Xylitol and a Successful Dentist Visit!

 

 

 

 

Yay! I’m a proud mama today. Got both kids in to see the dentist and they both did great! My kids have been brushing AND flossing for the longest. I think we started flossing them right before they turned 2. Of course, their teeth are so spaced apart still that they don’t truly need to floss, but it was much easier to start building the habit early when its really nothing to them. Once my daughter turned 4, her teeth started to get closer so I’m glad that she was comfortable getting that floss with fluoride in between her teeth. There are lots of the little floss pick kinds for kids that are colorful and have fluoride.

My daughter (who is almost 5) definitely tried to fight sitting in the chair at first… ugh. But with some bribing and coaxing by the dentist and I, she did end up sitting through the exam and even got a full polish. Whew!

My son on the other hand was all smiles and open to the experience this time around. HUGE change from the last two times we came when he was crying his head off just for being on his backside. It was almost intrigued by what was going on and seemed like he was just soaking in the experience. I guess it also helped that his sister went first… so of course, he wanted to do the same. Love his smile!

And yes! He sat through the polishing as well. Whoo hoo!  I got both kids in and out of the dentist in less than 40 mins. Only one tiny tantrum from my oldest. No cavities and no plaque. See you in 6 months!

P.S. Our dentist gave the kids these lollipops for doing so well. I was like, why is she giving out candy. Well, turns out they are these pretty cool xylitol lollipops. Apparently, recent research shows xylitol is a natural enemy of bacteria. WHAT?

YES! Read up about the dental benefits of xylitol! Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is used in place of conventional sugar. Unlike conventional sugar, it does not cause tooth decay and is produced from natural sources – making it an ideal replacement for sugar or artificial sweeteners. I’m going to start looking into these types of candies when needed as rewards or treats for the kids. Makes sense doesn’t it?

Groupon Deal: What to Expect Gift Set

Whooo! Look what’s on Groupon today! Great deal on the set of books if you are expecting or know someone who is.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting Set  for $18.99!

When shopping on Groupon – Don’t forget to log in through Ebates first to get additional cash back!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Three

Three-picture storytelling. I like it. That’s The Daily Post Photo Challenge this week. I decided to dig into the archives for this challenge instead of take a new series. I instantly thought about my son’s one year cake smash photos! There was so much that was taking place in just a matter of minutes! So here are the photos I selected to document the following:

1. An establishing shot: a broad photo of your subject.
2. A relationship: two elements interacting with one another.
3. A detail: a close-up of one part of your subject.

25 Rules for Mothers of Sons

Things to remember as I raise my lil’ man…

Life Out of Bounds

My dear friend, Maria, passed a blog post onto me and I had to share it with all my readers.  Have a tissue handy; maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones or maybe I am starting to grasp reality since my baby with my 5 years old in a few short weeks.

25 Rules for Mothers of Sons

1. Teach him the words for how he feels.
Your son will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment.  He’ll cry from fear and bite out of excitement.  Let his body move by the emotion, but also explain to him what the emotion is and the appropriate response to that emotion for future reference.  Point out other people who are feeling the same thing and compare how they are showing that emotion.  Talk him through your emotions so that someday when he is grown, he will know the difference between angry and embarrassed…

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Schedule Series: 6 Months

Weekly Photo Challenge: Treasure

I usually try to stray from the obvious for The Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenges…. but when it comes down to what I treasure or what is most important to me…. then the answer can be none other. I mean, sure – I have little trinkets, and keepsakes that I value and represent some important times and memories in my life. But I thought this week about what I ultimately could not live without. The trinkets and keepsakes are definitely my “treasures”, but can easily remain in my memory without needing the physical reminder. These two little people pictured here, are my most valuable treasures because without them, yes, I have the memories, but my life and my heart would definitely be left a little empty.

I have a gazillion photos of my kiddos. I selected this one (taken this past Fall for our annual family holiday photos) because it just felt timeless to me. So innocent. Love them. My greatest treasures.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day. The day of love. Yes. It can be a little overly commercialized…. but it also doesn’t have to be that way. It could just be an extra day to go “over the top” in showing someone you care. It’s one of my favorite days of the year!

