Link up your Wordless Wednesday posts! Granted, mine wasn't so "wordless" today!
We'd love to check your WW posts out!

I can almost feel it! Summer is almost here! Blue skies and lots of sunshine make me think that beach weather is just around the corner!

I have to say that warmer weather also makes me think of Tim Hortons Iced Capps and Raspberry Frozen Lemonade (which I dubbed #RasFroLem on Twitter last Summer)!  Okay, I won't lie. I also drink Iced Capps in the cold Winter months because I love them.

I'm excited to share with you something super fun!

Chill to  Win with @TimHortons!

The Tim Hortons gift basket includes:

It's no secret that I am obsessed with Twitter.  I pretty much live on there! In fact, Twitter is responsible for giving me pretty much 90% of my blog opps and even side jobs. I kid you not.

Why do I love Twitter so much? It enables me to meet and get to know so many fabulous people. I'm all about the relationships made and cultivated. Engaging is my thing. I'm as chatty in person as I am online. What you see is what you get.

This is how Kathy and Kim Originals and I met!  A group of tweeps, gathered together by my friend, @Dogpaddling would get together (on Twitter) and watch various TV shows. The commentary would be hilarious and I often think it would be so funny to get us all in one room watching together! I wonder if we'd actually be talking or tweeting? Hmm!

Anyway, Twitter has enabled me to cross paths with some pretty amazing people. Every week, I'd tweet with my tweeps and joke around on Twitter while we watched our favourite shows. I quickly fell in love with the ladies at @KathyandKimOrig. If you haven't already tweeted with them, you must do so now!

I was surprised when Kathy and Kim Originals recently approached me to work with them on something exciting! They asked me to review two of their poly mugs. The funny thing is that I have been following them for a while now and often find myself perusing their site! I have been thinking that I'd like to get the loot bag combo for Little One's friends at her next birthday. Yes, I do realize her birthday is in November, and I am in absolutely no rush for her to turn 5 yet. *gasp* FIVE!!!

I'm just really excited about all the products on the Kathy and Kim Originals website!

What kid (okay, and big kid...aka: ME!) doesn't love to have personalized items?! I'm a sucker for personalized anything! This is what we got:

 
Aren't they adorable?

The funny thing is that the image on Little One's mug bears a striking  resemblance to the real life Little One. She was so excited to receive her mug and yelled, "HEY!!! THAT'S ME!!!!"

What I love about the mugs is that they are SHATTERPROOF! You can customize and personalize your items. They make the perfect gift for everyone on your list! I know what I'm ordering for Little One's Junior Kindergarten teacher!

LOVE:

• shatterproof - Little One drops things on the floor quite often, so it's good to know that this will not shatter into a zillion pieces if Little One happens to drop her cup.
• size - The perfect size and weight for a wee one!
• personalized - You and your little ones can create your own special items the way you want by selecting from KKO's selctions (and there are lots of options in colours and designs)!
• Canadian - The company is owned and operated by two Canadian women.
• May be art of a Green living initiative - Little One loves toting her mug with her. I love that she's learning the idea of reduce-reuse/recycle. She always brings her own cup or thermos with her instead of using disposables.
• BPA/H free - The mugs are FDA approved.
• Unique - Great way to express yourself.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure - I received products to facilitate this honest review. All opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

What on earth is a Pomelo, you ask? Well, I could try to sound knowledgeable and worldlier than I am and tell you with authority that a Pomelo is a large citrus fruit grown in South East Asia and the South Pacific islands. In fact, I've only heard of the Pomelo from cooking shows and food magazines. Yes, I am addicted to the Food Network and if the wonderful celebrity chefs say the Pomelo is the next big thing, then you betcha I'm gonna try it!
For our Chinese New Year celebration, my friend brought two Pomelos. I asked why she brought them and she said, "Well, I figured that you were Chinese and I read on the internet that Chinese people eat Pomelo on Chinese New Year, so it was a good idea!"

I had to laugh, because though I am part Chinese, I have never eaten Pomelo in my life. I was excited to try it though!

Observations:

• The Pomelo is huge! It's about twice the size of a grapefruit (before peeling).
• From doing the sniff test, the exterior (the skin/rind) of the Pomelo smells sort of like that of a grapefruit.
• The Pomelo is quite difficult to open, since its skin is so thick!
• The fruit itself looks like grapefruit, only not as soft.
• The texture is surprisingly nothing like any citrus fruit I've ever tasted. It's "meaty" and not juicy.
• It is very delicious, in a not overly sweet way. Only the membrane/pith is bitter.

