s Charity Check-out Success!

Posted on 4 December, 2012 by activeforever

ActiveForever would like to thank everyone who donated and helped make the inaugural month of our Charity Check-out such a wonderful success.

ActiveForever selected Daughters of the American Revolution, (DAR) as the recipient of their Charity Check-out for the month of November. As part of this effort, shoppers were given the option to add a donation to their purchase total. The proceeds went to benefit DAR’s Project Patriot program.

This project helps fulfill the holiday “wish-lists” of overseas servicemen and women. These lists include everyday items such as Top Ramen, peanut butter, Campbell’s Soup, Slim Jims, “Extra” gum, Pop Tarts, etc., They are purchased directly for the troops with 100 percent of the donations received and shipped in time for the holidays.

On January 4, 2013, ActiveForever will present DAR with a check along with a supply of ActiveForever catalogs. The meeting-luncheon will be held at McCormick Golf Club in Scottsdale.

ActiveForever was so thrilled with the outcome of the Charitable Check-out that they’ve decided to keep it going. The charity for December is Honor House — a transitional home for wounded veterans which helps them heal and reintegrate back into society.

We hope you join us in supporting this worthy cause.

Cyber Monday (post) Madness

Posted on 26 November, 2012 by activeforever

You’re two-thirds of the way through your turkey pile and back to work after spending the entire weekend drunk on food and half-priced sale items.

This can mean only one thing: it’s Cyber Monday!

ActiveForever has some of the best Cyber Monday sales going, including up to 50% off some of the most popular items in the store.

Check out our Discovery Digest, Cyber Monday edition and the special Cyber Monday section of our website.

Cyber Monday is not just a chance to take advantage of some of the greatest deals online, but it’s a smart way to wean yourself off of all the shopping you did over the weekend. After all, the worst thing an addict can do is quit cold-turkey. So do a little shopping today while sitting at the computer. It’s good for your health, and your wallet!

Good luck and Happy Cyber-shopping!

She’s thrilled by the low, low prices she found at ActiveForever!

Gearing up for Black Friday

Posted on 21 November, 2012 by activeforever

It’s here folks!

Well… almost. Because if it were, you wouldn’t be reading this. You’d be running around throwing elbows at the old lady standing between you and the best deals in town.

I’m talking about that which has worked it’s way into our national psyche as perhaps the most aggressive holiday of the year. The cultural phenomenon itself, Black Friday.

Here at ActiveForever, we’ve been preparing for this day for months. Parsing through our aisles and aisles of inventory, bringing down prices on some of our most coveted items. And we’ve done it all in appreciation of you, our wonderful customers.

Snow Wolf Wovel Snow Shovel

Take a look at our Discovery Digest. We’ve reduced our prices on great gift items like cold-weather gloves, the Huggie Buddy Heated Blanket you can wear, motorized massagers, yard equipment, and of course, the famous “Snow Wolf Wovel Snow Shovel.” This handy device makes once stubborn snow wish it never darkened your door in the first place.

Jeanie Rub Massager

People love our soothing facial and skin clarifying systems, and our popular exercise stations and whole body vibration machines are perfect for those who want to start their New Year’s resolutions off right.

: DKN Technology Xg3 Whole Body Vibration Machine

There’s even cool stuff kids love like the Trikke T7 Convertible Kids Carving Vehicle.

Trikke T7 Convertible Kids Carving Vehicle

Everything is 20 to 75 percent off, and and Shipping is Free!

We know this consumer holiday can reduce otherwise perfectly mild people to fisticuffs; but that is only because trying to satisfy everyone on your list can be enough to force you to put off retirement, indefinitely.

Huggie Buddy Heated Blanket

We’ve got Black Friday deals going on all week. So act now, these fab items will never be cheaper!

ActiveForever supports “Project Patriot” with our “Charitable Check-out.”

Posted on 20 November, 2012 by activeforever

‘Tis the season for charitable giving. And it’s no wonder. It’s a time-tested truism that people tend to hit their philanthropic peaks when they are at their happiest.

Yes, you are busy and yes, you are frazzled with a to-do list twice the size of Santa’s. But you are talking to your beloveds more frequently, and everyday exchanging cards and gifts with friends.

Your hideous Christmas sweaters are now in style and what is normally a dismal block of pavement is adorned in twinkling garland and bows. Hot cocoa and candy are a dietary staple and once bitter kids are well-behaved. So naturally we can shell-out a dollar or two for the storefront Santa.

We have a lot of people to thank for these happy times, starting with the troops; especially those overseas.

In honor of these brave men and women, ActiveForever has joined with Daughters of the American Revolution to support “Project Patriot.”

This project makes the holidays a little brighter for our overseas servicemen and women by fulfilling their holiday “wish-lists.” These lists include everyday items such as Top Ramen, peanut butter, Campbell’s Soup, Slim Jims, “Extra” gum, Pop Tarts, etc.,

They are purchased directly for the troops with 100 percent of the donations received. D.A.R. packages and ships them in time for the holidays.

ActiveForever is thrilled about this wonderful cause and we thought you might be too, so we created our “Charitable Check-Out.” This makes donating to Project Patriot very easy and fast.

After you have made your selection and pressed the check-out button, you will be given the option to make a donation. The amount you choose will be added to your purchase total. That’s it!

This is just our way of remembering some very important people at this special time of year.

There are so many great ways to give this holiday season and this is just one of them. We know that no matter how you choose to be charitable, you will be making someone’s season very bright.

Happy Holidays!

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Category Archives: Holidays