Girls Night Out

I love this picture that was taken of Shash from Shasher's Life and Janice from 5 Minutes for Mom and I at one of the Blissdom Canada events :). You can see more pictures from that event HERE.

Love you girls and miss you already!!

Mommy's Home!

Saying Good-bye to Blissdom

I just spent the past 3 nights in Toronto at the Blissdom Canada Social Media Conference. It was so much fun! We barely had time to eat or sleep but I am so glad I went. I finally got to meet my wonderful friend Shash from Shasher's Life and we had a delightful time being roommates. She is fabulous and I adore her.  I will miss her so much now that we have to go back to being Skype friends!!! :( If you missed the video of us meeting for the first time you can find it here and Shash wrote a sweet post about our friendship on her blog.

Shash did this video as we were leaving our hotel this morning... it is hard to hear because of the very noisy strikers banging and whistling and yelling and what-not... but you can get the general idea.



bye Shash- I love you too!!

Blissdom Canada Day 1

I am at Blissdom Canada!!

I am exhausted from a full day of travelling and exploring and partying and going to the spa and meeting people in real life that I've only known online... but it sure has been fun :) .

I took this picture of Janice from 5 Minutes for Mom, Tammi from My Organized Chaos and Shash from Shasher's Life.

Here is me meeting Shash for the first time even though we've been online friends for years...

Wordless Wednesday- Princess Aurora?

Black Rapid RS-W1 - Coolest Camera Strap Ever!

This is a picture of me in the midst of my packing-for-Blissdom-Canada frenzy today...but I wanted to show off my super cool RS-W1 camera strap from Black Rapid! They sent it to me to use at the conference and I love it already :).

RS-W1

Now available in both Classic Floral and Ballistic Nylon fabrics

The RS-W1 is BlackRapid's introduction to designing a camera strap specifically for women. Part of the award winning R-Strap line, the RS-W1 is the world's first camera strap that focuses on the perfect fit for the female. While maintaining the traditional "Built for Speed" design, our designers added a sleek curve highlighted with an elegant but slight pattern accent. This RS-W1 provides comfort, speed, and durability along with graceful styling.

Thanks so much to Black Rapid for the super cool camera strap - I can't wait to use it this week to capture Blissdom Canada on film!

Thanks to my fabulous Blissdom Canada Sponsor : WhiteCloud Marketing!

I want to give a huge shout-out to my Blissdom Canada sponsor - WhiteCloud Marketing. 

WhiteCloud Marketing uses world class tools such as Dukky and WhiteFire to support SEO and Social Marketing. I work for them as my "day" job and I love it! My wonderful boss and dear friend - Shash from Shasher's Life - and I are going to networking it up this week together... not to mention meeting for the first time in real life! We've been online friends for years but this will be our first in-person chance to hang out :).

WhiteCloud Marketing is a Social Media Marketing company with a focus on driving measurable results with Social and Search Marketing.

WhiteFire enables companies to:

1. Social Campaign Management System

2. Provide a Significant Viral Lift (50% +) on Direct Mail, eMail, Pay per Click or Print Campaigns

3. Highlight Key Influencers and Sharing Down to the 4th Generation

4. Determine and Optimize Best Social Sharing Site/Channel for your Brand and Offer

5. Integrated Coupon Management, Redemption, Integration with Select POS Systems

6. Analyze Top Traffic Drivers for your Site

Thanks so much WhiteCloud for sending me to Blissdom Canada!!

Thermos Brand is keeping me hydrated for Blissdom Canada!

I just wanted to show off my cool water bottles that ThermosBrand.ca sent me to use during Blissdom Canada this week! I think the ROHO Hydration Bottle (smaller one on the right in the picture) is so funky and pretty. The Stainless Steel Hydration Bottle  (the larger one on the left of the picture) seriously keeps liquids cold for HOURS - like 12 hours. It is amazing. My sons have actually been begging me to let them keep it because they think it looks so cool and they love the strap to carry it around :). You can read the review I did of the Thermos FUNtainer for my kids too.

( and of course I have them labeled with my super cool Mabel's Labels so I don't lose them on my trip).

I just wish I was allowed to carry one of them on the plane with me tomorrow!! Crazy rules :)

Thanks for helping to keep my hydrated ThermosBrand.ca !

Mabel's Labels for Blissdom Canada

I just want to give a quick shout-out to the fabulous Mabel's Labels! They sent me a whole bunch of labels and bag tags for my trip to Blissdom Canada.

I've had a great time labeling and tagging all of my paraphernalia  for the trip!

If you aren't familiar with Mabel's Labels be sure to check out their site- they even have great fund-raising opportunities for schools and community groups and what not. I've been using their labels for the past 3 years with the kids stuff and I LOVE them!

Thanks Mabel's Labels for helping me keep track of my STUFF!!

my Northern Reflections clothes...

A few people asked for pictures of the clothes I got from Northern Reflections for Blissdom Canada so here they are...

Very pretty dragonfly necklace...

1 pretty pink ( or as they call it "rouge") shirt, 1 lovely black shirt and 1 gorgeous silk scarf...

and 1 bling bling necklace for a party...

Thanks again to Northern Reflections for sponsoring some fun clothes for me!

And Off I Go Into the Great Wide Unknown!

This is Olivia up on top of Daddy's feet "flying". She is so darn cute. I tried to capture the look- a mix of excitement, joy and fear all rolled into one. So excited to be up in the air but also a little afraid of falling.

That is kind of how I feel about my trip to Blissdom Canada this week- SO excited to be going but a little afraid at the same time. I am not a very good by-myself-traveller anymore. I think I used to be ok at it but have gotten out of practice and haven't been away by myself in over 3 years. I've never left Olivia over night and the boys don't remember the last time I was away without them.

Everything will be fine- I KNOW it will be. I am married to the best man in the world and he is a wonderful daddy who is MORE than capable of taking care of the kids on his own. He takes everything in stride significantly better than I do most of the time! Gotta love that easy-going personality of his :). I know my kids are in good hands and I know I will have fun.

I just wish I wasn't so prone to anxiety!

Anyway, if you don't hear from me over the next few days don't be offended- my schedule is beyond full during Blissdom! I'll be back on Saturday but will try and post while I am there too :).

Have a great week everyone!

Beyond Top Cutsom Hats

I have a sweet friend named Robyn. We've known each other for several years... our sons went to school together in the town where we used to live.



She is extremely crafty and makes the most beautiful things.

One of her many talents is creating super cool hats and she has opened a home business called Beyond Top. 

Here is a bit about Robyn and Beyond Top:

I am a SAHM of 2 busy little men! When I am not chasing them around, I love anything crafty, including card making, crocheting, and even making my own bath salts & sugar scrubs. I recently taught myself how to crochet different hats, and have started a home business selling them. I will do custom work, where you can choose the style of hat, the color & embellishments. Or choose from hats I've already made! Check back often, as I keep learning new techniques & will be posting pictures of hats as I complete them!!

            

I fully believe in supporting other moms and their home businesses so please head on over to Beyond Top and take a look at all the adorable hats Robyn has created!!

I think Robyn's hats are so super cute! I love all of her creative styles.

 Her hats are very reasonably priced and she is happy to work with you if you would like something special made.

 

Some of my pretty clothes for Blissdom Canada provided by Northern Reflections!

As most of you know I am headed off to the Blissdom Canada blogging conference on Wednesday and I am SOOOOO excited!! Actually we leave tomorrow evening because we live 4.5 hours away from the nearest airport... so we are driving to the city with the airport and staying overnight in a hotel so I can catch my flight the next day.

Sometimes living in the middle of nowhere sucks.

ANYWAY... I have been so blessed to have some fabulous sponsors for Blissdom Canada and I wanted to give a shout out to one of them now.

Northern Reflections provided me with a couple of lovely shirts, a gorgeous silk scarf and two beautiful sparkly necklaces!

I chose this shirt except in black...

 and a gorgeous silk scarf that looks sort of like this to go with it....

And then I chose this pretty shirt except in their "rouge" colour which is the colour in the picture of the first shirt above...

The necklaces are so fun- one is a sparkly dragonfly pendant on a black cord and the other is all silver bling! So fun!

