mamachallenge | Real Solutions for Real Parents | Dallas Blog

Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

5 Tips to Not Gaining 5 Pounds During the Holidays

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One of my biggest “mama challenges” is my weight. 

So much so I wait to buy my Halloween candy until the day before because I know I’ll begin trick or treating a little early…That kicks off the weight-gain season and last until Jan. 2, when I vow not to ever eat anything unhealthy ever again…ha. (If you’ve ever taken a look at my Foodspotting shots or my Pinterest Food Board, you know that food, especially the unhealthy stuff, is my downfall.)

Actually not that I don’t know what it is healthy; it’s my control issues that get in the way. I always feel like if I don’t “partake” them I’m missing out. But I’m learning that the only things I am really “missing out” from are wearing the cute clothes I have tucked away in my closet that I wore before I had kids and the years I’d add to my life if I was healthier.
Since the official “party” season has already hit – with my October birthday, Halloween, a trip to Napa and soon Thankgiving, Christmas (and all the stuff in between), I’ve decided to make a plan on how I can try to celebrate WITHOUT packing on the extra weight.  So I’ve enlisted a professional expert to get me moving in the right direction: Susan Albers, Psy.D, author of Eating Mindfully.


Whether you’re throwing a girl get-together or a formal holiday soiree, you can help yourself and your friends eat more mindfully.
Here are some sneaky tips to help your guests avoid eating too much by DO THIS – NOT THAT! Hopefully this might make the holidays something I can really enjoy and not dread after the festivities are over!
Do This!
Not That
Turn the lights down low and play soft music
Fast paced music and bright lights.  
A study by a researcher out of Cornell found that people who ate in a fine dining like setting ate less on average 775.3 calories (vs 942.2 calories) than when listening to fast music.  In this atmosphere, people talk more and eat slower.
Red Plates
White plates

A study in the journal of Appetite found that people eat less on red plates compared to white or blue.  Whether it is a plate or sign, we think stop when we see red!
Food you Eat with Forks
Appetizers
According to the “Pistachio Effect,” food that you can easily pop in your mouth such as appetizers leads to overeating.  Eating slowly with a fork can save you a minimum of 100 calories.
Get out your tall, thin drinking glasses
Short, fat drinking glasses
Hide your short glasses!  Drinking alcohol can lead to overeating.  A tall glass creates an optical illusion that you are drinking more than a short wide cup—even though they are exactly the same amount according to research by Dr. Brain Wansink.
Keep the party food in a different room than socializing or place the buffet against the wall
A food buffet in the middle of the room.

Research indicates that where you place food matters.  
You can save 200 plus calories by moving food off to the side of the room.
So now the challenge begins!

“Eatin’ Good in our Neighborhood” with Healthy Snack Food and TV Dinners (FOR KIDS!)

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Food Fridays: 


While there are several boxes of take out around my house at any given time…I’m happy to report this time the boxes were full of healthy food that was made specifically when my little babe in mind. Thankfully, Bitsy’s Brainfood and Sprout both had mom on the brain because not only was the food good for you, but it was easy to prepare and taste good too. So rather than focus on some of the great places to eat in DFW this week, I’m focusing on the boxed food that made Taylor Rose a happy camper.
Bitsy’s Brainfood
If I ate the number of carbs my one-year-old consumed in any given day…we’ll it would be much worse than it is right now. My little carb queen loves her crackers, cookies and of course, goldfish. Now if I could just get her to eat broccoli, carrots and peas like that, she’d be the healthiest baby in town. Thankfully, someone else thought the same thing and created the magic which is Bitsy’s Brainfood. With letter-shaped snacks (think animal crackers), colorful packaging, cool stickers and characters to spark imagination, Bitsy’s Brainfood makes learning fun and teaches children to crave the right foods.


