Drinking Responsibly for the Holidays

This post is sponsored by Diamond Links. Any opinions expressed are my own.

I work in a hospital. Everyday I see people that are injured. There’s a lot of reasons for a person to end up in the hospital. Everything from acts of natures to self-harm, to mistakes, accidents, to downright negligence. Some of the hardest ones are seeing people effected by drunk drivers. There they are driving along having a normal day or a fun night then BOOM everything changes.

I took a bartending class years ago. It was my idea for a fall back career if my first career didn’t work out. One thing I remember them offering is something called TIPS certification. TIPS stands for Training for Interventional Procedures. It’s used to train people for the responsible sale, service, and consumption of alcohol. Bartenders, waitstaff, restaurant managers, etc can all be TIPS certified. The idea is to educate people to know when to stop serving people and serve legally. One thing I learned is drinks with a lot of alcohol in them like Alabama Slammers and Long Island Iced teas have 4 shots of hard liquor in them. You are not supposed to serve more than 2 to any person in a day. If it is obvious that a person is impaired, you should stop serving them as well. Not all places have TIPS certified staff.

I actually made the choice to pay the extra money to get TIPS certified. I never ended up using my bartending certificate except for person parties but it’s kinds of a neat skill to have. There’s bars in every state in the US.

Many places will also have no problem calling a cab, Uber, or other form of transportation for you if you need. While an individual is at fault for their own choice of drinking and driving a bar or restaurant can be found liable too if they are sued. I’ve heard instances of drunk drivers wrecking their vehicle then suing the bar because they served them too much. And guess what? They won. Sounds crazy I know but it just begs to show how making responsible choices all around can save lives and money.

With the holidays coming, there will be many holiday parties and seasonal spirits flowing. Have fun but make sure you’re enjoying your holiday parties responsibly. Line up a ride home with a DD, ride share service like Uber or Lyft, or cab service number on hand. For those that know this story all too well it’s good to line up a good lawyer like this tampa personal injury attorney I pray you never need to.

Dollar General Toy Book for the Holidays Available Now! Digital Copy HERE!

As promised, a new day a new holiday catalog to pre-plan your 2018 holiday shopping. Today’s ad scan is the Dollar General Toy book. Trying to get these to you early so you can plan out your shopping and buy before the big rush.

Tomorrow’s Ad scan will be the Target Toy Book! Did you see the Big Lots Holiday Catalog I posted yesterday?

Big Lots Holiday Catalog Available Now View it Digitally HERE!

Saving money for the holidays (or any time for that matter) isn’t just about finding the best deal it’s comparing and contrasting, pre-planning, and buying early. I’ll be posting new Holiday Ads and catalogs digitally as they come in. This way you can plan out your holiday shopping strategy and buy for it’s sold out!

As always, the Luv Saving Money Holiday Guide isn’t just about reviews and products but about savings for the holidays!

This post does contain affiliate links. I will earn a small percentage from sales made through this post at no extra cost to you. This is one way we keep this little blog running.

See it. Stream it. With Google Chromecast

This post is sponsored by Best Buy. Any opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve had more and more friends and family tell me about how their ditching cable and using some type of streaming program or device instead. Why? Because it saves money. Let’s face it, cable is expensive! Then there is us that has cable but still uses a streaming device for movies, exclusive shows, and more. Plus it allows the kids some freedom to watch what they want, where they want without having to buy more TVs.

One of those devices is Google Chromecast Steaming Media Player. Watch movies, shows, live TV, YouTube, and photos streaming on your TV from all your family’s devices.

See it. Stream it. Stream from your phone to TV. Plug Chromecast into the HDMI port on your TV and to power and stream your favorite entertainment right from your phone with just a tap. Watch shows, listen to playlists, and more. And while streaming, you can still use your phone as you normally do.

Works with the streaming apps you know and love Enjoy TV shows, movies, videos, songs, games, sports and more from over 2000 apps like Netflix, YouTube, YouTube TV, and HBO NOW. Find more at g.co/chromecast Catch up on episodes of Orange is the New Black, Watch that make up tutorial from your favorite Beauty Blogger while your at your vanity, kids bugging you to watch cartoons while you’re trying to watch your favorite show? Let them watch from your phone.

Start streaming with just your voice

Just say what you want to watch from compatible apps and control your TV hands-free, with Chromecast and Google Home working seamlessly together.²

“Ok Google, play Stranger Things from Netflix on my living room TV.”

Upgrade your TV for less Expand your home entertainment without buying a new TV. It’s so affordable you can get one for every TV in the house.

High-speed wireless connectivity

Built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi connects to the Internet through your wireless home network (wireless router required and sold separately).

Compatible with your existing HDTV

Easily connects to high-definition televisions with HDMI connectivity.

