FREE P&G Cabinet Latch Kits #ToddlerSafety

P&G Home Made Simple is offering FREE cabinet latch Safety Kits! A great idea if you have curious toddlers or infants in the house. One can never be too careful! Keep those little hands away from household cleaners, and things they shouldn't have. Fill out the ORDER FORM and yours will be on its way in about 6-8 weeks.

 

Create New Years Keepsakes with VistaPrint.ca

Now that it's 2013, I am thrilled to begin another year of creating wonderful memories with my family!  That's not all though, I always enjoy choosing a new calendar to move through the year with.  After all, it's my go-to place for planning and organizing my family's activities and appointments.  I would be completely lost without it!  This year I am looking forward to turning the pages of my brand new personalized wall calendar thanks to Vista Print.

 Vista Print offers such amazing ideas and options to personalize items for your family and friends.  There are so many ways to create affordable, unique gifts, with a variety of items available, such as mugs, t-shirts and tote bags... And what I really love is how customizable everything is.  They make great keepsakes for the people you love, and putting together something like a calendar with photos of your loved ones can be a fun craft project to do with your kids as well.  My daughter loves going through old photographs with me -- Pictures of when she was a baby, or when her little brother was first born.  Doing something like this, allowing her to choose the pictures, customize the colour, backgrounds, etc. is a great way to involve her in something she'll get to appreciate all year long!  I love that!

Do check out Vista Print for all kinds of craft ideas.  They're a great way to get everybody involved in gift giving, or even in items you can take pride in around your own home.  After all, what better way to remember 2012, than to re-live the special moments throughout the new year?  

Why not do something different this year and create your own calendars for family and friends!  Visit www.VistaPrint.ca to get started on your own Calendar or other craft projects to share.

Enjoy! 

 

My 2013 Resolution... A little different than usual.

I've been thinking about this post for a few days now, and haven't really been sure how to get started.   Not long ago, I mentioned the fact that my New Years resolution is a little bit different this year.  It really is, and here's why...

While getting healthy is certainly on my to do list (it's been a long time coming, and I'm at the point now where it's really, really necessary) it's not at the top of my resolutions for 2013.  As a Mom to two young kids, the last few years have seen me completely wrapped up in life as a parent.  It's been wonderful, and wonderfully busy.  When you have a 4 year old and a 1 year old, you're getting up at night with a crying baby, calming tantrums in the afternoon, and constantly on the go.  It's been so easy for me to lose touch with some very important people -- my friends.  I recently received a very upsetting phone call.  A good friend of mine lost her Mom to cancer.  Having been there myself (I lost my Dad to leukemia 3 years ago) it just completely broke my heart.  I knew I had to be at that funeral to support my friend.  So... I left my kids with my husband, and I went. 

 Being there was one of the best decisions I've ever made.  It was so hard, but it truly opened my eyes.  The message within the service was about taking care of those around you, and never losing sight of what matters most in your life on earth: The people who you love.  I looked around the room and I saw so many of my close friends who I've grown up with... All in tears, all there to support somebody we care about.  It hit me that I haven't been doing a great job of taking care of them.  Aside from a few phone calls, Facebook messages and the occasional visit, I've hardly been in touch at all since my daughter was born.  As one of the first people in my group of girlfriends to have kids, I've always felt like my life is so drastically different from theirs right now.   And it is -- but that doesn't matter.  When it really counts, they have ALWAYS been there for me.  When I lost my Dad, they got together and sent flowers and well wishes, and they were all there during my Dad's funeral service to offer their support.  When I lost my twin girls one year later, they were there too; getting meals together for my husband and I, and getting together to clean up my garden and plant lilac bushes in memory of my daughters.  These friends whom I've known and loved for years deserve more from me.  So this year, my New Years resolution is to take better care of my friends.  Life is busy.  I can't change that, but what I can do is make an effort to call more often, send small notes and gifts, drop in more often even if it's just for a quick coffee, and to make more of an effort to know what's going on in their lives and be there when they need me.  

What are your New Years resolutions for 2013?
   

@Playskool Toy Finder: Cookie Monster Kitchen Cafe #Giveaway #ThisSkoolRocks

Playskool Toy Finder:

The Holiday Season is in full swing, and you may or may not be done your shopping. If you've got little ones to buy gifts for still, I've got some great news!  The Playskool Toy Finder is the perfect way to choose the right gift for your little person.  How easy is it, really?  It's so simple.  You visit the website and can select from a variety of categories such as characters, age groups, and even options like "Peeling Kids off the Couch" -- Yeah!!!  Then the Playskool Toy Finder will bring up a list of appropriate toys, which you can then select to read a product description, suggested age, and even play benefits (ie. Fine Motor Skills, Cognitive Benefits, etc.)

As a Playskool Brand Ambassador, I was given the opportunity to try out the Playskool Toy Finder myself and select a toy to give to my own kids!  It was such a breeze, and a lot of fun!  The Toy Finder came up with the Cookie Monster Kitchen Cafe -- A wonderful option for my 1 year old and 4 year old alike, as its suggest age is 18 months and up.

