Going Back to School Also Means Going to the Dentist

I’ve got the girls six month dentist appointment hitting right before back to school every year.  I like it then because I feel it’s a great way to start the year fresh… new hair cut, physical, clean teeth, new clothes and shoes and of course new school supplies.

Today they were given a great bill of health…I guess the trip I took to the Colgate headquarters during BlogHer in NYC payed off!  I’m now on top of replacing tooth brushes and scrubbing really well on the back teeth, which has payed off!

Anyway, my oldest has yet to lose any teeth…she’ll be 7 in December.  They did an x-ray today and it looks like her permanent teeth are ready to come through and her baby teeth are not ready to leave anytime soon.  This means that they will need to pull out the baby teeth so that the new teeth can glide right into place.  I cringed at the thought, but my 7 year old was ready to do it right at that moment.  You see, all her friends have been visited by the tooth fairy and she has yet to get paid for her precious teeth, so the thought of having her teeth pulled sounded a bit like this… “Cha-ching!”

Anyway, long story short, I decided to have her wait until after picture day, thanks to a fellow mom that reminded me that picture day was coming up and scheduled her tooth removal till the end of the month.

At the same time, I got an email from Delta Dental about healthy lunch ideas that promote health teeth… perfect timing right!

“Common lunch foods actually contain a shocking amount of sugar,” said Dr. Jed Jacobson, chief science officer and senior vice president at Delta Dental of Michigan. “With small changes, it is surprisingly easy to pack a lunch that is healthier overall and better for your child’s teeth.”

Consider a lunch with a packaged ham, cheese and crackers meal, a small can of diced peaches, fruit snacks, and a juice box. While it seems healthy and balanced, the sugar count is a whopping 62 grams. An average candy bar contains about 25 grams of sugar.

A few substitutes can reduce the sugar count tremendously. Switch to a ham and cheese sandwich on wheat bread and skip the fruit snacks – in addition to high sugar content, their stickiness holds sugars against teeth for prolonged periods. Swap out the juice for a kid-sized sports drink or milk and opt for fresh fruits or vegetables instead of canned. These small changes bring this lunch’s sugar total down to a more tooth-tolerable 19 grams.

For other teeth-friendly substitutes, consider yogurt as a good option for boosting calcium with only 10 grams of sugar. Even better is string cheese, which also offers calcium but with zero grams of sugar. For a special treat, vanilla wafer cookies have less than half the sugar of chocolate, crème-filled cookies. Potato chips, pretzels and cheesy crackers are good options for low-sugar items.

“Check the nutrition labels on the foods you buy to make sure you know what your kids are eating,” Jacobson said. “A healthy and nutritious diet paired with good oral hygiene at home and visits to the dentist can go a long way toward protecting against tooth decay.”

If possible, kids should brush their teeth after lunch at school. Keeping a toothbrush and travel-sized tube of toothpaste in a lunchbox, desk or locker is a convenient way to encourage this healthy habit. If kids can’t brush at school, Jacobson recommends having them rinse their mouths with water or milk after lunch.

Jacobson recommends parents try to avoid packing these high-sugar lunch items:

• Can of pop (40g)
• Fig cookies (23g)
• Chocolate-hazelnut spread (21g)
• Granola bars (19g)
• Pudding (17g)

Cool Watch Promotion in Downtown Milford

Rottermond Jewelers, a family-owned shop located in downtown Milford and Brighton are selling watches for a great cause – our oceans.

The shop has teamed up with the Ocean Conservancy, a national organization dedicated to helping protect our oceans, to sell “Ocean” watches for $24.95, with 40 percent of proceeds being donated. The watch is available in small and large dial sizes and in 16 colors.

“The Ocean Conservancy is a wonderful organization to partner with,” said Cindi Rottermond, owner of Rottermond Jewelers. “Not only are customers thrilled with the variety of colors available, but they feel compelled to give back at such a critical time for our oceans.”

More than $3,300 has been raised already during the promotion, however, it’s Rottermond’s goal to reach $10,000 by Oct. 16, when the promotion ends.

To purchase an Ocean watch, visit Rottermond Jewelers at 351 N. Main St. in Milford or 102 E. Main St. in Brighton. Customers can also place orders online at www.shop.rottermond.com.

To learn more about the Ocean Conservancy and its mission, visit www.oceanconservancy.org.

Magnificent Moments of Mom **GIVEAWAY**

Being a mom is one of the toughest jobs on the planet!  It’s almost like being a secret service agent for the President, but instead of protecting the President of the United States, you are protecting your offspring, some of the most precious little human beings in your life.

Until you have become a mom, you never understand what moms go through in a day, week or a lifetime.  You gain a new appreciation for your mom and realize how truly magnificent she really was or is.  You look back and remember those “Magnificent Mom Moments” and those are the moments that will remain in your memory and put a smile on your face.

I’m not an expert by any means when it comes to being a mom and all I can hope for is that I do my best for my girls.  I hope that I  love them enough, teach them enough and care for them and protect enough.  And, when I have one of those “I just kicked booty as a mom” moments, I hope that I’m not the only one that notices.

*This post was inspired by Ziploc, check out their ideas and recipes for quick and easy ways to get more out of the things you do for your family every day. They want to hear from YOU so visit them on Facebook and share your own magnificent moments with them.

How would you like to win a backpack full of really cool items for your child to go back to school with this 2010-2011 school year?  Below is a list of everything you will win in this back to school backpack giveaway:

• ClassWish.org $25 Credit
• DreamSakes 20 Free Artwork Scans
• Arizona Kidz drinks
• PopChips a variety pack of PopChips & variety of coupons.
• Leapfrog Tag Reader with book set and US map, OR a LeapFrog
  Explorer with 2 games! (Penguins of Madagascar and Toy Story 3)
• Stoneyfield Yo-Kids
• RoseArt glitter markers, dry erase board, and fun Color Blanks.
• Carolina Pad variety of notebooks, folders, and binders
• Orange Circle Studios a “Do it all” planner & a family calendar.
• BitDefender security software for your PC.
• E is for Ethics Book by Simon & Schuster
• Sun and Earth Cleaning Products Samples
• Dolphin Chips (Human body and Facts to Annoy Your Teacher)
• FamZoo  year long membership
• Fox Entertainments both Diary of a Wimpy Kid & Marmaduke DVDs
• Stoneyfield Farms coupons, awesome recycled plastic storage containers, & a few other surprises!
• Silver Dolphin added the “Human Body” book, and “Facts to Annoy your Teacher” books.

and more to come!  I will add as they arrive:)

Win it!

One lucky winner will win  all of the items listed above ($300 value).  The winner will be notified via email and will need to respond within 24 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

This event is sponsored by Ziploc Brand and 20th Century Fox as well as other brands that have contributed to filling the backpack!  Enter to win a backpack filled with over $300 worth of back to school merchandise.  Please visit FillTheBackPack.com for more Information, The Dream Classroom Contest, Contest Rules, Our Sponsors and the list of Participating Brands!

Camping with Kids-It happens

Last fall, we decided to take a weekend jaunt to a local state park. Only about an hour from our house, we figured this was the perfect time to introduce our three month old to a past time her entire family enjoys.

We left after work, got there and set up in the dark (it was fall afterall) and got everyone nice and cozy inside the camper. We tinkered about and watched a DVD together before cuddling into our beds for the night.

At about 1 a.m., our sweet little infant got up to nurse. I got up, grabbed her from the Pack N Play and quickly quieted her with a nursing session. Our dogs wanted outside, which is slightly unusual but we figured they were warm in the camper since we had the heat up to make sure out little babes were snuggly in their beds. No sooner had my husband put the dogs on their leashes and hopped out the door did I hear my husband yell “No, boys no! Get back in the camper!”

And then burning. Oh the burning.

At first, I had no idea what happened. I just covered my face and kept my sweet baby nursing away. My husband and dogs made some unnatural noises and then my husband popped his head inside.

Skunk.

