I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for LISTERINE. I received samples for this review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Our kids are pretty obsessed superheroes so we try to use that theme when encouraging them on good habits. We want to make sure our kids are eating healthy so their superhero bodies are growing strong and we want them to have superhero attitudes which for us means being super kind and friendly to others and trying to create happy times with happy attitudes. Like most families we want our kids to have "heroic habits". So when it comes to oral hygiene we use that same principle and let our kids know that part of being a superhero is also having awesome healthy and strong teeth. This is point really hits close to me because on my side of the family we have a long history of bad dental genetics and we are prone to cavities and other issues, so I knew that I wanted it to be different with my kids and I wanted them to have super healthy teeth. With that in mind our kiddos know that a huge part of their "superhero responsibilities" includes keeping their teeth healthy and clean. Normally that just entails brushing their teeth for two minutes, but we recently started to use LISTERINE SMART RINSE and at first I was concerned if my kids would even use it or like it, and it turns out they LOVE it! They beg to be able to use it every night and love swooshing it around in their mouths. Be sure to grab some next time you are at the store, your kids will love it!

My husband and I have also "upped" our superhero tooth cleaning skills by flossing more often. This is something I have always had an issue doing, I don't know why, but I have just always hated flossing. I do understand how important it is though... it is really embarrassing for me to tell people this but when I was younger I lost two of my back teeth due to poor oral health care and bad genetics. And while I can't do anything about genetics I can do a lot more about my oral health care routine and I can make sure I am doing what I need to do so I don't lose any more teeth. This includes flossing which I personally love using the flosser, I feel it makes it a little easier to floss and ease makes me actually do it and not put it off! And speaking of easy... you can also buy all of your favorite LISTERINE products from the comfort of your own home!

After flossing and brushing the last step of our "heroic oral health habits" is to use mouthwash! Now, as you can tell from the pics above my kids absolutely love this step and so do I! I love feeling like my mouth is completely clean and I don't have any lingering food pieces left in my mouth. You can also use LISTERINE HEALTHY WHITE to help get those pearly whites you want!

So do you think your family is  ready to be oral health care superheros? What do you use or do with your kids to enforce good oral hygiene? Let us know!

You can learn more about LISTERINE and heroic habits by visiting their website.

Also be sure to subscribe to the LISTERINE YouTube channel to learn about new products and promotions and to watch the LISTERINE heroic heroes video series!

I have a confession to make. I hate going to the dentist. Just the thought of going makes me ill. Part of the problem would have to be that due to being in a state of constant magnesium deficiency (due to a genetic heart condition) I have always had bad teeth no matter how hard I try to take care of them. The other reason would just have to be that I have had some crummy dentist experiences in my life that have led to more than one nightmare. 

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Alphie the Squid is an ocean exploration game that allows the user to follow an adorable little squid, named Alphie, through the deep blue sea to discover fish and aquatic creatures while racking up points to move to the next level.  The game is not only fun, but also educational.  When playing the game, the user needs to understand the characteristics and abilities of a real squid in order to effective conquer the enemies and rise to the top of the oceanic food chain aka become a big squid.

The game is extremely user friendly and suitable for adults and children alike.  Upon launching the game, the user can view the gallery which details the creatures and treasure fish that the user will need to discover.   As the user discovers the various animals, the picture becomes clickable and a short summary of the animal is available to the user.  Below is a picture of the gallery with the Giant Squid activated:

After a review of the gallery, the user starts at “The Beginning” of the ocean (the follow on levels have aquatic oriented names such as Blue Lagoon and Current Rides).  The purpose at this point is to swim along the ocean, eating fish and avoiding enemies.  The user only needs their finger to direct Alphie through his habitat.  Any user that is familiar with a touch screen phone or tablet will have no issue using the game.  Below is a picture of a seemingly satisfied Archie after he discovered a Parrot Fish!

The navigation of the game is simple and small pop up window will appear periodically and provide key directions, such as to avoid certain dangerous creature as Alphie is approaching an area infested with that particular animal.  As the user gets further into the game, the abilities of the baby squid become more integral to the success of the game. For example, Alphie can camouflage himself and then hypnotize his target in order to successfully capture and eat his prey. 

Overall the graphics of the game are great.  The colors are vivid and the detail of the sea life and the seascape is true to life.  The music is nice, elevator type music that won’t get on your nerves and there is an option to shut the music off completely.  The various prompts and pop-ups that appear throughout the game are helpful and not annoying.  This isn’t really a game for speed.  It is more about collecting the fish, learning about the fish/creatures,  moving to the next level and exploring numerous facets of the ocean.  This is a perfect game to play with a child to take advantage of all the learning opportunities without worrying about failing a level by running out of time. 

This is a paid app that I downloaded from iTunes and used an iPad to play it. The company that produces the game, Crystal Entertainment, has a solid online presence with an abidance of information to assist in the purchase decision or to help along the way after the game purchase. 

If you have an android device you can snag it for FREE on Amazon!

