Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island REVIEWS!

Winner!

2012-01-31T09:27:00.000-05:00

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered the Cardboard Adventures Knight Giveaway. A winner has been chosen via Rafflecopter.

The winner is: Entry #81maria

An e-mail has been sent to you. Please reply with your mailing information so your prize can be sent to you.

Bittersweet

2012-01-29T00:11:00.000-05:00

Check out how tiny she was in that infant car seat!

Today we celebrated the anniversary of Little One's homecoming. It may sound silly to most people, but when you're a parent of a preemie, every little miracle (like being able to finally take your baby home from the hospital) calls for celebration.

Three years ago today, we brought our little bundle of joy home to the Island. After seventy days in the NICU, two weeks in the Level II Nursery, and a transfer to the biggest regional hospital closest to us, we were finally able to have our baby home with us and in our arms.

No NG tube, no CPAP, no leads, no ventilator, no incubator/isolette...nothing.

We were flown from Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto to Sudbury, where Little One had to stay at the hospital for a few more days before we could take her home.

That was three years ago.

This is now.

Just to give you some perspective, Hubby pointed out that this cheese weighs just a little less than Little One did at birth. I think this was 800 g or so. Little One was 980 g. That's just over 2 lbs of butter (or in this case, cheese)!

Now Little One is a very busy, active, happy girl.

Time seems to have flown by at the blink of an eye.

Total Paranoia & Addicted to #PresidentsChoice

2012-01-27T09:02:00.001-05:00

Hubby: So, you mean we wasted over $1000 on getting a new water purifying system installed in the house?

Me: No. We didn't waste money. You drink the tap water. I trust our tap water. I do! I know it's perfectly good for us to drink! I just feel even better if it's filtered even more.

Hubby wasn't too happy when I came home from the Superstore with a PC universal water filter system/jug and a pack of 5 filters. I had been on him about getting a new water filtration system in our house with UV filter, etc, etc, etc. We ended up getting the works done last year. Living on a farm, I wanted to spare no costs when it came to our drinking water. I was so happy and felt so secure in knowing that our drinking water was absolutely, positively safe to drink.

Then I bought a PC universal water filter system and filters! They were on sale and I had been wanting to get a [insert name of popular drinking water filtration pitchers] for a long time. A pack of 5 filters for $7.84 (on special) was a much greater deal than the "other" leading brand. I went with the PC brand. The price was much better and I love and trust PC products.

I do realize this whole thing with our drinking water is a bit excessive and is entirely psychological on my part, but I cannot help it. Hey, and if this makes me drink more water, then that's a good thing! Right? Yes, I have noticed that I've been drinking A LOT more water since I purchased it. I've been drinking more than a pitcher of water a day!

Maybe because she sees me drinking (and loving) the water from the new pitcher, Little One has been drinking more water too.

It looks so pretty too, no? Check out those sleek contours! It's aesthetically appealing, right?

Because I am a President's Choice fan, check out just one of my tea shelves in my "tea pantry"!

Among my favourites are the PC Chocolatey Mint Black Tea, PC Chai Tea, PC Green Tea, PC Rooibos Tea, PC Mulled Apple Herbal Tea, and PC Organics Jasmine Herbal Tea.

See? I told you I was addicted!

President's Choice really is worth switching supermarkets for!

Disclosure - This is not a paid/sponsored post. This time I'm just sharing how much a absolutely LOVE President's Choice products! All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

New Kid on the PTPA Blogaholics Block

2012-01-26T15:27:00.000-05:00

We've got some exciting news brewing! One of the coolest things I wanted to share is that I am the newest member of the PTPA Blogaholics! {doing the happy dance}

Many of you are already familiar with PTPA. For those of you who aren't, let me give you a brief introduction. PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved) has parents (Yes, parents!) as their product testers. Real life parents test and evaluate products and give their honest opinions. That's how the products earn the PTPA seal of approval.

For me, doing research on what products are the best and the safest for my Little One is really important. What I value the most is honest opinions from parents just like me. Let's face it. Parents know what's best for their kids. With PTPA, it's just like getting feedback on products from your best friends or from other parents at play group. Very cool.

Whenever you see the PTPA Winners Seal, you know it's a product you can trust for your family.

Want to browse the some of the PTPA Winners? Click here for the list of all the winners.
You can join their growing community of over 40,000 parents and test products too! Just head on over and register!

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!

2012-01-24T13:10:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Chinese New Year with friends and family last night.

I hosted a Chinese New Year dinner at our house and we will definitely be hosting one every year. With Little One being Chinese-Caribbean-Spanish-Filipina-Scottish-English-Irish, I really wanted to teach her about her cultural background and for her to embrace each aspect of who she is.

Getting the veggies ready for my Chow Mein. Little One loves noodles (aka: "Noonuls")!

Garlic ribs! I was supposed to use pork ribs, but since we live on a beef farm, we had beef ribs on hand. That, and one of my friends doesn't eat pork, so I thought I'd make sure there was a meat dish that she could eat.

I have to admit that I had the help of VH for our New Year's celebration. The ribs were made with VH Garlic Rib Sauce.

Check out the awesome spread! I made four dishes (sweet and sour pork, garlic ribs, chow mein, and Hoisin Garlic pork, plus steamed rice).

Guests also brought Chinese New Year-inspired dishes. Among them were sesame dumplings, soup, pot stickers, fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and homemade fortune cookies!!!

Can you believe it?! HOMEMADE FORTUNE COOKIES, people!!! I was totally blown away! My friend said she just went on YouTube, found a video recipe, and made this with her 3 year old! She made two batches. One regular and one gluten-free!

Apparently, I'm going to live a long and happy life.

Hubby's favourite dish of the evening: Hoisin Garlic Pork...also with the help of VH!

Artwork and decorations were made by my lovely and talented friend.

Happy New Year, everyone! May the luck of the Dragon grace you all this year!

Disclosure - We were given an assortment of VH products to help celebrate Chinese New Year. All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

#TimHortons - I Love You, but I'm SO Disappointed

2012-01-22T11:26:00.002-05:00

Driving home from Guelph (where Hubby was speaking at the Beef Symposium at U of G), I was really looking forward to stopping at Tim Hortons. We were six hours into our drive back home and Hubby asked which location I wanted to stop at.

I wanted to go to the one just off the highway on our way into Espanola. I really like that location. There's a lot of parking space, everything is fresh and tasty, and I can always expect the same friendly service each time I go there.

Not this time.
Hubby stayed in the vehicle, since our 3 year old was sleeping. It was just after 11:30PM. I went in to get us some beverages to keep us awake for the r emainder of our drive home. The place was empty. There was just one other customer apart from me.

I stood at the counter, ready to order. I was really looking forward to our beverages! I waited....and waited...and waited. The woman behind the counter was standing at the cash right in front of me! I smiled, cheerfully said hello, and took out my wallet. Still nothing!

No acknowledgment of my presence, no hello, no "How can I help you?"...NOTHING!

I stood there in disbelief. Is she really ignoring me? Does she not realize there is a paying customer standing at the cash? Hello!?!?!

No. She didn't even serve me or speak to me. It's not like she was incredibly busy. There was only one man sitting at a table and waiting for her to make his sandwich! She surely could have at least taken my order.

She turned her back to me and proceeded to do something else.

Fine. I loudly zipped my wallet shut and stormed out. I did entertain the thought of saying something, but was too worked up and knew that I may not handle it so well if I did say something. No. I'd just fill out a comment card, stating my disappointment. Okay, initially, it wasn't disappointment. It was sheer anger.

I do know that this is not indicative of all Tim Hortons locations and I did mention that this is the one we frequent most often. Will I stop going to this particular location? No. However, I do hope that this is just an isolated incident. I hope I was just the only one this Tim Hortons employee disregarded and ignored.

Photo via Google Images

A paying customer! I am in shock and am completely stupefied! I understand that maybe she had something on her mind. Perhaps she was having a bad day. It was pretty late, but they have late hours of operation. Who knows? But, to send a paying customer storming out the door without even ordering? No, you're not going to lose business, but I do hope staff is trained how to work with the public. This was totally uncalled for.

Hubby knew when he saw me storming out the door, that he wasn't going to get his coffee. On the 74 minute drive home to the Island, thoughts reeled through my mind. "I HOPE this was being videotaped and that her manager saw how terribly her service/performance was!" and "That was the rudest thing that has EVER happened to me!"

Bottom line: I still like Tim Hortons and I will likely continue to frequent that location. I just hope this is dealt with and that the manager makes sure that employees treat their customers the proper way. I can't even say that the service was horrible, because there was no service!!!

Celebrating Chinese New Year with VH Sauces

2012-01-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

I am sad to admit that though I am part Chinese, I know very little about my heritage. Growing up in Quebec, my parents chose for us to focus on French and not Chinese or Tagalog (my Dad is Chinese and my Mom is Filipina).

We sort of celebrated Chinese New Year, but we didn't really know much about it. Not knowing the language, the history, or anything about our background left me feeling a disconnect from my culture. Now that I am older, I'm saddened by this.

This is why I want to celebrate the Lunar New Year. I want Little One to appreciate, embrace, and learn about her Chinese background - even though she's Scottish-Irish-English-Filipina-Spanish-Caribbean-Chinese (in other words, "Canadian"!), I would love for her to be in touch with that part of her.

On January 23rd, we are ushering the Year of the Dragon with a Chinese New Year dinner. I am so excited that we are celebrating the Year of the Dragon. The Dragon is supposed to signify power, luck, success, and happiness! What better way to celebrate than by sharing a meal with friends and family?

VH is playing a key role in our celebration this year.

We were sent VH sauces to help in the creation of our festive meal. We received VH Garlic Hoisin Stir-Fry Sauce, Sweet & Sour Stir-Fry Sauce, and Medium Garlic Rib Sauce.

I'm really excited about preparing our meal, but won't share what's on the menu yet! You'll have to find out about it after our New Year's celebration on Monday! I promise to include recipes and photos of the festivities!

In the meantime, here is one of the many recipes VH is sharing with you. I hope it inspires you to create dishes for your family that include a little Asian flare and a touch of the Orient with the use of their Sweet & Sour sauce.

Exposing children's taste buds to a variety of different ingredients and tastes is a good thing! Get them to try new flavours like a touch of ginger or something tangy or with garlic! Exploring a wide range of tastes may keep things interesting at the dinner table and maybe even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy their meal once they smell how aromatic everything is! Plus, sampling new foods is a great way to introduce kids to different cultures and teach them about the world around them. After all, food is a universal subject! Everyone enjoys talking about food!

Chicken stuffed with Broccoli and Goat Cheese

Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless

½ cup (125 mL) plain goat cheese (cream cheese can also be used)

2 cups (500 mL) frozen broccoli florets

2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil

1 bottle VH Sweet & Sour Sauce

1. Place 1 chicken breast between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap, carefully pound chicken breast with the flat side of a meat tenderizer or rolling pin. Flatten breast to a 1/4 inch thickness, taking care not to tear the chicken. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

2. Place broccoli in a small glass and add just enough water to cover the florets, microwave for 4 minutes. Drain and chop finely. Stir warm broccoli into goat cheese until well combined.

3. Place ¼ of the cheese mixture at the base of the first piece of chicken, carefully roll the meat over the cheese, tucking in the sides to enclose the cheese. Use 2-3 toothpicks to secure. Repeat with remaining 3 breasts.

4. In a large sauté pan heat oil over medium-high, brown chicken on all sides, about 7 minutes. Add VH Sweet & Sour Sauce to the pan along with ¼ cup (60 mL) water. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes.

5. Slice chicken and serve with sauce poured over top.

Tips: For a cheesier version stir ¼ cup (60 mL) finely diced cheddar cheese into the broccoli and goat cheese mixture before stuffing. Also, for ease of preparation veal scallopini or store bought tenderized chicken can be used.

For some Chinese New Year inspired recipes to try at home with your family, check out the VH Facebook page here!

Disclosure - We received an assortment of VH Sauces to facilitate this post. All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

It's Official! #FisherPriceMoms

2012-01-19T07:06:00.001-05:00

I'm a Fisher-Price Mom!

Is it wrong to get so excited over a fantastic new blog button? I hope not, because I am excited! I get to learn more about the Fisher-Price company and its products, as well as share lots of exciting things with readers! For example, did you know that Fisher-Price has a Play & Learn section on their site that offers lots of activities for your kids (that you can do as a family) and they've even sorted them for each age group? Yes, all the activities are age appropriate for your child/children!

Not only that! You can follow along with the rest of the Fisher-Price Moms on their blogs. This is a group of fabulous writers/mothers/ladies! Meet the original Fisher-Price Moms (Lisa, Lena, Tammi, Jen, Ilissa, Danielle, Caroline, and Nadia) on the Fisher-Price site here.

This year, some new additions were included to this dynamic bunch! Want to get to know them? Check them out!

Tenille
Rebecca
Jen
Lisa
Emma
Amy
Christine (me!)
Lynette
Sheri
Jody
Erica
Erica
Marilyn
Loukia
Genevieve
Marie-Andree
Maryse

Baby, it's Cold Outside! {Plus a Recipe!}

2012-01-18T05:08:00.002-05:00

I don't know why I foolishly thought we could bypass winter all-together. It seemed too good to be true. Not that I don't like winter or snow. I just don't like the cold!

We didn't have a "White Christmas". In fact, winter started off without any snow. It was unusually mild until just recently. It was only yesterday that we got our first huge snowfall. I think it was somewhere in the neighbourhood of 8 inches! A friend's Facebook status told me it was 2 feet of snow though. Either way, it's still a lot of snow.

Anyway, I'm not complaining. I love the snow. Freshly fallen snow is just so pretty. Up in the country, the snow on our property is fresh and white. It's not the slushy, black, stuff I remember from all the traffic in the city.

Did I mention how much I love snow? I love playing in it and can't wait to go sledding/sliding with Little One. I can't wait to build snow forts and snowmen, and yes...even make snow angels! Okay, maybe I don't love having to clean my van off in the mornings or having to shovel the deck. I do love seeing Little One and my canine baby, Chance playing in the snow though. Unbelievably cute!

Another thing I love about winter? All the homemade soups I get to make! Granted, one can make soup any time of the year, but there's nothing nicer than coming in from the cold and having a bowl of hot soup to take the chill off!

Here's one of our favourites! Okay, so it's not intended as a hot soup!

Vichyssoise Soup

Technically, Vichyssoise soup, as its original name suggests (crème vichyssoise glacée), is to be enjoyed chilled and not as a hot soup. It's known to many as a creamy chilled leek and potato soup. I may be committing a cardinal sin in French cuisine by serving it hot. I actually do chill it in the summer months, but in the winter, I like my soup hot!

At my bridal shower 7 years ago, my maid of honour put together a cookbook with favourite recipes from my female family members and friends. I still revert to that book for some of our family favourites. My aunt's Vichyssoise Soup recipe is in the book. Because it's her recipe, I will not post it. However, I will post another one similar to hers.

Ingredients:
4 cups leeks, sliced
4 cups potatoes, diced (cleaned and peeled)
6 cups water (I add chicken bouillon)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream (or milk)
Chives, chopped (to garnish)
Butter

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, add butter. Add leeks and potatoes. Cook until transparent. Add water/stock. Puree or blend if you wish. Season with S & P and adjust to your taste. After chilling soup, stir in your cream or milk. Before serving, sprinkle chives to garnish.

A {Cardboard} Knight's Tale and a GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-16T16:30:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time, there lived a brave and gallant knight. He saved princesses from the flames of an angry dragon, defended his kingdom from enemy forces...and all while wielding his trusty cardboard sword.

Remember last week when I posted about that great Cardboard Adventures Knight costume we received from The Orb Factory?

I mentioned how it provided hours of creative/make-believe fun for the kids. Well, in all my excitement, I forgot to mention that the good people at The Orb Factory are giving one of my lucky readers a Cardboard Adventures™ Knight too!

Okay, perhaps it wasn't so much as lapse of memory from excitement, but more a "Mommy Brain"/"Momnesia" moment! Hey, having a 3 year old is a good excuse for Momnesia, right?

Do you want to win a Cardboard Adventures™ Knight for a special little boy or girl in your life? Now is your chance!

Enter the giveaway by filling out our handy dandy Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to Canadian residents only and ends on January 31, 2012.

Disclosure - We received a Cardboard Adventure Knight kit from The Orb Factory to facilitate this review. All opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

One of My Biggest Fears

2012-01-16T11:33:00.001-05:00

I know one cannot live one's life in fear. It's a terrible way to live. Having said this, I have to admit that I am a fearful person.

