Pub menu embraces British comfort foods

The big screen TVs are broadcasting soccer, and there's an impressively extensive list of beers and scotches at Piper's Pub.

But general manager and head chef Alex Peightal won't allow the South Side restaurant to be categorized as a sport bar.

"Nah," he says. "We are a pub with a European football problem. That's what people know to come here to watch."

For their convenience, a schedule of upcoming matches is posted on the pub's Web site and doors open 15 minutes before the matches starts.

Depending on who's playing, time difference and how important the match is, patrons may begin filling up booths and bar stools as early as 7:30 a.m. to watch their teams. Given soccer's worldwide popularity, some come to root for the team while others come out of national pride.

"We get a great cross-section of Pittsburgh," Peightal says.

While they're cheering goals and lamenting missed opportunities, the patrons also chow down on an extensive menu of comfort foods, with many items familiar to anyone who has ever lifted a pint in a pub within the United Kingdom.

Service is swift and accommodating if you need to dine and dash. But the waitstaff doesn't rush you if your game plan involves nursing a 20-ounce Smithwicks Irish Ale ($4.75) and a plate of Smoked Salmon Pate ($7.95) through to the final goal.

As befits a pub, there are a wide choice of imported beers, ales, lagers and stouts from Britain and Europe -- two dozen on tap and even more in bottles.

Owner Drew Topping also indulges his clients -- and his hobby -- with an impressive collection of single-malt scotches that vary in price from $7 to $21 a shot. There's generally a rotating selection of 72 labels which vary as bottles empty and are replaced by new finds. A list of available brews, scotches, Irish whiskeys and bourbons can be found on the Web site.

There's a full menu of 11 dinner entrees available. Stilton Stuffed Chicken ($14.95), Grilled Pork Chops with onion gravy ($15.95) and Apricot Grilled Salmon ($15.95) sound particularly tempting.

But, time after time, we find ourselves opting instead for one of the 16 dishes affectionately known as pub grub. "It's all comfort food, done honest," Peightal says

Portions are ample enough to satisfy even the hungriest customer.

For those missing the baked beans, toast, fried eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms that form the traditional English Breakfast ($6.95) or sausage and mashed potato combo known as Bangers and Mash ($8.95), Piper's Pub serves them all day long.

Guinness Stew ($8.95) and Lamb and Chestnut Stew ($8.95) are two of the most popular dishes, Peightal says.

We can vouch for the Lamb and Chestnut stew, a humongous serving of ground lamb and meaty nuts sharing space with big chunks of well-cooked but firm vegetables hidden under a mattress of flaky pastry. All three stews and pies we tried are held together by an abundance of thick, bland gravy. But there were actual chunks of chicken and whole button mushrooms as well as a generous sprinkling of other vegetables in the Chicken and Mushroom Pie ($8.95) and thin chunks of tender beef and vegetables swimming in Irish stout gravy in the Shepherd's Pie ($8.95)

We also liked the Dublin Coddle ($8.95), a big plate of fried potatoes and onions combined with chunks of crispy, meaty bacon and bangers or sausages that could be mistaken for hot dogs.

The Fresh Grilled Salmon Club ($8.95) was too alluring to pass up. We weren't disappointed, beginning with the waitress asking how much we wanted the salmon grilled and delivering it just the way we asked. Smoky from the grill and flaky, it was served between two thick slices of chewy bread, lettuce, tomato, two slices of thick, crunchy bacon and a little cup of dill-flavored mayonnaise and had an order of fries on the side.

The one disappointment is the dessert list. Last time we were there only two options were available, both commercial products made elsewhere. The Chocolate Volcano Cake ($4.75) was adequate -- warm, chocolatey and properly oozy -- but not special enough to get excited about.

Better to invest your money and calories on the appetizers.

In keeping with its pub identity, this informal, friendly restaurant maintains a good list of starters that the menu calls "drinking partners."

You could easily make a meal -- or wile away an afternoon of soccer -- with a succession of choices from the list.

Some are standard fare -- that omnipresent Pittsburgh option Zucchini Strips served with horseradish sauce ($7.95) or deep-fried Onion Petals with mustard sauce ($5.95).

But that would mean passing up items you won't find elsewhere.

We loved the Curry and Chips ($3.95), a big platter of French fries surrounding a mound of zingy curry sauce that can be spiced mild, medium or hot. We went for the burn and were not disappointed.

We also enjoyed that quintessential British appetizer Scotch Eggs ($7.95) -- two hard boiled eggs encased in sausage and deep-fried dark brown and crunchy. Sounds weird. Tastes wonderful, especially when dipped in hot sauce.

If you're looking for something on the milder side, go for the Ploughman's Platter ($8.95), a snacking platter with two fat slabs of cheese -- a flavorful chocolate brown and ivory marbled Guinness cheddar and a red-speckled elderberry wine cheddar -- served with chewy bread wedges, apple slices, sweet and tangy tiny gherkins and a mound of sweet and spicy apple chutney.

The welcoming, informal, solicitous and upbeat staff makes Piper's Pub a good choice for a diner in search of casual comfort food or a soccer enthusiast's afternoon of indulgence.

After all, as Peightal points out, you can watch the Steelers anywhere.

The Dairy Review

This publication is a statistical summary of the dairy situation in Canada and the provinces, including farm sales of milk for fluid and manufacturing purposes; cash receipts from farm sales; and production and stocks of creamery butter, cheddar cheese and other dairy products and by-products.

Teeth whitening toothpastes: Are they the best choice?

Just about every dental product advertised today seems to make some sort of claim about whitening teeth and certainly toothpastes are no exception. Advertisements for teeth whitening toothpastes saturate every medium.

There is validity to some of the whitening claims made by the manufacturers of teeth whitening toothpastes but the process by which these products achieve their effect may be different from that which you'd expect. Certainly teeth whitening toothpastes can be the best choice for some people in some circumstances. But before you can make a decision about what is best for you, you will need to know more about how teeth whitening toothpastes work.

How do teeth whitening toothpastes work?

The primary mode of action of teeth whitening toothpastes is one of abrasion. The formulation of the typical whitening toothpaste will be such that it includes minute, mildly abrasive particles (usually aluminum oxide, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, hydrated silicas or calcium carbonate). The scrubbing motion of the bristles of a toothbrush in combination with the presence of these small particles creates an action that can have an effect where it scours debris off the surface of teeth.

So, as opposed to peroxide-based teeth whiteners where the whitening effect is produced by a chemical change that occurs within a tooth, whitening toothpastes produce a whitening effect solely by way of removing accumulated debris off a tooth's external surface. For this reason, teeth whitening toothpastes are sometimes referred to as "nonbleaching" whitening products.

Some teeth whitening toothpastes do contain peroxides in their formulations.

The formulations of some teeth whitening toothpastes do include peroxide compounds, however only at low levels. Studies have suggested that a whitening toothpaste with an added peroxide compound will only deliver a 1% (or less) exposure of hydrogen peroxide to a tooth's surface. Because of this low level of peroxide exposure and the relatively brief exposure time teeth have to toothpaste in general, the whitening effect of the peroxide additives found in the formulations of whitening toothpastes is considered to be negligible.

A tooth whitening toothpaste might be the best choice in some cases.

On a comparative basis, teeth whitening toothpastes typically are not considered to be the most effective type of tooth whitening products available, primarily because their effect is only one of removing superficial debris as opposed to creating a true internal color change as is the case with peroxide-based whiteners. However, there can be circumstances when a whitening toothpaste is the best choice. Here is an example of when this could be true.

Some people may find that they are, for the most part, perfectly content with the color of their teeth. With time however, typically beginning some weeks or months after their most recent professional dental cleaning, they will notice that their teeth have begun to take on a stained appearance. In most cases the stain is only found on a few teeth or just a grouping of teeth. Often the staining will be dark and quite noticeable in some areas and almost unnoticeable in other regions. This type of tooth discoloration is surface staining. And this is precisely the type of staining that a tooth whitening toothpaste is intended to address.

Tooth surface staining is only superficial in nature. Its presence has to do with debris that has accumulated on the surface of the affected teeth. The debris itself either has an inherent color or, more likely, the debris is relatively neutral in color and has become stained due to exposure to chromogenic agents such as colas, coffee, and tobacco products. Surface stain forms in those regions where a person's oral home care has been ineffective.

The mildly abrasive nature of the particulate substances incorporated into the formulation a whitening toothpaste when combined with the scrubbing action of a toothbrush can often remove surface staining. Even in those cases where the existing build up is too heavy for a whitening toothpaste to provide a solution, initiating the use of one of these products immediately after a professional dental cleaning may keep surface staining from ever forming.