So three cheers for Northern Reflections for helping me look pretty at Blissdom Canada!

I will be sure to post pictures of me in the outfits at the conference... but they are all packed right now and I am so not unpacking them until I get there :) !!

I am actually pretty nervous about the whole trip ... I don't go away by myself very often... or ever really! But I am SUPER excited to meet my wonderful friend Shash from Shasher's Life in real life for the very first time- we've been online friends and Skype buddies for years but never met in person! And I can't wait to meet up with my friend Janice from 5 Minutes for Mom again and see my sweet cousin-in-law Shelagh from Practical Mum again! It has been far too long!

Mereadesso Woman - Win a $2500 Travel Voucher

I got a package in the mail this week for review that I am really excited to try out- the Mereadesso Woman skincare line. I've used it twice so far and love it.

Anyway, they are having a promotion right now where you can get a $20 Sears gift card and enter to win a $2500 Sears travel voucher.

Just click HERE for the entry form. 

Here is a bit about the lovely products...

Mereadesso Face & Neck Cleanser:  A non-foaming all-in-one makeup remover, mask, scrub, and toner that will conquer any waterproof mascara. 

They also sent me an amazing Mereadesso cloth to use.

Mereadesso Neck & Face Toning Gel:  A single step solution for your face and neck full of incentive to toss every other moisturizer, toner, serum, primer, day cream, night cream and eye contour cream you've every owned.  

Mereadesso Beautiful  Body Balm:  A high performance, non-greasy all over body balm, hand moisturizer and foot cream for men & women of all ages and skin types.

Disneynature: The Crimson Wing - Mystery of the Flamingos

THE CRIMSON WING: MYSTERY OF THE FLAMINGOS

Experience a birds‐eye view from Disneynature – the studio that brought you EARTH ‐ as one of nature’s last great mysteries unfolds in The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos. A heartwarming story of survival, The Crimson Wing explores the spectacular lives of a million crimson‐winged flamingos, offering a glimpse of their rare journey. Appropriate for families of all ages, this film showcases a dramatic, never‐ before‐filmed backdrop, as the regal birds wing to another world in an inspiring and colorful story of majesty. Available on Blu‐ray and DVD October 19, 2010.

Trailer



DVD Bonus Features Include:

* Lake Natron Diaries: Behind The Crimson Wing – 5 behind‐the‐scenes pods

Blu-ray High-Def Bonus Features Include:

* Living Planet – Fully interactive through BD‐Live, explore the Earth with up‐to‐date facts, migration information and videos by the filmmakers and leading wildlife experts
* Filmmaker Annotations (CineExplore) – An in‐movie experience with pop‐up facts from the directors Leander Ward & Matthew Aberhard, and screenwriter Melanie Finn
* The Crimson Wing Screensaver

Making Of (Bonus)



MY REVIEW

I found Disneynature: The Crimson Wing to be absolutely fascinating. I learned so much. I can honestly say I had NO idea about the topics covered in this film before watching it- I had no idea that flamingos were so interesting! The images are truly spectacular.

I watched The Crimson Wing with my whole family and we all enjoyed it. It didn't hold the kids' attention quite as well as Disneynature: Oceans did but Owen did ask if he could bring it to school and show his class. The kids asked a lot of questions while watching and that is a good sign that they are engaged.

I am very impressed with Disneynature!!


Baby Flamingo (Film)




Thanks so much to Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment for sending me a review copy of this film.


Oceans & Crimson Wing Shared Trailer

Disneynature: Oceans

We were sent Disneynature Oceans to review and we LOVE it!

Information from the Press Release:

In celebration of World Ocean’s Day, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment today announces the release of Disneynature OCEANS as a Disney Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu- ray + DVD) and 1-Disc DVD, October 19, 2010 and the extension of the “See OCEANS, Save Oceans” efforts – an initiative developed between Disneynature and The Nature Conservancy to help establish new marine protected areas.

