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How to Build a Better Smile – #CrestSponsored

Kids smiling

Keeping Kids Smiles Bright!

About a month ago, I told you guys about a new challenge we were doing – We started following the  Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health Clinical Plaque Control regimen, where we’d try out some of the new products, and build some better brushing habits in our house. Well, I can tell ya – the kids and I loved every single product we tried out. And we are definitely switching to this floss – we were all really impressed with how easy the Glide floss is to use.

How to Build a Better Smile

I love seeing those great big grins on the kiddo’s faces – so it’s totally important to me to protect them from yucky stuff like cavities and stains. The video above shares some great info – and here are a few tips we use at my house:

  • Make sure that everyone has a good routine – brushing, flossing, and rinsing both morning and night. {A fun way to make sure kids brush long enough is to get the Twooth Timer, a cute little gadget that has made my life SO much easier!}
  • Use the best products. The Pro-Health line from Crest and Oral-B is awesome because most of the products do double duty – cleaning, whitening, and even protecting!
  • Brush smart: You should brush for about 2 minutes, twice a day. Harder is NOT better – that can lead to over-sensitive teeth. Use a rinse with fluoride – swish about 2 teaspoons full in your mouth for 1 minute, twice a day. And remember to change to a new toothbrush every 3 months. {We write the date on the handle when we purchase new ones!}

There are also some great books to get little ones excited about brushing time, like Brush Your Teeth Please Pop-Up Book. Abby loved that one, and she thinks that brushing her teeth is so cool that she steals the other toothbrushes out of the cabinet and walks around the house brushing with them. {That means I’ve been buying everyone a lot of new toothbrushes lately, lol.} So – get your family motivated to do a Pro-Health Challenge too! Pick up the products at your local drugstore or Walmart, and see how well they all work together – it’s an awesome little system. And build brighter smiles for your family this year too!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Crest and Oral-B and received product samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central Consulting sent me a promotional gift to thank me for taking the time to participate.}

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Finding Nemo 3D in Theaters – Take a Sneak Peek!

New 3D Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo in 3D!

I am so super excited about this – Did you know that Finding Nemo is going to be in theaters, in 3D!! – September 14th, 2012??!! Love it. This was one of my very favorite movies… Although I admit, I’m a sap, and always fast forwarded through the very beginning. I hated watching the family getting taken away. Take a sneak peek at the trailer…

Perfect Family Movie

Doesn’t that make you excited to see this again – especially in 3D? The animation in this movie is already so beautiful, I can’t wait to see how cool in looks in the updated version. It’s also super funny and entertaining – I’m a lot like Dory, so she’s my favorite :) And, it’s such a good message for parents – While we all want to hold on to our babies as tight as we can, our job is to teach them to fend for themselves, and eventually let them go. The whole, giving them wings to leave the nest thing. Yes, like I said, I’m a sap! This movie makes me cry every time….

Who else is super excited for this to hit theaters?

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24 Day Challenge: Shed those holiday pounds!

Advocare 24 day challenge

24 Day Challenge Bundles are on sale up to $20 off!!

The amazing Tiffany and Sean from Advocare want to help you shed those Holiday pounds!! Average results after using the 24 Day Challenge Bundle are – 5-15 inches smaller, 5-20lbs lighter, and an increase in energy. How awesome does that sound? You can also learn a little more about them here – Weight Loss & Natural Products – Directory.

Each Bundle includes every single one of these awesome products:

  • One box of Herbal Cleanse-Citrus
  • One bottle of OmegaPlex®
  • One box of AdvoCare Spark®-Mandarin Orange
  • One box of AdvoCare Spark®-Fruit Punch
  • Your choice of one box of Meal Replacement Shakes – Chocolate, Vanilla, or Berry
  • Your choice of one box of MNS® Max 3, C, or E
To learn more about this great deal on the Challenge Bundle, and get a jump start on YOUR 2012 Weight Loss Resolutions – Visit their site – Advocare.com – today!

 Twylah Fan Page

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Surprise #IcedCoffee Pick-Me-Up Package – #CBias

International Delight Iced Coffee

“I believe humans get a lot done, not because we’re smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.” – Flash Rosenberg

By now, you’re probably in crazy anticipation, waiting for the brand new International Delights Iced Coffee to become available in local stores right? You’ve read my post about how much I L-O-V-E-D the convenience of these new ready-to-go coffee drinks, you saw the Peppermint Frappe recipe posted on The Gunny Sack {which is who supplied the lovely pic above, since my computer crashed and I lost mine!} – and you’ve probably noticed all the amazing posts on Twitter with the #IcedCoffee hashtag. Well – today is the official launch of the product, so you should be able to find them at your local Walmart now!! I totally have *fingers crossed* that mine has them tomorrow when I go out grocery shopping. This stuff is goooooood.

