Morning Goals Kicked Up A Notch

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When I got pregnant, one of the 5,000 things the doctor told me was to watch out for gum sensitivity. Apparently, your gums become much more sensitive when pregnant, making you more susceptible to gingivitis. I said "okay" and proceeded to promptly forget about it. After all, the doctor also told be 4,999 other things at this appointment!

A few weeks in, I realized that doctor was not kidding. My gums hurt from brushing, and flossing made them bleed like there was no tomorrow. I fought my inner urge to go with the easy solution (brush for less time and cut flossing) and decided I was going to have to prioritize my dental hygiene now more than ever. Thankfully, I found just the tool to help me do it!

The new Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected Sonic Electric Toothbrush ensures I am prioritizing my oral health like I should. What sets this toothbrush apart is the innovative and revolutionary smartphone app that comes with it. It gives me personalized, real-time feedback on how good of a brusher I am, if I missed any spots while brushing, if I'm applying too much pressure, or if I am using an excessive scrubbing motion. I have always had a problem with "brushing too hard". It feels like I am doing a better job that way, but I have had dentist after dentist tell me that this is not the case. With my new and not-so-improved pregnancy gums, brushing harder is making my poor mouth miserable. The Sonicare app is keeping me honest as I work to correct this bad habit!

I've always been big into setting goals. If I write it down, it's almost guaranteed that I will set my mind to it and do it. It's that whole OCD-must-complete-the-task thing. But hey, whatever gets the goals accomplished! With my new electric toothbrush as my inspiration, I set out to make new morning hygiene goals that will benefit my oral care and get my day started on the right foot. Here are the 5 I am working to stick to each and every morning!

1. Brush for 2 minutes

2. Ensure I am following the Sonicare app's personalized advice for the entire brushing

3. Floss 

4. Drink 8 oz of water

5. Take a breath, smile, and commit to having a productive day!

With these new morning goals, my day starts off on the right foot, and my smile has never been healthier. To kickstart your own new and improved morning hygiene routine, stop by Bed, Bath, and Beyond to pick up your own Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected Sonic Electric Toothbrush!

 Do you have a morning routine that helps you kickstart your day? Do share!

Halloween Things

Halloween 2016 is in the books, and it is officially November! How in the world did that happen?! October is one of the most magical months of the year with the crisp Fall weather and pumpkin everything, so as sad as I am to see it go, I love that we are now so close to the holidays. Yay November!

I didn't go all out for Halloween this year, but I know we will pull out all the bells and whistles next year when we take our little boy trick-or-treating for the first time! And since he will be 8 months old, he will get to look cute in a costume and we will get to eat all the candy. #winning

Even though we didn't do anything crazy for Halloween this year, I still couldn't resist dressing Jenny up in her annual pumpkin costume, and her cousin Sully joined her as a crocodile this year. Needless to say, they hate us. #worthit

This silly pumpkin costume has been with us since 2011 and has really never fit, but that doesn't stop me from making Jenny wear it for at least 5 minutes every year. She absolutely thinks it's the worst. I'm a mean dog mom for putting my girl through that all for a picture, but come on, how cute is this pumpkin pup?!

 Of course the real star this year was my little pumpkin nephew! He tolerated his costume a little longer than the pups did and was the cutest pumpkin in the patch. I just love him so!

That's a wrap on Halloween 2016!