Straight Talk: Braces Then, Invisalign Now

I would like to thank Invisalign for this sponsored post opportunity.

This is me in the 9th grade, circa 1994. Notice the mouth full of metal?

Looking at this picture brings back memories of teeth that were so extremely sore, that the mere thought of eating anything, brought tears to my eyes. Not to mention being poked with broken wires, broken brackets, rubber bands that connected upper brackets to lower brackets & monthly trips to the orthodontist. An especially unpleasant memory, is the cuts I would get on the inside of my mouth from wires that were bridging a gap between 2 teeth. The solution was to form chunks of wax around the wire.....lovely. I'm shocked I didn't choke on these chunks of wax in my sleep!

I had braces for almost 5 years.....Yes, you heard that right, 5 years! From 6th grade to the summer before my junior year of high school.

I wish Invisalign Teen was around back then!

Unfortunately for me, Invisalign wasn't developed until 1999, with the teen division being developed in 2009. Currently, there are more than 100,000 cases of Invisalign Teen each year, so this method of straightening teeth is definitely catching on, as an alternative to traditional metal braces.

So you might be asking yourself what is the difference between traditional metal braces and Invisalign?

Metal braces are affixed to teeth with wires and brackets, which are used to manipulate teeth movement. Sounds painful, doesn't it? It is!

Invisalign uses BPA free plastic aligners, that gradually move teeth. And, the best part is, you DON'T have to where them to eat! Not to mention, esthetically they just look better because they are virtually invisible.

Other advantages of using aligners, are that it's easier to keep your teeth clean. You just remove your aligners, and brush and floss your teeth like you normally would.

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How many of you have children that like to eat treats? What teen doesn't right? Well, with traditional braces you can't eat the following....

Your child will still love you, but he or she will not will not be a happy camper!

How do you know if your child will need braces?

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that a child have their first orthodontic screening at age 7. However, most children don't get braces until ages 9 to 16.

I have a 7 year old little boy, I guess I better make an appointment!

Primary reasons teens & parents love Invisalign.... 

~ Effectively straightens teeth
~ Made especially made for teens
~ Fits teens active lifestyles
~ It's removable
~ It's looks great
~ It's comfortable!

Teens that are candidates for Invisalign typically wear their aligners for a less overall length of time, compared to traditional metal braces, the cost is comparable to that of metal braces & you are given 6 extra aligners for free in case your teen loses one of his or her aligners. Also, you visit the Orthodontist less often!

If you would like information on what the Invisalign process entails, how to get started, costs & testimonials, please visit here.

Before & After's from Invisalign.com

Overly Crowded

Gapped Teeth

Overbite

Crossbite

You can also visit Invisalign Teen on Facebook & Twitter!

I was asked by Invisalign to write about Invisalign Teen. I was compensated for this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

What's Good at the 99 Cent Only Store this Week? 4-24-13

I don't know if your store practices this or not, but my store has empty spots on the fridge shelves, and new products to place on them, but they have "scheduled" times, in which they place the new shipments out for the consumers to purchase. Huh? This makes absolutely no sense to me.

I was literally peering through the fridge doors, where I can see cases of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Hershey's Chocolate Icing, but none on the shelves.  I asked an employee when these were going into the fridge, and she said she "wasn't sure." I was completely frustrated by this info, but luckily someone took pity on me, and slipped me a tube to purchase. Good thing they did, because we all know these will be completely wiped out by next Wednesday! I'm glad I got the cinnamon rolls, but it makes me wonder what else they are hoarding back there!


Here's what I picked up this week at my 99 Cent Only Store.

