all over the house

I went to the kitchen

2011-12-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks to L'Oreal for sponsoring my post about my favorite beauty looks, tips and tricks! Check out Makeup.com for beauty advice from the experts.

I have always had combination skin. The rich, nourishing lotions that my chin and forehead cry out for is anathema to my oilier nose and t-zone. That part of my face likes an astringent, please, as sharp and as often as it can get away with.

It feels like I've spent most of my life carrying lots more lotions and potions in my little bag than the other girls. And dating was horrendous, all that hormone-enduced sweating and worrying that my nose was shining again.

I've tried everything. Noxema (mmm! How romantic when your girlfriend smells like Vicks Vapo-rub!) Bonnie Bell, Ten-0-Six, Ivory soap, egg yolks, egg whites, Neutragena, Caster soap, Lancome, cold steeped tea, masks and facials, Aveda, powders, potions and concoctions of every type. I even tried not wearing any makeup. (My skin didn't like that either.)

It began to feel that good skin was a long hard slog to nowhere.

Out of nowhere, a friend started looking radiant. That pure Pre-Raphaelite loveliness which usually comes from falling in love. When asked, though, she had a strange answer.

'Oil.'

I recoiled. Oil was the reason my hair was limp, my skin cloudy and dull! Now she was telling me that she used oil everyday, that instead of wiping it away all the time, she was putting more - deliberately! - on her face.

But it was working for her. She easily looked five years younger. My skin hadn't looked that good since high school. I settled in. Maybe....just maybe...there was something to this??

Sara grinned and went on.

Oil dissolves oil. Really. Massaging in natural oils (a blend of castor and virgin olive) dissolves the oil trapped in your skin, letting impurities (hello, blackheads!!) and toxins be released, opening those blocked pores breathe.

Castor Oil, the first part of this blend, is an anti-inflammatory oil that heals and cleanses. Since it is too strong to be used alone, though it's best mixed with olive oil - a lighter, silkier feeling oil that sends the castor oil deep in your skin. The best ratio for my combination skin was about 25% castor, the rest olive.

I was fascinated. 'You do this every day?'

'Well' she said, 'not now. But at first I was doing it every night.'

At night, Sara was taking her makeup off with oil. Using long, smooth strokes, she'd massage it in. Then she'd use a steamy washcloth and give herself a facial, wiping off the oil as the cloth cooled before she'd get another. When she got up in the morning, she swore she could see the change in her skin already, and it just kept getting better.

Now she just did her 'oil wash' twice a week, and was still amazed and gratified that she had reliably gorgeous skin.

I hate to admit that it took me a month before I tried it.

But now? Now I don't carry around wipes and bottles. I don't have to bother with concealer and powder.My nose isn't slick anymore, my forehead, not tight and dry.

Don't believe me? I don't blame you. But try it. Go in the kitchen and find the answer to your skin problems.

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. Click here to learn more about Makeup.com or become a Facebook fan by clicking here.

jack o' lantern teeth

2011-11-18T08:01:00.000-08:00

I didn't have them.

But mine were bad enough to have to wear retainers all through middle school. These were the hated horrible type of retainers, the kind that forced you to talk with your teeth together. The kind that huuurt when you flipped them out (fellow retainer wearers remember the jarring thunk when that happened) and stank because you were forced to have them in your mouth all. the. time. To this day I can hiss out a clear instruction when the Mom-stink-eye has failed. (And my kids move then - they know I'm serious.)

I wish I'd had the opportunity to have Invisalign then.

Imagine - braces that you can take out! No yellow spots on your teeth! Brushable! And no avoiding certain foods! (I loved caramels. LOVED them. And couldn't eat them for three years.) No stink-mouth because they're easily cleaned!

And...the best part? It's not just for adults anymore. Developed with leading orthodontists who understand the unique treatment and compliance needs of teens and tweens as well as their active lifestyles, Invisalign is a great choice for kids who need teeth correction too. Invisalign is not limited to mild/cosmetic cases – Invisalign can help correct a broad range of problems: Overly crowded teeth, widely spaced teeth, crossbite, overbite and underbite.

Wow. I really, really wish this had been around when I was trying to wear my retainer and speak up for the school drama production.

