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Moms Need To Know Monday

Moms Need To Know

by Paula on March 26, 2012 · 0 comments

in Good Stuff,Moms Need To Know Monday,Not Books (But Really Good Anyway),Things We Adore,a day in the life

It’s probably one of the things I like most about having a television in our house.  Because, yes, I am one of those moms.  Sometimes I just wish I could shut out the whole world and not let all of the noise noise noise of reality touch our simple little lives.

I know that isn’t practical, and especially on days like today when Ariel was sick and stayed home from school to go to the doctor (allergies just rot, let me tell you!), television is a good thing.  She couldn’t focus on reading, her head hurt too badly, and didn’t feel up to even playing a DS game.  TV gave her something to do.  And as far as I was concerned, vegging out on the couch wasn’t a bad option since I knew her body just needed some down time.

So back to the good things about television.  The commercials.

No, I’m not kidding!

If it weren’t for commercials, how would you ever find out about great new products, fascinating new movies, or intriguing upcoming shows?

(oh, yes, maybe your favorite blogger might have some info about some of those things, eh?  But realistically, no one could do allll of those things!)

One of the things that we’ve spotted a lot of on tv lately is the upcoming Disneynature movie, Chimpanzee.  Ariel is about. to. die. over this movie.  She is quite an animal lover and is so excited she can barely sit still.  We’ve talked about the phenomenal work Jane Goodall has done throughout her life and while I don’t think Ariel will be following exactly in her footsteps, I certainly will be encouraging her to learn more about what Jane Goodall has done and to support her work.

I’m also quite pleased that Disney has involved its young stars in the program Disney Friends For Change, an ambassadorial group supporting community involvement and environmental protection.  For instance, A.N.T. Farm star China Anne McClain and her sisters Lauryn and Sierra wrote and performed “Rise,” the new anthem for Disney Friends For Change.  A portion of proceeds will benefit the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, contributing to charities that are working to protect the planet as well as conserve nature for future generations.  How much easier could it be to support a worthy charity than to buy a CD?  (remember “We Are The World“?  ;)   )

Interested in seeing the new “Rise” video? Here ya go!

Chimpanzee will debut in theaters nationwide April 20, Earth Day.  Become a fan of Disneynature on Facebook and stay up to date (and get tantalizing views of cute chimps!) on all things related to the movie.

See, I told you there were good things about television!!

Definitely, something Moms Need To Know!!

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Moms Need To Know Monday

by Paula on March 19, 2012 · 1 comment

in Good Stuff,Moms Need To Know Monday,Not Books (But Really Good Anyway),Things We Adore,a day in the life

Recognize these guys?

How about these guys?

Or these guys?

How about this album cover?

Yes, you’re right… they are all the same guys and yes, it is the same guys on the cover of the album.  And if you haven’t heard of them yet, you’re about to!

One Direction, the newest British import, is a favorite of tweens across the pond and will be here in the states too.  They landed in New York City in March to promote their first album, Up All Night , and were met by screaming mobs of tweens everywhere.  Oh, yes, it feels like a repeat of Beatles Mania!

Ariel and I, of course, had to buy the album and we loved it!  Good beats, great lyrics, hummable tunes, and cute guys making it all happen… what’s not to like, right???

Here are the deets about One Direction:

One Direction consists of Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, and Harry Styles.  They all auditioned for the UK version of X Factor as individual artists and didn’t make the cut.  But, as luck would have it, Simon Cowell and guest judge Nicole Scherzinger suggested that they create a group… and history was made.  They finished in the final three, collecting a large fan base as they competed.

They recently opened a few concerts for Big Time Rush and will be on Saturday Night Live April 7.

I know one tween who is excited about seeing them.  I’m betting we’ll be buying one of these {way overpriced} bracelets soon too.

Do you know any more?  :)

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If you didn’t already know about One Direction, now you do.  Just something I thought all moms of tweens needed to know.  ;)

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Moms Need To Know Monday

by Paula on March 12, 2012 · 0 comments

in Books,Good Stuff,Moms Need To Know Monday,Things We Adore,a day in the life,parenting

I think sometimes that we as moms forget some of who we were before we were moms.

Certainly, I think that being a mom is one of the best “jobs” I’ve ever had!  But sometimes I need to remember that some of my other jobs have been pretty interesting ones… and that I think it will benefit Ariel to know that part of her mom too.

