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Theta Mom®

Redefining Motherhood

From My Home to Yours

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the support you have shown me since I started this blog. I have met some of the most amazing women I would not have met otherwise and I have enjoyed getting to know each and every one of you. I have come to know you, your families, and your lives through the writing on your own blogs. There is a community of moms here I am so proud to be a part of and I look forward to another fantastic year together.

I am also especially appreciative to those bloggy friends who have followed me from my move to WordPress. Thank you, sincerely, for staying with me. I’m honored to be blogging with you. And to my new readers, welcome to Theta Mom! I look forward to getting to know you better.

I also wanted to let you know I’m taking a mini holiday break to spend some QT with my family and will be back to post over the weekend.

So until then, from my home to yours…

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 Here’s to a safe and wonderful holiday!

The Ultra Dental Water Jet Review and Giveaway

***This contest is now closed. Congratulations Natasha! An email has been sent.***

Waterpik is a company that has been a leader in creating and manufacturing innovative personal and oral health care products that enhance health and wellness since 1962. Waterpik has maintained a commitment to developing products that enable consumers to take better care of their personal and oral health. Over the years, these products have been recognized for their incredible technology and award winning designs. Waterpik is one of the most trusted oral health brands of dental professionals throughout the world.

I tested one of Waterpik’s most popular products The Ultra Dental Water Jet which is clinically proven to be significantly more effective than flossing alone. It helps to reduce gingivitis and removes bacteria deep between teeth and below the gumline. It cleans three times deeper than brushing alone. With its state-of-the-art dental water jet technology, this product features 10 pressure settings and 6 tips which guarantee healthier gums in just 14 days. You can view all the specific details for the Ultra Dental Water Jet here.

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I am religious about dental hygiene. So if there is something I can do to keep my teeth and gums healthy (aside from brushing and flossing alone) then I want to incorporate it into my daily routine. When I received the Ultra Dental Water Jet, the directions on how to use this unit were clearly explained. A small card was inserted in the box (along with a detailed information packet) with 6 easy steps.

Basically, you fill the reservoir with water and lock it onto the base, select and insert a tip to use, adjust the pressure on the unit itself, and begin to use the selected tip on your teeth and gums. So easy! When you use the Ultra Dental Water Jet for the first time, you need to “prime” the unit (step #3) making sure the pressure tip is pointed down toward the sink. This not only allows the pressure and the water to work through the unit correctly, but having the tip pointed down toward the sink will keep the water from spraying elsewhere. Once I inserted the tip and adjusted the pressure (as well as the pause control), I quickly began to get the hang of it. At first, some of the water was spraying too fast, but the dial on the unit to reduce the pressure is there so that you are able to control how hard the water comes out at any time. When I found the right setting that was comfortable for me, I began to use this unit effectively. The Ultra Dental Water Jet was really getting right at the gumline and between all of my teeth beautifully. Especially for far to reach places, this unit ensured an excellent cleaning every single time. My dentist would be so proud of me!

I’ve used this product for a week now in conjunction with regular brushing and flossing. However, if you don’t enjoy flossing so much, this product can actually replace flossing. My teeth and gums certainly feel cleaner and fresher since testing the unit! Using the Ultra Dental Water Jet has been the third acquired step in my daily routine. It’s a product that has definitely lived up to its promise and even has clinical studies to support it. I strongly encourage you to catch a great video on the Waterpik website demonstrating exactly how the Ultra Dental Water Jet works. You can watch that video here.

You can also purchase The Ultra Dental Water Jet for $59.99 here OR you can enter to win because Waterpik, Inc. is giving one lucky Theta Mom reader an Ultra Dental Water Jet! Amazing!!!

 How to Enter the Waterpik Giveaway:

Required Entry: I made this super easy. Follow my blog publicly and tell me you are.

Extra Entries: (You must leave a separate entry for each extra entry to count and extra entries won’t count unless the required entry is done)

1. Follow Theta Mom on Twitter here and leave me your twitter name. (1 entry)

2. Become a fan of Theta Mom on Facebook here and leave me your FB name. (1 entry)

3. Subscribe to Theta Mom via email. You must activate the subscription for this entry to count. (2 entries)

4. Subscribe to Theta Mom any other way. (1 entry)

5. Grab one of my cute buttons and add it to your website. (2 entries per button)

6. Click to vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs. Just click the banner on the right side bar and tell me you clicked. (1 entry)

7. Tweet this giveaway! Just copy/paste the following: Enter to win an Ultra Dental Water Jet (retail $59.99) #giveaway from Waterpik @ThetaMom http://tinyurl.com/ydy4qw5 Please RT (1 entry per daily tweet)

8. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to me. Leave me your link to show the post. (2 entries)

9. Add Theta Mom to your blogroll. (2 entries)

 Giveaway Rules:

This giveaway is open to US residents only. It begins on December 18, 2009 and will end on December 30, 2009 at 10 pm. One winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. The winner will be announced and must respond with a current email address within 48 hours to claim. Otherwise, another eligible entry will be chosen. Enter as many extra entries as you would like Theta Moms and good luck!

I was provided an Ultra Dental Water Jet from Waterpik, Inc. to review. I was not compensated for this review. These are my own honest opinions and experience with the product. However, individual results may vary.

