With the holidays coming up, we all know that we’ll be photographed.  Probably lots of times.  Not only does this put pressure on me to wear lipstick when I remember it, but I also feel the need to make sure my teeth look okay.  I’m a fan of tea, soda, and the occasional coffee, so my teeth get their fair share of obstacles when it comes to whitening.  I saw the commercial with the marketing slogan, “If you’re not whitening, you’re yellowing” and it was an aha moment for me.  It’s so true!  I have been lazy about using whitening formulas lately, so getting my Vox Box was a great opportunity to try Crest Whitestrips and share my experience with you.

I used Whitestrips once upon a time.  I don’t recall which version I tried, but they worked just fine.   It’s been about two years since I tried them and I must say, the folks at Crest have been busy!! The improvements to the Whitestrips are great.  For one thing, I love that both the upper and lower strips are in the same packet.  That makes it much easier to keep track of.  Additionally, the strips seem longer so that they cover the side teeth as well.   For the version I tried (the 3D White Professional Effects) I only have to wear them once per day.  In the past, I had to commit to twice-a-day applications.  Finally, the adhesive is so much stronger than before. The strips stay put once they are applied.  And that means staying put—you can’t slide them over so make sure that you put them in the right place the first time.  The package says that you will start to see improvements within 3 days.  I definitely agree with that.  There’s a little insert that gives you a guideline as to how often to use Whitestrips.  Now that I know how much easier they are to use, I will be more vigilant in my whitening. After all, I don’t want to yellow!

When I checked with my dentist to find out how much a whitening session would cost, he said that they would fit trays in my mouth and provide me with the chemicals to put in it.  Then I would sleep in the tray for a few nights to get my whitened teeth.  This whole process cost about $250 (which was a discount he was offering me.)  Cha-ching……No thank you.   Using the Whitestrips is so much easier, convenient, and frankly more appealing to my husband.  After all, I can wear the Whitestrips in the shower and while I’m putting on my makeup and then I’m finished for the day.  Who wants to kiss someone goodnight while they’re wearing a goopy tray in their mouth?   Ick.  Whitestrips it is.

Have you used Whitestrips?  What did you think of them?

If you are looking for some new reads, check out these low-priced Amazon books.  Many of the books retail for $24.00 to $40.00, yet they are selling for around $5 or below.   That’s a take-a-chance price for me, if a book looks interesting!   To search for a title you want, just click here.  Then on the right-hand side, change the search options.  You can search by new and popular, highest customer reviews, and price.  Here are some that looked promising:

This one retails for $25, and the Kindle edition is still $9.99

This one has great reviews.

This is for the audio CD…..retail is $29.95! Great if you’re buying gifts for people who like to listen to books in the car.

Has a 5-star rating:

I had to order this one after reading the reviews. It looks amazing! I might get it as a gift for some friends, too.

I don’t know about this one.

I’m afraid this one might give me nightmares….

Mystery fan?

Perfect for gift-giving:

Love this one! If you haven’t read it, grab it, this is a great price:

Another great gift idea:

Okay. I must stop shopping on Amazon. But if you find any more great bargains, please let me know!

These are my affiliate links. They don’t cost you a penny more! Thanks for using them.

Holy cannoli, this is a great deal! I went online tonight to purchase some books for Christmas gifts.  My husband’s niece mentioned that she hasn’t read the Hunger Games yet and really wants to.  I found it for $1.96 on Amazon!   The regular retail price is $12.99, so this is a super deal (plus free shipping for Prime members.)  Also, it’s the movie tie-in edition.  Grab it before the price goes up!!

This is my affiliate link, just so you know. It doesn’t cost you a penny extra to use it. Thanks!

In No Safe Harbor , Cara Hamilton goes on the search of her life.  The date is 1897 and she travels from Ireland to New York City in search of the prodigal son they thought to be lost forever.  Her devotion to her brother leads her through a wild goose chase that costs her so much. She struggles to hold onto her faith in her brother nor her God.  My heart reached out to her more than once.  It’s the kind of story where I felt emotionally invested in the character’s plight.  There’s a fair bit of romance thrown in for good measure,  too.  I can’t resist a man who says,  “Upon my oath.”    If you are nodding your head in agreement right now, you NEED to read No Safe Harbor. It’s full of suspense and mystery with a twist of romance. Perfect recipe for a good read!

I really appreciated the strong cultural connections that immigrant characters carried with them from their homelands.  For example, Cara meets a man who comes from the same area of Ireland and he knows just by looking at her bracelet that she has a twin brother.  What an interesting detail!  The way that author Elizabeth Ludwig incorporates historic events into the story makes it even more addictive.  I really enjoyed being a part of the No Safe Harbor book tour.

Welcome to the Holly Jolly Jubilee!  Doesn’t that little penguin make you smile?   Well, our prizes make me smile.  I think you’ll be happy too!!  Savings in Seconds has two great products to share with one lucky reader.   We hope they add some jolly to your jubilee this year!

Our first sponsor is TruKid, who is offering a Hero Stick to the prize package.  The Hero Stick is a balm for boo-boos.  Like other TruKid products, this amazing biodegradable formula is free of parabens and other yucky chemicals so you can feel confident putting it on your little one’s ouchies.  Read our review of Hero Stick.  This product retails at $12.50.

The next prize comes from ReUsies.  One winner will receive a 2-pack of these handy bags in the design of the winner’s choice!   So whether you’re shopping for a boy, girl, or looking for a gift for yourself, you’re sure to find the pattern you love.  ReUsies are the go-to item in our house for packing lunches and storing other items.  The ReUsies 2-pack is valued at $16.

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.  The giveaway is open to US readers ages 18+ and ends November 30.  Good luck!

Disclosure: Formula Mom, Fabulous Finds by Tiffany, and the Holly Jolly Jubilee bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that fail to fulfill their prizes.

Have your kids been watching The Littlest Pet Shop?  It premiered on November 10, 2012 on Hub TV.   We were lucky to receive a screening copy of the show.  This animated series is produced by Hasbro Studios.  Each episode is a half-hour in length.  Our DVD included two episodes (“Blythe’s Big Adventure – Parts 1 and 2”) and a bonus episode of My Little Pony.   In these episodes, Blythe moves to a new home and stumbled upon the Littlest Pet Shop.  She discovers that the animals can talk, sing, and dance.  She also learns that their shop is for sale, which sets the stage for some upcoming drama.  My kids were enthralled and were so excited to share their DVD and goodies with friends.   The characters in the show are really fun to watch.  The dances and songs are catchy, the kids just couldn’t help but dance along.

As part of our party package, we also received masks, lip balms, and foldable hair brush/mirror combos for the guests.  What fun!  You can just imagine how much little girls loved this package.  We set them out on the table so that each guest could take one.  My kids had fun helping me to assemble the masks.  Also, The Hub has several free downloads that we printed out.  Check them out for your little ones—-they would be great to keep on a table at your Thanksgiving celebration to keep the kids busy while you cook or clean up.

You can catch Littlest Pet Shop on Saturday mornings at 11:30 AM EST/8:30 AM PT.   You can also watch some of the episodes online by clicking here.

I was able to participate in this Mommy Party thanks to Mom Select and the Hub TV Network.  The opinions stated are 100% mine.

Do yourself a favor this holiday season and read Songs of My Life…Slightly Out of Tune.  This book is hilariously down-to-earth.  I felt like author Susan Dintino and I were sitting down for a cup of coffee and chatting about crash diets, venting about our husbands, and complaining about our parents and dysfunctional childhoods.   Dintino makes the reader feel completely normal and for me, that is a real treat.  I always wonder, “Am I the only one who worries about this?” or “Am I crazy for thinking that?”   Dintino proves that I am not the only one, and if I’m crazy, then she is, too.   I actually snorted when laughing at a few of her stories.  Dintino is the friend you’ve always wished you had…..the kind who openly admits to wanting to return unwanted gifts and who sends herself flowers with a card.    I am totally using some of her ideas.