Bitsy’s Brainfood features:
  • Made with organic ingredients and all natural fruits and veggies
  • Excellent source of iron, calcium, vitamins A, B 12, D 3 and Folic Acid
  • Made with Omega 3 DHA
  • No preservatives, trans fats, artificial colors or flavors
  • Available in Zucchini Gingerbread Carrot, Sweet Potato Oatmeal Raisin, Orange Chocolate Beet and Lemon Broccoli

While I’ll admit the colors were a little different since they were made from natural ingredients and not artificial colors, the Zucchini Gingerbread Carrot crackers were delicious!
Bitsy’s Brainfood are available for under $3 online at amazon.com, freshdirect.comand bitsysbrainfood.com

The other God-sent, kid-focused healthy quick food we discovered was Sprout Toddler foods. In a nutshell, think TV dinners for kids…but wait, you thought they already had those? They do, but if you look past the fun packaging and take a second to look at the nutritional facts, the calories, fat and SODIUM shouldn’t be consumed by anyone, much less, your todds.
Sprout Toddler Mealsare healthy with all natural ingredients, made to help put parents at ease during mealtime knowing they are feeding their children something that is good for them. And even better, with options like Vegetable Risotto with Quinoa and Parmesan, your kids are learning to eat more than chicken nuggets and mac and cheese! Actually my little girl ate better meals than we did with her Sprout meals.
Overwhelmed by how good the food tasted and the variety available, I went to researching and found that Father and Food Network Star Chef Tyler Florence co-created Sprout baby food.  Even better he didn’t create it because a big company wanted to use his likeness, but after watching a friend force some horrible baby food down her poor kid’s mouth, he knew there had to be a better way. So he and the friend joined up and created Sprout.
It’s so nice that I actually have new options for healthy food my kids like and we can expand past Garden Burgers and carrots! 

DISCLAIMER:
I received one or more of the mentioned products for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensating was given and all opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. (Accordance with FTC’s 16 CFR Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

To-Do This Weekend: Treat Your Senses

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To-do Thursdays:


This weekend is all about preparation for fall…with Halloween next week, my 21st birthday (tee-hee) and a little chill actually roiling into Dallas/Fort Worth, I need a little time to get things in line. 

So with the exception of all the fun things I need to catch up on like laundry, dishes and holiday planning (I did say that), I’m planning on keeping the calendar light — well, kinda.

Here are a few events I’m planning on for this weekend:
Face Logic Spa, one of my favorite local spas owned by local mom Faryn Clark, is holding their annual Image Peel Event with an opportunity to see the future of your skin, Oct. 26 – 28. While I’d like to think my skin isn’t beginning to age, I can’t ignore the things I can see and even worse, the things I can’t see — YET.

The experience includes a special introduction to the Woods Lamp, which utilizes an ultra violet light to reveal color changes and areas of hyperpigmentation (age spots/sun damage) below the skin’s surface so they can prevent those imperfections before they are visible. 



A peek into the future is $25 and includes a Wood’s Lamp session and an aesthetician’s analysis of what it reveals. Consultation also includes a 20 minute Image Vitamin C or Orodemic Peel ($59 value) + a $25 gift card for any Image retail product -to use that same day, cocktails and a pass into the Peel Event reception. 

Annual Image Peel Event 
Facelogic Spa Highland Park
October 26th-28th
Reception – October 27th, 1 pm – 6 pm, featuring Jena Sorenson, LME 
Raffle, goody bags and more than $800 in giveaways
4518 Lovers Lane
214.696.3223

Making Sick Time a Little More ‘Hoppy’

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Wow Mom Wednesdays:

I received one of those dreaded calls today every parent hates to hear: “Your kid is sick. Come pick him up.”

And when I finally cut through traffic and bolted to his school, I found my little boy pail, sad and pretty dang pathetic (which I witnessed the level of his patheticness each time he hurled into the garbage…which was a score as a mother within itself rather than to land all over me…but I digress.)

He didn’t want food, toys or cartoons, so I knew it was the real deal. So had to do something to make him happy or at least break a smile as I nursed him back to health.

Thankfully, for Angry Birds bandages (which I picked up at Wal-mart this week on a whim) and a softy and fuzzy frog ice pack I was given from Mommy’s Kisses, I was able to “doctor” him up while his tummy sorted itself out. While it is sad to watch your kiddo be sick (I have LOTS of experience with this), it’s the little things like my mom used to do (serving me a grilled cheese with Ramen noodles and a Sprite in bed) that make it bearable – for both of you.  