Cass might need braces. Our dentist pooh-poohs it, but I remember how my teeth odyssey began, while still hoping that I'm wrong. I'd feel a lot better (and so would he!) if he could take his braces off to go through his judo and soccer classes, to be able to smile without a mouthful of metal winking in every picture he takes.

Invisalign is offering one lucky Canadian a free treatment - for you or your child. Get into this by clicking here: http://tinyurl.com/3llvzu3 (rules and regulations are there too) but HURRY - the contest closes soon!!!

Disclosure – I am participating in the Invisalign Teen program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Align Technology, Inc. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

i can be

2011-11-09T18:12:00.000-08:00

anything I want to be....

The song is a little annoying (especially when it gets stuck in your head and you're making up bawdy lyrics and humming because you can't remember the original wording) but it's unabashedly bouncy. Also, true.

Rosey has decided she can do anything. Or several somethings, all at once. She's got grit and determination, that one. She has several terrific non-traditional female role models in our family, and I think seeing that these women that she loves and admires can 'get 'er done' is a terrific lesson for her to absorb at such a young age.

My Barbie dolls were moms or cheerleaders when I was growing up. Roo has veterinarians that rescue avalanche victims on the side. Equestrians that still wear the prettiest dresses ever to the fair. She has Barbie the Builder that fixes everything with a tiny hammer and her yellow construction hat. There are teachers and test pilots, prom queens and gypsies. It was a complicated thing to teach her, that women can do everything but that not everyone believes that, and that there will be be people along the way that will question her when she says that she can. (It's a philosophy I didn't really think I was going to have to teach my seven year old.)

But believe it she does. And is quite happy to tell you that when she grows up, she's going to be a doctor. And a veterinarian. And a fireman, too.

And somehow, I'm sure she will be.

There's a new website devoted to inspiring girls. www.bethevoice.ca uses Barbie to involve girls into learning all they can do and be. Parenting experts write articles geared to foster the adventurous spirits of girls and teach them that there are no limits - that the sky can be as high as they want it to be.

It's a great lesson.

Disclosure – I am participating in the Barbie I Can Be campaign by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Mattel Canada. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

whoo's coming for Halloween?

2011-10-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

One of the best things that happen every Halloween night after trick or treating is the big candy swap. Everyone empties their bags, the grown-ups sort, and the kids swap.While I'm a sucker for caramels and flavoured tootsie rolls and Cortland apples (and will steal those if I can!), the two monsters are wildly different in which treats are their favorites. Cass tends to like chocolate (we raised him right) and those peanut butter toffees while Rosey likes the colorful stuff - candy corn, Smarties, Skittles, jellybeans. And while neither of my two has peanut allergies (we're lucky that way) they do have friends that are, and who knows who will come on our door looking for treats?

So we've found a good choice. Gummy candy. In sweets, sours, and tangies. And who doesn't appreciate a Big Green Thumb or Red Hot Lips on Halloween?

Allan Candy, made in Canada.

This Halloween, we're stocking up on Intense Jubes & Jellies, Big Foot, Sour Big Foot, Green Thumbs, Hot Lips, Sour Watermelon Slices, Peach Slices, Sour Cherry Slices, Tangy Wild Strawberries and Sour Grape Slices.

for more than 25 years.
-    Peanut Free, individually wrapped candies that are available for Halloween are:
o    Allan Intense Jubes & Jellies – delivering an intense sour flavor and a soft & chewy bite.
o    Allan Chewy Rascalz – these childhood favourites will keep your taste buds happy! Packed in one bag, and of course, peanut free – you’ll find Big Foot, Sour Big Foot, Green Thumbs and Hot Lips!
o    Allan Fruit Buddies - offering a variety of fruit flavoured candies that are also peanut free! Indulge in 5 great fruit flavours: Sour Watermelon Slices, Peach Slices, Sour Cherry Slices, Tangy Wild Strawberries and Sour Grape Slices.

We're all excited for Halloween. Aren't you?

Disclosure – I am participating in the Allan Candy Company program by Mom Central Canada. I received compensation for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.

be positive in small ways to delve big rewards

2011-09-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

Energizer has a great new campaign, with the premise that if every person did something little for the environment, together we would reap huge benefits. It makes sense. If I'm not using as much hot water, there's energy left over for you.

Together, we can make this a better place for both of us.

