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I hate to admit that although my mom has been in the dental profession for like over 25 years, I really despise going to the dentist. I almost feel like they judge us a bit, right? “You drink a lot soda, eh?” or something along those lines. This summer I forced myself to go for a cleaning and check-up, and I had a few cavities. At 28 years old, it’s not fun to be told these things, but I vowed to take better care of my teeth so I could have a healthier smile. One of my least favorite things is flossing…well, to be more specific, I hate flossing the my top, back teeth. I always make myself gag, and I have to really work at it everyday to make sure I am doing my dental homework.

Luckily, the kind folks over at Oral-B sent me the new Oral-B Deep Sweep TRIACTION 1000 power toothbrush, with a retail value up to $64.99, to test out for their #OralbWOW experiment. It seemed like perfect timing given my lackluster dental check-up.

This toothbrush, in conjunction with daily flossing and brushing twice a day, has made my dental homework easier and more effective. I’m crossing my fingers it’ll help me get an A+ at the dentist when I go back. It has powerful bristles that really tackle plaque, which is something my dentist told me to focus on when looking for a toothbrush/toothpaste regimen. The TRIACTION 1000 works marvelously! Here are some of my favorite features:

• I feel the little bristles at the top working on/in-between my teeth and gums. I can literally feel them scrubbing.
• Every 30 seconds the brush vibrates telling me to move onto another quadrant of my mouth. This means I brush my teeth for a FULL 2 minutes,
• Rechargeable battery + replaceable heads= earth friendly toothbrush
• I feel I get a deeper clean than when using a manual toothbrush- this kind of surprised me

The first word that literally came to mind when I first used it was, “Wow!” A deep clean, fresh feeling without a visit to the dentist’s office. I will definitely keep using the Oral-B deep sweep from now on, and I think my hubby will, too, as soon as we buy him his own toothbrush head. I think this new brush will lead to a happy dentist and a happy Monica.

You can check out Oral-B on social media for great news, promotions, and tips on maintaining oral health and a beautiful smile! Plus you can learn from others who have participated in the #OralbWOW experiment and read their reviews and thoughts on this awesome new toothbrush.

Like Oral-B on Facebook

Follow Oral-B on Twitter & visit the wowexperiment.com to see what happens when people switch to power brushing.

A little over 2 weeks I wrote about my positive experience at Best Buy when purchasing my Panasonic Sound Bar! Now I’m back with a review (and video!) to show you all just how awesome this sound bar is. And just a reminder for anyone who knows Spanish-speaking folks that Best Buy offers a Spanish website for shopping.

Now, my husband is the audiophile of the family, but after experiencing this sound bar for a few weeks, I can definitely see and hear why it is so fantastic. It especially comes in handy if you have get togethers often, like we do, because the clarity and dynamic sound is amazing. I illustrate that point in the video later on in this post, but I can’t quite express how awesome it is to have people over and be able to hear over  crystal clear sounds over the chit chat, smartphone noises and a barking dog.

Super slim design!

The Panasonic sound bar allows us to have family gatherings in style in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Our TV audio was not so great…we’d have it full blast and barely be able to hear and it was very flat sound. Being a family that likes to celebrate everything, but is on a budget, this purchase from Best Buy was a smart investment to keep us at home and not eating out for family gatherings. It enhances our time with our family when we’re watching the big football game or our favorite TV sitcoms (or the novelas!). Family time is so dear to my heart, and I love having people over at our home. Family and culture are values I grow to love more and more as I get older.

Awesome bass for action movies and football games.

Funny how a sound bar can bring people closer, right? See and hear for yourself how clear the sound is and how sleek the sound bar is. We haven’t mounted it to the wall just yet because we’re still renovating a bit, but once it’s on the wall, it’s nice to know it won’t be an eye sore.

Panasonic Sound Bar Review (Model SC-HTB20)

Now, it’s time for YOU to share how you think Best Buy can help you celebrate your cultura (culture)! If you share, you are entered to win a $100 Best Buy gift card! And if you need a gift in a jiffy, Best Buy offers e-Gift cards in Spanish and English!