Oceans Trailer



Disneynature OCEANS is helping to conserve more than 35,000 acres of coral reef in The Bahamas on behalf of moviegoers who went to see the film during its theatrical opening week. In continued efforts, Disneynature has committed to carry on the “See OCEANS, Save Oceans” initiative by contributing a portion of sales to The Nature Conservancy through Disney’s Worldwide Conservation Fund for every Disneynature OCEANS Blu-ray Combo Pack or DVD purchased between October 19 and 25. As one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, The Nature Conservancy is widely recognized for its efforts to protect vital marine habitats.

Underwater Car Wash (Bonus)



OCEANS on Blu-ray Hi-Def will take viewers on a breathtaking and unprecedented high-definition journey to discover nature’s mysteries, showcasing creatures captured on film for the first time and state-of-the-art imagery of the colorful symphony that lives under the sea. With crystal clear picture, and theater-quality sound, OCEANS puts audiences in the very heart of the action, racing along amid a school of traveling tuna, leaping with dolphins and swimming shoulder-to-fin with whales that will entertain kids and parents alike.

Torpedo Camera (Bonus)



Directed by Jacques Perrin (two-time Academy Award® nominee for Best Documentary, Features for Winged Migration in 2003; Best Picture for Z in 1970) and Jacques Cluzaud (Winged Migration, Les Ailes de la Nature), the two filmmakers venture in, on and around our seas to discover photogenic oddities and endangered wonders. OCEANS dives deep into the very waters that sustain all of mankind—exploring the playful splendor and the harsh reality of the weird and wonderful creatures that live within. These two directors capture mesmerizing footage using the most technologically-advanced equipment that has allowed them to bring this to true high-definition powers.

Power of the Image (Bonus)



OCEANS is narrated by Pierce Brosnan (The Ghost Writer, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Mamma Mia) who has long been affiliated with environmental causes and campaigns including programs such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare's "Save the Whales Again!" campaign.

New Perspective (Bonus)



About Disneynature:
Disneynature, the first new Disney-branded film label from The Walt Disney Studios in over 60 years, was launched in April 2008 to bring the world’s top nature filmmakers together to share a wide variety of wildlife subjects and stories with theatrical audiences. Disneynature EARTH, the first film to premiere domestically under the new label on Earth Day 2009, garnered a record-breaking opening weekend for a nature documentary. Walt Disney was a pioneer in wildlife documentary filmmaking, producing 13 True-Life Adventure motion pictures between 1949 and 1960, winning 8 Academy Awards®. For more information about Disneynature, go to www.disney.com/oceans; to become a fan on Facebook; and/or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Disneynature.

For Every Purchase Between October 19 and 25, Disneynature Will Make A Contribution To Help Protect Coral Reefs

Rising of an Island (Bonus)



MY REVIEW

My whole family absolutely loves Disneynature Oceans. The imagery is absolutely incredible. All three of my kids (ages 3, 7 & 8) watched Oceans from start to finish in one sitting. They were completely engaged. Aiden has declared Oceans to be one of his most favourite movies and has watched it several times since it arrived. He has asked to bring it to school to show his class.

Walrus (film)




I am certain that ALL age groups would love Oceans. My kids love it, Doug and I love it and Grandma loves it too. Disneynature did an amazing job capturing the beauty and majesty of the world's oceans and marine life. I really can't say enough good about this movie. Get it. Watch it. Show to everyone you know. We need to take care of our oceans!!

Otter (film)



Thanks so much to Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment for sending me a review copy of this film.

Oceans & Crimson Wing Shared Trailer

Shutterfly Christmas Cards

I've been getting a lot of emails from PR reps about Christmas stuff lately and now that we have had two nights in a row where the temperature has gone below freezing I've started to think about my most favourite holiday of the year- Christmas!

I love Christmas. I have always loved Christmas. I'm sure at first it was because it was the only day all year I got lots of presents all at once ( my birthday is Christmas day) but now that I am a mom I adore watching my kiddos enjoy Christmas. I love what Christmas stands for, I love the Christmas cheer, the Christmas decorations, the Christmas baking, the Christmas smells, the Christmas presents... I love it all.