Energizer Canada and Evergreen (the school yard is no longer concrete commercial people) are working hand in hand to make cities more liveable. Energizer has contributed $100,000 to Evergreen, and for each pledge that is made under this iniatative, will donate a dollar more. That's not chump change (for change!)

Want to help create a more sustainable future by pledging your support through five kind acts? Visit here.

I'll go first, shall I? I'm making a pledge with Energizer to:

1. Use less plastic and more paper. Let's bring back the paper grocery bag! They biodegrade instead of just falling to smaller and smaller pellets. Plastic, while very convenient and all-pervasive, isn't the best thing for our world.

2. Use more things twice. Yes, that odd-shaped jar is headed for the recycle bin, but maybe if we gave it a nice coat of blue-white paint, it would look lovely as a vase in the upstairs hallway. That bread that was going into the compost? We should take a walk down to the park and feed the ducks.

3. Do chores at night. The kids go to bed - there's no reason I can't toss in a load of laundry that will churn on while we're all sleeping. Less energy, too, if I use cold water and don't overwhelm the washer with giant loads.

4.Write more letters. Real letters, not just email. This would delight my relatives that aren't email comfortable, and getting a letter in the mail is really such a treat.

5. Turn lights off. I think sometimes that should be engraved on my forehead. Did you turn the light off? It's deeply rooted in me, my dislike of giving the power company extra money.

You can submit your own positive acts at the Now That's Positive Energy website.

Go, please, and look at all the ideas that other people have. Ways we can change our lives for the better, a little bit at a time. Now that's Goooood Energy.

Disclosure – I am participating in the Energizer Canada & Evergreen “Do Something Little, Help Something Big” program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Energizer Canada & Evergreen. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Heart for Haiti

2011-01-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

It was a year ago. Already a year ago.

Do you remember where you were when you heard about the devastation that happened in Haiti?

Canada sent help. We sent lots of help. But not enough.

And then we couldn't shield our children any more, and we couldn't figure out how to tell them. But when they found out, they showed us unexpected beauty.

The world shuddered in recognition of how quickly a life could change and tried to extend a hand of compassion.

It's a year later now, and Haiti is still recovering. We're still discovering new ways and new opportunities to help, and discovering things about each other we never realized. Like how one person can make a difference. Or how simple, silly things like having a toothbrush and some candies in a shoebox can make a destitute child grin.

We're also discovering that joy lives on in the souls of Haitian artisans and craftsmen. That even the stunning blows of the last year haven't erased the colour that they fill their day-to-day lives with.

Look at these:

The Heart Of Haiti store is full of gorgeous crafts like these. Heart of Haiti was set up to bring art from Haiti and make it available to everyone - artists receive 22% of revenues, enabling them to make money in an area of the world where little is left to make a living with.

One more thing we can do to bring joy back to Haiti. One more thing.

I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.

Quaker journey

2010-11-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

Last year my husband and I resolved to live a healthier lifestyle.

And, well, we do. But there's always room for improvement! I know darn well that while we make our own bread, our own laundry soap, compost and recycle religiously and heat with wood that we cut off our own land, we're still not living as earth-friendly and healthy as I would like. I'd love to introduce my children to a more farm-based and agriculturally driven life, but I've proved quite spectacularly that I cannot garden worth a hill of beans (yes, pun intended) and my husband falls silent when I talk about getting a few hens.

Y'know, for eggs.

He knows me well enough, though, to know that if he agreed to a couple of chickens, it wouldn't be long before I'd have sheep and a couple of turkeys. Or maybe a mule. Ooh, a mule!

Reining myself in is always a problem.

Maybe the ticket is starting small. Small changes. Like serving oatmeal more. The kids already like it, and it's healthy and satisfying on a cold morning.

Lynn from Walking With Scissors has been blogging over at quakerjourney.ca, talking about simple changes her family is making to live a healthier lifestyle. And you can win prizes by reading her stories and commenting on them!

Easy-peasy. Like small changes. Small changes that can change everything.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Quaker Journey to Wellness program by Mom Central on behalf of Pepsi Co. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Shutterfly - making memories!

2010-11-25T06:53:00.000-08:00

Shutterfly is offering bloggers an amazing offer – 50 free photo cards!

And I have a confession to make – I am the world’s WORST when it comes to sending out Christmas cards. Procrastinator extraordinaire. I usually end up addressing them around the twentieth, swearing to myself that this year will NOT be a repeat of last years fiasco, and then they hang out in my car until…oh, the middle of January? And then the holidays are over and I realize I’ve been a douchebag again. But these cards are going to revolutionize my tardy habits, because they’re A) GORGEOUS – not your usual cards at all, and B) my kids will love them and bug me until I actually MAIL them.

So I'm using a cute product, and kid nagging to get me to my goal. Hmph. Well, if it works....

And LOOK at these!

How cute! Not the usual Christmas cards at all.

And Shutterfly also does neat things like baby announcements and photo calendars - really, they'd be great for Christmas presents too! Really, go check them out! Some gorgoeus, not-forgettable-on-the-car-seat designs!

Disclosure - I signed up for a Shutterfly promotion and was compensated with 50 free holiday cards. All opinions are my own.

Cookies to lose weight?

2010-07-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

Smart for Life the "Eat Cookies. Lose Weight." program from television fame? I tried it last week.

Well, I should be more specific. I received a box of the different products to try out, with the specification that I would blog about my experience.

My box included:
2 four packs of underWAY, a supplement drink infused with special HeroFiber and heart-healthy vitamins. It works naturally to suppress your appetite and quench your thirst. The two flavours I received were acai-pomegranate and grape. The acai-pomegranate was odd, almost fakey-flavoured, but the grape, if ice-cold, was yummy. Grown-up (and good for you!) grape drink!

Cookies: Boxes of chocolate-chip and oatmeal-raisin. The chocolate-chip was good with a carob-y flavour. The oatmeal-raisin was...interesting, but didn't pass muster. A bit too dry and chalky and well, diet-ish!

Cupcakes: Carrot and double-chocolate. The carrot was great! Light, not-too-sweet, and had a vague flavour of almonds, which I enjoyed tremendously. The chocolate was good - very good at first bite, but there was an odd after-taste that lingered, and I found myself not wanting to finish the whole thing.

Soup: Mama's Chicken Noodle. This was great stuff. Packaged so I just needed to add boiling water, the broth was thick and full of flavour, and there were lots of veggies and noodles. Yum! I would definitely enjoy that at lunch everyday!

Cereal: Chocolate Berry Crunch. This was good, with a nice deep chocolate flavour and whole dried raspberries. I really liked that it didn't look particularly diet, with the bright berries and the dark cereal. It looked like a treat.

Bagel: I didn't eat this.

Crunch: This was a bag of nugget-like bits, probably good for people who get muffin or pastry cravings. My kids (who espied the chocolate stuff, and who could blame them??) were divided on these - my daughter liked them, but my son was disappointed that they didn't taste like the cupcakes.

Smart for Life programs involve meal replacement foods, such has cookies, cupcakes, shakes, cereals, bagels that help to control hunger while providing you with proper nutrition and quick, safe weight loss goal results.

Each Smart for Life cookie are made with extracts from all-natural ingredients including organic fruits, vegetables, wheat, milk and eggs. The program requires you to eat 6 cookies a day, drink 8 glasses water a day and a small dinner. For more information, check out the Smart for Life website.

You can learn more about Smart for Life and underWAY products, at www.smartforlife.com and www.under-way.com.

Would you like to try it?
You could win a case of underWAY

If you like to enter to win a case of underWAY to try, please leave a comment sharing "why you’d love to try underWAY and/or Smart for Life products."

I will select 10 lucky winners on August 4th.

Comments will close at midnight. Contest is open to Canadians only. (Sorry, Americans!) And you may enter the contest on multiple blogs but are only eligible to win once as part of the underWAY blog tour contest.

Disclosure - I am participating in the underWAY program by Mom Central on behalf of Better Health Beverage, LLC. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Harumika

2010-04-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

My son was pee-green when the box came, and didn't even lose interest when we slipped off the wrapping to reveal a headless dress dummy form and bits and slips of fabric.*

Rosey was too busy oohing and aahing over the silky, colourful squares to even shove his hand away. 'It's mine', she informed him. 'Mama got it for me.' Then she sat down and handed the body over my way, ready to learn how it worked.

