If there's one thing I learned very quickly being a mom, it's that I'm actually a fan of the second hand shop! Kids outgrow clothing really quickly. 

I seem to be forever buying Little One new pants because she seems to constantly be needing new ones! Just a few weeks after buying her new pants, it's time to buy new ones because she always looks like she's in a flood with her pants so short! For this reason, I'm not opposed to the idea of the second hand shop when it comes to children's clothing.

Sure, I love beautiful clothing, shoes, boots, outerwear and accessories for Little One, but I am also realistic, practical, and smart with my money. I buy Little One brand new items whenever I catch a great sale. A lot of times, Little One's clothes are hand-me-downs from her friends. More recently, her clothes have come from either in-store or online purchases at a second hand shop.

Perfect Threads is an online second hand shop that helps parents clean out their kids' closets by buying their children's new and like-new clothing and in turn, they recycle and sell those clothes at ridiculously low prices! 

The concept was intriguing to me and I was curious to find out how exactly Perfect Threads worked. Perfect Threads is a "gently used kids' clothes" market place. It's simple to navigate and finding items that would fit Little One in the stage she is now was pretty simple. I really loved the ease at which I could select items that would accommodate Little One's latest growth spurt!

This was the first time I had ever gotten clothing for Little One from an online second hand shop. 

Being a Mom is nothing I expected it to be.  Nothing could have ever prepared me for all the amazing moments motherhood would bring. Nothing could have prepared me for all those other moments either. You know those moments - OVERtired, OVERexhausted, OVERwhelmed, OVERstressed, OVERjoyed, OVERthemoon, and so on.

Motherhood is not without the other moments.

Here are some of my favourite moments. They're moments that make me smile.

•      My Little Snugabunny™ Bouncer ($89.99 CAD)
•      Laugh & Learn™ Dance & Play Puppy ($59.99 CAD)  
•     Ocean Wonders™ Aquarium ($54.99 CAD)

I have something to tell you that may cause you some alarm.  My Little One loves her veggies. My four year old loves food. Period.

She is a meat eater, veggie monster, fruit lover...and has adventurous taste when it comes to food. She loves international cuisine. Yet, she tells me with a sad face that her friends don't like vegetables and "they say veggies are GWOSS!"

That makes me really sad.

I've tried to make her meals seem like meals her peers get, without going the high sodium, high sugar, packaged food route. A treat would be a serving of cheese that she can unwrap. I really do think it's the packaging and having something to unwrap that she wants. She doesn't ever eat the stuff I buy her when she pleads with me because that's what her friends get. She leaves it untouched and says she wants "Mama's cooking".

I was so happy to cross paths with Squishy Snak Pak on Twitter back in January! It was rather serendipitous!

Squishy Snak Pak is a snack container that you fill from the bottom and squish out the top. It's made from BPA-free materials and has a choke-proof cap.The best thing about this product (in my opinion) is the fact that you can wash it and reuse it again and again! This is important to me because I do the whole "litterless lunch" thing with Little One's school lunches.


Squishy Snak Pak is perfect because it's safe, reusable, convenient, and it "looks" like a fun "packaged" food  product. Little One won't feel left out because she's not getting all that pre-packaged stuff, and she'll still be getting food that Mama makes. Don't get me wrong. I'm not super militant about the food she gets. She can have treats once in a while, but when it becomes habit or an every day thing, that's when I have issues.

 Check out the Squishy Snak Paks! I love that there's a window so you can see what's in there!

The Snak Pak on the left has an orange and peach Greek yogurt smoothie and the one on the right has a Beet-pomegranate-apple-blueberry-sweetpotato-Greek yogurt smoothie.

{Beet-Pomegranate-Apple-Blueberry-Sweetpotato-Greek Yogurt Smoothie}


Ingredients:
1 beet
1/2 c pomegranate seeds
1 apple
1/2 c blueberries
1/2 a sweetpotato
1.5 c plain Greek yogurt
Honey to taste (if you wish)

Instructions:
You can either use an electric juicer and juice all of the above fruits and veggies and then blend well with the yogurt and honey OR you can cook and puree the vegetables and fruit and mix the yogurt and honey with that.  If you have a juicer, I recommend juicing. We love all the vitamins and minerals raw veg can give you.
If juicing, wash and scrub the veg, but do not peel the skin. The skin is full of nutrients and flavour. Just wash, cut into strips to fit into your juicer, and juice the sweet potato and beets. For added sweetness, you can also juice 1 carrot for this recipe. I didn't do it this time, but carrot and apple make a really sweet combination.

If you decide to cook the vegetables and fruit, this recipe makes a lovely puree for babies.

