As a parent I am always up for a good deal...of course it may help that I'm insanely frugal and just LOVE a good coupon or a unbelievable sale! But, let's face it...when you are from a one income family of (almost!) 6 people, cutting coupons and finding good deals are often what help us make our budget each month. One of our great deal-finding sources is BradsDeals.com. BradsDeals is an amazing resource for discovering the latest coupons and deals from thousands of quality retailers! One thing I really appreciate about BradsDeals is that they don't just post any and every coupon or deal that comes along their path. Instead, they spend valuable time sorting through piles of the latest coupons, sales and promotions and in the end they publish the BEST of them for their readers. BradsDeals knows that too often we just don't have the time to sift through all the deals out there, so they have graciously done it for us - and that translates into a great, top-notch deals website!
In addition to this, BradDeals is up-to-date. You'll find the newest deals, online coupons and printable coupons all on one website ~ which is another great time saver - everything is in ONE spot. The website is also really easy to use. Simply enter in a store name, find what savings are available and enjoy them! For example...check out this great deal from Dellin the Online Coupons section...or, how about something for the whole family...printable coupons for McDonalds! This is just a taste of what BradsDeals has to offer you!
Not only will BradsDeals stretch your dollar further, but they'll also save you a pile of valuable time! Interested? Head over and take a look at all the current savings and while you're there, why not sign up for the free Brad's Email Alerts so that you won't miss out on any great money-saving deals in the future!
WIN IT!
BradsDeals.com is giving one of our readers a $50 Amazon Gift Card!! In order to enter, please follow the instructions on the form below.
**Disclosure: I received compensation in exchange for this review. 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.
Art projects & artwork are activities that are thoroughly enjoyed in our home! Even our 1 year old loves to get her hands messy and "do art" with the older two! However, sometimes arts & crafts can get to be a bit expensive...when you put together craft kits, special glue, paints, sparkles, beads, etc. it can add up fairly quickly. That is why I was thrilled to receive DK Canada's book, Make it! by Jane Bull. It is filled with amazingly fun and creative projects that use stuff you most likely already have at home! Instead of throwing all those odds & ends into the garbage you can actually create some pretty neat artwork. And well, this book is perfect if you're not extremely creative (which I am not :) ). It gives us non-creative types loads of great ideas using every-day items that are very easy to come by and most often free!
Make it! is organized in a way that makes it very easy to use. Projects are divided by the main type of material you'll need (such as paper, plastic, metal, etc.) Simply head to the section of your choice and you'll find pages of great craft projects to create! I loved the super cute glove & hat puppets (a solution of what to do with all those single mittens that have no partners laying in your closet!), and the "junk mail mache" bowls & jewelry are really fun too (and everyone has junk mail to spare, right?!)
This book is great for a variety of ages. It's perfect for younger children (though they may need some parental help/guidance) and is also great for older children who are able to follow instructions and create a project on their own. The projects are simple and clever and each page is filled with illustrations and photos of the projects they will be creating. Make it! inspires even the most non-creative of us to get creative and to take every day items and turn them into something special.
WIN IT! DK Canada is giving away a copy of Make it! to one of our readers! In order to enter, please follow the instructions on the form below. OPEN TO CANADA ONLY!
**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 of the joys of being a kid is being able to be a messy eater! ;) Once you grow up, eating with your hands, smearing food all over the table & yourself, dumping your drinks, etc. just isn't tolerated as well, is it? lol. :) And although, I do believe that it's okay for children to be messy at times, it sure makes a lot more work for the parent who has to clean everything up! BC Baby Boutique has a solution to one of your could-be (and probably would-be!) messes. It's called the Strawlution and was invented by a mom ~ and we all know that moms often invent the best products for kids/children because they are in the trenches of raising the children themselves.
