Putting Our Best Smile Forward with Colgate Total Mouthwash #TotalSmile

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.  All opinions are honest and are my own.

Recently, Mom and I made a trip to Target to shop for Colgate Total Mouthwash.  We had a great time dreaming about all the fun things we wanted to buy---who doesn't when visiting Target?  To see some great photos of our trip, visit my Google+ album.

Oral health is so important---I wish I would have taken better care of my teeth when I was younger.  It's really important to Jamie and I to make sure our kids develop good hygiene regiments while they're young.

From the time they're old enough to brush their own teeth, we begin teaching them the proper way to brush every tooth (front and back!) and to floss.  Now that we have some older kids in the house, we can start introducing mouthwash to them as well.

I have been buying Colgate Total toothpaste for years---it's always my go-to brand.  I appreciate that it does so many good things for our teeth, like fighting tartar and protecting against cavities and plaque.  It's whitening agents keep our teeth sparkling and the taste is not too harsh.

Michael was super excited to try out the new mouthwash.  He's getting into that stage where he is understanding the importance of personal care and hygiene.  I'm so glad he takes this seriously!  I had Spearmint and Peppermint flavors to choose from---he chose Peppermint.

I kept telling him, "don't swallow it!"  This is the, "Mom, I KNOW!" look.  He said he was surprised that it wasn't as harsh as he was expecting.  He declared it tasted just like a candy cane.  

Colgate Total Mouthwash has all the same germ-fighting components as the toothpaste we love, as well as the ability to protect our teeth even after eating and drinking!  It is an alcohol-free formula and it freshens breath too.  

Look at that healthy smile!  As a parent, there's so many good habits I want to instill in my kids.  Self-care is a very important one, both for their own personal health, and for the sake of their future social lives.  I might be young enough to remember my own nights of trying to sneak out of brushing, but I do want grandkids, after all!

Vintage Owl Locket with Martha Stewart Crafts™ Jewelry Program

When I learned about the opportunity to craft an awesome piece of jewelry with the new Martha Stewart Jewelry Program, I was absolutely thrilled!  I'd never created a piece of jewelry before and was really looking forward to playing with the package of supplies they sent me.  Thanks so much to Plaid® for the excellent box of goodies!

The inspiration for my Vintage Owl Locket came from this pair of earrings that belonged to my Grandma Betty.  I've always loved these and used to wear them when I was younger.  I wanted to give them a new place of prominence, though, in a jewelry piece that was closer to my current style.

Here are some neat supplies that were included in my product box.  I knew at once that I would be using that owl mold in my piece.  I definitely have a thing for owls!  I was excited to use the new epoxy clay, silicone tip brush, and handy silicone mat in the first step of my project.  See how the clay containers are divided?  It's important to mix equal parts of colored clay with white activator when using the epoxy clay.

I wanted a lighter shade of blue to create my owl cabochon, so I mixed some of the blue and some of the white (after mixing them separately with their own activators) to create a shade pretty close to the blue in the earrings.  An easier way to do this would be to make your custom color and then mix with an equal amount of activator.  This will keep it from drying out too fast.  

Using the silicone tip brush, I moved the clay into all the nooks and crannies of the silicone mold.  If you start at the center and work your way out to the sides, it will help to release any air bubbles that would keep your cabochon from molding properly.  After I made the blue owl, I put some white in the long leaf mold and let them set for 24 hours.  In the meantime, I worked on a different part of the necklace.

Since I had some extra clay after forming my owl, I decided to make my own special charm.  I formed it into a circle and used this wax tipped tool to place the blue rhinestones.  I absolutely LOVE this tool!  How many times have you dropped teeny tiny gems and beads when you were crafting?  This two-sided tool takes care of the problem!  It easily picks up the tiniest of rhinestones and allows you to place them right where you want them.  I know I will get a lot of use out of this!

I added a little setting to the top of the charm and then let it dry 24 hours.  I also used some enamel paint to add a little blue to these pretty pieces.  It took several days for the enamel to dry so I'm glad I started early.  I'm also glad I had this silicone mat to work on, because I could move it to a safe drying spot while I waited for everything to set.

More favorites of mine included the flat and round nose pliers.  Wow---how many times have I messed up my fingernails trying to open up a jump ring or clasp?  It was super simple with these well-made tools.  I also used them to easily rip the old earring clips off.  In the past I'd be twisting and pulling, back and forth, to remove them.  SO glad I have these tools now!

When my cabochon, charm, and enameled pieces were finished, the only thing left to do before designing the piece was to attach my owl to this neat locket setting.  Yes, it really does open!  I'm not sure yet what I want to do with the inside of it yet so, for now, I've painted the little circle inside white.  I'm sure I'll be inspired soon!  Anyway, I used jewelry glue to securely attach the owl to the front of the locket.

Once all my pieces were finished, I laid them out in a design that suited me and glued them together with the jewelry glue.  Finally, I strung some wire through it all, added some blue set rhinestones, and I was finished!  I've worn it out twice now and have had many nice compliments!

The Martha Stewart Jewelry line includes over 240 products just right for all levels of crafter.  Whether you want to make a gift for a friend or customize something for yourself, I'm sure you'll find the perfect mix of items to create you're own awesomely unique piece of jewelry.  

These products are available exclusively at Michaels craft stores all over the US.  

To learn more visit Plaid® here:
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I was sent a very awesome package of products, as well as paid compensation, in exchange for this review and tutorial.  All opinions are honest and are my own.

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Homemaking Party

Hello everyone!!  Whew! It has been a wild and crazy week!  Hope you've had a relaxing week and have fun plans for the weekend.  

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed tonight so I'm going easy on myself by posting a plain ol' Hello! for the Homemaking Party this week.

I can't wait to see what you've all got to share!

Blessings!