What I love about the Squishy Snak Paks is that you can add your baby's favourite pureed combinations and it holds up to 1/2 a cup and can be packed in a lunch bag or insulated diaper bag compartment for on the go!

They're even great for freezer storage of portioned baby food made by Mom!

Little One LOVES her Squisky Snak Paks and so does her Mommy!


For more information, visit the Squishy Snak Pak website. Connect with them on Twiiter and Facebook too!

Disclosure -We received the above items to facilitate this honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.

Every parent knows that when you have little ones, they outgrow their clothes so quickly! With our four year old daughter, I'm forever having to get new pants for her because she keeps outgrowing her pants in no time! This is why I'm excited about the Old Navy Baby & Kid Sale!

The thing I love about Old Navy is that the clothes are well-made, affordable, fashionable, and can withstand the wear and tear of everyday play.  I often buy multiples of the same item in different colours for Little One. Plus, Old Navy has something for the entire family!

I've perused the Old Navy site for items for Little One. She's four years old now and loves anything Dora, Hello Kitty, Disney princess or ballerina. Good thing Old Navy  has graphic tees with those characters! Check these out! Huge sale on all of these cute girls' clothes!

Though Little One loves her characters on her clothing, I'm a fan of no logos or characters on clothing. THIS is what I prefer for Little One:

Little One is so petite that she wears anything from a 2T to a 4T. She's got a tiny waist, but long legs and a long torso. I often find things that will fit her in the toddler section

With Old Navy's prices being so great, I often don't just shop for Little One. There are usually a few cute items I find on sale for friends' babies. With my friends having newborns at home, it's so fun to shop for them! I have a weakness when it comes to cute baby clothes! Check out some of the great boys' clothes on sale at Old Navy too!

How adorable are these?

Also, be sure to participate in the Old Navy Pin to Win Sweepstakes. Entering is super easy! Pick one of the Old Navvy outfits featured in my blog post, enter your e-mail and pin for a chance to win daily prizes of $50 Old Navy gift cards and a final grand prize of $1,000 for one lucky winner! How great is that? Good luck!

Disclosure: This sponsored content was brought to you by Old Navy. As always my words and opinions are my own.

When I first found out I was pregnant with Little One, I was determined that I'd be a cloth diapering Mama. I wanted to tread as lightly on the earth as possible and do what I deemed best for my child.

Then she arrived early.

Twelve weeks early.

In the NICU, Pampers was the diaper of choice. Pampers offered not only newborn sized diapers, but preemie sized diapers! They were the tiniest diapers I had ever seen! Even so, they were still too big for our 980 gram preemie! That's almost 2 lbs, 3 oz.!

Little One's primary nurse raved about Pampers, and though I was heartbroken at the fact that Little One wasn't a cloth diapered baby, I knew that while still in the hospital it wasn't feasible.

I will add that when we finally brought her home at 3 months chronological (now that she's 4 years old, we don't use her corrected age), I did try cloth diapering.  It lasted an entire month.  I'm secretly jealous of all the moms who can do it. I just couldn't keep up.

As a mom, I know that finding the right diaper for your child is important. I have to say that I'm glad that Pampers were a part of Little One's early days. If you're going to be spending that much time changing diapers (and babies can go through a lot of diapers!), you might as well make sure they're diapers that a) are gentle against baby's soft skin, b) do their job, c) fit perfectly, d) don't leak.

I also know that when Little One was still a baby, I recall telling my husband, "Wouldn't it be nice to win diapers for a year?"

The truth is, diapers add up.

Well, how would you like to WIN Pampers for a year with Shoppers Drug Mart and P&G?! How would you like a chance to remove diapers from your shopping list and household budget for 2013? Pretty amazing, isn't it?  Use your Shoppers Optimum card between December 29, 2012 and January 25, 2013 and you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win one year’s worth of Pampers diapers! See in store for more details.

Wait! There's still more exciting news! One lucky Life on Manitoulin reader will win a Pampers Prize Pack valued at over $65.

 The Pampers Prize Pack includes:

• Pampers Swaddlers size 1  
• Pampers Cruisers size 3  
• Pampers Splashers size 3-4 
• Pampers Easy-ups size 3-4  
• Pampers Natural Care Wipes 
•  HBC Canada onesie (size 0-3 mos or 3-6 mos)

 Simply enter the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win! Canada Only/ Ends Jan 31st 2013
a Rafflecopter giveaway

By entering the following contest you are accepting that if you win your contact information will be shared with a P&G PR agency for the purpose of mailing your prize.

Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. All the opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.

I don't claim to be a "girly girl", but if one thing is true, it's that I am obsessed with purses, handbags, clutches...and shoes, sandals and boots! My husband could never comprehend my love of accessories.

