I popped into the nail care section the next time I was there and yes indeed, there was this huge array of really inexpensive nail polish in great colors.

I didn’t ask her the important questions though – such as – how does it wear? How often do you have to touch it up?

Because, had I asked I would’ve learned that even with a nice heavy top coat this polish seems to be designed to chip. After trying multiple kinds of top coat/bottom coat/sealer products I could never get this polish to STICK on my nails for more than 1/2 a day.

It’s not a bargain it’s a waste of time and money. Big thumbs down to Pure Ice nail polish.

Written by Gidge, who is a mother of a 7 year old boy and 5 year old twin boys. A transplanted Hoosier, die-hard Colts fan and professional call center manager, she likes long walks on the beach, penguins and playing ping-pong. Her turn-ons include sleep and silence. Read all about her life here.

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To enter leave a comment on this giveaway post telling us what child in your life could really use this toothbrush. Entries will be accepted through October 5, 2009 at midnight (C.S.T.) and the winner will be selected using Random.org. Only residents living the U.S. or Canada may enter.

You can receive a second entry by blogging about the contest (linking to it) or becoming a fan of Props & Pans on Facebook. Just e-mail us with a live link or let us know you have it posted on your site.

You do not need a blog to enter, just leave us your e-mail address so that we may contact you. As always, it is Props & Pans policy NOT to distribute any information you give us (including your e-mail). Thanks for entering!

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Philips created the power toothbrush for kids ages 4-10 and actually took into consideration the challenges parents face in getting kids to brush their teeth. Our son loved the design and that he could switch out the face plates which came with the brush to pick the design he liked best. The handle has two gripping locations and two age-appropriate brush heads – both accommodate different ages. It is rechargeable and sits on a small base. I like the size because it doesn’t take up a lot of room on your bathroom counter.

The best part is the KidPacer^® technology that provides music tones which indicate when the child should move on to brushing the next section of their mouth. In the past our son has had trouble remembering to brush in the back for more than one second. Now his toothbrush encourages him to brush for an appropriate amount of time and he finds it to be a fun game.

Another positive addition that Philips included is Kidtimer^® which helps children reach the recommended 2 minute brushing time by slowly increasing the KidPacer^® tones over a 90 day period.

Ethan has been using the Sonicare for Kids^® toothbrush now for over a month and the results have been excellent thus far! His teeth are certainly cleaner and the difference has been easy to see. He finds brushing to be more of a game than a chore and he’s actually excited to use it. For just under $70 on Amazon.com I give this toothbrush big props for all the extras it offers that are geared towards kids.

Written by Emily, who is a married working mother of a very energetic 7 year old son. Last year they moved to the country to live on a rock road. Emily was stuck with dial-up internet for 13 months and kissed the installation guy who recently put in high speed at their house. She writes at her personal blog, Fenicle and loves to review new things.

So I started looking around at various orthotics which were advertised to help relieve my pain.

There are truly a dizzying number of options on the internet and catalogs, but I opted, just as a trial, to pick up some Dr. Scholl’s heel pain relief inserts for a few dollars at my local mega mart.

To my surprise, the pain nearly completely abated. It’s not perfect and I still have an occasional day of discomfort but nothing like the misery I was in before. I wear the inserts in all of my shoes including sneakers to make sure my arches are supported and my heels are cushioned.

I was really surprised and give Dr Scholl’s a nice big prop on this reasonably priced solution!

Written by Gidge, who is a mother of a 5 year old boy and 3 year old twin boys. A transplanted Hoosier, die-hard Colts fan and professional call center manager, she likes long walks on the beach, penguins and playing ping-pong. Her turn-ons include sleep and silence. Read all about her life here.

I carry a bottle of their fabulous lotion in every bag I own, and keep one in every bathroom & bedroom in my house. It’s not at all greasy but is awesomely moisturizing. Made of only four ingredients (plus essential oils and/or fragrances) it’s one of the only things in my bathroom that I’m not afraid for my babies to get ahold of & chew on.

Callous Balm was my first love from It’s a Family Affair. My heels have never looked better than they have since I started using Callous Balm regularly. Even my pedicurist noticed and commented that I must have just come for the massage because my heels sure didn’t need her. I’ve moved on to the Peppermint Foot Scrub and Foot Mousse for regular foot days and now I save the callous balm for post-pedicure feet (they’ll stay that way for what seems like forever!).

