This past weekend was a busy one! Friday evening was the Balloon Glow in Forest Park, Saturday was booked to the gills with dress fittings for us bridesmaids, parties galore, but by far, the Trash Cancer party I hosted was the highlight of my weekend!
I registered to host the party through Partique and received tons of great tips on planning, recipes, and a box packed with everything I needed to learn more about trashing cancer & share it with great friends!
The neat thing about hosting parties through Partique is that they are national parties, meaning everyone host the same event on the same day allowing online interaction while you are hosting. It's a great way to incorporate instant discussions with any questions you or your guest may have about the event.
Trash Cancer parties were held across the states to help educate and bring to light some little known facts about cancer causing chemicals we expose ourselves to on a daily basis. The event was organized by the Cancer Schmancer Movement, created by Fran Drescher, to help educate the public, teach ways to prevent and also enforce the importance of early detection. I highly recommend reading Fran Drescher's personal story if you are unfamiliar with it, it truly is inspiring!
The hostess box contained 10 guest bags packed with information, samples, and a water bottle. The hostess information contained an excellent outline on what topics to discuss, games, recipes, and instructions on how to make your own non toxic cleansers.
I recently received an opportunity to review a few products from TheraBreath, a company whom makes products aimed specifically at helping consumers who are dealing with bad breath. For the past five years I have been dealing with morning breath and dry mouth, but have never asked or shopped around out of embarrassment. I was thrilled to review the mouthwash, toothpaste, and lozenges.
The products arrived quickly and included information about the causes and culprits of bad breath which I found very intriguing. Also, all of their products are all natural! In addition to bad breath, I learned that TheraBreath products actually do much more in assisting with maintaining oral health by preventing other problems such as canker sores, also known as mouth ulcers. If you suffer from these, I highly recommend reading more here: http://www.therabreath.com/cankersores/
I began using the products that night following the same routine for the last 7 days;
Brushing my teeth, roof of my mouth, tongue, and inside of my cheeks using the TheraBreath toothpaste. Followed my soaking my dental floss in TheraBreath mouthwash for 60 seconds, flossing, and then rinsing with the mouthwash.
In between, I used the TheraBreath Mouth Wetting Lozenges. These come individually wrapped making them super convenient for us busy mummies or anyone looking o freshen up their breath while out and about.
Over the last week I have noticed several changes beginning with the first use of the TheraBreath products. First, the mouthwash, being 100% alcohol free, offers a much easier rinsing than those that do contain alcohol and have a stinging sensation. I worried that because I didn't feel anything, that it wasn't doing it's job. I finished the above routine (instructions are included in the box of mouthwash) and crawled into bed.
The next morning, I wake up and head straight to the bathroom to brush my teeth, by habit. I have suffered from morning breath for years and honestly just assumed everyone else did too! I started to pull my hair back, splash water on my face, and then it hits me, my mouth wasn't as dry as normal. I also didn't have that awkward bad taste that always comes along with dry mouth in the morning. Impressive...
The next 7 days really flew by, I noticed slight changes in taste which are no longer occurring, no more morning breath or dry mouth, and the lozenges helped after eating to give me that fresh breath feeling. The color of my tongue also has improved to a healthier pink! I also noticed my teeth were whiter than a week ago which is not a claim made by the company, but hey - works for me!!
Overall, the products work exactly the way they are supposed to and I will continue to use these products from now on. I was very surprised at how easy the whole process was and not having to rush to freshen up my breath before everyone else wakes up has really made my morning more enjoyable. My oral health is very important to me and one of my favorite things about TheraBreath is all of the information made available to you for FREE! I have learned so much during this review, it really has been eye opening. The "The Bad Breath Bible" is a must read and available on their website via a FREE download! Now I just wish I would've tried TheraBreath sooner!
I highly recommend checking out the TheraBreath website http://www.therabreath.com to learn more about their awesome line of products and some surprising facts about oral health. TheraBreath products are available at Walgreens and Walmart, but they also offer online ordering with FREE shipping which I love! It allows you to be discreet and have your products shipped directly to your door. They even offer a 100% guarantee, which they discuss fully on their website. To me, that says it all.
Giveaway Details:
Want to try TheraBreath for yourself? Well, here's your chance! You can receive multiple entries by doing one or all of the following;
1. Like our fan page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thrifty-StL-Mummy/232365660128945
2. Follow our blog.
3. Like TheraBreath's fan page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/TheraBreath/55305439087
4. Follow Thrifty StL Mummy on Twitter: @thriftystlmummy
5. Follow TheraBreath on Twitter: @therabreath
Once you have done one or all of the above, please send us a message or comment so we can verify and give you the proper amount of entries into the giveaway! Products included in this giveaway are the TheraBreath Toothpaste and TheraBreath Oral Rinse, products will be sent directly to you from TheraBreath!