I'd been sent a Harumika Starter Kit for her to explore, and she was eager to figure this out. She'd seen the commercials, of course, so using the stylus tool to tuck the edges of the fabrics around the bodice and using the stickers to create many, many different outfits was easy for her to figure out.

Now, Rosey isn't really a fashionable child. I like to think I dress her well, and every once in awhile she'll ask for something with a flower on it, or lip-gloss, but she's never been one of those kids with a closet-ful of princess dresses and earrings in every colour.

And she still isn't, but this toy remains one of her favourites. She loves mixing the fabrics, creating new outfits, making choices. I can give her this and a few new scraps of fabric and she's off for at least an hour.

And then just yesterday she asked me if her nightgown matched her blanket.

Y'know, the important style questions.

*I did ask him about this later. Turns out he thought it was something Star-Wars related - The Dressing of the Clones, perhaps?? - and wanted to see if the colourful pieces would fit his Star Wars things.

Disclosure: I was sent a Harumika Starter Kit, with the expectation that I would blog about my experiences with it, good or bad. I was not otherwise compensated for this post.

hydraSense

2010-03-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

My daughter was three and a half months old when she caught her first cold. Old enough to not panic us (after all, she was our second child! We'd been through this before!) and yet new and young enough to completely panic us. (She's so snotty! And unhappy! Hon, do you remember C being this MAD about not being able to breathe through his nose?)

Babies and colds are two things that shouldn't go together.

It was the middle of the night. So, I ran the shower hot and closed off the bathroom and held an ~~angrily~~ ANGRILY crying baby (who really just wanted to go to sleep, damn it, and WTH was with these parents she'd gotten?? Didn't we know that LOUD RUNNING WATER was not conducive to sleep?)

It would have been so much easier if we'd had something that worked especially well on babies sensitive and small noses.

Like this one: The hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator.

Developed with pediatricians, hydraSense® is the leading brand in saline solutions for the whole family. The hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator is a gentle and safe way to relieve your baby’s nasal congestion quickly and effectively. It helps to maintain clear breathing and to facilitate eating and sleeping. Its soft nasal tip is specifically designed for babies’ delicate noses and its transparent design allows for you to see the amount and type of mucus that is being removed. hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator has a protective single-use filter that traps excess mucus, providing hygienic aspiration. The tip and base of the aspirator are easily removable for effective cleaning after each use. Unlike squeezable nasal aspirators, the hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator allows you to control the strength of the suction with your aspiration.

Although I'm ~~certain~~ CERTAIN R still wouldn't have liked anyone messing with her nose, this sounds like it would have soothed her chokey-stuffiness and maybe soothed the wrath of the hungry and sleep-deprived.

Video about how to use the product can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE-yk6wvCKE

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central and received a Mom Central gift pack to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Mastermind toy review and GIVEAWAY! WINNER!!!!

2009-12-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

Mastermind is a privately owned retailer of high quality toys for all ages based in Toronto. They have eleven stores as well as an online store. I was delighted when I was contacted and asked to do a review, because so many toys seem to be cheap plastic (ahem my daughter's entire Christmas list) or be low-quality workmanship. I've been looking for well-made, fun toys that teach things as well as hold their interest for my kids this Christmas, and I'm pretty sure I've found a new website for my favorites.

They sent a toy for each of my children. Rosey was so excited about her Wobble Deck that she played with it for fifteen minutes before I even turned it on.

Highly scenic batteries not included.

It reminded me of that electronic game Simon (anyone else as old as me and remember this?) where you would push colored lights in sequence - but this you did standing up. By throwing your weight in a direction, you tip the board down so that the colored edge touches the ground. It was challenging and fun! Add to that three different games (match-the-color, speed play, and freestyle) a variety of sounds, and a high-low volume switch (such a nice and often overlooked toy feature!) and we were sold. Rosey can take it outdoors on the porch or on a hard flat surface, or it's small and inside-friendly enough to play with indoors. It stores easily and takes up very little room.

Cass's choice was a Rubic's 360, an update of the familiar Rubic's Cube from my childhood.

Picture from the Mastermind site.

This is a sphere, (inside a sphere, inside a sphere) with colored balls that have to be maneuvered into their proper place. And just like the original Rubic's Cube, this one sounds like it should be easy - and it's not. Cass's Sphere lives in his bookbag, where it travels back and forth to school, play dates, appointments, and errands. He usually brings it out when we're in the car, and flicks and twists it, trying to get those balls into their small cubbies. (So far, he's got two. It's a really challenging toy!)