Do you do something special for your kids while they are sick to make them feel a little better?

DISCLAIMER:
I received one or more of the mentioned products for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensating was given and all opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. (Accordance with FTC’s 16 CFR Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Better Way to Bathe Your Baby

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Don’t you just love the smell of baby lotion? There’s something about that little pink bottle and massaging it all over my little ones that reminds me how innocent, sweet and soft they are. For a brief moment I forget how bad their diaper wreaked throughout the house and how the mere scent of “baby” is almost enough to get one thinking about popping out another bundle of joy…almost.


Anyhow, I’ve never questioned my go-to baby bath products. They’ve have been old reliables for my two kids and many, many families before us have used them (their campaign even refers to them as “ the classics.”) However, while the scent is amazing and it has proven to me time and time again that it won’t sting my kiddos eyes when mom  accidently lets it, when you turn over the bottle to the list of ingredients, there’s a lot of things I don’t know how to say and certainly don’t know how to read. And since unfortunately, I’ve decided to be more cognizant of what I’m putting in and on our skin, it made me wonder, “what the heck is in here?”
When I went online I couldn’t even find a breakdown of the ingredients, but I did find a full breakdown of all the reasons that the product is “safe.” While I expect safe from my baby products, I really want to find something that not only smells good, but is organic, natural and doesn’t use anything artificial. And baby, did I find some really good smelling stuff with Dolphin Organics.
Photo courtesy of Dolphinorganics.com
The line recently rolled out their new Norfolk Lavender™ Shampoo Body Wash, Bubble Bath and Lotion line and it smells simply heavenly (have you picked up on the fact that olfaction is important to me?) When I turned off the bottle, the coconut and sunflower oil-based formula was nothing but impressive. Not only were the ingredients listed (and understandable), but the label had broken down what was organic, natural and artificial (note nothing was listed in the artificial column.) Additionally, it was tear-free like my “old standby,” and because lavender has naturally calming effects, it helped to soothe my baby (which is nothing but a happy thing in my world.) One thing I did learn Dolphin Organics products is that its Shampoo/Body Wash is based in organic aloe leaf juice, which has excellent healing properties, so it is perfect for the most delicate skin (which is important to us since both my kids have dry skin.)
Photo courtesy of Dolphinorganics.com
Unfortunately, Dolphin Organics products are a little harder to get in Texas at this time, but thanks to the Internet you can have these large-sized bottles sent to your home directly from their website. I’d suggest getting the whole line, so you can really appreciate the benefits of lavender aromatherapy while you get in the kids clean. (That’s mom multitasking!)
DISCLAIMER:
I received one or more of the mentioned products for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensating was given and all opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. (Accordance with FTC’s 16 CFR Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

Tailgating Tips For Not Adding Weight to Your Tail

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I’m not much of a football watcher…even though I live REALLY close to Jerry’s World (Dallas Cowboys Stadium.) However, I do like getting together with friends and enjoying the fun that football watching brings like snacking in front of the TV or even better, outside the stadium. But since I’m trying to treat my “Dunlap’s Disease” (you know when your stomach has done lapped over your pants), here’s a few tips to help keep your tail from expanding.

Consider bringing this quick, easy and healthy Corn Dip from DairyMax.org that taste as good as the big-calorie options without all the bad stuff.

1. Don’t be a meathead – You might think that choosing turkey burgers is an easy touchdown but they can actually be as fatty as beef! Learn about the leanest cuts of meat for tasty, healthy meals.

2. Never go for 2 – try to keep consumption down by eating slowly. And remember, there will be even more temptation at the stadium concession stand, so try to set limits and stick to them.

3. Grab a buddy – make a pact with another friend at the game to help watch what you eat, making healthy choices is easier when you have support.


4. Grab a Bud (Lite) – stock the cooler with low-calorie alcoholic drinks. You can still party with everyone else, but punt the extra carbs.

5. Get baked – chips are a tailgate necessity, but go with baked varieties to cut down the calories and learn what other snacks are a must.

6. Walk home – ok, so that might not be possible, but try to burn some calories before sitting in the stands with these activities as the weather gets cooler.