Eating healthier is a concern we all have or should have, and for me, the hardest part is making healthy choices while on the run. I try to keep a goodie bag of mixed nuts or raisins in my purse, but very seldom do I remember to CHECK my goodie bag before running out the door.
Then there is the granola bars, protein bars, all kinds of 'bars'. How do you choose? Well, I saw a Khashi ad and have heard all kinds of things about there products. We even discussed Khashi products at the gym one evening. So, I requested a sample of their latest 'bar' and it arrived yesterday! (i love getting samples, it's like christmas year round in my mailbox!)
Khashi TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola bar and even a sweet $1.50 coupon. Sounds like a good thing to me!
The nutrition facts: 4.5 total grams of fat, 80mg of sodium, 7 gm of sugar, and 4 gm of protein.
Now the important part - the taste! If you love dark chocolate & peanuts, you will love these granola bars! I was pleasantly surprised and even the kiddos liked it! I'm always thrilled when I find something to replace my secret Payday candy bar addiction, and these might just help me finally do that. Even better, I can keep a couple of these in my glove box or purse to help fight off those errand munchies that lead to a far worse culprit; the drive thru.
I like them so much - I bought a box to giveaway (and one box for me to keep)!! All you have to do is comment with your secret snack food addiction below and a random winner will be selected Monday :)
Today was the first official day of the Tax Free Holiday here in Missouri. You betcha I was armed with our school supply list and back up (my bff) to help keep me focused! Great deals, semi crowded stores, and big time savings! I managed to get 90% of the items on the list today with the other 10% (mostly clothing items) to be bought tomorrow. We also headed to Family Value Thrift Store to check out their deals and I found a ton of stuff!! Although not as much as my bff, but hey it was all at a great price! Here are a some pics of scores today:
First, my receipt from Office Max:
I spent a mere $3.27 and even got an extra coupon for $5 off $25 purchase at Payless!
(excuse the blurriness my digital camera is MIA)
Next up are my Thrift Store finds! To Start, an adorable white platter for the kitchen:
This plate was marked $3.93 plus I got 50% off today for a sale they were having and I have some great ideas on what to do with it!! More on that to come soon...
Then I found a silver charger, again marked $0.99 plus 50% off:
I love these chargers to put candles on, holiday decor, all kinds of greatness will come out of this find.
My favorite find was a simple black pillar holder for a quarter!!
Love this so much! Why you ask? Because I love candles!! And I see these in every single decorative mag spread and really want to get them in every size possible lol! One idea besides using it to hold a pillar candle was this:
The size of the glass bowl isn't exactly right but just bare with me here - now watch what it looks like when you flip it:
Looks a little better huh? Now imagine what you can do here, the possibilities are endless! I have great plans for this little candle holder!
Last, I found two glass containers w/ silver lids and my little heart started to putter:
These were marked $0.99 ea! No sale, but a great deal! I have tons of ideas on what to do with them, but most likely they will end up in the kitchen and not holding cotton balls in my bathroom...like some have suggested...I won't name names :)
I also found a couple of uniform pieces for my son, a super cute pink eye glasses case for my daughter, a bag full of cutesy jewelry for her, and misc stuff. All of it was less than $18 and all of the school supplies today were about $34 (for two kids mind you). Pretty satisfied with the bottom line!
Then I come home to another free sample in my mailbox:
Downy Unstopables that are supposed to increase the smelly goodness of your wash! They smelt amazing through the package! I'll let you know how they do soon :)
Now the tax free weekend continues through Sunday and I am sure I will be taking advantage of some great clothing deals tomorrow at JcPenny's (I have coupons), Shoe Carnival (more coupons + B1G1 1/2 Price), Payless (scored a coupon today + B1G1 Free deal happening) and maybe even Old Navy.
Don't forget to take advantage of some really great events this weekend around the metro area!
Delta Dental Health Theatre grand re-opening is Saturday August 6th from 10am til 4pm.
Back to school fair @ Chaifetz Arena from 9am til 3pm.
Free kids workshop at Home Depot from 9am til 12pm. This is for the pencil box :)
Kids eat free during the month of August @ IHOP.