Make sure you like Alphie on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.  You can also find him on Google+ and a game trailer can be found HERE.

The game can be purchased via the following links:
:: iTunes
:: Googleplay
:: Amazon

This is a little embarrassing to admit, but I come from a long line of family members with bad teeth.

I swear I have had more fillings than I have teeth and our family has definitely sent a few dentists children off to college. lol

So when I had my own kids I knew it was going to be an uphill battle to keep their teeth healthy.

My little girl was the first one to start rebelling over brushing her teeth. She would brush for all of two seconds and then claim she was done.

No matter what I tried she just didn't want to brush her teeth long enough.

Her dentist gave her a little timer so she would know when two minutes was over.

And let me tell you... two minutes can feel like FOREVER!! I sat with her the first time she used her sand timer and I thought that last grain of sand was never going to fall! lol

I knew that if it felt like a long time for me, it probably felt even longer to my 4 year old.

Needless to say she stopped using the sand timer pretty quick and we were back at square one.

So when Mom It Forward approached me to try the ARM & HAMMER™ Tooth Tunes™ and also informed me I would be compensated for participation, I thought it was worth a try to see if it could remedy the problem. What mom doesn't deserve compensation when trying to get a stubborn 4 year old to do something they don't like doing.

And FYI getting paid didn't sway opinion of the product, all opinions are mine and crazy as usual!

The Arm & Hammer Tooth Tunes toothbrush encourages a 2 minute brushing time by playing music while your child is brushing their teeth.

Once the music stops, they can stop brushing. The first time she tried it she loved it! She was brushing her teeth along to the song and she didn't want to stop.

I found that she would push the button again and end up brushing for four minutes! Not that it was necessary, but I am just so excited that she loves it so much!

I love that I don't have to hover over her while she brushes, making sure she goes for 2 minutes.

As I pass by the bathroom I can hear if the song is really over and I know that she is doing it right.

Beware it also encourages dancing as well and you might end up with toothpaste all over!

Brushing teeth would always get lost in the shuffle of the morning for us, but not anymore. What kid wouldn't want to start out the day with music?!

Now it's the first thing she does as soon as she gets up, and her little brother copies her all the time and follows suit by brushing his teeth as well. BONUS!

ARM & HAMMER Tooth Tunes features hot songs that kids love, including chart-topping singles from One Direction, as well as a range of other great songs, including:

“What Makes You Beautiful” performed by One Direction 

“One Thing” performed by One Direction

“All Day” performed by Cody Simpson

“Dynamite” performed by Taio Cruz

“I Gotta Feeling” performed by Black Eyed Peas

“If I Ruled the World” performed by Big Time Rush

“Round & Round” performed by Selena Gomez & The Scene

“Tonight, Tonight” performed by Hot Chelle Rae

“We Will Rock You” performed by Queen

ARM & HAMMER Tooth Tunes also offers a Tooth Tunes Jr. toothbrush designed for smaller hands, perfect for kids between 3 – 6 years of age!

The brushes have a suggested retail price of $9.99 and are available at mass, drug, and food retailers nationwide.

Does your kiddo need a little help in the brushing department? Why pay more $ at the dentist if you don't need too!

Check out the ARM & HAMMER Tooth Tunes Website or their Facebook Page here!

(I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Kohl’s. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating)

I think when every parent hears the words "back to school" we all cringe, worried about how much it's going to cost and then starts the stress.

So why not try to alleviate some of that stress and also unburden your wallet?

If that sounds nice to you then Kohl's is where you want to head!

Not only can you find all the hottest trends at really low prices, but you can do one  of my favorite things... stack savings and coupons!!

I recently took my little girl Kohl's and I can honestly say we walked away happy and my nubby was happy with how little it all cost.

At Kohl’s you can use your Kohl’s Cash coupons and Kohl’s charge card discounts together.

No one else will offer you such awesome discounts combined with really low prices! 

As someone who is incredibly frugal it makes me happy to be getting what I need at a low price, plus be able to walk away with a FREEBIE!! (Kohl’s Cash)

How fantastic is that?!! I spent $100 and got back $20!!! What other store can you get that from? None that I know of.

I love stores that I feel appreciate me as a customer, and I definitely feel that way with Kohl's.

Kohl’s wants to accommodate its customers and maximize your savings.

Kohl's has all you need for preschoolers to teens and everything in between. They also have everything you need for kiddos in need of uniforms.

I found a large selection to help you get the right uniforms at a good price. 

They also have trendy clothes that your kids will love!

Below is what we got for my little girl and she was one happy camper! We found Hello Kitty, awesome lunchboxes, and matching dollie and me outfits!

We wouldn't have been able to get even half of this if it weren't for Kohl's

I used a 25% off and Kohl's cash that I already had after I made my purchase I got $20 Kohl's cash!

She was so excited about all that we got, once we got home all she wanted to do was a fashion show. lol

The next day she kept asking her friends if they wanted to see what she got.

She has the funniest expressions. With how much we can save we will definitely be doing all of our back to school shopping every year at Kohl's!