When I was younger, I feared that I would never meet "the right" person to spend the rest of my life with. I was a serial dater and it was always with the wrong kind of men (ummm...make that "man-children"/boys).

When I got married, and we didn't get pregnant right off the bat, I worried that we would never have children. A couple months passed, and we got pregnant.

When we got pregnant, I worried that something bad would happen to our baby.

Something did happen. My cervix was dilated when I was just into my second trimester. Little One was born 3 months early and spent the first 70 days of her life in the NICU.

I feared that something would happen to her because she was born so early. It was the worst feeling in the world.

Though I was scared, I still had faith that everything would be okay. By some miracle, we now have a happy, healthy, busy, active 3 year old girl who shows no signs that she was a preemie. One wouldn't be able to tell that she was born at 28 weeks and 980 g at birth.

Today, my biggest fear is the possibility of having cancer. I don't know why I am so paranoid about this. Whenever I go to the doctor for a check-up, I get the nurse practitioner to do a breast check on me. I know how to do a self-examination. I do it quite regularly. Just the confirmation from someone else that there indeed is no lump found makes me feel huge relief. I dream about it and wake up having to check my breasts to make sure that there are no lumps. I've almost convinced myself that I will discover something there one morning. It's really irrational and it's driving me crazy.

Just recently, six (YES! SIX!) of my friends have been diagnosed with breast cancer. That is not a small percentage at all. It's alarming and scary.

Friends of varying ages (between 30 and up) have been affected by breast cancer. I've been there through the chemo/radiation and some of them having to have a breast (or both) removed. The ups and downs, the trials and tribulations...all very real and very close to home. The worst part? Cancer does not discriminate. You can be the most active, healthy, wonderful person ever, and cancer can still strike.

Perhaps this is why breast cancer is on my brain so much these days.

Thankfully, there are a lot of great resources for women. Your doctor is a great person to start with. There's also this website that talks about breast cancer screening. Women's Health Matters is another fabulous site to check out.

Things I did not realize: "The tumour may be hard or soft and may sometimes be described as a thickening of the breast. Breast cancers are almost always painless.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.
One woman in nine will develop breast cancer by age 85. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women, after lung cancer. It is the leading cause of cancer death among women aged 40 to 55.
The National Cancer Institute of Canada estimates that in 2007, an estimated 22,300 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,300 will die of it."
For more information on breast cancer, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, surgery, and living with breast cancer, visit Women's Health Matters.

Cardboard Adventures Knight - Review

2012-01-14T02:57:00.000-05:00

I have a confession. I am the Mom of a Preemie Drama Queen. Ever since her grand grand entrance into the world (at three months premature), Little One has decided that it's either go big, or go home. Everything she does, she does it with gusto. It's all drama in this household. "Spirited" is a very ~~mild~~ good way of describing her character.

I also have to admit that my three year old has a closet filled with costumes. She's a drama queen, alright! There were days when I'd have to take her on errands to the bank, post office and grocery store, decked out in her lion costume. Other days, she'd have to dress up as a chicken and have a tea party with her stuffed animals. Then there are the fairy and princess moments.

The good thing about having a closet full of costumes is that she can play dress up with all of her friends. She's got costumes for everyone and no one gets left out. Well, unless you're a boy and don't want to wear a princess fairy tutu.

This issue has been resolved. Thanks to a fantastic company called The Orb Factory, we received the Cardboard Adventures™ Knight.

In a time when brave and gallant knights protected princesses from ferocious dragons and neighbouring enemies, this cardboard knight's armour was perfect! Our little ones have great imaginations and put this costume to good use!

The box says this is suitable for children aged 4+, and with good reason. My friend and I pretty much assembled the knight's armour (okay, my friend did 99% of the assembly since I was snapping photos!). There were a few little pieces to affix and clasp so that the pieces fit together and stayed together. Do not assemble in the presence of very young children. You will lose your parts and pieces! We managed to collect all our missing pieces and all was good in the world again.

The greatest joy was the feeling of accomplishment Little One's "boy friend" (notice I didn't say "boyfriend") had when he personalized his sword and armour. The pieces for the sword are reinforced with additional cardboard. Thank goodness too! Little One jabbed the sword into the couch. She didn't render it useless since it was reinforced.

The costume provides hours of fun, imaginative play. We were pretty curious as to how the cardboard would stand up with a bunch of 2, 3, and 4 year olds. It was fine!

For more information on the Cardboard Adventures Knight and Orb Factory, please visit:

www.orbfactory.com

http://twitter.com/orbfactory

www.facebook.com/orbfactory

http://orbfactory.blogspot.com/

Disclosure - We received Cardboard Adventures™ Knight for review purposes. All the thoughts and opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

Chuck-E Cheese & Road Trippin' with a Newly Potty Trained Diva

2012-01-13T16:20:00.002-05:00

Little One was just toilet trained over the Holidays. I know the road to being completely toilet trained is sometimes a long one. Accidents happen. I get that. She hasn't had any accidents lately, but I secretly dreaded our 11+ hour drive. It wasn't so much the drive that had me worried (because we're used to taking lengthy road trips), but it was the having to stop at every other gas station or restaurant so she could use the toilet that stressed me out.

She's a fantastic traveler. She happily sits in her car seat and "reads" books, sings, tells us stories, plays with her toys, eats her snacks, sleeps, and now watches DVDs. That's an entire blog post on its own though. I've been boycotting getting a DVD player for the car because we don't like Little One watching too much TV. I caved on the holidays and got her one. More on that later.

Since we live on an island (far, far, far away from all our loved ones and relatives), we always have to make the long drives to see everyone. This time, we accompanied Grampy to Toronto to pick up Lola ("Grandma" in Tagalog/Filipino) at the airport. Toronto is only a 6 hour drive.

LOLA! I missed you! (Lola has been in the Philippines with Great-Grandma for a month)

We also decided to visit Little One's 4 year old cousin and twincess cousins since Little One doesn't get to see her cousins often. Any chance I get get Little One a visit with her cousins, I'll take it. I grew up with my cousins, so having all of the kids living so far apart makes me really sad.

While visiting Little One's cousins, we took the kids to Chuck-E Cheese for the twincesses' 3rd birthday. It was an early/family celebration since we were in town. Little One and I had never been to Chuck-E Cheese before and I wanted to see what all the hype was about.

It started off really well. Little One was excited to be going to Chuck-E Cheese for the first time! She was a bit apprehensive and thought it was "too noisy".

She had fun, but I think it was a bit of sensory overload for her. Then all hell broke loose.

Chuck-E Cheese entered the room.

Little One was terrified. She backed herself into the corner of the booth we were sitting in. She looked like a trapped animal. It was so sad (okay, and a little funny - sadistic adults). Chuck-E Cheese left the room and then returned with a pail of tickets to throw around for the kids. When he returned, Little One freaked! She flew from her side of the booth, under the table and across to me. It was the craziest thing I had ever seen! She kept saying, "I want to go home now!"

Wow. She thought he was cute when she saw his pictures, but the man-sized mouse really scared her. Her cousins, on the other hand, were hugging him! I guess Disney World is going to have to wait for another couple of years.

Three sleeping princesses - All tuckered out!

Our 11 hour drive home turned out to be a 13 hour drive because of the inclement weather. Snowy, slushy roads, reduced visibility, black ice...you name it, we had it. That, coupled with a wee one who has just learned how to use the toilet, made for an adventurous drive. I put a pull-up on Little One "just in case". I knew we'd be in between gas stations for a huge stretch of the drive. She refuses to use the potty and wants the toilet. She refuses to soil her pull-ups too.

At one point, she got carsick. After changing her clothes, cleaning her and the back of the van, I gave her Gravol and that knocked her out. Poor thing. She did tell me, "Mommy, you saved me!"

Then she had to poop! We were nowhere near a rest station and she wouldn't go on the side of the road (it was also too dangerous to stop with the reduced visibility). Even with telling her she could poop in her pull-up if she had to, she wouldn't. She also said, "It's not good for me! Owwwweeeeeee! It's hurtin'!"

When we finally stopped, she was relieved. She said, "Mommy! You saved my life!"

Things I've learned on this trip:
1. I'm thankful I don't have to change any poopy diapers anymore!
2. Trips take a lot longer when you've got a child out of diapers/pull-ups.
3. Always carry Children's Gravol when road tripping!
4. Chuck-E Cheese is a fun place, but can be scary and overwhelming for some kids!

Thank You, Fisher-Price! Keeping Your Child Occupied in the Cold Winter Months

2012-01-09T16:32:00.006-05:00

I won't lie. When it's really cold out, I don't feel like leaving our cozy, toasty warm house. Because we live in the countryside, it's quite a trek to get to Early Learning Play Groups sometimes. While I'm on a break from teaching for a few months (for family reasons), I need to keep my 3-year old occupied.

Little One's friends come over twice a week to play and socialize.

In the warmer months, playing outside is great on the farm! With a few hundred acres of land, it's a great way to ~~tire out~~ engage/entertain 3-year old kids! They either just run around, play with the barn cats, look for fairies in the nooks and crannies of our apple trees, go for walks, climb the rock cuts, supervised by me, of course. In the winter months, playing outside is just as fun. We can build snow forts, snowmen, make snow angels, etc. Sadly, we don't have any snow right now!

Even though Little One loves the outdoors, sometimes the winter days can be too cold for her to venture out. Even she insists on staying in! This means I need to have lots of indoor activities to keep her occupied, having fun, and learning.

Most of the activities are ones I've stock-piled since I started teaching ESL in 1998. I've taught a few kindergarten classes AGES ago and have since added new activities to my repertoire.

Some activities we've done so far:

1. HOMEMADE SLIME!

Homemade slime is oodles and oodles of slimy fun (for kids and parents)! It also teaches kids about what happens when you mix certain substances together! My little one was going around telling people, "I know how to make polymer!"

2. TACTILE RAINBOW MACARONI
I dyed different types of noodles with food colouring and set them aside to dry. The kids played with them, put them into containers, bottles, etc. Then they had fun emptying them into bins. I saved the macaroni and the kids used them for crafts later on. They made pencil holders by decorating used/washed tin cans and glued the rainbow macaroni on them. They also made necklaces and bracelets with them.

3. HOMEMADE PLAYDOUGH
It's not so much playing with the play dough itself that was fun. It was the process of making the play dough that was part of the excitement!

**If you want the recipes for any of the above or below, let me know :)

4. BAKING TIME
Always a favourite indoor activity for Little One and her friends.

Whole wheat pastry flour & organic raw cane sugar cookies with fruit instead of icing. A friend of mine told me about this recipe she found online. It was great fun for the kids and I didn't feel so badly about Little One eating the cookies because they were healthier than regular sugar laden cookies.

Your not-so-sugar-free cookies below. Colourful, fun to make and decorate.

5. DRESS UP PARTIES
My 3 year old has a closet full of costumes. I'm not joking when I say this either! She has ballerina, fairy, princess costumes, as well as a chicken, lion, and strawberry costume. She loves play dress-up with her friends.

When Little One's friends aren't over, this is what her play time looks like. Yes, tea parties with her Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn™ Say Please™ Tea Set and her stuffed friends.

I have got to say "Thank goodness for Fisher-Price and their Play and Learn Family Activities!" Parents can go on there and click on their children's age groups to find activities that are age appropriate for them! How did I not know this before?!

I checked out the 3-4 Year Activities and was impressed and excited to see all the activities they have listed for children Little One's age.

I am totally saving some of these ideas to use with Little One. Recycle Art, Storybook Theater, and Sand and Water are on my list of activities to do with Little One this month! I know she will love them! I'm making a point to try out all the other ideas listed there too!

Fisher-Price not only has fabulous products for kids of varying stages of development and growth, but they're also a great resource for parents to go to when in need of fun activities that will pique your children's interest! If you are looking for fun indoor activities to do with your children in the cold winter months, check out the Fisher-Price Play and Learn Family Activities link!

“Disclosure: I am a Fisher-Price Mom and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.”

Where's Da Beef?

2012-01-06T12:54:00.002-05:00

Some of you may already know that I'm a guest blogger on the Canadian Beef Blog. I was not born into a farming family, but I married into one. I blog about life as a city girl living on a working beef farm. Hopefully, I can offer a unique perspective by linking city and country (coming from both worlds), let people know more about the beef farming industry (like debunk certain myths about beef farming!), and just share our adventures on the farm. Not only am I a city girl living in the country, but I'm also a Chinese-Caribbean-Filipina-Torontonian-Montrealer living on an island in Northern Ontario! This all makes for some interesting (and often comedic) blog fodder!

Here's my latest post - Not Yo' Standard Meat and Potatoes!

Pssst! If you read the post, you'll see that I've included Hubby's favourite beef recipe! It's not just your standard steak and potatoes either!

Follow Canadian Beef on their blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook too!

Pampers Prize Pack Winner!

2012-01-06T06:48:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who entered our Pampers Prize Pack Giveaway! Thank you for also hanging in there and being incredibly patient with us while our beloved Rafflecopter was down. Good news is that the amazing folks at Rafflecopter have fixed the problem with my Rafflecopter form. If that wasn't good enough, I've got more news. We have a winner for our Pampers Prize Pack Giveaway!

Now, because our Rafflecopter form was down, some of you had to enter in the comments section. I had to take all the entries from the form and all the entries from the comments and randomly choose a number.

Our lucky winner is...

Entry #22Mary-Anne M.

Please check your inbox, as an e-mail has been sent out to you regarding shipping info.

Can I tell you how jealous I am? I absolutely love, love, love that Skip*Hop diaper bag! ;)

Doggy Basket for Our Canine Baby #CBias #iLoveMyK9

2012-01-02T17:31:00.001-05:00

The other week, the family and I enjoyed a rare "day out" together. Many of you know that we live on a farm. Because we've got cattle and there are always lots of chores to do on the farm, we don't get to have a family day out together very often.

We spent the day in the "big smoke" and even had a chance to get some items for a doggy basket for Chance. He's been a good pup and deserves some treats!

We decided to check out the new Walmart in Sudbury. We usually go to the one located at the New Sudbury Center, but wanted to see how the new Walmart fared. I am happy to say that the pet supplies section had a lot to choose from. There was a good selection of Milk-Bone® and Pup-peroni treats, but no Milo's Kitchen treats to be found.

We brought home Chance's goodies and Little One helped me make a doggy gift basket for him! In the basket, we added a stuffed animal (Chance loves his stuffed friends!), Milk-Bone® dog original biscuits, Milk-Bone® Oral Care Crunchy Bites, Milk-Bone® Soft & Chewy Chicken Drumsticks, Pup-peroni Lean Beef flavoured treats (with Omega-3 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat), and a doggy chew toy.

Yes, this is one lucky puppy!

Mommy's little helper

Little One was pretty impressed with herself. She picked out all the goodies for Chance herself (with the help of Mom and Dad, of course)!

Chance, the very happy recipient of this doggy gift basket, was willing to show us every trick he has in his repertoire (which isn't very much)! :)

We love our canine baby...and he loves his Milk-Bone® Doggy Basket!

You can view all the photos of our excursion by viewing my Google+ album.

Disclosure - This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions on this blog are honest and my own. #ILoveMyk9 and #CBias

2011: A Year in Review

2012-01-02T13:21:00.002-05:00

2011 has been an eventful one. We've experienced some amazing highs, some moments of frustration, and moments of sadness. Like my father always says, "You can't appreciate the good if you don't experience the bad".

January
Balancing family, the farm, freelance jobs and teaching ESL proved to be more difficult than I thought. Thankfully, I have some very supportive family members (thanks to my Hubby, Lola, Grampy, and MIL). I also have great friends who help me get through even the toughest, most challenging moments of mommyhood.

February
There were moments when I thought I was going to completely lose it.

I don't think I ever told anyone (except my husband and my best friend) how difficult a time I was having trying to keep things together. I struggled immensely with trying to balance motherhood and all the zillions of other things I had on my plate (like work, committees, farm, house, and everything else). To this day, I am still amazed at how women all over the world just do it and not get burnt out. I don't believe it has to be an either or decision - motherhood or work. I believe the two can be happily married, but it is a challenge. It's a lot of figuring out how to do both and do them both well.

Little One moved into her "big girl" bed. Everything is changing. I'm not sure if I'm ready for all this change.

