Julien's 5th birthday party and Charming Celebrations

A huge thank you to Charming Celebrations for helping my son have a terrific super hero party!

A few months ago I was looking for someone to help out with making some decorations and a banner for the party, and I was able to connect with Amber from Charming Celebrations on twitter.  We chatted a bit and she told me what she could provide, and we went ahead with the order.

All of the party goods arrived last Friday (I asked for them to be delivered by July 4th at the latest, and they came in on June 29).  They were packaged up in a box, and the items were wrapped in tissue paper - no damage to the items!

Included in our party package were:

- super hero banner (a mix of superman and batman)

- cupcake wrappers (we didn't have cupcakes, so I used these for the kids to play pin the superhero on a spiderman poster)

- cupcake toppers (again, no cupcakes, but we used them for clues in our scavenger hunt game - the kids loved it!)

- favor bags (we had 5 superman, and 5 batman)

- centerpiece items (two #5's, a batman and a superman, as well as some smaller ones with the bat logo and superman logo)

Amber was really easy to work with, and the items that arrived were great quality; I was impressed with the decorations and my son was happy with them, which was the most important part.

spidey kyle

Julien and his friends had a lot of fun. When they arrived, the kids played outside in the backyard and on the playstructure for 20 minutes or so, then we came inside and did pin the superhero on spiderman (my nephew won that - so he got a kinder egg!). When that was done, the kids headed to the table and got to colour a superhero picture to take home (and thanks to crayola wonder, I had no mess on my table). When they finished colouring, we had cake

the Batman Cake I made for Jules - chocolate cake with a layer of vanilla ice cream in the middle

I think it is safe to say he likes the cake

and afterwards they went on a scavenger hunt.  They had to find clues, and the clues eventually led them to a treasure chest my hubby had built. Inside the chest was a whole bunch of loot, and they were able to choose what they wanted and fill their favour bags with them! This killed some time and the kids had fun. When they were finished filling their bags, they played in the backyard a little while longer until their parents arrived.

Don't forget to check out Charming Celebrations on Etsy, twitter and on Facebook!

I was provided the above supplies free of charge in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated belong to Tales of Mommyhood - your opinion and experience may vary.

food and memories associated with it

As the anniversary of my dads death approaches, I am reminded of that night.  My cousin and I had walked down to an ice cream store and each bought an ice cream cone.  My favorite flavour at the time was mint chocolate chip.  As we walked home, eating our ice cream I started to feel sick - so sick, that I threw the ice cream cone away (and for anyone that knew me then - knew this was odd, I would continue eating ice cream even if I felt sick, never would I waste it)

As we reached my street, a car pulled up and my mom flew out of it - and she practically shoved my cousin in with the driver (who was a friend of my moms, but my cousin didn't know the person).  My mom needed to find me before I got home, because she didn't want me arriving home and seeing police, fire and ambulance in front of our house.

My father had died. It was a very surreal experience, and I am sure that is why I felt sick - it was as if I had been punched in the stomach.....something I haven't felt since that event.  It was a very long time before I could eat mint chip ice cream again.....I tried once or twice, but would end up feeling ill and just not able to take more than 1 or 2 bites.  It has been 17 years (almost) since he died, and in the last year I have finally been able to enjoy mint chip again.

It just amazes me how the brain associates certain things. When I was a little girl, I ended up with a stomach flu. The last thing I had eaten before getting sick, was mint brownies....for over 10 years I couldn't eat a mint brownie because it reminded me of that flu I had as a kid......

Do you have any memories (good or bad) associated with food?

#GrUVyWear swimwear

Growing up, I can remember spending hours at the outdoor pool near our house.  I also remember the serious sunburns that I often suffered. These burns were so bad, that 25 years later I STILL remember the pain that went along with them - and yes, my mother did send me to the pool with sunscreen.

Now that I am a mom, it is really important to me that I help to ensure my boys are well protected from the suns rays.  I make sure to (liberally) apply sunscreen before we head outdoors, and I also reapply every 2-3 hours, or after they are in the water. Something that I only recently found out though, is that your clothing is generally not good at blocking out the UV rays.  Really, you should be applying sunscreen UNDER your clothing as well.

I was thrilled when I was offered the opportunity to review swim wear from GrUVyWear - they offer UV protection swim wear for babies, kids and adults. The swim wear will block 98% of the suns rays, while offering a UPF of 50+.

I was sent a suit for a toddler, but when it arrived - I was happy to find that both my kids would be able to wear the outfit.  It is slightly big on my youngest, but it fits my 5 year old perfectly. The outfits are available in a number of colours and prints, and also come in long or short sleeves.  I am happy knowing that when the boys are in their GrUVyWear - I can be sure that their unexposed skin will also be protected from the UV rays.

