Maple Leaf Mommy

The winner of the Master Lock SafeSpace giveaway is...

The following is a post sponsored by Yahoo! Every time someone clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage, they're showing their support for Girls For A Change.

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

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One small change can make a huge difference.  Change your browser's homepage to Yahoo! and you will be helping to change the life of a young girl, as well as helping to improve a low-income community.

© Ainoa - Fotolia.com

Isn't that a fantastic concept? Empowering young women to make a change in their communities and  teaching them that they have the power to make a difference.  Helping to build the confidence of young women and teaching them such skills as critical thinking, problem solving, resource development, and networking. Plus the added experience of building relationships with their peers and mentors. I think it's awesome that Yahoo! is willing to donate up to $10,000 towards helping such a truly worthwhile and innovative program.

Yahoo! will donate $10 to Girls For A Change for each person who clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage by July 1...up to an amazing $10,000! Help spread the word! Let's find 1,000 people willing to make a one small change to help raise $10,000 for this fantastic cause.

© photocreo - Fotolia.com

PLEASE NOTE that for your change to count you must use the link provided to this post.  They are tracking how many people use this link to make the switch. If you just head over to Yahoo and change your homepage it won't count.

Back in February I wrote about the @Anywhere application and how installing it could supply you with cool mouse over Twitter features and embedded Tweet boxes. My first post focused on those nifty mouse over features, hovercards , and installing @Anywhere on a Blogger blog.  I planned a second post on how to implement the Tweet Boxes, which was held up by the fact that I couldn't figure it out.

The Tweet Box is an amazing tool for helping others to tweet out your stuff.  You can pre-populate the box with a suggested tweet that people can edit and send out directly from your site. They look like this:

Discovery Girls is an American magazine aimed at girls between the ages of 8 and 13. What's cool about Discovery Girls is that they feature real normal girls. They travel across the U.S., each issue choosing twelve different girls from a particular state to be the cover models and to help write the magazine.



My eldest daughter is almost four, a.k.a. my girls are nowhere near the right age bracket for this. However I have a good friend who's daughter is eight -- just the right age to help me out with a “guest review”.  Here's her take on the magazine:

"What I think about the magazine is that it is cool and cute. I like that it is just for girls written by girls and it has good tips for clothing ideas. Some parts I don't like because it involves make up and kids my age don't need make up. I also like that it also gives tip's about pet peeves. I really like the magazine and thank you for letting me post this on your website." -- Princess G.

My thoughts?  I was impressed.  The physical magazine itself is nice. The layouts are easy on the eye and both the printing and paper quality is great. The magazines are full of positive images and peer role models, to help encourage and inspire young girls. I love that they feature real girls and never use celebrities on their covers. I love that the Discovery Girls articles and features are written by girls, for girls. My only real complaint is that it's American. I wish there was a Canadian version of this magazine out there! In a few years, once G-Girl is in the right age range, I will definitely be checking this magazine out again.

Today is the release date for the special collector's edition of Discovery Girls magazine. I haven't had a chance to see it yet myself but it's supposed to be a double-sized issue that covers the best of the past 10 years and also goes behind the scenes on how the magazine is created.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Discovery Girls magazine. I think it's a great read for girls in the target age range. A one year subscription costs $20 (or $26 for within Canada) You can check out their website for further subscription information.

With The Great Canadian Blog Bash going on right now I thought I'd post a quick blog hop tip for all you fellow bloggers out there...

When you visit someones Facebook page and "like" them you should be doing to do it with a personal account. When you "like" a page from a personal account that pages "like" numbers go up by one.  I know everyone loves to watch their follower numbers go up!

If you're using Facebook as your fan page and you like someone's page the number of "people who like this" does NOT go up.   The only reason to like a page as your fan page is that it adds the page to the list of sites you fan pages likes (that little bar to the right that shows all those cute logos).  It also allows you to @ tag them on your wall, but you get the same result by liking them with your personal account.

Maybe, like myself, you feel awkward about using your private personal account for this sort of thing.  You could always do what I've done, which is make a secondary Facebook account to use for this sort of thing.  You might want to note that what I'm suggesting violates Facebooks terms. However, I know I'm not the only one out there with a secondary "blogging" account.

