Healthy Chewing Gum?

There was nothing better as a kid than chewing a big ol' wad of bubble gum!  There was also, probably, nothing worse for our teeth.  This week I am reviewing a good alternative to sugary chewing gum.  Spry gum, claims that it is the 'healthy' chewing gum.  Can it really be good for us, and taste good?  Let's find out.

First at hand, is this chewing gum actually healthy?  In so many words, yes.  Spry gum is made with xylitol.

Pure xylitol is a white crystalline substance that looks and tastes like sugar. It is a naturally occurring 5-carbon sugar alcohol found in many fruits and vegetables and produced in small amounts by the human body. It has the same sweetness as sugar but with 40% fewer calories and none of the negative tooth decay or insulin release effects of sugar. Xylitol also has a low glycemic index (7) and has little effect on blood sugar levels.

Xylitol is recommended by dentist, medical doctors, periodontists, pediatricians, and many health organizations and health professionals worldwide as a sweetener for anyone concerned with dental health, upper respiratory health, and sugar consumption, in general.  It is believed that chewing a piece of Spry after meals may reduce your risk of tooth decay.  I was convinced of these benefits further when my own dentist recommended Spry and their tooth gel for my 15 month old son.  He loves the strawberry-banana tooth gel.

So far, so good.  But the real question is, does it taste good?  Since my little one is too small for gum, to fully answer this question, I enlisted the help of my friends kids to get an accurate answer.  Lily (12), Ava (10), and Sam (8) are my test group.  I knew they would not disappoint as they are never afraid to be brutally honest.  Spry gum is available in 5 flavors: cinnamon, fresh fruit, peppermint, spearmint, and green tea.  Not exactly bubble gum flavors, but they held thier own.  After some serious chewing the votes were in.  Fresh fruit was the crowd favorite with spearmint coming in second.  Being a mint girl, myself, I prefer the peppermint and spearmint flavors, but the fresh fruit was reminiscent of Juicy Fruit.  The major complaint from my little testers was though the flavor was good, it didn't last quite as long as they wanted.

My opinion, Spry gum and mints are a win.  Both offer a variety of flavors for any palate and offer great benefits to help maintain a healthy mouth.  The gum, though a little tough to chew initially, softens and last quite a while.  The mints are easy to pop and go.  Both are great options for busy families on the go!

Xlear Spry Mints and Gum:

Kid Tested, Mommy APPROVED!

Spry is available online, at Amazon and many local health food stores.

Friday Freebies!

Check out the great freebies this week! 

• Yankee Candle - $15 off
• Ovaltine - Free sample
• Redbox - Free movie rental
• Cutter Candle - Free at Walmart w/coupon
• PF Chang's - Free Lettuce Wraps
• Dial Soap - almost free!
• Cookbook - Free!
• Free Fries - Get free small fries at Wendy’s when you text FRIES to 81229. You will receive a text with a coupon to show to the cashier that is valid 7 days from the date you send the text.
• Child Safety Kit - Free
• FREE Slurpee Day! - May 23rd @ all 7-11's
• Free Country Music sampler -  Country music sampler for iTunes users

If you know of other great deals, let us know or comment below.

Healin' Groovy with BabyGanics

Since last weeks review was baby powder, I thought this week we would keep on the topic of baby bums and look at product that can also be used on baby's bum, BabyGanics Healin' Groovy Ointment.  I have used a few different diaper rash creams on my little one. I always look for a product that is as natural as possible.  Healin' Groovy is non-petroleum, hypo-allergenic ointment, that has NO parabens, sulfates, phthalates, or  toxins.  

