Who Said Nothing in Life is Free?

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While going to a dentist regularly is important, the costs of seeing a dental professional are enough to steer potential patients away from the dentist office.  Luckily, there are a number of cost-effective ways to take care of your teeth,so you can minimize the number of dentist visits you have. Consider these money-saving tips for a healthier smile:

1. Be Cautious of What You Eat

Unfortunately, lots of foods have the potential to damage your teeth. One thing that dentists tell you from a young age is to watch your sugar intake. Eating too much sugar can cause your teeth to decay, thus leading to expensive dentist visits. On valleyridgedentalcentre.com, it states that tooth decay from sugary foods can eventually lead to cavities and other serious dental problems.

Here are some other foods and drinks to avoid and why:

• Cigarettes and Red Wine: These can stain your teeth. Having to whiten your teeth can run thousands of dollars. 
• Carbonated Drinks: The citric and phosphoric acid in carbonated drinks can damage your tooth enamel.
• Starches: These linger on your teeth and transform into plaque.
• Alcoholic Beverages: These dry out your mouth and erode your tooth enamel.

2. Seriously, Don’t Skip Flossing

It’s not always enough just to brush twice a day. Another thing you should be doing is flossing every day. By doing so, you can remove the tiny bits of food that linger in between your teeth after eating. Flossing helps to do away with built-up plaque. Not only does flossing keep your teeth healthy, but it keeps your gums healthy too. Excess amounts of plaque can lead to gum disease and cavities.

3. Get Dental Insurance

Paying a small premium for a dental insurance plan may seem like an added expense, but it will come in handy should you ever have a dental emergency. These plans can cost as little as $100 a year and usually cover two annual checkups and cleanings.Some dental procedures can cost thousands of dollars, so having insurance saves you from those large expenses.

4. Brush Properly

Brushing twice a day might not be doing you any good if you aren’t brushing properly. When you brush, ensure you are brushing on every side. Circular motions and back-and-forth strokes are the most effective ways to brush your teeth.To clean your gums, brush softly along the gum line. You should always brush your tongue, too, to prevent bad breath and plaque build-up.

5. Use Fluoride Toothpaste

While some people advocate against the use of fluoride due to adverse health effects, fluoride is an effective way to prevent tooth decay. Fluoride does a good job of fighting the bacteria that can lead to tooth decay,and it acts as a layer of protection for your teeth.

6. Try Mouthwash

Mouthwash is so useful because it minimizes the amount of acid you have in your mouth, reintroduces important minerals to your teeth, and cleans areas of your mouth that are difficult to brush. You can pick up a mouthwash at your drugstore for only a few dollars. You should consider using it in conjunction with other dental hygiene practices.

Preparing for Your Move to a New Neighborhood

Many people know that moving can be a very stressful experience, as there is a huge amount to do and organize. When you are moving to a new area, this further intensifies the stress because you often have no idea what to expect. While it can be exciting to move somewhere new and discover new places and people, it can also be quite daunting.

In order to reduce the stress that comes with moving to a neighborhood that you are unfamiliar with, there are a number of steps you can take. You may be able to learn more about the people next door and find public records online. In fact, the internet is a great source of even more information for those who are moving to a new area. In this article, we will look at some of the information you can obtain online to prepare yourself for your move to a new neighborhood.

Some Information You Can Find Online

There are various factors you may want to look into before you move your worldly belongings and your loved ones into a new neighborhood. One of the things many people will be interested to find out is what the crime rate is like in that particular area (as most will not be keen to move to an area where there is a lot of crime). It is very quick and easy to look at crime stats for different areas when you go online, and often you can even determine the most common types of criminal activity that take place there. By checking on crime rates, you can benefit from greater peace of mind by ensuring you are moving to a safe area.

Another thing you need to look at when you are moving to a new area is what sorts of facilities and amenities are within easy reach. There may be various facilities that you require easy access to, such as elementary schools and colleges, medical and dental services, shops, and other amenities. By going online and doing some research into what is around the street where you are moving, you can get a far better idea of whether you will have access to the facilities and amenities you want.

Naturally, when you move, you want to be able can get around with ease. This is especially important if you have to get to work or college, or if you have to transport your children around. This is why you should also head online to determine what the roads and public transportation are like when you move to the area. If you drive, you want to ensure you can access good road links so you can get to where you need without any major hassle. If you don’t drive, you may want to check out the public transport links.

Checking all of these things will make it easier for you to prepare for your move to a new area.

Recently I received a NewAir 19-Bottle Compressor Wine Cooler to review and I must say I am very impressed with how much better my white wines taste when its chilled at the proper temperature !  It also will help to preserve my stored wine longer.  Plus it just looks great next to my red wine rack.

