There's lot of research and anecdotal evidence that learning a language is a mind-broadening experience. Maybe "learn a new language" is on your list of things to do this year! Or maybe on your child's list? (or your list for them!)
We've been playing around with some products from BilingualMe recently, broadening our minds! :) I am a great fan of learning languages, and even knowing a few words in another language is already a good step. I don't know if I'd have picked Chinese as the next language to learn, but it certainly has been an interesting experience!
The LOYO Pen
We all know Chinese is a very difficult language. So, if no one at home speaks it, how are you going to learn? Books aren't going to be enough because the pronunciation is so challenging. BilingualMe has created a book and audio-pen set that meets the challenge. This set would also be useful for Chinese-speaking children wanting or needing to learn English, as it goes both ways.
Bilingual Me Publishing House Inc. is a Canadian company that specializes in Chinese learning for children to improve their Mandarin Chinese vocabulary and pronunciation. Non-Chinese speaking families, particularly members of FCC (Families with Children from China), will enjoy this easy to use educational product and learning system.
The LOYO (learn on your own) pen has several settings, and can be volume-adjusted. It hooks up via USB (cable included) to your computer for recharging (hooray for not having to buy and replace batteries all the time!) and for downloading audio files. It is easy to operate - Jonathan basically figured it out on his own! The pronunciation of the words is clear and articulate, enabling the learner to easily hear and replicate the sounds.
The My First Words Set includes 8 books on a variety of subjects, including family, colours, numbers, food and more. Each page displays colour photographs of the items in question, along with the English words, Chinese characters and Chinese words in English letters (this transcription into Roman letters is called Pinyin - you learn something new every day!). I'm assuming the Chinese is all correct - however there are a few minor errors in English. The set comes with instructions on how to use the pen with the books. As well, there are demo videos on the website and on YouTube to help a new user get familiar with the set.
My First Words Series
Touch and Talk technology enabled
Features:
•High quality pictures
•Child-friendly everyday words
•Standard pronunciation
•Big characters with Pinyin
•Bilingual (English and Mandarin)
•Spoken language - Mandarin Chinese and English
•Written language - Simplified Chinese and English
Here's Jonathan giving a quick demo of how one of the family member pages in the "My..." book works (excuse the sibling interruptions - it's hard to keep everyone away from the action!). He has used it a few times over the last month or so, and has caught on to how the system works easily. Because he can read in English, he is able to listen to the Chinese sound, and find it on the page using the words written in our letters. If you listen carefully, you'll hear him saying some of the sounds as well. This is another example of how much easier it is for a child to learn a new language than an adult! Without any preconceived notions of how difficult it might be, he has just jumped in, and picked up a few words!
We also received a calendar - the 2012 DIY fun days Talking Calendar. For each month of the year, you can mark holidays and fun events on your calendar by using the 180 full-colour talking-pen enabled stickers, or you can draw a picture, or stick a photo, or write some fun messages.
A new set is in development, called Everyday Dialogs. This will build on the vocabulary learned in the "My First Words" books, and help learners use their new words in a sentence or simple conversation.
The books and pen work really well together, and are absolutely inseparable if no one around you speaks Chinese! They are available for purchase through BilingualMe as well as on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com
**Disclosure: The products mentioned above have been given free of charge from BilingualMe 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've decided to change a few things and try a few new things this year at Glimpse! We want to keep all our great readers up to date...so we thought we'd share with you what has happened and what is up and coming!
WINNERS PAGE
In order to save space on our home page, and have more room for valuable reviews/giveaways we've decided to post our winners on a Winner's Page. They will not be posted on the Glimpse home page anymore. The winner will still show up at the top of each Rafflecopter widget and we will still personally contact each winner by email. That said, just in case our email gets lost in cyberspace somewhere, please be sure to keep checking the winner's page for up-to-date information on who has won recent contests!
COUPONS
You may have noticed that the Coupons Page in our menu bar has disappeared! Don't worry though...the great coupons and discounts are still around. Instead of a separate page we will be linking to each coupon/discount in the right hand sidebar under the "Current Coupons" heading. Simply click on the discount link to find out more details.
NEWSLETTER!