If you’re looking to relax in the tub, the Fizzing Bath Salts are fabulous. Pumpkin lavender is a beautiful combination – far nicer than it sounds.

If you’re looking for some great Christmas gifts for the hard to buy for, stocking stuffers for the kids, something special for a new mama or just a little treat to pamper yourself, be sure to check out all Canadian It’s a Family Affair. (At this time their products are only available in Canada.)

Written by Nicole, who blogs about whatever strikes her fancy at Much More Than a Mom. She’s a mom first, and then a whole bunch of other crazy stuff, including a teacher, fitness & yoga instructor and mother to two. She is also the founder & senior editor at The Opinionated Parent, where one of her favorite things to do is give great stuff away.

I am certainly not an expert in the area of lipstick, but when I find a product that goes on more like lip gloss with a little extra color, I will usually buy several tubes in different colors. Why do I do this? Mainly because it seems like I can never find that exact color I’m looking for and have to try various shades before I’m satisfied. It seems like one day a light pink looks really dark on my lips and another day it looks light pink.

Recently I found the remedy to my issue with the Avon Spectra Color lipstick. This genius invention offers 7 colors in a single lipstick  You customize the color by turning a dial on the bottom of the tube. Although it is larger than the average single color lipstick you might carry, in some ways it will save you from packing several tubes when you travel.

I give the Spectra Color high props! For the price of under $10 it is a steal. I recommend trying “The Nudes” for a creamy bit of shine that moisturizes too!

by Emily

I’m not a big sunbather but I like to look like I am. It’s not cool to show up at the beach and people have to put on sunglasses to avoid the white glare coming from your legs! This summer I shopped around determined to find the best self-tanner regardless of price. I had convinced myself that I would pay whatever it took to get even coverage that looked real.

I tried out two brands on high recommendations from a friend, but only found one to be what I was looking for. L’OrealParis Sublime Bronze Luminous Bronzer Lotion (seriously couldn’t they think of a longer name?) was exactly what I wanted. It went on very easily and dried quickly, but no too quickly. It’s important that you have enough time to make sure the coverage is even before it sets in. I expected it to rub off on my clothes just a little bit, at least my socks and bra, but it didn’t.

The biggest plus was that it added a bit of shimmer that left me looking and feeling radiant. For around $10 a bottle it was a good buy considering the results. They also make towelettes.

by Lisa

Enter Sally Hansen NO CHIP 10 Day Nail Color.

It goes on thick and my one complaint might be that it seems to take a bit longer to dry than other polishes. However, the extra ten minutes spent drying pays off huge dividends in the days worth of wear I get out of it.

If you buckle and unbuckle car seats on a regular basis you know exactly the sort of toll this can take on nails. Now add 50 hours of work plus a blogging habit and voila – you’ve wrecked your nails.

Where I shop they only carry an assortment of very basic, staple colors and I tend to opt for the girly pink of Steady Reddy – which isn’t “Reddy” at all.

This one is a win and a definite pick up for the busy mom on the go! Sally Hansen NO CHIP 10 Day Nail Color gets a prop from me!

Written by Gidge, who is a mother of a 5 year old boy and 3 year old twin boys. A transplanted Hoosier, die-hard Colts fan and professional call center manager, she likes long walks on the beach, penguins and playing ping-pong. Her turn-ons include sleep and silence. Read all about her life here.

To enter leave a comment on this giveaway post telling us what Oral B products you and your family use or why you could really use this toothbrush. Entries will be accepted through August 23, 2009 at midnight (C.S.T.) and the winner will be selected using Random.org. Only residents living the U.S. or Canada may enter.

You can receive a second entry by blogging about the contest (linking to it) or adding us to your blogroll. Just e-mail us with a live link or let us know you have it posted on your site. You do not need a blog to enter, just leave us your e-mail address so that we may contact you. As always, it is Props & Pans policy NOT to distribute any information you give us (including your e-mail). Thanks for entering!

The Oral B not only comes with several brushes, but there are also additional brushes available for your specialized needs. My husband, who has been going through toothbrushes at the rate of one a month for as long as I’ve known him never seemed to believe me when I told him he was brushing too hard. However, let the Visual Pressure Sensor tell him that and he’s a believer! The toothbrush has a built in timer so you know when you’ve brushed long enough.

One of the included brushes has a polishing head – the kind the hygienist uses to clean your teeth. I can tell a huge difference in my husband’s coffee stained teeth after he’s used it for several weeks. Be forewarned. The power this toothbrush packs is enormous! Having bought a “professional” toothbrush, I was astonished at the power and rotation the Triumph offered. It flosses, polishes, massages and gently sweeps away plaque. Your gum’s will be healthier and your mouth will thank you.