March
I try to always trust my gut instinct. Thank goodness too. I was almost a victim to an online scam where this person tried to swindle me out of my money by posing as an ESL student in need of assistance. Luckily, I'm not that gullible. Luckily, I do my research. I just hope he/she/they don't take advantage of any other good, kindhearted people. If you see a suspicious-looking e-mail, always report it. I hope the police can nail this person. It just makes me sick to think of all the unsuspecting people who have already fallen victim to him.

Little One is still as busy as can be. Some days, I wonder if I'll be alive by the time she's five.

April
We said goodbye to my ESL student. I taught him for eight months. It was really sad to say goodbye. Little One was particularly fond of him and thought he was part of the family. It's amazing that he saw her from not really talking to all of a sudden speaking in sentences. I love that Little One is exposed to people from different cultures.

May
Little One's vocabulary has increased tenfold. I've been learning how to cook more Korean dishes. That's one of the great things about teaching ESL. My students learn English and they learn about Canadian culture. In return, I learn so much from them (like cooking Korean Bulgogi)!

June
Hubby and I celebrated five years of marriage.

We took Little One to the Mount Sinai Hospital NICU/Preemie Picnic. Hard to believe our healthy, happy, fiercely independent toddler was once a 980 g baby. It was a very emotional day. It was great to meet up with some of the nurses, staff, and other NICU parents who helped us through Little One's first few weeks of life.

July
Every now and then, I am reminded of how blessed we are to be living in our little corner of Ontario. Though I sometimes miss my city life, I am reminded of how breathtakingly beautiful Manitoulin Island is. We're surrounded by beaches and we're not too far from Tobermory. I took my students to Tobermory for a class trip. The glass bottom boat tour and the shipwrecks were a hit with the students.

August
August is always a busy time of the year on the farm. Our students learn a lot here. They don't only learn English, but they learn about where their food comes from.

Little One won the Cutest Baby contest over at PhotoCaptiva.

I am excited to say that I am a recipient of the Mom Central Canada Blogger Grant! What an incredible honour!

September

I was invited to the She's Connected Conference in Toronto, where I was able to network with brands, meet some fabulous ladies, learn more about the social media world and what brands are looking for in social media women, and just hang out with some of my favourite Tweeps.

Okay, I was a bit starstruck when I got to meet one of my favourite TV cooking personalities!Yes, it's Christine Cushing! Does this woman ever know how to cook!? Amazing!

Little One was weaned from her soother/pacifier. We went to Montreal for my godson's baptism and I conveniently forgot to pack her soothers. She was forced to go cold turkey and hasn't looked back. It was a brutal few days and she kept asking for it. Okay, she kept crying ~~screaming~~ for it! She survived and hasn't had it since.

I was given the opportunity to be an official food blogger for Food Network Canada's reality TV show, Recipe to Riches!

October
We learned that a good friend of ours died. He and his wife used to come to the Island every Fall and spend a week with us. The news had me so depressed. With each announcement of the passing of friends, I am more and more aware of how finite life on earth is. With loved ones and family members getting to the age where death or serious illness is not surprising, I think about my grandmother in the Philippines and wish she could be closer to us. It makes me really sad to think about losing family members.

I won a Toshiba Tablet from a ShesConnected Twitter party. Love, love, love!

November
Little One turned three years old. 11/11/11. Lucky year, maybe? She seemed to have gone from my sweet little preemie to all of a sudden a little girl. She feeds herself, dresses herself, and wants to do everything herself. I have to be honest and say that I really, really miss the baby years. It's true when people say, "cherish these moments forever, because they grow up fast". They really do.

I was selected as a #ToshibaBrandAmbassador! Thank you, ShesConnected!

December
I attended the taping of Recipe to Riches' season finale. I also had dim sum with Melaney Gleeson-Lyall as well as a coffee date with Melissa Lam (Recipe to Riches contestants). Through the Twitter world, we've become friends (online and offline).

Grampy and Little One enjoyed dim sum with Melaney in Chinatown as well!

With Melissa (Banana Chocolate Wow Cake) and Brad (Maple Pouding au Chomeur) at the taping of the finale.

I was selected as one of the #FisherPriceMoms! So excited! Thank you, Mom Central Canada!

We also started a new tradition with our friends - Olde Fashioned Christmas! A few friends with children Little One's age will celebrate each Christmas (well, the weekend before Christmas) with a potluck party and good times for all. The kids made Christmas ornaments, the adults had a good visit, and before the night was done, the kids exchanged homemade presents with each other.

Little One seems to be completely toilet trained. After a few weeks of potty retraining, a few set backs and accidents, she seems to have finally mastered peeing and pooping in the toilet. She is so proud of herself! I am so proud of her. I am also so relieved for myself. That had to be the most frustrating two weeks of my life.

BabyBro came to the Island to spend Christmas with us. One week is definitely too short. He's only been gone two days, but I already miss him.

Looking forward to another wonderful year with friends and family. May the New Year be a very happy and healthy one for everyone.

Shopping for our Beloved Canine Baby #ILoveMyk9 and #CBias

2011-12-29T16:11:00.001-05:00

There's something you need to about me. I love making gift baskets. I make them for bridal showers, baby showers, welcoming new babies, Christmas, and for other occasions. There's something so fun about gathering up amazing (and useful/practical) little items and arranging them creatively in a decorative basket (or other vessel like a bowl, storage box, etc) for the recipient to enjoy. To me, gift baskets show that the giver has put considerable thought into making the gift.

This is true of not only gifts for my human loved ones, but for my canine baby as well.

We were going to put together a Doggie Gift Basket for a friend's new puppy. Dog treats are a fabulous incentive for puppy training. However, my toddler was adamant about giving the gift basket to our own "puppy". Though Chance is no longer a puppy in years, he's still our beloved canine baby.

Since we had to drive my brother to the airport in Sudbury, we decided to make a day trip out of it and head to Walmart to pick up the dog treats for the doggie basket. The drive from the Island to Sudbury is over 2 hrs each way. We made a few stops along the way.

"Is we goin' shoppin'?!?!" She gets a little excited at the prospect of going shopping. *sigh*

Driving off-Island to get to the mainland.

Crossing the Swing Bridge

We needed to make a few stops along the way. First stop was to get Hubby's new work boots. He goes through a new pair EACH year! At $200 a pop, it gets pretty pricey. This said, good footwear is not something to skimp on.

More driving. See the paper mill in Espanola? Little One calls the town "Stinky-nola".

We had a few items to buy at Walmart. This was our niece's first time at the new Walmart in Sudbury.

Since it was Boxing Week, we were lucky to catch all the Boxing Week sales. Some prices were reduced to 50% and even 70% off the original price!

Hubby wanted to get a few items at Walmart, since he says the prices seem to be better there for many of the items he needs. He picked up some jump drives for the computer and stuff for the vehicle.

My mission was to get some doggie treats. You can't see the look of confusion on my face in this photo, but it's definitely there! I always get so disoriented in busy places. Funny, since I'm from the city! Island living has definitely made me more aware of crowds and I've learned that I don't like busy, bustling places with lots of traffic anymore. Ha!

Follow the signs...

"Is we makin' a dog basket for Chancey, Mommy?"

AHA! Here we go! Walmart has a huge selection of dog treats!

I was really impressed with the selection of Milk-Bone® treats Walmart carries. The selection was huge!

Chance loves his Pup-peroni treats!

Not only were there lots of Milk-Bone® treats, but there were tons of Pup-peroni treats as well! The prices and selection were great! The only thing was that we couldn't find any Milo's Kitchen items at all! We searched and searched...and searched! We still didn't find any.

Promoting good oral care is important for me. I want everyone in our family to have healthy teeth and gums...even our canine baby. Whenever I get Chance treats, I try to make sure they're good for his teeth. I read the ingredients to make sure they include things that are helpful in maintaining good health.

A doggy also needs something to play with :) Chance loves his "stuffies". He's pretty gentle on his stuffed animals. Somehow it seemed so wrong to give him Lamb Chop to chew on! It's just too cute!

Our niece found something that looked like it was already dead.

Little One found "Cheese". Having never been introduced to the likes of Sponge Bob (thank goodness!), she thought it was cheese.

Check out time wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Walmart is always busy on the best of days, and since this was Boxing Week, there were tons of people out shopping. We got all the things we needed and the crowds weren't too bad. It was an enjoyable experience. The only thing I'd like to see for next time would be some Milo's Kitchen treats.

I'm just so happy we were able to get most of the items on our list! You can view all the photos of our excursion by viewing my

Google+ album.

Just a few other photos from our family day out :)

A little farewell dinner at Osaka Sushi.

I don't want TheGodfather to go back to Toronto, Mommy!

So hard to say goodbye :(

Disclosure - This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions on this blog are honest and my own. #ILoveMyk9 and #CBias

#CBias and #EqualCanada - The Search for Equal Continues

2011-12-27T21:00:00.001-05:00

My husband wanted to take me to a new place for my birthday. Little did I know, he and my friends had planned a surprise birthday party for me. Spruce Glen Bakery and Café is a new coffee shop on Manitoulin Island. They are currently closed on weekends in the Winter months, so I had no idea that we’d be heading there. My friend’s father and his wife own the café and agreed to open it for my birthday.

Many of my favourite people were there to celebrate my birthday. My Dad even showed up, when he told me in the morning that he was going fishing! Everyone was in on the surprise party.

It totally took me by surprise!

Spruce Glen is a quaint and cozy spot for a nice cup of gourmet coffee, specialty tea, and a bite to eat. The owners start their day very early in the morning to make sure all the baking is fresh for their customers.

I had a Soy Chai Latte, my husband had an Americano, and Little One had *gasp* a Jones Soda. We don’t usually give her soda, but it was a treat. There were tons of scrumptious baked goods to feast on. Spruce Glen, though a new establishment, has already built a reputation for having delectible freshly baked breads, flat breads, turnovers, and other pastries.

While we were there, I took the opportunity to check whether Spruce Glen Bakery Café offered Equal Sweetener. I looked, and only found sugar and one other sweetener. This was the third time I set out to find Equal and I guess the third time was not the charm.

My father uses low calorie sweeteners for health reasons. It's nice for him to have alternatives to sugar when he's out and about.

I asked the owner if he carried Equal and if he would consider it. He said it was not something they really thought of and that they served the other sweetener because it seemed to be the one most people wanted.

Because this is a new establishment, they do not have any comment cards or online comment section to fill out. They don’t have a website yet, but they do have a Facebook page. I was not able to fill out a comment card, but I did have a chance to talk to the owner.

Here's the owner with his adorable granddaughter.

Much to my dismay, I have to report that no Equal sweetener was found at this location. Overall, the experience was amazing. Perhaps a few options to choose from in the sweetener area would be a good idea later down the road. This is a very new venue, and they are doing a smashing job! Also, comment cards would be a good idea. Mainly so I can tell them over and over how great their coffee shop/bakery is!

If you find yourself on Manitoulin Island, please stop by Spruce Glen. Their coffees, teas and treats are fabulous and the service is always great.

SPRUCE GLEN BAKERY CAFE

2392 WIKWEMIKONG WAY, WIKWEMIKONG
ONTARIO, P0P 2J0
Phone: (705) 859-3638

For more information about Equal Sweetener, please visit: the Equal website, @EqualCanada twitter page and Equal Canada on Facebook.

Disclosure - This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All opinions expressed on this blog are my own.

Pampers Review & Prize Pack Giveaway!

2011-12-27T09:34:00.000-05:00

No one ever told me how difficult it would be to be a parent. It's the best experience in the world, but at times, the most challenging. Lately, I've been feeling a lot of heat from everyone regarding potty training. I've been getting flack from all directions about how children should be potty trained as soon as they hit two years old. In all honesty, I think there's no magic age when children are "supposed" to be potty trained. Some potty train earlier than others and some later. It can be a stressful experience for both toddler and parents. Why add to the stress?

I started potty training Little One over the summer and she was doing remarkably well. Two weeks ago, she just decided that she wasn't having anything to do with potty training. She refused to sit on the potty, she only wanted to wear diapers, and she said things like "I'm a baby, Mama! I'm just little!"

We have been going from weeks of her not wearing a diaper and only wanting to wear her Dora or Strawberry Shortcake panties (or being completely naked!) to weeks of her not wanting the potty and only wanting the diaper or training pants/easy-ups.

Frustrating!

I heard from other moms that sometimes toddlers have set backs, they can go back and forth for a while, but once they're ready, they're ready. In the meantime, we will make sure to have diapers on hand.

When I was asked to review Pampers Cruisers 3-Way Fit diapers, I was more than happy to take the opportunity to check out what the product had to offer. It couldn't have come at a better time too.

Pampers is a brand trusted by many parents. It is also the brand that the hospital used on Little One when she was in the NICU. Yes, Pampers has diapers that fit even the tiniest of preemies! Well, Little One was so little that the nurses had to fold her diaper over so it would fit. Still, the fact that Pampers was the brand the hospitals used and trusted, was something that always stayed in my mind when thinking of which kind of diapers to use.

Pampers® Cruisers diapers

3-Way Fit gives babies our best fit ever so they have the freedom to play their way

Pampers Cruisers diapers offer up to 12 hours of leakage protection

Now with the quilted softness of Swaddlers

New Sesame Street graphics feature your favorite characters on every diaper

Pampers Cruisers 3-Way Fit does live up to its word. The fit is quite possibly the best fit on Little One so far. Because it adapts to fit the waist, legs, and bottom, it gives her the freedom to roam around and be as active as she wants to be...and not have any leaking if she does pee in her diaper.

Pampers recently launched its Canadian Facebook Page which will feature product information, meaningful discussion, tips, and news specifically for Canadian parents. You can visit the Pampers Canada Facebook Page and join in the discussions! "Like" it, and share it with your friends!

To celebrate the exciting launch of the Pampers Canada Facebook Page, Pampers is giving one of my lucky readers an amazing Pampers Prize Pack! The Prize Pack includes a beautiful Skip Hop Deluxe diaper bag (with changing pad) along with Pampers diapers!

Isn't this diaper bag gorgeous?! I am in love with this diaper bag!

~~TO WIN~~

Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter the giveaway. If you are having difficulty viewing the Rafflecopter form, just refresh and it should load. Make sure to leave a comment in the comments section of this blog post (below).

~~Good luck, everyone! This giveaway is open only to residents of Canada. Giveaway ends at 12:01AM on January 2, 2012!~~

**Edited to add:** Because of the issues readers have been reporting regarding the Rafflecopter form freezing, we have extended the giveaway deadline. The giveaway ends on January 6, 2012. Instead of filling out the Rafflecopter form, please leave a comment in the comments section at the end of this post for each entry.

TO ENTER:
Visit the Pampers Canada Facebook Page and tell me what you like about the page! This is a mandatory entry. (2 entries)

While you're on the Pampers Canada Facebook Page, "like" them and tell them I sent you :) (2 entries)

"Like" Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island REVIEWS on Facebook. (2 entries)

Follow Random Thought and Musings from the Island REVIEWS on Google Friend Connect! (2 entries)

Follow me on Twitter @chancesmommy and Tweet this contest! (2 entries)
"I want to win a Pampers Prize Pack on @chancesommy's blog! http://tinyurl.com/7zw6ufs"

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure - I was given a package of Size 4 Pampers Cruisers 3-Way Fit diapers and wipes to facilitate this review. All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

Bibiray's Organic Kids' Couture - Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-27T09:09:00.000-05:00

Want to know who won the Bibiray's Giveaway?

Congratulations to SJB (entry #73)! You have won a Bibiray's Adjustable Organic Knots Dress! Please check your inbox, as an e-mail has been sent to you.

Your little one is going to love her new dress! Mine wants to wear hers all the time! She loves the neat design and all the colours. There's also a huge pocket sewn into the dress that Little One loves toting all her special little toys in.

I love the fact that the dress is made of organic cotton and that it grows with my child. Adjustable organic clothing is such an amazing idea!

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays

2011-12-25T15:34:00.000-05:00

It's the Most Wonderful Day of the Year

2011-12-24T16:31:00.007-05:00

Christmas is my favourite time of the year. As a child, Christmas was always my favourite day of the year! I remember all the excitement of the Holiday Season. I always looked forward to the decorations, the food, the music, the time spent with family and friends, the giving of presents that came from the heart, and just being with my loved ones. My entire family would get together in one house (all twelve cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc). My cousins and I would wait for Santa to arrive, we'd open presents, and have a giant sleepover! The holidays were always about family.

