I remember the day I lost my first tooth.  It was my upper front tooth which dangled for a couple weeks before its big pull debut.  Once it fell off, I remember cleaning it and putting it under my pillow, getting ready for the tooth fairy to come by and leave me a dollar bill.

At the time, I totally believed that my tooth fairy would come with wings and a magical wand. 

As I laid in bed with excitement and anticipation (one eye shut and one eye almost shut), I caught an image of my tooth fairy.  A woman with dark hair, no wings, and plain clothes.   It turned out to be my own mother. 

I was a little dissappointed at first, but I pretended that I hadn’t seen her and went with the whole story that my “tooth fairy” came by and left me a special dollar bill.

Now that I have children of my own, I want them to experience the fantasy of having their own tooth fairy, when the time comes.  I think it’s such a special experience to have, similar to daydreaming about Santa Clause coming down the chimney at night, and every child deserves to dream and imagine anything.

When I was approached to review The Real Tooth Fairies, it brought me back to my own childhood.  I was excited to give my children and myself, the opportunity to share in the tooth fairy experience.

The idea came to life when a mother of two had her own daughters write letters to the “tooth fairy” and in doing so, taught her daughters about the lessons in life,  the act of kindness, and also living out their dreams.  My mother wasn’t that creative, but she had the same ideas in mind.

When we received the Keep Forever Books – Magical World of The Real Tooth Fairies and Twinkle Becomes a Real Tooth Fairy – and the Kindness Kit, my daughters went crazy over it.  Although they’re not at the tooth-losing age, both my 4 year old and my 1 year old, were excited for me to read the books to them.

The books are appropriate for older children (tooth-losing age) as they are longer and have more text, but my daughters still loved hearing the stories and looking at the beautiful illustrations.

By the end of reading the first book, my 4 year old was ready for me to yank all of her teeth out.  I had to explain to her that once her teeth were ready to come out (in about 2 years or so), they will start to become loose, and hopefully fall on their own. 

In the book, the fairies leave a special bracelet – which comes with the books and kit, and my daughter (the princess that she is) wanted to wear the bracelet immediately (now she has something to look forward to).  So if your kids are younger and you’re thinking about having your children enter the world of  The Real Tooth Fairies , be prepared to explain to your kids about the progression of losing their first tooth.

The Real Tooth Fairies also has an interactive website in conjunction with the storybook series.  Your child can pretty much create their own virtual tooth fairyland.  They can write to their own tooth fairy and get a response back (which are called Magic Letters).  Futhermore, they can be a part of many character building activities and also be rewarded for their kindness.  As a parent, you can be involved in everything your child does with the Parent Share Mail (a wonderful way to bond with your child).

I think this would make the best gift for any tooth-losing age girl and as a parent, you’ll fulfill all of your child’s tooth fairy wishes.  I think The Real Tooth Fairies is such a special way to teach your children to dream and be kind.  This is a must have for any girl in your life that is ready to lose her first tooth.

(Disclosure: The books and kit were provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the products.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Now that Christmas is over, what do you do with all the unwanted Christmas gifts your children received?

Every year my children receive gifts that they already have or gifts that don’t suit their age group.  When that happens, I go through my five options for unwanted gifts:

• Return – The simplest way to resolve the situation is returning the unwanted item.  Hopefully, your gift comes with a gift receipt.  Depending on the store or online merchant, return policies are very different and some charge restocking fees.

My children receive most of their gifts from Toys R Us and their return policy is pretty generous.  I’ve returned out of box items easily with a receipt.  You can always get a merchandise credit to use for any future items you want to purchase (it has no expiration date).

• Exchange – Most stores offer an exchange, as long as you didn’t use the product.  In some cases, even if you don’t have the receipt, they will allow an exchange.

Target is really great about allowing exchanges.  I’ve returned an item without a receipt and was able to exchange it for another item I wanted.  The only thing they require is a drivers license or State ID because it’s only allowed twice per calendar year (this helps monitor any person who may abuse their return/exchange policy).

• Donation – Many charities, children’s hospitals and shelters are in need of many things, especially children’s items.  If there is a gift that’s going to go unused and collect dust, donating is the most rewarding option.

You can make a tax-deductible donation to Goodwill or Salvation Army and they will resell it for a lower price to help support the many programs that they offer.  However, if you can find a charity or local children’s hospital where the toys and items will go to an individual for free, that will be even better.

Read the rest of the post at Savings.com.

Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself…
~Norman Wesley Brooks, “Let Every Day Be Christmas,” 1976

When I think of Christmas it brings up that special warm and loving feeling.  I think about my childhood where I would sit by the Christmas tree to wait for the clock to strike 12, so that I could rip through all my gifts.   And the memories of drinking warm apple cider on the porch of my uncle’s house staring at the icicles that looked like they would fall on top my head.

Now that I have kids, the traditions continue but in very different ways.  We live in a warmer climate, so no snowmans, snow angels, or sitting by the fireplace.  But everything else pretty much remains the same.  It’s such a happy time of year that fills me will memories that will last me my lifetime.

Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas!

Most of us know or have been told by our dentists to brush our teeth for approximately 2 minutes each time.  But do you know how long 2 minutes really is when your are brushing your teeth?

Unless you have one of those self-timing electronic toothbrushes or a timer, you really don’t know how long you are brushing your teeth.  And if you don’t brush your teeth for that amount of time, you are leaving bacteria, plaque, and all sorts of residue (invisible to the eye) on your teeth.

As adults, we can get impatient, but children who don’t want to brush their teeth, that amount of time can become grueling and torturous.  Meet your child’s new best friend, Twooth Timer.

We received the entire Twooth Time Kit and it was very informational and fun.  It came with the Twooth Timer which is a tooth shaped timer, a tooth brush, and The Ready-Set-Brush!™ Brushin’, Flossin’ Fun Book (educational and fun).

The first night we used it, my daughter had a blast.  She turned the tooth all the way around and watched the tooth move around slowly, as she brushed her tooth.  Let me tell you, I think that was the first night I actually brushed my own teeth for 2 minutes.  It was mind boggling how long the 2 minutes were (I think my gums were bleeding because it was not used to length of brushing).

Although long and tedious, the tooth brushing process was a lot more enjoyable watching the tooth go around and when it started buzzing, we felt like we accomplished so much.

After the whole tooth brushing process, I could actually feel my teeth, as in nothing was left on it.  Even my daughter said mommy, “My teeth are squeaky” (which I believe she meant squeaky-clean).

We have been using it every night and I can definitely say it’s been more enjoyable for my daughter and I.  Not only does my daughter have fun, at the end of it, we definitely have minty-fresh squeaky-clean teeth.

(Disclosure: The Twooth Time Kit was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the products.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

So you’ve decided to become your own homemade baby food chef. Where do you start and how do you do it? Obviously, there are no culinary schools dedicated to the art of baby food making (although, if there were, they would make a ton of money), but if you Google “homemade baby food”, approximately 413,000 results come up.

After looking through a couple sites, the idea of going to the store and picking up a couple jars sounds more appealing then trying to tackle the science of making baby food. At least that’s how I felt when I was contemplating on making my own baby food for my own child.

With the convenience of having baby food in almost every store, why would I go the extra length to create my own?  Here are my reasons:

• Saves money. From the cheapest jar of pea puree to the very expensive organic mashed salmon with DHA, they all cost way more than what it would have cost to make it at home (I would say triple or quadruple).
• Healthier. Not only is the homemade recipe more fresher, since you have executive control on what goes in, or shall I say, what doesn’t go in, the end product is the best custom baby food for your child. If your baby has any food allergies, you have the power to eliminate any unnecessary ingredients.
• Convenience. One would ask how that is possible? After spending the initial time in creating all sorts of baby food, you can freeze them. After freezing them, they are ready to go at any time (minus the thawing). With store bought baby food, you have to stock up constantly and if you run out, you have to make a store-run, even in a blizzard.
• Love. Just like cooking for your loved one on any special day of the year, it’s a bonding experience. Your time, effort, and love with be felt with every spoonful that goes in your baby’s belly. Nothing beats the experience.

In addition to buying ingredients and finding recipes, most parents want to know how and what to use to make baby food.

You can essentially make baby food with some water, pot, and a stove (or some sticks that make fire, boy scout style). Going old school is an option, but it does take a lot of time. Depending on your patience level, you could definitely go that route.

To read more, please visit the Savings.com Blog.

Have you often found yourself trying to find the perfect gift for that special person in your life?  Sometimes it’s more difficult than ever because they probably have everything you can think of.  After contemplation, you decide to get a gift card to the store of their choice.

