Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween!

Did you know Canada..  Happy Halloween!  We have a quick Canadian Halloween fact:

The practice of Guising (children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins) at Halloween in North America is first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighbourhood.



Hope everyone has a fun, safe, and dry night :)

Stay tuned tomorrow when we change gears and get ready for the Holidays!  We will be posting our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide and start sharing some reviews of our favourite products for the Holiday Season.


Monday, October 29, 2012

FlipSize

Did you know Canada..  have you heard about FlipSize.ca yet?  It is this awesome site where you can Buy & Swap kids clothes!



I LOVE this, from having twins we had SO MANY clothes, I didn't know what to do with them, but at the same time, these kids won't stop growing, and I am in constant need of clothes for them!

Here's how it works..

- sign up for FREE
- request a bag, fill it with gently used clothing (at least 40 items)
- place the prepaid label and your member ID # on the outside of the bag
and drop off at any Canada Post.
- every item you send in will earn a certain amount of Flip Points, you can also earn additional BONUS points for items on their wanted list
- use your points to shop at FlipSize OR redeem them for gift cards to other retail stores like Amazon.ca!
** You don't need to have points to shop at FlipSize, you can just pay cash (Paypal, Credit) as well

Every item they receive is reviewed - they have a "NO DUDS" policy, so when shopping you know each of these pieces are top quality, no more taking chances on Kijiji!



I've tried selling children's clothing before, but it's a pain because you have to list so many at once, and each person wants 1 or 2, then you have all these people showing up at your door for only a few dollars.  Sending in 40 or more items at once will clean out a proper space in the closet, and earn you some great points for you to spend!

How great is this?  With the new baby on the way I am going to be using this service, how about you??


Friday, October 26, 2012

Cityville Monopoly

Did you know Canada..  I am one of those people that like all those little games on Facebook, including Cityville.  Have you tried Cityville yet?  Well, if you're a fan, I have some fun news for you, there is now a Cityville Monopoly game from Hasbro!

Similar to the original Monopoly, but with some fun twists!  You still have the familiar Go - collect $200, Free Parking and Jail, but instead just building houses, you are building houses, businesses, community buildings and skyscrappers!  You're also building businesses like a Toy Shop and Flower Store and a new fun feature - Gifts!  Gifts are decorations for your property that increase the value, you get to gift decorations to a friend as well.



Easy to set up, fun both for those familiar with Cityville and new players alike.  It's different enough from the original Monopoly that it's worth getting, this would be a fun game during Christmas break!



We've been playing it as a family and really enjoyed it, hubby and I play while the kids help.  They love counting out the money and moving the pieces around.  I was really happy with the quality of the movers, they are heavy and solid so they don't go flying every time someone touches the board or rolls the dice.  Same with the housing pieces, they fit together as they should and stay solid.

Easy to set up and count out money, everyone gets 3 of each bill value, I LOVE that feature, set up in Monopoly has been a bit of the pain in the past.

Overall a fantastic game, I really recommend picking this one up, maybe challenge a few friends on New Years Eve!  :-)


Thursday, October 25, 2012

Made By Hand Show - This Saturday!

Did you know Canada.. it's finally here!  The Made By Hand Show is this Saturday!!

Over 190 exhibitors, all with Hand Made, unique products - it's time to get Christmas shopping friends.



It opens at 11 and I suggest you get there early as the first 100 families get a free swag bag!  Bring the whole family, free face-painting and a surprise visit from a princess, everyone is going to have a great day.  And did I mention, FREE parking!!

Visit the Made By Hand Show website for directions to the International Centre so you can get to Hall 6 at 6900 Airport Road in Mississauga with no problems.

Children are free and only a $2 admission for adult with Door Proceeds benefiting Crafting for a Cure!

Click here to few all the vendors so you can make a plan about who you are shopping for!  From stocking stuffers to hand made jewellery  art and more, you can get a present for everyone on your Christmas list all in one stop.

Happy Shopping!!


Tuk Tuk Carry All Bag

Did you know Canada..  when I had my boys I was so new to all the baby products, I had no idea what I wanted and bought things I ended up not liking or not needing.  One of those things I didn't like was my diaper bag.  The one I got had a flip cover that never stayed shut, it had no pockets so everything was flying around, it was a bad purchase.



THIS time I know exactly what I wanted, a Tuk Tuk Carry All Bag from Lug Life.  I already have 2 Lug Life purses and I knew this was exactly what I needed in a diaper bag this time.  The Tuk Tuk Carry All Bag comes with an amazing list of features..


  • • Wipeable bottom
  • • Convenient zip pockets
  • • Multiple interior pouches
  • • Water bottle pockets
  • • Quick access zip pocket for mobile phone
  • • Drawstring bag + Change pad (or seat cushion whichever you fancy!)
  • • Hidden straps to hook on to stroller if needed
  • • Material specially treated with water-repellent material
Pockets, pockets, pockets!  And I love them all, they are exactly what you need to keep the clothes away from sticky diaper cream, keep used diapers away from EVERYTHING, keep snacks, Mom's oh so important phone safe, bottles for babe and drinks for Mom, extra straps to hook on the stroller, oh my gosh, I just love it!



I've just been getting it ready to use for my hospital bag, it's big enough to store items for both me and the baby to get through our hospital stay.  I trust it will keep the baby's special welcome home clothes clean and safe until we need them, along with everything else we will need at the hospital.  I am so in love with this bag :-)



Wednesday, October 24, 2012

WIN $5,000 and Boost Your Down Payment!

Did you know Canada..  RateSupermarket.ca has an amazing contest going on right now, you can win $5.000 towards a down payment on a first home!  Wouldn't that be amazing!


Why is it so important to put as much as you can down on a new home?  Well..

- Smaller payments!  The more you put down on your home upfront, the smaller your mortgage payments will be and the less interest you'll be paying.

- Lower Interest Rate!  Banks will often offer a lower interest rate on a smaller loan.

- No Insurance!  By law, Canadian banks can only provide mortgage financing if you have a minimum 20% down payment, unless the mortgage is insured against default.

These are just a few of the many reasons why it's a fantastic idea to put down as much as you can on a new home.  So, if you dream of owning a home, RateSupermarket.ca wants to make that a reality for one lucky winner - by BOOSTING your down payment with a $5000 cash prize!

Any home buyer can qualify for the giveaway. To enter, fill out the survey on RateSupermarket.ca here.

The giveaway lasts until November 10. Good luck to all you prospective CANADIAN home buyers!


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Halloween Treats with Kellogg's Rice Krispies!

Did you know Canada..  it's almost Halloween!!!  I can't believe we will be carving pumpkins this weekend, getting all our costume pieces out and crossing our fingers it doesn't rain this year!


Kellogg's sent us a really cute package to make some rice krispies Halloween treats, it has been so much fun!

We made rice krispies the usual way, pour them in a pan, let them cool a bit and then cut out these fun shapes - pumpkins and bats.

We had tons of little candies and gel icing to decorate our pumpkins and bats, it was a fun family activity, and a perfect treat!  These will be great to send to school as well.  Visit www.ricekrispies.ca for more yummy and fun treat ideas!!!

Have you been working on any Halloween treats??



Thursday, October 18, 2012

It's “Everything Baby” Month at Sears!! #SearsBabysRoom

Did you know Canada..  as we are expecting our new little bundle in a few months, I am so honoured to be part of the Sears – The Baby’s Room Ambassador program.  Every month I will be sharing info with you about what's happening in Sears and their updated Baby's Room section.

This month I stopped by my closest Sears store in London ON and met with the very friendly staff that was so accommodating, including Rick the store's manager.  I was given a tour of the new Baby's Room section, which is so thoughtfully set up, here's some of my favourite parts..



When you first walk into Sears mall entrance the baby section is right there, which I love, because the bigger I get the less I want to walk..haha.. first thing you spy is their very sweet humidifiers and gorgeous receiving blankets and crib sheet section.  If you're looking for a gift, boom, it's right there!  In fact, I picked up the monkey themed blankets that day as I already have the matching crib sheet, so this was a perfect find!



