These days, I've been feeling a little like Inspector Gadget.

I can magically produce anything and everything  from my purse. There once was a time when my purse contained just lip gloss, my wallet, keys, and cell phone.





Now, it looks more like this:

 Contents?

1. Born Free Twist 'n Pop Straw Cup (I made a mango smoothie for Little One to take on our grocery/bank/post office/do everything and be home to make supper excursion)

2. Purolator slip (picked up an awesome parcel from Hallmark for being part of the Press Pause Panel! Blog post to come!)

3. Business card holder with business cards

4. Lip gloss (Rimmel "East End Snob")

5. 2 diapers for Little One (just in case)

6. Wipes

7. Keys

8. Wallet (don't get too excited, people! I've got no money!)

9. Sandra Boynton books (to keep Little One entertained in case she gets restless)

10. Assorted toys (see #9)

11. Hand cream, children's sunblock (Aubrey Natural Green Tea Sunblock) and hand sanitizer

12. Kleenex

13. Hair clips, elastics, and ribbons for Little One's hair (she always seems to yank them out, so I don't know why I even bother)

14. Memo pad and a few pens (for jotting down notes, addresses, phone numbers, directions, grocery lists, etc).

15. BlackBerry (can't live without it!)

16. Seaweed

Yes! I said SEAWEED!
I carry a few packets of seaweed in my purse because they keep Little One busy and content when waiting in line, at restaurants, in the car, etc. I'm tellin' ya, seaweed saved my life a few times. Little One LOVES seaweed and thinks they're "chips"! Seaweed and kale chips...gotta love 'em!


What's in your purse? Go ahead! I challenge you to reveal what a mess your purse is (or isn't)! 

Seriously, I've been looking for a purse that is fashionable, big enough (but not the size of an overnight travel bag!), and has compartments so I don't lose my keys and cell phone amongst all the other "stuff" all the time! Any ideas?

Yay! 10,000 Facebook Fans for Kidorable! In celebration of their 10,000 fan likes, Kidorable is announcing a special coupon on their Facebook wall! The first 10 fans to use the code will receive the free Kidorable umbrella, rain boots, and raincoat ensemble of their choice, all with free shipping. Facebook url: www.facebook.com/kidorable

Summer is finally here! I can think of no better way to spend the summer than by being outdoors with my family and friends. We live on an island and are surrounded by many beautiful beaches. You know where we'll be this summer!
I am looking forward to creating lots of fun memories with my toddler. She loves running on the beach, swimming, and...playing in the sand!

Melissa & Doug is one of my absolute favourite and most trusted brands when it comes to children's toys. They've got everything from educational toys, art supplies for kids, wooden puzzles, to play food and all kinds of other fun items to promote children's imaginary play and cultivate their imagination! Not only are their toys fun, but they're also safe, durable, and high quality.

My own toddler has an impressive collection of Melissa & Doug toys and puzzles. She loves them! She loves to scoop ice cream and make sandwiches with her toy food and she absolutely loves her Trunki!
You can only imagine how thrilled I was we were when Melissa & Doug sent me us a set of their Sand Play toys!
Perfect timing! The weather is gorgeous, it's sunny outside, and the beach is beckoning! It's definitely time to hit the beach and have fun in the sand with the new Sunny Patch Sand Play toys!
Seaside Sidekicks Sand Baking Set 

When I'm not teaching or helping Hubby with something on the farm, I'm in the kitchen preparing something for my family and ESL students to eat. Little One really enjoys being in the kitchen with her Mama. Sometimes she loves it too much and it makes getting dinner on the table a lot slower.

Thankfully, she now has the Seaside Sidekicks Sand Baking Set! The set is complete with a mixing bowl, a lid (which when turned upside down can double into a sifter!), three measuring cups, a mixing spoon, and a whisk. To say that Little One enjoys playing with her baking set is a huge understatement! She's been screaming, "I cooking! I cooking, Mama!" all afternoon!

 Seaside Sidekicks Sand Cupcake Set
What does one do with a sand baking set? Bake cupcakes of course! With all the mixing and whisking, Little One created adorable sand cupcakes with her cupcake set! Cake Boss, watch out!
The set comes with a cupcake tray, four cupcake tins, four cupcake toppers, a molder, icing tool, and a mesh bag to keep everything handy and together! The mesh bag is by far Mommy's favourite! What a great way to keep all these amazing sand toys together!? Love it!