Last but not least, we have an exciting announcement to make! We've decided to start a monthly newsletter for our readership! The newsletter is designed to share some of the latest news from Glimpse as well as give you taste of what's to come in the next month - something that only our newsletter subscribers will get to see! The newsletter will come at the beginning of each month (starting in February) and we promise to never sell or share your email addresses with anyone else...and to never send spam or junk mail your way! We'd love to have you sign up for our newsletter ~ just sign up in the right hand sidebar under "Subscribe to our Newsletter" to be a part of our exciting updates & sneak peeks!
Sharing...it's a tough 'skill' to learn sometimes, isn't it?! Yet, you hear moms and teachers saying it all the time..."Share, Share and Share some more!" And this week for Scholastic Monday we get to share ;) another fabulous Robert Munsch book with you! We Share Everything by Robert Munsch is a great book for kids who need to learn that sharing can be FUN! The story features Amanda and Jeremiah who have a big problem. It's the first day of kindergarten and they both want the same books, paints, toys, etc...and no one is sharing. The teacher, of course, goes into her "sharing speech" and reminds them that in Kindergarten they share everything. Everything? Really? Well...you know kids, and sometimes they just have to take a comment like that to the next level, don't they? :) Amanda and Jeremiah decide that maybe they can share after all...it starts with sharing their shoes, and next thing you know they've shared their whole outfits! Before they knew it sharing had become fun.
We Share Everything is a funny little story that kids are sure to enjoy. It's also available in a board book for younger children. Hats off to Robert Munsch for yet another great children's book!
**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.
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.
Math...that was a dreaded word in my vocabulary back during my school days! It is true...I was not a master of math and to this day still struggle with math. Many children, teens & even adults have trouble with this whole subject of math...but besides using a calculator all the time, what else can we do? DK Canada has an invaluable math resource which has been written specifically for Canadian children and their parents. The Math Dictionary covers it all - from prime numbers to pentagons to angles and more. Have you forgotten what a parallelogram is? I have, but this handy little book defined it very clearly...complete with a color illustration. The book is filled with pictures, diagrams, graphs, etc. to help both children and parents comprehend the concepts more easily.
This year I began the journey of homeschooling...and the journey has just begun. I am positive that the Math Dictionary will be very helpful for me, and for my children in the months and years to come! The book features more than 300 descriptions on words, phrases and concepts that are often used in math classes. Finally...one last thing that I really appreciated about this book is that it is a Canadian Edition - which means everything in it is Canadian terms. Whether you are a homeschooling family or a public school family I can guarantee that the Math Dictionary will be perfect for helping your kids with homework and it may even enhance your own math skills & terms as well! ;)
WIN IT! DK Canada is giving away a Math Dictionary 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.
This week Scholastic Canada has sent us another fabulous Robert Munsch title to feature! Up, Up, Down by Robert Munsch does not disappoint! Like all Munsch titles we've read so far it is fun, outlandish, and has a cute, funny & unexpected ending!
Up, Up, Down is a story about an energetic little girl, Anna. Anna just so happens to love to climb, so up, up, up she goes to the very top of the tree! Her father and mother warn her, but she pays no heed to their warns and continues up, up, up. However...getting down isn't quite as easy as she had imagined it would be! The ending is quite funny...and as outrageous as usual! :) I'll leave you in suspense over the ending - but it's a great read for kids and I'm sure you'll love the end as much as the beginning and middle of Up, Up, Down!
With the usual colorful and animated illustrations of Michael Martchenko and the great story-line from Robert Munsch this book is another top notch one for kids. It'll bring a few giggles to be sure, and will probably be one of those books that your children will ask you to read again and again and again!!
**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.
The winners of some soft sole shoes/boots from Moxies Baby shoes are:
Pair of Soft Sole Boots: Olivia L.
Her design was: For boots, I'd use black suede and hot pink fur with a toughtek sole. I'd add contrasting pink stitching on the boot and a row of pink buttons up the back of each boot.
Pair of Soft Sold Shoes: Kathy Davis
Her design was: I made a leather shoe in brown and turquoise with the Tyler font for the name Peanut.
Congrats! You'll each have 72 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen.