There is a handy covered storage case, a rechargeable unit and it fits nicely in your hand when you’re brushing. One bit of advice I learned right away. Look for replacement brushes on eBay as opposed to your local discount stores. That’s what I did and saved almost two-thirds of the cost of what I would have paid at Wal-Mart. There were also several different types of brushes available on Amazon.

My review for the Triumph could not be any higher. I count myself lucky that I was chosen to receive this fabulous toothbrush. Thanks Oral B!

Written by Perri, a homeschooling mom of 6 kids – 2 that are grown and out of the house and 4 younger ones who help wreck and clean the house. Perri also has two precious grandchildren. She spends a lot of time doing ministries with her church, volunteering in the community and baking a mean cheesecake. She blogs about her family’s life at My Life in Bits & Pieces.

As a last thought, maybe “crap recommendation” was a bit strong regarding my former dentist’s thoughts that I should buy a Rotadent. I’m sure I can use it to scrub the shower grout.

The Oral B Triumph is by far the best toothbrush I have ever used. Ever. I remembered electric toothbrushes as clunky and ineffective, but obviously that is no longer the case. Straight from the horse’s mouth here are a few things Oral B says the toothbrush will do:

• Improves gum health: Helps prevent and reverse gingivitis
• Provides ultimate plaque removal
• Delivers superior teeth whitening and polishing action in 21 days
• Penetrates between teeth to sweep away plaque for a floss-like clean
• Helps reduce excessive brushing force, which can lead to gum recession, by up to 88% in only 30 days
• Guaranteed better checkups, or your money back
• Helps you brush for two minutes

I don’t know about the better checkup, but the rest I agree with completely. When is the last time a product actually did what it claimed? My husband and I both used it (more on this later) and the whitening was more noticeable for him, but what I liked most was the plaque removal. It really was very effective. The timer also makes the whole toothbrush buzz when it’s time to switch quadrants of the mouth, even if you are in a different room, ensuring that you brush the whole two minutes. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about the performance of this toothbrush. It is simply awesome.

That being said, it is also very expensive. I just don’t know anyone willing to drop $130 on a toothbrush. And while one of the cool features of the toothbrush is that it lets you know when it’s time to change the brush head, the new ones cost over $10 in the store. Each. So for my husband to use it too was more money, and then in three months we are looking at another $20 to replace them. That’s $80/year in toothbrush heads alone for just two people! We did find some heads on eBay that were cheaper, but who wants to go online and hope you can get lucky on ebay every 3 months?

Really I’m stumped on what to summarize this product as. Is it a prop? Is it a pan? I think it’s both. The performance can not be faulted, it is a wonderful product that could really revolutionize the way people brush thier teeth. The problem is that the people have to be able to afford it first!

Written by Andi, who teaches local high school students about abstaining from sex. She has also had two kids in 16 months. Andi’s husband thinks she needs to practice what she preaches. You can read about her adventures (or misadventures) in motherhood at her personal blog, Parenting 101.

During a busy day at work I was typing and apparently using the space bar with my left hand a lot,  because it was screaming at me by lunch time. (Ever try to use the space bar with the wrong thumb as you type? If you took typing class you know it’s nearly impossible, but I digress.) So I wandered off to the medicine cabinet in search of antibiotic ointment and a band aid or two.

One of my coworkers saw me perusing the cabinet and pointed out that we had packets of Band-Aid Liquid Bandages, raving about how great they are when you are typing and I should check them out. Which I did. A swab-like item soaked in some chemical (the liquid band aid I presume) pops out of the pack and I slathered it over the gash in my left thumb.

I let it dry and then went back to work. It then promptly cracked back open again, but more painfully this time. Which is when I went, washed my hand really well, dried my hand really well and re-applied another liquid Band Aid swab to it. And the same thing happened again.

I can only surmise that these things are great for scrapes, but not for cuts. Using it for a cut was not only disappointing, but I genuinely disliked the results. This one is a big pan from me. Ouch!

Written by Gidge, who is a mother of a 5 year old boy and 3 year old twin boys. A transplanted Hoosier, die-hard Colts fan and professional call center manager, she likes long walks on the beach, penguins and playing ping-pong. Her turn-ons include sleep and silence. Read all about her life here.