Did You Say Featured Blogger?

Today I am the Featured Blogger over at The Wannabe WAHM! I would love for you to get to know more about me and all things bloggy, so please go check it out and show me some comment love over there!

And a reminder that 2 awesome giveaways end tonight so get those last entries in. If you want the chance to win a Zhu Zhu Pet enter here and if you want the chance to win some Orglamix enter here.

This May Just Be My Best Cut and Dump Yet

Many of you know I hate to cook. In fact, it’s actually a grueling process for me. I have no motivation to stay in the kitchen longer than five minutes.

Especially since I had kids, my cooking style has totally become a simple cut and dump. Cut open the package and dump it in. If you missed the full explanation of my cut and dump method, check out this post. Feel free to also revisit Spice It Up, another one of my classic cut and dumps.

But I must say, I think I’ve outdone myself this time. We’re talking mouth watering good. This is the kind of meal that you don’t even realize is a cut and dump. I got the thumbs up last night from my husband so I felt the need to share it with you. If I can help a few Theta Moms in the kitchen who are in need of a good cut and dump from time to time, then this was totally worth posting. I found this recipe on the back of a Lipton box…

Ready?

Prep time: 4 minutes

On a 13X9 pan (I love my rectangular stone) CUT and DUMP a package of thin-sliced chicken breast onto the pan.

CUT one tomato and DUMP the chopped pieces onto the chicken.

CUT one Lipton package (pictured below) into a bowl, DUMP 1/3 cup of water, (mix it) and then DUMP the mix onto the chicken.

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Bake at 400 for like 25 minutes. Then, DUMP some mozzarella and parmesan cheese on the chicken and bake an extra 5 minutes.

I also made some pasta and DUMPED some butter and parmesan cheese onto the pasta, but you could make anything on the side to go with the chicken.

You. Are. Done.

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Ladies, it actually looks presentable and tastes great. If you happen to try it, I would love to hear how it goes…so go get your cut and dump on!

The Demi Bella Review and Giveaway

***This contest is now closed. Congratulations Jean Myles. An email has been sent.***

Demi Bella was founded by Marlo, a graphic designer and busy mother of 3. She decided to create this company when she heard mothers asking each other the same questions at her daughter’s first cheerleading practice. “Is this your only child? How many kids do you have?” Those questions sparked an interest to introduce a product that would tell a mother’s story. Marlo immediately took her graphic design talent to design her own line of t-shirts that not only told the story of how many children a mother has, but found a way to make moms look fashionable in the process!

Since I am a Theta Mom of two, I reviewed the Black Long Sleeve V-Neck Mommy of 2 Tee which retails for $48.00.

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If you are anything like me then you would agree that a woman can never have enough black tees in her closet. However, this one is special because it’s a Demi Bella! It’s very comfortable made of 98% cotton and 2% spandex which hug and drape around the body perfectly. This isn’t your average t-shirt that you would wear to the gym. It’s the kind of shirt you would wear with a pair of jeans, some boots and jewelry…and look totally fabulous! You will instantly add this tee to your wardrobe and find yourself wearing it often because it’s so comfortable and easy to wear. You can pull a trendy look together in minutes.

Demi Bella is certainly no stranger to celebrities, either! Just ask Lynn, a Mom and Real Housewife of Orange County:

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And of course Theta Moms! Demi Bella offers sizes S-XL and there are a variety of products to choose from. The company offers different tees, tank tops, baby tees, tote bags and sweatshirts. Click to shop the entire Demi Bella line here.

You can purchase this Black Long Sleeve V-Neck Tee for $48.00 here OR you can enter to win one! Demi Bella is giving one lucky Theta Mom reader the chance to win her very own Demi Bella tee!

How to Enter the Demi Bella Giveaway:

Required Entry: Follow my blog publicly. Easy peasy!

Extra Entries: (You must leave a separate entry for each extra entry to count and extra entries won’t count unless the required entry is done)

1. Follow Theta Mom on Twitter and leave me your twitter name. (1 entry)

2. Become a fan of Theta Mom on Facebook here and leave me your FB name. (1 entry)

3. Subscribe to Theta Mom via email. You must activate the subscription for this entry to count. (2 entry)

4. Subscribe to Theta Mom any other way. (1 entry)
5. Grab one of my cute buttons and add it to your website. (2 entries per button)

6. Click to vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs. Just click the banner on the right side bar and tell me you clicked. (1 entry)

7. Tweet this giveaway! Just copy/paste the following:
Enter to win a $48 Mommy Tee #giveaway from Demi Bella @ThetaMom  http://tinyurl.com/ybagwyb Please RT (1 entry per daily tweet)

8. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to me. Leave me your link to show the post. (2 entries)

9. Add Theta Mom to your blogroll. (2 entries)

Giveaway Rules:

This giveaway is open to US residents only. It begins on December 13, 2009 and will end on December 23, 2009 at 10 pm. One winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. The winner will be announced and must respond with a current email address within 48 hours to claim. Otherwise, another eligible entry will be chosen. Enter as many extra entries as you would like Theta Moms and good luck!

I was provided one Tee from Demi Bella to review. I was not compensated for this review. These are my own honest opinions about the product.