Wonder Bread has new line out this year called WONDER+ Simply Free. It's basically the same Wonder Bread hotdog and hamburger buns that you know and love, now made with unbleached wheat flour and free of artificial preservatives, flavors and colours. To help celebrate their new line WONDER+ SimplyFree is holding an awesome contest right now where you can win a BBQ party worth $5000!!


Grand Prize Package Includes:
• Weber Genesis Propane BBQ
• $50.00 CDN worth of WONDER+ SimplyFree product coupons
• $500 CDN grocery gift card
• $1,500 gift card towards a patio set
• $1,450 gift card towards an Outdoor stereo system

Can you just image the party you'd have after wining? That would be one hell of a shindig!

You've got until July 28th to enter your pin codes.  Good luck!  And if one of you wins I totally want to hear about it! (And maybe an invite to that party too, hm?)

Disclosure – I am participating in the WONDER+ SimplyFree program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Weston Bakeries.  I received a gift card, BBQ kit and free product coupons as a thank you for my participation.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

representing the best in baby and children’s hardware, accessories and clothing across Canada

Fulton Sales is an all Canadian sales and distribution company that represents a fantastic line up of products - See Kai Run, RiNGLEY, Petunia Pickle Bottom, Miracle Blanket, Ju-Ju-Be, ERGOBaby Carriers, Dandelion, Beco Potty, Bebe au Lait, Parade, Knuckleheads, Hula Mula, Peekaboo Beans, aden + anais, Untangled Living, Tuffo, TOMS, Stonz, Scandinavian Child, Mally Designs, Homeworks, Beba Bean... 22 lines in all.

You definitely want to be following their Facebook page. Several times a month they host giveaways for products that they represent, and they also link to Canadian blogs that are holding giveaways of the brands they represent. Yeah, take a look at that list there again... See what I'm saying? You definitely want to be following these guys! Head on over and "like" the Fulton Sales Facebook page to be kept in the loop about some terrific brands (and chances to win some great prizes!).

I'm very excited to announce Fulton Sales as a last minute addition to my Great Canadian Blog Bash sponsor line up. There are so many great brands in that list of 22 companies that they represent! Which of your favs do they distribute?

I am excited to announce that Sunseals UV Swimwear is one of my prize sponsors for the upcoming Great Canadian Blog Bash.

Sunseals UV Swimwear makes incredible children's swimsuits.  They are what I use for both of my girls and I absolutely love them.  I love the idea of using fabric, rather then just sunscreen, to protect your kids from the sun.

G-Girl playing at the park last year in her Sunseals Purple Paisley Swimdress with matching Bandana

Sunseals UV Swimwear is designed and made in Canada. The swimsuits are designed to be worn for two seasons. The special four-way stretch fabric that they use allows for a suit which will fit at capri level the first season, and then move to knee level the following year. The suits come in styles suitable for both boys and girls from size 0-14. There are specially designed hats available to match with each.  There are several different hat styles, all of them cleverly designed with active play and sun-protection in mind.


Canadian made Sunseals UV Swimwear have been tested and approved by children worldwide since 1999. Sunseals UV Swimwear is available through the mail order form on their website. The hats range from $16.99 for a simple bandana style to $24.99 for the ones with the adjustable toggle band. Prices for the swimsuits range from $39.99 to $69.99, depending on style and size.   Yes, they are expensive but I think they are worth every penny. Keep in mind that you can use the same suit for two seasons. I have been using our Sunseals UV swimsuits for three years now and they are holding up fantastically. The suits are well made from quality fabric and are built to last. Check out their website to see the many different cute styles available.

And don't forget to come back on Friday to take part in The Great Canadian Blog Bash and enter for your chance to win a Sunseals UV swimsuit of your own.

I am excited to announce that Bibagogo is one of my prize sponsors for the upcoming Great Canadian Blog Bash.

I had the chance to test out a pair of Bibagogos back in December (You can check out my original Bibagogo review HERE).  These bibs are pretty ingeniously designed.  The front has a wide bottom "catch" pocket . On the reverse of the bib, there is a pocket at the bottom that holds a spoon, and two side pockets which contain two wee face cloths.  Everything rolls up nicely (and stays together!) to fit in a purse or diaper bag.