 Above photos via Wikipedia: Photo of Pomelo segments and Pomelo flesh.

I'm so glad my friend brought these over, because I think they're my new favourite fruit at the moment! This is not good for us trying to eat only local fruits and vegetables though!

I'm married to a frugal farmer, but there are certain things in life I simply will not scrimp on. Ketchup and toilet paper.  I know it sounds crazy, but those are two things I am really particular about.

I've tried dozens of different toilet paper brands and for many years, I thought that by choosing the "green" toilet paper, I'd be saving A) money and B) the environment. Truth be told, we went through a lot more toilet paper with the toilet paper I wanted is to use.  Neither my wallet nor my heiny thanked me for it.

My husband reminds me that in some countries, toilet paper is a luxury. This said, I'm pretty sure he notices the difference between thin, sandpaper-like toilet paper and the soft, luxurious Charmin toilet paper. I am pretty sure he prefers the latter!

Since the holidays are also about comfort and entertaining, "Charmenizing" your home is perfect! What a great way to make guests feel comfortable, welcomed, and taken care of. During the holidays (and even on regular days), our home is filled with visitors. Always.

This year, we are Charmenizing our home! What does that mean?

Every detail from the toilet paper, tissue, linen, and bedding will have our guests in m ind.

Oh! Here's an interesting Charmin tidbit I learned about at the P&G Event in November:
Charmin has an app that can help you find clean washrooms when you're out and about! Don't laugh! I'm totally in love with this app! I for one, have a strong aversion to public toilets and public bathrooms. I'd sooner hold it until I get home than suffer from some of the odiferous washrooms I've had the displeasure of using on road trips or shopping trips. Let me tell ya, I am the Queen of squatting and hovering.

Sadly, my 4 year old daughter has developed my intense dislike for public washrooms. I don't want her to hold things in or have to make me pull over on the side of a deserted country road. Finding a public bathroom where she can sit and not squat is a good thing. Have I mentioned that I have all the "good" bathrooms between Manitoulin Island and Sudbury mapped out for us? I really do. That was one of the first things I did as a new parent with a baby in diapers. Find clean washrooms for road trips.

To check out Charmin's Sit or Squat App, click here.

I'm really excited about Charminizing our home for the holidays.
Oh, I'm not going to keep all the Charmin goodness to myself. I'm sharing it with you guys! One of you can win the following Prize Pack items to Charminize your home!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure - As a #PGMom, I receive special perks, however all thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.

Little One has been obsessed with The Little Mermaid and water spirits and mermaids in general.  During bath time, she pretends she's a mermaid and she recently bought herself a Little Mermaid doll with the money she saved up (she's three years old).

When asked what she wanted to be for Halloween, you can guess what her answer was! A mermaid, of course!

We perused the siren costumes on anytimecostumes.com because that's where we look for all our costumes.    There are so many beautiful costumes to choose from.

I'm a Mom of a three year old and we all know three year olds aren't always the most careful or gentle when it comes to their belongings. We need something she can wear that will endure the test of a three year old wearing it.

The Little Mermaid Child Costume is adorable. The details are sweet with pretty seashell headband and a little "bling". My daughter is all about the bling!

For comfort level, Little One said it was so comfy that she wanted to sleep in it.  She almost made me let her wear her mermaid costume to the grocery store and bank!

We got Item #CC00246 size X-Small (4-6). Though Little One is going to be 4 in a few weeks, she's quite petite. I figured getting a size a little bigger was a good thing though, so she could wear layers underneath for Trick-or-Treating and so she can wear it for another year or two since she loves playing dress up.

If you want to go a step further, you can also get the Seaweed Boa accessory to complete the look! Very cute!
Disclosure - We received the above product to facilitate this honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.

 Me Myself and Us has baking kits that come complete with everything a budding little baker needs to create adorable edible treats. They have baking kits for everything from cookies, cake pops, cupcakes, and brownies! All the instructions are easy to follow. In fact, the instructions are so simple and easy to follow that even my daughter (who is not even four years old yet) can understand and follow!

