This past weekend I was out shopping for some new summer clothes for myself but it was one of those days when NOTHING worked. I was feeling very sad, disappointed and restless (not buying new things has that effect on me) until I wandered into a Baby Gap. All of that pent-up shopping anxiety was instantly assuaged by a full-on spending assault. Retail therapy – munchkin style.
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Lea Barlow
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Drinking coffee in the morning, diet coke in the afternoon and red wine at night is not exactly a recipe for gleaming white teeth and since I’m not real big on the whole brown tooth look bleaching my teeth has become a necessity over the years. I absolutely refuse to pay the $400 to go get this done professionally so I have used a variety of over-the-counter products. Some have worked while others have been a complete waste of money. I am so not a fan of Crest White Strips. Recently, though, I came across some natural teeth whitening remedies that run the gamut of ‘no freaking way’ to ‘let’s give it a go.’ Here they are:
“No freaking way”
- Rubbing the bark of walnut tree on your teeth. Uh, no.
- Brushing your teeth with hard wood ash. Where do I even get this? From a fire pit?
- On aluminum foil spread a paste made from toothpaste and baking soda and cover the teeth with the aluminum foil. Leave it for an hour. Really, an hour?!
“Hmmm….May-be”
- make a paste of baking soda and strawberries and apply to teeth with brush and leave on for 5 minutes. The key ingredient here is malic acid, which acts as an astringent to remove surface discoloration. Combined with baking powder, strawberries become a natural tooth-cleanser. Easy enough, I have strawberries and baking soda on hand. We’ll see.
“Let’s give it a go”
- Pull out that old brown bottle of hydrogen peroxide. If you are like me, you probably have several bottles lurking in closet corners or under the sink. Make sure it’s only 3% solution (which most are at the drugstore). After you brush, rinse with hydrogen peroxide for 30 seconds. It brightens the teeth over time, fights mouth bacteria and helps heal canker sores. Wow, who knew it had so many uses? It kind of tastes like non-flavored Listerine but not quite as potent. Interestingly enough, it’s also one of the key ingredients in most of the store bought products. Try it.
Happy whitening!
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Lea Barlow
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Name: Valerie Sowell
Kids: girl 10 yrs, boy 9 yrs
Occupation: Model for Home Shopping Network
Hometown: Tarpon Springs, FL
Click here for full interview with Valerie
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Lea Barlow
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Name: LA CREMA 2008 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast)
Alcohol content: 13.9%
Price: $24.99
Description per label: 2008 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast cool climate vineyards, Artisan Winemaking. Classic Pinot Noir.
Review:
Due to the various complexities attributed to a good pinot noir, tasting is no easy task. However, drinking an entire bottle of this heavenly liquid is. For less than $25 you are delivered one of the finest varietals in the mid-range Pinot Noir universe. The sophisticated and elegant Sonoma Coast red blesses the palate with numerous pleasing tastes and smells. I find downing copious amounts of La Crema Pinot Noir with breakfast, lunch and dinner perfectly acceptable.
To be candid, I could literally bathe in this wine. I’ve been known to drink it warm or chilled, directly out of the bottle, a glass, a boot, standing and prone. At time of press, I was suckling it from the nipple of a Born Free bottle. Not to go over the precipice with this review but I could rationalize abandoning my day job to allocate my waking hours to just guzzling this red devil. Of course, that may ruin my career, reputation, liver, marriage, and leave me penniless and insane, but nevertheless a laudable consideration….
On the SMS scale of (1-10) it’s a deftly crafted 9.5.
Suggested pairings: Russian caviar, a rare filet mignon, buttery Maine lobster, au gratin potatoes, brownie a la mode, good friends and several more bottles.
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Lea Barlow
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