Christmas is even more special now that we have a little one of our own. It's even more exciting now that she is three years old and is aware of what is going on. She was super excited that Santa was coming to our house and that he was going to bring her a doll house.

That meant a Santa Claus suit was required.

Thankfully, WholesaleCostumeClub.com has a variety of Santa suits to choose from!

We received the Regal Premiere Plush Santa Suit Costume for Adult (#23330) from Wholesale Costume Club for review purposes.

I was really impressed by the quality of the costume. The Santa suit was a rich, plush material. It was really soft! The sizing was perfect (except the hat was a bit snug on my husband's head!). I love the detail, right down to the boots!

The Santa wig and beard were not included. I wish I had remembered to order them!
WholesaleCostumeClub.com has more than just Santa suits! They've got lots of other Christmas costumes for the entire family! They've got a huge selection of not only costumes, but accessories, masks, wigs, and everything to make your costume complete! All this, and below regular retail prices!

I also love that it's "same day shipping" if orders are placed before 3 PM and they ship to Canada! U.S. customers will love that Wholesale Costume Club has a flat rate shipping price (no matter how big your order is!) of $5.99 (standard U.S. ground shipping) and $6.99 (expedited U.S. ground shipping)!

We've been extremely pleased with our orders and will be using Wholesale Costume Club again for our costumes! We've got a big 60's themed party coming up for my mom's 60th birthday in the summer! Everyone will need costumes! Guess what we'll be ordering?

Disclosure - We received a Santa suit from wholesalecostumeclub.com to facilitate this review. All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

Spruce Glen Bakery & Cafe: A New Place in Town

2011-12-18T18:34:00.001-05:00

For my birthday today, my husband and some friends planned a surprise party for me at the Spruce Glen Bakery and Cafe in Wikwemikong, Ontario.

If you haven't stopped in yet, you should! Spruce Glen serves up fabulous gourmet coffees and specialty teas at very reasonable prices! They also serve freshly baked treats like apple strudels, flat breads, cherry-filled treats, etc. I am a fan of their Soy Chai Latte and my husband really likes their Wiky Wake Up (also known as the Red Eye)! It's a great coffee with a shot of Espresso!

Though the shop is not open on weekends, Spruce Glen (at the urging of my party-planning friends) opened to host this small event. Some of my favourite people on the planet were there. It was a lovely gathering and just makes me even more aware of how fortunate I am to have some very special people in my life. I actually almost didn't even attend my own party. My friend, ArtsyTeacherMom told me we were going to the Santa Claus Parade in Wiky and I said I didn't feel like going and that I had laundry to do! Not taking no for an answer, she told me to get into the vehicle! Good thing, because a surprise gathering was being cooked up...along with the most decadent cake. Thank you to Ultimately Chocolate for my mint chocolate birthday cake. We've tried pretty much all of Ultimately Chocolate's cakes and love them all!

What a wonderful day. Thanks to everyone for making my birthday a very special one.

Spruce Glen Bakery Cafe is open on Mondays to Fridays from 6AM to 5PM.

Recipe to Riches Season Finale

2011-12-15T00:55:00.001-05:00

Recipe to Riches ended their first season with the grand finale tonight, giving one contestant a grand prize of $250,000! This is the largest monetary sum given out on Canadian TV to date!

Viewers watched with anticipation to see who the nation voted for. All contestants had superb recipes that have been made into President's Choice products. $25,000 and their dishes made into PC products is BIG! They are all winners in my books!

I'm a big PC fan, and am really excited that the winning recipes are available at supermarkets that carry PC products! Truly worth switching supermarkets for!

Ultimately, only one winner could be chosen for the grand prize. That winner is Glo and her Luscious Lemon Pudding! Congrats, Glo and congrats to all the finalists!

Just an aside:
I am really happy to have been able to participate in the Recipe to Riches excitement as an official Recipe to Riches food blogger. It's been a fun ride!

My family has enjoyed it too. Hubby and Little One thoroughly enjoyed each and every recipe that the finalists brought forward.

Little One says she wants to be Jacqui when she grows up. Too cute!

I was also thrilled to hang out with Melaney (savoury bannock pie). I can honestly say that she is one of the most amazing people I've ever met! She radiates with joy and love. How you see her on TV is how she is in person. 100% gold.

We had Dim Sum together in Toronto and Dim Sum will never be the same! :)

Even "Gwampy" and Little One got to hang out with Melaney!

I was also over the moon to get together for coffee and a bite to eat with Melissa (banana chocolate wow cake). She is full of energy and is one of the friendliest people I've ever met. It was like having coffee with an old friend!

Having a latte with Melissa Lam and D (Matron of Honour at my wedding, and Godmother to Little One).

Melissa was so amazing and so thoughtful to have made a banana chocolate wow cake for Little One! She brought the cake on the plane all the way from Alberta!!! How fabulous is she!?!

My three year old was so happy. "Melissa made a banana chocolate wow cake for meeeeeeee???"

In case you were wondering, the cake was AMAZING! It was so moist and delicious! *drool*

Little One was generous enough to share her delicious cake with her cousins.

I was also given the opportunity to attend the taping of the finale. The set was fabulous and I was a little starstruck. Ummm...Wouldn't you be? Sitting inches away from Laura Calder, Tony Chapman, Dana McCauley (we were in the front row, just to the right of Laura Calder)...Squeeee!

My two crushes were there too. Yes, I mean Galen Weston and Jesse Palmer!

Oh! Guess who Melissa and I spotted in the crowd? Brad (maple pouding au chomeur) was at the taping too!

He is so awesome. I would LOVE to try his maple pouding au chomeur! Too bad it's not a PC product! At least his recipe is online (along with all the other recipes from the show).

What a fabulous concept for a TV show. Really, really looking forward to season two and really, really looking forward to hitting the supermarket so I can get more kulfi, peach bliss, pulled pork, chicken grenades, bannock pie, and luscious lemon pudding!

Recipe to Riches Season Finale TONIGHT!

2011-12-14T14:27:00.000-05:00

If you've been following Food Network Canada's hit reality TV show, Recipe to Riches, you'll no doubt be excited about tonight's episode! It's the season finale of Recipe to Riches and we've been waiting in anticipation to see who the $250,000 grand prize winner will be!

Each week, we checked in to see who won $25,000 and their recipe made into a President's Choice product.

Who did Canada vote for?

Jacqui and her Peach Bliss cake

Glo and her Luscious Lemon Pudding

Melaney and her Bannock Hazelnut Pie

John and his Chicken Grenades

Rosy and her Kulfi Karma ice cream

Robert and his Slow and Low Pulled Pork

Only a few hours until the grand prize winner is revealed! Who do YOU think will win?

Such a difficult decision, as we loved them all!

Recipe to Riches: The Big Day is Fast Approaching!

2011-12-07T23:50:00.001-05:00

Have you been keeping up with all the Recipe to Riches excitement? We certainly have! We've been keeping our eyes peeled at all our local grocery stores that carry President's Choice products too! Voting for our favourite recipe has been torture!

I'm not going to tell you who we're voting for, but I will tell you that the decision has been very difficult.

Jacqui's Rockin' Peach Bliss cheesecake was a hit with Hubby, because he loves cheesecake.

Rob's pulled pork and John's chicken grenades were a hit too, because...well, they're meat!!! My husband and toddler cannot live without meat! My husband is all about the "man food" and meat dishes! The pulled pork is tender and perfect in a sandwich or in other dishes. The chicken grenades are simply delicious as well.

I hunted all over the place for the chicken grenades and they were sold out in most places. I was so excited to finally get my hands on some! Little One was impressed as well! Little One called her Daddy on my Blackberry and told him, "WE GOT GRENADES!!!"

Yes, we've created a little RtoR monster! She's totally into this right along with us! Love it!

I have to admit that I'm a veggie lover and love Melaney's savoury bannock pie. I still haven't had a chance to purchase the PC brand product, but have made (and blogged about) her original recipe. We love, love, love it!

Little One and I love Glo's Luscious Lemon Pudding. I love anything lemon-flavoured. I also prefer tart over sweet. Mmmm! Lemon!

Here's Rob's big display at the Independent store in Sudbury (above photo). Yes, I went to Independent AND the Superstore! Don't you just love the RtoR displays? The caricatures are amazing!

Rosy's Kulfi Karma is simply divine! I've been hearing comments about how some think it's not to their liking and that it tastes too floral. Honestly, I thought it was the perfect balance of flavours. I shared my kulfi with a friend who had never tasted rosewater before, and she said "Wow! I didn't even know that was rosewater! It has a certain 'lift' to it. Almost citrus-like". She also enjoyed the pistachios mixed in. None of the flavours were overpowering. Everything was subtle and creamy. We certainly loved it.

I hunted throughout all of Sudbury and only the Superstore had the kulfi...and, only one left! I was SHOCKED! Apparently the kulfi is a hit! Sold out everywhere here!

The lone Kulfi container! Who knew Northern Ontarians love their kulfi!? :)

The kulfi being one of the items we hadn't tried (apart from me recreating the original recipe for the blog), was one I was dying to get my hands on.

I quickly snatched up the last one! It didn't make it out of the Superstore parking lot in Sudbury, Ontario. My friend, Little One, and I ate it in the car as we watched the first snow fall. Ice cream in the winter! Why not?

I am thankful that I have been given the opportunity to be an official Recipe to Riches blogger. I am also thankful for getting to know some of the contestants. Melaney, Melissa (RtoR contestant with the Banana Chocolate Wow Cake), Rosy and I have been Tweeting like long lost friends. Rob, Jacqui, and Glo have also been great with commenting on tweets and FB messages. You are all fabulous!

We are very excited about the Recipe to Riches Grand Finale! Good luck everyone!

Don't forget to vote!

$250,000 will certainly change the life of one lucky (and very deserving) individual!

#EqualCanada and #CBias - The Hunt Continues!

2011-12-07T00:07:00.000-05:00

With the rush of the busy holiday season and shopping for special presents for our loved ones, a break from the hustle and bustle is always a welcomed treat. After spending the day going from store to store, my friend, toddler, and I decided to stop in at Tim Horton's. It's the perfect reprieve from a busy day! The holiday season is my favourite time of the year, but I have to admit, it can get a little crazy, chaotic, and overstimulating.

I have a confession. One of my guilty pleasures when out and about is a half French Vanilla/Half Hot Chocolate at Tim Horton's. I know, it sounds like a really odd request. If you try it, you'll know why I always order it!

I asked Little One what she wanted. I thought she was going to ask for a chocolate milk for her treat.

She went straight for the glass display case and picked out a chocolate chunk cookie. Funny, since she doesn't normally like cookies!

My friend ordered a coffee. She doesn't take any sugar in her coffee. Curious, I asked if the manager if they had any sugar substitutes. He flashed a big, bright smile and said, "Of course!"

When he passed us the sweetener, I asked if that was the only one they offered. He replied, "Yes. This is the only one we have to offer our customers." I then asked why and he quickly responded with, "That's the brand we get from our supplier. It's the only one we have."

I asked if they would consider carrying Equal Low Calories Sweetener in the future and he said, "Well, I think it's a HQ thing. We only serve what we are given. All our products are ordered through our supplier, and this is what they carry." He also said that no one has ever asked him about getting in alternatives before. He said he doesn't know why they carry one brand and not the other, but that the only reason he could think of was because that is what the suppliers have chosen.

Fair enough. He was so patient and very good at answering all my questions. I even filled out a comment card, asking about the possibility for including Equal as another option for customers.

Two thumbs up for the Tim Horton's on Notre Dame St. in Sudbury, Ontario! The one minor thing that I would suggest would be to have a few different options for sugar substitutes available for customers. Other than that, it was a perfect little break from a very busy day!

This is actually the second time I've participated in an #EqualCanada #CBias opportunity, and this is the second time I have been unsuccessful in finding a location/venue that offers Equal. I find myself on the constant lookout whenever I'm out now. I keep checking to see whether coffee shops or restaurants carry different options. I am determined to find a spot that offers Equal. I've even got my husband and friends in on the challenge whenever they're out for coffee!

For more information on Equal, check out their website and join in the conversation on Twitter @EqualCanada and Equal Canada on Facebook!

Disclosure - This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. I have also been compensated for participating in this #CBias #EqualCanada opportunity.

Bibiray's Organic Kids' Couture - Review and Giveaway!

2011-12-06T11:46:00.003-05:00

One of the things I find most difficult about having as little one is the fact that she grow so quickly. Clothing and shoes don't last long because she outgrows them in no time! Kids' clothing and kids' shoes are quite costly...especially if you have to get a bigger size in a few months! Little One has been lucky to be the smallest out of all her friends. She always gets everyone's hand-me-downs!

Bibirays.ca has the perfect solution to the problem of having to buy new clothes all the time because your kids outgrow them so quickly. Their clothing has snaps to make it last! Everything is 3 sizes in 1 and it's all made with 100% organic cotton.

I was given the opportunity to review one of the items on the Bibirays.ca website. I let Little One choose, since ultimately, she would be the one to wear the Bibiray's item. She chose the Knots Dress in Red.

Like all of the clothing items on the website, the Knots Dress grows with your child. One size will fit up to 3 sizes and will last for many seasons. Adjustable knots at the shoulders and snaps in between the bottom layers make it easy to change the length and fit of the dress.

My 3 year old is in love with her dress and refuses to take it off. Sadly, we're on day 2 of her not wanting to remove it! She says "it's so comfy" and she loves the colours and patterns. What she loves most is the big, deep pocket that she can store her treasures in. She's been lugging around her "pet" (a stuffed hamster named Nibbles) in there and telling people that "Nibbles is in a baby carrier".

The dress is very versatile and can be worn as is, with a top underneath, with tights, leggings, one of Bibiray's peasant tops...the possibilities are endless.

I think it's pure genius to create kids' clothing that lasts a few years and sizes...especially when that item of clothing happens to be your child's favourite.

FYI: Little One dressed herself. Don't mind the mixed patterns (striped leggings)! She's got her own sense of style, which I sometimes don't quite understand. The photo below is of Little One's reaction when I asked her if she could change out of her Bibiray's Knot Dress. She has been wearing it for the past two days.

Bibirays.ca has organic cotton kids' wear for boys and girls.

WIN IT!
Clothing that lasts, is organic, and that grows with your child = great! Oh, don't just take our word for it. Bibirays.ca is generously giving one lucky reader of mine a Bibiray's Knot Dress of their own! The winner gets to choose colour and size.

To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Make sure you leave a comment in the comments section here, letting me know either A) Why you like Bibiray's or B) Why you like organics. If you are having difficulty viewing the Rafflecopter form, please refresh and it should load.

* Ends December 27, 2011. Open to Canadian residents only.*

Disclosure - To facilitate this review, I was given a Knots Dress in Red by Bibiray's. All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

Posterjack.ca for Your Special Christmas Photo Gift Ideas

2011-12-05T13:46:00.000-05:00

Now that we have a little one, photo gifts have been one of our favourite gift items. We give framed photos, photobooks, and personalized photo calendars to loved ones for special occasions. With the holidays mere weeks away, why not take a look at Posterjack.ca's website for some great gift ideas?

For those of you who haven't heard about Posterjack.ca, it is an online company that transforms Canadians' digital photos into big, bold, vibrant artwork. Posterjack.ca has a wide variety of products from posters to
canvases, peel n' sticks and metal prints!

Here are but a few Personalized Holiday Gift ideas from Posterjack.ca:

• What Mom and Dad wouldn't love a Gallery Framed Family Portrait?

•How about a blow up a picture of your favourite vacation spot on Canvas for your partner?
•Impress your teen or college kid with a cool Metal or Acrylic Print for their pad
•Stuff your kids’ stockings with fun Peel N’ Stick Posters featuring your favourite family photo memories
•Got a shutterbug in your family? A Posterjack.ca gift certificate will help them show off
their art in style!

The ideas are endless!

*To ensure you receive your holiday order in time, Posterjack.ca recommends placing your order by
December 14th.

We wish you all a happy and memorable holiday season.

Annual Starlight Toy Drive

2011-12-04T17:22:00.000-05:00

"When a child is ill, the day-to-day joys of the holiday season take a backseat to the rigours of treatment and hospitalization. Many parents simply do not have the means to celebrate the holidays because they have to reduce their work hours, or leave the workforce entirely to care for an ailing child, says Trevor Dicaire, Starlight Director of Development.