• Hello Kitty Cake Pops Baking Kit - She's really into all things Hello Kitty at the moment.
• Butterfly Cupcake Baking Kit - Her Junior Kindergarten class is studying the life cycle of the butterfly, so she's also really interested in butterflies these days.
• Keebler Paint Your Own Animals Cookies Kit - We live on a farm and she is obsessed with animals.
• Hannukah Cookie Kit - She wants to make Hannukah cookies with one of her friends who celebrates Hannukah.
• Let's Party Cake Pops Baking Kit - She just loves the sparkly decorations!
• Jack-O-Lantern Cake Pops Baking Kit - Perfect for Halloween
• Snoopy's Brownies Baking Kit - Just in time for Halloween!

 This is what happens when you let your not even four year old have free creative license when it comes to cupcake decorating. Note the technique of arranging candy on Little One's cupcake?

With Little One being our first (and only...for now) child, I always fretted over whether or not we were giving her enough stimulation or too much stimulation.  Were we reading enough to her?  Were we singing enough to her?   I am the first to admit that I was one of those moms that worried about everything.

This is why when shopping for toys for Little One, I always wanted to make sure of a few things:

• Safety
• Durability
• Materials used (ties in with safety)
• Age appropriateness 
• Educational aspect
• Does the toy help with Little One's development

Growing up, I remember getting really excited about the Olympics. I think my earliest memories of the Olympics were from when I was in grade 4. We had a project on the Winter Olympics and I watched TV religiously, cheering on and supporting Canada's athletes. We had a class project and had to research and write about the history of the Olympic Games, some of the events/sports, and athletes. I actually still have that duo-tang with all my hard work, research, newspaper clippings, and drawings.

There is something that gets me all choked up watching as our Canadian athletes represent our country and bring back the gold (or silver, bronze, or even just giving it their all).  One of the most exciting things is cheering on our athletes.

To celebrate the hard work, dedication, and perseverance, General Mills has launched an inspiring Cheer Campaign to empower everyone! Carry the message of our great nation by sporting Cheer gear! Not only are these items fun, but they're also FREE!  Cool, fun, and FREE t-shirts and flip flops with the purchase of selected General Mills snacks and cereal.

As a #LMDConnector, I received my Cheer gear! I got some very cool, patriotic flip flops and my favourite...Multi-Grain Cheerios! Hubby loves the Honey Nut Cheerios, and Little One alternates between the two.  I was sent a specially marked box of Multi-Grain Cheerios, which I was able to use to order my Olympics 2012 t-shirt.

Do you watch the Olympics? Who will you be cheering for? I know I'll be wearing my flip flops and Hubby will be wearing the t-shirt as we show our support for Alexandre Despatie, Benoit Huot, and the rest of our amazing athletes who represent Canada in the 2012 Olympic Games.
If you'd like your own free Cheer gear, after purchasing your specially marked boxes of General Mills snacks or cereal and enter your pin codes online at www.lifemadedelicious.ca/cheergear.

Disclosure - I was given the products mentioned for being part of the #LMDConnector program. All the thoughts expressed on this blog are honest and my own.

I have a little secret.  I love the Old Farmers' Almanac.  I have been getting my Dad a copy of the Almanac every year since we moved up to the Island.  Why?  Well, when move to the Island, gardening becomes a huge part of your life.  Dad always had a green thumb and had an amazing way of growing the most beautiful plants, but the size of his garden here is ten times the size of his garden in the city.

When you move to Manitoulin Island, producing your own fresh fruit and veg is just another regular part of life.  When gardening becomes such a regular part of your life, you often consult the Almanac!  Apparently, it makes for some good bathroom reading too. Shhhhh! I wouldn't know that. I wouldn't know one bit about all the amazing tips on blanching vegetables and freezing them for Winter use, or how best to clean everything in your house with just baking soda.  No. I wouldn't even know about what the best kinds of tomatoes are for certain tomato dishes or that we need to consult the Almanac for the best time to plant seeds. Bathroom reading? Nah. Not me! That's just icky.

Anyway, I've become curiously interested in almanacs, so when I was asked to review A Nature Lover's Alamanac: Kinky Bugs, Stealthy Critters, Prosperous Plants & Celestial Wonders, I was elated!

I know! I am a big book work and I could not stop reading it! Hubby and our three year old also love all sorts of facts and trivia, so this was the perfect family reading material!



Isn't that fascinating?!

Oh, there's much more too! There are so many interesting little-known facts about nature in this book. Trust me, you'll learn something new each day!

