Hearing music in your head while you brush your teeth – who thinks of these things? While it may sound silly, I think it’s a genius idea! Never before has my daughter ever had fun brushing her teeth! Now she looks forward to it… she even dances!

In case you aren’t familiar with Arm & Hammer™ Tooth Tunes products, these aren’t just regular ol’ toothbrushes. Each brush features one of a kind Music in Your Mouth™ technology, in that it plays a two-minute song clip from a particular artist in an attempt to encourage kids to brush their teeth for the dentist-recommended two-minute brushing time. You just press a button on the handle, and once activated, it plays the featured song by transferring vibrations through the bristles of the toothbrush into the front teeth, through the jawbone, and into the inner ear, allowing kids to hear the music while they brush. People next to you will hear the song muffled, but the person brushing their teeth hears it loud and clear! It’s really cool.

The two newest Arm & Hammer™ Tooth Tunes™ toothbrushes each feature a chart-topping single from One Direction! Love those guys! This is the only brush that plays One Direction in North America. The brushes have a suggested retail price of $9.99 and are available at mass, drug, and food retailers nationwide. You have the choice of:
• “What Makes You Beautiful” performed by One Direction
• “One Thing” performed by One Direction

Now the only downside is that each toothbrush comes with one song. So your kid better like it! Maya thinks that Arm & Hammer should come out with a “jukebox” toothbrush next that allows you to pick a song from a variety of choices. Wouldn’t that be cool? If we could connect it to the computer, I’d even pay for downloads! I only wish I could take a video of Maya rockin’ out to One Direction. She slams the door shut in my face when I try. So this random little girl will have to do:

Brush with Tooth Tunes™, Rock with One Direction Sweepstakes

Church & Dwight Co., Inc., the maker of Arm & Hammer™, is excited to announce the Brush with Tooth Tunes™, Rock with One Direction Sweepstakes! Enter for a chance to win the Grand Prize – four tickets to a One Direction concert in August 2013! 100 First Prize winners will receive One Direction prize packs, with One Direction merchandise.

To enter, follow these steps:
• Create an optional video of yourself or your kids brushing with One Direction Arm & Hammer™ Tooth Tunes™ for your chance to be featured on ToothTunes.com! (A video is not required for entry.)
• Visit ToothTunes.com, complete the registration form and click submit to be entered for your chance to win.
• Enter up to once per week through 6/30/13.

Winners will be chosen July 2013. No purchase necessary, and the sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are 13 years of age or older. For official rules, visit ToothTunes.com

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and ARM & HAMMER™ Tooth Tunes™ partnered in support of this campaign and I was compensated for my participation, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I mentioned this to my neighbor as we were trimming some flowers the other day, and she emailed me a simple recipe for vanilla ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book*.

So we did it – we made ice cream! All I had to buy was heavy cream and salt, as I had all the other ingredients on hand. I didn’t need special salt, but I didn’t want to use up all my table salt, and rock salt is just cooler anyway! I also made sure we had plenty of ice in the freezer. It’s a big bucket!

Figuring out the right ratio of ice and salt was tricky at first, but I got the hang of it, and after almost two hours of churning, we had the most delicious ice cream…

I added some chocolate chips, and it was divine! While the ingredients can be pricey, the ice cream maker itself is only $24.99 and it does all the work! And I feel good giving my kids something that doesn’t have all those extra preservatives. Now to start experimenting with flavors and add-ins, and hopefully find a recipe that has less fat…

*There are affiliate links in this post.

Have your kids ever read Ranger Rick magazine? It’s a children’s nature magazine that is published by the National Wildlife Federation and it’s been around forever. I had a subscription when I was a little girl, and now my 8-year-old, Maya, just loves it!

Now that you’re familiar with Ranger Rick, join us for a Twitter party today with the National Wildlife Federation to spread the word about an exciting new app, Ranger Rick’s Tree House, which features fun, interactive games, tons of animal photos and facts – presenting wildlife education in both an entertaining and educational way for kids ages 7-12. Use the app to encourage your kids to learn more about animals and get outside this summer to explore the great outdoors on their own!