Next up is their gorgeous displays of baby rooms, everything from the furniture to the wall displays, they show how each theme looks out of the packaging.  This is one of my favourite sections as I can get fussy about how something looks in the picture on the package vs. what it looks like in real life.  I'm all about wall decals right now too, and absolutely love that they though of included them in their display, that's especially one thing that's hard to grasp how it would look in your baby's room, so I am so pleased with this set up.  It's also a great way to snap a single picture and show Dad-to-be, Gramma's, sisters, etc.. what theme you are loving and they can see all the pieces in one shot.  Aaaaaand, they have my monkey theme, yay!!  So I was snapping pictures like crazy to send to everyone..haha



This then flows into the shopping section, where you can pick up the bedding, decorations, toys, it then leads into a awesome stroller and high chair display where everything is easily accessible.  You then have feeding, communication tools and car seats along the wall.  I was so impressed with the wall display they have showing each stage you need for car seats, what the weight and height rules are - these seemingly ever changing rules are always hard ones to grasp I find, and even parents with little ones seem confused about the real rules, so I loved that you could glance up and confirm what seat you need for what stage, awesome idea!



Something I was really happy with in all these sections is that they were not pushing or focusing on one brand.  They had many name brands available for Mom and Dad to choose what's best for them, and I really appreciated that.  As you can see, the sales were everywhere too!  Not just one brand on sale, but everything!  With the low shelves it was perfect to see the whole area to find what you wanted quickly, easily, and no reaching for expectant Mama's - a huge plus!



Last stop was the clothes, Sears has a fantastic and innovative way to group the clothing I thought, they have all the sizing nicely labelled at the top of every single display, and just about all the sets were group buys, like 2 sleepers for $13.97 (that is an awesome price by the way) or a 3 pack of body suits with matching pants available.  Often, you're not likely to find a sale on current season wear, usually sales are on clearance type items, so I was so happy to see clothing you need today at these awesome prices, that almost never happens in other stores!!

(Do I so need this, or what..lol)


Wow, this was a great trip and I will be back again next week as October is “Everything Baby” Month at Sears!  Literally everything baby-related is on sale October 12th – 25th!  Get shopping for your little ones, I know I will be!


Disclosure: I am part of the Sears – The Baby’s Room Ambassador program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

MARS Canada Helps Save Community Hockey Rinks In Canada #workrestplay

Did you know Canada..  we are a hockey family, my boys just have their second game of the season tomorrow at 7:30AM (!!!).  So we were so happy to learn about MARS Canada and the work they are doing in partnership with Hockey Canada.

I wasn't surprised to learn that a recent survey conducted by Leger Marketing and commissioned by the Mars brand revealed that while more than 90% of Canadians live near an ice rink, and value the positive impact a rink has on a community, most are surprisingly unaware of the current physical state of their facilities.  We are lucky to have a fairly new rink in our small town, but I have been in many rinks across the country that have been in various states of disrepair.  Now as a "hockey Mom" I really know how much it means to the community to have these facilities be a welcoming place for our kids.  Learn more about some of these rinks that need a facelift on the Mars Bar website, including one very close to me, the Western Fair Sports Centre in London Ontario.

Thankfully Mars Canada is ready to help out!  After the successful renovation of a rink in Grand Manan, N.B., Mars has further identified five local rinks within Canada that could use a bit of a facelift. Now, by purchasing a specially marked Mars and entering the PIN code contained inside the wrapper at www.marsbar.ca,  Canadians will activate a $5 contribution, up to a maximum of $100,000 in 2012, to be shared amongst the participating community rinks in need of renovations.  Isn't this awesome???  Love that a single bar equals a 5 dollar contribution, we will get to the $100,000 goal in no time!

We got an amazing package from Mars in the spirit of the campaign that was perfect for my family.  An awesome Hockey Canada jersey that went right into the hockey bag and out the door to weekly hockey games so I haven't seen it since..haha..



Along with this awesome Mars skate bag that hubby was thrilled with as he often takes the boys skating on Sunday afternoons and didn't have one, also enough Mars bars to share with friends and family - they have been making hubby a hero at work!



So know when you grab a Mars Bar and enter the PIN code you are doing something to help improve the home away from home for so many little skaters in our country.

We are so excited to share a fantastic giveaway with our readers to celebrate, enter below for your chance to win a $50 Mars prize pack with product and merchandise included!!!  Good luck Canada, and join the conversation on Twitter using hashtag #workrestplay.

Giveaway

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Room-eez Growth Chart

Did you know Canada.. we have been working on the babies room!!! We decided to go with a monkey/jungle theme, and I have been shopping :-) Still waiting for things to come in that I've ordered online, and waiting with fingers crossed there are some items coming my way from the baby shower, but we were also lucky enough to receive a monkey themed Room-eez Growth Chart from Oliver's Labels.



A super fun way to keep track of your growing kiddo. We have a growth chart in the boys room and they absolutely love to compare where they were a year ago and even a few months ago. They are quiet proud of all their growth spurts and it leads to some fun conversations. You also get 20 decals to write down the age and height of your little one and then stick to the chart to mark their growth. Many of their designs also come with lots of extra decals to make a beautiful scene on the wall - so fun!!!

I love, love, love that the Room-eez Growth Chart's are personalized, all little ones love to see their name big and bold and that is exactly what Oliver's Labels offers. It makes it quiet special as well, knowing this was made just for you!

So important.. Room-eez Growth Chart is made from a specialized material that is strong enough to stick on the wall forever yet gentle enough to be repositioned or removed without causing any damage. Unlike the majority of wall graphics on the market, this advanced, high quality material is not vinyl and therefore doesn’t shrink, curl or stretch the way vinyl does. That means your Room-eez™ Growth Chart won’t peel at the edges and fall off the wall over time. an absolute must right!

We are so happy with our new chart, it will help make the babies room unique, personalized, and best of all, fun. We are just waiting for a few more decorations to come in before we hang it up, but I know it will be a breeze, especially with the handy YouTube video Oliver's Labels offers!



We love this so much, I am SO excited to share a giveaway with you as well!  Enter below for your chance to win a Room-eez Growth Chart for your little one's room!!

Giveaway

Wantizen

Did you know Canada..  have you heard about Wantizen?



Instead of just searching for hotels online and bidding on prices, you can now search for rental properties and bid to get amazing savings!  How cool is that!  Why search for rental properties instead of a hotel?  Well for one, packing!!  These days, vacation rental properties come with a host of amenities that you would otherwise have to pack if you were staying in a hotel.  Never worry about your iPod dock, sand toys or lawn chairs, and especially not cooking oil, spices, tea & coffee, paper towels, fresh flowers - everything you need to enjoy your vacation will already be available to you in  a rental property!

When you search for vacation rental properties on Wantizen you can type in all the amenities you want, so there are no surprises when you get there (no Mom needs surprises!!!!), and you will often get a lower rate than the one you offer to the property owners - since the property owners are "bidding" on your business and know they are bidding against other property owners, so they'll likely offer you back a price that is lower than your original offer.  Offering one price and getting it even cheaper?  This is the way to plan a holiday!

Wantizen absolutely makes things easier for busy Moms trying to plan a family vacation.  Wantizen helps to significantly reduce research time and it is the economical and practical solution when planning your next trip.

Not only perfect for those of us planning a trip, but if you own a rental property this is such a great place to list it and have access to so many potential renters!

I also, of course, love that this service is based out of Vancouver BC, that makes the service even more trusty worthy to me, knowing it's Canadian.

Not only did we want to share this fantastic new service with you, but we have TWO contest alerts for you!




Visit the Wantizen Facebook Page for your chance to win one of two iPads in their photo contest!

ALSO, visit the Wantizen website and enter their sign-up to win sweepstakes where you could win $500 off your next rental booking with Wantizen - wow!

Who is planning an upcoming vacation??


Nickelodeon the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are with us this fall

Did you know Canada..  our Toronto Representative, Faniya, has some fun news to share from an event she attended a few weeks ago..




In September I attended media event to learn about the Teenage Mutant Ninja premiere. One of the most impressive and special part was the introduction of a bilingual augmented reality App to make The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle come to life through mobile devices. The Turtles AR Application could only be activated at Wal-Mart Canada store locations. It was like an adventure finding a hidden treasure but in a familiar environment.  



Wal-Mart customers were invited to the stores and search for Turtles toy in the toy, apparel and entertainment departments.  When users unlocked their signature ninja moves they were able to meet a life-size turtle through their device. Turtles fans could photograph themselves with the turtle and then share via social media.  Plus an interactive game and a unique feature to customize photos with special Turtles badges.



The Amazing news is that all-new the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series debuted on YTV this September as Turtles emerge from their hidden lair in the sewers and ready to explore full of miracles world of New York City and face dangerous enemies. The show presents the companionship of four teenage brothers learning to rely on themselves and grow to become the heroes.



To all Turtle fans the all new the Teenage Mutant Ninja products are available in stores, Wal-Mart for sure, including toys, boys’ apparel and footwear. My boy has lots of Turtle toys left from my grown-up nephews, I can ensure that all new Turtles product line by Playmate is incredible especially the Turtles Deluxe Power Sound FX Figures with awesome sound effects and heroic battle phrases. Wal-Mart also has on their shelves men’s retro Turtle’s T’s by JCorp, each one is unique in its wash and carries the vintage retro feeling of childhood. 

Faniya

Monday, October 15, 2012

Luxe Advent Calendar

Did you know Canada..  have you heard about the Luxe Advent Calendar??

Today, October 15th, the new, exclusive Luxe Advent Calendar is available from our friends at Loose Button.



The perfect gift to surprise someone special with or one that you can indulge in yourself. Celebrate the festive season with the anticipation of a new surprise lying behind each window, every day for a month starting December 1st leading up to Christmas Eve. Originally an adaptation of the traditional advent calendar filled with chocolate, the Luxe Advent Calendar delivers an exciting beauty and fragrance discovery. Experience the innovative fragrances, beauty and skincare products from Lancôme, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani and shu uemura.

  • Available to Canadian residents only while quantities last
  • Calendar includes 24 deluxe-sized samples
  • Shipped to you by the end of November
  • Includes a $10 gift card to spend towards the purchase of full-size products in the calendar
Be sure to head over to their Facebook page for a chance to win a Luxe Advent Calendar as well!!  make sure you share with your friends and family for more entries!

Watch Did you know Canada? for a review of this fun calendar, what could be better than chocolate?  Beauty products of course!!

Halloween with Hallmark Canada

Did you know Canada..  it's just over 2 weeks until Halloween!!  Time to push those Christmas decorations aside and pull out the scary, spooky Halloween decorations.  Thankfully Hallmark Canada has the best decorations you can go pick up today!  Check out how we have been decorating thanks to Hallmark Canada..

We received these Halloween themed decorations..



And added them around the house..



We all love the Ghostly Singing Duo, perfect for a fun Halloween decoration with their trick-or-treat parody of "The Addams Family" theme song, we have been playing this non-stop.  I love that they have the button up on the arm to start the song so we can reach it easily. (Great deal alert, these guys are regularly $32.95, but are available for $15.95 with the purchase of 3 Hallmark cards!)



One of my guys absolutely loves this My Pet Ghost, he carries it around everywhere.  Press the button on the top a cute ghost in your jar appears and he has a few different things to say.  We have Maxwell McSpooky, a curious ghost in a mad scientist's lab.  "Handle with scare" as the jar says ;-)



We have been having lots of fun with this witch hat as well.  Hang it up and when someone walks by it cackles, says Happy Halloween in a witchy voice and a spooky green witch face appears below.  We have it right next to our front door so we have been scaring visitors for days. :-)

With the quality of Hallmark products we will be able to enjoy these decorations for years to come, it's so fun!!  Be sure to check out your local Hallmark stores for these and other fun Halloween decorations!!


Sunday, October 14, 2012

Mastermind’s 2012 Holiday Hits List

Did you know Canada.. our Toronto Rep Faniya has another great event to attend this weekend!


As holiday season is fast approaching and toys are usually must-have items for families especially with kids. This week-end we are invited to Mastermind Toys exclusive event: Mastermind’s 2012 Holiday Hits List. We are very excited to be first to see, touch and try the hottest new toys featured on Mastermind’s 2012 Holiday Hits List introduced by Mastermind Toys Chief Toy Buyer & CEO Jon Levy.

