I had a Big Wheels as a kid. Now, kids today get this super cute and stylish Plasma Car by Bel Bambini. It comes in a rainbow of juicy colors, including pink, red, purple, blue, green and yellow. As I was doing research on the Plasma Car, I also came across the old (now new again) Radio Flyer InchWorm. Anybody remember the 1970 InchWorm jingle?! Ahh, to be a kid again.

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This is probably inspired from my trip to the dentist yesterday, but I love going to the dentist for a good teeth cleaning. My teeth always look so bright and sparkly afterward. I like to keep that sparkle as long as I can, but being an admitted green-tea-oholic, the tannins tend to stain my teeth quickly. Always on the look out for a good whitening toothpaste, I recently tried SuperSmile whitening oral rinse created by Dr. Irwin Smigel, who happens to be known as the "Father of Aesthetic Dentistry."

I have to admit I am not a huge fan of the taste, but I can really feel it working (lots of hydrogen peroxide bubbling away) and I can see the results keeping my teeth brighter longer in between cleanings. It's actually the first product I have used (outside of dentist prescribed teeth whitening bleach and trays) that seems to help keep my teeth white long after the trip to the dentist.

Visiting Supersmile, I found that Dr. Smigel also has other whitening products, including toothbrushes, toothpastes and even whitening gum. Oh yeah, and check out their celebrity testimonials too -- even Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog gives props to SuperSmile... Too funny!

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This weekend we are headed to the coast to enjoy the remaining days of summer. We typically pack an assortment of goodies to eat throughout the day. The last time we made the trip to Bodega Bay, we stopped off at our favorite Whole Foods Market to pick up some items as well as some forgotten paper plates and utensils.

Not realizing there was a better, more eco-friendly alternative available, I was happy to find bambu Veneerware plates and picnic utensil packs. Excited to see bambu was a great alternative to paper plates and plastic forks, we felt good about the fact that bambu plates biodegrade naturally within 4-6 months after disposal. It was also good to know that there are no bleaches or dyes in their product. Their products are made from bamboo peeled directly from the stalk and bamboo is recognized as a highly renewable resource.

Sturdy and stylish, bambu was great for our picnic at the beach. Thin like paper plates, we were surprised how durable they held up with fruit salad and other saucy delights.

I love bambu's philosophy and guiding principles for their commitment to eco-smart innovation. "We exist to create interest and excitement around renewable materials and sustainable practices; we do that with original design, innovation and imagination."

Now, that's Extraordinique!

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As a kid, the best part about going back to school was the shopping trip for school uniforms and a new lunch box. The lunch box always seemed to define my connection to what was popular at the time. I had my Holly Hobby, an assortment of Hanna Barbera-themed boxes and then I think I even had a Star Wars lunchbox, or was that my brother? Either way, lunch boxes were a symbol of style, a conversational piece at lunch time, and often packed with goodies and love from mom. Scouting for some Extraordinique items for Back to School this week, I came across EM Tanner Designs, who brings back the lunchbox in a fun and funky way.

Since we have lots of nieces and nephews headed back to school this week, I thought I would feature these personalized retro-inspired lunchboxes so the kids can "kick it old school."

I think I may even need one, like the Party Dots Funky Lunchbox. That looks like fun to carry my Function Light Weight, my PB&J and TCHO chocolates. I'm sure all the kids at work will be jealous too. Hee Hee

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The ice cold beverage isle always seems to draw me in during the summertime at our local market and what I've recently noticed is that the beverage isle is kinda a "cool" place to be!

Our local Nugget Market carries a wide selection of really great drinks, including my favorite GT's Kombucha, and now a new line of drinks, call Function. Function, on the shelves caught my eye, because I had recently read an article on a line of physician-developed drinks with concrete science behind them.

Stocking our Extraordinique fridge with Light Weight, I've got to say the Pink Grapefruit and Acai Pomegranate are a guilt-free, calorie-burning, preservative-free alternative to diet soda and other sugary juices and "sports" drinks.

Function Light Weight includes EGCG, a green tea extract to help increase calories burned and gymnema extract, which limits the absorption of calories your body takes in from fat and carbs. Light Weight also includes reservatrol, which if you've been to any health store lately, it's all the rage. Reservatrol is a red wine extract that has found to increase energy and overall calorie burn.

Now, with all of that said, I will also say you don't get the caffeine jitters or that amp'd feeling on this drink. You just get a sense of "upbeat" energy, which I can always use by mid-afternoon to gear up for exercise at the end of the day.

In addition to Light Weight, Function also has drinks to boost your immune system, improve your mood, and ease sore muscles after a workout.

I haven't tried these others yet, but I'm thinking this weekend, I may try a Vacation.

Cheers!

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This weekend we enjoyed a new creation from TCHO chocolate fondly labeled "Fruity." Pairing our sampling with a nice cabernet, some summer fruit, cheeses and nuts, TCHO's Fruity is a very smooth dark chocolate that has a bittersweet "fruity" undertone, like berries and a hint of cherry. It was delicious with the sweetness of pear and strawberries and rolled beautifully on the tongue with the cabernet.

We also sampled Chocolately, which mixing the two, you could richly taste the difference making each one distinct in flavor. Fruity was the fan favorite for the evening, particularly as a nice addition to the summer fruit and cheese tray.

TCHO has an unparalleled commitment to making fine chocolate. TCHO goes as far as saying they're "obsessed, very obsessed" even. Their passion for finding and selecting the best ingredients takes them to all corners of the world, then back to the "lab" in San Francisco. With their latest release, be sure to read how Fruity became a labor of love and an extraordinary journey "from pod to palette" creating this amazing new TCHO chocolate in "beta." It is Extraordinique!

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Extraordinique was founded upon the idea of sharing stories about "ideapreneurs" - people who ideate, design and develop the most extraordinary and unique things for modern day life. Their backstories and their products alike are inspiring, fun, creative, influential and often manifest a simple solution designed to perfection. dVider is one such company that I say fits the bill.

This summer, I have been looking to do something fun and dimensional in an entry way to enhance the space. I have been looking for something with versatility and personality. dVider decals seem to provide that simple and artistic solution that can be added for any occasion and refresh your room's personality in style.

With this post, dVider stickers, in my opinion, can speak for themselves.

"We don't want to take over the world, we just want to share our stickers with it." - dVider

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