Seaside Sidekicks Sand-Molding Set
What kid doesn't love to create things with sand? These sand molds help make creating sand creatures even more fun! Mommy loves that all the pieces fit perfectly inside the turtle. It makes for a hassle-free, compact way to store toys when going to and from the beach (or even the sandbox!).

Clicker the Crab Pail and Shovel
A must for kids in the Summer? Definitely a sturdy pail and shovel! There's nothing worse than a cheap plastic pail and shovel that will break into pieces under the weight of wet sand! This cheerful, bright pail and shovel is fun with the adorable Clicker the Crab designs!

 WIN IT!
Want a set of your own Melissa and Doug Seaside Sidekicks Sand Toys? I am very excited to be working with Melissa & Doug and to give one lucky reader a chance to win a complete set of the Sunny Patch Seaside Sidekicks sand toys! That's right! All FOUR sets of Sand Play toys! Melissa and Doug is generously offering a prize pack of all four products to one reader!

To win, leave me a comment on my blog and tell me how these Melissa and Doug Seaside Sidekicks Sand Toys would make your summer an even better one! (1 entry)

Please leave your e-mail address (and a separate comment for each entry if you are making additional entries).

Additional entries:

1. "Like" Melissa and Doug on Facebook and tell them  Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island  REVIEWS sent you. (1 entry)

2. Follow Melissa and Doug and @chancesmommy on Twitter and tweet this giveaway!
    "I entered to win a @MelissaAndDoug prize pack from @chancesmommy http://fb.me/OO39mufe" (1 entry)

3. "Like" Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island REVIEWS on Facebook. (1 entry)

4. Follow me on Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)

5. Follow me on Networked Blogs (1 entry)

6. Grab my button and post it on your site. Please leave me the link where I can find where you posted. (1 entry)

Contest Rules:
This contest is open to U.S. residents only. Contest ends on Friday, July 15, 2011 at 11:59 PM ET. A winner will be chosen at random via Random.Org and will be notified by e-mail. The winner has must respond within 48 hrs of being notified, otherwise another winner will be chosen. The prize will be mailed directly to the winner from the prize sponsor.


Good luck, everyone! Hope your little ones enjoy these sand toys as much as my toddler does!
DISCLOSURE: This giveaway is sponsored by Melissa & Doug. All the thoughts and  opinions expressed on this blog are my own. Facebook has no responsibility for this giveaway.

My a-little-over-two-and-a-half year old was quietly playing in her toy room when the summer students were watching a movie after supper. It was some Ben Afleck and Blake Lively movie with a lot of violence and "offensive language".

We didn't realize just how big Little One's ears were until we heard her bang something against the wall and yell, "F@#K! F*^K! F#@K! F^#K!

I looked at the students and said, "Did you hear what I heard?"

Giggles.

Thinking of a way to make this situation light, so that Little One didn't think it was a big deal, I said, "[insert Little One's real name here], would you like a fork for your yogurt or a spoon?"

I brought her to the kitchen and had her repeat the words "fork", "spoon", and "knife" and  clapped emphatically after she repeated the words. She doesn't pronounce the "s" at the beginning of words, so I'm trying to work on that with her. It's actually kind of endearing...and funny.

The other morning, we were having breakfast and she said, "Mommy, I want POON!"

The students and I couldn't help but laugh because if you're from the city, you know that "poon" is also a word used for part of the female anatomy! Okay, it's not a very nice way of saying it! It made the students laugh even more when Little One said, "I want POON! I want to hold it!"

Roaring laughter from everyone except Little One, who looked mildly confused.

Yikes! Young children are very impressionable. Hubby looked at me and said, "You're the linguist. What are you teaching our daughter?!"  He was joking, but I kind of feel like we should not watch TV at all when she's awake. We have to watch what language our visitors use when in her presence. We have to be extra careful and mindful of what we say. Then again, how much is too much and can anyone ever be too careful or protective of what their kids are exposed to? Ack!

Little One has had a word explosion in the past few weeks. I cannot believe my little baby has gone from needing to be coaxed to speak to talking non-stop! Not just that, but the things that come out of her mouth are incredible!

For example:

"Mommy, pick my nose! I have a booger!"

"Daddy, why are you naked?"

"Mommy, wake up! Get out of bed! Get dressed! Look at me!"

"What's that noise?"

"Mommy, I pooped!"

"I need to go toilet!"

"I want that one!"

"I want to go beach!"

"I need to wash hands!"

"CAT!!! Don't poop in the garden! Go away!"


Of course, things aren't always so rosy.  We've been experiencing our share of "I don't want to go to bed right now" and "I don't want to do what you want me to do".

Good times!

Canada Day long weekend began with a trip across the water from the Island to Tobermory.
Since we have students with us this summer, we thought it would be a great occasion to spend the day in Tobermory, walk around, grab something to eat for lunch, check out all the neat little shops, go on a glass bottom boat tour of the shipwrecks, explore and walk around Flower Pot Island, and make it back to the Island on the last boat so we could catch the fireworks in South Baymouth.

We passed my dream house on our way back. There were some stunning houses and some even had observation decks on the roof! I keep hinting to my husband that he really wants to sell the farm and get a house on the water! ;) Just kidding!

Of course, we couldn't let our ESL student return to South Korea without sampling something truly Canadian. The Beaver Tail.

We made it back to the Island in time to catch the fireworks display. It was brilliant - even better than I had expected. Each year they seem to get better and better.

Saturday began with a birthday party for one of Little One's friends. He turned 4 on Saturday and the theme for his party was "BUGS"! I don't know if I've mentioned this, but I'm deathly afraid of insects!!! Clowns, heights, insects, and small spaces freak me out.

It was a great party. The kids had fun. Little One didn't want to leave, but we had a Canada Day parade to rush to. After the parade, we went home for a little rest and then headed back to South Bay for the fish fry.

Sunday was a scorcher, so we spent the afternoon at the beach. Little One just loves the sand and crystal clear water. We are so fortunate to live so close to such gorgeous beaches.


Hanging out with the students. Little One is always around people and enjoys the company.

Sunday evening was spent with Daddy too! Daddy's always so busy, so it was a treat to have him for a few hours. We took the boat out on the lake for a little cruise.


What a lovely way to end the long weekend.

Thank you to everyone who entered the Ultimately Chocolate TOFFLE giveaway and for joining in on The Great Canadian Blog Bash! I hope you had a great Canada Day long weekend! The winner has been chosen via Random.Org.

409cope said... 87

I tweeted-https://twitter.com/409cope/status/85147786709958656 cardshark42(at)hotmail(dot)com

June 26, 2011 8:50 PM 

409cope is the winner of a box of Toffles. An e-mail has been sent out to you for shipping information. Please check your inbox and reply within 48 hrs.

Life has been insanely busy with the toddler being in her "terrific twos", me teaching, having students at the house with us for the summer, the farm, the freelance work, extra-curricular activities, committees...just to name a few things.

I had to bring the toddler to a meeting last week since I couldn't find childcare at the last minute. She was great, except for the constant wanting me to play with her and read her books. This, my friends, is why it's really not recommended to take little ones to your meetings. It's distracting and can sometimes prove to be unproductive. She was so good, but it really is a lot to ask of a 2.5 year old to sit and stay occupied for an adult meeting. Of course, she had toys and books to keep her busy with, but nothing is ever as good as having Mommy play too. *sigh*

Secret Mommy Confession:  After the meeting, I was almost in tears. I asked some of the other women there how on earth women survive?! We work all day at our jobs, work all evening and night at our home and take care of our families, we don't get much sleep, we don't get many breaks. How do women survive? Better yet, how do women not burn out or go nuts? Oh, I'm totally not joking.

Little One is simply adorable and I love her so  much. She's just into everything and she's so busy all the time! Sometimes, I wonder if having children earlier in life would have been easier? Then I think of all the things I know now and all the experience I have as *gasp* (dare I say it?) an "older mom". I just don't seem to have the energy I had when I was in my twenties. I'm 35 and Little One is just over 2.5 years old.

I find my patience wears thin really easily after a long day of teaching. I want to just soak up all my time with her and enjoy her at this age, but after racing home from teaching, there's supper to be made, work to do around the  house, and a whole slew of other things to do. It pains me to feel like I am not giving her all my time when I am at home.

I need to go to Zumba and exercise classes during the week because A) I need and love the exercise and B) That hour of working out refreshes me and gives me a break from the whining and acting out. Sadly, my little munchkin has become very whiny for her mommy and is very vocal about her wants and her dislikes. Though I know that working out is good for me, I feel really guilty (not always self-imposed) for taking a few nights a week away from my toddler.