White Rabbit Creamy Candies

My first ever Chinese candy review, and these are pretty much the most famous of the lot. I’m not sure what the name of the company who produce these is called, but these always get called White Rabbit, with the flavour coming afterwards, so I’m gonna go with that unless someone can inform me otherwise.

I first tried these about 5 years ago, in a trip to The Oriental Centre in London, I had my first taste of Oriental food, and White Rabbit candy was something that became a bit of a favourite of mine.

Essentially, this is a packet of individually wrapped chewy, vanilla flavoured sweets. I’m not sure what to compare them to, I’ve tried American taffy in the past and so my American readers will understand that, as for the British readers, it’s a little like toffee only a lot less hard, and quite soft and chewy, so perhaps somewhere between chewy caramel, and toffee.

The sweets are also covered in edible rice paper which is an interesting twist, the stuff always gets stuck to the roof of my mouth which is annoying, but other than that these are pleasant little sweets that are good to just have sitting on your desk for a little snack.

Pherlure Cologne

If you’re like most guys, I’m willing to bet you’ve had your mind on S.M.S. all day long. What in the hell is S.M.S. you ask? It’s the three things any real guy truly cares about: Sex, Money, and Sports. Today, we’ll talk about a product that can help you with the first subject matter.

Regardless of your current relationship status, chances are you would gladly welcome the opportunity to increase how much sex you currently have. Whether it’s three times a week with your new girlfriend, or if you’ve been on a dry spell for the past three months since your last hook up at the club, when it comes to sex, the more the better. Agreed?

If you’re serious about doing better with women, you have to consider every possible factor that will give you an edge. Sure, you can join online dating sites and work on your rap, and upgrading your wardrobe might also be a good idea. But sometimes that just isn’t enough.

Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve been told you smell great by a woman, even though you weren't wearing any cologne? Your body was likely giving off pheromones – odorless chemicals the body produces that influence sexual behavior. Exciting stuff to say the least. But unfortunately, research has shown that more than 95% of guys don’t produce enough of these pheromones on a regular basis naturally to trigger any sexual response in the opposite sex. This may explain why it seems that only 5% of the male population is regularly hooking up with the entire female population.

If you’re looking for that extra edge, it would only make sense that you would add pheromones to your everyday routine. The bad news is that there are many bogus products claiming to be pheromones sold on the internet and in the back of sleazy magazines. Steer clear of these, as they simply don’t work.

The good news is that there is a genuine pheromone product that we’ve tested and recommend. It’s called Pherlure Cologne and it actually has a patent pending pheromone formula you won’t find anywhere else. Simply put, Pherlure Cologne helps men attract women.

The beauty of Pherlure is that it’s subtle enough not to be detected, but it still smells great. It can also be used together with your usual cologne. Also, you don’t have to drench yourself with the stuff. Just a small dose of Pherlure will work wonders.

Pherlure Cologne works for most guys that try it, but if for whatever reason it doesn’t work for you, you can return it for a full refund. So go ahead and try it; you’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Eye Eye Captain

Comfort Excellent

Value for money Excellent

Ease of use Low maintenance

Cost of solutions Very Low

Advantages: Healthy for your eyes, clean, no need for solutions etc

Disadvantages: You will need to take them out every night

Recommend to potential buyers: yes

Full review

I have been wearing contacts for about a year now and over the past couple of months I have been suffering with eye infections. Previous to this, I had been wearing weekly disposable contact lenses and decided I would be better to change to daily disposable lenses to clear up my eye infection and to be honest, I quite like using the daily lenses.

About Johnson & Johnson 1 day Acuvue Lenses

1 day Acuvue daily disposable contact lenses are made by Johnson & Johnson. As these lenses are only worn on a daily basis, they give you a fresh start every day with a new, clean pair of lenses resulting in the healthiest and most convenient way to wear your contact lenses. These lenses also contain UV Blocking and are the only lenses on the market that offer this.

The one day acuvue lenses have a 58% water content so they feel very natural to wear as they sit very comfortably in your eyes. These lenses are classed as soft lenses which means they are extremely thin and are made from materials that allow oxygen to pass through them and reach the eye surface, meaning your eyes are left to feel as natural as possible while wearing the lenses.

Packaging

These contacts come in boxes of 30, which means you have 15 pairs of contacts. You can also buy them a box at a time which would mean you would get a box of 30 lenses for your right eye, and 30 for your left, meaning they would last you a month.

