Thursday, July 31, 2014

#Win 4 Tickets to Walking With Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular in #Ottawa


Wouldn't it be neat to be able to see Dinosaurs up close? Not just the ones created for television and movies, but actually walking around?

A Drive On A Bridge

Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge
It's really interesting to see what simple things make kids happy.  Growing up, when my dad would drive us to his parents house for a visit, we would go one of two ways.  Either over "the big bridge" or over "the little bridges".

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Summer Fun With My Boys at Valley View Little Animal Farm

I had so much fun with my guys today!  We headed out to Valley View Little Animal farm for some outdoor playtime and fun!

It's one of the places that they love to visit every summer, and we can easily spend a few hours wandering around and playing.

The Third Rule of Ten - Book Review

 Third Rule of Ten

The Third Rule of Ten (February 2014, Hay House, INC.) This is latest mystery installment from best-selling authors Hendricks and Lindsay featuring the ex-Buddhist and ex-LAPD officer turned go-to private detective, Tenzing "Ten" Norbu, and his bevy of high-profile clients. A new investigation leads him down a path littered with deadly clues reminiscent of an old enemy. In a profession that depends on confidentiality, Ten must accept that there is a fine line between healthy privacy and dangerous secrecy.

I love to read.  It's how I spend most of my "me time".  I normally choose romance novels, but when I was approached about reviewing The Third Rule of Ten it piqued my curiosity.  The Third Rule of Ten has just the right amount of mystery mixed in with everyday life.  It does happen to be the third in a series of novels; however, I  haven't read the first two and I was able to get into this story without issue.  I think it would probably give you a little more back story to the main character, Tensing Norbu, but definitely not a must to read the book.

Tenzing Norbu is an ex-LAPD officer and now a private detective.  He is selective about the cases he accepts, and discretion is always a priority for him. His latest case starts off as a search for a missing person, but quickly leads him to discovering a hidden part of life in LA.  While he races through Los Angeles, it also has him crossing the border into Mexico.  

Do you like to read? What is your favourite genre?


Thursday, July 24, 2014

Imagination Movers - Back in Blue Tour #IMCanadaTour #giveaway

My kids are big fans of Disney Junior, and have always loved the Imagination Movers.  I know that they are going to be ecstatic to find out we are able to attend the upcoming show in our city!


Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

My Date With Mr. J

Mr. J has been saving his money, and when he received a chapters card for his birthday, decided he wanted to buy some LEGO with it.  Between the card and his cash, he had $60.00 to spend.

We headed to our local Chapters location on Sunday morning.  He browsed the books, but quickly decided that his money was better spent on something else, since he can borrow books from the library for free. When we got to the LEGO section, he had a very hard time choosing.  The 2 sets he wanted the most were quite a bit more money than what he had to spend.

Friday, July 18, 2014

The Other Woman - GIVEAWAY

The Other Woman is coming to DVD and Blu-ray, July 29th!

It’s time to get even! Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment takes girl power to a whole new level with THE OTHER WOMAN, debuting on Blu-ray & DVD July 29. With Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann as the leading ladies and newcomers Kate Upton and Nicki Minaj bringing the jokes left and right, ladies all over better be ready for the perfect movie to end their summer in style! Cameron Diaz leads a knockout cast in this irreverent comedy about love, lust and the laws of karma. New York attorney Carly Whitten (Diaz) is nobody’s fool. So when she accidentally discovers that her too-good-to-be-true boyfriend Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is married, she’s less than thrilled. Not only that, she and Mark’s wife Kate (Leslie Mann), learn about yet another mistress (Kate Upton)! Great boyfriends are hard to find, even in the movies. To prepare you for the release of The Other Woman, we have made a list of the top ten boyfriends that Hollywood films have to offer.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Park Time

One of my kids favourite activities is digging in the sand.  They love to build roads, castles or volcanoes - and getting dirty.

Friday afternoon was beautiful, and the boys and I headed to our local playground.  It's less than 5 minutes to walk there.  For the first time, I let Mr. J head over on his bike while I was still gathering up the toys and the wagon.  This is a new thing for us, giving him some extra "freedom" and expanding the boundaries we have had for the last few years.



When I got to the soccer field, I could see a group of boys (ranging in age from 8-12, with one older one around 15).  They had their bikes and some were riding around the soccer field, while others were playing on the structure.  Mr. J was hanging back, I think he felt intimidated by them (they weren't doing anything to make him feel that way at all, they were just hanging out together.  I was happy to see that ALL of them were wearing helmets while on their bikes! So often I see teens with either no helmet, or it's hanging off their handle bars)

When Mr. K and I arrived, we parked the wagon in the sand and he got to work.  Mr. J decided he wanted to ride his bike on the loop of paths that surround the area.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Rio 2 Is Available On Store Shelves Today (July 15th)


Rio 2 Available on Blu ray July 15th
Every now and then a movie comes along that the whole family enjoys, and inevitably ends up being watched on more than one occasion (sometimes more than once in a WEEK).  For us, one of those films was Rio. When we found out there was a sequel being made, we were all super excited.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Thursday, July 10, 2014