How about changing things up this year and making a contribution on their behalf to an organization in need?  For me, holidays represent the time of giving.  Whether it’s donating a $20 bill to the local veteran in need (when I lived in Chicago, I would always donate money to the blind man that stood on the corner of Michigan Ave. and Ohio) or giving a monetary contribution to an organization that needs end-of-the-year donations, to stay afloat the following year,  it’s the perfect time to give back to society.

If you decide to donate money in lieu of buying gifts for your loved ones,  I have a couple organizations that would appreciate your holiday help.

The Fresh Air Fund – Gives thousands of  inner-city children the opportunity to spend the summer with volunteer host families and FUND camps.  They say that childhood memories are lasting ones that stay with you throughout your entire life.

If you want to be a part of changing one child’s life and giving them memories that will shape their future, making a contribution will help this not-for-profit agency continue to provide programs for these children.  If you are not able to make a donation, you can also contribute to this program by volunteering.

YMCA - The Y stands for so many positive things.  From their site, “ The Y is for everyone. Our programs, services and initiatives: enable kids to realize their potential, prepare teens for college, offer ways for families to have fun together, empower people to be healthier in spirit, mind and body, prepare people for employment, welcome and embrace newcomers and help foster a nationwide service ethic. And that’s just the beginning.” 

As a child, I remember taking my first swimming classe at the Leaning Tower YMCA in the suburbs of Chicago, and my child, took her first swimming class at the Y in Southern Calfornia.  They are about community, family, and making each individual be the best they can be.  For them to continue to offer programs to everyone, which means they do not turn away anyone for not having the ability to pay, yearly contributions from you and I, are the core of the Y’s ability to provide programs for everyone.

Save The Children – I have been supporting this organization ever since I was approached by a fundraiser in front of my local Whole Foods.  The contributions are used all around the world to save children from becoming mal-nutritioned, giving the opportunity of education, raising awareness about HIV/AIDS in countries that are heavily affected, and protecting children from abuse, neglect, violence, and exploitation.  Whether becoming a fundraiser or sponsoring a child, there are mutliple ways you can help this organization run throughout the world.

Give a gift of giving this year, and maybe we can change the world with one gift at a time.  Giving a gift of smile to that one child in NYC or even a child in Angola who has memories of losing their parents in the country’s civil war, is priceless.

Are you particular about the water you drink?  If you’re not, you should!  Since water makes up 60-70% of your body weight, you would want to make sure that the water you drink, is as pure as possible.

When I was pregnant with my first child, before I went and bought diapers and baby gear, we had a water filtration system installed in our home.  Both my husband and I felt that drinking clean water was a priority, right next to taking prenatal vitamins.

We were lucky to always have filtered water on hand, in our stainless steel bottles, but on long road trips, carrying loads of bottles was almost impossible and getting bottled water from the store got costly.

For people on the go, for those who don’t have a home filtration system, and those that go on long hiking, climbing, and road trips, Watergeeks has the perfect solution for you, Filtered Stainless Bottles.

The bottle is unlined and made of food-grade stainless steel.  It’s non-leaching and BPA free.  You have the option of choosing between 2 types of filters.  The Tap Filter – filters chlorine, bad taste, odor, lead and other potential tap water contaminants.  The Advanced Filter – filters tap water contaminants plus bacteria and other potential ground water contaminants.

My husband uses it for his long workouts.  He loves the convenience of going to the water fountain to fill up the bottle and feels good that all the stuff that he doesn’t want in his water is being excluded from going into his body.

At $24.99, it’s definitely worth the money (you save money in the long run) and a possible stocking stuffer for Christmas.

(Disclosure: The filtered stainless bottle was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the products.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

So who has never heard of YouTube?  Just like many of the other social media sites, although dedicated to the video medium, YouTube has gotten huge.

I have friends who sit and watch hours and hours of YouTube versus any TV show on Network TV.  To be honest, I am not much of a YouTube person.  Yes, I have a Youtube account and page, but I just don’t have the patience to watch hours of people cooking, doing make-up, making fun of themselves, making fun of others, and a lot of other things. 

I do see that it’s very resourceful for many things and maybe in the future, I may find a liking to it.

If there is one thing I do love about YouTube, it discovers a lot of talent that would have gone unnoticed.  I love when I come across the next little Michael Jackson, who sings from his little living room in Korea, and the next little Einstein doing theory, somewhere in small town Arkansas (these are all made up, however it may exist somewhere in the Youtube world).

So when I received an email today titled,” Top 10 Child Geniuses On YouTube,” of course I had to check it out.  Just like the title, if you want to be inspired and look at the stars of tomorrow, please take a moment to check this post out.