Learning Through Words

A wedding celebration should be a unique reflection of who the couple is. Weddingstar is a company that recognizes that wedding decorations, whether formal or informal, vintage or modern, are an important part of the celebration.

It’s common to have to go to several different sources to find everything that’s needed to achieve a particular look at the wedding venue, which can be exhausting. Weddingstar, however, has over 3,000 accessories that have been custom designed, so everything can be found in one place. Selecting wedding decorations is a time to be creative and have fun, and Weddingstar makes that happen.

Let’s face it: Healthy teeth are an absolute necessity, a fact that I, in my college days in particular, didn’t pay enough attention to. Snacks in between classes, only having time to brush teeth at night…and never flossing. I figured that because my teeth looked nice, there wasn’t any decay. I will never forget the look on my dentist’s face when he asked me after a routine teeth cleaning, “Do you floss your teeth?” and I answered immediately, “No.” I suppose most people deny such a thing, and my honesty surprised him. Well, five years and three fillings later, I come before you with healthier teeth, and a review on ACT^® Total Care Anticavity Fluoride Rinse.

I still have tooth decay that hasn’t progressed far enough to be filled, and the goal is to not let it progress any further either. Everyone has their own method of dental hygiene. As for me, I brush two to three times per day, depending on my schedule, and floss twice a day regardless. The enamel on my teeth has a tendency to be soft, I guess it’s a genetic thing, so I was looking for a mouthwash that could help rebuild my enamel and keep away those pesky cavities.

The enamel rebuilding aspect is what attracted me to the ACT^® Total Care Anticavity Fluoride Rinse. Nothing works immediately, but after a teeth cleaning appointment about a year ago, I decided that I had time (six months in between cleanings) to see if it worked. The directions say to swish it around the mouth for a minute, which I try to do, guessing at the time since I don’t always have a clock with me. The directions also say this mouthwash is only meant to be used once a day after a regular brushing. I find pouring the mouthwash up to the little 10 mL mark inside the cap helpful, as it indicates how much should be used per swishing session. As far as mouthwashes go, I chose the mint, which has a basic taste that I find not to be overpowering - once it has been spit out, the aftertaste is not intrusive, but rather, in my opinion, fresh.

So, does this work? I don’t know when the results started happening, but my last two dental cleanings have been a success, with the most recent one, about a month ago, revealing through the x-rays that there has been no further decay. I don’t know how much of it was because of diligent brushing and flossing, but they are just as important. When my dentist was looking at my file, he asked me again, “Have you been flossing?” This time, I confidently said “Yes,” and my dentist replied, “I can tell.”

ACT^® Total Care Anticavity Fluoride Rinse is sold at a number of locations - I have purchased it wherever it has been convenient to do so, from grocery stores to places like CVS. However, I have found that my local Bed bath & Beyond, which has added a personal care/cosmetics/beauty section to it, has the best price.

For complete information about this alcohol-free mouthwash, please see its official website. I like this mouthwash and will continue using it, knowing it has contributed to my healthy smile.

  I’m not an affiliate for any of the sites or products in this post that I link to or mention in any way.

Although this smartphone has been on the market for a couple of years, it’s still worth reviewing for those people who prefer to purchase a pre-owned BlackBerry® over a new one. I always say that it’s better not to stick with a product simply because it’s comfortable, but I guess that’s the truth for me when it comes to a BlackBerry®. This is the second BlackBerry® I’ve owned and, like all technological products, it has its pros and cons.

It’s not clunky, and I find fits nicely in the palm of my hand. I will admit that the color played a part in my selection of this BlackBerry®, because that shade is one of my favorite colors, and, let’s be honest, how often does one find such a smartphone in such a color? It’s actually been a conversation piece when people have seen it. Something that could be a bit cumbersome with this phone is its small keyboard, but I find the keyboard just right. Perhaps it has something to do with whether or not you’re used to QWERTY keyboards in the first place. It’s been easy to use when composing emails and texting. Also, I appreciate the touch pad scroller instead of the trackball I had with my last BlackBerry.