Some many great things to do this weekend! Don't forget to check Fox 2's website for a map of yard sales as well :)
http://www.fox2now.com/lifestyle/yardsale/
And just a quick note about or 100 fan giveaway, follow us on our Facebook page and when we reach 100 fans we will be giving away a gift basket filled with some amazing items from arond the St. Louis area! Pictures will be posted soon, still awaiting on a few things to come in!
Happy Tuesday fellow mums! Today is the start of our weekly contest (yes every Tuesday we will host a new contest for you!) and is all about helping spread the word out about Thrifty Stl Mummy! The contest will slightly differ from our facebook page, in where your focus is to simply share our blog to attract new followers. Simply send me a message on how you shared our link (your fb page or your blog) and you will be entered to win a $25 gift card for either Walgreens, Target, or Walmart! You can praticpate in both contest for our facebook page and our blog, but remember to view the details on our facebook page about how to get credit for new "likes".
The contest starts today and ends Friday at 10 a.m. with a winner announced at noon! Thanks for helping and good look!
Yikes it is HOT! For the past week temperatures have topped 100 degrees here in our wonderful city, but it looks like we will be blessed with a bit of relief today and Monday. Finding things to do during this heat wave have been harder than in previous years, mainly because most indoor activities at area venues now charge. Creating new ideas on ways to stay cool started with the same philosophy as what to do on rainy days - use your imagination and start at home.
On a rainy day, you might stay home and let the kids do crafts or play video games. On an extremely hot day you probably find yourself doing the same. But during prolonged periods such as the current one, staying home leads to boredom! You start running out of fascinating stories to tell, forts to build, crafts to make, and your sanity. So what are some of the great places you can go with the kiddos without breaking the bank?
The Art Museum and History Museum in Forest Park are both free venues great for a family day and they are air conditioned! Another great idea is to take advantage of the free Summer Movie Series at local theaters. Wehrenberg Movie Theatres offer family friendly movies for free. Also, public libraries are a great way to spend a hot afternoon. They offer tons of activities for children including story tellers and scavenger hunts. Here are links for each of these venues for further details:
www.slpl.org
www.wehrenberg.com
www.slam.org
www.mohistory.com
Always remember that heat waves too shall pass and summer doesn't last for ever so we better enjoy it while we can! St. Louis is famous for it's crazy weather, soon we will be complaining about digging out of a blizzard...
I also wanted to touch base on the safety issues that we sometimes overlook during extremes of summer. The American Red Cross offers great guidelines and tips are their website to ensure everyone has a great and safe summer: www.redcross.org
Just to point out a few; 1. Drink plenty of water! Stay away from sodas and other beverages that will actually make you more prone to dehydration. Water is the best! 2. Apply sunscreen even on days when the sun is not as prominent in the sky, especially when you are swimming. Water reflects the suns rays causing even more damage to exposed skin in a shorter amount of time, be sure to reapply sunscreen every thirty minutes as well. 3. Check on your neighbors, sometimes just asking them how they are handling the heat will get them to open up if they need help, especially the elderly. If you do know someone who needs assistance with either an air conditioner or transportation to a cooling center, contact the United Way or your local American Red Cross chapter. 4. Keep an emergency kit in your car. If you break down somewhere in this heat and have to stay with your vehicle even for a short time before help arrives it could be harmful to your health. Bottles of water, cooling packs, and sunscreen. It's also important to have an emergency kit prepared for your home in the event of power outages. Here are some great tips to help you prepare now prior to an event like this happening:
1. Make your own ice packs. Fill up a few large freezer bags with water and place them in the freezer.
2. If you take any medication that needs to remain cold such as insulin, make sure you have a small cooler available.
3. Have a back up way to charge cell phones or have a land line. Magic Jack is a great way to ensure you have a land line in times of emergencies as well and is inexpensive.
4. Have bottled water and light food (foods not high in protein) together. You want to stay well hydrated and eat lightly.
Again, the heat fades away with the seasons, so here's to enjoying the summer while it lasts, safely!
Deals:
Target Sales: good thru 7/31
Sterlite pencil boxes .50 ea
Licensed folders .80 ea
Cherokee Polo tees (think school uniforms) $7 ea
HP All in One Printer $29.99
CVS Pharamcy Deals:
Spend $30 on selected marked merchandise and earn $10 in Free Gas!