One of my previous “jobs” was an English major in college.  I love love love beautifully turned phrases and well-written sentences that conjure up visions in my mind.

I’m vowing today to share more about my former jobs with Ariel… and with you.

Without further ado, one of my favorite poems by one of my favorite poets.

The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.


Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.


And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.


I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

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Moms, I think you need to know ….

that your kids need to know multiple sides of you.  Not just as their mom, but as a lover of poetry, a practitioner of yoga, a talented musician (or someone who plays a mean air guitar).  You are a wonderful person with many interesting attributes.  Share those with your children.  You might be surprised at what they share with you!

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Interested in more of Robert Frost’s poetry?  Here’s a great selection of his poems and here’s a complete anthology.  Just in case you’re craving more after reading that one poem!!

(photo credit)

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Moms Need To Know Monday

by Paula on March 5, 2012 · 0 comments

in Bloggy Friends,Good Stuff,Moms Need To Know Monday,Things We Adore,a day in the life,blogs we like

I <3 Pinterest. Well, truth be told, I am addicted to Pinterest!  I love having a place to “pin” my newest discoveries and being able to share them with my friends.  And I love following other (much more creative) minds and seeing their newest discoveries. I find so many neat crafts, so many delicious recipes, so many great parenting tips. I think Pinterest is one of my favorite new discoveries and I hope that most of my friends and readers will enjoy it too.

So I’m linking in to Type A Parent’s Pinterest Profile Linkup in the hopes that you will find more wonderful bloggers to follow.  And if you have a Pinterest account and want to link up, please join the fun!  If would like more “followers,” just link to your profile page in this format:

  • 1.  Link it to:  (this should be the link to your Pinterest profile in this format:  http://pinterest.com/YOURUSERNAME.
  • 2.  Caption or Title:  (this should be Your Name or Your Blog Name)
  • 3.  Optional email entry
  • 4.  This is where you can add your photo.  I’ve heard it’s working better to upload a photo from a file on your computer, so that might be your best option.  Then crop and save… and enter!

And then you’re done!

Don’t have a Pinterest account? Send me an email (thetweenandme (AT) gmail (DOT) com) with your email info and I’ll send you an invite. Easy peasy.

(Oh, and the names below are randomized, so each time you load it, it will look different.  That’s designed to give everyone a chance to be seen at the top.)

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Moms Need to Know Monday

by Paula on January 30, 2012 · 0 comments

in Moms Need To Know Monday,a day in the life,books to read

Okay, I’m watching some shows that I DVRed and finding out all kinds of great tips.  Suze Orman had a guest, Mary Pitman, who specializes in helping people find lost/missing money.  What a great idea!

Pitman has written a book, The Little Book of Missing Money:  A Quick and Easy Guide to Finding Money that is Rightfully Yours.  In it she claims to have great tips on how to find money that you didn’t even know you had!!  She also mentioned a few websites, MissingMoney.com and Unclaimed.org, that are goldmines for people looking for money they didn’t know they had!

I don’t know about you, but I can use all the financial help I can get right now!!  I’ll be checking out this book and these sites and will hopefully find some missing loot!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

(can you see the $$ in my eyes right now?!?!)

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Moms Need To Know Monday

by Paula on January 23, 2012 · 0 comments

in Moms Need To Know Monday,a day in the life

This is one of the greatest tips I’ve ever found.  And while I can’t claim it as mine, I have no idea where I read it.  And maybe I didn’t read it, maybe I did come up with it…. who knows?!?  And I guess it really doesn’t matter anyway…

The tip:

Stock up on extra game pieces at your local thrift store or yard sales.

Sounds simple, eh?

It is… and it makes sense!

If you’ve ever lost the dice from a game and had to “borrow” the dice from another game, if you’ve ever lost 1 checker from the game and had to make one from an old pop bottle cap, if you’ve ever lost the 4th green token from Sorry! and could only let three people play, if you’ve ever lost a few vowels from Scrabble, then you know what I’m talking about!!

Ordering replacement pieces from the game manufacturers is possible most of the time, but it’s expensive and wasteful.  Usually you get another entire set of pieces and have to pay shipping.  If you bought the game on sale (like me!) or received it as a gift, then you don’t usually want to spend a lot of money on replacement pieces.

I realized a few years ago that most of the time you can pick up board games at thrift stores and yard sales for a little bit of nothing, usually under $1.  I keep a mental list of our current (and desired) games and when I see one, I quickly check to see if it has most of its pieces.  If it does, I add it to our collection.  Since most game pieces are plastic, they are easily cleaned up by soaking in hot water and/or sprayed with disinfectant.

So now, in our recently purged game closet, I have a ready supply of extra dice, game tokens, checkers, and Scrabble pieces.  Just in case!

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(photo credits:  Scrabble pieces, Monopoly houses, dice and tokens)

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Taking the Challenge! RESULTS

by Paula on January 2, 2012 · 0 comments

in Good Stuff,Hair & Beauty,Moms Need To Know Monday,a day in the life,parenting

You might remember that Ariel and I took the Listerine Oral Care Challenge back at the beginning of December, trying to overcome some of the sticky, cavity-causing bad habits that often occur during the time between Halloween and Christmas.  Loads of candy, cookies, other sweets — and lots of special events (re:  sleepovers, parties, late nights, early mornings) —tried to derail us….but we persevered and managed to make it through the holidays with much cleaner teeth and some great oral care habits.

Surprised?  I was!  And I was delighted to make some great memories with Ariel at the same time.  We really enjoyed our morning and evening “teeth time” together.  Turns out Ariel keeps a copy of the newest American Girl catalog on her bathroom counter and browses while brushing!  Who knew?!?

So of course, I browsed and brushed too.  It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about which dolls and accessories Ariel really liked.  And which ones she didn’t.  (of course, I had already shopped for her Christmas gifts by this time, but this info might come in handy for other celebratory events!)  And we got to spend time together too.  Always a good thing.

Some other good things that came out of our Listerine Oral Care Challenge:  I was able to stress a few different techniques that I thought might make better oral care habits for Ariel; we both really liked the new toothbrushes that came with our Listerine Oral Care kits; and I loved the floss (I really liked the Reach Total Care Mint Floss).  Ariel still enjoys using flossers (not too agile with her fingers flossing yet) so she didn’t work with the floss.  Both of us tried the different rinses and found ones that we liked (She liked the taste of the kids’ Listerine Smart Rinse Mint Shield, even though the packaging made it look rather “boyish,” and I liked the Listerine Total Care Zero Fresh Mint).  The bad part for me was that I often don’t eat my dessert until after Ariel’s gone to bed, so brushing my teeth kind of interfered with that.  Ugh.  Nothing worse than biting into a great piece of fudge only to remember that I had already brushed my teeth.  I only had to make that mistake once. And there were a couple of times when Ariel was at her grandmother’s or I was out later than her bedtime and we didn’t get to have “teeth time” together.  But for the most part we really enjoyed the Listerine Oral Care Challenge and are planning to continue our brushing and browsing into the New Year.

Thanks, Listerine, for sponsoring this great adventure for us and for encouraging other families to do the same.  I would highly suggest all of you to participate and see where it takes your “teeth time”!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Listerine and received a sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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Taking the Challenge!

by Paula on December 5, 2011 · 1 comment

in Good Stuff,Hair & Beauty,Lookin' Good,Moms Need To Know Monday,a day in the life,parenting

Three weeks.  That’s how long professionals say it takes to make a new habit.

Ariel and I are determined to create better oral care habits.  We’ve enjoyed the spoils of Halloween and Thanksgiving and really want to have a fighting chance with preventing dental damage with even more sweets at Christmas.  Fudge, candy canes, taffy, date balls, chips and dips, soda, punch, hot cocoa—so many yummy food items to be tempted by, and yes, we will indulge.  To a reasonable extent.  But then we’ll take really good care of our teeth, so that they aren’t punished for all the treats we consume.

I have to admit, oral care has been one of our challenges through the years. Ariel’s had a couple of cavities in the last few years and we had to step up our preventative efforts. Toothbrushing twice a day wasn’t cutting it. We added flossing and rinsing at night before bed…thought we had a good plan…and we still had a couple of cavities this year. Ugh. So frustrating ….for both of us.

So when I had the chance to take the Listerine Oral Care Challenge, I jumped at the opportunity.  We’ve got to step it up a notch.  We can do better with taking care of both sets of our teeth–and we will!!

With this challenge, Ariel and I are committing to brush, floss, and rinse twice a day for three weeks.

