Make Your Home and Garden Even Better Sweepstakes

Did you know Canada.. I'm so excited to tell you that Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada is launching the Make Your Home and Garden Even Better Sweepstakes! BHGREC is giving away a new iPhone 4S and 10 individual Home depot cards worth $50 each! Perfect for house reno's and updates this year.

In order to participate in the sweepstakes you need to sign up through their Facebook App - 11 prizes total, open to Canadian residents 18+.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada has fantastic info on the Canadian Real Estate Market, trends, how to's and real estate career info. This is necessary info for Canadians and all in one place.

I absolutely love their Learn section that walks your through the process of buying and selling, negotiation, financing, closing and more. It can be a scary process and BHGREC has you covered!!

The Make Your Home and Garden Even Better Sweepstakes is available ONLY on Facebook, from May 8th to May 30th (ends at 11:59pm) so head over there today!!

Disclaimer: This post has been compensated, all opinions are my own, I am only sharing the contest details with you, I am not running the contest.

Hockey Spirit Calendar

Did you know Canada.. I've mentioned before that I'm a hockey Mom. My boys just finished their first season in March, their Grampa is one of their coaches, and we go skating in the off season at least once a week.

I was so excited to find out about Hockey Spirit Fundraising. 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.

I love that they know their audience! Creating a 15 month calendar that runs October-December of the following year, perfect for the hockey season!! Each month's page allows plenty of space to record family activities, games, practices and tournaments. Measuring 1 foot wide by 2 feet tall hanging on the wall, this looks beautiful anywhere - we have ours in the kitchen. I was really impressed with the quality, the heart warming pictures each month and their obvious care and attention to details to make this calendar something to really enjoy and cherish.

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!)

We are so excited to share some 2012 calendars with our readers, enter below for your chance to win one and enjoy the hockey spirit all year long!

Giveaway

Cadbury Gladstone Chocolate Factory Event

Did you know Canada..  last week Did you know Canada? Toronto Representative Faniya headed to Cadbury to learn more about their Bicycle Factory Program.


This week I visited Cadbury Gladstone Chocolate Factory to learn about The Cadbury Bicycle Program.  

I never realized that a bicycle can significantly change the life of a school student in Africa.  It serves as a school-bus, an ambulance, as a logs, water-tank and food bag carrier.

Since 2009 the Cadbury Bicycle Factory program has delivered about 13,000 bikes to students in Ghana.  This year the Bicycle Factory’s goal is 5,000 bikes. That’s awesome!

At the Chocolate Factory I was excited to meet Olympic Gold Medalist Heather Moyse, a champion bobsledder, Canadian National Rugby player and now Team Canada Track Cycling hopeful.  We were so happy to provide her with one of our Mabel's Labels I LOVE Canada teeny tags as well!

Besides Heather’s incredible achievements in sports she is taking part in the Bicycle Factory program, inspiring Canadians to join the Bicycle Factory Build.

Three stations were set up in a big Cadbury Factory room to show a day of a school child in Africa.  Heather herself walked me through the stations and showed how much freedom and mobility a bike can offer.

First station was a morning chores scene when kids have to get up early, bring water which is usually in a distance from the house, fruits for the breakfast, heavy logs to prepare meals and clean the room before going to school.  

Next station was showing how kids get to school walking on long roads sometimes in nasty weather, spending hours to get there. 

And the last station was the scene when kids come back home and have to do evening chores, like preparing meals, carrying heavy rice bags and after doing their home exercises for the school.

Having access to a bike to get to school, work or just reducing the loads from kids’ shoulders when doing daily chores give students and parents a gift of time so that students spend it more on their education and development.  

The Bicycles delivered to students in Ghana are specially designed, one-speed bicycles with a sturdy frame and adjustable seat made for the rugged roads of rural Ghana.

So join the build today it’s free, until July 31^st 2012 Canadians can simply log onto www.TheBicyleFactory.ca to choose a free virtual product, drug the selection and release it into Africa.  Each product equals one bike part and it takes 100 parts to create one bicycle that will go to a student in Ghana.

And that’s not all, one lucky reader of Did you know Canada? will get a Cadbury gift basket which includes an assortment of chocolate, gum and candy, a Wheels of Change DVD (a powerful 40 minute documentary), a Cadbury Bicycle Factory t-shirt and messenger bag by Roots. The gift basket of 100 pieces in total symbolizes 100 parts of an actual bicycle changing a life in Ghana.


Faniya
Teddy Out-Ready


Giveaway

The Great Mystery Box Giveaways

I am so excited to be working with some of my favourite Canadian bloggers:  The Knit Wit By Shair, Maple Leaf Mommy, and Talking Momcents to do a unique giveaway event!

 As bloggers and contesters sometimes we find ourselves overwhelmed with goodies - we donate to charities, share with friends and family and sometimes we just stock it away for another time.  Well we wanted to be creative so, I am happy to introduce you to..

The Great Mystery Box Giveaways is chock full of over ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS worth of amazing goodies, and it all gets divvied up to four lucky Canadian readers! Whats in the boxes? Well, now that would spoil all of the fun wouldn't it? There are four themed packages all brilliantly crafted with love, and bursting with amazing oohs and ahhs that are sure to impress.

The problem is this, shipping of these amazing boxes is going to be pricey, so we decided to open up this opportunity to other bloggers to cover the shipping costs. To be involved, you would purchase 1 link for $10, your choice of Twitter or Facebook. Any leftover moneys not used for shipping will be put towards a giftcode for one of the prize packs. 

We originally had 15 spots available, and they are going quick!  We are down to 5 spots left (at the time of posting this article). 

We are so excited about this event, and the responses so far!  If you want to be a part of this, then SIGN UP NOW!

Mommy-To-Be Soiree!

Did you know Canada.. Mom n's Tot Deals is an awesome Canadian site that offers the best mom and tot deals on the web.  I LOVE that this site is for Canadian Mama's, offering you the best deals on the stores you already shop at.  We have some great news - the lovely ladies at Mom n’ Tot Deals are hosting a wonderful event for all you expectant Moms! Join them June 15, 2012 at 8pm-10pm EST for a fun night filled with mommy-to-be talk, giveaways and amazing deals for you and your little ones! This is an online event that will take place on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/momntotdeals. 

Just by liking participating stores’ and companies’, you have a chance to win great prizes, and you benefit by receiving all the latest sale updates from your favourites.  With over $1000 worth of prizes and featuring 50-90% off deals on products for mom and baby this will be a night to remember.

Fantastic as they are, the prizes were only part of it, though – the ladies will keep things interesting by throwing out questions to the attendees – things like “what is your number 1 craving?” – it will be hilarious, and occasionally touching – to read the responses from such a big and diverse group of moms (and dads, grandmas, aunts and caregivers – everyone is welcome!).This night will be a unique and fun experience!  With even more entertainment than any of their previous parties.

So on June 15, it’s time for the Mommy-To-Be Soiree!  Laughs with other moms and moms-to-be AND the chance to win free stuff? How can you resist?!?

Check out the event page to RSVP. See you there!

NutraSea Kids

Did you know Canada.. my guys love gummy daily multivitamins. But no matter what brand we try, they just don't like the Omega-3's - they are either kinda fishy or have a funny texture, we just haven't found what is right for us until now - NutraSea Kids.

 Since NutraSea Kids is a liquid, there's no texture problems, and with a fun very berry flavour, we've had no complaints there!

The makers of NuturaSea Kids is a Canadian company out of Nova Scotia - Ascentia. Their products are created in a licensed fish processing facility and is certified and audited by the Canadian Natural Health Products Directorate and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The Pure Check logo on Ascenta products guarantees that they have been independently tested and certified for quality, purity and label claims. Ascenta subjects every lot to this rigorous standard to ensure that each product is of the highest quality. And this is really cool, you can actually view the test results for each lot by entering the lot number, located on the product bottle, in the Pure Check field on their home page! Ascenta is the only developer of natural health supplements to provide consumers with this level of transparency assuring them that their product is of the highest quality.

I also love that Ascenta is highly committed to sustainability and they only utilize fish that are sustainably harvested. Wow, this is a company to be proud of and an awesome Canadian company to support.

We have had great success with NutraSea Kids, the first Omega-3 supplement I've been able to get the boys to take on a regular basis, we even get some "yums" on taste!

The only thing I wish is that it did not have to be kept refrigerated. Only because we take the rest of our vitamins in the bathroom, so moving to the kitchen to get this one in sometimes leads to yelling at the kids to get back here, or forgetting if we are in a rush. But that's the nature of the product and once you have a routine going, you are good to go.

I highly recommend trying NutraSea Kids, especially if you have picky little ones like me, where no Omega-3 was the right fit. Ascenta is currently looking for Ambassador's in Ontario, click here to check it out.

We are so excited to share a giveaway with our readers as well, so your little ones can try NutraSea Kids too! Enter below for your chance to win a bottle of NutraSea Kids - TWO winners!!

Giveaway

Recipe Round Up - May 4 2012

Did you know Canada..  we've been busy over at Canadian Mom Cooks this week, check out some of the recipes myself and co-author Multi-Testing Mommy have been cooking up.

No-Knead Bread - a huge hit around here, I've been getting requests to make it for friends!  So easy you'll be literally shocked by how simple bread can be.

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins - a homemade recipe from MTM, looks delish!

Butter Tarts - a Canadian favourite, this is my personal recipe, they are sooooo good.

Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole - a great find from a friend, this will change how you think of casseroles!

Homemade Blueberry Oat Waffles - easy and delicious homemade waffes, good for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Simple French Toast - this is a very simple recipe to make (even with help from your kids!) for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Kale Chips - a trend, these healthy chips are simple to make, taste great and make an awesome snack or side dish.

Let us know in the comment section if you tried any great recipes this week!!

A Mother's Day Treat

Did you know Canada.. we have a flash giveaway for you today thanks to our friends at A to Z Illusions.

You'll remember we mentioned about much we love A to Z Illusions back in March. Canadian company A to Z Illusions was created by award winning freelance photographer David Matthews. He photographs natural occurrences of letters in the alphabet and sells a wide range of products including framed words, posters, cards, magnets and more.

Enter below for your chance to win one of two A to Z Illusions Mom mangets, perfect for slipping into a card for Mom this Mother's Day, and something to admire the whole year through.

Giveaway

May the Fourth Be With You!

Did you know Canada.. It's Star Wars Day! (also known as Luke Skywalker Day) - be sure to mention "May the Fourth Be With You" to all your friends today.  It was just in 2011 that the first organized celebration of Star Wars Day took place in Toronto, at the Toronto Underground Cinema - how cool is that!

Today DK Canada has teamed up with Indigo and Chapters bookstores for Star Wars Day! A portion of the proceeds of all DK Star Wars books sold over this weekend (May 4, 5, and 6) at all Chapters and Indigo stores nationwide will be donated to Indigo’s Love of Reading program (which has already raised over $10 million dollars for Canadian schools in need) - Wow!!!

Select Indigo and Chapters stores across Canada will be having special in-store May the 4th Be With You Star Wars themed parties, so be sure to check in with your local store today! While there check out all of DK Canada's awesome Star Wars books.  If you do attend one of the events post pictures to DK Canada's Facebook page at facebook.com/DKCanada or Tweet them using the hashtag #DKmay4th - for each photo they get they will make a donation to the Love of Reading Foundation!!!

I've had two excited boys looking at DK Canada's LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia this week. My boys looooove to play Star Wars Lego on the PS3 and they love to know the names of every single character. I'm so happy to be able to share this book with my boys, they have been studying it for hours and hours already (Dad's been having a few peeks too!)!

With over 400 images and some reeeeeeally cool facts, as always, I am so impressed with DK Canada's attention to detail, beautiful layouts, awesome pictures and we really loved the exclusive Han Solo Minifigure that comes with the book as well.

Some more good news, DK Canada's Star Wars May the 4th be With You photo contest is back this year! Click here to send DK Canada a photo of your family enjoying a DK Star Wars book and for each photo they receive an additional donation will be made to the Love of Reading program. And, the winning photo will win a DK Star Wars Library worth approximately $200!!!!

So, May the Fourth Be With You - and if you have a Star Wars fan at home, get shopping this weekend to support Indigo's Love of Reading program.

#DessertBites

Did you know Canada.. we have been trying out the tastiest treats from Canadian Company Allan Candy - Dessert Bites!

These are soft and chewy candy combined with a rich and creamy coating provide the perfect dessert experience in a bite sized piece - they are SO GOOD! I thought there was the perfect amount in a bag as well, more than enough to share or keep in your desk for a couple weeks to grab a treat, and at $3.99 it's a fantastic value.

We tried one of each flavour..

Strawberry Shortcake - hands down our fav flavour, everyone in the family loved them, they were perfect to send a couple treats to school too

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake - this one is for Mama! They are so delicious, love the chocolate coating

Key Lime Pie - Gramma stole these ones when she saw them, Key Lime is her favourite flavour, and she has reported that they are to die for

Apple Pie - tastes exactly right, right down to the vanilla coating like vanilla ice cream

The Allan Candy Company first opened their doors in 1931 (inside Allan Vertlieb's own home at the corner of York & Bay in Hamilton, Ontario) and they have been an in home name ever since. With products like Big Foot (a fav of mine), Watermelon Slices (the boys fav), Wine Gums (hubbys fav) and now the only dessert flavoured candy available, they make top quality Made In Canada confectionery products and a company we are proud to support.

You have got to check out Dessert Bites on Facebook today, and join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #DessertBites. Perfect to keep in your desk or on the counter for a quick treat that will leave you smiling, they are so, so good!