As a kid, I remember one of the most exciting things to do was to be able to bake cookies or create edible goodies in the kitchen with my Mom. I don't recall this happening too often, but every once in a while we were able to do fun stuff in the kitchen with Mom.

Now that my daughter is three years old and loves helping in the kitchen, I am inspired to have her create some edible treats for Grandma this Mother's Day.  I've been letting her help in the kitchen since she was two. She already helps me with baking cookies, cakes, and bread. She loves putting on her little apron and chef's hat that a friend of mine made for her birthday. Little One even helps me measure out the flour and sugar. She helps crack the eggs and beat, mix, blend, and incorporate all the ingredients. It's a lot of extra work for me (the clean up is ten times more than if I would have just done everything myself), but the process is what is important. Ha! I must remember to keep telling that to myself when there's flour all over my counter, table, and floor!


 I've found for Little One, if she creates something in the kitchen and makes it with her own two hands, she will definitely eat it! We don't have issues with her and eating (the kid eats everything from okra, seaweed, tofu, eggplant to fish, liver, and even things Mommy doesn't eat!). However, I love showing her what food is before and after you prepare it. The amazement in her eyes is classic!

Spring is in the air!  The snow has melted, the birds are chirping, the deer are grazing in our fields, and the coyotes and wolves are making a lot of noise in the bush on our farm.  You were expecting me to say that the flowers are blooming and the sun is shining, right?

Another reason I know it's Spring is that we've got a lot of babies about to make their grand entrance into the world.  Sure, we're expecting our calves to be born on the farm soon, but 6 of my friends are also due soon. Yes, SIX new babies!

This Spring, Fisher-Price is giving everyone something to celebrate!

As of today,  Fisher-Price has up to $90 in savings for you if you use the special coupons available in the 8-page booklet that is available at all stores that sell Fisher-Price, such as Toys R Us and Zellers.  If you haven't picked up your booklet at a store location near you, don't fret! They're available  online through the Celebrate and Save page on WebSaver.ca.

I know people immediately think toys when they hear the name Fisher-Price.  However, Fisher-Price has also made its name with its baby gear. They've got amazing bouncy chairs, swings, high chairs, and more!

With six new babies about to be born, I'm going to need all the savings I can get! So will all the new mamas and papas!

Keeping my friends' new babies in mind, I checked out some of the amazing savings.  A Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair is $10 off (as well as $10 off any baby gear item over $50). The Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium is also $10 off.

A few of the expectant parents are also first time parents. They're going to need baby gear.  I am very excited that they'll be able to take advantage of the special savings on their Fisher-Price baby items!

Other savings include:

• Feature Snugabunny Swing - $20 off any Fisher-Price swing priced at $130 or more
• Ocean Wonders Aquarium - $10 off
• Little People - $5 off any Little People items with combined value of $25 or more
• Imaginext - $5 off any Imaginext items with combined value of $25 or more
• Thomas - $5 off any Thomas items with combined value of $25 or more

Of course, I wasn't only checking out the savings for baby items! I spotted some items my own little one would enjoy.  Our three year old farm girl doesn't have a Fisher-Price farm yet. I know! Unbelievable, right?! I've been wanting to get her one for a while now, but could never decide whether I wanted the Anniversary Edition or the latest one. I noticed that there are savings for the Fisher-Price Animal Sounds Farm! $5 off any Little People items with combined value of $25 or more.

Little One wants me to recommend two of her favourite Fisher-Price toys that she plays with on a regular basis: The Lil' Movers School Bus and Say Please Tea Set.

Hope you enjoy the savings Fisher-Price is offering. If you do take advantage of the coupons, come back here and let me know what you got! I'd love to hear about what items you chose and who the lucky recipients are!


Disclosure: I am a Fisher-Price Mom and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

As a parent, when it comes to choosing the right products for my little one (be it anything from an infant carrier, stroller, or even her first sippy cup), I research company websites, check out reviews, and rely heavily on what other parents have to say about the products.

Parents who have tried and tested said products are a valuable resource to me. This is why I love PTPA! The winning products that earn the PTPA seal of approval are all Parent-Tested, Parent-Approved!


Check out the latest winners over here!  You'll find winning products for all your child's needs. For example, the Click Lock Sippy Cups are perfect  spill-proof and leak-proof cups. They're also easy to grip!

PTPA has got winning products for potty training, breast pump, travel needs, and more! Don't just take my word for it, though. Check it out for yourself!

Sharon from PTPA will be on the Global Morning Show to preview some of her favourite winners on Thursday. You won't want to miss that!

When it comes to administering vitamins or meds to my child, I check the labels carefully, do my research online, ask her doctor beforehand.

