Moms Who Chew Gum = Kids With Fewer Cavities?

My four year old daughter recently had her first cavity.  Truthfully, I felt like worst mom of the year holding her hand while she was getting her poor tooth filled. So when a dental hygenist / friend recommended this Spry gum for it's plaque reducing effect, I was curious. The gum is sweetened with xylitol, which from what I've read is a 100% natural sweetner that's been around since the 19th century; it was mostly known as a sugar alternative for diabetics. What I didn't realize was that moms who chew xylitol gum when their kids are 3 months old to 2 years old have kids with 70% fewer cavities at 5 years of age (read more about the research on the Xylitol page on Wikipedia). Now that's pretty interesting to us parents, especially since there is recent new research that suggests cavities are contagious person to person. That means mothers are transmitting the Streptococcus mutans bacterium, which is responsible for tooth decay, to their children. You can transfer the bacteria to your kids by sharing food and drinks, and even to your significant others by kissing. The gum is non GMO, gluten free, and comes in Cinnamon, Fresh Fruit and Peppermint flavors. Enjoy a tiny piece of gum for 5-10 minutes after meals and maybe my kids will get fewer cavities? I'll chew on that.

The $1 Rule To Live By...

.... If it's from the Dollar Store, the 99 Cents Store, or any dollar bin type sale, "Don't put it in you or on you." I'm including this here because I think it's super useful for moms and easy to remember. I heard this one from my brother, who works for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and busts counterfeit goods being sold everywhere. It's no secret that these stores and products are notorious for selling knock-offs, but at such low prices it's easy to forget that scary ingredients are often lurking. So the rule means no food, no vitamins, no lotions, no lip gloss, no kid's jewelry (cadmium = super toxic), etc. This is one I'm definitely going to live by... "Don't put it in you or on you."

Yes, Real Women Wear Cologne: Quercus by Penhaligon's

I like to wear men's cologne more than I like wearing perfume. For whatever reason, I don't like to smell too flowery or sweet, which often is the result on me when I use perfumes. My long-time favorite in the cologne/unisex department is Quercus spray by the London perfumer Penhaligon's (trivia: this is the shop where Princess Diana used to buy Bluebell, one of her favorites). I'm no perfume snob, I like what I like on me, but this one is a nice light mix of citrus and barbershop that you can wear any season. Find it at Amazon:

Penhaligon's London Quercus for Women 3.4 oz Cologne Spray

Best Dark Nail Polish: OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

I lived in Chicago for awhile after college and I've heard this matte color was inspired by the dark dresses the ladies were wearing around there circa 2005. It's been a go-to color of mine for years now -- this dark eggplant shade is somewhere not quite purple, not quite black, not quite burgundy. Pretty on toes or fingers. I found this OPI color in a local nail salon years ago, but you can pick up a bottle on Amazon.com for around $5.