Maple Leaf Mommy

Sharpie has released a new line of fabric markers called Stained, and they are really pretty darn cool.
Why Sharpie’s new Stained markers rock:

•     they don’t stink
•     fabric ink with a brush tip
•     available in eight bright colours
•     washable and designed not to fade or run in the wash

Some mysterious marks appeared on one of Baby-G’s favourite outfits. They wouldn’t wash out and I was resigned to tossing it for rags. Then I remembered I had these new fabric markers set aside to test out.  So I decided to try drawing something over top of the stain. I drew some flowers over the dark areas. I think it turned out pretty good. I was having so much fun I kept doodling, even once the marks were covered up.

This is what her onsie looked like when I started.

I doodled in some flowers to match with the ones printed on the arms.

The end result: Not a great work of art, but totally wearable.

I was impressed with the markers. They don’t stink, no noticeable smell at all really. The tips are lovely, with a fine point for detail and a wide brush side for filling in. The colours layer nicely over top of one another, allowing you to blend colours and make new shades. I can totally see how these would be fun for creative teens and doodlers to create their own masterpieces.

Also it’s a little thing, but I loved using Stained markers to write G-Girl’s name into her new spring jackets. The fine point was perfect for writing small on those tiny tags in the coat. No bleeding, easier to write with and easier to read then the permanent markers I usually pull out to ID her school stuff.

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Sharpie has teamed up with Much Music to offer an awesome contest.

The grand prize is a trip to see your favourite musician in concert, anywhere in the world, including airfare, spending money and seven nights accommodations!   There are also EIGHT second place prize packs, each consisting of an iPad 2 and a pair of Beat by Dre headphones.

To enter you need to "take your own everyday object and remix it using Sharpie markers". Make a video or take pictures of your art work and submit it HERE for a chance to win. You can enter once a week, and the contest closes May 14th.

First place is by merit, chosen by a panel of judges. The second place prizes are going to be given out by random draw. I was browsing through the gallery today looking at the entries, and it looks like there are under three hundred entries in the contest so far. That's fantastic odds for some incredible prizes!

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Sharpie's new Stained fabric markers retail for about $1.99 a piece. They're available at stores across Canada, including Staples, Walmart, and Real Canadian Superstores.

To learn more about Sharpie:
- visit their web page.
- connect with them on Facebook.
- connect with them on Twitter.

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Back in January this arrived in the mail.


Ok, bad mug shot aside, isn't that just the prettiest thing you've ever seen? Just for ID purposes alone, it was an exciting day. Do you have any idea what a pain it's been for the past twenty some years not having the one piece of ID that everyone wants? It's been an issue with everything from getting into bars, to opening a bank account, to applying for our mortgage.

After waiting so long to get my Drivers License, finally having it in my hand was a really exciting moment for me. I have to say, despite any worries I had, getting my Beginner's Permit was dead simple. The free online Learner's Permit Prep Test that Young Drivers offers had me totally prepared.

The worst of it was waiting for my turn on a busy day at the Motor Vehicle License Office. While I was sitting in the waiting area I was privy to a conversion which really got me thinking. These two older ladies were passing the time swapping stories of when they went for their driver's test. Talking about all the things they did wrong, and how the examiner reacted. I was sitting there rereading my driver's handbook, and dwelling on the up coming written test. So I wasn't listening avidly to everything they said, but a few things caught my attention. The gist of it was something along these lines:

Lady #1:
I got my driver's license right on my 16th birthday. I did awful on my driving test. The guy passed me but told me I had better keep practising and asked me to keep off the highway

Lady #2:
Oh, with mine the guy laughed at how bad a driver I was, but he said that since I was only a woman it wasn't a big deal. He just made me promise not to go far and that my husband would do most of the driving.

Wow. Just wow. Can you imagine that happening now a days? I told this story to my Aunt and she said her experiences with taking her drivers examination were eerily similar. It makes me want to laugh, but then you think about unleashing people onto the road who don't really know how to drive, and it's a serious and scary proposition.

So on the one hand, I'm a bit jealous that they had it so easy "back in the day". It reminds me once again of why I wish I had taken my driver's test twenty-some years ago, right before they introduced that darned newfangled graduated licensing. But on the other hand, this would be why I am actually sort of glad that we have graduated licensing in place. It's a bit of a pain, I have to admit, having to wait to apply for the various stages of my license, but the whole thing is designed to keep the roads as safe as possible, right? And for that I'm grateful.  I actually wish the government required everyone to take the sort of training that I'm receiving through Young Drivers. Can you imagine the impact that would have on road safety?

What about you guys? Have any wacky stories from when you took your in-car driving test?

Disclosure: Young Drivers is sponsoring this series of posts documenting my journey as I work towards getting my driver's license by providing me with free access to the Young Driver's Defensive Driving Program.

If it's been two years (or longer!) since your last eye exam I urge you to get a comprehensive eye exam. Because of my condition OHIP covers the cost of my yearly exam, but for others I know the fee can be a deterrent (hence why I'm left nagging my family members!). If you live in the Toronto area you should check out Optical Eyeworks. This Richmond Hill optometrist offers complete eye exams for $70, and right now they've discounted the fee to $49. Take advantage of their sale, which ends April 29th, and get your eyes checked out.

I hate, hate, hate, potty training. I detest it. I remember what an intensely lousy time we had with training girl #1. Or at least I thought I remembered. Here I am trying to start potty training girl #2, and I suddenly realize there are huge gaps in my memory. I’m a bit shocked to find I don’t actually have a clue where to start. I don’t remember when we began potty training my first daughter. I don’t remember her reaction the first time we put her on the toilet. I don’t remember how we began, what we did, or when we did it.

I do remember my mom and my mother in law bugging us, pushing us to train girl #1. I don’t remember the day we began, I think it was somewhere between 2 years old and 2 and a ½ years old. I don’t remember her reaction the first time we put her on the toilet, but I do remember the day she intentionally pulled down her drawers and took a dump on the dinning room floor. I don’t remember having any problems with getting the general concept across to her. I think she got it, she just couldn’t be bothered. We tried with little success for a couple of months, but it wasn’t a priority. I let it slide. I was pregnant with girl #2, and I was having a rough pregnancy. I was tired, nauseous, having problems with low blood pressure and fainting spells. In short, I had other concerns. Then the babe was born, and I was all wrapped up in that whole no sleep taking care of a newborn thing.

As G-Girl’s third birthday crept closer and closer I knew we had to tackle this thing and somehow we did. I remember my articulate, stubborn, almost three year old insisting on going in her pull-ups because “It’s just better.”. I remember reading suggestions to just let her run around naked until she caught on. I remember experimenting with various brands of pull up and eventually switching to cloth trainers in hopes that she’d “feel wet” and perhaps develop a preference for going on the toilet. I remember discovering that no cloth trainer on the planet would keep her dry overnight. I remember we eventually worked out some sort of bribery scheme involving pennies. I remember my intense phobia-like fear over having to take a thumb-sucking preschooler into a public washroom. But the nitty gritty, the details, they are gone.

Now here I am with girl #2, and she seems ready to potty train. She tells me when she needs a “bum change”. She’s interested in the whole process. She wants to come in the bathroom and sit and watch big sister or me go. She wants to sit on the plastic step stool, keep me company while I’m using the toilet, and tell me, “I’m pooping mommy!!”. Yet she refuses to even try sitting on the toilet. So we got her one of those little plastic potty chairs. I hate the idea of having to clean out a chamber pot. Yuck. We've never had one before, as with girl #1 we just used the big toilet and a ring seat. But with the whole sitting on the stool and pretending she’s going thing, I figured this is what kid #2 needs.

So for four days now Baby-G has been sitting on that plastic potty chair, proud as punch, beaming with glee, chanting, “I’m peeing, I’m pooping! I do it!”, and producing diddly squat. She thinks she’s just gone potty. She wants toilet paper to wipe herself when she’s done. I can’t get it through to her that the wet mess she makes in her diapers should be coming out while she’s on the seat. I try and explain to her, but Miss Unsinkable Molly Brown just shines her smile at me, sings “Keep trying, keep trying!”, climbs back on the chair, does nothing, and then comes back four minutes later for a repeat performance.

Four days of; help her pull everything down, help her get positioned on chair, sit and watch her for anywhere from thirty seconds to five minutes, then once she stands up show her the chair is empty and explain that no she didn’t actually just go, replace pants and pull up, make it three steps towards the bathroom door and she starts chiming “Try again! Try again!”, at which point we turn around and repeat the process. I’m ready to beat myself over the head with a blunt stick.

