August Audio Fest Is The Best At Best Buy With Smokin' Samsung Deals 8/3-8/30 #AudioFest

Samsung rocks the music world. We should know. We just spent the whole weekend ChiILin' in Chi, IL with Samsung at the Lollapalooza Galaxy Stage & owners lounge! Back home the Samsung love fest continues. Our whole family has Galaxy S phones and we've been moving on up from early adapters with the original S series through the 3's and now 4's. 

Disclaimer:  ChiIL Mama is elated to be a member of Best Buy's WOLF (Women In Leadership) Bloggers. The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

So we were SO excited to be chosen to review the Samsung M5 Bluetooth Wireless speaker on bestbuy.com Black Model: WAM550/ZA.($299.99) and the Samsung Wireless Speaker Hub on bestbuy.com Model:WAM250/ZA.($49.99). 

Click here to check out Best Buy's Awesome Audio Fest Deals from 8/3 to 8/30!

Best Buy helps you enhance your home entertainment experience and upgrade your sound with additional components, speakers and headphones.

With a little help from Best Buy's Audio Fest, it can be music fest season in your own home all year long!

ChiIL Mama ChiILin' at the Samsung Stage at Lolla 2014--View from the Samsung Owners Lounge!

· Beginning 8/3/14 through 8/30/14 Best Buy will feature one month of deals audio specials, events & more.

· Best Buy is gathering the best offers on the best audio products throughout the entire month of August.

What We're ChiILin' With: 

SHAPE YOUR MUSIC EXPERIENCE

Samsung Shape™ Wireless Audio: a new and exciting way to listen to, share and experience music.

Where it's at... We got Bluetooth speakers and a speaker HUB...

Samsung Shape Wireless Audio is an expandable system – now music can follow you anywhere in your house. Play one song in any or all rooms, or different songs in different rooms from any number of speakers. Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® connectivity lets you send music from your library or favorite App straight to your AC powered speaker.

Control volume, streaming services and playlists, or switch to a speaker in a different room. However you enjoy your music, Samsung Shape™ Wireless Audio makes it happen.

Top content providers include: Rhapsody, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, tunein, amazon cloudplayer, tracks so you'll have no shortage of options and can enjoy YOUR favorite tunes. 

Our Take:

Pros:
1. Super simple set up. If you're not tech savvy, Samsung's for you. With the HUB just plug and play. The speakers will find your wifi (so you don't have to) and voila... you have an awesome sounding system!

 2. You can group or ungroup your speakers easily to play the same or different sources simultaneously. This is GREAT for our family, since we now have 2 music lovin' adult, a teen and a tween who are developing their own music taste.

3. Volume can be adjusted on your device or on the speakers. 

4. The speakers and HUB are big enough for room filling sound and small enough to easily move around and they have a small stand so they can be tipped upright for a slim, space saving placement.

5. You can easily play off of a lap top via Bluetooth, a pad or cell phone. Streaming sites work great, as does your own library of tunes.



Cons:
1.  The app occasionally freezes up and though the music keeps playing, you can't skip anything, adjust the volume, etc. unless you shut it down and restart it.

2.  There's no AUX jack to play any devices like an older ipod that doesn't have Bluetooth or wifi compatibility.

Overall, the Samsung Shape™ Wireless Audio system is a stellar set up for the price.  It sounds great, it's easy to install, and we've been thrilled with it.

More about the Samsung Shape™

Enjoy music stored on your iOS or Android device, PC or Mac with this Samsung M5 WAM550/ZA speaker that features a Bluetooth interface and NFC (near-field communication) technology for easy wireless pairing with compatible devices.

Product FeaturesCompatible with select iOS and Android devices and select PC and Mac computers

Including devices with iOS 4.3 or later or Android 2.3.3 or later and computers with Windows XP or later and Mac OS X 10.0 or later operating systems.

Built-in dual-band 2.4/5.0GHz wireless LAN

Allows easy connection to your home network, so you can enjoy Pandora, Amazon Cloud Player, Rhapsody and other music services through the speaker. An Ethernet port permits wired connectivity.

Bluetooth interface
Lets you wirelessly link with compatible Bluetooth-enabled devices.

NFC (near-field communication) technology

Helps simplify device pairing (includes NFC sticker).

Top-panel buttons

Include Internet radio preset, Bluetooth, TV SoundConnect, wheel-touch scroll volume dial and mute for easy operation. Also features WPS and pairing buttons on the back/side.

LED indicators

Keep you apprised of the speaker's status.

Decoding formats

Include AAC (DRM-free), MP3 (up to 320 Kbps), WAV, WMA, WMV (1/2/3/7/9), OGG and FLAC (up to 44.1kHz/16-bit) for versatile playback.

Multiroom/multizone support

Enables you to enjoy audio in multiple areas simultaneously.

Vertical foot stand

Allows stable placement.

Standard auxiliary input

Makes it easy to connect a wide range of compatible devices

Easily connect your wireless speakers with this Samsung WAM250/ZA hub that is designed for use with WAM750/751 wireless speakers and select Apple® and Android devices for wide-ranging compatibility.Product FeaturesCompatible with WAM750/751 wireless speakers

As well as select Apple and Android devices for wide-ranging use.

Lets you connect your wireless speakers

Helping to create a whole-home audio solution.

Multiple device capability

So you can connect more than 1 device simultaneously.

Easy setup

Makes getting started simple.



Looking to upgrade? August Audio Fest Is The Best At Best Buy:

· Visit a Best Buy store to test & try the latest & greatest in audio – from portable Bluetooth speakers and headphones, to home theater solutions and car audio.

· Best Buy has the best selection of audio products – come in and let Best Buy teach you how to upgrade your sound; LOVE THE WAY YOU LiSTEN.

Samsung SHAPE Wireless Audio System lets listen to, share and experience music how you live.

Whether it’s a single speaker in one room, or a multi room system in two rooms or every room in your home, it’s never been easier to immerse yourself in your favorite sounds.

Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® connectivity lets you send music from your library or favorite App straight to your speakers.

Apple, the Apple logo and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPod is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

Disclaimer:  Once again, ChiIL Mama is elated to be a member of Best Buy's WOLF (Women In Leadership) Bloggers. The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Kidzapalooza & Lollapalooza Bound THIS Weekend

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows at the biggest, baddest bash for live music lovers large and small. Yep, that would be Lollapalooza and Kidzapalooza. Or relive our adventures vicariously right here. We'll have photos, video interviews, and much more leading up to and recapping the big weekend.


ChiIL Mama's Flashback:

Slash & Perry Farrell, Kidzapalooza Stage 2008

all photos by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara for ChiILMama.com

Funniest thing to me was all the little kids were saying, "Look. It's Slash from GUITAR HERO!!" LOL.

ChiIL Mama's daughter Sage, Kidza 2008, rockin' her Small Paul (Paul Frank) Tee with a caricature of Perry Farrell on it. Perry later signed the shirt for her. 

Epic Kidza lottery WIN for Du-Jay & Sagezilla! Kidza 2008

Check back daily for our ongoing updates, must see bands, past original content on Lolla/Kidza past and the bands hitting the stages for 2014. 

Finally, check out our ChiIL Tips. We've been there ALL 3 days of EVERY year Lollapalooza has called Grant Park, Chicago home. So whether you're going with babe's in backpacks and jogging strollers, toddlers in tow, or getting a sitter and travelin' light... we've got you covered!

Before You Go:
Check out Lollapalooza's main site to customize your weekend. I can tell you what we think is ChiIL... but Lolla has a gazillion bands, food, fun, eco-friendly fare, booths and people watching to spare. So take some time to make a plan customized to YOU and your tastes, even if you ditch it later and just improv it. 

ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Tips List:

ChiIL Tip 1. Comin' in with kids one or more days?  Check out loads of ChiIL Mama's prior coverage right here. We'll have tons of tips in the days leading up to the big bash as well. 

**Click here & scroll down for over 26 of our past Kidza features ChiIL Mama's Adventures at Kidzapalooza Plus Cool Tips for 2014!**

ChiILin' with Perry Farrell & Patti Smith at Kidza. ChiIL Mama's kids, Sage & Dugan at ages 3 & 5. Kidzapalooza 2006 flashback! 

ChiIL Tip 2.  VIR Brunch at The JAMES: No Lolla Ticket Required! $5 suggested donation per person. RSVP required.  ChiIL Mama has been to every VIR Brunch since it's inception and this event rocks! If you can make it up and over to The JAMES by 8:30am, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND it.

KIDZ 10 AND UNDER GET IN FREE Lollapalooza is for music fans of all ages! Kidzapalooza is a festival within a festival for parents who want to bring the rock tots, banger babies, and punk kin along for the ride. Located in it’s own area of Grant Park, Kidzapalooza offers parents and kids the opportunity to catch family-friendly music with it’s own stage and various activities including creating their own music, arts & crafts and much more.Children 10 and under get in absolutely FREE with a paying adult with a Lollapalooza wristband! Event days are August 1, 2 and 3 at Grant Park, Chicago. Check out the amazing 2014 line-up HERE.  Want to see more of our past coverage on all the kindie artists and a number of the bands for big kids AKA: adults, too?  Use our search bar to the right.   Here's the Daily Kidza 2014 Lineup: You really can't miss with any of these, but Brady Rymer, The Q Brothers, Chicago Kindie Allstars and School of Rock are all favorites of ours who make ChiIL Mama's #ChiILPicksList! Highly recommended.   We have LOADS of original content including band video interviews, pit photos, live show shots, live show videos and more.  We also frequently run great giveaways--CDs, DVDs, tickets to music and theatre...   Don't miss out. ChiIL out! Follow ChiIL Mama  Check back with ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We have photo & video filled features, loads of great reviews and interviews, and lots of weekly giveaways--nationwide toys/games/products and Chicago based music and theatre tickets.   Get Social: Follow us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER so you don't miss out. Follow us by RSS feed (add your address in the side bar to the right) to get an easy e-mail digest and/or on social media. ChiIL Live Shows (adult)  FACEBOOK PAGE and TWITTER ChiIL Mama (family friendly) FACEBOOK PAGE and TWITTER  YOUTUBE (We have 240+ original videos on our YouTube Channel including video interviews with musicians, theatre people, parents in the arts, live show footage & more!) GOOGLE + PINTEREST INSTAGRAM Become a fan of KIDZAPALOOZA on Facebook! Hit up Kidzapalooza's site here for more.

Lolla & Kidza Lineups and More #ChiILPicksList

Lollapalooza 2014 sold out in record time. Didja get your tickets?!  We have mixed feelings about this year's lineup. For the first time in it's history, Lolla dropped the ball on the big retro acts it's renowned for, disillusioning all the 30+ fans out there. They've also expanded the EMD/dub/house/electronica offerings. In past years Lolla has done a great job embracing the new, while bringing a healthy dose of major alt acts from the 80's and 90's. But that's come to a screeching halt with 2014.

Our friend's son, Trevor, who is a high school freshman summed it up best at a recent party. He said, "It's funny. All the kids at school were saying did you SEE the LINEUP at Lolla this year?! And they're all excited about it. And my mom and her friends are all  "Did you see the lineup at Lolla this year. Meh... " Yeah. That. It'll be a younger crowd for sure this time around with Eminem, Outkast, Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, Skrillex and Calvin Harris headlining.  Sigh.  Shore up the gates...  The crashers are sure to try to rush the perimeter again this year.

Expect to see the over 30's flocking to Riot Fest this year instead, where we're beyond excited about the legendary lineup.  ChiIL Live Shows will be there for sure!!  We can't wait. That said... there are a LOT of music lovers super stoked about the Lolla lineup and it's sure to be a rager!

Kidzapalooza Rocks On:

Kidzapalooza 2014 is gearing up fast. Co-founders Perry Farrell and Tor Hyams along with C3 Presents are about to put on another amazing 3-day show this Summer.  ChiIL Mama & the kids have been there all 3 days of EVERY year.  Highly recommended! 

Click here to check out our past Kidzapalooza video clips, live show footage, interviews and stills.

KIDZ 10 AND UNDER GET IN FREE

Lollapalooza is for music fans of all ages! Kidzapalooza is a festival within a festival for parents who want to teach their kids what it is like to experience one of the most special events in the world.

Located in it’s own area of Grant Park, Kidzapalooza offers parents and kids the opportunity to catch family-friendly music with it’s own stage and various activities including creating their own music, arts & crafts and much more.Children 10 and under get in absolutely FREE!

Event days are August 1, 2 and 3 at Grant Park, Chicago. Check out the amazing 2014 line-up HERE.  The Q Brothers, Chicago Kindie Allstars and School of Rock are all favorites of ours!  Highly recommended.  Want to see more of our past coverage on all the kindie artists and a number of the bands for big kids AKA: adults, too?  Use our search bar to the right.  

We have LOADS of original content including band video interviews, pit photos, live show shots, live show videos and more.  We also frequently run great giveaways--CDs, DVDs, tickets to music and theatre...  

Don't miss out. ChiIL out!

Follow ChiIL Mama 

Check back with ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often.

We have photo & video filled features, loads of great reviews and interviews, and lots of weekly giveaways--nationwide toys/games/products and Chicago based music and theatre tickets.  

Get Social:

Follow us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER so you don't miss out. Follow us by RSS feed (add your address in the side bar to the right) to get an easy e-mail digest and/or on social media.

ChiIL Live Shows (adult)  FACEBOOK PAGE and TWITTER

ChiIL Mama (family friendly) FACEBOOK PAGE and TWITTER 

YOUTUBE (We have 240+ original videos on our YouTube Channel including video interviews with musicians, theatre people, parents in the arts, live show footage & more!)

GOOGLE +

PINTEREST

INSTAGRAM

Become a fan of KIDZAPALOOZA on Facebook!

rsvp ASAP

ChiIL Mama has also been at every VIR Brunch since it's inception. 

Click here to check out our past VIR video clips, live show footage, interviews and stills.

Lolla tickets NOT required for this one but an RSVP is.  Do it NOW before it sells out! 

FESTS ON OUR RADAR: Lollapalooza/ Kidzapalooza 2014 #Lollapalooza #Kidzapalooza

Growing up Kidza:

ChiIL Mama has been to all 3 days of EVERY year of Lollapalooza and Family Friendly Kidzapalooza, since it took up residency in Chicago. My kids have grown up covering this gargantuan music fest as well as Summer Camp Music Fest, Pitchfork, Riot Fest, North Coast Music Fest and more.



Sage and Dugan (ages 3 & 5) rock Kidzapalooza.  Now that they're 11 & 13, they STILL love Lolla!!

It's more than possible to navigate music fests with your punk kin, rock tots, and banger babies.... it's AWESOME!!  

Check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often for our top tips on how to keep fests fun for all ages, live show footage, lineup announcements, and original content. We'll have loads of photo and video filled recaps from past fests and new features on this year's must see acts.

Growing Up Kidza:   Here's Sagezilla and Du-Jay at Kidzapalooza 06 at the ripe old ages of 3 and 5, hearing Perry Farrell and Patti Smith live for the first time!

Bad Things Self-Titled Debut Album Now To Be Released October 29th On Warner Bros. Records #streamingsingle

Did you catch 'em at Kidza?!   Yeah, THAT Shaun White...

LA rock band Bad Things - that consists of front man/lead singer Davis LeDuke, bass player Jared Palomar, guitarist Anthony Sanudo, drummer Lena Zawaideh and lead guitarist Shaun White, well known for snowboarding and skateboarding - will release their debut, self-titled album October 29th on Warner Bros. Records (iTunes Pre-Order Link). The record was produced by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliot Smith, The Vines). Did you catch Bad Things on stage at Lollapalooza 2013?!   Check 'em out. Bad Things covering Iggy And The Stooges' "Search And Destroy" Live Video From Lollapalooza They also rocked the Kidzapalooza stage with Perry Farrell.  Click here to Listen To The First Single, "Anybody"  The lead single "Anybody, " a "chugging rock anthem heavy with choirboy backing harmonies" according to Rolling Stone, is now for sale at iTunes and streaming on YouTube and Soundcloud.  iTunes Pre-Order Link http://bit.ly/1eaH5Ml Bad Things recently wrapped a North American tour of the country that included festival stops at Lollapalooza in Chicago and Osheaga Festival in Montreal. Rembert Browne of Grantland wrote a compelling, in depth feature on the band after being blown away by what he'd seen at Lolla. "I watched a band put on a surprisingly great show, causing a crowd to go from embarrassingly sparse to filled but skeptical to convinced by the end" remarked Browne about the band's headlining performance Saturday night, filling in the spot vacated by Death Grips. "I truly didn't know what to do with what I'd just seen, because I'd yet to accept the reality that a band featuring White pulled a substitute teacher move for Death Grips and did not fall on its face. But I wanted to know more. So I chatted with the band." Reports from Osheaga were equally as impressive. Canadian media outlet Dose.ca awarded Bad Things with the #1 Most Surprising Moment of the festival, raving about their performance. "Google 'Bad Things' and you'll be inundated with articles that start with the words 'Shaun White's band...,' which is totally misleading, considering how much more there is to these guys" says Dose. "They have great original material and the kind of solid musicianship and stage presence you'd expect from a group that's been playing together for years." Bad Things are confirmed for a November 2nd performance at Voodoo Festival in New Orleans. More tour news to be announced in the near future. Official Website: http://www.badthings.net/  YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/badthings  Twitter: https://twitter.com/badthings  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/badthings

I confess... I shoot rock stars and I carry wipes #Cottonelle #LetsTalkBums #ad

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cottonelle, but all opinions and anecdotes are mine.

I confess... I shoot rock stars and I carry wipes.   So, when Cottonelle called, and asked me to sample their cleansing cloths and toilet paper, and talk to you, I was happy to partner up for a sponsored post.   

I just covered all 3 days of Lollapalooza and now this weekend I'm off to 3 days of North Coast Music Fest then on to Riot Fest.  My job covering music festivals means I often get to interview touring musicians, film live shows, hang out back stage and shoot pit photos front and center. 

Then there's the less glamourous side.  Music fests can mean up to 100,000 people, which means portalets and lots of em, even in the VIP and press areas.   And they may or may not have toilet paper by the time the last notes fade and my day of coverage is done.   That's not a fun gamble to take!   

Then there's the double whammy of covering Summer Camp Music Fest which I do every Memorial Day Weekend, and other huge camping music fests. It's on site tent camping and portalets 24/7 for 4 days!  So let's get Brit for a moment and talk bums, 'cause it sounds so much cuter than butts, especially with an English accent. 

London-based immersive journalist Cherry Healey is partnering with Cottonelle to encourage consumers to open up about their bathroom behaviors and “makeover” their old toileting routine. 

• Talking about bathroom habits can be embarrassing but you may be missing out on a better way to get clean. That’s why Cottonelle is partnering with Cherry Healey to get people to talk about the way they wipe.

Funniest Portalet Stories:

I may be barefoot, but I didn't forget the cleansing cloths!

Back in the day, I once rollerbladed miles to a big music fest downtown with my boyfriend at the time, only to find that I only had ONE shoe in my backpack when I got there!   The other one had fallen out on the way.   The bulk of the fest was on grass in Grant Park so I was fine barefootin' it, with a little caution.   Fine that is, until I had to pee and the idea of going shoeless on a heavily used fest potty floor was more than I wanted to attempt.   A mutual friend of ours (not the boyfriend) offered me his shoes.   A few years down the road we were dating.   Now we've been happily married 13 years! 

How ya gonna wipe?!

• I've seen a musician duck into a portalet with a full sized sousaphone.   

• I've taken two kids under the age of 5 into a portalet simultaneously and come out with my sanity intact.   You better believe I brought cleansing cloths. 

• I've managed days of dawn to dusk Renaissance Faire coverage spanning 3 states & requiring more than a few portapotty trips in a corset and ankle length skirt.  How did they hold up all those skirts and reach back in a tight corset in the Renaissance days?!   After unsuccessful contortions, I gave up and unlaced.   Yay for cleansing cloths for the seat before and myself after.  

Got a good portapotty or cleansing cloth story of your own?   We'd love to hear it.  Add it below in the comments section.

Cottonelle wants to get North Americans talking about their bums and on the road to a better way to clean “down there”  by using the Cottonelle Clean Routine. The Cottonelle Clean Routine combines the use of Cottonelle Toilet Paper and Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths. With the help of a sleek, newly designed dispenser for Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths, keeping a clean bathroom routine is easier than ever.

Baby Wipes Grow Up:

Cottonelle, sent me a 4 pack of Cottonelle Ultra Comfort Care Toilet Paper and one dispenser of Cottonelle Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloths to check out and I've gotta say the new dispenser design is great.   It's standing upright, taking up less space than the baby style rectangles, but the same cleansing cloth package fits.   Now for the "do they dry out" test....   So far so good.   I hate it when the wet wipes get dry!   I got in the habit of pairing wet wipes & toilet paper during music fests and camping trips, and never stopped.   At home or away, it's a fresher, cooler clean.  So, why not?!

Cottonelle's Ultra Comfort Care Toilet Paper is thick and soft.  Back in the day, when I was newly out of college and struggling to pay the rent with a string of freelance writing and acting gigs, my roommate and I were cutting corners and buying generic things to scrape by.  Still, she was adamant about not cheaping out on toilet paper.   She told me cheap TP is generally scratchy, falls apart and ends up not being a deal at all, because you have to use so much more of it.  So we bought the best toilet paper we could find and ate Raman Noodles to make rent.  

Let’s talk about your bum! What weirds you out about most wipes? You aren’t opposed to using wet towelettes on your hands after a meal, so why use only toilet paper on your bum after you go? 

Poll Finds America is Ready to Talk Taboo Topics―Well-Known Toilet Paper Brand Sets Out to Start this Conversation

Cottonelle Brand Teams Up with Documentary Filmmaker to Get People Talking… About their Bums  

As bath tissue maker Cottonelle looks to open the door on bathroom conversation, toilet talk is about to go mainstream. That’s right, Cottonelle wants to get North Americans talking about their bums and on the road to a better way to clean “down there”  by using the Cottonelle Clean Routine -- combining dry toilet paper and flushable wipes for a cleaner, fresher experience. With the help of London-based immersive journalist, Cherry Healey, Cottonelle is helping consumers to open up about their bathroom behaviors and “makeover” their old toileting routine. And with a sleek, newly designed dispenser for Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths, Healey is set to start the conversation now.  

It’s true that nothing will leave you feeling cleaner and fresher than the Cottonelle Care Routine. This combination provides a clean you can feel throughout the day so you’ll be ready for anything. Unfortunately, since bathroom habits are not something that people regularly talk about, many people don’t know that there is a better way to feel clean and fresh than just using toilet paper alone. According to a recent survey, one third of Americans find “wiping your bum” to be the most taboo topic likely because more than 50 percent of us say we were raised not to discuss what happens behind the bathroom door. However, it seems America is ready to open the door to this topic since 80 percent of Americans say they would be comfortable talking about bathroom habits with others. Ready or not, Healey is here to talk bums.

“These things can be embarrassing subjects, but that’s why I’m here… so we come out from behind the bathroom door to talk about it!” Healey explains.  And talk about it she will. The commercial program launches this week with Cherry Healey leading the conversation on bathroom habits. Integrated marketing efforts span across media placements, retail and shopper marketing, public relations, digital and advertising to drive awareness and encourage consumers to “Talk About Your Bum” on and offline. 

As a documentary filmmaker, Cherry isn’t afraid to talk about things that others may shy away from. Her humor and charm have helped people open up to her about all kinds of “taboo”-yet-common experiences – from sex to childbirth. As a user of the Cottonelle Care Routine herself, she’ll combine her professional and personal experience to talk to everybody, everywhere about their bums, and how they can use the Cottonelle Care Routine to be ready… for anything. 

Ironically, while some people are hesitant to talk about bathroom habits, many of us have a habit of talking while in the bathroom. More than 60 percent of us talk on the phone and nearly 40 percent email while on the toilet. Cottonelle knows all too well that bathroom habits aren’t discussed as often as they should be. “As progressive as our society has become, we know that most consumers are not discussing the details of their bathroom routine,” says Mike Haley, Cottonelle Marketing Director. “That’s why we’re teaming up with documentary filmmaker Cherry Healey to start this conversation about using dry and moist and help people open up and understand that there’s a better way to feel clean and fresh in the bathroom versus dry alone.”

The Cottonelle brand feels so strongly about the importance of highlighting better bottom care that it updated the flushables’ packaging to an upright, durable dispenser as well as the name - from “wipes” to “cleansing cloths” to better reflect the role they play in a care routine. The flushable cleansing cloths are designed specifically to work with Cottonelle toilet paper to fit into your current bathroom routine. The brand hopes that both of these changes along with Cherry Healey’s mission to get people talking taboo topics will further help normalize the Cottonelle Care Routine among adults. 

