A is for..

Did you know Canada..  I'm taking part in ABC Friday, thanks to Maple Leaf Mommy and Mom vs. the Boys for this fun link up!


Here's how it works..  Each week is a new letter theme, starting with A of course, we will work our way through the alphabet.  All you have to do is post a picture with the letter theme for that week…. A is for Auto, B is for Beach, C is for Cake….I think you get

So A is for..  Angry Birds and Avengers around here!  These are the boys school backpacks, which  5 months later are still in one piece and they boys are still happy with them!

Make sure you head over to Mom vs. the Boys and link up your A image!

School Tomorrow?

Did you know Canada..  if you have elementary kids in Ontario you got a letter or phone call yesterday letting you know school was closed Friday Jan 11th due to the teacher's protest.

Well you must check in with your school board again tonight!  With the threaten $2000 fines (and $25000 for the union) and a cease and desist order filed by the government; many school boards are now taking a wait and see approach to decide if the doors will be open tomorrow morning.

Our local school board will be making a decision by 6am tomorrow - yikes!  Better pack those lunch bags tonight, put the baby sitters and Grammas on watch and wait it out..

Dora the Explorer Snack Time for Baby Boots

Did you know Canada..  Dora is part of growing up now, like the Jetsons and Flintstones were for me :-)  Even my boys loved Dora growing up, and one of their little friends we watch a few times a week still loves Dora.

I was so excited to be able to share Dora the Explorer Snack Time for Baby Boots Playset with her this week.  She was THRILLED to say the least, and even the boys have gotten in on the play time.  It's been a great way to remind the boys how we will be treating our new baby on the way as well!

It's snack time for Baby Boots, "prepare" him a snack with the Fisher-Price Dora the Explorer Snack Time for Baby Boots Playset. Sit Boots on his highchair, so he doesn't make a mess! The Fisher-Price Dora the Explorer Snack Time for Baby Boots Playset comes with Dora and Baby Boots figure and a high chair. Includes snack time adventure storybook.

I loved how realistic the highchair looked, again a great gateway toy into me explaining about feeding a baby and I love all the little stories the kids come up with while they play, so sweet!

I love being a Nickelodeon Mom so I can offer my readers a chance to win this fun playset too!  Enter below for your chance to win Canada!  Good Luck!

Giveaway

Snack Pack #NoTradesies

Did you know Canada..  I don't know about you, but I was happy to see the kiddos back to school this week.  We only go every other day so we get lots of together time but the break is also good for all of us.  One thing I *really* don't like about school though - lunch!

No matter what awesome lunch I make, or what terrible leftovers they get on a Friday, they hardly ever eat ANY of it!  So I was so excited to be part of the Snack Pack “No Tradesies” Blog Tour, and try to bring some fun back into lunch time!

We did a few taste tests to ensure this lunch was good to go.  First we made sandwiches with really fun Lunch Punch Sandwich Cutters.  I always wanted to get these but never ended up happening.  So glad to have them now because it made a huge difference to the boys!  We cut off the crusts anyways, so there was no loss of sandwhich, and now every time we make a sandwich they get to pick which shape they want - love to see them involved in the process!

Next we tried some Snack Pack's, this guys fav was the dessert flavour - Ice Cream Sandwich!  Not only spoonable, snackable and portably delicious, Snack Pack pudding is made with skim milk and have no preservatives or trans-fats - perfect for our kiddos!  We also tried the Lemon Meringue Pie and Vanilla, all tasty.  He loved using the smiley face spoon we received, much better than the plastic spoons I often sent to school - now Mom knows better!  Make sure you follow Snack Pack on Facebook for new flavours and awesome lunch tips and ideas!

We also received a mini portable travel speaker that works so well!  Mom and Dad have their eye on this one..haha..  I think this will be perfect in the summer at the beach and park.  We also love the cooler bag and leak-proof, compartmentalized food containers - my guys hate it when one food touches another, so these are perfect for keeping food separate  and keeping things like damp grapes and strawberries away from a dry sandwich or crackers.

We got some great tips from Snack Pack on how to make the best "No Tradesies" lunch too..

• * Can’t get your kids to eat their fruit? Adding Snack Pack to the mix turns fruit into a tasty, dip-able adventure. Try the Caramel Apple, all it takes is some apple slices and a Toffee Caramel pudding
• * Sandwich Shape-up: Even a favourite sandwich can seem boring and routine when it shows up in the lunchbox day after day. Keep things interesting and kids engaged by breaking out the cookie cutters and cutting the sandwiches into fun shapes.
• * Kebab it up: skewering some bite-sized veggies on a kebab with a side of veggie dip is a different and fun way to make sure veggies are not coming home at the end of the day.
• * Utensils are key: let your kids pick out their utensils, napkins and lunchboxes. They definitely won’t be reaching for the aluminum, and giving them a say means they will take pride in their lunch pack. Have bright, colourful spoons on hand so kids can choose whether it’s a yellow, blue or orange kind of day!

Thanks to Snack Pack lunch has been a much better experience for everyone this week and I'm more confident in providing my guys with fun and healthy meals!

We are so excited to share a Snack Pack “No Tradesies” prize pack with one of our Canadians readers! The prize pack contains two delicious flavours of Snack Pack pudding, Lunch Punch Sandwich Cutters, Happy Spoons, a mini portable travel speaker and a tote-able lunch bag consisting of a cooler bag and four leak-proof, compartmentalized food container, a $50 value.

Giveaway

Charminize your Washroom #PGMom

Did you know Canada..  now that the holidays are over, kids are FINALLY back to school and hubby is back at work, I am ready to spruce up the house, especially with the new baby on the way this month!

One way I'm sprucing is to Charminize the Washroom!  When the new baby gets here we will have lots of friends and families coming over to visit and I am so excited (honestly!) that the washroom at least is covered :-)  (Mama needs at least one less worry right!)

It's easy to Charminize your washroom too; show your guests a little piece of luxury and create a space that is both relaxing and welcoming.  Stock your washroom with Charmin Ultra Soft toilet paper and Charmin Freshmates, so your guests can “Enjoy the Go”!  Finish your guest’s experience with towels washed with Downy Unstopables In Wash Scent Boosters, allowing them to keep their fresh scent until the next time they are washed.

And remember to download the Charmin Sit and Squat app to find the closest clean washroom while you are out and about. Because when you have to go, you have to go!

As a #PGMom I am excited to help one lucky reader Charminize their washroom, enter below for your chance to win a $40 Charmin Prize Pack including: two packs of Charmin Ultra Soft, two  tubs of Charmin Fresh Wipes, two boxes of Puffs tissue and one bottle of Downy Unstopables!

Giveaway

Disney On Ice: 100 Years of Magic Tickets

Did you know Canada..  You will remember we mentioned Disney On Ice: 100 Years of Magic is coming to Budweiser Gardens in London ON January 24th to 27th.

Join the celebration as more than 60 of Disney's unforgettable characters from 18 beloved stories come to life in Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic!  You'll be captivated by the one and only Mickey Mouse, the irresistible Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio and many Disney Princesses.  Be thrilled by exciting moments from The Lion King; Mulan; and Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Toy Story films; in a skating spectacular filled with magical Disney moments you'll remember forever as Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic!

We have some fantastic news about a new way to save on tickets!  Use code 100YEARS to get a Family Four pack of tickets for $100 (Valid on $35 price level only, Valid on all performances)

What awesome savings and a great night out as a family!  This show is going to be packed with so many characters, check out these fun stats about the costumes involved in the show..

• Number of yards of fabric used to make the costumes 1300
• Number of costumes in the show  160
• Number of costume pieces that make up the costumes  650
• Number of costumes per cast member 4-5 average
• Number of washers and dryers that travel with the production 3 washers and 3 dryers 
• Number of costume shops used to make the costumes 8
• Total number of people who worked on costumes 1,000

Not only do we have this awesome savings code for you, but if you haven't picked up your tickets yet, enter below for your chance to win a Family Four Pack!!  The winning tickets are only valid for the evening performance at 7pm, January 24th at Budweiser Gardens in London ON.

Good luck!

Giveaway

How to Select the Best Food for Your Kitten

Golfing in Canada

Did you know Canada..  do you have any golfers in the family?  Anyone get a new club for Christmas?

We have a few golfers in our family, and I remember when I was very little, 7 or 8, we had one of those very warm Decembers, like we just experienced again this year in Southwestern Ontario.  Well, my Grampa's Birthday was December 26th, and it was so warm that year, the local golf course decided to open and my Dad took my Grampa for a round of golf for his Birthday!  It was a funny day, and talked about for years and years afterwards, I'm guessing it was one of the most memorable Birthday's my Grampa had.  :-)

Courses like Ottawa golf at Loch March offer quality, service and facilities of the exclusively private clubs wrapped in a resort atmosphere, but are exclusively public!  What a great place to hit this spring when the courses are open again (I checked the weather is Ottawa, it is NOT open right now, they have quiet a bit of snow..haha..).

Even with our winter and unpredictable weather, golfing is a huge sport and past time in Canada. In fact, the game of golf is played by an estimated 6 million Canadians each year, with 2.5 million Canadians participating as core golfers, playing an average of 28 rounds per year.  And get this:  Based on participation, golf is the number one recreational activity in Canada, played by more Canadians than hockey!!

Are you a golf fan?  Would a round of golf on your Birthday be a perfect day, just like it was all those years ago for my Grampa?


Source:  Golf Participation in Canada, 2006 Edition – Ipsos Reid, Statistics Canada, Based on a study of Participation in Sports, The Daily, issued Thursday, February 7, 2008.

Review: Disney's Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever!

Did you know Canada..  last night we attended Disney's Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! in London, ON.

It really was the The Best LIVE Tour Ever, we had so much fun!  Great seats, could see and hear everything, enjoyed the warm up act with trivia and dancing, loved that they had a few fans on stage just after intermission as well, was really pleased to see how interactive the show was.

We had some fun purchasing a few items, I've found Phineas and Ferb are not easy to find in the store, so my guys were super happy to pick up a few things with their Christmas money - we got a Perry stuffy that my son slept with last night, he is SO HAPPY with it, and that makes me so happy :-)  My other guy got some perry binoculars so he can spy on people ;-) and they both got yummy cotton candy that came with Ferb or Phineas hair, we got one of each and they have been having lots of fun wearing it, super cute!  As Mom, I appreciate that everything seems to be good quality and durable as well, no tears yet!

The show itself was fantastic, as I said, very interactive, at one point they had some big bouncy balls in the audience as well.  I loved the story line and we were happy to hear all our favourite songs, especially Squirrels in my Pants, a favourite episode around here!

Everyone cheered like crazy when Agent P hit the scene, loved seeing the entire cast including not only the Stars - Phineas and Ferb, but also Isabella and some Fireside Girls, Jeremy, Buford, Baljeet, Dr. Doofenshmirtz and his fun theme song - everyone!

I can't say enough good things about the show, if Disney's Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! is still heading to your city, get some tickets and be prepared for a fantastic time!!!

Back at it!

Did you know Canada..  I'm back after an extended Holiday break, kids are back at school this morning and hubby is back at work.

Anyone else feel like Christmas was months ago???  Especially here, as we have spent the past week getting the house ready for our new baby on the way.

On that note, if I disappear for a week or more, that means it's baby time!  Our new little one will be joining us at the end of the month, but of course, babies are unpredictable and could make an earlier appearance. I'm not sure if I will get to the blog right away, and I will be in the hospital for a few days as well, but keep watch on Twitter for some baby news!!!

Stay tuned this week for some great info, news, and giveaways!!

Happy 2013!!