The contact lenses come in a small plastic pod which have saline solution inside which the contact sits in. The pod is sealed and you only open it when you intend on putting the lenses into your eye.

Price

When I buy these from my optician, they cost me a lot more than the price I pay online. I have recently started buying my contacts online from http://www.contactforlenses.com where they cost me £13.99 per box of 30 lenses which is fairly reasonable.

The Lenses

Acuvue lenses are slightly tinted which I love as it means they are much easier to handle as you can actually see them. With my weekly disposables, because they are clear, it is always difficult to get them out of the solution as it is hard to see them with them being the same colour as the solution. The lenses also have 123 printed on the lense which enables you to tell with a quick glance whether the lenses are the correct way around. This again is another advantage to these as with the weekly disposables, you have to look at the lense and sort of guess which way round it goes (which can be kind of hard considering I cant see much without my contacts in.

Personally I quite like the daily disposables. When I first decided to wear contacts, I liked the idea of the weekly disposable as it seemed to fit in better with my lifestyle - pop the lense in, and a week later, take it back out and dispose of it. However, it didn't quite work like that, the weekly lenses can get grimy which means you have to take them out and clean them and to be honest they are a lot more maintenance than they 1st seemed.

Summary

I would highly recommend these lenses, they are relatively cheap and made by a trusted brand. They are comfortable to wear and also have the little added bonus of being tinted and having the 123 printed to ensure you place them on your eye the correct way round. You can get away with sleeping with these lenses in, for example, if you are going for a night out and forget to take them out when you get in, this wont cause any problems, but I do find that the lenses feel quite dry the next day. The other advantage to wearing daily lenses is that you do not need to pay out for contact solutions and contact cases as you do not need to store them overnight as you simply throw them away once you have taken them out.

Lux Soap

New lux chocolate seduction is really splendid.It leaves you with a wholesome fresh feeling not only for your body but also for your spirits.Personally I feel this freshness lasts longer than any other soaps.Being a soap fanatic I have tried almost all kinds of bathing soaps available in india and each time i try a new product I did crave for a better one.But this soap I am truly and completely satisfied with this and this is going to be my ultimate favourite of all times.(I suppose).The single most main factor that attracted and seduced me into this soap is its fresh and exotic fragnance.It is quite a unique smell and a true feast to your sense of smell.frarganance is quite a sober one and is different from the typical mushy fragnance of other soaps.On applying it forms a rich lather which deep cleanses your skin and the lather on rinsing off leaves you and your skin sofo and supple.It makes you and your skin feel GREAT!!!

THIS SOAP HAS A VERY GOOD FRAGRANCE , IS BEST SUITED FOR MY SKIN. KEEPS THE MOISTURE CONTENTS AS REQUIRED. COST WISE IS VERY MUCH AFFORDABLE. GLOBALLY AVAILABLE AT EVERY NOOK AND CORNER IN DEPARTMENTAL STORES, GROCERY SHOPS , AND IN GENERAL STORES ALSO. IN CASE OF ACUTE EMERGENCY IT CAN BE USED FOR SHAVING PURPOSE ALSO.

BEST SUITED FOR LADIES , GENTS AND ALL CLASS OF PEOPLE. AND HENCE I WANT TO SAY THAT ’’ ITS superb soap and nothing else can be mentioned. ’’


I HOPE THE SAME FRAGRANCE AND AVAILABILITY WILL BE THERE FOR EVER

Sunsilk Shampoo

The new Sunsilk range has arrived, not amongst the fanfare of bands playing but with a blitz of money saving offers in various shops. The range consists of shampoos and conditioners, for all different hair types, ranging from ‘Normal’ to ‘Curly.’ I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some sort of serum advertised as well, but so far I’ve not spotted this in any shops.

I've been informed by the Warden that this isn't actually a new product and she has been using it for years! It appears that it is probably just a repackage and relaunch by the makers. Sorry for the confusion!

*** The Packaging ***

To be perfectly honest, the packaging is fairly nondescript. I’ve got the ‘Daily wear & tear’ shampoo and conditioner, and these come in a pretty peachy colour, and I know that other bottles come in light green and pink (I think). They’re not instantly recognisable mainly because the packaging isn't that great or inspiring. There’s nothing distinct about the bottles at all. This might be something the manufacturers want to look into if they want to attract customers who spend a little more on their products in order to have something a little more swish looking in their bathrooms. The only reason I spotted them was because of the offer that they were on - the shampoo and conditioner for £1.79. Bargain!

