Cars 2, Oral-B, and Crest Pro Health for Me, umm... them

I was so excited to be picked by MomSelect to host a MommyParties Crest and Oral-B Pro Health for me Party featuring many awesome Crest and Oral-B Stages products and the new Disney movie Cars 2.

Teeth brushing and oral hygiene has always been a challenge in my house.  But it's something I am relentless about.  My girls have always loved the Oral-B Stages toothbrushes and toothpaste, especially the Disney Princess designs.  But, they are getting older and I was finding that plain toothbrushes weren't cutting it for my oldest who is now 11.  So, I was extremely happy when Oral-B introduced their Pro Health for Me line.  They are more grown up than Cinderella, but they still have more pizzazz than a plain toothbrush.  The brushes, paste, flossers and rinse have been a huge hit in my house.

We shared our bounty, courtesy of MomSelect, MommyParties, Crest and Oral B, with four of our favorite families.  With a zillion kids between us ranging in age from two to twelve, we had something for everyone.  Including coupons and information.  Moms crave coupons and information.

We were able to host a viewing party for Cars 2 complete with popcorn, pop (for some) and lots and lots of goodies.  Their was even a learning activity where the kids could vote for which items made a mouth yucky versus healthy.  And balloons! We had balloons.  My dogs LOVED the balloons.

  

Organizing the goody bags is always a fun for me.  I can't explain it, but putting a few of each item in every bag it something I truly enjoy, and for this party things were no different.  Look at what I had to share with my peeps!

 

Of course the movie Cars 2 was a huge hit.  My girls are big fans of Mater.  Take a look at his teeth! 

With all of the information I had to read and distribute courtesy of Crest and Oral-B, I learned a lot.  Such as...

Oral B Stages, dentists' #1 recommended toothbrush brand for children, not only has kid appeal but is specially designed to address children's dentition, dexterity and development as they grow.  Oral-B also offers kid-friendly Stages toothpaste to complement their brushing routine. 

In a 2001 practice-based study involving 22 pediatric dental offices in the U.S., Europe and Australia, and nearly 800 children, revealed:

• 69% of parents reported that, compared to other brushes used, their child was motivated to brush longer with the Stages brush.
• 91% of dental professionals surveyed felt that the Stages brushes address the specific dentition and dexterity needs of children.

I can vouch for the longer brushing.  My girls have ALWAYS brushed better with these toothbrushes.  That's probably why my dentist gives this brand and style out at our twice-a-year visits.

Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health FOR ME is the first and only complete line of oral care products for tweens (kids 8+) created to protect all the areas dentists check in kids including fighting cavities, strengthening teeth enamel and freshening their breath. And it has cool and unique packaging that tweens love.  At least mine does.

Some fun Tips and Trivia for Healthier Teeth

• Children should start flossing as soon as two teeth touch each other.
• Brushing alone can miss up to 30% of the tooth surface.  A plastic handled flosser can make it easier for kids to floss.
• How much is the Tooth Fairy paying these days per tooth?  About $2 according to Securian Dental Plans, an insurance provider.  (Note to self...)
• Kids with braces should use a two step system- brushing from the top down, and then the bottom up.  This will help dislodge any breakfast that may be stuck in the brackets.
• After a professional dental cleaning it only takes a few hours for plaque to re-form on your teeth, so make sure you brush, floss and rinse every day between visits.
• Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different. (How great is this little NCIS-worthy fact?)

We had a great time, learned a lot, and have many great products to help our kids keep up some great oral hygiene habits.  Thanks to Crest and Oral-B for helping us with another Mommy Challenge.

Don't forget to visit Oralb.com/Stages and CrestProHealth.com for more valuable information.  You can also follow @OralB and @Crest on Twitter and become friends of Oral-B and Crest on Facebook.

Disclosure: I was supplied with all of the products shown by MommyParties in order to host this event. All opinions, photos and comments expressed are my own. 

Coffee with The Ladies

This morning "The Ladies" came over for coffee, breakfast and a some much-needed chat time.  The sun was shining, the coffee was brewing, and I had Nutella gift bags for everyone.  It was just like Christmas!  Kind of. :)

I offered whole grain english muffins, mini-bagels, and bananas, and a big ole' jar of Nutella to spead on whatever they wanted.  Some of the ladies were already fans, some had never tasted the stuff before (like me prior to the package coming in the mail) and some were allergic.  Oh no! Be careful.