Set up was super simple (took less than 10 min to unbox and get running).  Inside are a couple settings such as the temperature you want the cooler set at and whether you want the adjustable LED blue lighting set at 100%, 50% or OFF.   I researched to find the proper setting for white wine and it said 55 degrees Fahrenheit so that is what I set mine at. However, there are other wines that should be chilled at different temps so I like that the cooler adjusts from 40 to 66 degrees F.

One thing I love about this cooler is its compact size (only 12 inches wide) and that it can be used as a freestanding unit or built into kitchen cabinetry.  If I ever redid my kitchen, I would definitely make it fit in like in their website photo.  It looks so sharp and easily accessible for dinners.

A few other features of the NewAir 19-Bottle Compressor Wine Cooler include…

• Fan to minimize temperature fluctuations
• Carbon filters
• Plastic tub helps increase humidity control
• Tinted double-paned door protects wine from UV and locks to limit access to wine
• Low vibration design for quiet operation and protection of fine wines

NewAir has graciously given me a discount code for any readers who would like to purchase one.  Use code WhoSaid20 HERE to receive 20% off.

SHARK WEEK begins on July 22 and Scholastic has the perfect selection of books to entertain all ages of kids.

• Baby Shark (for ages 3-5) – Baby Shark has become well-known and well-loved by teachers, parents, and children everywhere. And with hilarious and adorable under-the-sea art of Baby Shark, Mama Shark, Daddy Shark, Grandma Shark and more ocean creatures, kids won’t be able to get enough of this silly illlustrated story of a shark family!
• Misunderstood Shark: Friends Don’ Eat Friends  (for ages 3-5) – This hilarious follow-up to Misunderstood Shark by New York Times bestselling duo Ame Dyckman and Scott Magoon tackles what it really means to be a good friend. Bob is already irate that Shark has eaten him, but when Shark doesn’t admit to eating him, Bob is so mad he declares that the ocean isn’t big enough for both of them!
• Fly Guy Presents: Sharks  (for ages 4-8) – Award-winning author/illustrator Tedd Arnold brings Nonfiction to life with the help of his very popular main character, Fly Guy! This engaging Nonfiction reader combines the kid-friendly humor of Fly Guy with the high-interest topic of sharks! Fly Guy and Buzz introduce young readers to sharks with straightforward fun facts, humorous asides, and full-bleed photographs throughout.
• There was an Old Mermaid Who Swallowed a Shark (for ages 4-8) – There was an old mermaid who swallowed a shark. I don’t know why she swallowed a shark, but it left no mark! Scholastic’s bestselling Old Lady is starring in a brand–new adventure series that will make you laugh AND learn! In this new spin–off, the Old Lady turns into an Old Mermaid, travels down into the ocean, and swallows a shark … and a squid, and a fish, and an eel, and a crab, and a sea star, and a clam … Why? Well, it was fun to cram her mouth with a clam!
• Hungry Shark: Official Shark-Tastic Guide (for ages 6-8) – Just in time for shark week comes this guide to all of the sharks from the Hungry Shark franchise. With exclusive info about fearsome fish like Tiger Shark and Great White, to goofballs like Mako Shark and Porbeagle, this is a guide with some serious “teeth.” Plus, comes with an awesome, exclusive poster! It’s a must-have for fans of this bitingly funny game.

Summer days in Florida are either scalding hot or wet and raining.  When I was asked to review the Gen7 Cool-Air Cot Pet Bed I was excited.  Set up was simple and it can be moved around from place to place easily.  It is an ideal option for raising pets off muddy, hot or wet surfaces.  It retails for $59.99 for the medium cot which holds up to 60 lbs.

And what makes for a better summer than getting new toys and treats !  Milo loved the JW Twist- In Treats. It is designed to have treats twisted in the top so your dog can work them out.  Then once he finally got the treat out, we had a durable cool toy to play fetch with.  *It comes with one Chicken Flavored treat but they do sell refills for it.

Also you have no choking hazards to worry about with the Hol-ee Gourmet Turkey Leg, the treat toy inspired by the best-selling Hol-ee Roller.  You can remove the nylon bone from the rubber casing for a long-lasting chew toy and then you can add your dog’s favorite treats into the middle of it.

Keep the entertainment going with the new JW Sloth & Hedgehog Squeaker Balls. This rubber ball features JW’s patented squeaker technology including a tough squeaker and an erratic bounce to keep pets guessing.  I gave this to Milo and he went running into the backyard with it and I haven’t seen it since LOL.

If you have a pool or are heading to a lake or dog beach (we have one near us), the Chuckit! Amphibious Ball is the water version of their most popular and classic fetch toy, designed to float for hours of fetch and waterplay.