Product Description & Play Benefits: 

Order up! A big batch of fun is cooking in the Cookie Monster Kitchen Café! There are “treats” to “feed” Elmo and Abby Cadabby, a stove burner with sizzling sound effects and a sliding window for serving hungry customers. It’s a play café little chefs will love!  Fine Motor Skills - Child manipulates toy in active play.  Imagination - Child is encouraged to engage in imaginative play, Cognitive Learning and Social & Emotional Development. Functions include vocabulary exposure and healthy eating habits

 
Bring On the Fun!:

It's neat to see that both of my kids can appreciate the toy on a different level.  The Cookie Monster Kitchen Cafe has given my kids the opportunity to play together, which is pretty unusual at this point.  D enjoys "cooking up treats" in the kitchen, while L enjoys feeding the characters and watching the cookies fall into the oven, then going back for more.  It's been great watching the two of them interact together while playing with this super fun toy! 

And here's the BEST NEWS EVER!  I'm giving away a Cookie Monster Kitchen Cafe to one super lucky Born 2 Be Mom reader.  Woohoo!  I'm so excited to bring this giveaway to you guys.  Giveaway is open to residents of Canada, and ends on the 28th of December, 2012.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
 

#Christmas Nostalgia - Sharing #Traditions With My Kids

The kids and I have spent this past week getting ready for Christmas.  There's still time, but last year I was so last minute with everything (probably in part because I had a 3 month old baby) that this year I felt like I had to make up for it.  D and I have been busy painting little wooden Christmas ornaments, setting up the tree and stringing lights together.  It's been so much fun sharing these things with her, and watching her eyes light up with excitement every time we talk about the holidays.

Recently, my Mom invited my family and my brother's family over for dinner, to present us with some gifts.  I wasn't sure what she could possibly have for us so close to Christmas, but we went over and enjoyed a fun night watching my two kids and my 9 month old niece play together.  Just before it was time to go, Mom walked out with two wrapped presents - One for me and my kids, and one for my brother and my niece.  She told us to unwrap them at the same time. What was inside completely blew me away... It was magical.  It was childhood and Christmas and love and memories and joy.  Actually, it was a felt Advent calendar, but it brought all of those wonderful feelings along with it.  When I was a child, probably no older than 2 years of age, my Mom made this felt Advent calendar for me.  You've probably seen the design before, it's been a popular craft for Moms and Grandmas everywhere.  :)  A huge, sparkling green Christmas tree and 24 little pockets - each one filled with a new ornament to velcro on to the tree, one day at a time.  I remember my Mom making this, up late at night, gluing sequins and sewing little bells and creating each one so carefully.  When my brother was born, she made one for him too.  A stocking, to be filled with little ornaments and tiny presents.  Gorgeous!  Recently, Mom pulled these calendars out of storage and she tidied them up, fixed up the falling off bits and made them sturdy again to give to her grandchildren.  I was so touched! 

Sharing this fun tradition with my daughter has been awesome.  She loves the calendar and can't wait to stick her ornament up every morning.  I hope this is something we'll be able to take care of, and pass down to her own children some day.  I hope that some day, it will mean as much to her as it does to me.

Do you have any ornaments or decorations that you've passed down to your own kids?  Any special pre-Holiday traditions that you share?  Tell me about them :)


 

Mini Lalaloopsy Doll: Product Review

D is at the age now where her imagination is really growing.  I love watching her play pretend, and act out different scenarios with her toys.  Some of her favorite items to play with lately have been smaller sized dolls and play sets - toys that fit perfectly in her little hands, that she can take with her everywhere.

I knew when I was given the opportunity to review a Mini Lalaloopsy Doll that it would be an immediate hit.  It's small (just 4" tall) and wobbly with brightly colored, fabric inspired clothes, and cute little button eyes.  When the doll arrived in the mail, I immediately stashed it away in my purse knowing we'd be taking D out to a restaurant later that evening.  It worked out wonderfully because after supper when she started to get a little antsy, I gave her the new doll and it kept her busy until we were ready to go.  Each play set comes with small accessories and a pet, and the packaging converts into the doll's own house.  We received the Sew Pretty Mini Lalaloopsy with a little sheep for a pet, an alarm clock and a book.  D thought the doll was fantastic!  She really enjoyed setting up the doll's house at the table, and filling it with the small toys it came with.  She kept herself busy pretending the doll was sitting down and eating dinner with the rest of us.  It was such a joy for the rest of us to watch!  D even took her new little friend to bed with her that night (a sure sign that the new toy is a favorite.)

The Mini Lalaloopsy Dolls by MGA Entertainment are available at all major toy retailers across Canada, and sell at a suggested retail price of just $6.99  There are 8 different dolls to choose from, as pictured above.  (Side Note:  Does the Easter Bunny need any additional treats for your little girl's basket next weekend?  These dolls would be perfect!)  For more information on these and other great Lalaloopsy Dolls, visit their website at www.Lalaloopsy.com 









Disclaimer: I was sent a Mini Lalaloopsy Doll for review from Paradigm PR. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. I was not financially compensated in any way for this review.