We’ll talk about the Ranger Rick’s Tree House app, along with other fun ideas and helpful tips for building excitement about nature among kids and families!

• When: Wednesday, June 5th at 1p ET / noon CT/ 10aPT
• Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #RRtreehouse hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Twtvite: http://twtvite.com/RRtreehouse
• Hashtag: #RRtreehouse
• Prizes: We will award five prizes throughout the party to participants who respond correctly to trivia questions. Each prize will include a basket of goodies from Ranger Rick for your little explorer:
  • Ranger Rick Plush
  • Ranger Rick Nature Notebook
  • Ranger Rick Drawstring Backpack
  • Ranger Rick yellow binoculars
  • June/July issue of Ranger Rick print magazine

• Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann
• TweetGrid for the party: http://bit.ly/14DnrRi
• Your fellow co-hosts:
  • Amber, Parent Palace – @ParentPalace
  • Angela, About a Mom – @aboutamom
  • Donna, Blog by Donna – @DonnaChaffins
  • Kasandria, Southern Bella’s Ways To Save – @waystosave
  • Kate, The Guavalicious Life – @guavalicious
  • Kim, Two Kids and a Coupon – @2kidsandacoupon
  • Mariana, The Domestic Buzz – @ohMariana
  • Marianna, Marianna – @GreenMamasPad
  • Mickey, A Helicopter Mom – @ahelicoptermom
  • Shannon, The Mommy-Files – @themommyfiles

Join us!

Disclosure: I’m being compensated to co-host the Twitter party, but all opinions are my own.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of The Motherhood and The Vision Council.

My daughters probably have 3 or 4 pairs of sunglasses. Each. They’re fairly inexpensive and this way we can have a pair for home and one in each car. More of a convenience factor, as the sun tends to bother their eyes sometimes. I never gave it much thought, honestly, until I participated in an eye-opening webinar presented by The Vision Council last week. While I make sure the girls always have sunglasses at their reach, I haven’t been strict about making them wear them regularly. Until now.

And I’m not the only one! Research shows that more than 40 percent of parents don’t proactively ensure their children wear UV protective sunglasses – the most effective tool for blocking damaging UVA and UVB rays. This is extremely dangerous for kids, especially those under ten, who are at higher risk of UV damage than adults. Just small amounts of intense UV exposure can cause short-term problems, ranging from irritating to overtly painful.

How do you know if your kids have been over-exposed to UV radiation? Swollen, bloodshot eyes and hyper-sensitivity to light are a few symptoms. The most extreme of these temporary problems is photokeratitis, which is sunburn of the eye. You might have heard about this from Anderson Cooper earlier this year.

You see, a child’s ocular lens cannot filter out UV rays as easily as an adult, allowing them to reach the retina. Over time, the cumulative effects of too much sunlight can lead to eye diseases and conditions later in life, such as cataracts, macular degeneration, and even cancer of the eye, all of which may result in permanent vision loss. It is never too early or too soon to protect your children’s eyes! There are important steps that you can take to shield both your kids’ eyes and your own from harmful sun exposure. It’s all about balance and protection.

• Limit outdoor time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. – the hours when UV radiation is strongest.
• Arm children with UVA and UVB-protective sunglasses whenever they step outside – no matter where you are, whether it’s sunny or cloudy, or what time of year it is.
• Shop at a credible source; do not purchase from street vendors, online auction sites, or second-hand stores. If possible, bring your child with you so that he or she can become a part of the experience.
• Finding sunglasses that your child feels comfortable in and likes will ensure that they are actually worn.
• Quality doesn’t necessarily translate to high cost. For children who are more apt to lose their sunglasses, consider purchasing multiple inexpensive pairs to replace lost ones.
• Polycarbonate lenses and other impact resistant lenses are more able to withstand rough play and sports.
• Darker lenses don’t necessarily mean better protection. Gray lenses absorb all colors equally and may be a good option for younger children who are still learning how to associate natural colors.
• If you don’t see a sticker or have an older pair of sunglasses, you can bring them to an eye care professional who can test them using a UV meter.
• Dressing up sunglasses can be fun but limit decorations; don’t let children draw on glasses or place stickers on the lens. This can scratch the UV protective layer.
• Hats should never be used in place of sunglasses; especially baseball caps which don’t offer peripheral protection.
• Frequent sunglass use comes with practice. Set a prime example by always wearing your own shades!