When I discovered IronKids, I was really excited because I really liked what I read. The ingredients were ones I was happy with. I really like to know exactly what I'm giving to my child. Plus, the best part was that she absolutely loves her IronKids gummy vitamins! In fact, she is the one who tells us every morning, "MOM!!! You need to give me my vitamins!"
Little One loves the IronKids Omega 3's vitamins. She calls them her "Nemo vitamins" because they're shaped in the form of little fish! The flavours are ones that she likes. In case you're wondering, yes, I've tried them and they're good! I always try things before I give them to my child.

Just like the Adult Essentials vitamins, these are really tasty. I've never been as excited to take vitamins! Now that I have my Adult Essentials, I actually want to take my vitamins! The same goes for Little One with her IronKids Gummies!

One of the even greater things about IronKids Gummies is that they are dairy/gluten/nut-free! How great is that?!

GIVEAWAY TIME!
Would you like to win some IronKids Gummy Vitamins of your own?
The Prize:
A cash prize of $100 CAD paid through paypal AND $100 worth of IronKids products. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Act fast! This is a flash giveaway! The giveaway is only open for 5 days! Open to residents of Canada and the U.S.

I won't lie. When it's really cold out, I don't feel like leaving our cozy, toasty warm house.  Because we live in the countryside, it's quite a trek to get to Early Learning Play Groups sometimes. While I'm on a break from teaching for a few months (for family reasons), I need to keep my 3-year old occupied.

Little One's friends come over twice a week to play and socialize.

In the warmer months, playing outside is great on the farm!  With a few hundred acres of land, it's a great way to tire out engage/entertain 3-year old kids! They either just run around, play with the barn cats, look for fairies in the nooks and crannies of our apple trees, go for walks, climb the rock cuts, supervised by me, of course. In the winter months, playing outside is just as fun. We can build snow forts, snowmen, make snow angels, etc. Sadly, we don't have any snow right now! 

Even though Little One loves the outdoors, sometimes the winter days can be too cold for her to venture out. Even she insists on staying in! This means I need to have lots of indoor activities to keep her occupied, having fun, and learning.

Most of the activities are ones I've stock-piled since I started teaching ESL in 1998. I've taught a few kindergarten classes AGES ago and have since added new activities to my repertoire.

Some activities we've done so far:

1. HOMEMADE SLIME!

Homemade slime is oodles and oodles of slimy fun (for kids and parents)!  It also teaches kids about what happens when  you mix certain substances together! My little one was going around telling people, "I know how to make polymer!"

2. TACTILE RAINBOW MACARONI
I dyed different types of noodles with food colouring and set them aside to dry. The kids played with them, put them into containers, bottles, etc. Then they had fun emptying them into bins. I saved the macaroni and the kids used them for crafts later on. They made pencil holders by decorating used/washed tin cans and glued the rainbow macaroni on them. They also made necklaces and bracelets with them.

3. HOMEMADE PLAYDOUGH
It's not so much playing with the play dough itself that was fun. It was the process of making the play dough that was part of the excitement!

**If you want the recipes for any of the above or below, let me know :)

4. BAKING TIME
Always a favourite indoor activity for Little One and her friends.

Whole wheat pastry flour & organic raw cane sugar cookies with fruit instead of icing. A friend of mine told me about this recipe she found online. It was great fun for the kids and I didn't feel so badly about Little One eating the cookies because they were healthier than regular sugar laden cookies.
 Your not-so-sugar-free cookies below. Colourful, fun to make and decorate.


5. DRESS UP PARTIES
My 3 year old has a closet full of costumes. I'm not joking when I say this either! She has ballerina, fairy, princess costumes, as well as a chicken, lion, and strawberry costume. She loves play dress-up with her friends.

When Little One's friends aren't over, this is what her play time looks like. Yes, tea parties with her Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn™ Say Please™ Tea Set and her stuffed friends.

I have got to say "Thank goodness for Fisher-Price and their Play and Learn Family Activities!" Parents can go on there and click on their children's age groups to find activities that are age appropriate for them! How did I not know this before?!

I checked out the 3-4 Year Activities and was impressed and excited to see all the activities they have listed for children Little One's age.

I am totally saving some of these ideas to use with Little One. Recycle Art, Storybook Theater, and Sand and Water are on my list of activities to do with Little One this month! I know she will love them! I'm making a point to try out all the other ideas listed there too!

Fisher-Price not only has fabulous products for kids of varying stages of development and growth, but they're also a great resource for parents to go to when in need of fun activities that will pique your children's interest!  If you are looking for fun indoor activities to do with your children in the cold winter months, check out the Fisher-Price Play and Learn Family Activities link!
“Disclosure: I am a Fisher-Price Mom and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.”