Screen shot of SweepTight.com

“Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee.” – Stephanie Piro

So – what could make this super-duper awesome International Delights Iced Coffee in a carton {so easy to pour when I’m half-asleep in the morning} even better? Well, I’ll tell ya! As part of this little “Taste Teaser” project, the genius folks over at Collective Bias let us send a full gift package of these new Iced Coffees to another blogger too – as a surprise! I love gifts, I love coffee, and I LOVE surprises, so I thought this was an awesome idea. I mean, what totally overly busy blogger wouldn’t love a sweet pick-me-up package like this, right?

“Given enough coffee, I could rule the world.” – Author Unknown

For this little surprise project, we were supposed to choose another CBias member to send our gift too. The problem was, I was a little late to this party, and everyone I tried to pick was already getting a gift, or sending a gift, or helping arrange the gifts…. So, I decided, let’s let the gift me a surprise to ME too, and have them pick a lucky giftee from the great members who WERE available. But then, we had some mix-ups about who ended up getting my gift! But, I found out yesterday that my package was send to the absolutely lovely Jennifer Soltys at Sweep Tight! I don’t know Jennifer well – but I’m a fan of her site {she’s got an awesomely cool coupon directory, and gobs of great giveaways!} – and she’s in my Tribe on Triberr too!

Want to check out Jennifer’s site?

International Delights Iced Coffee

And don’t forget to look for these uh-MAY-zing new Iced Coffee drinks at your local grocery store – they should be launching in most Walmart’s today! The carton is so pretty – makes me think of a fancy ice cream carton. The drink is smooth, creamy, and just the perfect blend of sweetness with the coffee. Stop by and let me know what you think when you get a chance to try it!

{Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias}

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Become a Playmanitarian – Giving Back

Trash Can Kidz

Playmanitarian – Making a Difference While Having Fun!

I love when a brand makes it simple and easy for you to give back, do good, and help others. So many of us want to do the right thing – but we don’t always know how or where or what to do. TrashCanKidz is a new company with a social conscience, with a passion for changing the way that children around the world get involved in social causes. Their mission is to be Ambassadors for the world’s abandoned generation of children – the orphans of the world, the kids living on the streets or in dumps, the children who need to be drawn out of the shadows, and shown that they DO matter.

CarryMeKidzRegistration

“When the lives and the rights of children are at stake, there must be no silent witnesses.” – Carol Bellamy

TrashCanKidz are totally adorable characters that you can only “adopt” with an invitation from an Ambassador. {Which you can get from me – I’ll give details in a minute, keep reading…} When you adopt your new Trash Can Kidz, you get a unique code that allows you to register online, get your own Ambassador invitation code, and then join The Forgotten World – an online game that teaches your child how they can make a difference in the lives of other children, and help make their world a better place! Every time you purchase a TrashCanKidz, 20% of the revenue from your purchase is donated to EarthKids International.

Earth Kidz International

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” – Helen Keller

I chose to adopt Rose from the Trash Can Kidz site – and Abby loved her as soon as she arrived! She stands about 14″ tall, comes packaged in a trashcan style backpack, and includes an adorable little teddy and blanket. The details are so well done – this is a really high-quality item. She is dressed in rags, to help your child learn empathy towards those orphaned children that are being supported with this purchase – yet still, she is a totally adorable doll. From the pretty pink flower in her hair, to the gold buckles on her tiny sandals – she is perfect. Abby is still too little to understand the meaning behind this doll – but her older cousins that live with me get it. I’ve showed them the website, and they have played the game – and I was so proud when they later began asking questions…. “How do kids become orphans?” and, “Are there other ways that we can help those kids?” – Giving back is incredibly important to me, and organizations that help children are where I direct most of my time and money. To see such great thoughtfulness, compassion, and interest from the boys made me really happy.

EarthKidzInternational

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

EarthKids International – The Heart of TrashCanKidz – partners with the amazing World Vision to use the donations from each purchase made to learn where the greatest need is, and support projects that can provide for the basic needs of these abandoned kids.

Did you know… 

  • There are an estimated 143,000,000 orphaned children around the world.
  • Every single day, 5,760 more children become orphans.
  • There are in excess of 100,000,000 street children in the world.

These children are the forgotten, abandoned generation of our world today. With all of the attention paid to issues to protect unborn children – we need to also remember those children who have been born into countries where they are thrown aside, and barely able to survive. It can seem like a depressing issue, the type of overwhelming problem that you can’t do anything about – But when you make the choice to invest in a TrashCanKidz doll for your child, your purchase can directly support the work that Earth Kidz International is doing to change things!

Your purchase can make a real difference in the life of a child!