It’s one of the easiest things to neglect, especially during the hustle and bustle of the holidays.  But this year, we’re not going to let that happen.  Starting tomorrow, we’re going to brush, floss, and rinse twice a day for the next three weeks.  Be sure to check in with us and see how we fared.  I hope we’ll be able to tell you that we can definitely tell a difference in our teeth and that we’ve formed habits that will last us the rest of our lives.  After all, we want our teeth to last that long!

Disclosure:
“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Listerine and received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Will you join us in the Listerine Oral Care Challenge?

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My Favorite Holiday Tradition

by Paula on December 5, 2011

in Books,Moms Need To Know Monday,Things We Adore,a day in the life,books to read

I love so many things about Christmas that it’s really, really hard for me to pinpoint just one. I love the tree, so beautifully decked out in our hodgepodge of ornaments, each with special meaning. I love the music that fills the house and puts joy in my heart. I love the holiday smells… peppermint, ginger, fresh oranges, nutmeg, cider, sugar cookies…. yummmm! I’m hungry now!!

But one thing that is so important to me is the sharing of Christmas books with my family. I’m a life-long reader, my mom instilled that love in me, and Ariel is too. We read together all the time and enjoy finding new authors to treasure.

But at Christmas, a lot of the regular books are set aside for reading our holiday favorites. I was given some of my old books from my mother…. and I’ve added new ones to those to make a grand new collection for Ariel. I know a lot of people edit out their books and read one a night. Not us. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten rid of any of our holiday books!! From the sweetest little board books, to the newest trade paperback, I’ve kept them all. And enjoyed them all. I keep all of our holiday books together and bring them out when we bring out our advent calendar. And then the fun begins! We will often sit down with a cup of warm beverage, hot cocoa, cider, or coffee (did you see my recipe for Chocolate Pecan Pie in a Mug? Perfect for this special reading time…. or any “morning moment”!) and read all afternoon! We’ll plow through book after book after book, enjoying and remembering some of our favorite friends. Our collection is over 100 books now… and I plan on adding more this year! Such a fun way for Ariel and me to bond, since shopping for the books is another great holiday tradition!! :)

Here are a few of our beloved books, just to tempt your literary tastebuds with some of our choices.

Favorites from my childhood collection of Christmas books:

Petunia’s Christmas by Roger Duvoisin–I knew every word by heart at the age of 3. Knew when my mom skipped a page (always inadvertently, I’m sure!), felt the pain and determination in Petunia’s heart, and made my younger brother listen to me “read” it to him over and over and over again. And now Ariel gets to enjoy it!

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A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz–what would the Christmas season be without that scraggly tree and the Peanuts Gang arguing over how commercialized this holiday has become? My copy is a little more than loved… my brother added a few artistic additions to the cover and some of the pages!

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Waiting for Santa Claus by Marcia Martin–a darling little book, an early reader, that cost just 39¢ when it was first new, always makes me smile when I see the cover.  Just a sweet, old-fashioned Christmas story.

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.How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss–yes, that classic is one of the tops in our stack!  We LOVE Dr. Seuss and this time-tested feel-good story is one of the best.  “Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”

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And the New Orleans influence on our collection:

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The Cajun Night Before Christmas by “Trosclair”–King Triton’s family hails from New Orleans and his Cajun-speaking grandfather read this beautifully illustrated volume on Christmas Eve. Now, KT is the family reader and it wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without listening for those Cajun gators (Gaston, Pierre, Celeste an’ Reneé) to bring St. Nicklus and his skiff full o’ toy to the children of the bayou and beyond.

Additions that came with the addition of Ariel:

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The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore–yes, this is the original story that so many of us grew up with… and ours, a gift from a friend when Ariel was born, is a perfect for small hands board book that has traveled with us on multiple family holiday escapades.

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Pooh: A Christmas Wish by Justine Korman–a small little Golden Book version of everyone’s favorite bear at Christmas time.

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Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect by Richard H. Schneider–a book that was highly recommended by a friend—and I’m so glad she did! We love this book and talk about it throughout the year. Yes, it’s that good. Great message.

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Peef The Christmas Bear and A Silent Night for Peef both by Tom Hegg–the story of a beloved bear that comes to live with a young child always gets a squeal of delight from Ariel—and the stuffed version of Peef gets a special place in her bed during the holidays. I think there’s another Peef story too, but we don’t own it. Maybe something else to shop for, eh?