But back to the fabulous $100 Best Buy gift card giveaway.

Super simple to enter…

Head on over to the Mi Best Buy Facebook page and comment on my post…Ok, once you find my post, leave a comment  on that Facebook post letting me know your favorite Best Buy product and how it would help you celebrate your culture/family.

Super easy, no fuss entry. :)

And for additional entries you can do the following (just leave a blog comment for these telling me you did them):

• Follow Mi Best Buy on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BestBuyEspanol
• Tweet a link to this post and mention me @monicabenavidez + @mibestbuy use the #micultura hashtag.
• Leave a comment on this blog post telling me what you’d use your gift card on.

Contest is open from now until next Thursday, the 18th at 10 pm CST. US only, must be 18+.

FOUR chances to enter…so good luck! :)

And if you really want to enter to win some amazing prizes:

Join Latina Mom Bloggers and Best Buy for a Twitter Party to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month on October 15^th from 9-10:30pm ET! The prizes will be amazing –

• SiriusXM Edge (includes $50 SiriusXM Prepaid Card, SiriusXM Portable Speaker Dock, Hardwire Modulator FMDA & Pro Installation up to $79.99)
• Xbox 360 with Kinect plus 50% off Xbox Live gold
• HP OJPro 8600 Printer
• Panasonic TC-L55ET5 55" HD LED TV (RV $1,499.99)

Rules: For the official rules, please click HERE.

RSVP:  To be eligible to win prizes, you must RSVP at Latina Mom Bloggers and follow @MiBestBuy. Click HERE to RSVP.

This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Best Buy. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve written about the Johnson & Johnson products quite a bit, and today I am focusing on the Daily Moisturizing Lotion and the Nourish & Moisturize Shampoo/Conditioner. When I first tried these out, I was kind of left a little unimpressed, but now…not so much.
I’ve been using them religiously for a few months now, and I just love it. I have these crazy phases where my legs itch like crazy. I’ve never been one to experience that kind of thing, and even Benadryl or antihistamine meds won’t help when I go into one of my crazy itchy phases. Even worse, my head sometimes gets like that, too. My initial impression was that because they weren’t scented, I wasn’t gaga over them, but I am thinking the all natural, no fragrance formula is definitely worth not smelling like flowers and rainbows. It soothes the skin, and during nights when I am itching so much I can’t sleep, it is my SAVIOR.

The shampoo and conditioner don’t do much for my curls or my dry hair, but it does a lot for my scalp. Gotta have priorities! I have less itchy/dry scalp feeling, and that’s worth a million bucks. Scratching your head constantly is NO FUN y’all, and it can be embarrassing. I think I straighten my hair too much to see a huge improvement, so please keep that in mind. My hair is fried!
I am in love with all the Aveeno products I’ve tried thanks to the Johnson & Johnson campaign with the Latina & Latino Lifestyle Bloggers collective, and I am thrilled to giveaway the entire line of products shown above in the first photo. I’m sure after you try them, you’ll love them just as much as I do. To enter, just use the Rafflecopter widget below:
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATS CANDY!

Although I am a bilingual Latina, I truly appreciate companies that take the extra step to cater to Spanish speakers and promote the Hispanic culture. Best Buy is one of those companies leading the initiative, and I’m proud to support a store that realizes that the Hispanic market is important. I will never forget all those moments when out and about with my grandmother at various stores and there was no one who spoke Spanish on staff. As a kid, I felt bad for my grandmother, and now as a grown woman who works in higher education and public relations, I truly realize the important of having Spanish speaking associates on a staff.

The “Mi Best Buy, Mi Cultura” initiative is a joint effort between Best Buy and some of its key vendor partners to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through October 15, 2012. I’m so honored to be part of this campaign and help spread the word about what Best Buy and Panasonic are doing for the Hispanic community in such simple, yet meaningful and impactful ways.