Faniya
Teddy Out-Ready

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Hand and Beak Greeting Cards

Did you know Canada..  we are huge Dragons Den fans around here and have featured many Canadian businesses that have appeared on the show.  Did you see last week when Luigi the Lovebird was introduced - Luigi uses his beak to shred paper into precision strips and then his owner, Mary McQueen, crafts fun collages from his shreddings and creates beautiful greeting cards.  On Dragon's Den Mary requested $10,000 for 25% stake in the company and her and Luigi struck a deal with David Chilton, the newest Dragon.



Hand and Beak has teamed up with Hallmark Canada to produce the Hand and Beak Greeting Card Collection.  All six birthday cards include a strip of original shredded paper by Luigi on the inside cover.  Best of all, all proceeds from the sale of Hand and Beak greeting cards will be donated to Make-A-Wish Canada on behalf of Hallmark Canada, to help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Hand and Beak Greeting Cards are available across the country at Hallmark Gold Crown locations for $3.99 each.

Learn more about Mary and Luigi by visiting www.handandbeak.com and celebrate upcoming birthdays with these fun cards!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Brain Tumour Awareness Month #BTAM2012

Did you know Canada..  we have a very special guest post, discussing Brain Cancer Awareness Month,  I hope you can all have a read through and support your local efforts.



October is Brain Tumour Awareness Month #BTAM2012 in Canada. You can find all sorts of information at the Brain Tumour Foundation Of Canadas website.  Did you know that 27 Canadians are diagnosed with a brain tumour every day?  I was one of them on September 13, 2009.  You can read more about that day HERE. Did you know that there is no know cause of a brain tumour?  Did you know that there are over 120 different types of brain tumours?  Did you know that Brain tumours in children are different from those in adults and are often treated differently. Although as many as 60% of children with brain tumours will survive, they are often left with long-term side effects. Find out more brain tumour facts HERE. Signs and symptoms of a brain tumour (please contact your family doctor if you have any of these symptoms).  Here is a list from the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada website:


Every day this month you can read a story of strength on Brain Tumour Foundation of Canadas website.  Spread the word this month.  Here is a list of social media messages you can share. Thank you to all my blogger friends that shared the meassage with me!


Tuesday, October 9, 2012

For the Love of LEGO

Did you know Canada..  we are huge LEGO lovers around here.  My boys love plain old LEGOs, the sets, and the video games!  Our favourite thing right now is super hero's, so we have Batman LEGO video games, we have Batman LEGO, everything!

Luckily, our friends at DK Canada love lego too!  They sent us their LEGO BATMAN VISUAL DICTIONARY LEGO DC UNIVERSE SUPER HEROES - which lists all the lego characters from the world of Batman.  It even comes with a real LEGO Batman!



My boys study this book constantly, I love that it's so visual so they can enjoy flipping through the pages, they are also working on their reading skills by trying to figure out each characters name.

For a limited time, DK Canada has 30% off all the items in their Lego Boutique where you can get books like LEGO ideas, other character encyclopaedias for Harry Potter, Star Wars and more, sticker books and story books, everything you need for your little LEGO fanatic at home!

They also have an awesome contest going on, As the world's bestselling publisher of LEGO books they want to celebrate our joy of the brick with a month-long photo contest – with a fabulous prize of an amazing collection of DK’s LEGO books worth over $200!

They want to see what creative kids ages 14 and under can make with their LEGO. Simple send them a photo and at the end of the month their Canadian LEGO Fan Builder extraordinaire Deborah Higdon ( featured in the LEGO Ideas Book ) will select a winning creation. Throughout the month they will be posting the photos on cn.dk.com/legopix as well as on their Facebook page and Twitter feed @DKCanada.

TO ENTER:
Send a photo of your LEGO creation ( you can enter as many times as you like with different creations )  to them at general@tourmaline.ca (jpgs only, no larger than 5 mb). Please include the headline For the Love of LEGO in your email. One lucky entrant will win a DK LEGO Book collection worth over $200!

Deadline for submissions is October 31st, 2012 6 EDT

Good Luck LEGO fans!!


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