2012-2013 Hockey Spirit Calendar!

Did you know Canada..  while we might be wearing shorts and t-shirts for another couple weeks, it's almost time to lace up those skates!

My boys hockey league starts October first, we've already been to the arena watching the old kids tryout for travel teams as well.  In another month we will have a calendar FULL of hockey practice times and game times.  We also know a great way to keep track of all those times (especially the 7am ones!!!) - with a Hockey Spirit Calendar!

They know exactly what hockey parents need, a calendar that flows with the season, this beautiful calendar starts in October and runs 15 months to the following December.  Another great feature is The Stats Machine Page - On each monthly page of the calendar kids will find a weekly and monthly counter box for goals, assists, shots and shutouts. At the end of the season the Stats Machine Page is where they will report the year's totals along with personal achievements, season highlights, and tournament victories. Once the hockey season has come to a close, paste your child's team and individual photo on the Stats Machine page and display this lasting keepsake on your child's bedroom wall.

Hockey Spirit Fundraising was created by Elizabeth Urlacher and her husband, they've created a beautiful hockey calendar which is used by clubs across Canada to raise funds for hockey, non-profit, and various charitable organizations.

Not only are you showing your support for local hockey, but the calendar is just gorgeous!  I smile every time I glance at mine, thinking about how special hockey is becoming to our family.  Unlike other fundraising calendars, this one will fit beautifully into any home and any room, we enjoy ours in our kitchen!

Visit Hockey Spirit Fundraising today if you are responsible for fundraising at your rink or be sure to suggest them to your coordinators - these would make beautiful gifts for any member in your family while they support your teams!  (buy the way, they have some really awesome fundraising rewards too, check them out!)

Enter below for your chance to win one of these gorgeous calendars - 5 winners in all, they will keep you in the hockey mood all year and show your appreciation for Canada's sport!

Giveaway

Getting Ready for Baby: Cloud B

Did you know Canada..  we're starting a new series here, Getting Ready For Baby!  As we get ready for our little one we are looking for as many Canadian products and products easily available to Canadians as possible.  Have a Canadian tip or product to share?  Email us at didyouknowcanada@gmail.com

First up is something I wish I had when my twins were little - a Cloud B Tranquil Turtle.  This sweet turtle projects a magical underwaterlight effect throughout the room, it also plays 2 soothing sounds: Tranquil Melody & Ocean Waves.

It comes with easy to use buttons, I was very happy that it included batteries (the bane of every parent's existence), many options like music, volume, and brightness.

It automatically turns off after 23 minutes which I think it a perfect amount of time, we have had other night time lights that turn off after only 10, not enough time for your little one to fall asleep.  This means you don't need to disturb your little one by having to enter to room to turn it off later, or forgetting and wasting the batteries.

Perfect for soothing newborns and mesmerizing toddlers, this is a useful addition to any room for years and years.

I love that Cloud B is dedicated to helping children of all ages sleep better.  It's something that the kids need to grow and something Mom's and Dad's need to survive.

We can't wait to use this with our coming little one, and until then the big brothers have been enjoying it some nights as well.  :-)  The ocean theme is perfect to come up with imaginative story lines, it's hilarious the pirate and shark stories the boys have come with up using our waves as part of the story.  Which just proves that the Tranquil Turtle is perfect for such a huge age range and a great buy that will last years to come!

ARM & HAMMER Laundry Detergent

Did you know Canada..  with two stinky boys and a baby on the way, I am doing laundry left and right.  This week we're going to be checking out ARM & HAMMER's Coldwater Laundry Detergent.

I admit, I've never used Coldwater Laundry Detergent before, have you?  Do you notice a difference in cleanliness?

The savings will be big if we can switch to Coldwater for all our laundry, and to save even more, until August 30th you can get a Buy One Get One Free coupon to try ARM & HAMMER's Coldwater Laundry Detergent for yourself!

Toys”R”Us Vendor Fair

Did you know Canada..  Toronto Rep Faniya has another event coming up, sounds like a good one!!

Next week we are heading to Toys”R”Us Vendor Fair to learn about the latest and most anticipated products this holiday season from best brands like Activision, Crayola, Disney, Hasbro, LEGO, Mattel, SpinMaster and many others.

What an opportunity to play with the toys and gadgets, and I know that toy professionals will be there too to help us with what will be on every kid’s wish list this holiday.

Here are some items from toy box: Activision’s Skylanders Giants, Hasbro’s Furby, LeapFrog’s LeapPad 2, Mattel’s new Monster High Dolls and LEGO Monster Fighters and Super Heroes.

Faniya
Teddy Out-Ready

Life of Pi

Did you know Canada..  that famous novel, Life of Pi, was written by a Canadian!  I had no idea!

Written by Canadian Yann Martel, Life of Pi is a fantasy adventure novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist, Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, an Indian boy from Pondicherry, explores issues of spirituality and practicality from an early age. He survives 227 days after a shipwreck, while stranded on a boat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger. The novel has many zoology references and is partially educational.

Did you know that this famous novel was actually rejected by at least five London publishing houses before being picked up by Knopf Canada?  This Man Booker Prize winning novel has been talked about since it was first published in 2001.

Now living in Saskatoon, Yann was born in Spain where his father worked as a diplomat.  As an adult, Martel has spent time in Iran, Turkey and India. After studying philosophy at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Martel spent 13 months in India visiting masjids, churches, temples and zoos, and spent two years reading religious texts and castaway stories.

Over at The Good Shopper Blog, on BuyCanadianFirst.ca you can enter to WIN a copy of this prize winning novel, but hurry, giveaway is only open until Monday morning!!

Good Luck!!

KOOSH blasters

Did you know Canada..  NERF has introduced new KOOSH blasters that we've been having fun with this summer!

The KOOSH GALAXY SOLAR RECON Ball Launcher has been so much fun!  The gun itself has lights and sounds and the balls it shoots out glow in the dark!

It was a big hit last weekend when the boys slept in a tent in the backyard.

Kids can hear the ball launcher powering up, firing, and going back into standby mode so they can be ready for their next adventure.

I appreciate that it came with 4 balls, just the right amount to keep the boys happy before they loose them all somewhere..haha..

We've used it both indoors and outside with no problems, it's easy for small hands to use and just FUN!

Visit Hasbro Canada for more information, you gotta check this out!

Recipe Round Up 08/17

Did you know Canada..  we haven't had a recipe round up for awhile!  We sure have been busy over at Canadian Moms Cook though, check out what we've been cooking up:



Sugar Bowl Cinnamon Buns - just amazing cinnamon buns, you gotta check this one out!

Bacon Wrapped Smokies with Brown Sugar and Butter - oh my gosh, this is THE appetizer, this will be a hit this fall and winter!

Mac & Cheese with Velvetta - my go to mac & cheese recipe, everyone loves this!

French Breakfast Muffins - a healthier version - was a hit with the kids!

Rainbow Olympic Rings - Today I Ate a Rainbow has fun Rainbow Kits for kids to help them learn about healthy eating and to encourage them to make healthy choice!

Bisquick Cookies - a super quick way to whip up some homemade cookies!

Broccoli Cheese Soup - quick, easy and yummy, perfect for fall!

Macaroni Salad - what's your mac salad recipe?

One Hour Rolls - easy to make rolls, who knew it could be so easy?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes - rich and tasty cupcakes, what a treat!

Taco Bake Pasta - wow, this one has been a HUGE hit online, you gotta check it out!


What have you been making??

Back-to-School with Visa Canada #BackToSchoolSpend

Did you know Canada..  we've been on a Back-to-School shopping spree!  Have you headed out there yet?  I love seeing the kids excited about getting ready to get back to school, or at least they are excited about new shoes. :-)

According to a July 2012 survey of Canadian online shoppers commissioned by Visa Canada for back-to-school, Canadian consumers are expected to spend just under $700 ($677) on a variety of back-to-school items, but what’s really cool is that 72 per cent of Canadian shoppers plan to take their shopping online!

60% of Canadians say they are finding better prices online and better sales and promotions.

We hit the stores as at the boys young age they really like to be involved in the experience and TOUCH everything.  Plus we needed to try on shoes, we weren't 100% on their size this year.  Here's some of the items we've picked up using a prepaid Visa:

First we started with backpacks, stainless steel water bottles, ice packs and lunch bags, everything last year was pretty icky and just wasn't going to make it another year.  We find we need big lunch bags as the boys have a balanced day schedule and we end up using more containers to split up their food.

Next was new indoor shoes, the boys each need a pair of indoor only shoes and an extra set of clothes that stay at school the entire year.  Make sure they practice getting the shoes on and off before they get shipping off to school though!!

Then, since the boys are in SK and the school supplies things like crayons, glue and paper, we hit up the school snack section.

Where are you shopping this year?  Finding any good deals?  If you're shopping online make sure you're shopping securely, Visa Canada can help make the online shopping experience a little easier for Visa cardholders.  By visiting Visaperks.ca, shoppers can find coupons and special offers at merchants like Adidas, Lenovo and Scholar’s Choice. Plus, shoppers can breathe easy knowing that they’re protected through Visa’s layered approach to security and fraud prevention, including Verified by Visa (VbV), Zero Liability and E-Promise.

We also picked up some new clothes, it's hard to imagine the boys will be back in pants, socks and jackets soon.  Visa's survey found clothing is considered the most important item when getting ready for the new school year (43 per cent), with books trailing behind (26 per cent) and computers and computer-related items at 17 per cent.  I find, especially at this age, that with the season change clothing is the most important item you have to keep up on.  Not only did we get new shoes but we also got new rubber boots and will soon be shopping for new winter boots as well, these kids just won't stop growing! ;-)

We are so excited to help you get ready for back to school too with a $50 prepaid Visa!  Enter below for your chance to win and Good Luck Canada!

Giveaway

Fall Made by Hand Show - Save the Date!!

Did you know Canada..  The Fall Made by Hand Show is just over two months away.  All summer long the team has been busy planning - As a media sponsor, we wanted to be the first to give you a little sneak peak about the upcoming fall show.

SAVE THE DATE! Saturday October 27, 2012 is the Fall Made by Hand Show, held once again at the International Centre, Hall 6 in Mississauga.  This fall their BIGGER and BETTER. 

Show Highlights:
Over 190 Handmade Exhibitors - full list of exhibitors
Free Face-painting - Farco Entertainment
Surprise Pricess Visit - Parties by Carrie

FREE SWAG BAGS to the 1st 100 families

FREE PARKING
ADMISSION $2.00 (Children free)

Door Proceeds benefiting Crafting for a Cure

With an expanded vendor line-up featuring just over 190 Canadian handmade exhibitors - It is a one-stop shopping experience not to be missed. There is something for everyone in every media: original artwork, baby/toys, body, candles, clothing, ceramics, fashion accessories, jewellery, photography, knitting, pottery, paper goods, wood and a range of gourmet goodies.  Click here for a sneak peak at the 190 exhibitors.

The Fall Made by Hand Show wouldn't be complete without their line-up of FREE children attractions.  Returning this year is Farco Entertainment who will once again be providing free face-painting and balloon animals.  You'll remember this spring Cinderella visited the Spring show, this fall there is a surprise princess provided by Parties by Carrie.  Who's the surprise princess? Visit www.madebyhandshow.com for a clue.

It's a fun family day, only $2.00 admission (benefiting Crafting for a Cure), children are free.  Best of all - FREE PARKING.

Don't delay, make it on your calendar and RSVP to the Fall Made by Hand Show facebook event - better yet invite your friends too.  More information follow them on facebook (www.facebook.com/

madebyhandshow) or visit their website (www.madebyhandshow.com) - See you there!!

Want More?

All summer long, the Made by Hand team has been out crafting with children and promoting the upcoming Fall show.  Come do a free craft with the Made by Hand team at the Momstown Mississauga Birthday Bash (Thur. Aug. 16 at Erindale Park in Mississauga), and at the Babeebloomz Family Expo (Sat. Sept. 29 at The Meeting House in Oakville). 

Farmers Feed Cities

Did you know Canada..  Toronto Rep Faniya attended a Farmers Feed Cities event, see how it went..

Last month we had a chance to attend one of Farmers Feed Cities events - Fresh from the Field at Riverdale Farm, a real farm in downtown Toronto with cows, pigs, goats, horses and chicks.  

Farmers Feed Cities promotes and educates how farmers grow food for families to ensure a healthy, natural and fresh food comes to our tables every day.  It was exciting to meet Ontario farmers from different areas during the event and listen to their passionate stories and some interesting facts about farming these days.  

So here are the farmers we met:  pig farmer Stewart from Stonaleen Farms, Jacob from Roger and Lorrie Pelissero Farms, beef farmer Katelyn from Vintage Herefords, dairy farmer Dennis and vegetable farmer Jason from Carron Farms.

Then we walked through Riverdale Farm with our farming experts, learning new things and asking some questions. Teddy was very interested in the farm animals running from one spot to another.  My boy also met Oprah, the Farm Animal Care Specialist. She was riding her tractor and greeting kids and parents ready to ask her any farming questions.

So here some facts we learned:

• ·        1 Ontario farm grows enough food for 120 people each year
• ·        A hen lays about 1 egg per day
• ·        Eating a high protein breakfast including eggs can increase concentration levels
• ·        A child (1 to 8 Yrs old) can get over 80% of the recommended daily amount of DHA by eating one omega-3 egg
• ·        Ontario raises the most chickens
• ·        The average dairy cow produces about 30 liters of milk daily. That’s over 120 glasses of milk.

After our tour we had an incredible bagel pizza lunch with some fresh produce from farm fields.  Teddy was very involved in making pizzas and adding the toppings.  Then our pizzas were baked in the outdoor oven. Delicious and tasty – could not find other words.

At the end of the event we visited a farm barn filled with kid’s activities, Virtual Farm Tours and hay to the roof.  

So it was nice day spent at Riverdale Farm with farmers, Teddy learned so many things there.

Now he proudly shows his stickers “Farmers Feed Cities” to teachers and neighbours. 

Faniya

Teddy Out-Ready 

Back to School with Hallmark Canada

Did you know Canada..  Hallmark Canada introduced us to something that is going to be a big hit this year, Text Bands!

You write a message on your band, then bump fists, or high-five your friend that is also wearing a band, and you trade messages!

It's been really fun, and a great way for the boys to work on their letters and manipulating small buttons.

As Mom, I appreciate that the Text Band includes a bad word filter, and I love that you can buy new bands and not have to by a whole new starter kit each time.

A great way for young ones to text to their friends without having am expensive tool or text plans.  In this day and age, when there is so much focus on technology, it's a fun way for kids to get in on it I think.

Future Shop’s Back to School Preview Event

Did you know Canada..  Toronto Representative Faniya attended an awesome Back to School event with Future Shop.  Who's thinking about Back to School??

In June I had an opportunity to attend Future Shop’s Back to School Preview Event. These days technology is every student’s best friend.  Laptops, tablets, smartphones and other tech stuff help significantly in the learning process and become an integral part of student’s life.  

The first impression of the showcase was that everything intended to be thinner, faster and more comfortable and easy to use.  Ultrabooks from most of the brands were incredible, thin and light:  Samsung, Acer, LG, HP and others.  The only thing I hope in the future companies will add more colours to the tech gadget (not only black and silver) to make stylish girls happier with varieties to choose from.

Samsung tablets were the ones caught our attention:  Samsung 11.6" 64GB Slate PC Tablet with Wi-Fi fully loaded with Windows 7 with a Bluetooth keyboard, Digitizer pen and docking station in the box, it has the full functionality of a laptop  and the portability of a tablet. Great for busy and fast- pacing student life.  

Second one Samsung 10.1" 16GB Galaxy Tab 2, equipped with the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform enhanced by Samsung TouchWiz, the best combination of price and functionality:  10.1-inch Gorilla Glass display, robust Dual Core processor.

HP ENVY 14" 2nd Gen Intel Core i5-2467M Spectre Ultrabook (14-3090CA) with a multi-glass surface design and a whole lot of power behind it, the HP ENVY 14-3090 was born to perform and gets up to 9.5 hours on a single charge.

As for accessories Logitech impressed with comfort and convenience, its products designed to make you feel so comfortable that once you try do not want to use anything else like Logitech’s android wireless keyboard.

One moment I realized how much tech gear nowadays students have to get (as tech stuff is not only for engineering and IT students any more) including smartphones, laptops (tablets), printers, storage devices, accessories and software. And I am glad FutureShop carries the essential tech for students to be successful in their studies at comparable prices and from the best world brands.