8 oz. T.G.I Friday's Loaded Baked Potato Cheese Dip Exp. 2-28-14

8 ct. Pillsbury Special Edition Cinnamon Rolls with Hershey's Chocolate Icing Exp. 5-26-13

9 Ct. Weight Watcher's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Exp. None that I could find

6.06 oz. Quaker Popped Rice Sancks in Ranch Exp. 6-8-13

16 serving Mio in Strawberry Watermelon Exp. None that I could find

64 oz. V8 V-Fusion Iced Tea in Lemon Flavor Exp. 6-20-13

64 oz. V8 V-Fusion Iced Tea in Peach Flavor Exp. 5-24-13

59 oz. Dole 100% Orange Juice Exp. 5-6-13

42 2-Ply Sheets Bounty DuraTowel - Not sure what's new & exciting about these, but I wanted to find out,lol. They usually only carry the Bounty Basic.

8 ct. Sara Lee Golden Creme Cakes Exp. 4-29-13

8 ct. Sara Lee Chocolate Creme Cakes Exp. 4-27-13

Special K Cracker Chips Southwest Ranch Exp. 5-17-13

Special K Cracker Chips Sour Cream & Onion Exp. 5-31-13

Special K Cracker Chips Cheddar Exp. 6-4-13

Please come back next week to see what I pick up at my 99 Cent Only Store!

Johnsonville ~ A Company Who Cares About It's Customers

On March 13th, I posted on the My Sesame Seed Buns Facebook Page that Johnsonville was giving away Johnsonville Party Kits, to aid in hosting a Cajun Celebration at home.  I immediately signed up, with the hopes of being sent a kit. After registering, I received notification that I had been selected! 

Unfortunately, shortly after I received an e-mail alerting me to a glitch in in their computer system, and I would not be sent a kit :-(  I understood. These things happen....

Then.... On March 21st, this was Johnsonville's Facebook Status.

Dear Friends,

At Johnsonville, we strive to do the right thing by all our consumers who are so important to us. That’s the Johnsonville Way.

With that in mind, everyone who received a registration confirmation e-mail will be getting a kit. This does not change the fact that we only had 1,000 kits available for the Cajun Celebration promotion. That’s why, while we would have preferred to offer this solution immediately, it has taken us time to identify the best possible option.

What we will be able to do, is assemble similar kits of equal value for everyone who missed out on the original Cajun kit. These new kits will be assembled as quickly as possible and delivered no later than May 15 th.

Again, please accept our apologies, for this honest error. Johnsonville is committed to providing a great experience for our consumers, and we hope this solution helps accomplish that.

All I can say is WOW! Johnsonville is absolutely amazing for honoring their original e-mail, where over 10,000 additional people were promised celebration kits! They could have easily sent out a $1.00 off coupon with an apology letter, but instead they promised to send out similar kits to everyone who registered! Johnsonville really cares about their customers. Thank you Johnsonville! I can't wait to host my Cajun Celebration :-)

Letter I received with my Celebration Kit

Here's what I received in my Cajun Celebration Kit!

Masks, Bead Necklaces, Johnsonville Cajun Celebration Apron

The Shrimp Council Reusable Shopping Bag, 10 oz. can Red Gold Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, 3 oz. Bottle Louisiana Hot Sauce, Gourmet Garden Measuring Spoons, Red Gold Refrigerator Magnet, Gourmet Garden Magnetic Shopping List Pad, Johnsonville Cajun Celebration Recipe Booklets, Klondike Brands Cutting Board 

FREE Johnsonville Premium Cooking Sausage Exp. 12-31-13, $1.00 off Pompeian 16 oz. or larger Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil or OlivExtra Blends Exp. 12-31-13, FREE Uncle Ben's Ready Rice Exp. 12-31-13, BOGO FREE Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices Exp. 9-30-13, $1.00 off 24 oz. Klondike Brands Potatoes Exp. 8-31-13, FREE Red Gold Tomato Product Exp. 12-31-14, Recipe Cards for Red Gold Cajun Queso Dip, Cheesy Ham & Tomato Rice Supper, Orange Scented Pork & Veggie Stew, Hearty Italian Salad

The Sixth Batch of Coupons Have Arrived!

For those of you who have been eagerly anticipating this post, I apologize for not getting this out sooner! My two children keep me extremely busy, and this post has been on my mind for awhile, but I haven't had a chance to write it until now.

Here is what arrived in the sixth batch of coupons.....

2 - $1.00 off any Nature Made Vitamin Product Exp. 6-30-13

$1.00/1 package of Nestle Toll House Baking Bars or Cocoa Exp. 2-28-14

$1.00/1 - 10 to 12 oz. Bag Nestle Toll House Morsels Exp. 2-28-14

$1.00/1 Any Mt. Olive Pickles, Peppers or Relish Exp. 4-30-13

$1.00/1 Puffs Product Exp. 6-30-13

2 - $.50/1 any Newman's Own Food Product Exp. 12-31-14

$1.00/1 Package of Land O Lakes Butter or Butter Product Exp. 12-31-14

$.55/1 Package of Land O Lakes Margarine or Fresh Buttery Taste Spread Exp. 12-31-14

$.55/1 Package of Land O Lakes Saute Express Starter Exp. 12-31-14

$.50/1 Package of Land O Lakes Eggs Exp. No Expiration Date

2 - $.75/1 Any Mission Product Exp. 12-31-13

2 - $1.00/1 10oz. or larger bag of Millstone Coffee or Millstone K-Cup Packs Exp. 6-30-13

2 - $1.00/1 Any Neosporin or Polysporin Exp. 3-31-13

$1.00/1 Any Ian's Product Exp. 3-31-14

$1.00/2 Any Mrs. Paul's Products Exp. 3-31-14



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Here are a couple of recipes that I received along with my coupons.


Light & Lemony Chicken Saute by Land O Lakes

See the original recipe here.
 

Photo from Land O Lakes dot com

For every Land O Lakes recipe that is pinned on Pinterest, they will donate 8 meals to Feeding America.


The fresh taste of lemon and green onions make this healthy chicken entree mouth-watering good.

 

20 min.prep time 30 min.total time

 

4 servings

 

 

Ingredients:

 

4 (4-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Fresh Buttery Taste® Spread

1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice

8 (1 cup) green onions, sliced 1-inch

1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

Lemon slices

Fresh parsley

Directions

Flatten each chicken breast half to about 1/4-inch thickness by pounding between sheets of waxed paper.

Melt Fresh Buttery Taste® Spread in 10-inch skillet until sizzling; add chicken, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, turning chicken occasionally, 5-6 minutes or until no longer pink. Place chicken on serving platter; keep warm.

Add lemon juice to drippings in pan. Cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Add green onions and mushrooms. Continue cooking 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Spoon mixture over chicken. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley. 

 

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Chocolate Crumb Bars

 

Photo from Very Best Baking dot com

See original recipe here.

 

By: NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE

Prep:15 mins

Cooking:35 mins

Level:Intermediate

Yields:30 bars

A delicate crumb base supports a creamy chocolate filling topped with chocolate chips and crunchy, butter cookie crumbs.

 Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, divided 

1 can (14 oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Sweetened Condensed Milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

BEAT butter in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in flour, sugar and salt until crumbly. With floured fingers, press 2 cups crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan; reserve remaining mixture. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

COMBINE 1 cup morsels and sweetened condensed milk in a small, heavy-duty saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Spread over hot crust.

STIR nuts and remaining morsels into reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over chocolate filling.  

 

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on wire rack.

What's Good at the 99 Cent Only Store this Week? 4-16-13

Well, I only managed to spend $16.xx at the 99 Cent Only Store this week!

There were still a lot of great new finds, but a lot of repeats as well. 

I passed on a few things, including  8 ct. Spider Man Rice Krispie Treats, half-gallon Silk Fruit & Protein(I already had some of these from a Ralph's deal I did earlier,) the Quaker yogurt bars I reported last week, now come in a 12 ct. box, that are 1/2 Strawberry & 1/2 Blueberry, and a new boxed pasta salad kit by Kraft.

Here is what I picked up this week....