The idea behind the Bibagogo came about when a new Father became frustrated with digging around trying to find first the spoon, then the bib, in the bottom of the baby bag.

"The baby feeding spoon always seemed to be missing in some tucked away corner of the baby bag or forgotten about all together. The bib was always squished at the bottom of the baby bag and left dirty from the previous trip out."

A Canadian Haute Couture fashion designer took this dad's idea and made it a reality.  Four years later Bibagogo's inovative design has won awards, been featured at one-of-a-kind shows and has been gifted to celebrities.  It is guaranteed to last the lifetime of your child -- from babyhood feeding bib to preschool art smock. 

I love that Bibagogo is both designed here in Canada and made in Canada.  It is made from a fantastic water-proof, stain-resistant material, which is easy to wash and fast drying.  The bibs are adjustable and will work with infants as well as older children. They are a generous size, that tuck under the table edge, and are large enough to double as a changing pad in a pinch.

The Bibagogo retails for $30. You can check out their website for store locations and a list of online retailers. Also be sure to follow Bibagogo on Twitter and Facebook, to keep up on all of their latest info and deals.


And don't forget to come back on Friday to take part in The Great Canadian Blog Bash and enter for your chance to win your own Bibagogo.

We made it out to the Meet-A-Machine event last Saturday and it was ever so awesome.  The kids had a blast. Particularly G-Girl, who got to touch and climb into all manner of vehicles. My little thirty-pounder got to perch on top of a three-hundred-pound police motorcycle, climb into the drivers seat of a smart car and open and shut the door on a school bus. All of which is incredibly exciting when you are three.




I am so pleased that this was being billed as the first annual Meet-A-Machine event.  Kudos for the Ontario Early Years Centre for organizing this!  I can't wait to go back next year! Did any of you guys make it out?

I am excited to announce that Magnetic Jewelry by BlueFront is one of my sponsors for the upcoming Great Canadian Blog Bash.

I had the chance to test out a lovely piece of Magnetic Jewelry from BlueFront in person.  Once I tried the necklace on I was impressed with not only how beautiful it looked, but how well made and sturdy it was. The magnetic clasp was incredibly easy to do and undo, yet held the necklace very firmly in place... even with my little one making a few tentative grabs at it.

As a stay at home Mom I rarely have the chance to wear jewelry. My mom fell in love with my Magnetic Jewelry by BlueFront and was eyeing my new necklace with evident jealousy. Rather then have it sit and collect dust, with some reluctance I gave it to her as part of her Mother's Day gift.

My mom modelling the very cool (and coveted) necklace from BlueFront.

Magnetic Jewelry by BlueFront is made here in Essex county by local artist Catherine Mansell. Catherine proudly proclaims that her magnetic jewelry is made from all magnets, with no filler beads. She sells bracelets and anklets as well as necklaces. Pieces are custom made to measure for a proper fit.

Magnetic therapy has been helping people with the pain of arthritis, carpal tunnel, migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, sports injuries and so much more. The jewelry acts much like a heating pad, as it warms up the blood vessels and increases circulation, oxygenating the blood. With better circulation, toxins are removed, swelling and inflammation is reduced, causing a decrease in pain. 

If you are curious about the properties of magnetic jewelry, you can read more about it here.

Marbleized Necklace in Burgundy & Brown

Magnetic Jewelry by BlueFront is hand-crafted, using good quality 80# - tested stringing line to ensure strength and durability, and is held together with a magnetic clasp. If the line or clasp ever breaks you can contact Catherine to have your jewelry restrung for a minimal fee. The jewelry is also under warranty for one year and will be repaired at no cost to you during this time.

Large Nugget Triple Bracelet

BlueFront's Magnetic Jewelry is available in either triple strength of regular. The triple strength jewelry is made from high powered magnets are great for someone who is looking to use the properties of magnets to help combat chronic or serve pain.  While the regular strength pieces are useful when worn close to the pain source or are great for those who simply love the look of hematite.  Prices range from to $19.99 to $54.99, depending on the size of the piece and the strength of the magnets.