Next, we move on to how well it works. It works well in some things, but only moderately so at best. The battery life is okay, I suppose, but whenever I’m surfing the Internet or on a longer call (calls are generally easy to hear) it pretty much drains it in one sitting. That’s probably to be expected, though, with a phone that is a couple of years old. Speaking of the Internet, that’s my biggest problem with this phone. Many pages don’t load correctly, if at all, and the ones that do take forever to load. However, I do find that I get emails immediately, and Google searches are quick.

As for the extra features, they’re your basic ones - nothing too strenuous to figure out, which I liked very much about this phone. Customization was also easy. It didn’t take me much time at all to hide unneeded features on my main menu, and rearranged the features I did need. I have to mention CrackBerry.com - my phone just wouldn’t be the same without the wallpapers and ringtones that this site offers for free! It’s a must-visit website.

This phone doesn’t come with a video camera - a media card is needed for that. As for the camera, it’s average at best. The zoom feature only works sporadically, and pictures can be pixelated. So, this is, as I have mentioned, an average phone, and I will be upgrading to a newer BlackBerry sooner rather than later.

 I’m not an affiliate for any of the sites or products in this post that I link to or mention in any way.

No matter the season, it’s important to keep hands clean, particularly before handling food. Sure, you could use regular antibacterial soap, but if used too much, that can lead to dry hands. As has been stated in many of my posts, I prefer to use natural products, and I have found quite a winner with the CleanWell All-Natural Foaming Hand Sanitizer.

The alcohol used in many hand sanitizers might absorb the natural oils in the hands, hence dry hands. What makes the CleanWell All-Natural Foaming Hand Sanitizer different is that it’s alcohol-free, but still effectively kills germs, and is safe for kids to use. Also, I notice that each time I use it my hands feel clean and moisturized.  

As for the smell, it’s kind of up for debate. I try to share my hand sanitizer with people whenever I go out to eat, and while they accept it, some people find the smell to be not so nice. I like it initially (it smells like lemon) but the after-smell is kind of, well, I would say stale.

The product says that in its eight ounces there are 600 applications, and I believe it, since it takes me at least two months before I need to purchase another one. Speaking of purchasing, I got mine at Whole Foods Market, and at the time of this writing, it was priced at $6.49 before any taxes. That might seem like a lot, but again, consider the price with the longevity of use. You can also purchase these online at the CleanWell website.

I’m not an affiliate for any of the sites or products in this post that I link to or mention in any way.

I wanted to re-introduce a review of my favorite miniseries, which I originally reviewed back in 2008, John Adams. I can’t say enough things about this BRILLIANT adaptation. Really, I can’t. Paul Giamatti was amazing as the opinionated, determined second president of the United States. Laura Linney was a wonderfully understated Abigail in appearance, but fierce in intellect. I always enjoy Tom Wilkinson’s performances, and he certainly did not disappoint as Benjamin Franklin. David Morse, an actor I’m not really familiar with, looked EXACTLY like the George Washington we’ve seen in paintings.

I’m a history lover, and it has always fascinated me how the decisions were made by the Continental Congress to separate from Britain. This miniseries, produced by Tom Hanks, details that, but it isn’t boring - rather, it is exquisitely illuminating. Indeed, our founding fathers (as David McCullough, my literary hero and author of the book that the miniseries was based upon) weren’t perfect, and this miniseries shows that.

The long life (90 years) of John Adams was one of triumph, failure, love, and loss. This miniseries shows all of that and more. Fact: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826 - the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence!

Of course, what is most remembered is the great love story between John and Abigail. Abigail was his advisor in everything, and their partnership was one of true strength. David McCullough said in the American Experience story of John and Abigail Adams the following: “There’s a saying that ‘True love is not gazing into each other’s eyes, but but looking out together in the same direction’. If ever there was a couple who looked out in the same direction, it was John and Abigail Adams.”

Thanks to the YouTube user mev186, you can see the ending (not a spoiler!) of this miniseries which features the actual words that John and Abigail wrote to each other. This actually made me cry, and here it is: