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Review: Hall Naturals Cough Drops With Honey

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:00:00 PST

I came down with a bad cold over the holidays, that targeted my throat and left me with out a voice for three days. I think my young daughters loved having a mom the could barely speak, but that is an issue to take up with my fellow sugar mamas over at lilsugar. Unfortunately, my sore throat coincided with my ski trip. When I was able to, I drank lots of tea with honey but needed cough drops to keep me going on the slopes.

Intrigued by the the "vapor action" of added menthol combined a soothing honey center found in Mountain Berry Naturals by Halls, I picked up a bag to try. Honey is a natural humectant, meaning it helps retain moisture, and it is also considered a natural cough suppressant.

To see what I thought of these drops

read more. The berry flavor and the menthol battle for dominance when the cough drop hits your tongue. Luckily the berry flavor wins, though tinged with mild herb flavoring. These cough drops did not taste like candy, which meant my daughters stopped pestering me for them. The honey center allowed the soothing effect to linger after the lozenge completely gone. They did help my cough and soothe my throat. They were not as tasty as a Ricola cough drop, but they didn't taste overly sweet or fruity like other kinds of throat lozenges by Halls. As for the word "natural" in the name. All the ingredients looks familiar except MCT oil, which stand for oil medium-chain triglycerides. I have no idea what that is doing in a cough drop. Here is a list of ingredients: Active ingredient -Menthol 2.5 mg, inactive ingredients - citric acid, cottonseed oil, elderberry juice, flavors, ginger, glucose syrup, glycerin, honey, lemon grass, MCT oil, sage, soy lecithin, sucrose, water, white thyme. Even with the mysterious MCT oil, I would buy Naturals cough drops again. A bag of 20 retails for $1.99.

5 Sci-Fi Locations We'd Like to Vacation To

Kristy Korcz — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:39:07 PST

It's pretty obvious that we love sci-fi, space, and everything galactic, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that we can often be found daydreaming about vacationing to a totally out-of-this-world location. Call us crazy, but if buying a ticket to one of these spacey vacation spots were an option, we'd be all over it.

Cloud 9 - The Colonial Fleet's luxury liner was the perfect getaway for the crew of the Battlestar Galactica to unwind during leave, allowing them to soak in the (faux) sunlight and get a break from the cold steel and metal decks of the ship. If Cloud 9 was still around, it seems like the perfect way to kick off space travel while still keeping Earthlings sane with the comforts of home.
Endor - The forest moon resembles California's redwood forests, and would be a great place to really get away from it all and reconnect with nature by camping - or glamping - in a high (well-appointed) tree house.
Fhloston Paradise - This luxury space cruise ship has "the most beautiful concert hall in all the universe" and amazing views of the planet landscape below. We could do without any battle conflicts while we're aboard, though.
Etheria - This small planet that She-Ra calls home has lighter gravity than Earth so you can have some fun jumping far distances. Think of it like one big trampoline; just steer clear of The Fright Zone and Beast Island.
Naboo - The picturesque landscape of Naboo's capital city of Theed would be the perfect wedding location for Earthlings who are craving an out-of-this-world ceremony but still like the feel of Italy's Lake Como.

Downton Abbey Beauty: No Mascara, Please, We're Edwardians

Allure — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:05:00 PST

We're excited to present this story from our friends at Allure:

Fans of the PBS blockbuster Downton Abbey don't need us to tell them that season two has arrived, ending a painfully long wait for the return of the period drama set in a spectacular English country house stuffed with spoiled aristos and scheming servants. How ever did we survive? One bright spot was the video parody that appeared on YouTube with Joanna Lumley, of Absolutely Fabulous fame, playing an Edwardian housekeeper with Sephora tastes.

"Is that lipstick you're wearing?," a butler asks disapprovingly.

"Just a bit of gloss," replies Lumley. "Her ladyship doesn't mind."

The joke left us wondering what the Crawley sisters of Downton might actually have have in their medicine cabinets; or rather at the mirrored vanities where they seem to linger for hours, as a loyal maid brushes out their hair and listens to their secrets. That part, as it happens, has the ring of truth: Edwardian ladies never (no, never) cut their hair, according to makeup artists who work on the show, which has an on-set historian to police every gesture and costume. Find out what they had to say about Edwardian beauty now.

Say What? More Moms Are Moonlighting as Sex Phone Operators

Natasha Dantzig — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:52:41 PST

What are you wearing? Making ends meet is becoming increasingly challenging for many Americans, including many single moms, who will do just about anything to keep their families afloat. For some stay-at-home-moms that includes taking work of a slightly scandalous nature - as a sex-phone operator.

A Good Morning America story about the stay-at-home-mom as sex phone operator phenomenon reported that the number of women with young children doing this type of work has increased 400 percent over the past 18 months. Thanks to a dismal economy, high childcare costs, and the difficulty of finding decent, well paying jobs that allow women to be home with their kids, the sex phone business is just too lucrative to walk away from for many women, despite their conflict about verbally fulfilling the fantasies of strangers while their lil ones are asleep down the hall.

Would you ever consider this type of work? Or judge someone who does?

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "Mash Off"

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:48:51 PST

What goes around comes around, and Santana learns her lesson the hard way on this week's episode of Glee. When Mr. Schue and Shelby decide to put their respective singing groups head-to-head for a little friendly competition, things spiral out of control and get ugly. Very ugly.

While Finn and Santana are busy trash talking, the presidential election heats up between Kurt, Brittany, and Rachel - with one key player dropping out of the competition. There's a lot of foul play going on, so let's break it down when you

Fit Over 40: Why Time Is Key (Even For Celebrities)

Self — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:22:42 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Halle Berry . . . these days, when a 40-something woman steps out in a bikini, it makes news.

Turns out, there's a scientific explanation for why we're so fascinated by these lean, toned, impossibly supple bodies. In some ways, these apparent genetic wonders are defying the aging process.

"Once a man or woman gets beyond their 30s, they're in a situation where unless they are really proactive about what they do from an exercise standpoint as well as eating sensibly, they are going to lose some muscle tissue," says Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., FACSM, Chief Science Officer for The American Council on Exercise.

Read the rest of this post after the break!

Link Time - Details on Kate Middleton's First Official Royal Appearance in June!

PopSugar — Mon, 23 May 2011 13:27:30 PDT

Kate Middleton will appear at her first official royal event in June - People
Get ready to see sexy Leonardo DiCaprio back on the big screen in Titanic 3D - Rotten Tomatoes
Julianna Margulies has a bone to pick with network TV executives - Huffington Post
Celebrities seem to love showing their stomachs - TooFab
Even more details on William and Kate's wild honeymoon - Us Weekly
Are Katie Holmes and Halle Berry buddies? - Lainey Gossip
Arnold may have even more secret children - D-Listed
Kelly Clarkson shares sweet pics of her new puppy - JustJared
Christina Hendricks wants you to know her breasts are all natural - PopEater
Megan Fox goes topless on the big screen - Hollywood Tuna
Listen to Alanis Morissette's new song - Pink Is the New Blog
Jersey Shore is taking over Italy - The Superficial
Diddy is changing his name again? - popbytes

James Beard Awards Kick off With Book, Broadcast, & Journalism Awards

Katie Sweeney — Mon, 09 May 2011 09:38:53 PDT

The best of the best of the nation's food world glitterati are in New York this weekend for the industry's Oscars, the James Beard Awards. Although the main ceremony doesn't take place until later this evening, the events kicked off on Friday with the announcement of the book, broadcast, and journalism awards.

A huge congratulations is in order for our friends at the San Francisco Chronicle; they took home the prize for best food section of a general interest publication. To check out the full list of winners, which includes Alton Brown and Top Chef: All-Stars, keep reading.

Saturday Comic-Con Must Sees

GeekSugar — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:10:22 PDT

Two days completed at Comic-Con; ready for more? Saturday's schedule promises great Hall H content, as well as the opportunity to explore the spiritual side of superheroes, gain a backstage look at favorite TV shows, and a gamer sneak peek. We've listed what to prioritize for the day and would love to hear your plans as well!

From Buddha to Batman: Deepak Chopra and Grant Morrison Discuss The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes, 10-11 a.m. - At Comic-Con five years ago, spiritual guru Deepak Chopra spoke with comic writer Grant Morrison on the role superheroes play in society. This conversation eventually became Deepak Chopra's latest book, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes. Both men return along with Deepak's son, Gotham Chopra, founder of Liquid Comics, to discuss the spirituality of superheroes and how they relate to our current culture. Location: Room 6A
Attack of the Show Attacks Comic-Con, 10-11 a.m. - Get a behind-the-scenes look at G4's Attack of the Show as an audience member of its Comic-Con episodes. Hosts Kevin Pereira and Candace Bailey moderate an interactive Comic-Con-style panel that will also have special audience giveaways and games. Location: Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
MTV Comics, 11a.m.-12 p.m. - Comics legend Stan Lee and the editors of MTV Comics discuss the upcoming digital book The Seekers, which asks writers and artists to send submissions to create a collaborative work. Location: Room 7AB
TWIXT: Francis Ford Coppola and Dan Deacon, 11:45-12:45 p.m. - Director Francis Ford Coppola teams with musician Dan Deacon to present clips from the upcoming film TWIXT. The audience will take part in a dress rehearsal of the completely innovative way it will be performed. Location: Hall H

Want more? Follow the break for Futurama and Patrick Stewart.