And now, for the really good stuff -

Mastermind is allowing me to give away a toy! Yes, the winner can pick either the Rubic's Sphere or the Wobble Deck, and they will ship it to either the United States and Canada. Let's say leave a comment here before midnight, 10 December, and on the eleventh, I'll break out a random number drawer (or get Rosey to take one out of a hat) and the lucky person will get to have one of these toys for their very own!

(I would love to be able to guarantee that you'll get it for Christmas. But I can't, really. Presents in January are wonderful things too!)

Leave me your email address, please, or make sure I can find it if I have to go to your blog and look for it.

Full disclosure: I was sent two toys, one Wobble Deck and a Rubic's 360 Sphere. I was given these things with the clear expectation that I would blog about my experience, good or bad. I was not otherwise compensated for this post. The winner of the giveaway will receive from Mastermind either the Wobble Deck or the Sphere, your choice. Mastermind will pay for shipping. You must be willing to give me your name and your actual address to pass on to Mastermind so they can ship your prize out to you.

....And the winner is:

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-12-11 20:54:22 UTC

Number 4, witchypoo! Congratulations! I'm going over to your blog now to leave you a note!

Thanks for playing, everyone!

Clorox Green Works products

2009-11-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

Recently I had the opportunity to try the new Green Works Cleaning Line, from Clorox. I was sent laundry detergent and a spray bottle of the Natural All-purpose Cleaner. The first thing I noticed was that the laundry detergent smelled fantastic. Light and attractive, the scent lingers through the wash, the dryer, and even into my kids' dresser drawers!

So now I knew it smelled great. And after a few loads of soccer-stained jeans and mud-encrusted jackets, I knew it worked. It made cleaning my clothes easy - cutting through grease, grime, and dirt easily - and I liked the way it was made with plant-based cleaning agents and essential oils.

I was also sent a bunch of samples and coupons to pass out to my friends - with very positive results! One really liked that it could be used in her HD washer. Another raved about the ingredients - how all the cleaning ingredients come from renewable resources, are biodegradable and free of petrochemicals. And a lady next to me in the check-out line told me that she'd found her four year old son with his nose buried in the towels in the bathroom.

The spray cleaner worked well. The scent was slightly different - oddly more soapier than the actual laundry soap - but it brightened and cleaned my kitchen and bathroom quickly and easily. I would recommend the Green Works line to anyone (and have!) and have started using them in my home.

The Matchstick Company, a Toronto-based PR firm, contacted me to do this review. In return for any of my readers doing this short survey based on your experiences with Green Works products, Matchstick will donate $2.00 to The Redwood Women's Shelter, a Toronto-based safe haven for abused women and families. Survey link here.

Full disclosure: I was sent a box of Green Works products, including Laundry Detergent, Natural Cleaner, a reusable shopping bag, a delicates bag, and a whack of coupons and samples to pass out to my friends. I was given these things with the clear expectation that I would blog about my experience, good or bad. I was not otherwise compensated for this post.

Character Is The Key

2009-10-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

Character Is The Key, taglined How To Unlock The Best In Our Children and Ourselves, is a new parenting book by Sara Dimerman. This book is full of examples and exercises, plans and detailed lists, all aimed at showing parents how to exemplify good character and help their children grow and develop into persons that model fairness, honesty and integrity.

Twenty chapters, in fact, defining what to do between birth and the teen years.

I did not like this book, which made it hard to do a balanced review.

While it reads (wordily but) reasonably well and has enough examples and case studies to break up most of the usual self-help monotonousness, I found the book to be written like a textbook with kernels of truth or life-changing quotes in every paragraph. In other words,a book made to be read with a yellow hi-lighter. Which would be great if I was taking a class or wanted a book to keep on the night table to refer to - for the next fifteen years? I find this style of writing - the kind that tries to give talking points every paragraph tiring to read.

I also found the author's use of the word modelling (her spelling, archaic but correct) on almost every page grating. There's really nothing like stumbling over a word to interrupt the meaning of words and your concentration. And then re-reading pages makes me impatient, which isn't very good modelling for my children.