We kicked off V-Day week with some Valentine manicures!

 

 

My daughter had a ton of fun signing her own Valentine cards this year. *sniff* Then I used them to put into little baggies for her classmates. Opted for raisins as I’m avoiding the candy thing as long as I can.

 

 

Her daddy surprised her with her own little bouquet of flowers this year… she was super jazzed.

 

 

I’ve been addicted to these Painting & Vino classes and when I saw the February calendar come out with this particular painting… I HAD to paint it. It was perfect for the occasion… plus I love hearts and V-Day in general. ❤ I loaded up on a bunch of vouchers since there is a deal on Groupon right now… $22 a class! (Purchase your Groupon’s through Ebates for an additional cash back savings!)

To top off the night, I rented the movie Valentine’s Day for a chick flick night. I’ve been so behind on movies (too busy with mommyhood), so I was surprised I had never seen it nor heard of the movie. I’m so not up to date. I liked the movie though! All-star cast, cute intermingling of stories. I was pretty satisfied with my selection and it was the perfect ending to my day.

Cough Combat

The kids got a lot more coughing going on this season for some reason. In the past, I used Elderberry syrup and last year tried making my own cough syrup with honey and lemon. Nothing was truly effective. As I was browsing through the aisle at Target, I came across Hyland’s Cold ‘n Cough and Zarbee’s Naturals Children’s Cough Syrup. I though since my kids are past the infant stage, I could try something a little stronger… although still staying within the boundaries of being “natural”.

Let me just say that I am quite pleased with the two! If my child is only battling a cough, then I reach for Zarbee’s. But when there is a little sniffling or runny nose going on with the cough, then I reach for the Hyland’s. I’m not sure how effective the Hyland’s is in terms of combating a cold, but I will say that my kids have neither developed a fever or anything further then the basic symptoms (runny nose, sneezing, cough). Let’s just say I barely reached for the Tylenol in the past 4 months.

I think that Zarbee’s works really well and quickly. There have been some nights where I can hear my son coughing up a storm! One dose of Zarbee’s and it calms it down enough for him to get a better night’s rest. It’s probably going to be my go-to for the cough for a while (sorry Elderberry).

P.S. When I first tried giving my kids Zarbee’s – it was actually the adult version because that’s what I had in stock at home. I just gave a really small dose – .5ml (my kids are both over 35lbs). Honey Lemon… sounds familiar.

7 Baby Products that make you go Hmmmm

There are many great products and inventions out there that really are innovative and make life better. Then there are the ones that make you go “hmmmmm”

iPotty. – Because it want them to enjoy sitting on the shitter for hours on end.

The BabyKeeper Hanging Harness.  Because its better than holding the baby while you pee yourself.

Mr. Milker.  Allows the man to “bond” with the baby, while maybe confusing the hell out of them.

Poop Alarm. – Because its easier than smelling or peaking at the diaper yourself?

Tinkle Tube. – Because peeing into a tube is more efficient than teaching your child to simply hold or better steer his penis.

Potty Mitts. Yes…. I can only imagine the 40 yr-old to wears latex gloves to the restroom because he grew up on Potty Mitts.

Heelarious Baby Heels  –   Wrong. Just wrong.

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Mommy & Me Sock Bun

I was roaming through Ross yesterday and stumbled across this sock bun product. This one is called “Hot Buns.” I’ve seen sooooo many different versions and variations for getting the same achieved sock bun look. This is the third kind I have tried and by far the best and easiest, for me at least. I have long hair and a lot of it. It’s also layered so I’ve had a hard time getting it all rolled up easily with other products. I particularly like this one because it has several velcro parts that help keep the hair together. The elastic to tie around the bun is also a nice touch. It says you don’t need to pin…. but I’d probably still pin anyways just to make sure it’s all secure and neat.

It was a bonus that it came in a set with a small sized one too. My daughter was excited about having a bun like Tinkerbell. Sooo cute. Her hair is still on the shorter side. We are working in growing it out. It’s also super thin and fine. It stuck to the velcro really well but needs more hair to cover more of the mesh. Still cute nonetheless!