Recycling is becoming more and more popular - even in our own home! One of my favorite things to recycle is miscellaneous "old stuff" that can be used for creating new things - so for kids crafts, or even taking my old clothes and fashioning them into something kid-sized for my children. I'm no pro at this though and would love to learn to upcycle even better someday. Banbutsu, on the other hand, does an amazing job with upcycling and recycling! I discovered Banbutsu on Etsy, and I instantly fell in love with her irresistible handmade items. They are one-of-a-kind and are completely unique and made from "old" recycled materials. Although the items are made from upcycled products, you would never be able to tell...the quality is amazing and Banbutsu truly does know how to create something new from something "old!"
We received one of her adorable hoodies. These are made from upcycled sweaters and are sewn in a fun, whimsical pixie style hoodie. They are so warm and cozy, and our son loves his new upcycled wool hoodie. The hoodies are ideal for a jacket in the spring or fall and are just right for keeping warm during these extra cold winter months as well!
Banbutsu has a great selection of hoodies to choose from - in a variety of sizes as well. While you're browsing around, you definitely need to check out the sweet 'lil pinafore dresses and the cozy, one-of-a-kind blankets. The work, thought and energy that must go into each of the items from Banbutsu is exceptional, and we are thoroughly impressed! What a wonderful way to wrap something that is eco-friendly, unique & irresistible all into one package!
WIN IT!
Banbutsu is giving one of our readers a hood of YOUR choice! In order to enter, please follow the instructions on the form below. Open to Canada and USA!
**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.
I am guilty of it...and I'm sure we all are - walking into stores and buying product after product without any real thought about where it came from, how it got there and what the story is behind it. But haven't you ever stopped to wonder, at least once in a while, what the story is behind the products you buy? Who created it? How? Where? Did the product travel 10,000 miles before getting to your hands? Was the product mass-produced by machines or handmade by a passionate artisan?
I was recently introduced to a new Canadian online marketplace - Goods With Story. They are all about bringing together Passionate Canadian Sellers with Canadian Buyers. Their marketplace is filled with unique and creative items for all ages! Not only are the items original and not your regular products you'll find in the local shopping center, but I love that you can read the story behind each of the products they sell. I loved reading through a few of the stories on Goods With Story..they are inspirational and truly give you a "feel" for the product by giving you personal stories on who created each item and why.
We received a few products from Shea Butter Market, including Savannah Body Cream, Shea Lav and Shea Anise Soap. Each of these are organic, natural, luxurious products that are perfect for keeping your skin healthy and beautiful. We have been enjoying these products and in addition to that, I loved being able to read the story behind them before I was able to use them. Just to give you a 'taste' of how neat it is to hear the story behind a product, I'll share a bit of this one with you! Shea Butter Market was inspired by and created by Gifty.
Gifty grew up in northern Ghana in West Africa in the heart of what could be called the global Shea Butter capital. When she moved to Canada in 1980 she was amazed that North America did not know about Shea Butter. Over the years she became impassioned with the need to share Shea Butter with the world in a way that would benefit everyone, especially the women who made the Shea Butter and the people who would use the product. In 1999 Gifty started experimenting with Shea Butter, adding essential oils and marketing products in little brown glass containers.Working from her kitchen, Gifty also continued to combine Shea Butter with high quality essential oils and other natural materials to make special products for friends and family. The people who used her products kept telling her amazing stories about what it had done for them.After talking it over with family and friends, Gifty decided to create another business that develops and markets Shea Butter based products. This was the start of Shea Butter Market.
That is just a small tidbit of Gifty's story - but isn't it inspiring?! Good With
Story is packed with great, high quality products from Canadian sellers such as Shea Butter Market and each company comes with it's own story for you to read and discover.
Shopping at Goods With Story is wonderful and it gives a whole new 'twist' to finding the perfect gift or product to purchase for yourself or a loved one. I can guarantee you'll enjoy the shopping experience even more as you read the stories behind each of the products and get a feel for the "soul" behind each one.