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And our new books for this year:

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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens–oh, indeed, what would Christmas be like without this classic story of Scrooge and his ghostly friends? I know she knows the story from the various cartoon interpretations she’s seen, but I decided it was time to add the real deal to our reading this year.  And, I think she’ll really enjoy it!

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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson–of course, we’ve all seen the movie version–and maybe even the play–but I think Ariel and I will enjoy reading the short novel too. Such a great story!

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So now you know what will be happening in our household this holiday season! Between all the hustle and bustle of decorating and baking and shopping and wrapping and giving, we’ll be taking some laid-back literary leave (with some sort of luxurious– non-alcoholic, of course– libations) and rejoicing in the telling and telling of some of our favorite stories.

And that, my friends, is my favorite holiday tradition!

Sweet!! Tell International Delight what your favorite holiday tradition is for a chance to win a $200 Target gift card from BlogFrog. Imagine the books I could buy with that!! And what you could buy if you win!! :)

Don’t forget to add some cheer to your coffee or baking this season with International Delight’s holiday flavors. Enjoy the taste of Peppermint Mocha, Pumpkin Pie Spice, White Chocolate Raspberry, Vanilla Spiced Rum or Gingerbread Latte and stir up a moment of sweet inspiration. (and don’t forget your favorite holiday book to curl up with!!)

TellTeTeTell International Delight what your favorite holiday treat is for a chance to win a $200 Walmart Gift Card.
Capture the flavors of the holiday’s in every cup of coffee with International Delight creamers. Available in a variety of flavors, such as Cinnabon, Almond Joy and Pumpkin Spice, International Delight can make everyday feel like a holiday.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the International Delight Brand.

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Moms Need To Know Monday: Share-It-Forward!

by Paula on November 14, 2011 · 2 comments

in Moms Need To Know Monday,a day in the life,parenting

The facts of life.

Oh, yes, that discussion.

Well, maybe not THAT discussion, but definitely one of the discussions that you will have with your tween daughter (if you haven’t already).  It’s important to give her lots of good, strong facts, access to quality healthcare, and suitable products that will make the transition from girl to woman just a bit easier.

And here’s another fact of life…. one I wasn’t even completely aware of until recently.

Many girls around the world simply don’t have access to the everyday conveniences we often take for granted, including our feminine supplies.

Imagine if your daughter got her period and…

…..Didn’t have access to sanitary feminine products?

…..Didn’t have access to appropriate healthcare?

…..Was embarrassed by or in pain from menstruation –enough to skip school during her monthly cycle, missing up to a week each month?

For many young women around the world, this is an all too familiar scenario.

Without affordable sanitary protection, many girls are forced to resort to dangerous alternatives or to avoid school during “that time”—and ultimately many of them, sadly, abandon school completely, thereby increasing their susceptibility to poverty and disease, including HIV.

Enter Huru International, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources and knowledge to at-risk young girls in developing countries.  Armed with information and resources, these girls will be able to safeguard their health and complete their education.

THAT sounds like the kind of organization I want to support!!

And so does the o.b. Brand!

They’ve created the Share-It-Forward Facebook campaign…. and are making it super-easy for you to support Huru International too!  AND… it’s FREE to you!  (my kind of deal!)

The o.b. Brand is making a minimum donation of $10,000 to Huru International AND will add another $1 per Facebook Fan that shares this message on Facebook—up to $25,000!  That’s enough for 1,000 kits!!

I’m so glad that I had the chance to learn more about Huru International, thanks to o.b. Brand, and thrilled that I could share it with Ariel–and with all of you.  Life is tough as a tween sometimes, but knowing that we are all working together to make the world a better place (and certainly making this specific part of a girl’s life more bearable is important!) is good for tweens to know about and for them to know that big corporations as well as individuals can all make contributions.

Won’t you please go over to the mighty. small.™ movement Facebook page, click on the o.b. Outreach Tab, and share this message about Huru International’s mission?

Unfortunately, donations are not valid for consumers living in Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts, and South Carolina. Why? I don’t know.  But even if my “like” doesn’t add to the final amount, I can still encourage all my family, friends, and fans to participate.  I know a lot of you DON’T live in Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts, and South Carolina!!  So NO EXCUSES!!


“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of o.b. and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”


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