Then I have friends who seem to be so "together" with the whole parenting thing. They don't complain, voice their frustrations, fall apart, or feel like crying sometimes. At least, they give that illusion. My close friends and I feel comfortable enough to talk about everything we are going through and how we really feel. The SuperMoms out there just make me feel like a completely awful mom for losing it sometimes.

I'm just so exhausted all the time.

Thankfully, despite the whole whiny, cranky, bossy attitude from Little One sometimes, on the whole, she is an awesome kid. She's so inquisitive, loving, sweet, smart, funny, and my everything. I just wish I could be more patient, not worry about cooking, getting housework done, and doing other things. I don't want her to remember me losing it or being stressed out at the state of our house all the time. When she gets older, I want her to remember that I read to her every night (book after book...after book!), sang with her, played outside with her, coloured with her, and took  her to cool places. I want her to remember all of these things. I really am making an effort to not be "that crabby mom" who is overly concerned with how immaculate the house is. I can't  help how much it bothers me that the house is suffering since I've gotten so busy with everything.

How on earth do some moms have it so "together" all the time? 

I hope Little One does know how much I love her and how much the time we spend together means to me. I  hope she always remembers the time we spend on the beach together.

Canada Day is fast approaching and what greater way to celebrate than by participating in The Great Canadian Blog Bash?
Follow fellow Canadian bloggers for this celebration and make sure to check out the hosts of this great party!  Mom vs. the Boys, Whispered Inspirations, Pampered Patty, Kat's Confessions, and Good Girl Gone Green :)

Oh, Canada!

As an ESL teacher (English as a Second Language teacher), I am in contact with people from around the world every day.  My job is mainly to help students improve their speaking, listening, reading, writing, and grammar skills, but I also help them learn about Canadian culture.  Basically, they become immersed in the culture and the language. What better way to learn a language than to just delve right into the culture?

This means that I need to expose my students to all things "Canadian".  Without being stereotypical or too cliche, we try to offer our visitors from other countries an experience to remember. What do we think all visitors to Canada should experience?

* Visiting the cabane a sucre (sugar shack) and seeing how maple syrup is made. There's nothing better than having a pancake breakfast with the works and slathering pure Canadian maple syrup all over everything!

* Visiting Vieux Montreal/ le Vieux Port (Old Montreal and the Old Port) in the summer. Take in the sights of this beautiful, magical, historic city! Listen to street musicians, sit at a patio restaurant and have a cool drink, or sample a Queue de Castor (Beaver Tail) pastry. There's so much to do in Montreal! Of course, having lived there for 23 years, I'm not biased at all!

* Eating real Poutine! Only in Quebec can you experience real poutine! They use a gravy known as "poutine sauce" and real cheese curds. Though this is definitely not your #1 health conscious choice, you can try it just for the experience. Quebec = poutine + beer + hockey!

* Also on the Montreal list are two Montreal traditions: smoked meat sandwiches at Schwartz's Hebrew Delicatessen and Montreal bagels. St. Viateur Bagel and Fairmount Bagel are my favourites! As a former Montrealer, I cannot eat bagels if they are not from Montreal. I know, I know. Total bagel snob!

* Spend some time in historic Quebec City.

* Toronto - Film Festival, Taste of the Danforth, visit Casa Loma, check out the Bata Shoe Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario...and of course, visit the CN Tower. There are tons of things to do in Toronto. These are just a few to begin with!

* Niagara Falls - No ESL student travels to Canada without visiting Niagara Falls!

* Go wine tasting and experience fine dining on Niagara on the Lake. While you're there, make sure to pick up some ice wine to take home with you!

* Appreciate the sights on the East Coast! Though the only Maritime province I've been to is New Brunswick, I have always wanted to visit Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island! Call me a geek, but I've always wanted to go to Anne's Land! Huge fan of Anne of Green Gables  here!

* Vancouver and Victoria are two of my favourite places in Canada. There are plenty of things to do and British Columbia is such a beautiful province!