All the usual jargon is contained on the outside....Duo Keratins....Silky, smooth, shiny hair.....and on the back a very personal paragraph on what the products will do for your hair. This includes the description, “For you, and your hair, the Elida Hair Institute has developed a unique system to help repair and protect your hair everyday. Enriched with Duo Keratins, Sunsilk Daily Wear & Tear system leaves hair feeling silky, smooth and shiny day after day.” So, the usual promises that the hair care industry always gives us, hmmm...we shall see if they keep them.... As a student of linguistics, I can tell you that the paragraph utilises the second person pronoun (you) in order to draw the reader in and think “Yes, I like that, I think I’ll try that for MY hair!” They use this very effectively - obviously, as I bought it! Though the fact that it was on special offer also helped...

*** Sunsilky hair then? ***

Now if the beginning of my review has left with you negative estimations of the products, then I am sorry because it wasn’t intentional. Because, this shampoo and conditioner is gorgeous! The packaging may be bland and unoriginal, but the actual stuff inside more than makes up for it.

To start - the smell wafting from the bottle is lovely; very peachy and fruity and incredibly refreshing. The shampoo lathers up very very easily, and actually looks and feels like a conditioner (and no, I didn’t get them mixed up!). It’s very thick stuff and you hardly need to use any of it at all. My hair felt very clean, and unusually compared to my other shampoos, it didn’t feel as if it was dry and raw like it normally does. Apart from the odd occasion that I don’t use conditioner to give my hair a really good, clean scrub, I always use conditioner because otherwise its just too dry. So, I really do think you could use just the shampoo in this range and it would leave your hair feeling conditioned. However, for the sake of research, I used the conditioner as well...

Again, this smelt wonderful. Going by how thick the shampoo had been, I only used a tiny blob of conditioner on the ends of my hair and this was all I needed as it seemed to spread a long way. I did find that the conditioner felt slightly oily, but after I’d rinsed it out there was no oiliness at all. You only had to leave this on for a minute as well, which is fantastic for me, because I often get of bed late in the morning for lectures, and have to have a shower in a few mins (which for me is impossible!) and as my hair is so thick I have to use an intensive conditioner, but this stuff was whacked on for a minute and hey presto! Conditioner extroadinaire!

*** The aftermath ***

I had no tangles at all in my hair, and even wet it felt very strong and well conditioned. I found that drying it was easier, and it wasn’t nearly as fluffy as it usually is. This in turn made it easier to straighten, which was great because once again I was running late...

It’s nearing the end of the day and my hair still feels soft and moisturised but not greasy. And the smell of peaches is still there!

However, finishing this off a day later - I have had to wash my hair every day that I’ve used this shampoo. It feels fantastic for the one day, but as soon as you go to sleep BAM! the hair fairy gets you and you have to wash it the next day because its too greasy to walk around with. This isn’t a real problem as I tend to wash my hair everyday anyway, and it might only be my hair type it affects.

*Update* I've been using this for a few weeks now, and the shampoo is about halfway down the bottle, but the conditioner has still got at least 3/4 of the bottle left. Well worth the money because they have last ages. I wash my hair every day, shampooing it twice and as you only need to use a tiny bit they really are value for money.

Brushing Your Teeth - Manual vs Electric:

The question you hear amongst consumers and dentists is "Which is better, manual toothbrushing or using an electric toothbrush?". Evidence points to the electric toothbrush as getting better results than people who manually brush their teeth, but there are several factors that go into having good dental checkups. I have brushed my teeth for years without using the modern electric toothbrushes and haven't had a cavity in almost 20 years. I floss each night and brush my teeth twice a day (as recommended by all dentists) for roughly 2 minutes. I have been told that I have a very powerful brushing stroke and am very thorough around the trouble areas - back moulars, along the gum line, and in between teeth. I tried using an electric toothbrush that my wife bought us but I must say it felt uncomfortable since there is no work for my hand to do. I have since switched back to my regular toothbrush and my wife has continued using the Braun Oral B electric toothbrush for now. Some people have said there is no difference between manual brushes and electric toothbrushes but I guess the results in the long run will eventually let us know if the latest technology is better for our teeth and gums.