Announcing the 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards Nominees!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 06:14:12 PDT

TV stars Joshua Jackson and Melissa McCarthy were up and at 'em this morning to present the nominees for this year's Primetime Emmy Awards - one of which went to McCarthy herself for her work on Mike and Molly. There aren't too many shockers on this year's list; new shows Game of Thrones, The Killing, and Boardwalk Empire all got some love, Modern Family continues to dominate (now with a nomination for Ed O'Neill), and Friday Night Lights finally got that much-deserved nod for outstanding drama series. There are also some big names you may not have expected to see on this list, such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, and Justin Timberlake all picked up nominations for guest appearances.

Check out the full list of nominees when you

read more. OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES The Big Bang Theory Glee Modern Family The Office Parks and Recreation 30 Rock OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES Boardwalk Empire Dexter Friday Night Lights Game of Thrones The Good Wife Mad Men OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock Louis C.K., Louie Steve Carell, The Office Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory Matt LeBlanc, Episodes Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights Michael C. Hall, Dexter Jon Hamm, Mad Men Hugh Laurie, House Timothy Olyphant, Justified OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Kathy Bates, Harry's Law Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights Mireille Enos, The Killing Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE Greg Kinnear, The Kennedys Barry Pepper, The Kennedys Edgar Ramirez, Carlos William Hurt, Too Big to Fail Idris Elba, Luther OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie Tina Fey, 30 Rock Laura Linney, The Big C Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce Elizabeth McGovern, Grantham Diane Lane, Cinema Verite Taraji P. Henson, Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story Jean Marsh, Upstairs Downstairs (Masterpiece) OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men Chris Colfer, Glee Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family Ed O'Neill, Modern Family Ty Burrell, Modern Family OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES John Slattery, Mad Men Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age Walton Goggins, Justified Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones Josh Charles, The Good Wife Alan Cumming, The Good Wife OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce Brian F. O'Byrne, Mildred Pierce Tom Wilkinson, The Kennedys Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail James Woods, Too Big to Fail OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Jane Lynch, Glee Betty White, Hot in Cleveland Julie Bowen, Modern Family Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock Sofia Vergara, Modern Family OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire Christina Hendricks, Mad Men Michelle Forbes, The Killing Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife Margo Martindale, Justified Christine Baranski, The Good Wife OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce Melissa Leo, Mildred Pierce Mare Winningham Mildred Pierce Maggie Smith, Violet Eileen Atkins, Upside Down (Masterpiece) OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Idris Elba, The Big C Zach Galifianakis, Saturday Night Live Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live Matt Damon, 30 Rock Will Arnett, 30 Rock OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES Robert Morse, Mad Men Bruce Dern, Big Love Jeremy Davies, Justified Beau Bridges, Brothers & Sisters Paul McCrane, Harry's Law Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Kristin Chenoweth, Glee Dot-Marie Jones, Glee Gwyneth Paltrow, Glee Cloris Leachman, Raising Hope Elizabeth Banks, 30 Rock Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Alfre Woodard, True Blood Randee Heller, Mad Men Cara Buono, Mad Men Joan Cusack, Shameless Julia Stiles, Dexter Mary McDonnell, The Closer Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY So You Think You Can Dance ("Alice in Mia-Land Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" / "When We Dance" / "This Bitter Earth - On the Nature of Daylight") So You Think You Can Dance ("Mad World" / "Sundrenched World" / "Heaven Is a Place on Earth") So You Think You Can Dance ("Collide" / "How It Ends" / "Fix You") So You Think You Can Dance ("Scars" / "Fallin" / "Outta Your Mind") Dancing With the Stars (Jive, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" / Viennese Waltz, "Hedwig's Theme (Theme From Harry Potter)" / Slow Waltz, "My Love") So You Think You Can Dance ("Oh Yeah" / "Boogie Shoes" / "I