#cerealandmilk Start The Day Off Right! Kellogg's Giveaway


What do Bert & Ernie, Forrest & Jenny and Thelma & Louise have in common? They go together like a bowl of cereal and milk of course! For the 78 per cent of Canadians who eat cereal for breakfast, cereal and milk are practically inseparable. In fact, according to the Kellogg’s Cereal & Milk Survey, 85 per cent of cereal lovers say they can’t have one without the other.
Although it’s clear that Cereal & Milk are best friends in a bowl, the survey revealed that across Canada, star-crossed cereal lovers actually disagree on the ideal cereal to milk ratio. Forty per cent (40%) say that one third of the bowl should be filled with milk. Thirty per cent (30%) maintain that you should add milk only until your cereal begins to float. And a small but mighty six per cent (6%) of cereal experts are adamant that there should be more milk than cereal in the bowl.
Canadian cereal lovers were more definitive about whether they like their cereal crunchy or soggy. With 83 per cent of respondents saying so, crunchy cereal is what Canadians crave. Still, that means nearly one-out-of-five (17%) favour soggy cereal. Yes, you read that correctly: soggy cereal.

For more information, check out the Milk & Cereal website.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Win Your Own Sands Alive! Kit - Review

I am always on the hunt for things that can keep the kids occupied indoors if needed (super humid days, thunderstorms etc).  When I was contacted to review Sands Alive! I knew I had to give it a chance with the kids.

 Sands Alive!

SANDS ALIVE!
Consisting of sand and other natural ingredients, the only way to describe the feeling of this material is sublime!...
These natural, non toxic and organic ingredients create a compound agent that binds together to create an environment in which it is not physically possible for bacteria to grow!
Will Never Dry Out
Non Toxic
Bacteria Free
Soft To The Touch
Educational
Easy to Mold
Will Hold it Shape

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Mr. J's 7th Birthday - LEGO Party

Like most kids, Mr. J has a fondness for LEGO.  A few days after his Angry Birds birthday party last year, he announced he wanted a LEGO party this year.

I searched on pinterest for ideas, I found a super cool cake idea, but Mr. J had his own design in mind and wanted to decorate it himself.  I purchased some silicone brick and mini-figure moulds online, and then purchased candy wafers in different colours from Bulk Barn.

His cake creation - I baked the cake, made the brick and
mini-figure moulds and the writing. He designed and put it
into place.

I had a very hard time finding any kind of LEGO decorations (apparently all the old LEGO party stuff has been discontinued as they will be releasing The LEGO Movie decorations, but that has yet to happen).

I managed to score a display from our local Walmart store (I was buying supplies and saw some signage; I asked the manager if there was anything he was able to get rid of and he told me I could have the display. Mr. J was pretty excited when he came home and saw it in our front hall!)



I found a template for a printable LEGO head and printed some out to make garlands with.
 I used a needle and thread to make the garland, and then a small piece of tape on the back of each head to keep them from moving around on the thread.


 I also printed a larger one to use as a sign for "Guess how many LEGO men are in the jar" and also a template for a colouring page of a LEGO man.


When the kids arrived, some played soccer in the backyard, and others chose to colour a LEGO man. After about 45 minutes, we moved inside for some fruit skewers (strawberry and watermelon) and juice boxes.  After that, Mr. J opened his gifts (he received some pretty cool LEGO sets, Beyblades and Hot Wheels!)

all excited to see what gifts were brought

I wanted to get a LEGO mini-figure for each of the loot bags, and I found some Simpsons mini-figures at Tag Along Toys, as well as packages of LEGO markers.

To finish off the loot bags, we had a pinata and once it was broken the kids were able to grab some of the goodies to fill their bags.



all the kids had 3 turns, then I took a swing...then hubby finished it off

We went inside for cake, and then half the kids wanted to play soccer again, and the other half wanted to build LEGO.  Hubby has a large rubbermaid container filled with LEGO pieces from when he was a kid, so we opened it up and let the kids get creative.


Monday, July 7, 2014

Sunday, July 6, 2014

smarTrike Giveaway


"The 4-in-1 Touch Steering Chic tricycle is the ultimate outdoor experience. Equipped with patented Touch Steering technology, the Chic enables parents to steer the trike just like a stroller, directing it easily in any direction with the lightest touch of the parent handle. The red navigator button allows for easy transition to child steering control. Its 4-in-1 capability allows the trike to grow with your child from the age of 10 months up to 3 years old."

Kids like to be independent, but they don't always have the ability to do what they want to do.  The smarTrike is a great item to have for those times.  It allows them the independence to ride a bike and do something fun (that their older siblings might be doing) but still allows the parent to control it.  I can remember many times being out for a walk with my kids, and they would be on their tricycle.  Half way through our outing, they would be tired and not able to continue home.....which left me carrying them AND the trike.  This would have come in so handy on those times, as I would have been able to push them home.

Tales of Mommyhood is happy to offer our readers the chance to WIN their very own smarTrike in black. Open to Canadian residents that are 18+ (excluding Quebec).  To enter, fill out the form below.