What am I missing here? How do I get across to her what the words “peeing” and “pooping” actually mean? How do I explain the concept of going in the chair instead of in her diaper? And while we’re at it, where the heck did my memory go? How did I explain all of this to my first child, and why the heck don’t I recall any of it??

This post is for my sister who was joking with me today about the fact that the family dog is turning sixteen and "finally becoming a woman".

This is Lovey dog, my parent's faithful hound. Tomorrow this girl turns 16.

She's a sweet, timid, loving, faithful pet that we've been lucky to have in our lives for such a long time.

I was super excited when I found out that the Kratt brothers (the brilliant minds behind and acting stars of Zoboomafoo) were producing a new PBS kids show Wild Kratts. However, I had some reservations. You see the show is part live action, part animation, and I wasn't sure how I felt about animated Kratt brothers.


You guys all remember Zoboomafoo, right? The leaping lemur who lived in Animal Junction and visited each day with Chris and Martin Kratt? We are huge Zoboomafoo fans in this household. I can honestly say I've seen each and every episode at least twice minimum. Of course they stopped filming it years ago, and well like I said, I've seen every episode, multiple times.


So as you can imagine, I of course jumped at the chance to review the WILD KRATTS: Predator Power DVD, and now having watched the four episodes on the DVD I have to say, it rocks. It is a fun, educational show that I actually enjoyed sitting and watching with my kids. However, I do have to warn you it is for a slightly older target audience then Zoboomafoo.

Cool Canadiana fact:
Chris and his brother Martin are now living in Ottawa, where they've opened their own animation studio, which is where they filmed the TV series Wild Kratts. 

Each episode contains a live action intro and conclusion, featuring the Kratt brothers, that sets up the cartoon segment and introduces the featured animal. The middle of the episode is an animated adventure featuring the Kratt brothers and their clever techie helpers. Through the magic-like tech of their Creature Power suits, and other fantastic inventions, the Kratt brothers explore various environments, learn fascinating info about various creatures, and help to keep animals "Living free and in the wild!".


As a parent I can't help loving the core concept behind that show, which is to teach kids about science in general through their natural love of animals. The cartoon style is clean and modern and the animation is solid. As much as I worried that turning the Kratts into cartoon characters would be too cheesy, it's just a fantastically fun show. The animated segments serve their purpose, allowing the Kratt brothers to do things they could never do in a live action show (or at least not without a crazy special effects budget).


The only down side is that many of the animated stories are centred around conflict with a villain.  This is where the show fell flat for my four year old. She would ask me dozens of questions trying to figure out why there was a bad guy in the show, and why he was trying to do whatever silly evil thing he was trying to do (such as hunt shark for their fins to create shark fin soup, or chase after cheetah cubs to turn into furry fashion statements). It was just a bit over her head, and it's really the first show with that sort of good/bad conflict that she's watched.

This isn't a failing of the show really, just more that it's meant for kids who are slightly older, like say five and up. My daughter did still enjoy the DVD. She watched each episode intently and asked to see them over (and over) again. She seemed to enjoy the live action segments with "real animals" over the animated plots, and the one episode (Little Howler) that didn't feature a "bad guy" was her favourite of the bunch.

DVD details:
4 episodes, 25 minutes each. Total runtime 100 minutes.
Special Feature: Printable PDF Activities
Episodes: Stuck on Sharks, Mimic in the Grass, Little Howler and Raptor Roundup.
Animals featured include: cheetahs, wolf, great white shark, orca, remora, honey badger, cougar, falcon, vulture, eagle, and more.
Suggested retail price: $12.99 US

As a mom who sits with her kids and watches 98% of what they watch, I appreciate a TV show like this that I actually enjoy sitting through. Overall I would definitely recommend this DVD. If you have kids who dig animals they are pretty much guaranteed to enjoy this show. The PBS website says the show is targeted for six to eight year olds, but I think I'd pad that by a year to either side (aka 5 to 9 year olds). If you liked the Kratts previous shows (Zoboomafoo, Kratts' Creatures, Be the Creature), you are going to love the Wild Kratts.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of the above DVD for review purposes. As always my words and my opinions are my own.

