If you are interested in supporting Palmy Greetings this Mother’s Day, I ask you to - in honor of some of the incredible mothers in my life - purchase a Big Mouth Toothbrush! The Big Mouth Toothbrush holds a special place in my routine, and it is even more special because the founder is my Doctor-Aunt Bobbi!
If you attended the last Palmy Paint ‘n See, my Doctor-Aunt Bobbi was a special guest. Her Big Mouth toothbrush was one of the businesses featured during the virtual shopping event. I have been enjoying her toothbrush as a Birthday gift to myself since the event. She sold out of her first shipment and now the brushes have been restocked. I know it is customary to purchase a card for the mothers in your life for mother’s day, and I would love to provide new designs for you, but I am writing this post to convince you to send a Big Mouth toothbrush instead. What could be better than dental hygiene, and a daily self-care treat all in one?! Try it and you will love it just as much, if not more than I do: trust me!
As you can see, I am still gushing over an incredible Palmy Paint ‘n See on January 29th. The Palmy Paint ‘n See Kits were filled with candle-making equipment, tools to design a label, and watercolor supplies, along with a special discount for the Palmy Greetings site. More importantly, I had the opportunity to feature some of my favorite businesses - all owned by Black women. They included:
- ShopTierOne, owned by my sister-cousin Barbie: an actual doll whose hair and clothes make you feel royal. I wore a pair of the red pleather pants and a blonde wig to the event.
- One Hope Wine, of which Barbie is the consultant - book her for your next wine tasting, and purchase wine that allows you to support a cause.
- Essential Eats, a catering company owned by my best friend who is feeding Houston one unforgettable and unique plate at a time
- Breezy’s Bakes and Cakes, a delicious dessert business owned by my first and dearest friend in my PhD program at University of Michigan. I requested some Rice Krispie treats for my birthday and she gave me enough to share with some of my guests as I made my last Palmy Paint ‘n See Kit deliveries. Her custom desserts reflect her wonderful love for others
- Shop Love at First Try, a flagship boutique in Ypsilanti, MI that has excellent quality clothing, and an empowering customer service experience. Trust me, if you have somewhere to go but don’t know what to wear, visit this boutique!
- The Big Mouth Toothbrush…
And of course, Palmy Greetings which was in our first month of sales for the first annual Palmy Calendar.
This year I’m doing something different. We are relocating Palmy Greetings, and there is just not enough time to get Mother’s Day greetings to you. I instead am dedicating my advertising this Mother’s Day to encouraging you to support my favorite Mother-Owned-Business: The Big Mouth Toothbrush.
Seriously, this brush is incredible: it is a spa in your mouth, and it is allows me to honor my amazing Aunt, Dr. Bobbi every day (at least twice a day). The Big Mouth Toothbrush is the first electric toothbrush invented by a Black woman. That Black woman is an amazing person, whose smile lights up a room. I can’t promise that you will step away with her exact teeth, but you will smile brighter knowing you are supporting an awesome inventor, entrepreneur, orthodontist and person.
Dr. Bobbi is a “Celebrity Orthodontist” to many, but to me, she is one of my first and enduring inspirations. Growing up, every time I saw her, she lit up my world. Many people looked on tv for their favorite celebrities, but I just looked across the room at a family gathering. Before she was known as the celebrity orthodontist, she was just one of several of my inimitable aunts with her own unique and indelible spark. She always encouraged self-care, whether it was braiding my hair; splitting a spicy bowl of ramen; watching a hilarious tv show while cuddling on the couch, or dancing to a favorite song from the ‘80s to present. In addition to being a mother to my favorite cousin, Barbie, she is an “other-mother” to many - including my friends.
Others may recognize her for her incredible community service and activism. During the pandemic she made a lot of appearances to talk about the importance of dental hygiene, and gave tips for people who stayed at home (in English and Spanish!). This toothbrush is an extension of her community education. Expanding outside of dental hygiene, she encourages the children and young adults who sit in her chair educationally and emotionally. With a practice embedded in New York she also is someone that was an early responder when Eric Garner was killed by police. In addition to participating in protests, she got in contact with his family to offer her love and support. When I support her ventures, I know without a doubt I am supporting someone who cares about the communities she resides in, and the people - whether they are patients or neighbors.
But beyond the fun and compassion she shares with family and others, she showed an incredible work-ethic that always inspired me. I visited her homes in New Jersey, Philly, and DC, as she matriculated from K-12 to Drexel University to Howard and finally settled in Brooklyn in pursuit of her dream of becoming an orthodontist. I was always amazed at how entertaining she could be, while simultaneously attaining all of her academic and fitness goals. Further, I wondered how she managed to do all of these things even when her house was full of family and friends. I remember one night we stayed up late at her huge annual birthday party - to be fair she is the first person I met who celebrates all month - and she told me her secret. I caught her on the way out of the door after the festivities in dress pants, flats and a blouse. I was rubbing my eyes, as others were asleep around me. She said, I love to have fun, but I always make sure I get up for work in the morning. She gave me a quick kiss and headed to one of the hospitals where she was a visiting orthodontist at the time. I fell back asleep after that conversation, but that advice stayed with me forever, in addition to some of her other gems.
Dr. Bobbi founded and released The Big Mouth toothbrush after surviving Breast Cancer. This is just one of many odds she beat, but you have to look at her YouTube channel to see more about that. I am in some ways just excited to celebrate with her and the other amazing mothers in my family this year. Of course I could scramble and make some cards, but I would rather spend the month celebrating mothers like her - who inspire, who entertain, and who enterprise. Join me in celebrating my Doctor-Aunt Bobbi specifically, when you purchase a Big Mouth toothbrush!
