This post is brought to you by Cree Bulbs. All opinions are my own. I will only share products and reviews in this space when I feel strongly about the product and believe it's worth sharing with others.

When news stories started to break about the fact that incandescent light bulbs were going to become a thing of the past, my husband went immediately out to the store and bought boxes and boxes of bulbs.

It's not that we're anti-energy savings and greener options for our home, it's that we both HATE the way CFL bulbs light up our home. Words like cold and dull come to mind when I think of CFL bulbs. Not to mention the fact that walking into a room and flipping the switch doesn't mean you'll be bathed in warm, beautiful light. Instead you'll be greeted by a dull, grey-cast light that needs time to warm up to full brightness (which, let's be honest, isn't really that bright.)

Dan changing out the kitchen pendant light. Won't have to do this again for a VERY long time.

Yes, I have so many other things to worry about in my life, but I was honestly a little panicky about not being able to find good light bulbs anymore. And I encouraged my husband's over-buying of bulbs.

So when I was contacted by Cree to see if I wanted to try out their LED bulbs, I was pretty quick to sign on. If they could truly do what they said in their email to me--"warm light, instant on, energy-saving", I was more than willing to give them a workout in my big old farmhouse where we secretly hoard incandescent bulbs in the basement.

We're coming up on 3 months of Cree Bulb use in our home and here's what you should know:

1. They turn on right away. There's no warm-up time. Flip the switch and let there be light.

2. They light the room just like an incandescent lightbulb. They give off warm, strong light that feels inviting and comfortable in all the rooms where I use them.

3. They last forever. The first places we switched over to Cree bulbs were in the most annoying places to change the bulbs. First on the list, the pendant that dangles over the kitchen island. The bulbs have a 25,000-hour lifetime (an incandescent lightbulb has about a 1000-hour lifetime), so one bulb change is going to last us a really long time. No more climbing on the kitchen island and dealing with the fragile pendant? Done.

One of the next places I wanted a CREE LED bulb was at my bedside table. It provides warm, soft light for reading, especially at night before bed.

4. They use 85% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

5. They are mercury free. The other thing I hated about CFLs was the fear of breaking them and dealing with proper, safe disposal. And because these LED blubs from CREE last longer, they are less wasteful (and less toxic.)

6. They are dimmable. If you're one of those fancy people with dimming light switches CREE's newest 4Flow Filament design will work with most dimmers. It is made from durable shatter-proof plastic but has cross-flow ventilation that cools the LED. (And it can be used inside and out!)

7. They are priced to be affordable. Cree's standard (A19) bulb is under the ten dollar mark at Home Depot.

So if switching out your bulbs to CFLs makes you feel a little depressed, like it did me, Cree's LED bulbs will be your new best friend. Find out more about the different types of bulbs they offer by visiting www.creebulb.com.

This post is part of a sponsorship with CreeBulbs. All opinions are my own.

My girls and I were asked by our friends from Social Stars to take a look at these products from LISTERINE® SMARTRINSE. We were sent some goodies and tested out the products as part of our nightly bedtime routine. My promise to my blog readers is that I will only share sponsored posts on this blog if they are for products I would recommend to my friends, purchase myself, and have some connection to something I am learning, working on, teaching my children or care deeply about. So if I'm sharing it here, know that it's because I think it's worthy of sharing.

I went to the dentist last week and I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't been in the dentist chair in quite awhile. Long enough that I couldn't remember the last time, and had to put a big fat question mark on that part of my new patient form. It's the classic "no dental insurance, put the kids' teeth before my own teeth" scenario. Thankfully, through the power of good genetics and good brushing, my thirty-eight year streak of no cavities and no fillings has continued. And the dentist office was quick to make sure I would be back in six months and keep up with my healthy teeth. I promised I would.

I have to admit that in my current commitment to better health, my eyes have been opened to the power that lies in taking care of all of oneself.

In my blissful youth, I was the kid who never had to worry about her skin. But the bliss of those days is apparently over as I've hit my late thirties. And I have adopted a Skin Care Routine. As crazy as it may sound, taking care of my skin has been an eye-opening experience. Those five minutes I take at the end of the evening to pull back my hair, wash my face and put on a little magical cream feel so important. Not only the fact that it's good for my skin, it's been good for my soul as well.

Setting aside that time, caring enough about myself to take care of myself, and take time for myself? That's so important--for health, for heart, for self-esteem, for outlook on life. I know, I know, it seems like a bit much to get from a five-minute face washing, but I am convinced that these healthful habits are important and set a pattern for healthful habits in other areas of my life.

It's this same intention--the importance of caring for yourself--that I'm trying to teach my girls. While we're not needing to worry about blemishes and zit creams yet, we can start off on this same path by taking good care of our teeth.

Lately, that's meant not only standing in front of the mirror brushing, but also adding more to that nighttime routine, including flossing and using mouthwash. I want my girls to know that taking care of their teeth isn't just about cavity prevention, it's also about taking care of the whole self. It's about setting aside time to establish healthy habits--something that will serve them well in all areas of their lives.

The girls recently got a fun package in the mail full of teeth-care-taking goodies from the folks at Listerine. Now, if you live in a house of girls, you can probably guess there's a little bit of excitement over pink mouthwash, purple dental floss and cool toothbrush holders that suction cup to your mirror.

It was the perfect way to continue to encourage the point I am trying to make--that caring for teeth is more than just clean teeth. But in the meantime, while they're swirling and spitting and I'm feeling good about them taking care of their bodies--the LISTERINE® SMARTRINSE is cleaning up the gunk their toothbrushing didn't get, strengthening their teeth and taking care of their whole mouth. Because a happy mouth is a smiley mouth. And who wouldn't want to see this crazy smile?

Want to know more about LISTERINE SMARTRINSE®? It helps prevent kids' cavities, and strengthens teeth 99% better than brushing alone. It cleans in places the toothbrush cannot reach (and c'mon we know kids aren't the best brushers), and provides up to 12 hours of cavity protection. And my girls say the pink is the best. Sorry boys.