Subscriptions are required to view some content.

Google Home, Chromecast, and compatible content required to cast to a TV using Google Home.

Web-based services and content require high-speed Internet service. Some services may require a subscription.

Google Chromecast would make an awesome gift for the entertainment lover. Make it over the top by adding a Netflix or Hulu subscription!

Smile Brilliant cariPRO Ultrasonic Electric Toothbrush Review

I received a product sample in order to complete this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Years ago I used a rechargeable electric toothbrush from another brand. It worked fine but one of the reasons I stopped using it was the big recharging base took up space and the replacement toothbrush heads were ridiculously expensive. When Smile Brilliant offered for me to try their cariPRO Ultrasonic Electric toothbrush I wanted to check out their website first.

The charging base looks small but is it really?

When I looked at the website it looked like the charging base was quite small. We’re a family of 6, space is at a premium in our house so that was important to me. The base actually is quite small, approximately 2 inches wide. You don’t have to leave the base out all the time though because the charge last a long time.

How long does the charge last?

Charging is easy. You just plug the base into an outlet and set your toothbrush on the base. The charge light will glow red while charging until fully charged when it will turn green. If you’re in a hurry you only need to charge your brush for a few minutes to brush your teeth. When it’s fully charged however the charge lasts for up to 30 days with twice a day brushing.

What are the features of the cariPRO Ultrasonic electric toothbrush?

The cariPRO Ultrasonic electric toothbrush has 5 different settings: clean, white, massage, gum care, and sensitive. I have sensitive teeth but wanted to try all the settings. I found, for me, I liked the clean setting and gum care setting the best. The sensitive setting had a “tickle” feeling to me.

The cariPRO is also waterproof so no worries if it gets wet or even if you want to brush your teeth in the shower. Hey I’m not judging.

The brush runs for 2 minutes with a pause every 30 seconds to change areas in your mouth.

The cariPRO has smooth, almost satin-like feel making it comfortable to hold it in your hand.

60 day trial – you get to try it in your home for 60 days, if you don’t like it, ship it back and get your money back. There is also a 2 year warranty!

The brush heads also have a tongue scraper on the back.

How much does it cost?

A valid question. There are 3 different packages available for the cariPRO Ultrasonic electric toothbrush on the Smile Brilliant site.

Individual package – this is what I got to review. I received the cariPRO, one charging base, and 2 brush heads. This package runs $119. Shipping is free.
Deluxe package – you get one cariPRO, one charging base and 4 brush heads. If you change your brush heads every 6 months that works out to 2 years worth of brush heads. This package is $129 with free shipping.
Couples package – this one is definitely the best deal when you compare the prices to the other packages. You get 2 yes TWO cariPRO electric toothbrushes, 2 charging bases, and 4 brush heads. that breaks down to each person getting a toothbrush, 2 brush heads and a charging base for only $99.50 each since the couples package is $199 with free shipping.

All packages have a 60 day trial and 2 year warranty along with free shipping

Yea but how much are the Smile Brilliant replacement electric toothbrush heads?

This is where I was really impressed.

You can get 2 replacement toothbrush heads for $13 and free shipping. That’s $6.50 per toothbrush head
A better deal, get 4 replacement toothbrush heads for $23. That breaks down to $5.75 per toothbrush heads.
Best deal, get 8 replacement toothbrush heads for $43 that’s $5.38 per brush head.

Why should I use an electric toothbrush over a regular toothbrush?

I asked the same question. You can check the Smile Brilliant FAQ Here. The short of it is, it’s 7X more effective at removing plaque than a manual toothbrush. For me, another benefit is the fact that it runs for 2 minutes. Admittedly, I don’t always brush my teeth for two minutes with a manual. The cariPRO electric toothbrush runs for 2 minutes so it makes it easy to do that. The cariPRO can also help improve gum health. In my personal opinion, I also like the feel of the cariPRO electric toothbrush on my gums. It’s sort of like a masseuse for my mouth.

This is me first thing in the morning legitimately using the toothbrush. No make up, bed head, baggy eyes and all lol

What is it missing?

This is a matter of opinion. Because it runs for 2 minutes and only gives a brief, second pause to change quadrants in the mouth, I’d like to see a couple second break after 1 minute to spit. I know that’s gross but I have a sensitive gag reflex. I either have to try to spit with it running in my mouth or take it out of my mouth to spit and have it splatter on the mirror. I’ve tried to hold off until it was done running but I end up gagging lol.

Where can I get one?

Go to the Smile Brilliant website and use code: angiewith2-20 to get 20% off your very own cariPRO Ultrasonic electric toothbrush!

GIVEAWAY

Smile Brilliant has set up a giveaway for a $119 Smile Brilliant credit to be used for anything on the site

Enter to win a $119 Smile Brilliant credit