Kyle posing in his GrUVyWear suit

Julien showing off the same suit

GrUVyWear is offering my readers a 15% off discount code - enter SAVE1508 at checkout (this code will expire on July 15, 2012) and remember to connect with them on facebook and twitter also!

I was sent the above product free of charge in exchange for this post. This did not influence my review, and the opinions belong to Tales of Mommyhood;  your experience/opinion may vary.

Charming Celebrations - Sponsor Spotlight

A few months ago, I connected with Amber of Charming Celebrations on twitter. I was looking to find someone to work with for my sons birthday party, and she was eager to help me out.  Check out her etsy shop for some awesome party decorations - great ideas for different themes too!

Charming Celebrations is located in the United States, and is a relatively new etsy seller. If your looking for items for an upcoming birthday party - please head over and check her out!

This is a sponsor spotlight - the above mentioned has provided me with items free of charge in exchange for a post and review. 

Blogiversary Bash starts today!

Tales of Mommyhood is coming up on it's 4th blogiversary (August 9) - amazing to think that this blog started out as a way to track Julien's growth and development, funny stories and pictures - and here we are 4 years later and it has grown much more than I ever thought.  I kind of fell into the world of reviews and giveaways in March 2011 and haven't looked back since.

It has led me into some wonderful opportunities with brands I hadn't heard of, or never dreamed I would get to work with. It has led me to some great friendships, and it also led the way to me becoming an Independent Norwex Consultant (thanks to Amanda at Multi-Testing Mommy for introducing me to the products!)

What better way to celebrate a blogiversary than with a giveaway bash? Over the next few weeks, I will be hosting a few giveaways - so keep checking in!

He turned 5 today

today is my oldest sons birthday - he is a whole hand now.  I think back to when he was born, and the rough start he had to life and am so thankful that he is here with us.  I was induced early due to pre-eclampsia, and our little guy was born at approx. 36weeks gestation. He was a great size - 6lbs 3oz and he was a fighter from the start.

He was transferred to our local children's hospital at 24 hrs old because his breathing wgetting worse (he had issues with his lungs because he was early). When my hubby got to the hospital he found out they needed to intubate our baby as he wasn't able to get enough air on his own, and they had to insert a chest tube in his right lung as it had collapsed. Over the next few days, his other lung started to develop an air pocket but it fixed itself, and the first one healed as well.  When he was 10days old, he was released from the hospital and has done amazingly well.

His start in life

And today

Happy birthday Julien - love you so much!

T-fal baby home GIVEAWAY

 

 

As parents, we all want our children to have a healthy diet. With busy schedules and hectic lives, this isn't always the easiest task. With the costs of buying organic foods not being in everyone’s budget, feeding your growing family may pose a challenge. I’ve teamed up with a fabulous group of bloggers and T-fal Baby Home to help one lucky Canadian reader make this a cinch.

This past May T-fal introduced Baby Home, a series of appliances developed to help making healthy meals for your baby easier. The line is BPA-free and features Disney’s Pooh Bear and friends. The products within the line are the 2 in 1 steamer and blender; a steam sterilizer; a bottle and jar warmer and a 2 in 1 bottle warmer and sterilizer.

WIN: The prize pack T-fal Baby Home has provided us is simply amazing and valued over $230!! One Canadian resident will receive the following two products:

The 2 in 1 Blender and Steamer: $129.99

The Baby Home blender/steamer combo features four settings: steam, heat, defrost, and purée,that make it possible to treat even the tiniest taste buds to fresh, nutritious, homemade food in as little as ten minutes! The innovation however, brings more than just convenience to the table by allowing parents to:

• provide their baby with healthier and tastier alternatives to store-bought food through steaming, which locks in essential vitamins and flavours minus the additives and preservatives

• exercise quality control, ensuring that only the freshest fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats go into their baby’s food

• prepare organic baby food at a fraction of the price of manufactured organic food

• expose their baby to a variety of different foods and combinations not customarily sold in stores, which helps to set them on the path to a lifetime of healthy choices
• transition their baby onto the next feeding stage more easily by gradually increasing the texture of their baby’s food over time for a seamless switch from purées to big kid fare!

The blender/steamer features a graduated blending bowl that stays cool to the touch, eliminating the risk of burns, and a double locking system ensures that it only works when the lid is in place. A recipe book and feeding guide are also included.

2 in 1 Bottle Warmer and Sterilizer: $99.99

Ideal for travelers, the Baby Home steam sterilizer and bottle warmer are also available as a convenient 2 in 1 unit that performs both operations simultaneously. With the capacity to sterilize one bottle and its accessories in six and a half minutes and heat it in three—bottles can be ready faster than it takes Pooh to get to the bottom of a honey pot. Giveaway is open to residents of Canada 18+, winner will be drawn on July 17th and have 48 hours to respond. Simply fill in the Rafflecopter form below to enter!