When the word "family" comes up we often think of a set of parents & children, don't we? But it's becoming more and more common to find families that have an extra special member added to their midst...and that is a pet - specifically a dog. Dogs are one of those pets that can truly fall in love with the family that has welcomed it into their home...and the family will cherish that dog just as much!
Family Day is just around the corner, and it's no surprise that many families include their pets in any or all family activities. Did you know that according to the Dog Chow® Family Poll three-quarters of Canadian dog owners take their canine companions into account when making decisions about vacations, homes and car purchases? That's quite a lot, and it goes a long way to prove what a special and important role a pet can play in the life of a family. A dog is a great way to provide a playmate and a companion for children and adults alike! On a day like Family Day, you'll surely want to include your furriest family member in the celebrations!
If you're not currently a dog owner, but the thought has crossed your mind...well, Jill Priest (a Certified Pet Dog Trainer) has some great tips about how to make the most out of your relationship with your furry little friends! Here are a few of her great tips that may spur you on to add a pet to your family:
1)Whether it’s the daily routine or special events, it’s clear that dogs play a variety of important roles that impact our lives
2)Leaders Not Littermates: Children should take on smaller tasks such as feeding, positive treat training and walking the dog to ensure the family dog understands his position in the pack.
3)Consistency is Key: And when it comes to timing for feeding, exercise and discipline, getting on the same page as an entire family is a great way to bring everyone together and assign responsibilities.
It is obvious that having a family dog can be a wonderful addition to any family! Not only do pet dogs help to teach responsibility, but they provide a companion that can offer unconditional love and endless fun and joy!
CONTEST! UrbanMoms is running a fabulous contest from Purina Dog Chow on their website. You have the chance to win a $125 Dog Chow Family Day Prize Pack! What a great way to treat your pet dog to some nutritious, wholesome food and to include them in the celebration of Family Day this year!
There really is no beginning or end to learning, is there? We start learning the day we are born and we continue on for the rest of our lives! DK Canada has loads of fabulous resources for helping us learn - and have fun while we're doing it! Today I'd like to focus on some great books available for toddlers. DK Canada carries a whole series of "My First" books for toddlers. These are ideal for introducing new topics, concepts, etc. to young children. We received My First Busy Day and it has been thoroughly enjoyed - especially by our 1 1/2 year old who is at the perfect age for these books. My First Busy Day is filled with familiar toddler activities and objects which makes it SO much more fun for a young child. There are loads of bright, colorful photos to look at and it covers a great range of topics such as getting dressed, cars and trucks, mealtime, bedtime and more.
Another aspect about the book that we really loved is that the photos are real-life pictures, which seems to mean so much more to toddlers than books with cartoons, etc. in them. This is a great read for young children and it's a great way to get a jump start on learning!
**Disclosure: The product/s mentioned above have been given free of charge from the company or PR firm in exchange for being featured on Glimpse. The opinions expressed in this post are those of Glimpse and have not been influenced in any other way. Please see the full Terms of use.
This week is the National Random Acts of Kindness Week and Master Lock has joined the "Kindness troupe" and is helping families in a new and exciting way! In addition to some acts of kindness they are also offering several great tips for keeping our resolutions (you know the ones that we often make...but just don't keep?!) this coming year. I'd love to share just a few of these helpful tips with you...
• Write It Down…and Share It. Simply thinking through your resolutions and storing them mentally isn’t going to ensure you stay committed. Having a list of goals in your organizer, smart phone, or social media profile that you can easily access and share will reinforce your promise to yourself and spur encouragement from your followers and friends.
• Do it for a Month. In order for a new behavior to become a habit, you must stick to it for at least 30 days. Setting this small goal will make achieving your overall resolution more realistic. Plus, you can be encouraged when you’ve reached the one-month mark and assess your progress.
• One Step at a Time. Don’t set too many goals and then try tackling them all at once. Make one goal your priority and focus on changing your habits to achieve it. Once you’ve mastered it, set your sights on two additional goals, giving yourself realistic timelines to achieve them and go from there.