The Strawlution is a solution for kids who love to pull their straws out of juice boxes or plastic take and toss cups that use a straw. Pulling the straw out is not the end result though, is it? The end result is usually a cup of juice or liquid of some sort being spilled or dumped out. The strawlution fixes this problem as it has an anchor so that toddlers cannot pull it out of their cups/juice boxes! We have really enjoyed using our strawlution solutions here. Although a creative child can still figure out how to make a mess, it definitely minimizes the messes a lot! The straws are also very durable and are made from a thicker, hard plastic which is perfect - especially for toddlers who like to chew on their straws. They are, of course, reusable and BPA free. The Strawlution comes in a package of 12 straws which should provide you & your children many mess-free drinks!
In addition to the Strawlution, BC Baby Boutique has a great line of other products for children & parents as well. Right now BC Baby Boutique has a 40% off sale on Melissa & Doug products! There are some amazing deals, so head over quick and take a peek at their sale page. There is a great selection ranging from products for pregnancy to items for school-aged children and everything in between.
**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.
We love learning around here...whether it's learning how to cook a new meal, or learning about an exotic country, or learning about something in our own backyard...learning is great! :) Recently we received an amazing children's picture book called Curious Critters by David FitzSimmons. Wow...the photography in this book is stunning, and it captures the attention of both children and adults!
Unlike many books of this nature, Curious Critters doesn't focus on exotic animals that are hard to find, and are only in other countries. No, instead David FitzSimmons has chosen to photograph common animals...the kinds of critters that we'll find in our own backyard. A few examples are the Bluejay, a spotted salamander and a toad. Another aspect of the book that we truly enjoyed was that the author allows each of the animals' "personalities" to make an appearance. It is written as if each animal is talking to you...and even interacting with the animals on other pages of the book! Very fun and attention grabbing!
Curious Critters is both simple, yet stunning. Instead of busy, color-filled pages, the white backgrounds with some of nature's great critters proudly displayed on each page really is fabulous. Curious Critters is both entertaining but also educational and we love it!
**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.
Water...it's one of the essentials of life. We need it, we crave it, and in order to stay healthy & alive, we must drink it! However, this does not apply to just any water as many wells and water sources are contaminated with bacteria, parasites, and many harmful chemicals. It doesn't take a scientist to figure out that this is not the kind of water that will benefit our well-being!
You may be thinking "our water is clean & good here in Canada!" but that is very often not the case. The water requirements for city/town/municipal waters are often far from the safe, natural, pure water that we should be consuming. As I researched it further, I found that even here in our rural town, the water contains several toxic substances - that even in VERY small amounts, will affect your health negatively. Some of the most common ones you'll find are chlorine, fluoride & arsenic.
So...how should we go about solving this dilemma? Well, there are many different water filters available today, all claiming to do the job well. We have tried several different types in the past including Brita and a few more "intense" filters, but nothing has been able to beat our latest Berkey Water Filter from Conscious Water. Conscious Water is Canadian business that specifically sells and promotes Berkey water filter systems. You can order a variety of sizes for yourself ranging from a water bottle to a Big Berkey and more. We were thrilled to receive a Big Berkey from Conscious Water for our family and I'd love to share with you a few of the top reasons that have us loving our Berkey water purifier...
~ No electricity or water pressure is needed! Simply put on a counter top somewhere in your kitchen, re-fill with water when needed and you'll have a constant flow of safe, pure water for your family...even when the power is out! ;)
~ It will purify both treated water and untreated raw water (from lakes, streams, water supplies in foreign countries, etc.) without any trouble. The Berkey is an amazingly powerful filter!
~ Berkey water filters easily remove pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites entirely and extracts harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, organic solvents and more. It also reduces nitrates, nitrites and unhealthy minerals such as lead and mercury. Add on the PF-2 fluoride water filters and you'll also remove fluoride, arsenic and other residual heavy metal ions from your water source. Wow!
~ It takes out all the harmful stuff without removing the beneficial minerals of the water. So what you end up with is fabulous tasting, pure water. Yum!
~ Berkey filters are very versatile and can be used while camping, traveling, in your home, at the cottage...the sky's the limit!
~ Want even more amazing water? The Berkey also has the option of adding an alkalizing mineral stone to the lower reservoir which will produce alkaline water infused with highly beneficial and absorbable calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Alkaline water is incredible for building immune system strength and has been proven to help prevent osteoporosis and cancer.
Convinced yet? :) We are! Even our kids noticed immediately that the taste of our water changed...for the BETTER! We all love the water from our Big Berkey and drink it plentifully! As a parent, it gives me peace of mind as well to know that us and our children are drinking safe, pure, health-giving water. The Berkey is strong, durable, reliable and yes, it is even incredibly economical!
Conscious Water has a great comparison chart that compares some of the most popular water filters with the Berkey. It is an eye-opener for sure! The Berkey water filter not only gives the best results, but will save you HUNDREDS of dollars in the long run...and after looking at this chart it is undeniable that choosing a so-called 'cheaper' filter over the long-lasting, high quality Berkey water purifier system just doesn't make sense.
BUY IT!
Conscious Water is a top-notch, Canadian Berkey retailer and would LOVE to provide your family with a safe, reliable and pure water source! The site is packed full of information to help you make your decision and to educate us on the importance of pure water. Perhaps you've made a New Years Resolution to live healthier in 2012?? Great quality water from Berkey would be a perfect place to begin...it's a simple change that will make a huge impact! Head over to Conscious Water to see what they have to offer for you and your family.
WIN IT! Conscious Water is giving away TWO Berkey Sport Purification Bottles! That means TWO chances to WIN! One winner will be chosen randomly and the other winner will be chosen based upon the best "Tag Line" created! In order to enter please follow the instructions below. Open to CANADA ONLY!
Note: If you are NOT on Facebook and cannot complete the mandatory entry through facebook please feel free to enter in the following way:
Email your best idea for a new "tag line" for Conscious Water to scott@consciouswater.ca (ex: Conscious Water - Purified water - Abundant life)
**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 monthly shopping trip into the city arrived this week, so complete with lists, coupons and snacks we headed into our whirlwind day of stocking up and shopping for the month ahead! Getting ready for a trip into the city with 3 kids under the age of 5 (and with one in the oven!) is quite an ordeal at times...so I like to start preparing a day or two in advance. I gather up all the coupons I've found that we'll be using, I check the sale papers (both the ones that arrive in our mailbox as well as some others that are available online), I make my lists of stores we're going to and what we're buying at each store. Then I pack lunches for our family, snacks for the family, and all the other things that are needed for a day away from home with young children.
Finally...the morning of the trip arrives and we gobble down some breakfast and head out the door as early as possible - usually by 8am if possible! Yes, a day in the city is always a family affair, which although it requires a little more work and planning, it is great and the kids love it as well. I'll take any extra opportunity I can get to spend extra time with my kids & my family - even if it means hauling them all along to a day of running errands in the city.
This month we had a special opportunity to purchase some Equal Sweetener from Walmart Canada. This is a new product from #EqualCanada and is now readily available at Walmart, which is perfect since this is one of our common stops during a trip into the city.
We have never purchased Equal before, so with my shopping cart full of children, I set off to discover exactly where I could find this new product. We were in a bit of a hurry so after looking around a bit and not finding it, I asked an employee who directed me to the pharmacy section (I'd been looking in the grocery section). Once we were in the right area of the store we were able to quickly locate the canister of Equal Sweetener. See? Here it is...sitting on the shelf, just waiting to be bought and taken home. :) This canister is normally $9.97 - but is currently on a Rollback for $7.97 at Walmart this week. However, our Walmart must've forgotten to add the Rollback sign this week as it was missing. I do notice though that people (ourselves included!) are much more likely to purchase or at least consider purchasing a product that has a sign/ad such as the rollback sign nearby ~ a sale is always a plus in our books!
After a day of shopping, we headed back home and unpacked the van. Later on that evening my eyes caught that nice-sized canister of Equal Sucralose sitting on y counter. It's a product I've never owned or used before, and I began to wonder what exactly I'd do with it. Basically, it is a tasty No Calorie Sweetner and 1 cup of Equal is the same as 1 cup of sugar...sounds pretty easy to substitute in any of my baking recipes! The container is ideal for storing in the pantry when you're not using it and it has a great-sized opening at the top so you can scoop your measuring cups right into the container instead of trying to 'pour' it out.
That about sums up a taste of what a shopping trip, complete with a "sweet" trip into Walmart looks like for our family. And although we sometimes need a few days to "recover", we still look forward to doing it again next month. ;)
Check it Out Yourself!
Sound like a product you may like to purchase for your own family? Or for a friend who's looking for a No Calorie Sweetener? Before you head over to your local Walmart to pick it up, why not take a peek at Equal Canada on Twitter and Equal Canada on Facebook. In addition, there's always the Equal website which is full of helpful information and details on all their products.
**Disclosure: “This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. 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.
2012 is in full swing...and I've even been able to finally get used to writing 2012 in instead of 2011! ;) But what about those New Year's resolutions? They are important too! One resolution that a lot of families/moms make is to be healthier...more eco friendly...and to use products that are more natural and safe. Eco Fab Mama is a fabulous place to get started on supplying your home with fabulous eco friendly and family friendly products! Every item at Eco Fab Mama has been handmade - most of them by WAHM's (which I LOVE to support in any way I can!) The saying "Moms know best" really is true when it comes to what the most useful and highest quality products are for families.
I was sent a set of 2 nursing pads and a matching wetbag. I've used cloth nursing pads before (and love them!), but a nursing pad wetbag is a new concept, and it is one that I absolutely love. It's such a simple idea - but so practical, and so useful. I can't even count the number of times I've shoved very wet cloth nursing pads into my diaper bag, hoping they wouldn't get anything else too dirty/wet. But with this cute little matching wetbag my problem is solved! The cloth nursing pads, are of course, incredibly comfortable - and have a fun print on one side which matches the little wetbag. They are made with several layers containing cotton and layer bamboo french terry to insure ultimate absorption. The benefits of cloth nursing pads are many. They help keep our earth clean since we can re-use them; they save $$$, and my favorite...they are by far more comfortable & breathable than any disposable pads out there.
WIN IT! Eco Fab Mama is giving away a set of 3 fold-n-go sandwich bags to help 2012 start off in a great, practical and eco-friendly fashion! In order to enter, please follow the instructions on the form below. Open WORLDWIDE.
**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.
School's back in full swing after the holidays and families are getting back into their regular routines! Or...perhaps you and your family are starting some new routines and beginning to follow through on some of those resolutions you made for the new year. One of my year-round resolutions is to help my kids learn...to teach them, to mentor them, to educate them...and to have fun while doing it! We recently discovered a great Canadian resource that is perfect for kids, teens and parents alike. Real is a Canadian Kids Magazine that is designed and written specifically for children....but really, our entire family has enjoyed reading these magazines! Real is filled with gorgeous illustrations, real-life photographs and all sorts of fun & educational articles, stories, puzzles, jokes, poems and more. It is all good, clean family material and is perfect for linking together both fun and learning!
Real has two specific age-based editions. There is an Elementary edition for the younger crowd (ages 4-8) and a Junior edition which is perfect for kids ages 9 to 13. We received a few copies of both editions and though my kids enjoyed the Elementary one the most at this point, I really enjoyed browsing through both editions. Real aims to inspire a love of learning, and that is very noticeable as you read through their well-thought-out magazines. One more aspect that I loved about the magazines is that they have NO advertising! This is a big plus for me as often the advertisements take up so much room and often are inappropriate as well. Real skips out on the ads - and instead makes the effort to fill every page completely with quality material for children.
WIN IT! Real is giving one of our readers a FREE one year subscription to their great Canadian kids magazine! In order to enter, please follow the instructions in the form below. Open to CANADA ONLY!
**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.
There are some resolutions that you might be able accomplish on your own, without any extra things. However, this one of mine, keeping more organized, seems to require some tools. Part of being and keeping more organized, for me, is to keep track of events and appointments, make and check off a "to do" list, and help everyone else keep track of what's happening, and what they're supposed to be doing, as well.
There are 5 of us in this family. Not a big family by many standards, but enough people to require a system in order to keep track of who is doing what when. My brain is not reliable enough, especially as a result of recent sleep disturbances by a certain little miss, so I have to write everything down. AND, I have to remember to look at the lists, agenda, calendar, daily, so as to be reminded of what I've written down. Sounds elementary, I know...and mostly I'm doing ok. :)
This month, I've started using a set of organizational products from Motherword. Remember, I posted about their great magnetic calendars? Well, that's part of their product line-up intended to help mothers - well, really anyone - stay on top. Their other products are just as well-designed, just as user-friendly, and just as effective. Let me tell you more...
Motherword got it's start out of necessity:
In 1993, Deborah Barkhouse, a busy mother of three young children, searched everywhere for a calendar with lots of writing room to help her organize her busy family schedule. She discovered that no company in Canada made them, so she decided to make her own! MotherWord Inc. printed the very first family calendar in Canada in 1994, and has been helping families stay organized ever since.
There seems to be a lot of little papers, coupons, lists, notes, etc that get lost, just because they're not stored properly. Sometimes, it's hard to find somewhere to write a message, jot down a few ideas, or something to take with you to a meeting on which to take notes. Or maybe, if you belong to a committee, you need somewhere to take notes, and keep the loose papers all together. The Padfolio can certainly help you out. On one side, it functions like a clipboard, where a letter-sized notepad can slide in, and make note-taking easy. On the other side, a 3-pocket accordion storage folio keeps loose papers, especially smaller papers, handy, and safe!
I always feel I should wait until the new year starts before starting an agenda. I mean, they often start in January, and it would be silly to waste the pages, right? Or, they start in September, and by then I've lost my oomph to actually use an agenda. There must be more people like me out there! This daily calendar can be started at any time, because there are only days of the week, not dates! :) So, as soon as you get your "oomph" up, you can actually start writing stuff down. There's lots of room on each page, enough to keep track of many events if you're a really busy person, or maybe even several people's events.
Yes, you could write your "to do" list on any old piece of paper. And then loose the piece of paper. I think there's something motivating about using an "official to do list" paper. Some sort of feeling of "I really must accomplish this" associated with committing the task to paper. This to do list is separated into 3 sections: errands, tasks and notes. Again, lots of room for writing everything down, room for those motivational check marks when you've finished an item. And you can tear off the page once you're done with it, and start afresh the next time!
This is like a calendar notepad, separated into columns for each person (up to 4), and rows according to the time of day. This is so easy for visual people - check your column, find out you have an appointment at 1, your child has a sports practice at 4, etc etc... I really like this system as it's easy even for children to see what is happening for them that day. My only complain about this notepad is that there's only room for 4 people. Granted, our baby doesn't have that many events to attend yet, and none on her own, but it still would be handy to have a column for her too. I suppose families with 6 say this about calendars etc with 5 columns too! :)
This handy notepad is purse-sized, so easy to take along with you! It's divided into 3 sections (bet you saw that coming!), each different: the first is more for notes with tasks at the bottom, the 2nd is like a checklist at the top with empty lines at the bottom, and the 3rd has a date function, more like an agenda. Pages are perforated, making it easy to tear one out and give it to someone.
You're using the calendar, and you've run out of stickers, right? It happens! :) Especially if you have a bigger family, or very involved family members. Actually, I don't just use the stickers on the calendar, but also in the agenda (saves a lot of writing!), so these extra stickers will definitely come in handy! :)
Motherword products are available at many different retailers - check the Motherword website to find out who carries the product you're looking for!
**Disclosure: The products mentioned above have been given free of charge from Motherword 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.