Periodontal, or gum, disease is just as common as tooth decay and many dentists claim that electric toothbrushes do a better job of battling this than do manual brushes. One reason being that electric toothbrushes come with built in timers that guide people as to how long they should be brushing. The theory goes that people using an electric toothbrush are more likely to be brushing for the required 2 minutes each day while those with manual toothbrushes skip out on the extra minute or so and leave themselves exposed to more gum disease and plaque build up. The flouride in toothpaste needs a certain amount of time on your teeth and gums to work effectively and brushing for only 30 to 60 seconds just isn't enough time for the flouride to be effective. We will review the best electric toothbrushes on the market today and look into all the options available for dental hygiene products below. I think the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" goes well with this discussion about which type of toothbrush to use. If your dental history and checkups are going well with no problems, keep doing what you are doing since it is obviously working well. On the other hand, if you are getting cavities, plaque build up or gum diseases, consider switching to an electric toothbrush for better results. If you want just a regular manual toothbrush, we say stick with Reach, Colgate, Mentadent, Radius, Crest, Butler, Oral-B, and Aquafresh.

Best Electric Toothbrush - Sonicare vs Braun Oral B:

The best electric toothbrush as rated by consumers and dentists is the Sonicare Elite 7500 ($110) - users say it's comfortable to use, gets to all the hard to reach places and the ultrasonic bristle movement removes plaque better than the Oral B electric toothbrushes. The Sonicare toothbrush has a dual speed control and deluxe recharge gauge, and Elite handle with 2 Elite Series brush heads, a 2-minute Smartimer and programmable Quadpacer interval timer. The Sonicare also includes a "charger base, a deluxe travel case, and a luxury brush holder". One complaint on earlier models of the Sonicare was the larger brush head size and people couldn't use it effectively, but that problem is solved with the Elite 7500. Owners also say the 30 second beep that prompts you to brush in a different spot is helpful and the fact it shuts off after 2 minutes is great. Another quality electric toothbrush is the Braun Oral-B ProfessionalCare 7000 Series ($75) - the rechargeable Oral B 7000 Series is slightly cheaper than the Sonicare Elite 7500 which makes the Braun Oral B a great value. The Oral B cleans by both oscillation and pulsation movements. Some users say the Braun Oral B electric toothbrush is noisy, but the overall standards are similar to that of the Sonicare. The Braun Oral-B Triumph ProfessionalCare 9400 ($140) is the most expensive electric toothbrush in our reviews and in our opinion provides some added features that are not necessary. It's a computerized toothbrush that has a processor chip and the Triumph toothbrush gives you some personal touches like telling each user when their brush head needs to be replaced. There are 4 brushing modes to choose from and owners say it's easy and smooth to operate. Other lessor models include the Cybersonic toothbrush - the Sonic1 ($53), the Crest SpinBrush ($10) is actually battery powered, The Rota-Dent Electric Toothbrush ($135) - fights dental plaque and gingivitis, the Ultrasonex toothbrush, and the Interplak Power Toothbrush for around $20.

Toothbrush Sanitizer - Cleaner:

One thing many of us don't think about is all the bacteria that can build up on a toothbrush after months of use. Sure we rinse the brush head off in the water after we brush (I hope), but that doesn't kill the bacteria on the brush. Toothbrush sanitizers and toothbrush cleaners have recently hit the market and are selling pretty well. The best seller is the VIOlight VS100 Toothbrush Sanitizer and Storage System ($50) or the Germ Terminator Toothbrush Sanitizer ($50). If you travel a lot for business or pleasure, perhaps buying a disposable toothbrush or travel toothbrush is a good idea so you don't have to take your toothbrush cleaner with you on the road. I have never used a toothbrush sterilizer product and I don't have any bacteria or plaque issues with my teeth so I'm assuming these products are sold on "fear" and probably do keep your toothbrush cleaner than mine, but aren't doing anything for your gums/teeth.

Toothbrush Holder:

I recently had to go out and buy a toothbrush holder for my manual toothbrush and found out there are more options than one may want. For kids there is the SpongeBob SquarePants Toothbrush Holder, the Frog Toothbrush Holder, and the Jungle Toothbrush Holder all sold at Target stores for about $10. I bought 2 toothbrush holders (one for my room and one for the guest bathroom) - a Brushed-Chrome Toothbrush Holder and a Brushed Metal Toothbrush Holder. Both hold 4 toothbrushes (seems like they all do) and should stay clean from water or toothpaste decay. You can also put them in your dishwasher once a month to clean off an residual filth.