One resolution that we often hear of people making each New Year is to lose weight, or to get in shape and to follow a fitness plan of some sort. Master Lock knows that this can be a difficult resolution to keep, so they are spending the week doing acts of kindness that will encourage us to keep our resolutions! Several gyms in select cities will receive a surprise visit from Master Lock who will be handing out free 1534D Set-Your-Own Combination Password locks. And for those of us who are outside of these six cities we can still be in on the fun! Simply visit Master Lock's Facebook page and you can enter daily for a chance to win FREE Master Lock products! There are some great prizes including Visa gift cards and of course, some of you might be proud owners of your own 1534D Password Lock as well.
P.S. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a chance to win your own Master Lock Password Lock in the next week or two, right here on Glimpse! **Disclosure: The product/s mentioned above have been given free of charge from the company or PR firm in exchange for being featured on Glimpse. The opinions expressed in this post are those of Glimpse and have not been influenced in any other way. Please see the full Terms of use.
One thing that I find is often lacking in families these days is good, quality and FUN time together. It seems we are so busy sometimes...and our family is no exception. However, this year we want to try to slow down a little and just ENJOY time together as a family. Hasbrooffers many products to help make family time exciting and fun for everyone.
Recently Canada celebrated Family Literacy Day, and in a few days we will be celebrating Family Day. These are ideal times to squeeze in a little extra time with your families. Hasbro sent us a few of their classic board games which have been tested and tried and are still loved by many, many families across the country!
One of my favorite Hasbro board games is The Game of Life. It's been around for more than 50 years and is all about doing good deeds to earn Life Tiles, money, etc. It's so fun to create a pretend family and to laugh and enjoy an evening of fun with a game like this. We also received Scrabble which is an amazing game for adults or older children. What a great way to learn how to spell and expand your vocabulary, huh?! This game has two ways to play it - the plain jane way or use the Power Tiles to make things a little more exciting! It's also fun to play this game in teams and to promote teamwork.
Finally, we received Monopoly - a game that most everyone has played...or at least heard of! Hasbro has a variety of Monopoly versions that have unique twists to each of them. But if you're looking for the classic version, Hasbro is also the place to purchase that. Monopoly is a competitive game of buying houses, hotels and learning to negotiate and haggle.
Each of these games from Hasbro has so many great aspects - the games are perfect for honing and learning skills (such as math, reading, spelling, literacy, bargaining and more) and in addition they provide something that I think we crave these days - and that is a way to spend good, quality and incredibly FUN time together as a family. Be sure to check out Hasbro for even more family-friendly board game options!
**Disclosure: The product/s mentioned above have been given free of charge from the company or PR firm in exchange for being featured on Glimpse. The opinions expressed in this post are those of Glimpse and have not been influenced in any other way. Please see the full Terms of use.
Our baby loves hugs - receiving and giving! And now she has a new friend to hug!
Are you familiar with the "Build-a-Bear Workshop?" It's the world's only make your own stuffed animal retail experience. You go in, choose an animal - dogs, cats, bears, dinosaurs!, personalize it by inserting a sound chip if you like, and decide how stuffed your animal should be. You can groom your animal, select clothing and accessories, and receive a birth certificate for your new friend!
For Valentine's Day this year, Miss A received a 17 inch "Kisses for You Kitty!" As soon as she saw it (her?) she gave it a big hug, and has been hugging it off and on ever since. It's very cute! "Kisses for You Kitty" has a magnet in one paw, and in her snout, and can blow you a kiss! There's also a companion Kisses for You Puppy available.
Of course, various clothes and accessories are available, such as dresses, suits, shirts and skirts or pants, flower bouquets, purses and pyjamas. These all add to the base price, but do make for a cute gift item for a child, or even for a significant other!
"Build-a-Bear" contributes through a variety of programs and foundations to charitable organizations. Just recently they called for nominations for Huggable Heroes - young people who make a difference. If you know someone who qualifies, head over and submit their name.