Even on the worst of days, I am reminded of how fortunate and blessed we are. Though our child was in the hospital for the first 70 days of her life, we were able to take home a healthy preemie. We were at the hospital during the holidays and one of the things that touched me the most was the staff in the NICU decorating the NICU and all of the babies' stations and isolettes. Each baby received a stocking filled with goodies, which made being at the hospital during the holidays a little easier.

I am forever thankful for the kindness of those who donated so that the staff could do something special for all the sick babies and their parents. This is probably why the Starlight Foundation is important to us as well. Though we weren't with the Starlight Foundation, it's still a cause I feel strongly about because of all the work they do for improving the quality of life for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and life-altering injuries.

I'm certain you are familiar with the work of the Starlight Foundation. They've touched the lives of some of our friends' kids. For this I am thankful for.

Starlight Foundation works hard to support seriously ill children and their families right from diagnosis, through the entire course of medical treatment, and beyond. Their mission is to bring fun, joy, and giggles where they are needed the most. One of our special angel friends was able to visit his friend Mickey Mouse at Disney World in his last days with his Mommy and Daddy. That is a special gift - to bring joy to a very sick child.

Until the 9th of December, you can share in the spirit of the holiday season by making a donation to the Annual Starlight Toy Drive. Spread the holiday cheer and smiles by donating as little as $20 to sponsor a holiday stocking for a Starlight child.

Donations can be made online.

For more information about the Starlight Foundation and what they do, please visit their website.

Recipe to Riches Winning Entree: Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2011-12-01T01:09:00.003-05:00

The Recipe to Riches Entrées episode was a really nerve-wracking one. All three recipes sounded delicious! I have to say that my husband was confident that the pulled pork sandwich recipe was going to win. We had a friendly bet going on (as we do each week for Recipe to Riches). He was rooting for the pulled pork. I can't say I don't blame him. It's such a "manly man meal"! BBQ meat and a dish you can eat with your hands while chatting with friends on the deck? Oh, yeah!

As an official Recipe to Riches blogger, I had the amazing opportunity to recreate the winning Entrée recipe.
I have to tell you that I'm one of those people who needs to get everything sorted and organized before I start cooking. I mean really sorted. Like lining up all ingredients, prepping and putting things in a particular fashion before I get started.

For Rob's pulled pork (Hubby really liked the name Bobby's Bodacious BBQ Buns), I first collected all my ingredients.

I lined everything up. Yes, my friends think I've got issues...particularly a Watkins and PC brand obsession. I looooove PC products!

Is it just me, or is this not beautiful?

All the colours and fragrances of the spices were just beautiful! In a bowl, I mixed the paprika, brown sugar, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, freshly ground pepper, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, ground coriander, and ground cumin.

Now, that's a lot of flavour right there!

I then rubbed the spice mixture all over the bone-in pork shoulder picnic roast. I reserved 2 Tbsp of the spice mixture to add to the sauce. I put the pork in a metal pan and tightly wrapped it in foil. Into a 325 degree oven it went!

I initially wanted to cook it for 6 hours, but ended up taking it out at 5 hours. The house smelled amazing! My toddler kept asking, "Is it suppertime yet? I'm hungry!"

Sorry, kid. You get a glass of milk and honey on toast for a snack while Mommy is cooking :)

Once the pork was cooked to perfection, I unwrapped it, pulled the pork off the bone, and I began shredding the pork with two forks.

The meat was so tender, so juicy, and it just fell off the bone.

While the meat was cooking, I did two other things. I made the coleslaw and sauce. For the coleslaw, I made the slaw with the cabbage and other ingredients in the food processor. You can also buy ready-made slaw and add ready-made coleslaw dressing. If you're like me and have a mother-in-law who is a farmer, you'll want to make your coleslaw from scratch. It's actually easier and faster to make than you think. Plus, seasoned farmers' wives would frown upon buying coleslaw when it's something very commonplace in rural areas. Hey, if you're in a pinch and don't have time, just buy the mix! I won't tell! ;)

For the sauce, I combined ketchup, apple cider vinegar, cola, maple syrup, and the reserved spice mixture. I boiled the sauce mixture in a pot on medium heat for about 25 minutes.

Pour half of the sauce mixture over pork and combine. Use the other half to put on the sandwiches. "The secret is in the sauce!" Ha! Ha! I don't know why I've always wanted to say that.

The Assembly:
Slice bun in half, slather sauce on top and bottom (cut ends) of bun, top with pork, mound coleslaw on top of pork, place top bun lid. This recipe makes 8 servings.

I have to say that Robert Luft's pulled pork sandwich is delicious! My husband asked if I could make it again next week! As a Mom, I just had to serve this up with a fabulous salad. Hubby insisted that the coleslaw counted as a serving of veg though. :) Right.

Would I purchase the President's Choice version of this dish? Yes. Absolutely. We've made it a weekly habit to test out all the winning recipes! Though this recipe wasn't overly difficult, it was time consuming. Getting the meat so tender, soft, and juicy takes hours of cooking! The way Rob did it on the show looked even more labour intensive. He also didn't use forks to shred the meat, but used his hands to "pull" instead.

If you don't have a lot of hours to spare to make a scrumptious dinner after a long day at work, then buy the PC product. I'm a PC lover and everything I've ever bought from them has been a hit in our home.

Congrats, Robert! Now, Canadians get to vote for their favourite recipe and for the winner of the $250,000 Grand Prize! It's the largest prize in Canadian TV history!

For Robert Luft's complete pulled pork sandwich recipe, visit the Recipe to Riches website and click on the pulled pork sandwich recipe link.

Recipe to Riches airs on Wednesdays at 9 pm on Food Network, and Saturdays at 8pm on Global TV. The Entrees episode was the last one before the big competition. Next week is the Recipe to Riches marathon!

Find them on Facebook and on Twitter to join in on the fun!

Disclosure: As an official Recipe to Riches blogger, I have been compensated for recreating the winning recipe and writing a review post. All opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

Burt's Bees is the Bee's Knees

2011-11-30T20:58:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but every winter, I am plagued with extremely dry skin. I hate it. Dry, flaky, itchy skin. It only happens during the winter for me.

Thank goodness for Burt's Bees.

Burt's Bees offers natural personal care products and natural skin care products. What's best is that their goal is to create truly natural products and educate people on how truly natural products have a positive effect on us and on the world we live in. They have our well-being and the well-being of the environment in mind.

I discovered Burt's Bees a few years ago. Always on the lookout for healthy and safe products, a friend told me about them. I loved the fact that the products are natural and formulated to help heal, repair, and moisturize. I love their natural lip balms.

Soon after hearing about Burt's Bees, I started noticing them all over the place! They were in almost every store I shopped at. That says a lot about a product!

I was sent a variety of Burt's Bees products to review.

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm:

Right up my alley! This is the kind of stuff I love! I don't wear lipsticks, as I love the glossy sheen of lip balms and glosses.
I was sent the tinted lip balm in "Hibiscus". When they say it makes your lips soft, moisturized, and conditioned, they weren't kidding! This is probably one of my favourite products and a now a "must have" in my purse at all times!

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion:

Made with Royal Jelly and packed with 134 nutrients, this lotion nourishes your skin and enhances its natural glow. From a girl who is plagued by dry skin, I can attest to how soft and shimmering this lotion makes your skin!

Color Keeper Green Tea and Fennel Seed Conditioner:

High in antioxidants from the green tea, this conditioner keeps hair vibrant, while not weighing it down.

Anti-Blemish Purifying Gel Cleanser:

I don't usually have break outs, so I never really thought much about using anti-blemish cleansers. I did try this one and really like it. It makes my face feel clean and fresh. "This cleanser is clinically proven to help wash away blemish causing bacteria, excess oil and impurities without over-drying or irritating skin. Salicylic Acid, derived naturally from Willow Bark Extract, penetrates pores to help reduce blemishes and prevent future breakouts. Evening Primrose and Beet Root Extracts help care for troubled skin resulting in clear and healthy-looking skin, naturally. Dermatologist tested. Noncomedogenic." (from the Burt's Bees website)

Naturally Ageless Intensive Repairing Serum:

Now that I'm in my 30s (okay, as of mid-December, I'll be four years closer to 40!), I have to admit that I am growing increasingly more concerned about my skin. I notice fine lines where there weren't any. Eeek! This antioxidant-rich pomegranite and evening primrose serum helps diminish fine lines and wrinkles.

For more information, check out the Burt's Bees Story here and view their site for all their amazing products. You can also find them on Facebook and on Twitter.

I really like Burt's Bees products and would highly recommend them to friends and family. I feel good about using products that are natural. Again, one of my absolute favourites is the tinted lip balm.

Disclosure - I was given the above Burt's Bees products for review purposes. All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

Some Great CANADIAN Holiday Gift Ideas!

2011-11-30T15:38:00.000-05:00

We love supporting Canadian businesses and we try to buy Canadian whenever we can. For the special people on your list this season, we've found some fabulous gift ideas.

Today I Ate A Rainbow is the perfect tool for getting kids to eat a rainbow every day. A fun, interactive chart keeps them excited about adding some colour to their meals! It's a great present for kids and parents alike!

Simply on Board has great toy straps that are great for preventing your tiny tots favourite toys, teething items, or even sippy cup from falling on the ground. The straps attach with velcro and are machine washable. There's nothing that grosses me out more than Little One's belongings falling on the floor in busy malls or restaurants. Okay, I'm only slightly paranoid about where people's feet/shoes have been!

KIOKKO Bebe Couture is easily recognizable amidst all the other baby/toddler/kid blankets, bibs, etc. Each piece is made with lots of attention and care. I've been known to give KIOKKO Bebe Couture blankets, washcloths, and bibs to expectant mothers or for welcoming home a new baby. I absolutely love the mitten clips and have not only gotten some for Little One, but for some of her friends too!

Mabel's Labels is perfect for all your labeling needs! We use Mabel's Labels on all of Little One's favourite items. They're great in case we leave her things behind at play group or elsewhere or just so friends don't accidentally take them home with them! I'm known here as the Mabel's Labels giver! I've given labels to all my nieces and nephews and to Little One's friends for their birthdays or at Christmas.

Jet Baby has a fantastic variety of cool clothes for cool kids. Little One had her first John Deere outfit from Jet Baby and has since gotten a Poison onesie and Bob Marley onesie. There are so many adorable outfits and tees to choose from. Not your run of the mill, boring, generic, cookie cutter clothing. Jet Baby also sells books, CDs, DVDs...and toys from when I was a kid! I'd love to get Little One the Snoopy Sno Cone maker or Fisher Price phone that I had when I was a kid. Jet Baby is definitely a must if you're looking for the perfect gift!

Wean Green has an assortment of glass containers for your child's needs. We have the Wean Cubes and have stored all of Little One's snacks in them. They're the perfect size to just pop into your diaper bag or purse and pull out for your wee one to snack from.

"This Tofu isn't so Bad", Said the Non-Tofu-Eating Beef Farmer

2011-11-29T20:52:00.001-05:00

Truth be known, my husband has an aversion to any recipe that does not contain meat. Oh, he'll eat whatever I serve him, if he knows what's good for him! Just kidding. He's pretty open-minded and will try anything and everything I serve him. Tofu just isn't one of those things. Though he likes how I season them and infuse certain flavours in the tofu dishes, he claims that that palatability is just not for him. Fair enough.

I grew up eating tofu on a somewhat regular basis. Since my Dad is Chinese Caribbean, we are no strangers to tofu. Tofu is a common ingredient in many Asian dishes. Also as a vegetarian for most of my adult life, tofu was a mainstay in my diet.

Tonight, I was craving tofu for supper. A friend of mine from university (we were both vegetarian and involved in some environmental groups together) had this amazing tofu recipe that called for chili flakes and other ingredients I cannot remember. It was a sweet yet spicy tofu dish. Since I couldn't recall the exact recipe, I had to improvise.

First, I poured over some of my favourite cookbooks in hopes of finding something similar to the recipe I had in mind.

So many tempting recipes, but not exactly what I had in mind. I was left up to my own devices for this one.

For supper, we had Tofu Satay on rice noodles with steamed Bok Choy drizzled with sesame oil and Lychee milkshakes and chilled Lychee for dessert.

Please keep in mind that I rarely measure ingredients when it comes to cooking dishes (except for baking, where exact measurements are a must).

C's Tofu Satay on Rice Noodles
Ingredients:
1 or 2 packages of firm tofu, cubed (depending on how many people you're feeding)
1 sweet red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
cooking oil
Cilantro, chopped (to garnish)

Sauce -
vinegar
soy sauce
chili flakes
dash chili powder
onion powder
garlic powder
3 Tbsp peanut butter

After you've prepared your tofu and your veg, cook tofu in a pan with a little oil until slightly browned. Add your veggies and cook with sauce.

While you do this, you can steam your Bok Choy and rice noodles. This whole meal takes less than 30 minutes to make from prep to finish.

My non-tofu-eating husband said this was the best tofu dish he's had so far. He really liked the combination of sweet and spicy (sweetness from the peanut butter and heat from the chili).

On bed of rice noodles, place tofu satay. Sprinkle with chopped coriander to garnish. Drizzle sesame oil over Bok Choy and serve.

GlassesUSA.com - Great Glasses Without Breaking the Bank!

2011-11-28T15:45:00.009-05:00

When I was in high school, I got my first pair of glasses. I thought I'd beat the odds of ever having to wear glasses, even if my family members wore glasses. Back then (as a teenager), glasses just were not cool.

I actually had two pairs of glasses. I think the optometrist's office had a 2 for 1 sale on, because I had a red pair and a blue pair. They were not the most flattering things either. Big, heavy frames and Coke bottle-like lenses. They were awful...and expensive.

Because I didn't like them, I rarely wore them. The optometrist said they were only for distance (blackboard, TV, computer, and driving), so I only used them for that.

Thankfully, GlassesUSA.com has a wide variety of stylish prescription glasses that won't break the bank!
They've got everything from rimless frames, vintage styles, sunglasses, metal frames, Titanium frames, semi-rimless frames, and more!

GlassesUSA.com carries brands we know, love, and trust like Calvin Klein, Jones New York, and Diesel (just to name a few). If you're going to wear prescription eyeglasses, you might as well look good in them and love them, right?

I now wear my glasses on a regular basis. I'm just glad to know that there are options out there for good quality, attractive, stylish, affordable glasses now.

With all the styles, colours, and designs available for eyeglasses now, it's easy to look good and still be able to see! I have some friends who really know how to change up their style with their glasses! Funky/fun one day, chic another. Casual, professional, sporty, classic...the options are endless!

It's truly amazing how a certain style of glasses can change your look entirely.

I'm actually quite partial to this for my next pair of glasses! Love, love, love!

Psssst! GlassesUSA.com is having an
Early Holiday Sale!
Take 20% off any frame in their iSee Eyewear collection and get free shipping within the US. Code: iSee20FS (you can find the collection here: http://www.glassesusa.com/isee-eyewear)
Take 10% off any order of prescription glasses. Code: Blog10
Order glasses!
Of course, before you order, make sure you understand what your prescription needs. Check out the helpful info for understanding eyeglasses and lenses on the GlassesUSA.com website.

Join in on the GlassesUSA.com conversation on Twitter and on Facebook!

Disclosure - This is a sponsored post. I am being compensated by GlassesUSA.com for writing this piece. All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

Orkids.ca Sustainable Stainless Steel Mealtime Combo WINNER!

2011-11-28T00:26:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. Many of you will be upset with me. Sadly, there could only be one winner for this very popular giveaway. It makes me really happy to know that A) Many of you are concerned about the environment and are considering litter-less lunches/sustainable products for your families and B) You love supporting new, up and coming Canadian businesses like Orkids.ca!

Thank you to all who entered this giveaway. Cheers to Orkids.ca for sponsoring this giveaway. We really love working with you!

Without further ado, the lucky winner of the Orkids.ca Sustainable Stainless Steel Mealtime Combo is...

264 Tara Elias Follow via GFC

Name: Tara Elias
Email: tXXXX@excite.com
Option: Follow via GFC

The winner has been sent an e-mail. Please reply with your address so Orkids.ca can send you your amazing prize! Just in time for the Holidays!

Celebrating the Holidays with Hallmark

2011-11-27T17:46:00.001-05:00

The Holiday Season is my favourite time of the year. It's the one time in the year that I get to spend with my family and friends that live out of town. It's always been such a special time to celebrate and share with loved ones. Now, with a child of my own, the Holidays have even greater importance to me.