  • Visit TrashCanKidz.com – Click Shop, then click to buy a Carry Me Kidz.
  • There are several great styles of Kidz to choose from, and right now they are each $20 off.
  • Use this access code when prompted: 325898560 – this is your exclusive invitation code to get into the site!

Now – sit back and wait for your new friend to arrive! I hope that you love it as much as we love ours – and THANK YOU for using your purchasing power to make a difference!

Find TrashCanKidz on Facebook – and connect on Twitter!

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

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Learning to Save the World with Mega Bloks Police Force Set

Mega Bloks Police Set

“Play is not only our creative drive; it’s a fundamental mode of learning.” – David Elkind, Psychologist

We had never used Mega Bloks until just recently – But now that we’ve tried out a couple of sets, I’m a huge fan! I don’t know why I didn’t pick up a set earlier, since we’re such big fans of building, creating, and imaginative play in our house. Our first time checking them out was during our Thomas & Friends Party – and after trying them I realized that we’ve totally been missing out. There are sets for every age and skill level, the quality is great, and the kids totally get lost in imaginary worlds while they play… I loved listening to the boys talk about saving Abby’s dolly, and how “Police men can save the whole world sometimes…” Love these kids.

Mega Bloks Police Car

“The child amidst his baubles is learning the action of light, motion, gravity, muscular force….” – Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Look at the fun details on this Mega Bloks Blok Squad Police Force – I love the little license plates. The steering wheel really moves, the trailer can actually hitch on and off of the car in the back, and the police man all have fun accessories, to make play time more realistic. The packaging for this play set says for ages 5 and up – Well, if you’re talking about safety, or the finished toy, then yes – it’s great for a 5 year old. But if we’re discussing ease of building, then this is definitely meant for a bigger kid. I helped our 8 year old put this together – and while it was super fun, it was a bit of a challenge! There are a TON of pieces included in this box, and it would be way too overwhelming for a 5 year old to manage it all by themselves. But if they have a little help – once it’s put together, it’s perfect for even the tiniest hands! My 17 month old smacked these around on the tile floor – a lot, lol – but they held together really well. All of the kids had a blast with them!

Mega Blocks PoliceLearn More about Mega Bloks

You can find Mega Bloks at most major retailers – Get this Blok Squad Police Force set on Amazon for only $19.97.

Learn more about Mega Bloks on their website – or Follow them on Facebook to stay updated on fun promotions and events.

{Disclaimer:As a member of Team Mom, I received a complimentary play set to review and share with you. All photos, opinions, and overuse of exclamation points is 100% my own – I love Mega Bloks!}

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How I Fell in Love with Moon Dough…

Moon Dough Ocean Pals

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” – Kay Redfield Jamison

We love creative stuff here at our house… We like to paint, and color, and build, and create. But when we’re in the mood for some molding fun, I usually mix up our own homemade play dough – The Best Homemade Play-Dough Recipe. The kids had asked for Moon Dough, but honestly, I figured, “how much different could it be then the stuff we make now?” So when Team Mom asked if I wanted to review the new Moon Dough Ocean Pals, to try out the new and improved Moon Dough formula, I figured we’d give it a shot.

Moon Dough Ocean Pals Play set

“Play is the beginning of knowledge.” – Anonymous

The Moon Dough Ocean Pals set arrived, and the kids were SUPER excited to rip it open! I made them slow it down, so I could check this out too. The Play Set comes with a bunch of cool stuff:

  • A cute ocean themed reusable play mat to encourage imagination.
  • 3 different easy-to-use Push & Pop tools.
  • 1 fun twisty mold.
  • 2 different Moon Dough color options to play with.

I laid out all of the great goodies that were included in this fun package, and opened up the first package of Moon Dough to try it out. What at first feels like a piece of smooth Styrofoam quickly turns to a squishy marshmallow-like texture in your hands. I really can’t hardly describe it, but it’s super cool! I’m pretty proud of our awesome homemade dough, but this stuff is so different – Even the teenagers at our house were impressed! The tools included in the set are simple, but perfectly made – the kids were able to easily make really cool shapes, and had a blast with this set!

“Play builds the kind of free-and-easy, try-it-out, do-it-yourself character that our future needs.” – James L. Hymes Jr.

Moon Dough is hypo-allergenic, and wheat-free, making it a great option for any family with allergies. I was skeptical of the whole “never drys out” claim, but so far so good! The kids have left the lid off of plastic container we store it in for days at a time, and it’s just as good as new. So – I started out really skeptical, but the Moon Dough sets have totally won me over – I even bought another one for the kiddo’s for Christmas. The best part? It’s super easy to clean up too!

Learn More

Learn more about Moon Dough online.

Visit them on Facebook, or watch their videos on YouTube!

{Disclaimer: This post was written for Team Mom – I received a complimentary Moon Dough product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and photos are mine – Love this stuff!}

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