6 ct. Lance 100 calorie packs of Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter Exp. 4-27-13

4.5 oz. Kellogg's Special K Popcorn Chips Exp. 5-19-13

5.29 Barilla Hazelnut and Chocolate Cream Cookies (Baiocchi) Exp. 7-27-13

5.29 Barilla Shortbread and Sugar Cane Cookies (Girotondi) Exp. 8-22-13

6 oz. Smartfood Selects Cinnamon Brown Sugar Popcorn Exp. 6-4-13

9.8 oz. Lunchables Snackers Family Size Pre-Cooked Chicken Nuggets Exp. 5-6-13

2 - 6 oz. packages of Certo (By the makers of Sure-Jell) Liquid Fruit Pectin Exp. 3-28-14

And, for my favorite find of the day......

Sesame Street Brand Nintendo DSi XL Case & Skin. Perfect for Pre-Schoolers/Kindergarteners!

Please come back next week to see what I pick up at the 99 Cent Only Store!

Share, Love, Celebrate the Best of P & G #PGmostloved

Do you consider yourself brand loyal?

Do you always use Bounty paper towels, or Charmin toilet paper?

Do you love the smell of Tide, or how Cascade gets your dishes spotless?

What about beauty products? Do you gravitate towards Cover Girl & Pantene?

If you said "Yes" to any of the questions above, you are definitely not alone!

All of the brands I mentioned, are produced by the same manufacturer Proctor & Gamble!

P&G definitely makes many of the most loved products of all time. They produce the brands that we keep going back to year after year, because we know we can trust them to take care of our families household, grooming & beauty needs.

It's no wonder, that these products have won hundreds of awards from leading magazines!

If you pull out the P&G coupon insert from your 3-31-13 Sunday newspaper, you'll find tons of coupons, good on your most loved brands. The coupons in this insert don't expire until 4-30-13, so you still have plenty of time to cash in on the savings, on your favorite products!

If you would like to learn more about P & G's most loved brands, please visit here.

Please "like" P&G on Facebook here.

Please join the Twitter party happening, April 18 at 9pm EST.  You’ll have the chance to win P&G’s award-winning products, from some of your favorite beauty, grooming and household care brands! Simply follow the hashtag #PGmostloved. You can follow along more easily through this custom tweetgrid: http://bit.ly/XXeAIX. Be sure to follow @PGeveryday on Twitter, as well!

I was asked by She Speaks to write about P&G's most loved brands. I received free products from P&G, but was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

What's Good at the 99 Cent Only Store this Week? 4-10-13

As usual, there was lots of fun stuff at the 99 Cent Only Store today!

Here is what I got today....

8 ct. 4 oz. Synder's of Hanover Mini Pretzels Exp. Sometime in 2013, couldn't make out the exact date

4.5oz. Knorr Pasta Sides in Thai Sweet Chili Exp. 4-26-13

4 oz. Knorr Pasta Sides in Smokehouse Bacon Parmesan Exp. 7-14-13

There was also a Chipotle flavor that I meant to pick up, but when I got home, I ended up with two of the Smokehouse bacon flavors. So, I must have looked at the Chipotle, but picked up an extra Smokehouse Bacon.





I thought these were cool. I don't eat seafood at all, but my husband does. So, I picked these up for him for a quick lunch.

Chicken of the Sea Coastal Cuisine Tuna in a Ginger Sauce with Rice Exp. 10-23-13

Chicken of the Sea Coastal Cuisine Tuna in a Pineapple Sauce with Rice Exp. 7-12-13

Chicken of the Sea Coastal Cuisine Tuna in a Teriyaki Sauce with Rice Exp. 9-29-13

6 Ct. Large Red Bell Peppers

5.3 oz. Yoplait Honey Vanilla Greek Dippers with Nature Valley Crunchy Multigrain Chips in Honey & Sea Salt Exp. 4-18-13 These were 2 for $1!

Mio (Makes 24 servings) Sweet Tea Exp. None that I could see

Mio Energy (Makes 12 servings) Green Thunder Exp. None that I could see

Betty Crocker Shake N Pour Chocolate Cupcake Mix Exp.5-14-13

I've reported in past posts, that the 99 Cent Only Store also carried the Shake N Pour Confetti Cupcake Mix & Brownie Mix.