The goal is for the Cottonelle Care Routine to become a regular bathroom habit, so much so that having wipes on hand become part of bathroom etiquette. Right now, most Americans agree that not wiping off the seat (94%), forgetting to flush (92%) and not refilling toilet paper (74%) are offensive bathroom behaviors. One quarter (25%) of Americans agree that not having flushable wipes is offensive but that number could increase as more people adopt the routine.

• Experiencing is believing. Incorporating cleansing cloths into your bathroom routine may feel weird at first but ultimately, it’s a clean and fresh feeling that leaves you ready for anything.

Visit Cottonelle Brands Facebook page to talk with Cherry and others about the Cottonelle Care Routine and then try it for yourself.

About Cottonelle Brand

The Cottonelle brand provides innovative comfort solutions for perineal personal care. Cottonelle toilet paper is available in three forms: Cottonelle Ultra Comfort Care, Cottonelle Gentle Care and Cottonelle Clean Care. To help people feel cleaner and fresher than with toilet paper alone, the brand offers Cottonelle Fresh Care flushable wipes and Cottonelle Gentle Care flushable wipes enriched with Aloe & E. For the latest product information, visit www.cottonelle.com.

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB) and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's population trust K-C's brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. 

To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the Company's 141-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com  or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.  

• Cottonelle Toilet Paper and Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths are designed to work together for a clean you can feel. Join the conversation on Facebook and try the Cottonelle Care Routine for yourself.

Are you ready? Don’t be shy! Visit http://www.facebook.com/cottonelle to learn more about the Cottonelle Clean Routine and join the clean routine conversation.

Cottonelle wants to get you talking about your bum and on a better way to clean “down there” by using the Cottonelle Clean Routine. By combining the use of Cottonelle Toilet Paper and Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths, the Cottonelle Clean Routine is a revolutionary way to keep your bum cleaner.

Disclosure:  Thanks again to Cottonelle for sponsoring this post, written by me on behalf of Cottonelle.  All opinions and anecdotes are mine.

Lolla You're Killing Me #lolla

Friday at Lollapalooza 2013 made us make some tough choices.   Nine Inch Nails Vs. The Killers.   Queens of the Stone Age Vs. New Order.   Sure with 150 bands and 100,000 fans a day, there's going to be too much going on at any given moment.   But really...   Lolla, you're killing me!

Glowing poi ball spinning and flying glo-sticks at NIN... only at #lolla LOL Never thought I'd see the day.

Here's a sampler of our Galaxy S4 photos/ Instagram Posts.   Saturday & Sunday we'll have the "real" camera along for the ride.   I ditched it at the last minute when yesterday's forecast called for loads of thunderstorms.   The grounds were muddy & wet but happily the rain held off.  

We had every intention of going to New Order at #lolla last night, since they're much more of a rare treat to see, and who knows if/when that'll ever happen again.  But my 10 year old daughter, Sage, tweaked her foot in team gymnastics earlier in the day and we were on the FAR side of Lolla at go time & had already done a LOT of walking. So Queens of the Stone Age was a happy accident. They killed it! And bonus... we were already where we wanted to be for Nine Inch Nails!!   NIN sounded amazing and broke out a full set of old favorites and decent new material too.

Shout out to Sagezilla for being mighty and awesome. Pedometer showed we walked close to 12,000 steps yesterday and she stuck it out!!   We tried to pedicab it back to the car, but the first driver said no outrightly and the last said "That's far.  I'll take you but it'll be $30. Right now I'm just doing short runs to take people to where they can get a cab." 

Really?!   My awesome kid said, "I'd rather walk it if you give me the $30, then did it for free."

Friday we ran into our friend Dan O'Connor who worked for SPIN Magazine for years and spray paints awesome DIY t-shirts for major music fests.   Sage was sporting one of his creations from Lolla 09 yesterday!   We plan to hang with the infamous curly mustache man and his wife and 3 sons over the weekend.

It was also great to see Cara Carriveau  (Chicago's Rewind 100.3 FM radio personality)  & Theresa Carter of The Local Tourist fame.

We'll be there all day today and tomorrow with full Kidzapalooza and Lollapalooza highlights, so check back like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often.