Pennies and Prayers 4 Penny

I am joining many wonderful, fellow bloggers and mothers in a media blitz today to get the word out about a brave 11-month old girl who is currently battling Stage 4 Neuroblastoma (Cancer) in San Diego.

Pennelope Buttress is only 11 months old and she is fighting not only Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, but now also RSV.

This past week, March 9 to be exact. A beautiful 2 year old little angel named Layla Grace lost her battle with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. Please also take some time to visit her site if you can.

As a parent (or human being), this is hard to read about, but I can't look away and go about my happy life. Layla and Penny have reminded me again what is important in my life and sharing their stories with you is the least I can do to try to help spread the word about this horrible cancer that attacks children.

*image rights to pennies4penny.org

Please take some time out of your day to say a prayer for Penny and her family. Drop by their site and help to speak for those little children who can't speak for themselves. I have faith that Layla's passing and Penny's battle will bring awareness and awareness will bring a cure. Share this on your facebook, twitter (use hashtag #pennies4penny) and everywhere else you visit.

There will also be an auction to raise money on Friday, March 16. Please visit Pennies4Penny.org to donate (if you are a company) or to learn more if you would like to bid. The family also has a button on their site where you can donate to help them with their medical bills as their insurance will only cover 60% of the costs and one test alone at the very beginning of all of this has already cot them $4,000 out of pocket.

No parent should have to bury their child and no parent should have to worry about money when the most important thing in the world to them is fighting for their life.

No Need to Get Sensitive: Crest & Oral-B Help You Brush Sensitivity Off

Did you know that about 60% of Canadians suffer from some sort of tooth sensitivity according to the recent Crest and Oral-B Great Canadian Smile Survey? This includes sensitivity to hot, cold, sweet and acids and can sometimes have a big impact on what you choose to eat in a day.

Since being pregnant and having Baby Bird, I've added to my list of sensitivities. I always had tooth and sound sensitivities. I hate loud noises and have a constant ring in my ears (tinnitus). Now though, I get to add skin sensitivities to my list. Since having Baby Bird, I feel like all moisture has been sucked out of my body. I have dry skin, and even excema. I'm sensitive to cold. Really? I live in Canada -- aren't we all sensitive to cold? I'm just an all around sensitive person I guess.

I'm excited to be sharing with you the new Brush Off Sensitivity campaign. To help us treat tooth and gum sensitivity, Crest® and Oral-B® introduced the first group of sensitivity products designed to care for sensitive teeth or gums. Included in this are Crest® Pro-Health™ Sensitive Shield™ toothpaste, Crest Pro-Health floss for Sensitive Gums, Oral-B Advantage Sensitive manual toothbrush and Oral-B Vitality Sensitive Rechargeable power toothbrush.

I love slurpees... Seriously, what self-respecting ex-Winnipeger doesn't love slurpees? I mean Winnipeg is the slurpee capital of the world. I love slurpees -- and I suffer for it! My teeth are particularly sensitive to cold. I hate that I get the odd stabbing pain when I've forgotten to pay attention and the cold sits on my tooth for a second to long.

This is where the Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield toothpaste comes in. It contains Stannous Fluoride to help protect teeth from sensitivity.It also builds increasing protection against painful sensitivity and protects against the seven areas dentists check most: cavities, gingivitis, plaque, sensitivity, tartar, whitening and fresh breath.

Crest is also introducing Glide Pro-Health Floss for Sensitive Gums. It is designed to make flossing more comfortable for even the most sensitive gums.

To round out their sensitivity line, they also have the Oral-B Advantage Sensitive manual toothbrush and Oral-B Vitality Sensitive Rechargeable power toothbrush. It's your own preference whether you like manual or power toothbrushes and both come with soft bristles which my dentist tells me I need. The extra bonus that I like in the Oral-B Vitality Sensitive Rechargeable power toothbrush is that it includes a timer in the handle to help brush for the dentist-recommended two minutes. I'm positive that when I brush now I severely underestimate the whole 2-minute thing. I'm either tired, or I'm late for something and my teeth and gums always suffer for it. Now, I have a toothbrush to tell me when I can put it down and step away from the sink - I love it!

If you are like me (sensitive) and want to try any of these out, I found a couple of links to get coupons for both Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield toothpaste and Oral-B Vitality Rechargeable toothbrush so you can get a discount if you want to try them. Everything is available where you buy your oral care products so make sure you check them out.