If there's a "Build-a-Bear Workshop" near you, you should check it out sometime. It's certainly a unique experience and a fun way to make a new friend! Their "Build-a-Party" program would be a fun way to celebrate a birthday.
**Disclosure: The product mentioned above has been given free of charge from Strategic Objectives for Build-a-Bear in exchange for being featured on Glimpse. The opinions expressed in this post are those of Glimpse and have not been influenced in any other way. Please see the full Terms of use.
Recently, our oldest son decided he was going to learn how to skate. So we signed him up for skating lessons, made sure he had all the necessary equipment - thankfully we have friends whose older children are finished with their helmets etc - and he started in. The first lesson was painfully amusing - if one child flailed, half the class fell down. He was fairly discouraged, so we thought of taking him practicing in between lessons. Richard and I aren't great skaters - understatement - so I don't think we're much help, but the extra ice time has been good for him. The only problem is, free/public skating time around here is hard to find so the only options have been on an outdoor rink. And it's been a little chilly. Especially when you can't fit your hat under your helmet - your ears cool off rather quickly.
Funnily enough, son #2, although not registered in skating lessons, has also decided this is the year to learn to skate. He's been watching the lessons, and practicing on the outdoor rink as well, and he's doing amazingly well for 3 years old! And quite pleased with himself too!
We were trying to figure out how to keep them warm enough, when I remembered a website I had visited a while back. Bean Pod Baby is the result of mompreneur Carleigh's desire to keep her kids warm yet stylish. She started with creating the Bean Pod and has since added the Gram Jam and Shortie to her lineup. All products are made from an organic unbleached cotton and bamboo blend fabric, which is known for its softness, durability, absorbency and natural antibacterial properties. Garments feature outside sewn seams and no inner tags so there's nothing to irritate sensitive skin.
Bean Pod Baby sent both our sons a Bean Pod hat. They are perfect for under a helmet, as the design ensures their ears are covered. The hat is nice and thin so it fits under the helmet well. They've also worn their hats under the hoods of their jackets - I've always found that the hood is a little too open and allows cold air to get in, but a regular hat is too thick and doesn't allow the jacket to close properly. The Bean Pod has been the perfect solution. As well, it's great for under a hat that doesn't cover the ears properly, or that's a bit scratchy - I wish I'd had one for one of my childhood tuques! You could also use the Bean Pod as a warm-up after a bath or swimming lesson - great for keeping baby toasty.
The "action" photos didn't turn out, so here's a silly one today!
The Gram Jam is like a footless sleeper. It can be worn as pyjamas, a cozy daytime lounger, long underwear layer, or under sport clothes for extra warmth. The full-length zipper starts at the ankle and ends under a protective tab under the chin - this would be perfect for night-time diaper changes, or toilet visits! I've always avoided zip-up sleepers because you had to practically undress the child to change a diaper or take them potty - I think this would be a great solution!
The Shortie reminds me of an old-fashioned bathing suit! It looks like it would be just right for sleeping when the nights are warm - with short legs and no sleeves. As well, it can also be worn as a layer under clothes to add extra warmth when it's a bit cooler. It fastens at the crotch with snaps, once again making diaper changing or potty visits easy.
The Gram Jam and Shortie are available from size 0-3 up to size 2, while the Bean Pod is available up to size 5T. I wish it was available in bigger sizes as well!
WIN IT!!
One lucky Glimpse reader will win a Gram Jam in their choice of size. To enter, please visit Bean Pod Baby and comment on your favourite item and who you'd choose it for.
**Disclosure: The product mentioned above has been given free of charge from Bean Pod Baby in exchange for being featured on Glimpse. The opinions expressed in this post are those of Glimpse and have not been influenced in any other way. Please see the full Terms of use.
We are on the search again for a 3rd Canadian mom to join the Glimpse team and it could be YOU!