Faniya

Teddy Out-Ready

Olympic Wear - Made in Canada?

Did you know Canada..  over at BuyCanadianFirst.ca I shared some interesting info about what Olympic wear is made in country and what's not.  Some surprising info about all that famous replica wear as well!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

What's Your Burger Personality?

Did you know Canada.. Canadian Beef wants to know, What's Your Burger Personality?

Are you Hot & Spicy with hot sauce, hot peppers and a fire extinguisher on the side?

Or are you The Californian, with avacado, cirtus mayo and a fancy bun?

I'm Old School, I like mustard and onions, maybe a little bit of ketchup. This has been my burger topping of choice since I was a kid.

It's so funny to go to a burger place and place and order for me and hubby, I'm a two topping girl and then when hubby's burger comes up he gets every topping they offer (except relish). I always get nervous when ordering his burgers, thinking I will forget something..haha..  And then the kids, they are plain all the way, and everyone always says, plain?  are you sure??  haha.. very sure.  They do like ketchup on the side but even mention mustard to them and you'd think they've been poisoned!

Head over to the Canadian Beef Facebook Page, and find out what your Burger Personality is!

We have some exciting news as well! Tomorrow, Tuesday, August 7th at 7pm EST join the #LoveCDNBeef Twitter party hosted by @CanadianBeef and @ShesConnected!

RSVP on the Canadian Beef Facebook Page, join the party, and you could win a $500 Burger Prize Pack!!!!

See you there and Good Luck!!

Ontario Overhauls Rules Regulating New Gaming Sites, announce Lucky Nugget Casino

New rules for establishing gaming sites in Ontario are now in effect, announce Lucky Nugget Casino. Ontario Regulation 81/12, Requirements for Establishing a Gaming Site came into force on 1 June 2012, following enactment by the Lieutenant Governor in Council (the Provincial Cabinet) under the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation Act, 1999.

Casino developers hoping to open online slots sites in the Ontario region must now follow a very different procedure to that set out by previous legislation, Regulation 347/00, which was repealed on the same day that new regulations came into effect. While in the past any business case for a proposed gaming site OLG was simply required to notify the Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet, any new proposals must now be approved by the Minister of Finance.

Prior to 1 June 2012, before establishing a new casino site in the region, developers were required to hold a public referendum in the municipality in which the gaming site was to be established. Under the new regulation, public referendums are no longer called for. Municipal councils will now only be required to ‘seek public input’ regarding new site developments, providing the OLG with a written description of the steps taken by the municipal council and of the input received.

Before establishing any new gaming sites in the region, the OLG must now first prepare a business plan for the proposed site, detailing the cost and the viability of the project.

This business plan will then be passed to the Minister of Finance for consideration, along with any other information requested by the Minister of Finance. It is then up to the Minister of Finance to make the final decision on future projects, whereas in the past, the OLG was only required to notify and consider the opinion of the Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet.

If a site gains approval from both the relevant municipal council and the Minister of Finance, the OLG are then required to publish a notice of the new development, either in a newspaper or on its own website. The OLG will no longer be required to make the reasons for its decision public.

Disney Cuddly Bodysuit

Did you know Canada..  well, we have some news!  We should be having a new little one here in about 6 months or so!

So we were so excited to receive one of the new Disney Cuddly Bodysuits, now available in Canada.  A fun baby fact is that the average baby goes through more than 35 bodysuits in the first year!

I LOVE this new bodysuit from Disney for a number of reasons.  Their patented grow-with-me design gives us two rows of snaps to work with, allowing for extended use, this is fantastic!

Tag-less and an envelope neck for getting those jumbo baby heads through is exactly what we need.

Made with 100% ring-spun combed cotton, you can absolutely feel the quality and softness and it makes me smile so much.

Looks to be true to size comparing it to other baby clothes we've starting pulling out, which is great.  I remember being burned a few times on size with my boys and that is frustrating

The Winnie-the-Pooh is just adorable and perfect for a gift, especially when you don't know if it's a boy or the girl on the way.  They also have other patterns, like Micky and Minnie Mouse, Finding Nemo (I would LOVE this), and more, perfect for every little one.

I just can't wait to use this sweet suit and thanks so much for Disney for getting it right, you can see this was designed by Moms, for Moms and our sweet babies.