In addition to these wonderful products, the generous people over at Crest and Oral-B also sent me a care package based on my survey to help me fight my own sensitivities. I received:

• Olay for Sensitive Skin (fragrance free, hypo-allergenic)
  
• Tide Free (no dyes or perfumes)
• Silent Earplugs (washable, reusable, NRR rating of 32)
• Sound Therapy (reduces noise, plays nature sounds. I can't tell you how welcome this is to someone with Tinnitus)
• Reusable Instant Handwarmer (heats to 130F, works for 30 minutes)
• Febreeze Allergan Reducer (reduce at least 75% of airbourne allergens - I have allergies but not as bad as my husband, so he says 'thank you')
• Allergy and Waterproof Pillow Protector (100% terry top waterproof, noiseless backing)
• Crest Whitestrips Daily Multicare (5-minute daily whitening solution - I really love these)
• The book Don't Call Me a Drama Queen!: A Guide for the Overly Sensitive and Their Significant Others Who Need to Learn How to Lighten Up and Go with the Flow. (This book is on deck to read right now on my nightstand. I fear I may have some drama queen in me where Baby Bird is concerned and I want help.)
  

For more information on Crest and Oral-B sensitivity products, visit www.crestprohealthcanada.com and www.oralb.ca.

Birthday Freebies in Canada

It's that time of year again where I get to post about birthday freebies. Yup, you guessed it, my birthday is coming up fast... this Sunday to be exact.

I was talking to Papa Bird last night and I was telling him about the coupon I got in the email from Joey's Only. Here's how that went.

Me: "Hey I have a coupon where we can get the percent equivalent of my age off of our entire bill up to a maximum of $25. So we would get 36% off of our order!"

Papa Bird: "Ummm... You mean 37%."

Me: "You suck!"

Papa Bird: "Maybe, but you're still going to be 37!"

So this brings me to my wonderful list of Birthday Freebies (BDF). This is what I have received from emails so far:

Sephora - This is always my favorite BDF because I don't get the chance to buy a LOT of makeup and these are always good for when we travel or for putting in my purse. Go to the Sephora Beauty Insider site and check out this years birthday gift. It is a Beautiful Eyes Kit complete with shadow, liner and mascara. There is no purchase necessary to redeem this BDF.

Joey's - So as I stated before, you can get the percent equivalent of your age off of your table's entire bill up to a maximum of $25 when you sign up to join their club online. Your coupon will be emailed to you one week before your birthday and is good for about 2 weeks from the date sent.

Reb Robin - Red Robin Gourmet Burgers are located in Alberta and BC (and most US States). You can join their eClub to receive a coupon for a free burger each year on your birthday. Your coupon will be emailed to you one week before your birthday and is good for about 2 weeks from the date sent.

Boston Pizza - You can join their email club to receive a coupon for a free gourmet pasta or dessert each year on your birthday. Your coupon will be emailed to you one week before your birthday and is good for about 2 weeks from the date sent.

Tony Roma's - You can join their Roma Rib Expert club and receive a coupon for a free entree each year on your birthday. Your coupon will be emailed to you one week before your birthday and is good for about 2 weeks from the date sent.

Orange Julius - You can join their OJ Quench Club and receive a coupon for a free 16 oz Julius Fruit Drink each year on your birthday. Your coupon will be emailed to you one week before your birthday and is good for about 2 weeks from the date sent.

Dairy Queen - You can join their Blizzard Fan Club and receive a coupon for a free 16 oz Blizzard treat when you purchase another blizzard treat each year on your birthday. Your coupon will be emailed to you one week before your birthday and is good for about 2 weeks from the date sent.

Let me know if you know of any others...

Splenda Free Trial Offer in Canada - Going Fast

You can request a trial offer of NEW SPLENDA® Flavours for Coffee on their Living Well promotions and offers page.

Only 3200 left as I post this.

Update: The samples have all been claimed. I will post when I hear of another free sample.

Mystery Shopping Opportunity in Canada

I've been meaning to learn more about mystery shopping in Canada and was happy to get an email from an old friend of mine telling me about Tell Us About Us, a company of his which has been in business since 1997 helping businesses and customers connect.

As you all know from my long-winded detailed posts, I love to give my opinion on things. There are a lot of different companies out there, so which one is a good one to choose? I'm going with this one and I'm signing up. If you're interested in learning more about mystery shopping, I suggest you sign up too.

Oh, and if you see me in a store or restaurant, don't out me okay? I'll be undercover!

I asked Tyler to put together a little welcome post for you guys and gals and here it is:

Thank you for your interest in the Tell Us About Us Mystery Shop Program!

At the moment, Tell Us About Us is offering several exciting opportunities for individuals interested in performing mystery shops. New mystery shop opportunities for certified shoppers are constantly arising across our ever growing client base. Should you wish to pursue the opportunities please feel free to visit our partner Sassie to enroll at www.sassieshop.com.

If you would also like to be a part of future growth at Tell Us About Us as a mystery shopper and panelist please visit www.tellusaboutus.com to begin receiving notifications about future employment opportunities.

We look forward to hearing back from you and would like to thank you for your interest in the mystery shopper position.

Tyler Gompf
Co - Founder CEO
Tell Us About Us Inc.