This past weekend my little man ate some food that did not agree with him causing a very red bottom.  Not that  I like to use him as a guinea pig, but I thought this might be a good time to test out the new ointment that I had heard such good things about.   I'll be honest when I first opened Healin' Groovy, I had my doubts.  It initally has the look and feel of petroleum jelly.  I was pleasantly surprised when I applied it, the thicker texture provides great coverage on baby's bottom.  And my worry of it being greasy was way off, the ointment covers and protects, but does not leave a greasy feeling behind.  Within one diaper change, I noticed a vast improvement in the rash.  After 24 hours the rash was reduced to just a few red spots, and the obvious discomfort of my poor babe was gone. Now, that is the abbreviated version.  If you want to know how the application went on a babe with diaper rash, imagine a wrestling match with a contortionist.  Though I won in the end, it was not with out a fight!

The best part - I found out by accident that it works wonders on skin besides baby's bum.  I have been battling a dry patch of skin on the back of my hand for a couple months now.  Just when I think it is gone, it comes creeping back.  I had a little extra ointment left on my hand so I rubbed it on the back of my hand a couple times.  Guess whats gone.....my dry skin!  That's right, it might be marketed for baby, but this ointment is great for all kinds of dry and cracked skin.  There is nothing better than having one product that you can use for multiple things.

This product is great for diapering, but I would not recommend for cloth diapering.

BabyGanics is dedicated to making safe, effective, eco-friendly products.  The products are developed by two Dads who were looking for safe, non-toxic products for their families.  Thank you Kevin & Keith for sharing this great product with the world!  Check out their website for all the great products they offer for the whole household.

Want to try this product? Check back soon for a great giveaway!

Healin' Groovy = Mommy APPROVED!

Friday Freebies!

Who doesn't like free stuff? Our new Friday blog will be Friday Freebies! Check back every Friday for great online freebies and giveaways.  Check out some of today's great finds:

Mrs. Dash seasoning -Free Sample
Starbucks - Half off Happy Hour
Olive Garden - Free appetizer or dessert!
Quiznos Subs - Free small sub
Chuck E Cheese - Great coupons
Chili's  - Free appetizer
Redbox Movies - Free Rental
Scented Trash Bags - Free sample

Make sure to share these great deals with your friends by sharing this on Facebook or Twitter!  If you know of great deals, email us or comment below so we can share the love!

The Buzz on Natural Baby Powder

Natural, organic, what does it all mean?  Is it better?  When it comes to baby powder, here is what I found out!

This weeks review is on Bee All Natural's Organic Baby Powder.  I used baby powder when my son was first born, but smell and particles that "poof" into the air were enough for me to get rid of it FAST!  As I did more research I discovered that most baby powders use talc as a main ingredient which is NOT recommended for babies.  Inhaling powders with talc can be very harmful to babies.

I use cloth diapers with my son and occasionally he has had an issue with diaper rash.  It is not recommended to use most diaper rash creams with cloth diapers, so I was looking for a good safe alternative.  Bee All Natural's Organic Baby Powder is great!  This powder is safe to use with cloth diapers and safe and gentle on babies skin.  The powder is talc and fragrance free, so it eliminates the dangerous elements of traditional baby powders.

Just a dash of this powder on my son's skin has helped to eliminate diaper rash from creeping up.  The natural, organic, ingredients absorb moisture away from babies skin just like traditional baby powder but, with out all the additives and harmful ingredients.   Not only that, when you apply the powder you don't get that "poof" of powder released into the air like traditional products.

What makes it organic? Their ingredients are never adulterated with processed, bleached, or genetically-modified components, and are free from artificial preservatives, colors and perfumes.  In short, they eliminate all dangerous, unnatural components from their products, making it safe for you and baby!

If all of this is not reason enough for you to try this great product, Bee All Natural gives you plenty more reasons.  They offer many more great, certified organic, products for you and baby.  I am a big supporter of small business and items made in the USA, and this company fits both of those.  Bee All Natural is based in Michigan, and all of their products have been carefully researched and produced by their owner, Rachel.  Check out their website to see and purchase all of their great products.

Bee All Natural Baby Powder: Baby tested, Mommy APPROVED!!