Overall I would definitely recommend Magnetic Jewelry by BlueFront. I think it's great that Catherine offers a warranty on her workmanship. Though I have to say the necklace I received seemed incredibly sturdy, so I can't see the warranty being an issue. You can purchase the jewelry directly from Catherine's website, and she ships across North America (with free shipping for anywhere in Canada!). Be sure to head over to www.bluefront.ca and check out the many different pieces available.

And don't forget to come back on Friday to take part in the Great Canadian Blog Bash and enter to win your own piece of Magnetic Jewelry by BlueFront.

If you are Canadian this is one party you don't want to miss! It's a week long blog hop to help celebrate Canada Day!  All of the blogs that are taking part are Canadian. All of the giveaways being hosted will be open to Canada only.  All of the prizes being offered are coming from Canadian companies. This is going to be a great chance to get to know some of the great Canadian bloggers out there. It is also going to be a fantastic opportunity to learn about some great Canadian companies.  And of course a chance to enter and maybe win some great Canadian prizes.

I'm going to be taking part and I have some exciting giveaways lined up.

Bibagogo Multi-Purpose Roll & Go Bibs

Magnetic Jewelery by Blue Front

Sunseals Children's Swim Wear

I am really looking forward to this one!  I can't wait to meet some new Canadian peeps and enter to win some great prizes! The party will start on Friday June 24th at 12:01 am EST and will run until 11:59pm on July 1st.  Can't wait to see you there!

One of the biggest surprises of my adult life has been the transformation of my busy, grumpy, Dad into a doting grandfather. My Dad who never had any interest in babies. Who never once asked me when or if I intended to produce grandchildren. My Dad who, while I love him to bits, wasn't very engaged in my day to day life when I was young.

My Dad, letting a 13 month old G-Girl catch a nap on his lap.

Hanging out at work with G-Girl.

In the last four years he has surprised me by being the most attentive and amazing grandfather. Prior to having G-Girl I would never have guesses that my father would go completely gaga over a wee babe. From when she was like 4 or 5 months old he has rocked her, held her, sang entire Beatles albums to her, patiently taught her to play his drum set, even going to far as to special order her a special pair of toddler drumsticks. He has sat and watched hockey games with her, sat and watched childrens shows and Disney movies with her, cooked her breakfast, fed her dinner, played with her, read to her. He even learned sign-language to communicate with her when she was little. Things that, to be honest, he didn't do with myself or my siblings when we were small.

Pipi helping G-Girl play the drums.

Holding a newborn Baby-G.

My dad has had a lot of health complications lately, and it's been on my mind...  I love my Dad and I want him to be here for many years to come.  I also want my daughter to have more then 3 years of memories of him. I worry that she won't remember him, and how much he loves her, loves both my girls. To me it would be the saddest thing ever if she didn't remember what an amazing grandfather she has.

I hope you all had a great Father's Day weekend, and that you got to spend some time with the Dads in your life.

Since I only had 14 entries and they were all pretty darn amusing, I used random.org to sort it out.


Her comment:
"I think the funniest and sweetest moment was when my husband was taking care of our daughter at 18 months. I had went back to work early and he was taking the rest of my parental leave. He had been feeling bad that he wasn't able to get everything done in a day. On this particular day he was feeling great as I walked in the door. He had laundry done, the house cleaned up and dinner on. I went to find our daughter who had been playing in the frontroom only to discover she had found a highlighter and had coloured her face and hands."


Thanks to Baby Gourmet for teaming up with me for this giveaway! And thanks so much to everyone who entered! The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email, after which I'll redraw.

The winner of the Six-Month Netflix Subscription is...

Thanks to Netflix for allowing me to host this giveaway! And thanks so much to everyone who entered! The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email, after which I'll redraw. Lot of cool stuff planned over the next little while (Canada Day Bash anyone?), so stay tuned.

And the winner is...


Thanks to Scholastic for allowing me to host this giveaway! And thanks so much to everyone who entered!  The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email, after which I'll redraw.  I have a ton of great giveaways lined up over the next little while, so stay tuned.

My very first guest post, how exciting! Amy over at Oh So Savvy Mom is off on vacation (Check out the gorgeous photos of her trip to Yosemite. Amazing stuff! I'm so jealous!) To help keep things lively over at her place during her down time I'm guest posting today with a slightly revised version of my tips on How to Thank a Blogger.  Click on over and check it out.