Knowing how busy and chaotic the Holidays can often be with preparations for big family dinners, decorating, and planning gatherings, Hallmark Canada wants to remind and encourage people to "Press Pause" and take some time to enjoy and appreciate all the special moments this year.

I'm excited to say that as a member of the Hallmark Canada #PressPausePanel, I was given the opportunity to share some exciting Holiday products with my readers!

The Make-A-Wish Products
The Make-A-Wish bear is Little One's favourite item. The bear is soft and cuddly, and you can record a special message for a special loved one. I sang a snippet of Robert Munsch's "Love You Forever" for Little One and recorded it. This way, if she ever misses me (if she's at her grandparents' house or if she's not with me), she can just press the button and hear my voice.

The best part about the Make-A-Wish products is that by giving them as gifts to friends and family, you give back and spread the joy. By purchasing Make-A-Wish selected products, Hallmark will donate 25% of sales to help make children's wishes come true all year round.

Recordable Storybooks
A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of my all time favourite stories. Each year at Christmas, I watch the cartoon. It's a Holiday ritual I have and hope to continue with my Little One. Now, I can start a new tradition by reading the book to her. The recordable storybook is fantastic for making memories last.

Titles include: Frosty the Snowman, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and more! I am thinking of getting one for my parents to read and record for my nephew and twin nieces in Kingston. They live 10 hours from us, and we spend every other Christmas with them. Hearing Lola and Grampy's voices will help bridge the distance since we can't be together every year.

Christmas Ornaments
Hallmark has lots of great tree ornaments as well. I think Hubby will love this Wayne Gretzky ornament. He doesn't know yet, but this is going in his Christmas stocking!

Rockin' Talkin' Santa or Elf Hats & the Merry-Okee Christmas Karaoke Microphone
Growing up, Christmas was a time of festivity in our family. Our aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, grandparents would get together and sing, laugh, eat, give, and be merry. Singing Christmas carols by the piano, partaking in some karaoke fun, and just being goofy has been a tradition in our family.

This is why the Hallmark Rockin' Santa hat and the Merry-Okee Christmas karaoke microphone are perfect for some festive fun! It changes your voice while you're singing. Haven't you always wanted to know what you'd sound like with an elf's voice?

Interactive Storybooks and Cuddle Buddies

Cuddle Buddies are also a cute gift for children. Jingle the Husky Pup barks, whimpers and sings when he hears the magic words read from the storybook that accompanies him. My three year old loves the interactive storybooks and Cuddle Buddies.

Of course, what are the Holidays without special greeting cards for your loved ones?

Hallmark has built its reputation on years of offering customers high quality products for all occasions. People seem to gravitate towards the Hallmark cards when they're at the store looking for the perfect card. Birthday, Easter, Graduation, Wedding, New Baby, Anniversary, Get Well, Sympathy, Christmas, Hanukkah, and every other occasion, Hallmark has you covered.

Take the time to "Press Pause" and enjoy some special time with your loved ones this Holiday season! Check out the Hallmark website here. Join in on the fun by checking them out on Facebook and Twitter too!

Disclosure - As a Hallmark Canada #PressPausePanel member, I received the above products to write about.

There's Still Time! Nominate Your Holiday Hero (Toshiba Canada)

2011-11-26T14:15:00.000-05:00

As a Mom, for some reason the responsibility of getting special presents for our loved ones always seems to fall upon me. If I leave things to my husband, everyone would get something from the home hardware store. No, really. They would!

Not that there's anything wrong with receiving tools or building supplies. I just like getting things that are a little more personal. Practical is good, but personal shows that lots of thought and effort went into getting the present.

As a Toshiba Holiday Hero Ambassador, I was able to check out some of the amazing products Toshiba has to offer for everyone on our holiday list! I know everyone in our family is all about technology. Our teenaged nieces are way ahead of me when it comes to all things electronic! My brothers, brother-in-law, parents, and even Little One are really into what's new and exciting in the world of all things techie. Electronic gifts are both practical and personal.

On my Toshiba Ambassador mission, I checked out the Toshiba Tablet (one of my teen nieces and my husband are interested in the Tablet). I also inquired about the Toshiba 3D HDTV - a present for me. Oh, okay...for everyone en "la casa de C"! Check out my findings here.

Every year, Hubby says I'm a hero to my little family. I have to get Christmas dinner organized, make all the baked goods, do the shopping, entertaining, gift wrapping, writing/mailing out all the Christmas cards...

Being a hero isn't just what I've mentioned though. My neighbour down the road is a hero in my eyes. He saw one of our cows on the highway and helped me get her back where she was supposed to be. My husband is a hero because he does so much for everyone, works so hard on the farm and off the farm...and never complains about being exhausted.

Do you have someone in your life that you think is a hero?

Nominate your hero today for a chance to WIN: a Toshiba Prize Pack for your nominee, and a Toshiba Tablet for yourself.

Prize Packs include:

*A Mobile Office Pack

*An Extreme Laptop Pack

*A 3D Entertainment Pack

There isn't much time left to nominate your hero! Head over to the Toshiba Canada Facebook page and be a Holiday Hero today!
**Nominations end November 28th, 2011! (Open to residents of Canada only)**

Check out the Toshiba Canada website and join in on all the Toshiba fun on Twitter and Facebook.

Recipe to Riches: Creamy Kulfi!

2011-11-24T12:52:00.003-05:00

By now, many of you must know how addicted I am to FoodNetwork Canada and to the new reality TV cooking show, Recipe to Riches. What I enjoy about the show is that they've brought food that many people might not be familiar with and introduced it to the general public in the form of President's Choice products. Even for those recipes that did not win, the whole nation has been introduced to them on the show. Bannock Hazelnut Pie, Pouding au Chomeur, Salt Fish & Ackee Pie, Stuffed Olives, Mini Tourtieres all illustrate what a culturally diverse country we live in.

Canada is a multicultural country and I'm so impressed that food from different cultures are represented on Recipe to Riches.

I have been looking forward to the Frozen Treats episode. Always curious about what kind of intriguing recipes the judges will choose, I was really looking forward to the three recipes.

I am happy to see that Rosy Soobrattee's Kulfi Karma won in the Frozen Treats episode. I was even happier because that was the recipe I got to make as a FoodNetwork TV's Recipe to Riches food blogger. I love, love, love, kulfi!

Two things worried me though. Remember last time when I had to go on a hazelnut hunt for Melaney Gleeson-Lyall's Bannock Hazelnut Pie? I went on a mad search for hazelnuts for that recipe, but I found them after driving two and a half hours to Sudbury and two and a half hours back to the Island. Rosy's kulfi recipe called for rosewater and cardamom. I searched my pantry, and found the cardamom (which I use for making Chai tea). Rosewater? Where would I find that?

The funny thing is that I did have rosewater from another recipe I made a while ago. Funny. No hazelnuts in the pantry, but rosewater?

The second thing that worried me was that the last time I made kulfi, I ended up making kulfi soup! When a recipe calls for a certain amount of freezing time, abide by the recipe's instructions! Not enough freezing time will leave your kulfi (ice cream or whatever frozen treat you're making) a soupy mess! FOLLOW the instructions! Don't be impatient like I am. Last time, I thought I could take out the frozen treat earlier. It tasted really delicious, but it was not aesthetically pleasing.

The first thing I did when reproducing Rosy's winning kulfi recipe was assembled all my ingredients. Here are some of the ingredients:

Evaporated milk, condensed milk, whipping cream, cardamom, rosewater, pistachios, and instant dissolving sugar. I had to run out and get more whipping cream. I didn't realize that the store only had the small carton.

I then lined a glass baking dish with plastic wrap.

I didn't have ground cardamom, so I had to grind the cardamom myself. Fun times.

Then I pureed the evaporated milk, condensed milk, rosewater, instant dissolving sugar, whipping cream, and ground cardamom in the blender.

I poured the mixture into the plastic lined baking dish and stuck it in the freezer for 6 hrs. I actually tried to be patient and I left it in the freezer overnight for even better results.

I shelled and finely chopped the pistachios for garnish.

Et voila! The finished product!

I was very curious as to what Rosy's Kulfi Karma would taste like. Growing up in multicultural Montreal and then spending my adult life in Toronto, I was surrounded by delicious dishes from all corners of the world. This said, rosewater-infused treats and anything with cardamom or even cloves seemed too strong for my liking. I was eager to see how this recipe fared.

Rosy's kulfi recipe was not as complicated as I thought it would be. The ingredients "rosewater" and "cardamom" kind of scared my husband, but when he sampled the finished product, he was in awe. He said that the contrast in flavours with the sweet, creamy ice cream type dessert and the hint of rosewater and cardamom, combined with the extra boost in flavour from the pistachios made this one of his new favourite frozen treats.

I have to agree. I love the delicate flavours and the texture of the dessert. The hint of rosewater and cardamom lend to the exotic feel of the treat. I have to admit that though I love nuts (I love pistachios!), I am a purist when it comes to nuts in my desserts. Not a fan. However, the pistachios in this recipe are the perfect accoutrement. The crunch and the slightly salty nutty flavour go perfectly with the smooth, creamy frozen treat.

It's so delicious that I could have kulfi every day of the week if I could. I won't though! If I could I would!

I even brought some over to share with others for after we watched the Frozen Treats episode of Recipe to Riches! That's how I con people into watching the show with me :) I make them watch it with me and then I reproduce the winning recipe!

I'm looking forward to buying Rosy's President's Choice kulfi at the supermarket this weekend! I'm interested in seeing how it compares to her original recipe!

Congratulations to Rosy Soobrattee for her winning recipe! For the complete recipe, please visit Recipe to Riches on Food Network Canada and click on Creamy Kulfi.

Next week on #RtoR is #Entrees! Then Canada it's time for you to vote! You choose who will win $250,000 - the largest prize in Canadian history! How exciting is that?!?

Recipe to Riches airs on Wednesdays at 9 pm on Food Network, and Saturdays at 8pm on Global TV. Find them on Facebook and on Twitter to join in on the fun!

ShesConnected & Toshiba Holiday Heroes Brand Ambassador Program: Honey, I Want a Toshiba 3D TV!

2011-11-22T00:51:00.004-05:00

I was recently selected as a Toshiba Brand Ambassador. ShesConnected has partnered up with Toshiba Canada to help spread the word about the new Toshiba Tablet and 3D televisions. My mission was to visit a local retailer and check out either the Toshiba Tablet or the Toshiba Passive 3D TL515 Series.

Thanks to ShesConnected and Toshiba Canada! To facilitate my "mission", I was given a Toshiba Camileo camcorder to take videos and stills of our excursion. The Camileo is a really impressive camcorder. It's so tiny and slim...it can fit in your pocket! It's perfect for its high-res still images, high-def movie recording, face detect, and a whole slew of other neat features! Mine came in a vibrant yellow colour!

I went to Walmart and FutureShop in Sudbury, Ontario with my Camileo in hand to check out the Toshiba 3D HDTV. I had Hubby and Little One with me for this exciting excursion. The salespeople I chatted with were great. They were knowledgeable about the products and took the time to answer all my questions.

This *was* going to be my first attempt at a vlog. I got a bit nervous, my hair wasn't cooperative, I hate the way I sound on video, and I had a toddler who was trying to stuff a ShesConnected Chicken Farmers of Canada chicken down my shirt in the video. I still have the video. It's actually kind of funny, but I decided last minute to just scrap the whole vlog this time and just write a blog post. Sorry! Maybe next time!

Neither the Sudbury Walmart nor the FutureShop had the 3D TV available, so I couldn't check out the features of the TV. I just went on what the product experts told me.

Interesting things I learned about the Toshiba 3D TV:
Derek, the product expert, said that "Quite a few customers think that 3D is just a fad and that it won't stick around for very long. I think that 3D is here to stay and with TVs like Toshiba's 3D TV, people will realize how much it will enhance their viewing experience." He said he thinks 3D is here to stay and that it will eventually become a standard part of every TV package.

A neat feature I learned about is that the Toshiba 3D TV has Digital Noise Reduction. Hubby is more interested in the tech stuff than I am. I just like a TV that looks good, has great viewing/imaging, some cool features, and fits our budget. Hubby will tell you how exciting it is that the Toshiba 3D TV has AutoView, ColorMaster 3D, Color Temperator, etc. Basically, all these features included in the Toshiba TV technology make viewing experience improved. They make for higher quality images, superior contrast and image detail, etc.

I learn something new everyday!

What I also liked was that with Toshiba's 2D to 3D technology, we can watch regular movies in 3D too. Shhhh...Don't tell anyone, but I also like a bit of gaming every now and then. This would be ideal for gaming!
Since I felt badly that I didn't get to complete my mission (with the 3D TV not being in stock at both locations I went to), I did get to ask questions about the Tablet. Sudbury FutureShop had the Tablet available.

What I learned about the Tablet:
The great thing is that the Tablet is powered by Android Honeycomb 3.1 and is easily customizable. It's great for viewing HD videos (so thankful for this, since it keeps my toddler busy for a few moments every now and then). It's also great for listening to music, surfing the web, and best of all, doing all my social media "stuff". It's perfect for all the social media things I love to do (like write blog posts like this ShesConnected/Toshiba Canada Ambassador Program, then Tweet and Facebook it)!

One of the most interesting things I learned about the Tablet is that it has an easily replaceable battery. It has a removable and rechargeable Lithium battery.

I love the double camera (front and rear) and large screen surface. I would highly recommend the Tablet to friends and family. In fact, I'm thinking of getting Hubby one for Christmas. He was going to get me one for my birthday, but I won my Tablet at the ShesConnected Twitter party a few weeks ago! I'm thinking His & Hers Toshiba Tablets would be great for Christmas! Well, especially since Hubby hogs my Tablet now anyway!

I absolutely love my Tablet. It's so "handy". When I'm in the kitchen and need to look up a recipe, I can quickly check online recipe sites on my Tablet. Just the other day, Hubby needed an aerial view of our property and was able to get a great image online when he took the Tablet with him. He is continually more and more amazed by the things he can accomplish with the Tablet in hand. He said it's great for GPS coordinates on the farm, conversions, looking up information quickly...Ha! A farmer with a Tablet!

I'd like to learn more about the Toshiba 3D HDTV since I didn't get to see one in person. The product experts told me what they knew of the product, but I would have liked to actually see it. We're in the market for a new TV, so this is the perfect opportunity to do some research and get to know the product more. Our "good" TV (a wedding present from my bridal party 6 years ago) just *died*. We are in need of a new TV and I'm hoping it will be the Toshiba 3D TV! From what the product experts at the store told us, Hubby seems more inclined to getting one now.

Thank you to ShesConnected and Toshiba Canada for giving me the opportunity to do some "field research" on products we would have looked into for our Holiday gift giving. Hubby *may* get his own Tablet and hopefully we'll get a new TV for Christmas!

For more information on the Toshiba Tablet and/or the Toshiba TL515 3D HDTV, visit the Toshiba Canada website or Toshiba Canada on Facebook and Twitter! Toshiba Canada is having their Holiday Heroes campaign on Facebook right now. Check it out and nominate your Holiday Hero!

Disclosure - I am participating in the Toshiba Brand Ambassador Program by ShesConnected. I received a Toshiba Camileo in exchange for my participation in this campaign. All the opinions on this blog are my own.

Holiday Gift Ideas

2011-11-20T17:34:00.000-05:00

On Manitoulin Island, we are fortunate to have Ultimately Chocolate for delectable gourmet chocolate treats. It's always a pleasure to chat with Lisabeth Flanagan, the owner of Ultimately Chocolate. Her effervescent personality and her passion for creating stunning, rich, and delicious treats really shine in each and every piece she creates. She uses only the finest ingredients, and makes sure to only use real ingredients. No hydrogenated oils or preservatives!

We have made it a tradition to buy treats and cakes from Ultimately Chocolate for our special occasions. Birthdays, dinner parties, Girls' Nights...Whatever you're celebrating, Ultimately Chocolate has the perfect cake or treat for you.

Local residents can purchase her cakes, tarts, chocolate croissants (and more!) by placing an order with her at info@ultimatelychocolate.com or by calling 705.282.3535.

Non-Island residents can enjoy Ultimately Chocolate TOFFLES. The TOFFLE is the perfect mixture of organic dark chocolate toffee and a milk chocolate truffle centre. It's the perfect gift for all the chocolate connoisseurs on your Holiday list!

Order online here.

Ultimately Chocolate TOFFLES made it on our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide.