Songs of My Life should be required reading just before the holidays but especially before Black Friday.   If you are the martyr who must have the perfect home, tree, and gift-wrap but secretly seethe inside that no one notices, READ this!   You will completely relate and best of all, it might even help you loosen up a bit.  Better yet, give a copy to a friend too.  Don’t forget to include a gift certificate for a mani/pedi while you’re at it.

If your Netflix queue is loaded with action-adventure titles, Battalion is for you.  This is a novel with suspense, espionage, evil villains…..the typical action-adventure movie in a book.  The main character Scott Pierce is a gentleman-turned-helot, urging his hostages to look away as he uses a screwdriver to gouge out a tracking device from his forearm.  I mean, who doesn’t love a guy like that?  I’m not used to reading suspenseful books like this so I spent a lot of time trying to weed out the characters and figuring out who could be trusted. I’m a happy-ending kind of girl and desperately hoped for Pierce to save the day.  You’ll only find out if he succeeded if you read this book.  Be prepared for significant profanity. This genre isn’t my usual preference yet I immensely enjoyed Battalion. There’s not a dull moment in this book, not even on the very last page.  This reads like a movie and is full of excitement.  This seems like a book that would reach young men, especially those interested in conspiracy theories and global destruction!

Author Adam Hamdy is a British film producer, director, and writer.  He is also known for his comic book series The Hunter.   Hamdy also holds a law degree.

Do you get catalogs from Boden?  I LOOOOOOOOOVE (can’t emphasize LOVE enough) Boden’s clothes for kids.  One great thing about the print catalogs is that they usually include some fun things in them.  In the kids’ catalogs, there are sometimes paper doll outfits, stickers, coloring pages, or other creative activities.  These are great to take along to church to keep in your purse so the kids will sit relatively quietly during the service.  In the recent women’s catalog I received, there were 6 adorable vintage-looking gift tags to tear out and use.  These are free, so always check your catalog for fun stuff!

I have been teaching middle school for 14 years (wow, that is hard to believe!!)  and have worked with adolescents since I was 16 years old.  I’ve been a camp counselor, interned in counseling, taught Sunday School, and just about everything in between.  In the years that I’ve worked as a mentor to children, I’ve really seen a shift in the problems and situations that kids struggle with.  It’s quite alarming…..actually, it’s downright scary.  When I was a teenager, the main forms of peer pressure stemmed from drinking and driving, saying no to drugs, and not becoming sexually active.   Today’s teens see those things on a regular basis on television, in their own homes, and even in schools.  Instead, they face much bigger issues like how to overcome crippling drug addictions.  I sound like my mom when I say that kids just grow up too fast these days, but in a sense I think society forces them to grow up fast.

In Acacia Slaton Beumer’s book Launch Out Into the Deep!, teens learn to face those problems head-on.    By incorporating scripture with quotes from celebrities and world leaders, Beumer reaches the teen audience in a non-threatening way.  Beumer doesn’t shy away from tough issues like death, body image, and sexual temptation.  Instead, the author uses real-life experiences and stories to express the message that the reader is worthy of God’s love.  I haven’t personally had an experience with visions from God, so I can’t relate to the visions the author describes in the book.  I really appreciated the discussion questions that are found at the end of each chapter/lesson.  There are several discussion questions that are perfect for teachers and parents to use when trying to broach these difficult topics with their kids.  Additionally, there is a CD that can be used while reading the book together.  This would even be an opportunity to listen to the stories in the car while driving.  Most parents know that some of the best conversations with their kids happen in the car.   This would also be a good book for personal study if you have a mature teen who can independently reflect and process these ideas.  Because of the issues presented in the book, I think this would be best for ages 14+.   I would definitely recommend that parents read the book first before sharing it with your kids, so that you are prepared for the issues that are presented.

What issues do you worry about for your children?  How are you helping your kids overcome those obstacles? Launch Out Into the Deep! can be a good resource for helping you get through those rough patches with your family.

Check back on Monday 11/19 for a chance to win an audiobook CD of Launch Out Into The Deep and a $20 restaurant egiftcard from the author!