Thanks to Rachel Berman, the Director of Nutrition for CalorieCount.com—a free online service that provides diet and nutrition information to more than 4.5 million international members—for these suggestions for tailgaters who are either health-conscious or trying to be. 

Are you ready for the challenge?

Always Know Where “Kids Can Eat Free” with Free New App

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I try to always give readers a heads up on where they can score free food — especially when you are paying for kids to eat, too. Worst off, when you are trying to eat healthy it can go to the wayside if you have to take out the whole family. (I mean how can you compete with a Little Ceasar’s Pizza at $5 for a large pepperoni!) That’s why one of the most heavily downloaded lists is that of all the “kids eat free” restaurants in DFW. But keeping up that list and printing it out to put on the refrigerator may be a thing of the past with a new free website and app.


Jennifer Bilbro, a busy mom tired of overpaying for kids’ meals, founded Out to Eat With Kids, an online database featuring local restaurants with economical and healthy kids’ meals. At OuttoEatWithKids.com, parents can search by zip code and day of the week to find a selection of FREE or reduced-price kids’ meals at local restaurants. Parents can also access this incredible resource for meals on-the-go by using its free mobile app. (This is what I use.)
Out to Eat With Kids features more than 15,000 restaurants nationwide and is constantly being updated with new deals. Plus, Out to Eat With Kids is working with the National Restaurant Association to promote healthy children’s menu options that meet nutritional standards through its Kids LiveWell program and features a special logo next to qualifying restaurants.

I found around 15 Kids Eat Free specials in DFW on the app, so it’s off to a great start. And hopefully so are we to saving a little money!  

SOS: Save Our Skin with New Rubdown on Sunscreen

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Disclaimer: I was provided Banana Boat Sunscreen products for purposes of this review. However, all views expressed are all my own.

In Texas when you expect to reach 100-degree temps for most of the summer, you should know the importance of sunscreen. Now that I’m not as young as I used to be (and as dumb either when I baked in the sun using Crisco oil as sunscreen), I really appreciate the concept that “be nice to your skin and it will be nice to you.” Worst of all with the new ranking of #9 Worst City for Skin in the U.S. by Daily Glow online and two kids with almost translucent skin, sunscreen is a must.

 
However, while buying my new sunscreen supply for this year, I started hearing new standards for sunscreen …and there were several new guidelines to understand.
 
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Thankfully trusty MyFoxDFW reporter “Save Me Steve” Noviello channeled my questions and put together a great segment that helped me try to breakdown what I should and not be looking for on my sunscreen.
 
WHAT I FOUND
Now a little more educated on what to look for in my sunscreen, I came across two new products from Banana Boat that caught my eye – one for being natural and the other for not making me feel gross as soon as I put it on.
Banana Boat® Natural Reflect™ sunscreen lotion– An all-natural sun protection line that deflects UVA and UVB rays without the use of harsh chemical sunscreens, new Banana Boat® Natural Reflect™ products are water resistant, oxybenzone- and paraben-free and are 100 % naturally-sourced mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide. Banana Boat® Natural Reflect™ sunscreen lotions are available for adults in SPF 50+, and in Tear-Free, Sting-Free SPF 50+ lotions for kids and babies.
 
Banana Boat® Sport Performance® Cool Zone™ Continuous Spray Sunscreen – Available in SPF 30 and 50+, Banana Boat® Sport Performance® Cool Zone™ Continuous Spray Sunscreen provides active UVA and UVB protection that instantly cools skin on contact, for a clean, refreshing feeling. The line also includes the Banana Boat® Cool Zone™ After Sun Aloe Gel to provide cooling burn relief to refresh skin after a day in the sun.
 
WHAT TO DO
Every morning along with breakfast, dressing and teeth brushing, I have to coat my kiddo in sunscreen for the day. While he needs several coats of sunscreen before the end of the day, this is all I can do since the school cannot apply sunscreen. 
 
Really???
 
Since the FDA classified sunscreen as at an over-the-counter medicine, most schools don’t allow them – including my son’s school.
 