I went to the Best Buy location in Victoria, Texas and was assisted by Adrian Lopez—he’s one of the Spanish speaking associates you can find in over 300 Best Buy locations nationwide. I had to pick-up my Panasonic sound bar at the customer service/in-store pick-up area, which to my total surprise was also Spanish friendly by having Spanish translations on the bottom of the sign:

I looked around and noticed that all the major department signage also had Spanish translations on bottom.

Adrian took care of my entire transaction with a helpful, cheery demeanor, and I would not hesitate to send any of my Spanish-speaking relatives over to that location. And if someone wants to shop online in Spanish, Best Buy has offers a total Spanish-language shopping experience via Best Buy ESP.

I signed for my Panasonic Sound Bar, and then I was out the door and on with my evening. Even though I didn’t have to spend much time in the store, my experience was very positive.

My husband was also quite excited about our new toy!

We host a lot of family get togethers, so this will be a nice addition to our home audio set-up. We love spending time with the familia watching football games and TV shows, so now we get to enjoy those gatherings with our new sound bar! It’s nice how something so simple can bring together loved ones to celebrate our cultura over some cervezas and nachos!

In a few weeks, I’ll have a video review of the sound bar and I’ll be hosting a giveaway for a $100 Best Buy gift card! :)

And if you need to give a Best Buy gift card… Best Buy created an eGift-Card bbyurl.us/eGiftCard. Check out their assortment of eGift-Cards in Spanish for your shopping convenience and have them delivered immediately via email. Perfecto!

What are you doing (or your friends/family) to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?

This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Best Buy. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Hi everyone! Last week I saw Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias in concert, and oh my gosh, they are AMAZING in concert. The whole night I was on my feet dancing the night away. Here’s a photo of each of them that I snagged from the 6th row.

 

I’m not going to lie…during some of their Zumba songs, I just about broke out into the Zumba moves. I apologize to those lovely people sitting around me at the concert. Truly, I love music, and it was exhilarating to see them live. I was in heaven.

This got me thinking about songs this summer that I’ve loved dancing to or that would be great for a workout playlist (which reminds me…I need to workout). Going to the concert gave me a bit of Latin fever, so I shall stick to the theme and feature Latino/Latina artists rather than my usual faves Katy and Britney. Now, if you’ve got a song you think I absolutely should listen to, please leave me the name/artist in the comments section. I love discovering new tunes, so do share.

Without further adieu, here are my top 5 dance songs (or “Las del Baile") of summer 2012

Look at me all fancy with my Spanish.

1.) Jennifer Lopez: Dance Again

2.) Enrique Iglesias: Tonight (I’m Loving You)

3.) Shakira: Addicted to You

4.) Don Omar: Danza Kuduro (also a FUN Zumba song… just sayin’)

5.) Pitbull: I Know You Want Me

If you download those songs, and don’t feel like getting up and shakin’ it…there’s a problem.

There are tons of great playlists you can vote for over on the Mi Cricket Facebook page, and you can also enter your own playlist, too. Why? Well, Mi Cricket is giving away a fab prize to the grand prize winner, with the most total votes! They will win a prize package that includes a trip for you and three friends to the taping of the Alma Awards on September 16, 2012 in Los Angeles, including airfare and accommodations. The entrant with the most votes in each category will win a Huawei Ascend Q Muve Music phone and three months of free wireless service.

So, why not give a try? It takes less than 5 minutes to enter, and if nothing else you can get great ideas for your playlists.

And, Cricket wireless is also featuring some playlists from America’s top DJ’s. I particularly liked MC Magic’s Top Summer Songs.

Some of them are a little old school, and I dig it.

If you’d like to connect with Mi Cricket on Twitter, you can find them at https://twitter.com/MiCricket

So, tell me, what’s your favorite summer jam of all time? And if it’s “Call Me Maybe”, please don’t leave that in the comments! ;-)

Disclaimer: I am being compensated for this post by Cricket Wireless. All ideas, opinions, etc. are my own, like always.