I wouldn't be caught dead in sandals. I feel that I owe it to the world to never reveal my toes. I don't wear shoes that don't involve socks. Heck, I don't even wear shoes. I mostly wear hiking boots. But I realize I'm in the minority here. And if I were going to wear sandals I'd go with these lovelies from Viking, because they look darn comfy and I've been hearing good things about them from my friends in the blogosphere. So knowing that the rest of you normal people out there like sandals, I thought you might enjoy a chance to win a pair.

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Several times now T-shirt companies have asked me if I'd like to do a review and I've passed because they simply didn't have any designs I liked. Enter Headline Shirts. They make cool t-shirts that look like this:

They JUST started offering kids sizes. As in when I picked my shirt it wasn't an option, or I probably would have grabbed something for G-Girl. As it was I picked out a shirt, nominally for my husband, but since it arrived I've worn it more often then him. Cozy.

Check out the Headline Shirts website to see the many fun styles they have available. Be sure to sign up for their newsletter and get a coupon for $5 off your next order.

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We've always enjoyed Kinder, my husband and I, we love the tasty chocolate and the silly toys (particularly if they require assembly). In fact I was first introduced to Kinder Surprise by my husband. When we were dating he would often surprise me with the gift of a Kinder egg. Years later I returned the favour by slipping a Kinder Surprise into his work lunch now and again. So to me Kinder eggs have always been a small token of love, a "Hey, I was thinking about you and here's a small treat to show I care." sort of thing.

However, it's only now with little ones on the scene, that I truly realize just how exciting and how much fun Kinder Surprise eggs can be. My four year old daughter is absolutely crazy about them. She will do anything for a Kinder egg (ahem, not that I ever bribe my children, goodness no). This Easter was the first time that both girls were old enough to receive Kinder eggs in their basket. So much fun!

A family history of allergies means I held off on introducing diary to each of my kids until they were two. Baby-G hit that milestone back in February, which means among other things, she can now eat chocolate, a.k.a. time to introduce her to Kinder Surprise! (I should note here that Kinder eggs contain tiny pieces, aren't meant for toddlers, and are suggested for ages three and up. Not that I let that stop me.)

Sharing Kinder eggs with my girls? Pure joy.

Baby's G's first Kinder egg.

Less messy then I imagined. She inhaled the chocolate too quickly for it to melt.

Having quickly finished her egg Baby-G tried to convince her big sister to share. No way Jose!

Oh wait, there's a toy in here too? Cool!

G-Girl: "Mom, you can take my picture until the sand runs out in this timer"

This spring Kinder Canada is helping to spread joy in another fashion, by supporting the Children's Miracle Network. I love knowing that a portion of the sales from all of their seasonal Easter products is helping to support Children's Miracle Network hospitals. Kinder has also teamed up with the Children's Miracle Network to bring you stories of real-life heroes. Mothers who have been affected by and benefited from the work of the Children’s Miracle Network will be sharing their heartfelt stories and experiences through the Kinder Canada Facebook page. Visit Kinder Canada on Facebook to join in the discussion.

Disclosure: I’m part of the Kinder Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

I'm a big fan of Heinlein's fiction. This quote of his hangs on my kitchen wall and always brings a smile to my face.

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea." ~ Robert A. Heinlein

I used to take vitamins on a semi-regular basis. I would buy them, mean to take them and then forget about them. My husband suffered from the same bad habits. I'd end up with jars of half used expired multivitamins lying around. I'd be left wondering; Is it bad to take expired vitamins? Can it make you sick or something? or are they just not as effective? Should I throw these out and buy some new ones? Should I even bother?

Then my kids got hooked on Iron Kids gummy vitamins. They literally beg me for their vitamins each day. Since they are so crazy over the gummy vitamins I started taking the adult version from the same company, Adult Essentials. Hubby and I both love them, and even better I find we're actually remembering to take them. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that Adult Essentials Gummies taste fantastic, or that they are so much easier to swallow them some horse-pill sized vitamin. Or maybe it's because my kids are on board reminding me to take them each day. Whatever the case may be, for once we're actually using vitamins on a regular basis.


Today we went out on our weekly grocery/errand run, and "pick-up more Adult Essentials vitamins" was right near the top of the to-do list.

I've got a love-hate relationship going on with the whole Zellers is closing thing. I'm sad that they're closing and when they do finally close their doors I am going to be seriously bummed out, but in the meantime I certainly am happy to see them go. I've picked up some fantastic deals in the past few weeks. This afternoon we went to the Zellers on the west end, looking for a few things, and hoping to find them marked down since the liquidation clearance sale at that location has begun. I made a bee line to the pharmacy department. The place was a bit ransacked. If they had originally stocked Adult Essentials they were long gone. However I was lucky enough to score some Iron Kids gummy vitamins marked down 30% off.

Still in need of our grown-up vitamin of choice we headed to Shoppers Drug Mart. I was able to quickly find the vitamin section, off in the back corner.  It's at least the size of my front room if not larger. It's like it's own little mini-store, stuffed full of a bewildering array of vitamins. I always get overwhelmed when I start looking around back there. Am I supposed to be taking all of this stuff? And what exactly is that good for? Despite the fact that I've found them there in the past, I had to wander around for a few moments before I managed to spot the Adult Essentials. I was relieved to find the various types of Adult Essentials all clumped together on one shelf, rather then spread out by type as the other vitamins appear to be. Mission accomplished, Adult Essentials Gummies restocked.


Have you guys tried Adult Essentials Gummies yet? Do you take vitamins regularly? (And have you got any tips for remembering to take your daily vitamins?)  Am I the only one that finds the vitamin department at Shoppers totally overwhelming?

To learn more about Adult Essentials Gummies:
- visit their web page.
- connect with them on Facebook.
- connect with them on Twitter.
 
Disclosure: I am participating in the Adult Essentials Blogger Outreach program by ShesConnected. I received a supply of vitamins and compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Pampers is creating an adorable video to help cheer on Team Canada at this Summer's Olympics. It's a montage of babies and toddlers performing the national anthem.

Here's the teaser version:
Too darn cute, right?

My little one is going to be part of the final cut. And yours can too. Head on over to the Pampers Canada Facebook page and share a video of your baby or toddler playing, gurgling, or singing and it could become part of the final video - the first version of O Canada performed entirely by babies. 

New versions of the video will be appearing on the Pampers Canada Facebook page on an ongoing basis and will also be showcased at public events across the country on Canada Day on July 1st, 2012.  The final “O Canada, Baby” video will be revealed during the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

To help celebrate the Pampers Gifts to Grow rewards catalogue is now offering items from the HBC Olympic Games Collection, like this adorable outfit here which includes Baby-G's new favourite tuque.


Also, keep your eye out for specially marked "Go Canada Go" packages of Pampers, which will feature 2x Gift to Grow points.

Finally, to get you motivated to send in your own video, here's a little confession; I am a lousy videographer. If I can do it, so can you. Here's part of the clip that Baby-G and I made:

I can't wait to see the final "O Canada Baby" footage, and not just because my daughter is involved. It's such a darn cute concept. So tell me, what do you think of the O Canada Baby montage? are you going to enter footage of your little one?

Remember when we were talking last week about how to start a blog?  Well take everything I said about taking your time and working your way up to reviews and giveaways and throw it out the window. Wendi is launching her brand new blog, What Wendi Wants, and to celebrate she's giving away over $550 in prizes! What a nifty way to launch a blog!


Welcome to the What Wendi Wants Blog Launch Giveaway, co-hosted by Day By Day in Our World, Life With Levi, and Sunshine and Sippy Cups.

Wendi and her friends have rounded up a fantastic lot of prizes, including: an Aromafloria Stress-Less Spa Set,  Perplexus 3D Puzzle Maze Game,  Pure Pearls Freshwater Pearl Bracelet, Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler and a Skylanders Xbox 360 game pack (game, portal, & 3 characters).

All of the prizes are available to both Canada and the US. You need to enter to win each prize separately. Entries are quick and easy, via Rafflecopter.  You're welcome to enter for as many or few items as you are interested in. Good luck!

Now on to the giveaways...
Please click the link for each giveaway you would like to enter:

Pure Pearls Freshwater Pearl 7.0-8.0 Bracelet
(ERV $375)

Courtesy of Pure Pearls
View the review HERE
Visit Pure Pearls to read more HERE

Enter HERE

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Skylanders Starter Game Pack for XBox 360
(Game, Portal, 3 Characters)(ERV $69.99)

Courtesy of Activision
View the review HERE

Enter HERE

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Aromafloria's Stress Less Spa Kit
(salt, scrub, bubble bath, massage oil)(ERV $71)

Courtesy of Aromafloria
See the complete Aromafloria Stress Less Line HERE

View the review HERE

Enter HERE

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Perplexus 3D Puzzle Maze Game
(ERV $24.99)

Courtesy of Perplexus
See the complete line of Perplexus Games HERE

View the review HERE

Enter HERE

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Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler
(ERV $15.99)

Courtesy of Rubbermaid
See more about the Hidden Recycler at Rubbermaid's website HERE

View the review HERE

Enter HERE

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*Disclosure: Maple Leaf Mommy is not holding this giveaway, and is not responsible for prize fulfillment in any way. This giveaway is being held at What Wendi Wants and I'm merely helping to promote it and the launch of her new blog.

I wanted to remind you folks about the cool contest that Rogers is currently running. You can WIN 1 of 5 Smart Home Monitoring Systems from Rogers. It's a prize I'd certainly love to win.

The Rogers Smart Home System features:

• view and control your home remotely,
• automate sensors, thermostat, lights and appliances,
• save energy and save money,
• real time 24/7 security monitoring,
• instant customizable alerts,
• and more.

I don't know about you, but I would love to live in an automated house. One where I can turn the lights, or the air conditioner on and off via my iPod. One that emails me a photo of who just rang my front door bell. Wouldn't that be awesome?
   
Also, for those of you who've already entered -- don't forget that every time you share the contest online with your friends and family (like say via Facebook, or email) you can earn extra ballots.

Remember, this contest is open to ONTARIO, CANADA residents ONLY. The contest closes at 5:00pm EST on May 16th, 201. CLICK HERE TO ENTER. Good luck!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for which I am being compensated. As always my words and opinions are my own.

Our house is home to one very patient cat. Mojo puts up with two little girls chasing, petting, poking, and hugging him. I often talk to the girls about how they need to be gentle with the cat, and how it's our responsibility to take care of our animal friend. But who am I kidding? I know once I'm out of site they resume tormenting loving the cat, and somehow he puts up with it, heck he thrives off of it and keeps coming back for more.

When I was about five months pregnant with my first child we had to put our much loved cat to sleep. It was heart breaking, but he had developed kidney problems and letting him go was the only choice. My husband and I found that we both really missed having a cat in the house, so we took a leap and did something a little crazy. Even though I was eight months along in my pregnancy, we adopted a cat from the local Humane Society. Knowing we had a little one soon on the way, I realized I wouldn't have the time or energy to train a kitten so we looked for an older cat. We chose Mojo because the shelter claimed he was good with small children, and because he took a shine to my husband right off the bat. And we've been blessed with our choice, because whatever other faults he might have this cat is so darn patient with out kids.

Mojo watching TV with Baby-G.

I have caught my one daughter attempting to feed the poor cat wooden pretend food, and I've seen the other trying to put a hat on his head, not to mention the numerous hugs, headbutts and attempts to use the cat as a pillow. I often wonder why the heck he doesn't get up and leave the room, or why he comes back for another round of chase the tail. To be honest, he's not terribly bright, but he is a sweet lap cat who loves to curl up on the couch with us adults, and he has never bitten, swiped at or so much as hissed at one of my kids. So I feel like we owe him one, and I'm willing to overlook the fact that he is a mooch who occasionally forgets where the litter box is.

When my first cat, Winnowill, was a kitten, I had a vet explain to me how the high ash content in many cat foods can cause urinary track problems in male cats, and for that reason it was important to feed them a good quality cat food, with low ash content. He recommended we chose one of three brands of kibble, and then stick with it. The other two choices were expensive, and could only be purchased at the vet's office, so going with Iams seemed like a no-brainer.

When Winnow was a kitten we started out with Iams kitten chow, and then as he matured we moved on to the Weight Control formula. Not because he was overweight, but merely because he was a strictly indoor cat. Again we went with the vet's recommendation; that an indoor cat would be less physically active and have less calorie requirements then an outdoor one. This was a while back and in the meantime Iams has started to produce an Indoor Cat version of their kibble, which is what we've been buying for several years now. I was impressed that they had obviously clued into what my vet had pointed out to me years before, indoor cats have different needs then outdoor ones, just as kittens have different dietary needs then adult cats, and adult cats have different requirements then seniors.