Here are some more interesting tidbits I learned from the Q&A with Dr. Adamopoulos, an optometrist and active member of The Vision Council’s Better Vision Institute:
• The difference between UVA and UVB – UVA rays account for up to 95% of UV radiation, and while less intense, they are much more prevalent than UVB rays. UVB rays are more prevalent on cloudy days and in high altitudes and are highly reflective off of snow and ice. The bottom line is that they are both damaging, so sunglasses need to protect against each.
• There are goggles with UV protection that should be easy to find in normal sports stores… but still make it a habit to have kids put on sunglasses as soon as they take a break from swimming.
• Transition lenses definitely protect eyes. The only thing transition lenses don’t do is cut down on the glare. Also, keep in mind that if glasses are too small then you aren’t protecting enough of your eye area.
• There are contacts with UV protection, however they don’t cover the entire eye. It only covers the central portion, and the white part of the eye and eyelids are still exposed.
• You can trust sunglasses with UV stickers. The ones my daughter has from the Disney store, for example. Every reputable store has to go by the American National Standard Institute regulations.
• Cataracts aren’t so much genetic- more of an age issue. If you have enough birthdays, you’re going to get cataracts. The question is how soon you want that to happen.

It’s never too early or too late to start protecting your eyes! For more resources and fun activities visit www.thevisioncouncil.org.

For a larger infographic, click here.

We remember you forever.

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Aflac.
I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating. 

This is where the Real Cost Calculator comes in. Aflac introduced this illustrative, interactive tool to show the average out-of-pocket expenses associated with a number of injuries and illnesses. Specifically, it includes the medical costs and living expenses not covered by major medical insurance for several types of cancer, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, broken leg, as well as common childhood ailments, pneumonia and asthma. These common illnesses and injuries can result in thousands of dollars in unexpected out-of-pocket medical costs and living expenses, and serious medical conditions like cancer and stroke can rack up costs higher than some mortgages!

For example:
• The average cost to treat a broken leg is more than $10,000. Deductibles, co-pays and rehab add up quickly.
• The average annual expense for people diagnosed with diabetes is $11,744. The glucose monitoring equipment doesn’t come cheap.
• Some of the newer cancer treatments can cost about $10,000 a month.

The calculator also includes everyday household costs… you’ll have to keep buying groceries and paying the mortage, even if you or your spouse ends up out of work! And what about after you leave the hospital? Expenses during recovery can include care giving and the burden of day care and everyday household costs like rent, utilities and car payments when a patient is unable to work. Then there are costs for things like transportation to follow-up medical appointments.

Try Aflac’s Real Cost Calculator out for yourself. It’s important to know about the real costs associated with medical emergencies so you can be financially prepared for the unexpected and proactive in how you plan to tackle these expenses. Start by taking better care of yourself physically. Consider joining a company wellness program, or getting a supplemental insurance policy. The fact is that there is no cap on the cost of health care, and you can expect medical costs to continue to increase as medical technology improves.

This post is sponsored by Gallo Family Vineyards.

I must admit, I don’t know much about wine – my husband’s the wine connoisseur in our household – but I can tell you that I like Moscato! It’s light, sweet, and only 9-10% alcohol by volume, so I can drink a couple of glasses and not have a terrible headache the next day. Gallo Family Vineyards make three – Red, Pink, and White – and over the past week I’ve sampled them all. I think I like pink the most. It’s not overly sweet, and when served really chilled, it’s SO refreshing!

Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato:
• Refreshing with flavors of peach, honey and ripe citrus to round out the light-bodied style.
• Pairs well with a wide variety of spicy dishes and the peach notes are a nice match for many soft and hard cheeses as well as everyday desserts.

Gallo Family Vineyards Pink Moscato:
• Light-bodied and full of fresh citrus and peach along, with hints of red berries and orange.
• Pairs nicely with sweet desserts or cheeses such as mahón and manchego.

Gallo Family Vineyards Red Moscato:
• Has lively flavors of sweet citrus and peach, with a red berry finish.
• Pairs perfectly with light cheeses, spicy cuisines or rich desserts. Best enjoyed chilled.

Gallo’s affordable prices make these wines accessible to everyone. It’s easy to have a few bottles on hand for those impromptu backyard cookouts! Here are a few party-planning tips from entertaining expert Robyn Moreno…

• Mix It Up: Gallo Family Vineyards offers three delicious types of Moscato – White, Red, and Pink. If you want people to get talking about the wine, try setting up different stations around the room. Feature tasting notes if you really want to get the conversation going.
• Not Your Ordinary Cheese Tray: Moscato pairs perfectly with cheese, such as Brie, Camembert, aged Parmesan and Pecorino Romano. Style up your cheese plate by making a slit in a wine cork and sliding in a card labeling the cheeses. The display is an easy and elegant way to let your guests know what they are eating.
• Spice Not Stress: Moscato and spicy food are the perfect combination and serving Paella is a clever, chic way to feed a crowd. Plus, since this flavorful rice-based dish can be made with almost anything – grilled meats, seafood, or veggies – everyone will be able to enjoy it and you won’t be tasked with making multiple meals.
• Decorating Couldn’t Be Easier: Create clever centerpieces from pretty items in your home. An old wine box or beautiful tray can become blossoming centerpieces when decorated with fresh fruit and a birdcage can become a glided candleholder with a pillar placed inside.
• Don’t Let The Party End: To enjoy another night of great wine, pour the remaining Moscato into ice trays that you can use later in sparkling water for a updated take on a “white wine spritzer!”

Did you know that today is National Moscato Day?

America sure loves this varietal – its sales last year went up more than 25%! The excitement around this wine led Gallo Family Vineyards to establish May 9th as National Moscato Day as a way to honor this delicious, fruitful wine and engage fans in wine conversations.

This Thursday, Gallo Family Vineyards (@GalloFamily) will be hosting the second annual National Moscato Day Twitter Party from 9pm to 10pm EDT. Throughout the party, participants will have the opportunity to share and gather hosting tips, food pairing suggestions and wine facts by joining the conversation using the hashtags #MoscatoDay #gno on Twitter.

To learn more, please visit:

• Gallo Family Vineyards website
• Gallo Family Vineyards’ Facebook page
• Gallo Family Vineyards’ Twitter account

Disclosure: Gallo Family Vineyards sent me three bottles of wine for review purposes. I am being compensated for writing this post and participating in the Twitter party as part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network, but all opinions are my own.

Not only have I been introduced to some amazing authors through this fantastic blog hop, but you also have the chance to WIN more than 35 books for your favorite school or library! Be sure to read all the way to the bottom of the post for details about the giveaway. The following is an article by author Irania Patterson…

What is essential is invisible to the eye

When I was a child my favorite book was The Little Prince written by the French writer, poet, and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944).

I have to admit that I did not like the fact that the main character, El Principito, was a boy; being a girl, I wanted it to be the Little Princess, La Princesita, instead.

The poetic tale is the most read and most translated book in the French language, and was voted the best book of the 20th century in France. Translated into more than 250 languages and dialects, it is definitely one of the bestselling books ever published.

The narrator, an airplane pilot, crashes in the Sahara desert. As he is worrying over his problem, he is approached by the little prince, a blond boy who comes from Asteroid B612. After his encounter with his love the rose, El Principito set out to explore other planets to cure his loneliness.