One of the things my pre-schooler loves the most is the part that mentions which constellations you can see in the night sky each month of the year. Where we live, we can see the the Milky Way really well because there is hardly any light pollution. We can even view the Northern Lights and Perseid Meteor Showers from our front porch. The fact that Diane Olson's A Nature Lover's Almanac mentions cool tid bits like that, just captured the interest of my three year old daughter!

A Nature Lover’s Almanac is written by Diane Olson and illustrated by Adele Flail (Gibbs Smith, $12.99, Paperback, ISBN:978-1-4236-2224-6, June 2012).
Feel free to click here to preview A Nature Lover’s Almanac on Google Books.

Disclaimer - I was given a copy of A Nature Lover's Almanac to facilitate this review. All the opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.

Never in my life would I have ever imagined having my very own bobble head! It's actually kind of cool!  I guess this is the one time being called a bobble head is actually a compliment? :)

 I'm excited to announce that I have been selected as a Brand Ambassador for the ShesConnected Conference 2012. I was invited to attend the conference last Fall, and had a fabulous time. I met up with other social media women I had been communicating with for a year or so (some even longer!). I also learned quite a lot about social media, branding, and relationships with brands, what our blogs can convey to others and even how social media can 'do good' (examples: Look Good, Feel Better's story about Tamara's Wig, Heather Hamilton's story of her lovely Zack and Zack's Dream Room) from the panels and speakers.

While at the conference, I was able to get to know some of the brands better and from SCCTO I developed great working relationships with some of the sponsors there. I received many opportunities from SCCTO and after. It seemed that the network I was already building (can I tell you how much I love Twitter?!) grew bigger immediately after the conference. Soon after, I was offered opportunities I never thought I'd get. For me, it isn't about the number of opportunities one gets, but more importantly, the relationships you build.

By the sounds of things, this year is going to be a very exciting one over at ShesConnected! Thanks again to everyone at ShesConnected. I am looking forward to being a Brand Ambassador and seeing everyone at the conference this Fall!

In the meantime, I think you should "meet" the other ShesConnected Brand Ambassadors!

 Since Little One and I spent Valentine's Day en route back to the Island after a lovely mini vacation with my brother and his family, we made our Valentine's craft today.  She really wanted to make Valentine's hearts, and she loves making art work for her windows in her bedroom.  We ended up making "stained glass" art with wax crayon shavings and wax paper.
 For this craft, you will need:

• Crayons (great way to use up old or broken crayons)
• Wax paper
• scissors
• string
• toothpick
• tape
• towel
• hair dryer (you can use an iron, but the thought of a hot iron and my three year old daughter being anywhere near it just makes me really, REALLY nervous)

1. On a sheet of wax paper, shave wax crayons with scissors. I used assorted shades of blues and some white for mine. Little One used pinks, oranges, reds, and a few other colours.

2. Place towel under wax paper and fold wax paper in half.

3. With the hair dryer, heat wax paper and crayons until the shavings are all melted and the wax paper melts (so that it seals).

4. With your scissors, cut in desired shapes. We made hearts because...Well, it's Valentine's Day!

5. With a toothpick, carefully prick a hole through the wax paper.  Run your string through the hole, et voila! Now you can hang your stained glass art!


 The finished product:


 Here's another window art craft we did a few weeks ago.

My friend came up with this craft idea for our play date.  It was supposed to be "snowflake art", but with 2, 3, and 4 year old children, it turned into "big globs of colour art"!

You will need:

• white glue
• dish soap 
• food colouring
• transparency sheets or plastic sheet protectors
• bottles with nozzles that the kids can squeeze the glue/soap/food colouring mixture from

1. Put white glue into squeezable blottles and add a drop or two of dishsoap.
2. Mix food colouring into the glue/soap mixture.
3. On a plastic transparency sheet/page protector, let children make their designs with the glue. For older kids, you could place the clear sheet over an image from a colouring book and they can trace it. We were going to make snowflakes, but the kids had other things in mind. The big globs of colour were kind of neat and creative!
 4. Let dry overnight or longer. When the glue is completely dry, it will change colour.
 5. Peel the stained glass art off of the clear plastic sheet and place shiny side onto glass window.

 View from Little One's room. Can you tell she loves decorating her windows?  The great thing is that all of these can be easily removed from your glass windows. They are not permanent! :)
There you go! A fun and easy craft you can do with your children!