So from day one we've fed Mojo Iams. And while Mojo isn't quite in his senior years yet, I was actually a bit excited to find out that Iams has just launched a new Senior Plus line. Their new Senior Plus food is a unique formula created for older cats (and dogs!) that is designed to meet a senior pet's unique nutritional needs and address common senior health issues, including:
* maintaining muscle mass.
* promoting ideal weight with a special formula that helps burn fat.
* boosting immune health to healthy adult levels with two times the antioxidants.
* maintaining healthy skin and coat health with Omega 6.
* for dogs, helping to reduce tartar build up by up to 55 per cent with HMP (hexametaphosphate).

I'm glad to know that Iams understands that a pet's nutritional needs change with age. Assuming that one of my daughters doesn't accidentally smoother him and Mojo makes it to his senior years, I'm going to be feeding him Iams Senior Plus. Like I said, I think we owe him one for his patience and his sweet nature, and I can't think of any better way to pay him back them by continuing to give him the right food for the right stage in his life.


For more information on pet nutrition and choosing a pet food to fit various life stages, visit www.iams.ca or www.facebook.com/Iams.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, brought to you by Iams. However, as always my words and opinions are my own. Furthermore I want to be clear about the fact that I am not a vet, I'm just passing on information that my own vet has shared with me over the years. To the best of my knowledge I've got the facts straight, but I'm no expert.

I'm a Kinder Mom Ambassador, and as such I receive bunches of free Kinder Surprise eggs. Some of them naturally made their way into my kids' Easter baskets. I allowed my girls to each pick one out and open it up first thing Easter Morning. Inside Baby-G's egg was an inflatable paper Easter bunny! What are the odds of opening the one of the few rabbit themed items in the entire 2012 toy line-up? I thought it was a rather nifty coincidence and my daughters were tickled pink.

Just two quick mini reviews for you, and a reminder about a cool contest....

I've been using Green Works dish soap for a few months now, and I like it. It works well. It cuts grease, makes sudsy bubbles, and gets my my dishes clean. Plus I love that it's eco-friendly. However I am not crazy about the scent. It doesn't smell awful, I'm just not in love with it.


So I was excited to discover that Green Works has introduced four new scented versions of their dishwashing liquid; Water Lilly, Free & Clear, Tangerine and Lemon.  I recently had the chance to try out the new Tangerine scent and I am hooked. It smells fantastic. It works just as nicely as the original Green Works dish soap and it smells great.

I also had the chance to test out the Green Works cleaning wipes. My husband loves using this sort of wipe to tidy up our gaming table. I like the Green Works ones better then what we were previously using. Again, I like that they are 99% natural, and they smell good to boot.




Don't forget I have a Green Works contest running right now, where you can enter to win a Spring Cleaning pack full of Green Works products. The giveaway ends on April 12th, so get your entries in now!

I've teamed up with a group of Pinterest loving bloggers to offer a fantastic giveaway: The prize is a Cuisinart Prep Plus Food Processor!



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When it comes to making school lunches I sometimes suspect I'm a lousy Mom.  I want to be the Mom making the cool themed bento-style lunches, with fruit shaped like flowers and tiny sandwiches shaped like animals. The reality is I'm the mom that goes to head to bed at 1 a.m. and realizes I forgot to make my kids lunch again, and I'm left wondering if anyone at the school is going to notice that she's eating mortadela and grapes for the third day in a row.

Jody over at MommyMoment showcases a series of Loveable Lunches she makes for her daughter. I used to read her posts and think oh hey, once my daughter is in school I am going to do that! The reality? Ha. Not so much.

Source: MommyMoment Here is an example of the sort of awesome lunch I am so not making.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I started off the school year with the idea that I was going to be this lunch making genius. I got out my vintage cookie cutters and pressed slices of kiwi into star shapes, I made crustless tuna sandwiches in the form of whales, and I topped it all off with handwritten notes.

And I discovered that my kid didn't give a hoot.  Hurriedly thrown together sandwiches and cute shaped creations both suffer the same fate. They come back home, at best half eaten, smushed into an unrecognizable mess in the bottom of her backpack.

The notes don't come back home, so they must end up somewhere, like say in her classroom's recycling bin. Since my daughter is four years old and doesn't read yet, well how many pictograms can I come up with, really? I feel like someone on the other end is picking these up and looking at them and shaking their head. Maybe they bring them in the staff room and laugh, asking each other, What do you think THIS is supposed to be a picture of??