48 ct. Alka-Seltzer Plus Allergy Fast Relief Formula exp. 10-2013

Once again, there were an array of snacks to choose from. There were a few things I didn't pick up because I just have too many snacks,lol. To be honest, I didn't need all of these, but I want to be able to show my readers what the 99 Cent Only Store has to offer!

6 ct. Quaker Chewy Dipps Cookies & Cream Exp. 5-26-13

12 ct. Quaker Strawberry Yogurt Bars Exp. 5-27-13

6 oz. Pepperidge Farms Baked Naturals Simply Pretzel Thins Exp.6-16-13

5 ct. (with 2 cookies each) Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies Exp. 5-9-13

I previously reported finding Grandma's Peanut Butter with Chocolate Chip Cookies, and I also saw Grandma's Plain Peanut Butter Cookies today!

8.1 oz. Wheat Thins Toasted Chips North End Parmesan & Herb Exp. 5-24-13

8 oz. Kellogg's 2012 Team USA Collections Edition Cereal (Vanilla Flavor) Exp. 5-22-13

10.9 oz. Kellogg's Vrooms Cereal (Frosted Multi-Grain)  Exp. 6-27-13 

10.8 oz. Kellogg's Crunchy Nut Cereal (Roasted Nut & Honey) Exp. 5-29-13

23.5 oz. Post Good Morenings Frosted Flake Cereal Exp. 5-2-13 LIMIT 1

My favorite find of the day.....

Marvel Heroes Wonder Tubes

Glittery tubes filled with water & Marvel super hero confetti. I had something similar to this as a child, and these brought back happy childhood memories,lol. They came in purple, green, blue, orange & red. The box said they were "collectable," but they all looked the same on the inside, except for the color of the glitter.

Please come back next week to see what I pick up at the 99 Cent Only Store!

Campbells Go Soup #GoSoup

Are you looking for a way to transport your lunch to work with minimal effort?

Or maybe, you have crazy afternoons that go something like this....pick up the kids from school, homework, off to another activity, like sports practice, dance class, etc.?

Who has time to make dinner, when by the time you get home, it's after 6pm!

On those days, I'd just throw some chicken nuggets or frozen pizza in the oven for the kids, and call it good!

But, I don't want to eat chicken nuggets!

It's days like this, that I would plan to pull out my Campbell's Go Soup!

I was asked to review Campbell's Go Soup in Spicy Chorizo & Pulled Chicken with Black Beans for Campbell's, which I received from Smiley360 for free.

The soup was rich & flavorful, with a hefty dose of spice. The black beans made the soup base a wonderful creamy consistency. It was chocked full of corn, black beans, tomatoes, green bell peppers & chorizo. This soup also has pulled chicken, but there was not enough in my opinion, to be called "Spicy Chorizo & Pulled Chicken." However, I still thought this soup was delicious!

If you plan on eating the entire bag (which I did) save room in your caloric budget! I measured the amount of soup in the bag, and there was no more than 1.5 servings. The Weight Watchers Points Plus value of the entire bag is 8PP.

Another reason to eat the entire bag is....How are you going to refrigerate the leftovers, if you intend on only eating one serving? Campbell's recommends that you save any uneaten portion of soup in a separate container. And, how may I ask, is this possible, if you're "on the go."

Just eat the whole bag,lol!  You are going to need a bowl, though!

Campbell's Go Soup comes in these exciting varieties!

• Moroccan Style Chicken with Chickpeas
• Golden Lentil with Madras Curry
• Creamy Red Pepper with Smoked Gouda
• Coconut Curry with Chicken and Shitake Mushrooms
• Chicken & Quinoa with Poblano Chilies
• Spicy Chorizo and Pulled Chicken with Black Beans

For more information on Campbell's Go Soup, including nutritional information, please visit here.

To participate in Campbell's Complete Your Story ~ Random Text Message Link, please click here.

Please go & "like" Campbell's on Facebook here.

Lysol Touch of Foam Hand Wash Review

So, what gets you excited to wash your hands?

Petting zoos? Public transportation? Visiting your children's pediatrician's office? Shaking hands with someone you witnessed sneezing into them minutes before?

Well, now you have a new reason to be excited to wash your hands....Lysol's Touch of Foam Hand Wash!

Lysol's Touch of Foam Hand Wash is soft on skin, but hard on germs. The creamy texture of  moisturizer enriched micro-bubbles, envelop skin in a rich lather and leave your skin feeling soft & silky. I loved how my skin felt after using this product!

The non-drip foam starts to work on contact to kill 99.9% of bacteria! And, Lysol Touch of Foam Hand Wash, offers 10x more germ protection than the leading national competitor.

And, are you ready for this....drum roll please....There is antimicrobial protection built right in to the pump, which protect it from odor causing bacteria! Yes! Go Lysol! Go Lysol!

Lysol Touch of Foam Hand Wash comes in 3 intoxicating scents, Creamy Vanilla Orchid, Rose & Cherry in Bloom and Wild Berry Bliss.

As you can see from the photos above, I reviewed the Creamy Vanilla Orchid, and it smells amazing!

For healthy hands and more, visit lysol.com/mission-for-health.

Please "like" Lysol on Facebook here.

On Facebook, you can find out more about Lysol Touch of Foam Hand Wash, print money saving coupons for Lysol products & find out if the Lysol Touch of Foam Hand Wash Mobile Hand Spa will be in a city near you!

I was asked by Bzz Campaigns to review Lysol's new Touch of Foam Hand Wash. I received a free bottle of hand wash, but was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

What's Good at the 99 Cent Only Store this Week? 4-2-13

Do you see that 40 oz. jar of Planters NATURAL Peanut Butter?!? If you had been in the 99 Cent only store in my town at about 9:30am, you would have seen my doing the happy dance! I have a 7 year old that LOVES peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, who's going to thank me when he gets home from school today.

As always, LOTS of good stuff this week!

40oz. Planters Natural Peanut Butter Exp. 6-23-13 Limit 2

15.66 oz. Velveeta Cheesy Skillets in Nacho Supreme Exp. 5-8-13
I reported last week that they had Zesty BBQ Chicken, Chicken & Broccoli and Ultimate Cheeseburger Mac. This variety was new this week!
 
10.25 oz. Planters Brittle Nut Medley with Honey Roasted Peanuts, Yogurt Covered Raisins, Peanut Brittle, Pretzels & Cashews. Exp. 4-28-13

5ct.(with 2 cookies each) Grandma's Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chunks Cookies Exp. 5-11-13

14 oz. Betty Crocker Mint Chcocolate Chip Cookie Mix Exp. 8-27-13

10 oz. Grey Poupon Creamy & Mild Dijon Mustard Exp. 5-14-13
They also had Honey Mustard in a small jar.

12.70 oz. Maple Grove Farms Organic Agave Sweetner Exp. 11-24-14

1.5 lb. Bag Fuji Apples

1.5 1b. Bag Gala Apples

3 ct. Cucumbers

2 lb. Italian Squash

1.5 lb. Dolce Sweet Baby Bell Peppers

8 ct. Pillsbury Artisan Dinner Rolls with Whole Grain Exp. 5-12-13

6 oz. Sunshine Brand White Cheddar Cheese with Black Pepper Exp. 9-19-13
I've never heard of this brand before, but the cheese was good. I had some on crackers today!

 

6 ct. Gerber Graduates Tropical Juice Treats Exp. 7-16-13
5 ct. Gerber Graduates Fruit Twists in Cherry Berry Exp. 7-6-13
5 ct. Gerber Organic Fruit Strips in Strawberry Exp.8-31-13
I reported last week that they had this item in wild berry. Strawberry was new this week!

Table Tennis add on for Wii Remote foe Wii Sports Resort

Please come back next week to see what I find at the 99 Cent Only Store!