A skunk was trying to raid the dogs’ food and got spooked by my guys walking out the camper door. Husband and dogs were a stinky, gross mess.

My husband made a quick trip to a local store for anything that would take the stench out. He handed his credit card to the cashier from the door and told her he would stink up her store if he came in and just get him dish soap, tomato juice and anything else she could think of to cut the oil and the odor. Loaded up on supplies, he returned to the nearly-empty campground and took the dogs to the shower. For over an hour he lathered, rinsed and repeated. The three of them then returned to our camper in the icy temperatures.

By this point, the children and I were used to the smell and had all cuddled in our bed and dozed off. When my husband came back, we knew we had to leave the campground. The dogs couldn’t stay outside, but they were too wet to come in. The stench was covering nearly everything. So, at 2 a.m., we packed up and shipped out.

Luckily my mother-in-law lived nearby so we headed there and put the kids to bed before starting the process of sanitizing and deodorizing. It took days to wash everything, wipe all the surface areas in the camper and find the source of all of the smells.

We look back on it and laugh.

And packed in our camper on every trip now is vinegar, lots of dish soap and some Nature’s Miracle…because those are the only things that worked!

Camping with Kids-The Destination

When my husband and I would camp without kids, the destination could be anywhere. A five-hour drive in the car just meant blaring our music, lots of heart-to-heart chats and maybe a stop for a snack along the way. Now, with kids, it means holding my breath the entire time that someone is going to have a meltdown in the car that no “Little Mermaid” dvd or AquaDoodle can fix.

I’ve come to loath car rides that last longer than two hours. I can’t entertain two children in the back seat for that length of time. I can only sing “Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes” so many time before I actually want to sever my own vocal chords. We have found, however, that we can still get away without having to drive that far to do it.

Before it seemed that we had to cross a certain threshold to feel like we were on vacation, but now, that’s just a state of mind for us. We can go 45 minutes up the road to a campsite and feel like we’ve driven for hours.

We’ve found some great local state parks that make us feel disconnected without the pain of pulling the plug.

LakePort State Park
Algonac State Park
Sterling State Park (though you’ll want to watch out for skunks)
Seven Lakes State Park
Metamora State Park

It is what you make of it. Think of it as a kid. An hour in the car feels like an eternity to a two-year-old, and with them, it probably does to you too. Consider the frame of reference that you are away from your house, away from your job, away from your responsibilities and enjoying nature with your family. That will take you away!

Camping with Kids–Keeping Clean

I am a neat freak. With two dogs and two kids, I’m constantly vacuuming, sanitizing, wiping or washing something. So you can imagine how difficult is is for me when we are camping and dirt is….all around, all the time. While small dirty hands and sand stuck under my finger nails still make me want to run for the nearest HoJo to get clean, I have learned to relax, let it be and scrub them like crazy when we get home.

Campers generally come equipped with a shower, but they also have limited supplies of water. While I could probably rinse my kids off in the small tub that generally holds a bag of our dirty laundry, I opt for the public showers instead.

Insert screech of a record here, right?

I have found a way to give my preschooler a shower in the public showers without dying on the inside while I do it.

Cedar Shower Deck

First, organization. Pack the shower back with the clothes on top and the toiletries in the bottom. When you get to the shower, take the clothes out and hang them on the available hooks with the clothes you need first (underwear) on the top. Also, wear sandals, enough said.

I do recommend using the family or handicapped showers if you can. It does give you a little more space, which is helpful.

We have one of the contraptions to the right. It’s a shower deck. I take it to the shower, put it right in the best spot and then stand my little girl on it while I shower her and shower myself. She stays off the gross floor and out of the reach of any walls and I don’t have to hold her the entire time. She stands on it and washes her body while I wash the both of us.

When we are done, I move the shower deck out of the shower (while holding my daughter) and place it in the good location for dressing her. Once her pants are on, I put her sandals on her and she is free to move around as long as she doesn’t touch anything.

To keep myself free of the public shower grime, I wear Crocs or flip-flops.

