Frog Tape!

I have been doing a lot of painting lately - which means a lot of painter's tape. I ran out of the 'blue tape' while painting an accent wall. One side was painted with 'blue tape'

and the other side was painted with the green Frog tape.

 Look at this difference! They were honest when they said "Keeps Lines Sharp!" WOW! I think the pictures speak for themselves! Go FROG TAPE!!!

Sonicare

We LOVE our Sonicare toothbrushes! I have always heard great reviews of the Sonicare toothbrush. I have even had dentists, orthodontists, and periodontists recommend it to me (and my kids). I wanted one but just wasn't willing to spend that much money on a toothbrush! But when Target had a sale AND I had a coupon AND there was a rebate I took advantage of it! Now all four of us have our own Sonicare toothbrushes! We love them! They have been worth every penny and more! We just went for our six month dental cleaning after only using them for one month and received rave reviews on our dental care! (My son told the dentist he has a "secret tool"!) There is a timer (once you turn it on, it goes for two minutes and then automatically turns off) to be sure you actually brush long enough - big plus! But the biggest plus:
There was a visible difference in my son's teeth after one day!
There was a visible difference in my husband's teeth after two days!
There was a visible difference in my teeth and my daughter's teeth after just one week!
(Yes, that is a lot of exclamation marks - but, WOW! We LOVE our toothbrushes!)

Now let me warn you, as the instructions did: The first time you use it, it really tickles and is uncomfortable - your gums and lips get all tingly. You want to stop before the two minute timer is done. That is okay. The next time you use it, it is much better - you at least know what to expect. By the second full day of using the Sonicare, you notice the "tinglies" but it is not an issue. After that, it is all just routine and completely comfortable.

Oh, another warning: make sure you keep your lips closed unless you want beautiful splatters all over your bathroom! :)

Perler Beads

Here is a wonderful (inexpensive - around $10 for 5000 beads plus pegboards) craft that has kept my kids busy all summer: Perler Beads! There are little pegboards you place the beads on to make a design. When the design is complete, the adult irons it so that it melts together and comes off the pegboard. You now have a Perler Bead Creation and are ready to make another! I have bought "Perler Beads" at many different times and at different stores. I did not realize there was more than one kind of "Perler Bead." Here is what I have discovered:

• Perler Beads (also called Fun Fusion) are the best. They are the most uniform and they melt together well.
• Hama Beads are a close second but do not mix well with the Perler brand.
• Melty Beads (found at Wal-Mart) are very poor quality and not worth it - AT ALL! They are not consistently flat on the bottom, causing them to pop off the pegboard, many beads are deformed and not usable at all, and they stink when they melt, if you can get them to melt to one another!
  

Brand Names I'm Stickin' To!

I usually buy generic items - usually WalMart brand - but some generics just aren't worth the savings!
Here are some brand names I am sticking to (I will add to this as time goes on...):
I used to have PAM non-sticking spray on this list but I just discovered Crisco non-stick spray! It is a million times better than PAM! I am very excited!

Bandaids - the generics just seem to fall apart in pieces when removing - either that or leaving a bunch of sticky residue. Ewww!French's French Fried Onions - I'm not sure what is up with the generic on these... they are just odd-tasting and crumbly.
Q-Tips - Whew! We finally finished our generic swabs after weeks (months?) of having swabs where the cotton came off the end, the stick bent in half, or there was hardly any cotton on the end... too much inconsistency for me!

Cheerios (plain - generic Honey Nut Spins are yummy)
Nylabones - the generic "indestructible" bones leave lots of bone shavings all over the floor from the very beginning.