B1G1 Edy's Ice Cream 48 oz
Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal 2/$4 + use $1 MNFC = 2/$3
Papermate Grip Pens $1.99 + get $1.99 EB = FREE
Palmolive 10 oz .99 + .25 MNFC = .74
1 subject notebooks 4/.99
Kleenex on sale for .88 ea, buy 3 + use .50 MNFC = $2.14
Walgreens:
M&Ms 1.1oz - 2.17 oz on sale for .49 ea, buy 2 + .75 MNFC = .23
WAGS Brand pantyliners 2/$1
Yardleys bar soap .69 SC
Soft Soap Body wash $2.99 + .75 MNFC = $2.24
Skintimate or Edge shave gel $1.99 + .55 MNFC = $1.44
Speed Stick deodorant $1.99 w/ SC + .50 MNFC = $1.49
Loreal Eversleek, Everpure, or Everstrong hair care products $5.99 + $2 MNFC = $3.99
Irish Spring deodorant & body wash 2/$6 + $4 RR + $1 MNFC on deodorant + .55 MNFC on boy wash = .50!
Check out www.my-backtoschool.com for more great coupons!
Events:
7/24 - Missouri Botanical Garden
description: free admission to the garden and children's garden in honor of Henry Shaw's birthday.
cost: FREE
7/28 - St Louis Art Museum
description: Join us in the galleries for a lively and informative discussion with Janeen Turk, Senior Curatorial Assistant. Space is limited in smaller galleries; please arrive early. Talk meets at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday and then repeats at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Meet at the Information Center.
cost: FREE
7/29 - Laclede's Landing Summer Concert Series
description: Blues singer Kim Massie takes the stage from 4:30 - 8:30pm.
cost: FREE
www.lacledeslanding.com
7/29 - Sunflower Days
description: A Plein Air painting event in Historic Clarksville, MO. Come watch the artists paint our beautiful sunflowers, vote for your favorite, enjoy artisan shop specials and local eateries. See our Facebook page at Sunflower Days for more information.
cost: FREE for most everything besides shops and eateries
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=131949060216055
7/30 - Wings of Hope 2nd Annual "Hope Floats"
description: Handmade Viking ships, Italianesque gondolas and cardboard biplane boats - you won’t want to miss the 2nd Annual “Hope Floats” event to raise money for 2011 Nobel Peace Prize nominated Wings of Hope. The event is free to the public and proceeds from registered race participants and sponsors benefit the St. Louis Medical Relief and Air Transport Program, which Wings of Hope operates to transport critically ill children to essential health care provided in St. Louis. More than 100 participants will put their boating skills to the test and see if they can navigate their homemade vessels around Grand Basin.
cost: FREE
www.wingsofhope-boatrace.org
7/30 - St Louis Open Casting Call
description: NOWCASTING
Do you have what it takes to host your own show on Food Network?
Date: Saturday, July 30th
Time: 10am- 2pm
Location: Sheraton St. Louis City Center
400 S. 14th Street
St. Louis, MO 63103
WHAT TO BRING
NOWCASTING
Application
2 photos of yourself
Resume
Do you have what it takes to host your own show on Food Network?
If you can’t make it to an open call, please visit us at www.FoodNetworkStarCasting.com for details
on how to submit a home video! For questions please e-mail us at fns8StLouis@gmail.com.
For information about the show please go to www.FoodNetwork.com/Star.
Please read the Rules & Eligibility Requirements (found on the “Rules and Eligibility” page) before applying. Applicants must (a) be a US citizen or permanent
legal resident with the unrestricted ability to work in the U.S. and (b) be at least 21 years of age.
7/30 - Bye Bye Liver at Maggie O'Briens
description: Bye Bye Liver pulls from a grab bag of alcohol-infused sketches interspersed with participatory drinking games. The result is a comedic cocktail that has proven a hit with the palette of St. Louis’ partiers young and old.
Maggie O’Brien’s house band Bangers and Mash will provide post-show entertainment as actors mingle with friends and fans until the wee hours at their weekly cast party.
cost: $14
www.byebyeliver.com/st.louis
7/30 - Help Friends of Kids with Cancer
Description:
Friends of Kids with Cancer, an organization that provides recreational, educational, and emotional support to kids battling cancer and their families in St. Louis, has been chosen as a finalist in Toyota's 100 Cars for Good Program. Toyota is giving away a brand new vehicle to 100 charities, and Friends of Kids with Cancer needs your help! Our voting day is Sunday, July 24th, 2011. Please visit www.facebook.com/toyota to cast your vote! Friends plans to use the van to transport toys, games, and other gifts to the families in treatment centers.
Contest & Sweepstakes:
The Land Of Frost Marvel Superfan giveaway www.landofrost.com
100 Days of Sunny Moments giveaway www.feelthesoleil.com
