neverhomemaker: oral health

The Aquafresh brand has compensated me in connection with the statements made in this post.

Fun fact: The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. Something about the warm weather, fireworks, picnics, and getting together with friends and family outdoors really gets me feeling happy. I also love how you can walk around my neighborhood and smell all those barbecue pits burning with deliciousness. Yeah. The 4th is all about food in my book.

Today's post is in partnership with SheKnows and Aquafresh® toothpaste. As many of you know, I've written about Aquafresh® in the past. What's good? Well, their toothpastes provide Sugar Acid Protection from active fluoride. This protection works to strengthen and shield teeth against sugar acid attacks. You know, the kind you get from everyday foods and drinks. And yes: even from our beloved holiday foods and treats.

The thing is, there are also plenty of ways to celebrate July 4th. So, today I thought I'd share a fun art project you can do with your kids to get everyone in the spirit. I used to do this simple fireworks and/or flowers painting project with my mom when I was a kid - long before I saw it pop up on Pinterest boards.

FIREWORKS/FLOWER STAMP PAINTING

All you need:

Scissors
Used up paper towel or toilet paper roll
Different colors of paint (stick with red, white, and blue = super festive!)
Paper plates (to hold paint)
Construction or other paper (Black would be great for fireworks!)
Glitter or glitter paint (optional)

Ada wanted to make flowers for this post.

So, here they are!

Instructions:

Simply squirt a bit of each type of paint onto a plate. I like to mix different colors together to get a swirl effect with flowers. Paint will likely go everywhere, so make sure you put down some type of vinyl tablecloth or even just a garbage bag.
Adults: Cut the end of the paper towel or toilet paper roll in straight lines. Experiment with going thicker or thinner/longer or shorter for different fireworks or flower shapes. (This would also make a great sun stamp!)
This probably goes without saying, but you fold the cut parts out so they make a fireworks shape.
Then have your child dip the new stamp you've made into the paint and go crazy!
You can decorate your photo with glitter for extra dazzle.

Back to Aquafresh®. Their Multi-Action Whitening toothpaste is all about Sugar Acid Protection through active fluoride to help prevent cavities*.

It has six key benefits in one toothpaste:

Cavity Protection
Healthy gums*
Freshens breath
Great taste
Whitening*
Enamel Strengthening

*With twice daily brushing

Happy 4th! Remember to brush after all your tasty party treats. And if you're interested, you can grab a coupon to try the Multi-Action Whitening toothpaste right here. Visit Aquafresh® toothpaste on Facebook and Twitter.
Do you have any kid-approved 4th of July art projects? Tell me about them in the comments and you will be entered to win a $100 Visa gift card!
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This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
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A dental hygienist visited Ada's preschool recently. Ever since, she's been like our own resident dentist, sharing all the DOs and DON'Ts of good oral hygiene. When we cut into Stephen's birthday cake this year, Ada made sure to mention that sweets aren't always so great for your teeth. Of course, we aren't about to cut out some of our favorite celebration foods, so we had a nice discussion with her about moderation.

What happened after dessert? She made us take a family trip to the bathroom to brush our teeth. These preschool years continue to amaze me.

Today's post is about about Aquafresh® toothpastein partnership with SheKnows. Their toothpastes provide Sugar Acid Protection from active fluoride. This both strengthens and shields teeth against sugar acid attack from everyday foods and drinks, the primary cause of cavities.

This spring, there's plenty of sugar flowing between holidays, parties at school, and my own pregnancy cravings. I'm not going to limit it all, nor do I think a little sugar every now and again is such a bad thing to enjoy. One of our favorite treats, though, doesn't have any added sugar at all. Instead, it's a basic breakfast smoothie filled with berry goodness, a dose of vegetarian protein, and gut-healthy active cultures.

And did I mention it's incredibly easy to make?

STRAWBERRY LASSI

(serves 1)

Blend together:

1/2 cup (heaping) frozen strawberries
1 cup plain kefir
Couple tablespoons water

PS: If you're feeling really adventurous, you can add a handful of kale or your favorite greens into the mix as well.

When it comes time to brush, it's good to know that Aquafresh Multi Action is all about Sugar Acid Protection through active fluoride. It has 6 key benefits in 1 toothpaste: