Wednesday, November 14, 2012

@PGinsider's #PGmom Event


Last week, I had the opportunity to take part in a great event put on by P&G. #PGmom ambassadors are 50 bloggers/social media ladies who will be sharing insight and information about P&G with our readers and followers.

Let me first say that I am really excited to be included in this.  For as long as I can remember, P&G has been a part of my family's every day life. It wasn't until I attended the #PGmom event that I realized just how many P&G products we have in our own household!

We've used everything from Pampers, Febreeze, Tampax, Always, Tide, Charmin, Head & Shoulders, Duracell, Gillette, Olay, CoverGirl, Crest, and a whole slew of other products that belong to the P&G family.


Seeing this Pampers video made me think of my Little One and how Pampers were used on her in the NICU at Mount Sinai Hospital. Pampers has preemie diapers! Thank you, Pampers for having diapers to fit even the tiniest babies!

One of the things I loved about the event was that we got to learn more about the history behind the company and we also had the opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns if we had any.  As moms, we want nothing but the best and the safest for our families.  The few questions I had (which were asked by other moms who had the same questions) were answered.  Questions about ingredients, testing, and about the gel-like substance when a Pampers diaper gets saturated were all answered.
I was also surprised to discover that P&G celebrates their 175th birthday this year! Since 1837, P&G brands have helped make everyday life a little better.

We also learned of the extent of research and testing that goes into making products available to consumers. It takes years of research before products are able to hit the market and be placed on store shelves.

I was interested in:

  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Social Responsibility
  • Product Safety
All of those topics were addressed during the morning session. You can also read about them here.

I also learned a bit more about the company's Olympic sponsorship -

Not to take away from the Dads out there, but P&G just took that opportunity to recognize and celebrate Moms. 

I know for myself, it's all about my daughter, husband, family, work, friends, community, and me always last.  I'm sure many other women out there find themselves in the same position as me.  

Olympian, Priscilla Lopes-Schliep described how important her mom is in her life. She spoke about how her mom encouraged her and helped her by taking care of her daughter when she competed in the Olympics. Moms really do a lot for everyone and it's important to recognize this.

We also got to meet Christine Sinclair from the Canadian Women's Soccer Team.
One of the things I struggle immensely with is finding BALANCE. I have a hard time juggling being a mom, working from home, taking care of my family, taking care of the house, helping my husband on the farm, and taking on a whole slew of other responsibilities...yet I do it all.  I do it all with a big smile on my face (and a few meltdowns behind closed doors).

Well, Caird Urquhart spoke to us about seeking HARMONY instead of balance. Au lieu of finding balance between every aspect of our lives, we should try to find happiness with where we are right now.

This means:

  • Following our intuition
  • Choosing our "A-Team" - SO important to have a support network to HELP us and not discourage us
  • Defining your values and stand by them
  • Accepting where you are in life and just be yourself
  • Embracing the evolution of life

We also learned about oral health care for children. I love the "Attack from behind" method. I never had to use this on my own daughter, as she is obsessed with brushing and flossing her teeth! I can see how this method would be great for parents who do need to brush their kids' teeth for them. Incidentally, Little One does brush her own teeth, but I do help her after she's done. I tell her "Your turn. Mommy's turn. Your turn. Mommy's turn" and I get the hard to reach spots like the upper and lower back teeth and molars.

It's true that once you go electric (toothbrush), you won't go back to the old fashioned manual kind! We've got the Oral-B® ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 with SmartGuide™ Electric Toothbrush and LOVE it! My teeth and mouth feel so much cleaner and I know it has reduced plaque build-up tenfold. Wow. That makes it sound like I have lots of plaque. I'm just saying that it does a tremendous job cleaning my teeth and after using it for about a month, I can see and feel the difference.
I also got to hang out with some of my favourite ladies.  Here's Mom vs. the Boys taking a photo of me taking a photo of her.
Please excuse the poor quality photos below: That's me (@chancesmommy) with my good friends, @nugglemama, @momvstheboys, @BewilderedBug, @adomesticmomma and Olympian, Priscilla Lopes-Schliep.

P&G even takes care of the canine members of our family! You can sign up for Iams Lifelong Rewards to receive exclusive offers and coupons. For every sign up, Iams will make a food donation to your shelter.
Apart from the make-up and hair products, this was my next favourite section! Healthy teeth are important!
The #PGmom Event was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto. 
I'm not going to lie.  The first thing I do whenever I stay at a hotel is...

CHECK THE BATHROOMS!!!

Yes, I'm one of those fussy people that is obsessed with clean bathrooms. My husband likes to joke (although I do think he's serious most of the time) that our four year old daughter gets it from me! She REFUSES to use public restrooms because they're "stinky" and "gross".  Well, there could be worse quirks a parent can pass onto their offspring!

I was so HAPPY that P&G Charmin-ized the bathrooms at the PGmom Event! Heavenly! Plus, you can #tweetfromtheseat and chat with @Charmin or like them on FB.

I was really impressed with the washroom set up they had in the ladies' room. A wide array of 'feminine products' was made available for us. There were also Febreeze products just in case a little air freshening was needed! 

I forgot to mention that thanks to P&G, I spent the night at the Four Seasons in Toronto. The beautiful brand new 55 storey hotel in Yorkville was so welcoming and inviting.  To be honest, I didn't want to leave my hotel room! 
 A beautiful basket filled with goodies from P&G awaited me in my hotel bathroom.

I took photos of the bathroom just to show Hubby how I'd like our basement bathroom done.  EXACTLY like THIS! Nice bathtub for hot bubble baths, a stand alone shower, separated section for toilet, double sink and extra long counter, and a TV built into the mirror. Yes, EXACTLY like that!

I have to say (and I almost feel guilty about saying this), that was THE BEST sleep I had in ages. An entire bed to myself, extra fluffy pillows, and no waking up every few hours because someone has had nightmares or leg cramps. My one night of good sleep and it was so worth it. Thank you so much, Four Seasons and P&G!

 I am pleased to say that the nail polish from the manicure I had at the event has not chipped yet! We have a farm and I do 99.999999% of the household chores in our home. The fact that the polish is still on my nails is a testament to how great the quality is.
No make-up and just-out-of-the-shower hair. Please excuse the following photo, but this is me trying out the Crest White Strips. I pay a lot of money to get my teeth professionally whitened. Yes, it's true. At the P&G event, we were asked if we wanted to test the Crest strips and see the difference and the ease of use for ourselves. I really wanted to try it out right there and then, but rather shyly asked if I could try it out in the privacy of my own home.

Why? Let me tell you that I have horrible gag reflex. I simply cannot have anything in my mouth or near my eyes (tough putting mascara or contacts!). Everything makes me yack. I'm not kidding.
My experience with the Crest White Strips? They go on really easily and they stay in place really well. They are super easy to apply. I was doing great until minutes after I put them on. The gag reflex kicked in. This has absolutely nothing to do with the product itself. It's all me. Me and my crazy "I can't have anything in my mouth or I'll gag" reflex. Embarrassing. THIS is why I wanted to try them on my own and not in front of my fellow bloggers!

The result? I left the strips in for the allotted time and I kid you not, you can see results even after the first use! I was amazed. Sorry, professional teeth whitening place! I'm going to have to say buh-bye! Hello to my new best friend (but only in the comfort of my own bathroom)!

Thank you to P&G for including me in such a great event! I am looking forward to working with you more and am excited about all the exciting things to come!


Disclosure- I am a #PGmom. Although I am affiliated with P&G, all the thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.

16 comments:

Katherine said...

That looks like a great event. We are users of all those products too. Great post and glad you were able to be part of this!

Unknown said...

Katherine:
Thanks! Me too. It was a great experience. I really enjoyed learning more about P&G. Looking forward to seeing what they have in store for the P&G moms and moms in general!

Mom vs. the boys said...

hehehe I own the opposite picture of you taking a picture of me, taking a picture of you! lol it was a fun time! so glad we got to be a part of it

Unknown said...

What an awesome looking event! Sounds like you had a great time :) Your hotel room looks beautiful and how nice that they left a gift basket! I love so many of the P&G products and use many of them daily :)

Unknown said...

Amazing post you summed the whole day up perfectly!

Had so much fun with you, cannot wait to hang again soon I hope!

XO

Country Mouse, City Mouse said...

So nice to see you again last week. It was a really enjoyable day - can't believe it is a week ago already!

Kat Gignac said...

What a great wrap-up of a great event! I wanted to try the White Stripes privately too, but not because I gag. Because I drool! Lol Thanks for sharing this, Christine! I also was fascinated by the research that goes into every product!

Unknown said...

Brandi:
Yes, it's amazing to see just how many products in our house are P&G products!Do you have a fav P&G product?

Unknown said...

MVTB:
:) It was SO nice to see you again and to be able to actually spend time together without having to rush around!

Unknown said...

Tammy:
You are SO lovely! I'm so happy we got to hang out together! Wish we lived closer! I can totally see us doing a lot of foodie things together!

Just Us Girls said...

I'm so happy for all you ladies that were selected to be a PGMom, I absolutely love their products and have been using them for years!

Stephanie said...

It is simply amazing to me how many P&G products are in my home! One of the things that impressed me the most about our two days away, not only did they have an amazing speaker to chat with us about balance in our lives, they tried to provide balance in our schedule! Nicely timed, breaks, and of course all things Four Seasons was fabulous!
It was great to see you again.
Next time. Coffee!

Anonymous said...

It was so awesome to connect with you at the event!! Hopefully I'll get to see you again soon! :)

AnnMarie Brown said...

It was such an awesome event and I loved the talk about harmony it is something I think all mothers struggle with.

Until I was part of the P&GMom program I had no clue just how many P&G products are on my shelves. Love them and can't wait to try more of them.

Whispered Inspirations said...

Looks like you ladies had a blast, it's great to see a company that appreciates moms as women and consumers. I love P&G and it looks like an amazing program!

Unknown said...

Great article..thanks for keeping us posted. P&G is definitely a household name!

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City girl moves to the country, falls in love, and marries a farmer. She tries to incorporate her city ways with her new country lifestyle and blogs to keep in touch with friends, family & students who live far, far away :) Can this city girl go country? Watch as she learns all sorts of exciting things about life on the farm and in a small rural community. *UPDATE* We are now parents! Our baby girl was born on Nov. 11, 2008 (at 28 weeks gestation- 12 weeks premature, but she's quite the trooper)!!!
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