We can get in and out of the shower pretty quickly together. The most challenging part is putting a diaper on her while she is standing. But we are working on that….with potty training!

I’m Ready For BlogHer… well almost

Preparing for BlogHer is a task, but since I went last year, I know exactly what I need in order to be ready this year.

Business Cards

Today a sighed a sigh of relief when my business cards arrived from Tiny Prints.  They are even more perfect than I imagined and they came fast considering I ordered them last week!  I also didn’t have to stress out when ordering because if I had a question, there was a live person I could chat with to answer my questions.  The process was painless and enjoyable…seriously!  Use code BLOGHER to get 30% off  your purchase at Tiny Prints until August 31, 2010.

Mani, Pedi and Haircut

All of these things are still on my list to do and will make me feel so refreshed and lively.  Don’t you feel great after being groomed?  I do and I want to look and feel my best when networking and socializing!

Clothes and Shoes

Every year, for BlogHer, I choose a few new tops from my favorite brand I.N.C. in Macy’s.  I’m a big fan of black pants and capris and jeans, so you’ll see me in fun, brightly colored tops and simple bottoms.

As far as shoes go, comfort is key.  Starting Wednesday night, I will be on the move from party to event and back again.  I don’t want my poor piggy’s to suffer, so I’m going for low, flat or wedges at BlogHer.

Gadgets and Wires, Oh My!

Don’t want to forget to document the entire weekend!  I’ll have my video camera, camera, Droid from Verizon and chargers with me at all times.  There is nothing worse than not being able to connect!  I’m carrying everything in my laptop bag and haven’t decided if I will be bringing my laptop this year.  Last year I brought it and had no time to even crack it open.  Still debating.

My BlogHer Pass, Agenda and Stuff to Write On

My pass for BlogHer came last week in the mail, which was something new this year.  I have already slipped it into my bag, so I won’t forget it.  I’m also going to make sure to have a pad of paper and a pen.  Ideas and connections are alive at BlogHer and I don’t want to miss a thing!

I think I thought of the most important items to be ready for BlogHer this year…if not, I’ll add things as I think of them!

Disclosure:  I was sent business cards from Tiny Prints to review and a Droid is on it’s way for me to take because the good people at Verizon want to make sure I am connected while away.  All opinions are mine and not influenced by anyone or anything.

Camping with Kids-New Traditions

While we were camping this weekend, we were taking a walk down the beach and we came upon this pile of painted rocks. The creativity, the time and the effort was moving to me. It was, to me, what camping is. Families coming together to do something out of the ordinary and neat.

We decided to go back to our camper and create a rock of our own to place with the others. And we decided to make it a tradition. At each campground we visit, we plan to try and paint a store and leave it somewhere to make someone smile.

We don’t have many traditions yet. We are a young family just starting out, but we are happy to have the opportunity to make some.

What traditions do you have?

Ally delivers a keyboard but not battery life

The LG Ally has everything you need to get through the day. The integration with Google and social networking services allow you to keep in touch and the stay on task, while the Android operating system provide the tools for staying on schedule and in the know. However, the battery life on the phone barely made it until lunch time.

LG Ally

Let’s get physical

The LG Ally is more than just a phone, so it is a little bigger and a little heavier. With the full QWERTY keyboard that slides in and out from behind the screen, the phone is thick, which adds to the weight. The phone can be accessed by using the touch-screen front or utilizing the keyboard to navigate the phone and menus. The phone’s menu is designed to look as though it is rolling as your scroll, which is a nice design feature.

The screen is large and bright. The keyboard makes it easy to respond to e-mail, send Tweets or update your Facebook status. Like any phone with a QWERTY keyboard, it takes a little getting used to the placement of the buttons, but once I had it down, I was sort of wishing my fully touch-screen phone had a keyboard of it’s own.

As for the purse test (for those of you new to my reviews, I like to judge how well a phone can stand up to life in my purse), this one handled it well. Despite it’s size, the phone was often difficult to find because of it’s dark color. However, the bright light on the front indicating a new e-mail, text or other message shown brightly and it was easy to locate it from there.