Not All Sweeteners Are Equal

2011-11-20T01:18:00.001-05:00

Hubby, Little One, and I went to visit "Gwanma" in the "hopital". The hospital she was in is located over two hours from the Island. On our way there, we stopped off at the McDonald's in Espanola, Ontario for breakfast. We live on an island with no big franchises. This means, I do 99% of the cooking and we don't often get to eat out. It's a rare treat to have a meal not cooked by me, let alone a meal at McDonald's because we have to go off-island. We enjoy their breakfasts and hubby said that he wanted to try their coffee because one of his friends told him their coffee was pretty good. He wanted to check it out for himself.

We ordered the sausage and egg McGriddles, hashbrowns, an apple juice for me, coffee for Hubby, and milk for Little One. I was actually craving a McGriddle because of the hint of maple syrup sweetness. Our toddler likes the cheese, sausage and egg, but not the bread part. She's not much of a carbs kind of gal, which is funny for a toddler. The kid loves sushi, seaweed, okra, chickpeas, spinach...but not bread or fries. She ate everything but the bread part. The kid loves meat! Definitely takes after her Dad! She loves veggies too, so I guess she's definitely my kid too.

While I was ordering, I inquired as to what kinds of sweeteners McDonald's had available for customers' coffee. Not everyone takes sugar in their coffee, so I wondered what other options they had. I was curious. Did they have raw cane sugar? Honey? Equal?

The person who served me was so friendly and took time to answer my questions even though there were a few customers behind me. When I asked what sweeteners they had, she said only sugar and one sugar substitute.

At home, we use local honey in our coffee. On our breakfast excursion, Hubby used the sweetener that was available. Equal wasn't available. I asked if they would consider making Equal available. I think it's a good idea to have a variety of options for those who don't use sugar (be it because they follow a no sugar diet or are diabetic, etc).

When I asked if they would consider having Equal as an option, the manager came over to answer my questions. I was impressed with how friendly and professional the manager was and with her taking the time to answer and explain why they offer the sweeteners they offer. She told me that all decisions come from head office and that they deal with a supplier who uses that particular product. She just orders from what the supplier has. She said that unfortunately, Equal was not one of the sweeteners the supplier offers.

Fair enough. It was a more detailed answer than I expected. I'm just impressed that she didn't brush me off for asking so many questions.

I also asked if I could fill out a comment card. The manager said they didn't have any at the moment, but showed me the web address on the back of my receipt where I could fill out a customer survey online.

Screen shot of online customer survey I filled out when I got home. Yes, I'm the kind of person who actually comments and gives feedback to companies, businesses, restaurants, and shops that I visit and buy from.

Even though it was still breakfast time, they gave Little One a box to play with. Amazing what simple things can make a toddler happy. Overall, this experience at this particular McDonald's location was a positive one.

For more information, please visit the Equal website, @EqualCanada twitter page, the @McD_Canada twitter page and Equal Canada on Facebook. #EqualCanada and #CBias

Disclosure - This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. I am being compensated for this #CBias shoppertunity and for writing this post. All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

Even Pooches Love PresentsToo!

2011-11-17T15:30:00.001-05:00

Our precious pooch, Chance was my first baby. My canine baby. It's amazing how our furry friends can become such an important part of our lives and our family.

Don't deny it. If you're a pet lover, you've probably bought your pup a birthday present or a special treat for their birthday. You get them stocking stuffers for the Holidays. I know because I've done it too!

Introducing CANADA POOCH - A new line of pet apparel designed to help your pooch brave the Canadian Winter.

Toronto pet parent, Jacqueline Prehogan designed the jackets and vests. They're made with extra warm faux-down stuffing and are fleece-lined, waterproof, and machine-washable. They also do not contain any animal products.

While Chance is not one for wearing any accoutrements, we did have a Jack Russell who loved wearing outdoor gear! He was so tiny and got cold really quickly, that this would have been perfect for him!

Canada Pooch apparel would be a great gift for pet lovers and pets alike! Do you have a special pet on your list who would love this?

Canada Pooch has made it onto our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide. Canada Pooch apparel retails from $37.99 - $54.99 and is NOW available in pet specialty stores across Canada and online at www.canadapooch.com.

High Liner Foods & GL2GO Giveaway Winners!

2011-11-16T09:32:00.001-05:00

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway. THREE winners have been chosen via random.org. Without further ado, the winners are...

130 erin m. Tweet About the Giveaway

Name: erin m.
Option: Tweet About the Giveaway
Extra Info: https://twitter.com/#!/erin2470/status/133268292151427072

64 Berendina Dykema Tweet About the Giveaway

Name: Berendina Dykema
Option: Tweet About the Giveaway
Extra Info: http://twitter.com/#!/TheArtOfBaking/status/132307272406794240

134 Robyn C Tweet About the Giveaway
- Name: Robyn C
- Option: Tweet About the Giveaway
- Extra Info: https://twitter.com/#!/Mom2GMC/status/133307526866415616

An e-mail will be sent to notify winners. Please reply with your mailing info so your prize can be sent to you. Enjoy your High Liner products and your GL2GO long distance minutes!

Peter-Julian Lee: Innovative Storytellers Award Winner

2011-11-15T20:31:00.000-05:00

Corus Entertainment and marblemedia announced the winner of the 2011 Innovative Storytellers Award.

Peter-Julian Lee has demonstrated that telling stories in innovative ways can affect positive social change.

To read the mediacastermagazine.com article about Peter-Julian Lee's recent accomplishments, click here.
Connect him on his website and on Twitter.
The Kenya Help Project Documentary from PJ Lee on Vimeo.
For more information about the Kenya Help? Project, visit their website and find them on Facebook.

Oh, okay! I have to add that I'm a very proud sister. Peter-Julian Lee is my fabulous and talented brother! We are so very proud of you, PJ! Sorry for embarrassing you by posting this! :)

It's on the List! The 2011 Holiday Gift List!

2011-11-15T09:14:00.002-05:00

My husband is one of the most difficult men to shop for. Well, I shouldn't say "difficult", because I know the things he wants/needs the most are tools and "man" stuff. You know, practical things one uses to make or fix things.

Though a new shirt or pair of pants for dinners and outings would be my first choice for him...or maybe a new laptop or TV, Hubby is a simple man and would rather just have tools and man toys.

Good thing Master Lock has a variety of items to make any guy feel like a kid in a candy shop. I know. You're asking yourself, "Is this woman serious? Master Lock items for Christmas gifts?"

I remember when I was a teenager and my Dad gave me a compass for Christmas. I was really, really upset. It was a family joke, because I always got lost (and still do!). I'm terrible with directions (even with a GPS!). Dad knew it and got me a compass because of it. Back then, I didn't see the value (or humour!) in his gift. Now, I find practical gifts are fabulous!

I know my husband would definitely appreciate the variety of products Master Lock has.

All of the products are very high quality. There are combination locks, key locks, and even combination/key locks! There are locks with codes too!

First up is the Master Lock security chest. The security chest is the black box in the above photo.

Product Features:

Large locking security chest with fire retardant insulation
4" (10.2cm) x 13-1/4" (33.7cm) x 10-3/4" (27.3cm)
Durable steel construction stands up to daily use
Key lock to protect and secure your personal documents
Fits standard-size documents
Handle for convenient carrying
Includes 2 keys

Best Used For:

Cash Handling & Document Storage

The funny thing is that this was on Hubby's list! He wanted to get an extra security chest and was surprised when Master Lock sent me one to review! It's a durable, good-sized box. It can store your valuables and is portable too!

One of my favourites is the Master Lock Select Access Portable Key Safe.

Product Features:

Compact portable key safe
Holds 1-2 keys for house or car in a convenient location for regular use
Portable over the door knob for convenience
Set-your-own 3-digit combination for keyless convenience
2-3/4" (70mm) wide durable metal construction
Flexible cover protects combination dials from weather, dirt and grime
Vinyl coated shackle prevents scratching

Best Used For:

Key Safes

I've seen people use these to store house keys or car keys for convenient location for regular use. Smart idea! I've got a toddler who loves hiding things. I only wish this arrived two weeks ago! I still can't find my keys! Yes, my toddler hid my car key, house key, safety deposit box key...all my keys!

One of Hubby's favourites: The Magnum. This is like the King of all locks. It's strong, durable, and is made for maximum pry-resistance! Hubby has already put this lock to use! His tools and equipment are now safe-guarded.

Product Features:

Magnum® #1 Choice of Professionals
2-1/2” (64mm) wide solid body padlock
Tough-Cut™ octagonal boron-carbide shackle is 50% harder than hardened steel
2" (51mm) maximum shackle clearance for more uses
Ball bearing locking for maximum pry resistance
Covered keyway for maximum weather protection
Reinforced body bumper for scratch resistance
5-pin cylinder for maximum pick resistance
Removable cylinder - ability to rekey your lock

Best Used For:

Residential Gates & Fences
Sheds, Workshops & Garages
Storage Lockers
Tool Chests & Tool Boxes

Hubby and I were really impressed with the quality of the Master Lock products we were sent. We were amazed by the technology and intricate safety details for each and every one of the products.

Letter and number combinations that you can personalize is a really great idea. I still have my high school lock from back in the day and I can still remember my combination. There were days when I was still a high school student and couldn't remember my combo. I was happy to see that Master Lock has that new feature for personalizing combos. That makes things so much easier to remember! With all the passwords and codes we have in our busy lives with e-mail accounts, bank accounts, etc...It's good to be able to have locks with codes that we can easily remember.

You probably wouldn't have thought to add these to your Holiday list, but if you have someone on your list who appreciates a practical gift, these are great! I know my husband really, really likes and appreciates all the products we were sent and is putting them to good use!

For more product information, visit the Master Lock Website. For where to buy Master Lock products, click here. For the latest news about MLC, "like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

* Disclosure - We were sent a variety of Master Lock products to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions on this blog are honest and our own.

Chunky Bling Swarovski Ring Winner!

2011-11-14T09:32:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who entered to giveaway. A winner has been chosen via Random.org. Congratulations to...

Name: Jennie Yuen
Option: Tweet About the Giveaway
Extra Info: https://twitter.com/#!/jennieyuen/status/132652592957362176

An e-mail has been sent to the winner. Please respond with your mailing info so that your prize can be sent out to you.

A Taste of Manitoulin

2011-11-11T00:48:00.000-05:00

Many of my readers always ask me the following questions:

"Where is Manitoulin Island?"
"Are you located in British Columbia?"
"How do you pronounce that again?
"Oh, Northern Ontario? Like, are you really north? Is it cold up there?"
"Why would you leave Toronto for a place up north?"
"What is there to do in a place like that?"

I have to say that I am truly blessed to have been able to leave the rat race and plant new roots in such a beautiful, pristine environment. "The Island" has so much to offer. A Taste of Manitoulin is but one of the many events that takes place on Manitoulin Island. Take a look and see for yourself!

Special thanks to Robert Maxwell of Digital Peasant Media for putting together such a fabulous video. If you are looking for a professional independent contractor (for videography and photography) to tell your story, check out RobertMaxwell.ca! Robert shoots and edits all the videos himself.

Yes, that's me in the first interview. Note to self: This is why one must never leave the house without doing hair and make-up! Gah! I didn't expect to be interviewed. I just wanted to check out the local products and sample all the local fare! I was caught off-guard and sound like a bumbling idiot! Very eloquent speaking for an English teacher!

For another taste of what awaits you on Manitoulin Island, check out Robert's video for Manitoulin Chocolate Works!
Now, don't you want to come visit us on beautiful Manitoulin Island?

Recipe to Riches - Bannock Hazelnut Pie

2011-11-10T17:05:00.003-05:00

"Mmmmm! What is this, Hon?", inquired Hubby. "It's really good!"

"It's Bannock Hazelnut Pie. I got the chance to make the winning recipe for Wednesday's Recipe to Riches show and blog about it."

"Oooh!" said Hubby with a note of surprise in his voice. "I'd actually highly recommend it. It's got lots of flavour in there. It's very good, considering there's no meat in it!"

Did he just say "It's very good, considering there's no meat in it"? My beef farmer husband makes me laugh.

I have to say that when I saw the winning Recipe to Riches "Savoury Pie" recipe, I got really, really nervous. First off, I'm terrible at making pie crusts! They almost never turn out the way I want them to. However, when I realized that this recipe had bannock instead of pie crust, I sighed with relief. The other reason I was nervous was...well, this is Recipe to Riches! This is the Food Network! Eeeeek!

I just didn't want to mess up Recipe to Riches contestant, Melaney Gleeson-Lyall's winning recipe!

For those who don't know what bannock is, it's "any variety of flat quick breads". (According to Wikipedia). In Canada, it's known as "frybread", "scone", or "Indian bread". I remember learning about bannock in school when we studied Canadian culture/history. It wasn't until I moved to Manitoulin Island that I had a chance to try bannock for the first time at a Pow Wow. I didn't realize that some of my friends on "the Island" made scone/bannock at home, at their hunt camps, at parties, etc.

For this recipe, I first washed and prepped the veggies. Onion, celery, carrots, butternut squash...chop, chop, chop.

I grated the sweet potato.

I also set aside sweet potato to boil and then make the mashed sweet potato for the bannock.

I finely chopped the fresh rosemary.

Look! It's even President's Choice rosemary!

Chopped roasted hazelnuts. Okay, you have no idea how difficult it is to find hazelnuts in Northern Ontario. No. I'm not kidding. I drove all the way to Sudbury (over 2 hrs by car each way) in search of the one ingredient I didn't have on hand. Hazelnuts! I scoured three stores in Sudbury. No hazelnuts. They had every other possible nut available, but no hazelnuts!

None of the stores on the Island had hazelnuts either.

"Yikes! This is hazelnut pie! Not walnut pie or macadamia nut pie!"

Fortunately for me, a friend who was in Toronto not too long ago, happened to have hazelnuts at her house. I know. What are the odds, right?

In a pot, I cooked up the vegetables, vegetable stock, and crushed hazelnut to make the stew. I just happened to have made homemade vegetable stock the other day. How handy.

The aroma throughout the house with the stewing vegetables and the fresh rosemary was mouthwatering!
I transferred the stew into a glass baking dish and proceeded to make the bannock.

In a bowl, I mixed the mashed sweet potato, flour, and other ingredients together.

Then I made the bannock to go on top of the vegetable mixture.

While this was happening, my toddler was yelling that she needed my "help". When I got to her, she had stuffed an entire roll of toilet paper into the toilet. Great! Note to self: Keep bathroom door closed when executing very important Recipe to Riches task!

Okay, I sprinkled chopped hazelnuts on top of the bannock and placed bannock on top of veggie mixture and baked in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes.

Little One devoured her food! Not only is this dish loaded with veggies (even in the bannock!), but it's toddler approved!

The recipe was not as difficult as I led myself to believe. It sounded a bit daunting, but was actually do-able and not overly complicated. The only part that was a little labour intensive was the chopping of the vegetables. I was afraid of making the bannock, because I had never made it before, but it turned out well! What a terrific recipe! The house smelled fantastic and the Bannock Hazelnut Pie was DELICIOUS!

Hubby is onto his third serving as I type this. He can't stop saying how delicious it is...even without meat! Can you tell he's a beef farmer?

I would definitely serve this at a dinner party. It would be great for Meatless Mondays or for when you're having dinner guests over who are vegetarian. I would definitely buy this at the Superstore though. Why? We don't have hazelnuts in this part of Northern Ontario! Well, maybe in hazelnut coffee or hazelnut chocolate bars!

For the complete recipe, visit Recipe to Riches on the Food Network and view Bannock Hazelnut Pie.

Congratulations to Melaney Gleeson-Lyall for her winning recipe!

Recipe to Riches airs on Wednesdays at 9 pm on Food Network, and Saturdays at 8pm on Global TV.
Find them on Facebook and on Twitter to join in on the fun!

Disclosure: Recipe to Riches is compensating official Recipe to Riches bloggers with Loblaws gift cards for recreating the winning recipe and writing a review post. All opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

How Blogging and Social Media Have Changed My Life

2011-11-09T10:12:00.004-05:00

I blog and keep up with the social media world in between teaching, family, farm, and home duties.
Through blogging, I have made connections with people I wouldn't have otherwise been able to speak with. When I felt isolated and alone during my high risk pregnancy, I turned to people who were going through similar experiences. Though am extremely thankful that I had the love and support of friends and family, it's sometimes hard for those to understand if they aren't experiencing what it feels like to have a premature baby, all the crazy roller coaster rides of emotions that go on when you have a baby in the NICU, and so on. I couldn't have survived everything without my family and friends, but I also couldn't survive without my online support network too.