While this book does say many good things about building character in your children and has some tips and tricks that I will try to enforce in my household, (I appreciated the Short and Sweet section and the abundant Online Resources listed) and is worth a quick read, Character Is The Key will not be the parenting bible it tries to be. Instead, I'll sneak short peeks at it every once in awhile and try to be the best parent I can.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Character Is the Key: How to Unlock the Best in Our Children and Ourselves and received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Nestea Viteo

2009-08-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I received three cases of Nestea Viteo to try. Three flavours - Fuji Apple Green Tea, Acai Blueberry Red Tea, and Mandarin Orange White Tea. Classified in Canada 'as Natural Health Products (NHP), are defined as vitamins and minerals, herbal remedies, homeopathic medicines, traditional medicines such as traditional Chinese medicines, probiotics, and other products like amino acids and essential fatty acids. Since NESTEA Vitao™ is enhanced with vitamins (C, E) and minerals (calcium), it is classified as a Natural Health Product rather than a traditional beverage.' (source)

So good for you and good to drink. It could only be a win-win.

Well, kinda.

Chilled, all three varieties looked and smelled attractive. The Fuji Apple tasted like fresh, crisp apple juice with a distinct-but-not-un-tasty tea aftertaste that quickly became the favorite of my family. My husband took it to work and declared it better than his usual soda, my children smacked their lips after a hot day at play. Viteo came with us to swimming lessons, on long car trips, and coffee breaks. In a tall frosty glass, it was appealing and delicious.

The apple got rave reviews, the Acai Blueberry Red Tea seemed a little sweet to me (and a bit murky - almost grape-flavoured?) but was great for my daughter, and my husband loved that it had both rooibos and blueberry extracts.

The Mandarin Orange White Tea was a bit of a disappointment. Not quite orange-y enough to seem like orange juice, with a flat (metallic?) aftertaste, not even pouring it over ice in a chilled glass rescued it from being relegated to the back of the pack. The recipe booklets sent with the product, with everything from Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Black Tea Reduction to Red Tea Panna Cotta had me thinking about how I could use drinks to cook with and garnered oohs and aahs and 'why don't you cook that??s from my family.

We were sad when they were all gone and will be buying more of the Fuji Apple Green Tea soon.

Thanks, Coke Canada!

Full disclosure: I was sent three cases of Nestea Viteo to my house for myself and my family to consume, with the expectation that I would blog about my experience, good or bad. I was not otherwise compensated for this post.

The Little Stranger

2009-06-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

I don't usually read old house/foggy night/things that go bump in the night books.

But I'm glad I read this one, because it sucked me in the first few pages and swept me away with a tale twisting with logic and despair. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters is a swooping ride that begins with an old memory of a childrens tea at a grand house and broadens to encompass a young doctor and the nearly-penniless family that still lives in the ruined manor.

Something is changing the people of the house. Something...strange. The author wends the spell carefully, dropping hints here and there, never giving you too much information at once, always with the scent of something's not quite right rising from the pages.

There was a point at which I had to close the book and go find my husband downstairs, half-convinced that if I looked too closely at the corners of the room I would espy something.

Something -or someone, casting a pale light.

The ending, while tidy, wasn't the firecracker tell-all I expected - but while it wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped, it certainly brought the entire book to a close well and set me back in the real world with a thump.

I'd be interested in what you thought of it!

The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters

mom central blog tour

2009-06-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

I'm in! I get to be on the Mom Central comes to Canada Blog Tour this year!

What does this mean to you? I get to tell you about Mom Central and the chance to win 1 of 5 Canon PowerShot cameras, along with many more giveaways in the near future.

· Mom Central is a one-stop online resource dedicated to providing busy moms with smart household and parenting solutions.

· At Mom Central, you'll find information on everything from toddler toys and baby-proofing to household finances and green living.

· Check us out here at www.momcentral.com.

The best part for moms - the Mom Central Testing Panel! This is where Moms get to test out the latest and greatest products and services and have their voices heard by companies who care about their opinion. Moms can get involved today by clicking here to register for the Canadian Mom Central Testing Panel. If you sign-up during the month of June, you'll be entered into the draw to win 1 of 5 awesome Canon PowerShot cameras.

Contest is open to Canadian residents only. Contest runs from June 1, 2009 to June 30, 2009. Draw date will take place on July 6, 2009. Winners will be notified by email.