The phone is mostly black and has little design to it’s rectangular frame, but to me, it’s less about what the phone looks like and more about what it can do.

And so much more

This phone is so much more than a device to check in with your husband or friends. This phone is an information/entertainment center with a cell phone built in. Like the other Android phones, there are a plethora of apps available though the Android Marketplace and many can make your life easier and help you manage your routine. One app I tried out with this phone was the music app. Upon getting a phone like this, I wondered if it was necessary to also carry my MP3 player around as well. Using a music downloader available from the Marketplace, I downloaded some music for free, then plugged the player into my car radio and enjoyed my tunes on my ride home. The sound quality was great and it was nice to only have one device to worry about.

The phone takes videos and has a camera with a flash. To me, the quality is getting better and better and certain is fantastic for sharing on Facebook and through e-mail, though we have a ways to go because we are printing these photos and hanging them on the wall. This phones camera was the same as the rest, it delivers decent quality for sharing those photos on the go.

Power

I look at cell phones and what they can do for people like me–a busy mom on the go. While this one offers a lot of bells and whistles, it’s missing one key ingredient: Battery life. I charged the phone one night and unplugged it right before I left for work in the morning. I tweeted. I read a few e-mails. I checked in on Facebook. All things I would do with any phone, anytime. By the time lunch time rolled around, the phone was already alerting me that I needed to plug in. This isn’t a bad situation if you have an extra charge or can take the USB cord with you to work and plug in. But as a mom, the last thing I want is to pull a dead cell phone out of my purse when I’m trying to verify my grocery list or check in with the sitter.

For those who like the techy specs, here is what this tiny phone has to offer:

• Bluetooth Profiles supported: Headset, Hands–Free, Object Push (for receiving vCards, and sending/receiving pictures & video) , Advanced Audio Distribution (Stereo), Audio/Video Remote Control, File Transfer, and Phone Book Access
• 3.2 Megapixel camera with Autofocus and Flash
• Dedicated Camera /Video Key
• Download MP3s from Amazon Music Store
• Create and manage playlists
• 3.5mm Headset Jack
• Integrated Google and Facebook Contacts in LG Socialite
• Push Gmail and Exchange, Google Calendar
• 4GB microSD pre–installed
• Wi-Fi® Capable
• Bilingual Interface: English/Espanol
• S-GPS and aGPSCapable
• Speakerphone
• MP3 Ringtones
• Embedded Ringtones, Vibrating Alerts, and Silent

The Ally is priced at $149 with a two-year contract through Verizon Wireless. Right now there is a $100 online discount making the phone $49.99.

I was provided a Ally for review by Verizon Wireless but the views written here are my own.

Bagging It Forward for Back to School

I love participating in the wonderful projects you are seeing more of across the web.  The one’s like the Hershey’s Better Basket project I did where I got to put together two Easter baskets.  One to give to give away and one to keep.  We ended up giving both to two separate sets of people that deserved a treat .

This time, my girls and I got to go shopping at Walmart to pick up school supplies.  One set for them and another to give away to someone in need.  We chose supplies for a child in Kindergarten/1st Grade.

I let the girls pick out the supplies, guiding them to things they needed for school or for art projects.  Since we don’t already have a list, I had to go off of what I thought they might need.  We grabbed the basics and some fun art stuff to make posters and projects.

The Elmer’s glue was on sale for 25 cents a bottle and there were folders for 15 cents.  Lots of great deals to be had!

I wish the backpack selection had been better because the backpacks started at $25 and were all plain.  My girls like the character backpacks, so we skipped that for now and will check back at a later date to see when they get more supplies in.  I also think they need to put the hand sanitizer and wipes in the back to school section because I’m sure it will be on ALL the supply lists again this year.

Over all we had a great time choosing supplies for our Bag It Forward project and for my daughters backpack!

Disclosure:  We were compensated by Collective Bias to purchase school supplies for us and to give away.  All opinions are mine and my daughters and not influenced by anyone or anything.

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