So the notes, the carefully shaped lunches, they quickly fell by the way side. My daughter doesn't even seem to notice or appreciate any difference between the days when I take the extra time to pack her a special lunch, and when I don't. She is much more concerned about the contents of her lunch, like say whether or not I'm including "fruity shapes" in the mix.

This is the only sort of shaped fruit my daughter is worried about, no sugar added pressed fruit shapes in her cereal mix.

And here's where I do worry. Here's where I start to suffer from mommy guilt and a sinking suspicion that I'm failing her in some way.  Her school breaks lunch into three eating periods, they call it something like "the balanced eating schedule". I send her to school with  a drink, a snack, a lunch, and a second snack.  Everything is supposed to be numbered. #1, #2, #3 so they will know what order she is supposed to eat them in.  Ok, seriously? I don't care what order she eats them in, provided she eats. Does it really matter if she has the blueberries before or after lunch? Will the world end if she eats her tuna sandwich for snack #1?

Apparently I'm supposed to worry about this sort of stuff. And to complicate matters her school provides a snack as well. During snack period #1 there is a government subsidized healthy snack delivered to all of the kids.  From what I've read in the school newsletter, they expect me to go to the school website and view the snack schedule for the week, so I can plan out balanced meals. So for example if the school is providing cut up bananas and watermelon that day, then I'll know she's already getting her serving of fruit.

Source: mikumistock

I feel like I'm being graded on the lunches I provide for her.  Like one day I'm going to get a note from the school chastising me for not providing enough vegetables, or for giving her cheese when the school is already providing something dairy based. Ugh. I suck at this. I am not a dietitian. I have my copy of the Canada Food Guide sitting gathering dust in my dining room. Am I supposed to be logging my kids meals and measuring how many servings of grain she had at breakfast, so I can figure out if her lunch should include the multigrain cereal snack over the sliced grapes?  Given that my daughter eats at the pace of a snail and that most days she brings home 90% of her food uneaten, I'm just happy if she eats anything.

What do you think? Should I be fussing over this? What about you folks? Where do you rate on the fancy lunch scale of things? Are you tossing together last minute lunchmeat sandwiches, or crafting carefully balanced lunches, or somewhere in between?

I royally screwed up and managed to install some sort of lovely virus on our desktop computer system. It sort of feels like karma is having a laugh at me, I put out an April Fools prank threatening to retire and the next day my computer stops working. Ha. Somehow I'm not laughing.

$50 dollars later (and a two night luxury vacation at the local computer shop) and my computer is back home, presumably fixed. It's currently sitting in the middle of my kitchen, waiting for my husband to get home in the morning and set it back up (Yes, I could probably do this on my own, but I am so not taking responsibility for messing it up a second time).

Like most people I have a pretty good idea of what you need to do to avoid getting a computer virus; don't visit questionable websites and don't download questionable content.  I know better then to click "Yes" when some weird pop up appears claiming to fix my computer, and save me from some dread virus.

Or at least I thought I knew better.  Monday morning I was up to the usual, fourteen or so tabs open as I hopped around commenting on other people's blogs, when suddenly some strange looking window popped up claiming it had found a Trojan virus on my computer. Would I like to scan my computer right now? I was distracted, I didn't stop to really read the text I just clicked "No.", and then everything went to hell in a handbasket.

Some big window kept popping up asking me to run a scan with something or other Defender. Ok there was a really small percentile chance that my husband had installed some new software earlier that morning, but I seriously doubted it. Every time I attempted to open a program the darn pretend virus software would tell me the file was infected,  I kept closing the window, and no matter what I tried to do it just kept popping up. In the space of a few short minutes I went from functioning computer to piece of uselessness. The point I want to make here is I didn't click "Yes", and I didn't knowingly install anything, yet I still managed to pick up a nasty bit of something, regardless of the fact that we were running up to date virus software.

Credit: Sujin Jetkasettakorn

Let this be a warning to you all. if you encounter an unexpected pop up -- Do not click "No." Do not click "Cancel". Simply put do not click anywhere in the window. Close it, just close it (Alt + F4).

This public service message has been brought to you by some evil virus, and by my pining after my missing PC.  Can't wait until we get it set up tomorrow.  Then again, I'm rather dreading the three days worth of unanswered email waiting for me.