Surrender") OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM Jeff Probst, Survivor Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars Ryan Seacrest, American Idol OUTSTANDING MINISERIES OR MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE Mildred Pierce Too Big to Fail The Kennedys Downtown Abbey (Masterpiece) Cinema Verite The Pillars of the Earth OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES Late Night With Jimmy Fallon The Colbert Report Conan Saturday Night Live Real Time With Bill Maher The Daily Show With Jon Stewart OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL Carrie Fisher in Wishful Drinking Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden The Kennedy Center Honors The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway OUTSTANDING REALITY - COMPETITION PROGRAM So You Think You Can Dance The Amazing Race Project Runway American Idol Dancing With the Stars Top Chef OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM Hoarders Antiques Roadshow Deadliest Catch MythBusters Undercover Boss Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES Modern Family The Big C Glee Nurse Jackie 30 Rock OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES Boardwalk Empire Mad Men The Killing The Good Wife Game of Thrones OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR SPECIAL Mildred Pierce Downtown Abbey (Masterpiece) Cinema Verite Too Big to Fail Upstairs Downstairs (Masterpiece) OUTSTANDING COMMERCIAL Conan (American Express) Baby Driver (Subaru) Questions (Old Spice Body Wash) Polar Bear (Nissan LEAF) Baby (McDonald's) Born of Fire (Chrysler 200) OUTSTANDING COSTUMES FOR A SERIES Boardwalk Empire Mad Men The Borgias Game of Thrones Glee OUTSTANDING COSTUMES FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR SPECIAL Mildred Pierce Downtown Abbey (Masterpiece) Cinema Verite Upstairs Downstairs (Masterpiece) OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES Boardwalk Empire (Martin Scorsese) Boardwalk Empire (Jeremy Podeswa) The Borgias (Neil Jordan) The Killing (Patty Jenkins) Game of Thrones (Tim Van Patten) OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES Modern Family (Michael Alan Spiller) Modern Family (Gail Mancuso) Modern Family (Steve Levitan) 30 Rock (Beth McCarthy-Miller) How I Met Your Mother (Pamela Fryman) OUTSTANDING NONFICTION SERIES Moguls and Movie Stars Biography American Masters 30 For 30 Pioneers of Television Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC AND LYRICS Family Guy, "Christmastime Is Killing Us" Saturday Night Live, "I Just Had Sex" Robert Klein: Unfair & Unbalanced, "An American Prayer - Hymn II?" Saturday Night Live, "Justin Timberlake Monologue" Saturday Night Live, "Jack Sparrow" Saturday Night Live, "The Golden Rule" OUTSTANDING MAIN TITLE DESIGN Boardwalk Empire Rubicon Too Big Too Fail Game of Thrones Any Human Heart (Masterpiece) OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MAIN TITLE THEME MUSIC The Borgias Mildred Pierce Episodes Any Human Heart (Masterpiece) The Kennedys Camelot OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS FOR A SERIES Boardwalk Empire The Borgias Stargate Universe The Walking Dead Game of Thrones OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR A SPECIAL Mildred Pierce Sherlock: A Study in Pink (Masterpiece) The Pillars of the Earth Gettysburg OUTSTANDING STUNT COORDINATION Southland Game of Thrones Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Hawaii Five-0 OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES Episodes ("Episode 107," David Crane, Jeffrey Klarik) The Office ("Good-Bye Michael," Greg Daniels) Modern Family ("Caught in the Act," Steve Levitan, Jeffrey Richman) Louie ("Poker/Divorce," Louis C.K.) 30 Rock ("Reaganing," Matt Hubbard) OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES Mad Men ("The Suitcase," Matthew Weiner) Mad Men ("Blowing Smoke," André Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton) The Killing ("Pilot," Veena Sud) Friday Night Lights ("Always," Jason Katims) Game of Thrones ("Baelor," David Benioff, D.B. Weiss) OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES The Colbert Report Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Saturday Night Live Conan The Daily Show With Jon Stewart OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL Mildred Pierce (Jon Raymond, Todd Haynes) Downtown Abbey (Masterpiece) (Julian Fellowes) Sherlock: A Study in Pink (Masterpiece (Steven Moffat) Too Big to Fail (Peter Gould) Upstairs Downstairs (Masterpiece) (Heidi Thomas) OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL The Real Women of SNL Colin Quinn: Long Story Short 64th Annual Tony Awards Louis C.K.: Hilarious Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Benefit For Autism Education OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM The Cleveland Show Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III Futurama The Simpsons South Park