So I was SUPER excited when I discovered my favorite sunscreen multitasking serum from Supergoop! has initiated a campaign called Project Backpack to help get kids protected from the sun. Project Backpack™ serves as a vehicle to influence change in local and state policies, allowing the use of sunscreen on school campuses, while simultaneously providing sunscreen to schools across the United States.
 
Bet you haven’t ever thought about your sunscreen that much?!? Just make sure now with all this info, read the labels, throw out the old stuff, know what you’re getting and how often to reapply!
 

Happy Summer Adventures in the Sun!


How to Get Your H20

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It’s free.


It’s readily available.


It’s fat free, calorie free and absolutely necessary for good health.


But no matter how many reasons and times I read it and hear it, I just can’t make myself drink the amount I should.


Yep, it’s water.


I’ve tried many ways including using a big jug (you know the one that looks like a Sparkletts’ jug, chugged water before each meal and my favorite method that worked for my grandmother – putting rubber bands around my water bottle to keep up with the number of times that I had filled it up throughout the day…but somehow I always end up at the end of the day counting up like 2 whole glasses of water – if that.


Since none of the personal tips were working for me, I decided to go to the source. Understand – I actually like the taste of water, but there’s just some issue with me drinking it. I love lemonade, tea and ironically I normally order water with lemon when I dine out , but for some reason I have to do a little something to the “home” supply to liven in up. Once I started to investigate, I realized there were actually a lot of options AND none of them required me to add sugar. Actually many of them added a lot of good stuff like vitamins and lose weight. 


So this mama was on to her next challenge, “what’s the best H20 Helper?”


Skinny Girl Daily Vitamin Power Packets

I already love me some Bethenny Frankel and my Skinny Girl Margaritas, so I figured that in the spirit of a little foul-mouthed love, I’d love me some Skinny Girl Daily water enhancers. Designed to fix the things that women want most like ENERGY, CALMNESS and healthy HAIR AND NAILS, it seemed like a marriage in heaven for me. I’ll admit, I didn’t consume so many of these that I started to look and feel like a Barbie, but the flavor tasted good and made water a little easier to take down. And maybe since it was well branded with a certain “Skinny Girl” it made me think I was doing something positive – which I was since its sweetened with agave and chock full of vitamins and nutrients (beyond your basics daily vitamins and the enhancers included in my roundup). Unfortunately, these aren’t sitting in my grocery store, so going online or a specialty drug store is necessary to get your dose of SG daily. However, you can get a multipack as well as a variety pack of all the Skinny Girl products…(more than you ever thought possible.)



Crystal Light Energy Packets

If I actually consumed the amount of coffee that I needed to really give me energy, I’m sure I’d be hooked up to a java IV. Since my body can’t take that much caffeine, I have to look for other ways to keep me going to get everything done that is necessary every day. With the words “energy” across the packaging and my favorite flavor of “wild strawberry,” I had to throw this one in the basket for a try. And it was good. Good enough I bought this was twice to keep in my bag in case I was out and needed a little “something.” Again, I don’t know how much energy it gave me or if my brain was just happy to make me thing so, but at only a few dollars for a box and only five calories – it’s a good keeper to have on hand when you want Kool-Aid, but need something that won’t make you look like the Kool-Aid Man.


Mio Liquid Enhancer

I was intrigued when I heard about the little “Mio,” so I looked for this one at the store and instantly brought it home to try. The thought of something that was not a powder, but a liquid that I could put it my drink only a squirt at a time was super. Especially since I always forget to take that first drink off my water bottle and make a mess when I used the powders. A MiO is sweetened with sucralose, a calorie-free, artificial sweetener that is 600 times sweeter than sugar. To maintain color and freshness, MiO does use certain preservatives and artificial colorings. While I’m a little leery of the artificially coloring in my white kitchen, the color of the “sweet tea” (which I have yet to try), does make it a little more believable that it could substitute my favorite southern beverage.


So what was the best? While I think the Skinny Girl Dailys were my favorite for getting lots of healthy benefits including drinking my water, the Crystal Lights are always on sale and readily available. I’ve got a cabinet full of them including my favorite drink option when I was pregnant their mocktail line. (It was the only way I got my mojito fix for nine months and coincidentally was the healthiest I’ve been in years.)