Here are the details...we are looking for someone who has some blogging experience (has kept up a blog of some sort on a regular basis) and who would be committed to doing the following:
~Post 1-2 reviews per week on Glimpse (this includes contacting companies, receiving FREE products to keep and review, as well as posting your reviews/giveaways on the products/shops and a few other minor details)
~ Add the appropriate links to our Giveaways & Discount Links in the sidebar as well as add a button/banner to our Shop Links page for each company you review a product from
~Technical know-how...this would be a bonus! You do need to know/learn how to create a button banner. (But if you have additional html knowledge or experience consider it to be 'extra brownie points!')
So, if you are a Canadian mom (and yes, you have to be Canadian, since that is the whole point of Glimpse) with the above skills and interests, please email us ASAP at glimpse.review.team@gmail.com. When you email, please tell us a bit about yourself and your family, what skills you can offer, and why you want to be part of the Glimpse team! As soon as we receive your email we'll send you the Application Details which you can start to complete as soon as you have the time. :) The search will close on February 27, 2012, and the winner will be announced approx. 1 week later.
It seems like dinosaurs are a pretty cool animal for most kids ~ especially boys I think! :) And this week we are featuring a fabulously fun book from Scholastic Canada. It comes from the How Do Dinosaurs series (which is a whole line of fun books that have dinosaurs as the main characters). Today we get to focus on How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday? by Jane Yolen. Birthdays are also a very important event in the lives of children so when you put together dinosaurs and birthday's you're sure to have a book that resonates with kids. :)
How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday? is an easy, yet captivating little book. You and your children will hear about birthday hats to HUGE dinosaur-sized cakes! The book also helps to teach what types of behaviors would be appropriate at a birthday party or birthday event. It also comes complete with an extra flap to flip up on each page...which is a great feature of all the How Do Dinosaurs books...it helps to keep those little hands and eyes occupied while you read the story! :)
Pssst...How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday would make a great addition to a birthday gift - for old or young! :)
**Disclosure: The product/s mentioned above have been given free of charge from the company or PR firm in exchange for being featured on Glimpse. The opinions expressed in this post are those of Glimpse and have not been influenced in any other way. Please see the full Terms of use.
Build-A-Bear
Workshop Seeks Service-Minded Kids to Join Ranks of Hundreds of
Huggable Heroes…and Counting!
Today,
more than ever, young leaders are making positive contributions in
their communities and around the world. To recognize, honour and
reward these young people,
Build-A-Bear
Workshop®
launches its ninth annual search for Huggable Heroes®.
This group will be made up of inspiring young leaders who have a
commitment to serve, help others, and make a difference in their
community. Kids,
ages eight to 18, can be nominated through February 27 by visiting
buildabear.com/huggableheroes
or picking up an entry form at
The
10 selected Huggable Heroes will each receive $10,000 ($7,500 in the
form of an educational scholarship from Build-A-Bear Workshop and
$2,500 from the
Build-A-Bear
Workshop Foundation to be donated to a registered charity of their
choice). In addition, the Huggable Heroes will receive a trip for
themselves and one parent, or legal guardian, to St. Louis, home of
Build-A-Bear Workshop World Bearquarters, where they will be
celebrated for their work, participate in a professional photo shoot,
and take part in a community service project.
TORONTO, Feb. 7, 2012 – Canadian Family magazine is now accepting nominations for its annual Teacher Awards at www.canadianfamily.ca/teacherawards. This national program, now in its sixth year, recognizes outstanding educators across the country as nominated by their communities.
Nominations close on April 11, 2012. A panel of education experts will shortlist twelve semi-finalists, announced on May 16, 2012, which the public will vote online to determine the top three.
The three Teacher Awards winners will be featured in Canadian Family’s September issue and each win $2,500 for programming and supplies, courtesy of program sponsor Johnson Insurance.
For full nomination details and more information on Canadian Family’s annual Teacher Awards, please visit www.canadianfamily.ca/teacherawards.
**Disclosure: We received no compensation for the above post. Please see the full Terms of use.