Before reaching Earth, he met some very odd people: a king, a conceited man, a drunkard, a lamplighter, a geographer… Finally on Earth he met the fox, who shared with him this words that up to this day live in me. “What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

The first time I read the book, I said to myself “I want to be a pilot girl to discover the world”

The second time I said “I want to become like the Rose in the story to learn to be loved.

The third time I really wanted to be like the fox in the story to learn to be a loyal friend.

The fourth time, now close to being a quinceañera, I wanted to understand the thoughts of foolish, narrow-minded adults, including the king in the book with no subjects, who believed himself the most admirable person.

Close to being recognized as an adult, and afraid to be judged as an immature being who still loved that “librito de niños”, I secretly read it again and again, reflecting on the Little Prince’s words:

“But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart…”

It was then that I knew I wanted to be a writer so I could see the life of others with a true heart.

Later, when I had my first child, I opened the old and torn book and found these words of treasure … “You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose,” said the Fox. Then I rediscovered my commitment to all children, and all readers who one day will be impacted by a story that embraces them forever…

I encourage all of you who love books, children and imaginary journeys to find during Día a story that allows you to see your own roses, foxes, the foolish in yourself and The Little Prince in us who travels to the human conditions to discover the wisdom of children.

Irania Patterson is an award–winning author, playwright, and seasoned storyteller. She is a native of Venezuela, is a dynamic and versatile performer who works with audiences of all ages. She has served as a consultant for many cultural organizations in the area of literature, education and the performing arts. Her bilingual children’s picture book Chipi Chipis, Small Shells of the Sea/Chipi Chipi Caracolitos del Mar (CPCC Press 2006) was an International Reading Association Children’s Choice Award for 2006. She is the author of Wings and Dreams: The Legend of Angel Falls. (Novello Press 2010). She is also a co-author of the bilingual musical play Mama Goose, adapted for the stage from the Alma Flor Ada original Mama Goose.

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THE GIVEAWAY!

L4LL has put together a wonderful collection of Latino children’s literature to be given to a school or public library. Many of the books were donated by the authors and illustrators participating in this blog hop. You can read a complete list of titles on the L4LL website.

To enter your school library or local library in the giveaway, simply leave a comment below.
The deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Monday, April 29th, 2013. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and announced on the L4LL website on April 30th, Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros, and will be contacted via email – so be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment! (If we have no way to contact you, we’ll have to choose someone else!)

By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Sweepstakes Rules. No purchase required. Void where prohibited.

¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!)

The one appliance that I would love to replace right now – if we could afford it – would be our 15-year-old refrigerator. It’s running on fumes! I just entered to win one, though. Wish me luck!

How? h.h. gregg and Frigidaire have teamed up for the “100 Ways to Organize” Sweepstakes, which runs through Saturday, April 27th. The prizes? Four winners will be selected to receive a Frigidaire French-Door Refrigerator. Awesome. Three winners will be selected through the register-to-win sweepstakes, and one winner will be selected through the ‘100 Ways to Organize’ game on Facebook, iPhone and Android.

They’re also giving away $100 h.h. gregg gift cards daily! I just entered – make sure you do too before it’s too late!

I’m not sure how I did it, but I seem to have disabled my email newsletter a few weeks back and didn’t realize it. OOPS! It’s reactivated now, but since I’m not sure if they’ll go out in the next email, these are some of the posts you may have missed:

• A review of the new Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch cereal – so good!
• Cleaning with Clorox Smart Tube Technology [and a Clorox giveaway!] – I extended this a couple of days since not many of you knew about it!
• Positively radiant with Aveeno Active Naturals - these products are great!
• Giving some thought to my toilet paper
• A review of DOLE Fruit Parfaits - yum!

Yes, a lot of sponsored content. I know. I’m trying to save up for a trip to Mexico this June for a family wedding so I haven’t had much of a choice – I have to take every opportunity I can get to afford the expensive airfare. That said, we’ve been super busy lately and I have tons of photos on my camera that I want to share with you all in the coming days – from the Cherry Blossom Festival, a tour of the White House gardens, and more! We’re blessed to live near the beautiful city that is Washington, DC!