Every year we attempt to send out Christmas cards to all of our far-away family and friends (we have a lot of them) and a couple of years ago I discovered the joy that is Christmas photo cards! Not only do they allow us to send pictures to everyone (and really, who doesn't want pictures of my amazingly adorable children?) they are also way easier to do. The only difficult part for us is getting a family picture with all of us in it looking good enough to go on the front of our holiday cards.

I was checking out Shutterfly and I found a whole bunch of cards where you can put several smaller pictures instead of one large family picture... problem solved! I think these are my three favourites ...

1.  I love this one because it is like a collage of happy! The only thing I don't like is that it says Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas.

2.  I love the front of this one and the message but it is a card so I would end up having to write in every single card and I just think that is just too much work!

3. This one might just be perfect though! I could put lots of pictures around the edges and the message is great.

There are hundreds of designs to choose from on Shutterfly though that it is really really hard to choose a favourite! I haven't ordered from Shutterfly before but I am really looking forward to doing so this year :) .

Do you want 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly? Click here to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.


This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

You Can't Keep Those Curls Down

 As you know I got my haircut the other day and my hairdresser styled it all cute... but of course I can't do that on my own so here is my hair in all it's natural curly chaos...

 and here is Olivia just because she is darn cute :)

 

Olivia 2 in 1 Playset * review *

Thanks to Team Mom we were sent some super cool Olivia (the pig) toys and Olivia (my daughter) adores them! And not just because they share a name :).

Product Description (taken from ToysRUs online)

With the Olivia Basic Plush Doll - Everyday Outfit, you can play with Olivia dressed in some of her favorite outfits from the show. High quality 18 inch plush, intricate details and bendable ears make Olivia the perfect everyday carry-along friend.

Olivia,  a playful and imaginative TV series, features a 6-year-old pig who will surely serve as a great role model for your child by encouraging their imagination and creativity!  Your little one can join Olivia as she sets off on adventurous journeys both in reality and fantasy.  Olivia also relates to the "everyday little girl" living at home with her family including her mother, father, younger brother Ian, and baby brother William. This quirky pig is willing to try anything, but at the same time is faced with the boundaries of what she "can" do and what she "wants" to do.  All in all,  Olivia's confidence and optimism are sure to aspire any child!

My Olivia has actually loved Olivia the pig for ages so she was thrilled when these toys arrived in the mail. She sleeps with the plush toy every night and has even brought it to school with her once! But the 2-in-1 playset is, by far, one of the coolest toys we have right now.

Product Description (taken from ToysRUs online)

The Olivia 2 in 1 Real World Playset Dollhouse magically transforms from Olivia's house to her pirate ship! Open the set and play with Olivia in her house - it's just like her real house on the show! 3 different play areas include her bedroom, kitchen and living room. When you're ready to go on a pirate adventure, simply close the set and by opening it from the opposite side, you can magically transform her house into her pirate ship!

The Olivia 2-in-1 Real World Playset Dollhouse includes:

• Olivia figure

• Dollhouse that transforms into a pirate ship

• And more than 23 accessories and stickers!

The fact that it transforms from a house to a pirate ship is beyond cool. My Olivia loves carrying the house around and playing with all the little accessories that came with it.

I will say that we had no idea where exactly the stickers were supposed to go but my Olivia had fun putting them in various places. She has taken the doll house to church, to friends houses and even to play group. She really loves it.

My husband and both of my sons think it is really cool the way the house can transform. My sons both had to transform it several times just to see if they could figure out exactly how it works. It is easy to transform and my Olivia has no trouble doing it.

We have all been pleased with both the Olivia plush toy and the Olivia 2-in-1 playset!

Thanks so much to Team Mom and SpinMaster toys for sending me these toys to review.

Olivia vs. the weather

This is what Olivia wanted to wear to Picture Day today at school (barefeet and all):

This is what she ended up wearing:

Why?

Because it was 3 degrees below zero this morning and the puddles were are frozen over. Winter has arrived apparently. Olivia was not impressed.

But don't worry, her favourite sparkly pink dress still had a twirly skirt.

And it was still fun to jump and twirl in. Even with the white long sleeved shirt and pink tights underneath.

At least we didn't have to cover up the pink sparklies.

 

I love my girlie girl! Can't wait to see how her pictures turn out :).