In love with a genie in a bottle (I think that's what he is)

2009-04-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

I have always loved Mr. Clean. It works well, is easy to use and just makes your house smell deeply, nose-bustingly clean.

The original stuff was great. But now they've added Febreze. Mmmm. Now my house smells clean and fresh - a hard thing to pass up!

I also tried the new Mr. Clean Power Multi-Surface Wipes. These are thick and readily take on any mess - including counter tops, the top and front of the stove, and even the inside of my fridge.

(I have a lovely new fridge that goes oddly manky at times. But this took care of the smell, and also scrubbed up all the bits and sticky things.)

The Mr. Clean Erasers? Take years of neglect off lawn furniture. They clean walls. They're amazing.

Now, I need to close this and go find ways to use the Lavender and Comfort Multi-Purpose Spray. Mmmm.

Thank you, P&G!

Go here. At the bottom of the page, choose what country you're from. People from the States, there are coupons, and Canadians? There's a great giveaway.

Direct Red, by Gabriel Weston

2009-04-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

Wow.

It's been awhile since I sat down and devoured a book. And this was full-blown sssh I'm reading pipe down kids kind of concentration, full of sighs and irritated looks at my spouse when he asked me questions that took me away from the page. Questions like 'What did you want to have for supper?' Not picky. 'Is Cass going to that birthday party tomorrow?' Uh-huh. 'Isn't tomorrow Max and Ruby day?' Hon, ask her. 'But...' Bear! I'm reading here!

Exploring the de-humanizing and re-humanizing of a resident training to be a surgeon, this sucks you in from the beginning:

I am about to faint. Methylene Blue. Acridine Orange. I have been holding someone's neck open for seven hours.

and doesn't let go. Ms. Weston uses mercilessly taut phrasing to inform about how being a doctor doesn't mean you automatically know what to do in all situations, exclaim over examples of cockiness, and describes how teeth-gritting it is being treated like the token female by condescending male surgeons.

Full of clear-eyed commentary, this was fascinating. The author has a quick wit and obviously cares about her patients - the glimpses she lets us have of her life are amazing and will haunt you for a long time.

Direct Red, by Gabriel Weston. Check it out.

cross-posted from daysgoby

dream box

2009-03-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

Lately, it seems like my computer time is very limited. Since the unfortunate demise of B's laptop (although a friend is waving his magic wand over it this weekend, cross-your-fingers) I've been sharing the big computer with him.

And then the kids both (both!) clicked in that maybe they should horn in on the action too.

They both use computers for learning at their respective schools, and so we introduced them to PBSkids and other sites that seemed appropriate.

And they love them. And we do responsible limits, blah blah blah, but I'm just sayin' it gets a bit squeezed when I want to work on something at the computer.

And then C figured out one day in school if he typed Transformers into the Google box a page would come up and he could play games. (Much to the surprise of his teacher, who glanced across the room to find he wasn't working on his math skills but racing cars instead.....)

Internet games. Some of which were banned by automatic mom veto, because, my god, have you seen how violent some of those things are?? /rant

But it was clear we needed a program that would suit everyone.

Enter DreamBox. An online Kindergarten thru Grade 2 math learning game that suits both of my kids (a minor miracle in itself) with different games and characters that need your help on adventures. Adventures that can include pirates, dinosaurs, fuzzy baby animals, elves and fairies or lots of other things - your child can choose which characters to hang out with and then complete an adventure with them. For example, Cass had to find the Mama for the crying Baby Dinosaur, and that meant solving problems (I think that was a 'multiples of 10' challenge) and exploring the game area with his avatar. After an adventure ends, they are awarded tokens which they use at the carnival to win prizes for their avatar.

It sounds like many other games - but this one engaged both my kids, had pretty good graphics, and sent me e-mails about their progress. That was impressive. Who wouldn't like getting an email about how Rosemary is learning number groups and did a fantastic job on sorting? It also thrills Cassidy when I print out the certificates that come to my email praising him for finishing an adventure!

DreamBox isn't a free game, but you can sign up for a free two week trial here.

Of course, this doesn't solve my no-time-for-me problem. At all, really. Sigh.

But at least they're having fun.

Ooh, and if you go here you can enter to win three months of DreamBox free!