One 13 oz. jar of Nutella has more than 50 hazelnuts in it, so we were careful and didn't go flinging it about.  We flung the chat instead and 6 ladies with little kids have a lot to chat about!

I was invited to have this Nutella Party by MommyParties and they sent me goody bags for all of my friends, as well as some great info that I did not know.  Such as...

Nutella hazelnut spread does not contain peanuts or peanut ingredients, nor does the product come in contact with peanuts during manufacturing.  Nutella is kosher, contains no artificial colors or preservatives and is low in sodium.

European families have enjoyed Nutella for over 40 years, it became available in the U.S. in the 1980's.

I did not know any of that. I have heard people rave about Nutella for years.  Why it took me so long to try it I do not know.  I admit I am a HUGE peanut butter fan, and I also enjoy almond butter, so maybe Hazelnuts with Cocoa was more than I could fathom.  But I tried it and I like it.  The taste is great but the texture is a little strange to me.  My friend described it like "putting hot fudge on your toast" and it does have that thick but not necessarily creamy texture.  I think of it as pudding, only a little thicker.  Is that wrong?

In additon to the Nutella we went through two pots of coffee.  You know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it literally breaks the fast!  Anywho we had fun and they loved their bags.  If you look at the pic below you can see why.  Great stuff and a coupon!

The ladies REALLY like the genius spreader! See the tip on that thing?  It's perfect for getting under the lip of a jar.  You know, the place the Nutella and Peanut Butter hide?

Each guest also got info on breakfast, recipe ideas, a travel mug and a Nutella sample.  Yum!

We did have fun and it was nice way to change up Friday morning coffee.  I love free stuff and I love to give my friends stuff.  So it worked out nice for everyone.

Along with the sunny day, it was the perfect start to what I hope is a great weekend.

I was provided with all of the Nutella items you see in the pictures above to share with my friends.  However, all opinions of this product are mine and mine alone.  The texture gets me, but the taste is great.



What if I have other things going on?

While blogging is a passion for me, and also something I hope to do for a long time to come, it doesn't always mean I actually have time to sit down and write a post.

I'm kind of all over the place with "jobs".  Some days I cover events and write stories for the Jackson Citizen Patriot.  Recently I started doing the same thing for the Hartland edition of Patch, an online news and information platform and soon I will write for the Brighton Patch as well.

I have my own Rights & Licensing business.  Lately I've helped clear music for an industrial video for a major automotive manufacturer and a track for a smaller company's TV spot.

I also do special projects for a company called Collective Bias where I am paid to shop for specific products and brands.  I have also been asked to promote products at public events and to invite people to my home for a sampling of the same types of things, and I still do occasional posts for Detroit Mommies.
Oh and I recently became an Independent Consultant with Thirty-One gifts.

In addition to all that, I can usually be found about once a week at each of my girls' schools volunteering.  I co-lead two Girl Scout troops and my husband and I run the concession stand during soccer season.

Once in a while I try to sleep, eat, and watch Bones.  So, if my posting has been spotty, I think you may understand why :)

Last weekend I had an opportunity to have Ryann invite some friends over for a little spa party courtesy of MommyParties and Ottilie and Lulu.

Ottilie and Lulu sells a few items specially formulated for the personal care of tweens and their emerging hormones.  The girls washed their faces, learned about moisturizer, got awesome goodies to take home and I think, have a genuinely good time.  I love that I get to do things like this with my girls.  They are growing up so fast, and I hope they realize that even though Mama is "all-over-the-place" doing work, that the work I do is for them.  And me too of course.  Because I love all the different things I get to do, and I love the time I spend with my family while doing it.
I think my husband likes it too, as you can see in the left sidebar. I did a Frank's Red Hot shop yesterday and made meatballs.  Totally broke his heart ;)

More check-ins at House of Swann

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Disclosure:  I was supplied an abundance of Ottilie & Lulu products for free to give away at our party.  However all opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.