Good Luck!
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Tales of Mommyhood did NOT receive compensation for this giveaway and is NOT responsible for prize fulfillment. Winner will have 48 hours to reply back to email notification and shipping information will be passed on to the sponsor**

Friday, July 4, 2014

Happy Birthday Mr. J and Happy 4th of July!

7 years ago I was blessed with one of the most precious gifts, becoming a mother.  Mr. J was born at 3:16am on July 4th, 2007.  He had a rough start to his little life, but he overcame it all and turned out to be a wild, rambunctious little boy.
Happy Birthday Mr. J

For all of you celebrating the 4th of July today - have a wonderful time with your friends and family, remember to stay safe!

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Rio 2 - GIVEAWAY (closed)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BRING HOME THE BIGGEST PARTY OF THE SUMMER!
“A Total Blast” (Pete Hammond, Movieline) 

Get More Music, More Fun and More Laughs When the Hilarious Comedy Adventure Flies Home on 3D Blu-ray™, Blu-ray™  DVD July 15 

The Blu-rayTM Comes with More Than an Hour of Special Features 

Including 15 Exclusive Levels of ANGRY BIRDS RIO and Two Bonus Songs! 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (June 2nd, 2014) – Get ready to shake your tail feathers! Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment takes you deep into the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest for the most fun you’ll have all summer, as RIO 2 debuts on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD July 15. Just in time for summer vacation, this “hilarious family adventure” (Jeff Craig, Sixty Second Preview) will samba its way into your home with exciting bonus features and extras everyone will enjoy. Projected to eclipse more than $490 million worldwide at the box office, the animated hit is the must-own family title of the season.

The cast of the animated hit comedy Rio returns — along with a new flock of all-star voice talent, including Bruno Mars, Kristin Chenoweth, Andy Garcia and more — in this high-flying sequel for the whole family. The party continues when Blu (Oscar® nominee Jesse Eisenberg1), Jewel (Oscar® winner Anne Hathaway2) and their three kids take a walk on the wild side and embark on a colorful, comical, music-filled journey through the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit into his new surroundings, he goes beak-to-beak with the villainous Nigel, and meets the most fearsome adversary of all: his father-in-law!

The RIO 2 Blu-ray™ and DVD brings everything you loved from the first Rio, but with even more laughs, excitement and music! Not only will kids get nearly an hour and a half of bonus features on the RIO 2 Blu-ray™, but they’ll also get their groove on with two downloadable bonus songs from the RIO 2 soundtrack: “I Will Survive” and “Poisonous Love,” both performed by Gabi (Kristin Chenoweth) and Nigel (Jemaine Clement). For even more fun, every Blu-ray™ comes with 15 exclusive levels for Angry Birds Rio™ and Music Machine Sing-Along and Dance-Along songs for a whole family party! There’s also Janelle MonĂ¡e’s “What is Love” lyric video, a deleted scene, character auditions and much more!

Giveaway

One lucky Tales of Mommyhood reader will win a copy of RIO 2 on Blu ray/dvd combo pack!  Open until 1159 pm EST July 15, 2014.  Must be 18+ to enter, eligible for Canadian and US residents - void where prohibited.

Use the form below to enter - good luck!







CafePress

CafePress 
"CafePress is where the world's creative minds join forces to provide an unparalleled marketplace. We give you the power to create custom products and personalized gifts on a variety of high-quality items such as t-shirts, hoodies, posters, bumper stickers and mugs. CafePress also allows you to set up online shops where you can design and sell your own unique merchandise. Our design tools make it easy to add photos, text, images, and even create cool designs or logos from scratch. As if it couldn't get any better, you can even find content from major entertainment partners such as The Hunger Games, Big Bang Theory and Star Trek as well as products dedicated to hobbies, birthdays, the military and more. At CafePress we print each item as it's ordered and many products ship within 24 hours."
CafePress is my first online stop when I am on the hunt for a unique gift.  Whether you are looking for something personalized or not, they have it all.  Canvas photo gifts, maternity wear and even shower curtains. With 2 million shops adding items, you are sure to find what you need - or be able to customize what you are looking for. The site is very user friendly and easy to navigate.
They have a summer blowout sale on now, and you can save 25% off your order by using code: 25SAVE
Have you ever purchased from CafePress?
**Tales of Mommyhood received compensation for this post and it may contain affiliate links; all opinions belong to Tales of Mommyhood and your experience/opinion may vary**

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Happy Birthday, Canada!

July 1, 2014 marks the 147th birthday of our beautiful country!  Known as Canada Day, there are celebrations all over for us Canadians to show our pride and love for our country.

We host a bbq every year for our friends and their families, and this year is no different.  We are hoping the weather holds out (thunderstorms have been predicted for tomorrow for the last week).

Do you celebrate Canada Day at home, or do you make your way to a local celebration? I have spent many years at the large parties hosted by our city, and have even celebrated down at Parliament Hill twice - but I am not much of a crowd person and really prefer to be home with my family and friends, in my backyard!

Happy Canada Day - enjoy the day, and stay safe!