Hope one of these gives you a little H20 help.


Disclaimer: I received complimentary Skinny Girl Daily packets for purposes of this review. However, the opinions stated are all my own. 

Get a picture-perfect smile!

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There’s a month designated for everything nowadays, but this month was new one for me… May is National Smile Month! And considering I’m always working to make my coffee and wine tinted teeth look like they belong on the front page of a celebrity magazine at home WITHOUT SPENDING MUCH MONEY. So when I got a few tips from a dentist to make my teeth look great without a treatment or service, I was excited to share these with you. But after I did a little more research on this dentist office, I found out this was no normal dentist and it’s possible to get those pearly whites – looking a lot more white at home with a home kit!
First, because I can’t keep a secret, I had to share the juicy stuff. After a little Googling I discovered this dentist was in CHICAGO…so immediately, I started to delete her info since I wouldn’t be traveling out of state just to do a crown. However, it was the words “SPA” in Mitchell Dental Spa that really peaked my interest. While you get your dentistry, you can get a facial, massage or botox while you are laying horizontal in the chair waiting for your cavity to get filled. BRILLIANT! So the question remains, when are these guys coming to DFW? 
Second, the free way to get your teeth picture-perfect for National Smile Month, check out these great tips: 
A great smile can go a long way when it comes to making a first impression. White, bright teeth and a wide smile convey an air of confidence that is important in any situation, from a job interview to a first date. Teeth whitening procedures are certainly effective, but small daily steps can also be helpful and less expensive.  
1.) WEAR LIPSTICKS THAT CONTAIN A HINT OF BLUE—Blue tones around the mouth can make teeth appear whiter, so when shopping for new makeup, consider red lipstick with blue undertones.  These will make your smile appear brighter by offsetting any yellow coloration in the teeth.  Coral and orange based lipsticks can make the teeth appear more yellow, so avoid these if you are self-conscious about your pearly whites.
2.) SNACK ON CRUNCHY FRUITS AND VEGGIES –Mildly abrasive fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots or celery not only provide the body with essential nutrients, but also act as a natural toothbrush by gently scrubbing off small bits of plaque that have gathered on the teeth and gums.
3.) SWISH WITH WATER AFTER DRINKING TEA OR COFFEE—Coffee, tea and other dark liquids can stain the teeth and leave them looking dingy. To prevent discoloration, simply swish water around in your mouth immediately after consuming a staining liquid.
4.) CHEW SUGARLESS GUM CONTAINING XYLITOL—Xylitol, a naturally occurring sugar substitute, has been added to many sugar-free gums as a sweetening agent, but it also has healthful properties. Chewing a gum containing xylitol, such as Trident, has been shown to reduce the levels of harmful oral bacteria, reducing the likelihood of developing cavities.
5.) BRUSH TEETH BEFORE GOING FOR A RUN—Running dries out the mouth and any plaque that already exists on the gumline will tend to dry out and calcify, resulting in discoloration and even gum disease. A quick brush before leaving for a run can help solve this problem.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST: 
While I have tried some reasonably good teeth whitening systems at home, it always seems after I wear the trays or gel on my teeth for an hour, the next morning when I turn on my friend Keurig that it seems like I just wasted the treatment from the night before. So when the IntelliWHITE Pro Whitening Kit system appeared on my doorstep, I figured it would end up in the drawer with the other products. But in addition to the bumpers that keep you from getting the ointment on your tongue this kit gives you an eraser pen to use after your coffee, wine and any other foods that stain your teeth. And best of all, the actual IntelliWHITE Pro Whitening Kit (retailing online for $70 for two packages – buy one, get one free) seems to work well and I give it a pretty good challenge!

 No matter what, remember the best way to celebrate Smile Month is to SMILE! Besides, it increases your face value.

Looking for a better way for a picture-perfect celebrity smile? May is SMILE MONTH so make sure you give those teeth a little extra love!


DISCLAIMER: I received IntelliWHITE Pro Whitening Kit for consideration of a review. However, all the comments listed here are my own. 

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