* Of course, living on Manitoulin Island, I'd have to say that you need to visit "The Island"! Take a stroll on the boardwalk and soak up the scenery. The white sand beach and the turquoise water at Providence Bay will blow you away.  Hike up the Cup and Saucer hiking trails, check out the Bridal Veil Falls, treat yourself to something sweet at the Chocolate Works, appreciate the talent of the many artists on the Island by checking out the Perivale Art Gallery, catch a musical at the Burns' Wharf Theatre, go stargazing at Gordon's Park (and if you're lucky, you might even see the Northern Lights), go to the Farmer's Market and sample local fare, make sure to buy local produce from the Gypsy Family Farm, take a coffee break at Loco Beanz, and have a delicious and healthy dinner at the Garden's Gate Restaurant... These are only some of the many things you can do on beautiful Manitoulin Island!





is.
Ultimately Chocolate is giving one of my lucky blog readers a box of TOFFLES! What are TOFFLES, you ask? They're decadent and delectably smooth chocolate truffle, surrounded by a rich, dark chocolate toffee.
*TO ENTER:*

Simply leave me a comment in the comments section of this blog, telling me what you love best about Canada or what your favourite thing to do or place to visit in Canada is.
Please make sure you leave your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. Also, please leave one comment per entry if you opt for extra chances to win!

If  you'd like extra chances to win:
- Follow me on Google Friend Connect.
- Follow me on Twitter @chancesmommy
- Tweet this post/giveaway
- Like us on Facebook

**Giveaway ends on July 1st, 2011 and is open to Canadian residents only.** 

One of the things I have learned in my recent experience as a blogger, product reviewer, and giveaway host is that readers really do take the time to enter contests and giveaways.  Readers invest their own time to comment, tweet, post links on Facebook, tell their friends and family about all these amazing products, and promote these products and companies. They help grow small businesses, increase their fan base, and basically tout how wonderful these businesses are.

Barring postal strikes (Canada Post, please return services to the masses! I miss receiving my mail) and the occasional delay in getting prizes out to contest winners, I have had an amazing experience working with all the companies that have been so great in sponsoring contests and giveaways. I love all the companies I've worked with and believe in their products. I have been fortunate to have no complaints whatsoever...except for one recent incident.

Of course, I am not going to publicly name this business or say anything slanderous about anyone. That is not how I am and I don't believe in publicly dissing anyone. It's just that when so many people have taken the time to enter a contest and help promote one's business, one would think that the prize would be honoured.

The contest winner was announced, I got the winner and the sponsor in touch via e-mail and Facebook. A prize was to be shipped out and the winner was very happy and excited.  Weeks passed, and nada. Nothing. E-mail messages were left without replies, and the winner asked me if I could look into it. I followed up with the sponsor, and still no word. Finally, the sponsor said that she had been busy. Then she had e-mail issues. I gave her the benefit of the doubt and followed up, making sure things were still good with the winner's prize. Yes, all was good.

Weeks followed, and still no prize. Once again, the winner contacted the sponsor. The sponsor had lost the winner's mailing address and choices for her prize. She would send it as soon as possible.

A few more weeks and still nothing. The winner contacted the sponsor again. She asked me to follow up once more. Nothing. No acknowledgement of the messages we had sent. It came to a point where I felt uncomfortable and as if we were harassing or hounding the sponsor and it should not have to be that way.

The winner got fed up (ummm...that's a very mild way of putting it!) and sent a final message to the sponsor, stating that it was fine and that she no longer wanted the prize. I felt awful that the winner had given the time to enter the contest and had not received her prize. I even offered to send her some chocolate from the Island as a token of my appreciation for even entering the contest. I felt awful that she had to experience that whole ordeal.

Needless to say, both the winner and I have "unliked" (Ha! Shouldn't it be "disliked"?!?) the sponsor's page on Facebook and will never ever be making any purchases from this sponsor. Not only did the not honouring the prize part leave a bad taste in our mouths, but the customer service was horrible. Wait. There was no customer service!

On the flip side, I realize it is a lot of work to be a mompreneur and to run a small business. I understand that sponsoring giveaways requires one to spend money in order to build a fan base or increase sales. I know that many moms who run businesses have full time families and a zillion other things to do.

All I am saying is that if you approach someone to run a review and giveaway, please honour your word and send the winner of your contest his/her prize. They enter these giveaways in good faith. They invest their time and show interest in your products and services. These are people who are possibly future customers. Is this the way one treats their customers?


*Edited to add:  We have recently learned that the sponsor has had numerous complaints similar to ours by people who have made purchases from her. A) She hadn't replied to messages from buyers, B) Many people hadn't received their products (which they had paid for!), C) Many people have just said to forget it and send them their refunds, etc...