People I had become friends with through blogging had become more than just online friends. They had become a part of my life. Some blog friends and I visit each other with our families, attend each other's birthdays (and birthdays of our children), send care packages for Christmas, etc.

The blogging world didn't only open up a new support network I likely wouldn't have received elsewhere, but it has opened up other connections.

Since the birth of my daughter and since blogging about high risk pregnancy, hospital bed rest, premature babies, and life in the NICU, I've been in contact with other bloggers, companies, PR firms, online communities, charitable organizations, and celebrities.

I've been given opportunities that I would have never expected in a million years. It actually still shocks me to think that I'd be invited to events like the ShesConnected Conference and be able to network with big brands like PurdysChocolate, Toshiba, Ford, etc.

It still amazes me that I've been fortunate to participate in so many fabulous blog tours with Mom Central Canada.

Even more amazing is that through all the interactions on social media (online communities, the blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc), I've been selected to be on various panels. The first one I was on was the BornFree Canada Mom Panel, where I wrote articles and spread the word about BornFree and their products. Since then, I've been selected for the Hallmark Canada Press Pause Panel, Life Choices Foods' LCMamas Ambassador program, and now I'm a Toshiba Brand Ambassador!

I've been able to work with brands, write reviews and host giveaways. I've even been given an amazing FoodNetworkCanada/Recipe to Riches blogging opportunity (thanks for the heads up, @Gingermommy!).

I was even a recipient of the Mom Central Canada Bloggers Grant Summer 2011.

I have to say that Twitter has also been instrumental in getting me in contact with amazing people. I never imagined being able to tweet on a regular basis with people like Dana McCauley, Melissa & Doug, Mabelhood, Julie Cole, and now Melissa from Recipe to Riches! The list of my favourite social media superstars to tweet with goes on and on.

A special thanks to my Twitter friends for your support and love. You've helped me cope with balancing work and family, dealing with toddler tantrums, and catching annoying fruit flies in my kitchen!

If you're on Twitter, you should follow my lovely friends: @Gingermommy, @AskMamaMOE, @SassyModernMom, @Listen2Lena, @AMotherhoodBlog, @MPMtweets, @BewilderedBug, @HabitueTO, @JustNikiV, @MomvstheBoys, @MapleLeafMommy, @nugglemama, @MyChaos, @TeacherMomofTwo, @SoberJulie, @MommyMomentBlog, @AllLocallyMade, @CouponMomCanada, @GGirlGGreen, @tjzmommy, @mabelhood, @WhispersInspire, @_littlemisskate...and the list goes on!

It still blows my mind to think how all of this happened. Seriously. Me? Little 'ol me and my little 'ol blog? It's all very exciting. I had no idea years ago that writing about how my preemie and I were coping in the hospital would end up becoming all of this!

This whole experience has been an exciting and enriching one for my family and for me. I am looking forward to even more fun!

*This post is part of my NaBloPoMo 2011 challenge here.*

2011 Holiday Gift Guide {Must Haves and Two Giveaways}

2011-11-08T06:27:00.002-05:00

I know what you're thinking. Holiday Gift Guide? Lady, are you crazy? It's November!

That's exactly my point though. It's NOVEMBER! One month away from the Holidays. Whatever Holidays you are celebrating, I'm sure you're looking for some gift ideas.

This month, I will be featuring some fabulous products that I think will be a hit with your loved ones. Yes, there will be some giveaways too! Stay tuned and I hope you enjoy the products I'll be sharing with you this month!

One of the reasons I'm including this Holiday Gift Guide so early is because I'd like to get the giveaway prizes out to winners before the Holidays!

{MY PICKS}

To kick start our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide, I'd like to introduce you to Chunky Bling!

Cute accessories that you can mix and match on your own to create a unique look that bests suits you = pretty good in my books! We all have women on our lists who would love a Swarovski ring or a fabulous watch to wear to the many dinners, parties, and gatherings they'll be attending this season.

Chunky Bling is giving my readers a coupon code!
Coupon Code
(CHRIS186) that you readers can use to get any watch set for just $24.95 (this is a really good deal)! This coupon will be good through Nov 21, 2011.

Not only that, but they're also giving one of my readers a Swarovski ring! Enter the giveaway here! Head over to fill out the rafflecopter for on my original post to enter the giveaway!

Another item that would be a surefire winner this Holiday season is DAVIDsTEA's 24 Days of Tea!

This Advent Calendar has tea au lieu of chocolate! Perfect for the tea lovers in your life. I just love, love, love DAVIDsTEA! I know about six people who would love to receive the 24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar as a present!

Psssst! If anyone's listening, I'd love to receive this gift! Hubby? Hello? Are you reading this? ;)

This kit includes:

Buttered Rum	Chocolate Rocket
Coco Chai Rooibos	Countess of Seville
Cream of Earl Grey	Creme Brulee
Creme De Menthe	Davids Organic Breakfast
Elf Help	Exotica
Forever Nuts	Green & Fruity
Honey Bee	Japanese Sencha
Mulberry Magic	North African Mint
Read My Lips	Santa's Secret
Secret Weapon	Sleigh Ride
Sweet Dreams	The Skinny
Toasted Walnut	Vanilla Oolong

I remember as a kid, I was always so excited to find out what chocolate surprises awaited behind each window in my Advent Calendar! I know it will be equally exciting to uncover a surprise tea flavour each day leading up to Christmas!

You know what makes me happy? "Green" presents make me happy. Of course, the Holidays aren't just about giving and receiving gifts. We all know that. This said, it would make me feel really good to know that I can tread a bit lighter on the earth by giving loved ones gifts that are practical and can be used time and time again.

Orkids.ca has fabulous stainless steel plates, cups, tiffins, containers, and snack packs. Giving friends and family gifts to help them begin the New Year with litter-less lunches is a great idea. The stainless steel items can be purchased on the orkids.ca website.

You can also win an Orkids.ca Stainless Steel Mealtime Combo on my blog here! Make sure to enter by filling out the rafflecopter form on the original post.

Stay tuned for more Holiday gift ideas and more giveaways!

Orkids Sustainable Stainless Steel Mealtime Combo Review and Giveaway!

2011-11-07T06:39:00.007-05:00

A few months ago, I began a wonderful relationship with a business I love and respect tremendously. Not only are their products fantastic, but we instantly hit it off. I was also excited to find out that I was the very first product reviewer to blog for this great business!

I don't like using plastic utensils/cutlery, plates, bowls, or cups. Not only do I find them wasteful, but the thought of plastics and leaching really concerns me. Even though a lot of plastic products are now BPA-free, I still feel safer using glass or stainless steel.

Though I love glass, with a toddler around, I'm afraid of her dropping it and it shattering into a million pieces. Believe me, it's happened several times in my kitchen.

Orkids.ca has fabulous stainless steel cups/glasses, tiffins, snack containers, and now plates!

Another thing I love about Orkids.ca is that they really listen to what their customers want. They asked me what products I would like to see them carry on their website, and I mentioned a few things, including stainless steel plates. Sure enough, one of their newest items on the website was the stainless steel plate!

We have International Dinner Nights with our friends and one of the rules is that each family must bring their own plates/bowls, cutlery, and cups. This way, whoever is hosting that night doesn't have to wash tons of dishes and we're not using disposable dishes and creating waste!

Orkids.ca recently gave me a stainless steel snack pack, plate, and glass to try out.

I have to say that I was really excited about the snack pack! It was great for toting around little snacks for the toddler! They're very portable and easy to store at the bottom of a bag or in that compartment under the stroller where I throw all Little One's "stuff" when we're out and about.

We were at church last Sunday, and I packed snacks for the toddler in her snack pack. She was quiet and content for the entire service! Between snacking on raspberries and colouring in her colouring book, she was quiet for more than an hour!

I love the plate. I think I'm going to have to order a bunch of them! I wish I had thought of this beforehand, because they'd make cute items for the loot bags for Little One's friends next weekend! I hate it when kids get cheap, junky little plastic toys or loads of horrible candy in their loot bags! Maybe next year I'll make sure the kids get something "green" like an Orkids.ca cup or plate.

The stainless steel cup/glass? SHATTERPROOF! That's all I have to say! I've got a set of six (seven, with the one that was recently sent to me) and I use them all the time. When Little Ones friends are over, they use the cups. Two and three year olds spill their drinks. Often.

I can count the number of times Little One and her posse drop a glass or tip one over. Crash. No worries with the stainless steel glasses! What a relief!

*UPDATED to add: I'm excited to say that Orkids.ca will be part of Little One's loot bags for her birthday this weekend! We are giving all the kids at her party a stainless steel drinking cup of their own! "Green" loot bags are the way to go!*

BUY IT
If you are looking for some great "green" Christmas gifts (or birthday and other holiday or celebration!), I highly recommend Orkids.ca stainless steel products! The snack packs would be fabulous for stocking stuffers! You can buy them on the orkids.ca website.

WIN IT
How would you like to win an orkids.ca Stainless Steel Mealtime Combo of your own? The Mealtime Combo includes a stainless steel glass and plate!

You want it?

TO ENTER: Fill out the rafflecopter form. Don't forget to simply tell me by posting in the comment box below, what (other than the Stainless Steel Mealtime Combo) your favourite orkids.ca product is. Visit their website to view what products they offer!

Giveaway open to residents of Canada. Ends November 28, 2011.

** If you are having difficulty viewing the rafflecopter form, please refresh and it should load.**

Disclosure - I received a Stainless Steel Mealtime Combo (plate and glass) and a snack pack as a thank you for writing this honest review. The thoughts and opinions on this blog are original and my own.

Recipe to Riches Addict! Cakes & Desserts by Melissa

2011-11-07T06:30:00.000-05:00

Remember last week when I confessed what a hardcore Food Network Canada/Recipe to Riches fan I am? You may recall me telling you that I've dragged my husband and toddler deep into this addiction with me. Yes, I have a soon-to-be three year old who can point out the Recipe to Riches displays at grocery stores and name the winners and their recipes.

I've been chatting on Twitter with Melissa from Recipe to Riches quite a bit these days. You remember her, right? She and Jacqui competed for the winning cake recipe. Hers was the Banana Chocolate Wow Cake and Jacqui's was the Rockin' Peach Bliss Cake.

Twitter is an amazing thing. It really is. How cool is it that you can Tweet with contestants of a show like that? Melissa is so sweet and so funny. If we lived closer, I'd get her to bake her Banana Chocolate Wow Cake for Little One's 3rd Birthday on 11/11/11! We do have a fabulous baker/cake decorator who will be baking Little One's Dora cake, but one of these days we'll have to get Melissa to bake us a cake! Even if it means going to visit her in Calgary!

Here are a few of her Tweets:

sweetsbymelissa Melissa Lam

#YYC hospitality awaits @chancesmommy complete w Banana Choc Wow Cake.Perhaps the little one will like rides at #Stampede?#fellowfoodie#RtoR

5 Nov

@sweetsbymelissa Melissa Lam

Made Banana Choc Wow Cupcakes in honor of @chancesmommy. Wish I could mail to #Manitoulin Island. #fellowfoodie #RtoR pic.twitter.com/YrZIy7cq

I told you she was sweet!

In case you didn't know, Melissa also has a cakes and desserts business! Check out Cakes and Desserts by Melissa! Just perusing the many delectable treats on her website will have you salivating. All you #YYC folks, be sure to order your cakes and desserts from here!

One more exciting tidbit - Guess who will be recreating and blogging about this week's winning Recipe to Riches recipe? C'est vrai! C'est moi! Getting kind of nervous!

JanesFamilyFd Janes Family Foods

@chancesmommy is an offical @recipetoRiches blogger - nice post http://bit.ly/sBSU6I Offers a good 3 week recap!

4 Nov

Next up on Recipe to Riches this week: Savoury Pies! Eeeeeek! So excited!

Recipe to Riches: Are You Getting Excited?!?

2011-11-04T19:36:00.002-04:00

By now, many of you might know how much I love FoodNetwork Canada. I may have mentioned just how much I love the new show, Recipe to Riches too.

The concept is pretty incredible. Home cooks from all over Canada compete to have their original recipes turned into a President's Choice product and win $25,000. Winners of each episode are eligible for the show's grand prize of $250,000!

Having one's original recipe chosen to be a President's Choice product and sold at grocery stores nation-wide is pretty exciting! The $25,000 and $250,000 would be great too!

Week One's winner was Glo McNeill with her "Luscious Lemon Pudding".
I got my husband and toddler to watch the show with me. Since it was the first episode, I was really excited! My husband thought the pie in a jar concept was a really good one for marketability. I think he was rooting for Brad's "Maple Pudding Chômeur". We make our own maple syrup on our farm and growing up in Quebec, maple syrup is one of my favourite things in the world! The aroma from maple syrup just brings back memories of going to the cabane a sucre every year when I was a kid!

Though I love anything maple syrup, I also love anything and everything lemon! I'm not a huge fan of extremely sweet desserts and if at a restaurant, I'd opt for something more on the tart side. Key lime pie is my absolute favourite dessert!

We tried Glo's Luscious Lemon Pudding and really enjoyed it. I think it makes a great PC product. This said, I'd really love for Glo to make me some herself! ;)

Week Two's winner was Jacqui Keseluk and her "Rockin' Peach Bliss" cake.
To start off, Jacqui's recipe really intrigued me. Layers upon layers of decadence! Did you say Dulce de leche?! I'm totally there! The cake was beautiful and I could totally see it being made into a PC cake that one would buy and bring to a party or have as a treat after supper.

Plus, Jacqui alone can be made into a brand.

I could really envision her as the logo for her baked goods. Really cool and unique. The juxtaposition of edgy (her look...and Jacqui, you are gorgeous!!!) and decadent (the cake seemed so rich and sumptuous) was really interesting. Loved it!

When we went to the Superstore in Sudbury, Ontario, my toddler squealed in delight when she saw the Recipe to Riches display.

She's only two (well, she'll be three a week from today!), but she immediately screamed, "RECIPE TO RICHES! RECIPE TO RICHES! IT'S RECIPE TO RICHES, MOM!!!"

We of course had to try the Rockin' Peach Bliss. It was slightly different from Jacqui's cake on the show, but delicious nonetheless.

It was a lot more "cheesecakey" (yes, I realize I just made up a word!) than I expected. It was a really good cheesecake! Hubby really likes cheesecake, so he really enjoyed it. The toddler loved it too.

I have to add that I really, really love Melissa Lam! Chocolate and banana go fabulously together. Her Banana Chocolate Wow Cake looked really mouthwatering. I make a banana chocolate chip loaf that is a real hit, so I can only imagine how great a Banana Chocolate Wow Cake would be!

Another reason I love Melissa Lam? She is the best to Tweet with! We've been having fun Tweeting. She's even offered to make me some Banana Chocolate Wow Cake if I ever head to her end of the nation! She now has an open invitation to come visit us on Manitoulin Island whenever she wants! ;) Really, if you don't already follow her on Twitter, you should! She is the sweetest person ever!

Week Three: John Grass' Chicken Grenades! This is something I would love to have on the menu at our next dinner party or social function. I'm all about appetizers and sometimes if I'm feeling like it, I'll just make several different types of appetizers for a party au lieu of a big, sit down dinner. A little bit of this and a little bit of that, some good vino and great conversation, and you're set for the evening!

The funny thing is that the night of Episode Three (Appetizers), I actually made Mini Tourtieres. I had absolutely no idea they were going to make some on the show that night! Mine were a total flop! I wish I had Sara Bradeen's recipe beforehand! My filling was perfect. The crust left a lot to be desired. One would think that a farmer's wife would be have perfected a pie crust recipe, right? After all, farmers' wives are notoriously known for their apple pies, right? Ha! Yeah, if the Mini Tourtieres were available at the store, I'd probably buy them! Pastry crusts and I don't get along well.

Next time we're at the grocery store, I'll be sure to pick up the Chicken skewers though! My friend, Gingermommy from Tales of a Ranting Ginger did a fabulous job in recreating the winning dish! Check out her blog! I'm going to try my hand at making the Chicken Grenades. Mehhhh...maybe I'll just buy the President's Choice Grilled Chicken Skewers!

If you don't already watch Recipe to Riches, check it out! Watch Recipe to Riches on Wednesdays at 9 pm on Food Network, and Saturdays at 8pm on Global TV.

Find them on Facebook and on Twitter to join in on the fun!