We signed up for our free Netflix trial a few days back and so far I am loving it. I'll have a full review up in a few weeks, but in the meantime I wanted to let you in on something cool. If you are going to sign up for Netflix you should do it through Swagbucks.  You can earn 900 SB (that's enough to cash out with two $5 Amazon gift cards!).

If you're already a Swagbucks member, just log in and head over to the "special offers" section. Then look for the "Trail Pay" tab. You should see an offer to sign up for Netflix and earn 900 Swagbucks.  (Caution - Several of the other tabs under special offers are offering free Swagbucks for Netflix sign ups, Make sure you go with Trial Pay as they are offering the most.)

If you're not already a member of Swagbucks then you can sign up here.  If you're curious you can read my earlier posts about why you'd want to join Swagbucks.

So there you have it folks, sign up for a 30-day free Netflix trail and earn 900 Swagbucks (aka enough for $10 in Amazon gift cards!) You receive the 900 Swagbucks immediately (there is about a 15 minute delay), and you are under no obligation to remain subscribed to Netflix once the 30-day free trial is up. Even if you cancel the subscription you keep the 900 SB. Pretty cool, right? I was too excited about this deal not to pass the info around.

I've mentioned this a couple of times before, but it bears repeating. I  love Baby Gourmet! We received a sampler pack for review a few months back and since then Baby Gourmet has become a staple around our house.  I have to be careful to keep enough on hand because my girls will actually fight over the last pouch.  This stuff is YUMMY.  It's also 100% organic, with no fillers, or added sugar or salt. If you'd like to see my original review you can take a look HERE.

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HOW TO ENTER:
We want to know  - What is your funniest ‘Daddy taking care of baby' story? To enter simply comment below with your favourite (and funniest!) Daddy & baby story.  I will chose a dozen or so of my favourite submission from the entries provided, and then do a random draw to determine the final winner. The winning entry will receive a gift basket full of Baby Gourmet products.

You can also head over to Baby Gourmet's Facebook page and post your funny Daddy & baby story on their wall. The best entry posted to their Facebook page will win a year's supply of Baby Gourmet.


GIVEAWAY RULES:
Remember, your comment IS your entry.  Please be sure to include your email in your comment because if I can't get a hold of you then you can't win!

Giveaway ends on Sunday June 19th, at 11:59 EST.  I will chose a dozen or so of my favourite submission from the entries provided, and then do a random draw to determine the final winner. The winner will be  notified by email and will have 48 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected. Open to Canadian and US residents only. Good luck!

The case is water resistant. It is very sturdy and solid, and has some light padding on the inside to help absorb shocks. It features a combination lock, which you can set to whatever 4-digit number you like. The is a small notch so that the cable for your charger or earphones can peek out of the closed case. The attached cable can wrap around a fixed object, such as a table leg, to keep your mini-safe locked down.  The box says the cable can also double as a carrying handle, but personally I found using it as a handle to be a little awkward.

Looking online at pictures of the Master Lock SafeSpace I envisioned it as a separate safe water proof spot to hold my iPod, and maybe my digital camera.  After having a close call last week when the sippy cup travelling in my purse leaked a bit onto the iPod Touch, I was thinking something like this would be ideal.  Then it arrived at my house, and while it is about the size I imagined it is a little heavier that I had expected. Just for curiosities sake I weighed it on my postal scale, and it came in at over 1 pound (1pd 6oz or 625g)  Not really something I want to be carrying around in my purse on a regular basis. Though I could see using it for say trips to the beach, or other special outings.

I think this would be an ideal gift for someone who travels. I could also see using it while sitting at the coffee shop. I gave ours to my husband so he could use it as a mini-brief case for the nights when he DMs at the local gaming store. Just the right amount of space to hold our iPod touch, some dice and pencils.

I included a pop can in the picture to help give you a sense of scale.

Overall I think the Master Lock SafeSpace is a rather innovative product. You have to admit that the concept of a portable personal safe is pretty cool. The Canadian retail is $24.99. Currently it is available in Walmart and it will also be in Staples sometime in July.

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