WIN IT! Goods With Story is giving one of our readers a $40 gift certificate to their great Canadian marketplace! In order to enter, please follow the instructions on the form below. 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's an amazing amount of accessories out there for us girls (grown-up or child) these days, isn't there? But the catch is...that a lot of those accessories are cheaply made, and are duplicated 1000's of times. I don't particuarly mind that at times, but it's always extra special when you can find something that is unique...and a little more "one of a kind!" Sage Leaf Studio is an online Canadian boutique that does just this. They create unique hand-made products with a modern flair.
We received a Little Leaf Skinny belt for our 3 year old, and it is adorable. The Star Light design pictured is the one we received...it is simple yet beautiful and our daughter loves it! The belt is made out of 100% cotton and has a simple set of D-rings to make adjusting the belt size easy. One of my favorite features about the belts from Sage Leaf Studio is that they are not mass produced, and normally there is only 1 belt available per listing. This means that your Little Leaf belt will be one of those "one of a kind", extra special accessories!
In addition to belts, Sage Leaf Studio also offers a variety of other handmade items for both children and adults. You'll find some of the cutest (even vintage-like!) hair accessories for little girls as well as for us grown-up mama's! Sage Leaf Studio has even created a line of fun & practical nursing covers for breastfeeding moms. Each and every item is handmade and is made to be unique and special for you. They are perfect for every day wear, dressy occasions and they make great gifts too! Head over and take a look at the fabulous designs for yourself! If you'd like to have some fun sneak peeks of what is to come, take a look at Sage Leaf Studio's Facebook page as well!
WIN IT!
One of our readers is going to win a free belt of YOUR choice from Sage Leaf Studio! 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.
Over the next few weeks, we're going to be posting reviews of products that we hope will help us achieve our resolutions, and perhaps yours as well. Here's the first in the "Resolution Solution" Series - and the resolution is to be more organized.
You know how they say that you should use a different password for each thing, never write passwords down, and change them periodically? You need a super brain to keep up with it all! I take some comfort in knowing I'm not the only one with this problem, otherwise the program I tried would never have been invented!
Roboform is a password manager program developed by Siber Systems. It's available for download from the website, and you can use it free for a limited trial version to see if you like it. The version I've been trying stores the passwords you want on your desktop. Roboform Everywhere stores passwords online so you can access them from anywhere, while Roboform2Go operates on a USB flash drive.
Roboform has been downloaded over 50 million times, comes highly recommended with consistently high ratings and includes the strongest encryption possible.
Roboform is easy to download, and if purchased, comes with a key to activate all the features. Once installed, it operates in the background, but as soon as a website requires a login, it prompts you to save a password if it's the first visit, or finds the password automatically for you on a subsequent visit, so all you have to do is click, and your username and password are filled in for you, and the login button is clicked for you as well! Super easy! I had imagined having a list of possible logins to go through every time you wanted to log in to a secure website, but the feature of the login ID showing up automatically (on my button bar) is superb! When you enter a new password, you have to also enter the master password to have it saved, and sometimes you have to enter the master password to use your saved password, so really, all you ever have to remember is the master password and you're good to go!
We've really been happy with our experiences with Roboform so far. It truly does make it easier to keep all of the secure login information easier to access while still being protected. My husband and I both have mental blips every now and then, and can't remember a certain password, especially if it's one the other partner invented, and now that problem has been solved for us!
Roboform can also be used to automatically fill in web forms. We haven't used this feature yet, but I can imagine it would save a lot of typing! :)
Roboform is available for a variety of platforms including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, Mac OS X, and Opera as well as for a variety of mobile devices.
Check out the video on the website explaining how Roboform works.
**Disclosure: The product mentioned above has been given free of charge from Siber Systems 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.
Hide and seek is an all-time favorite game at our house right now! And I have a feeling the simple game of hide and seek is loved worldwide. :) There's just something extra fun about finding someone or something that is hiding. Recently our two oldest children have also really enjoyed hide and seek books where they are able to look for 'hiding' objects on each page. (I have to admit...that even I enjoy these hide & seek books still! ;) )
DK Canada knows just how much fun hide and seek can be and they have a few great hide and seek books for kids! Hide and Seek Animals is one of them that we've added to our home and we love it. Not only do the kids and us parents get to spend time snuggling on the couch together while we look for the hiding pets, farm animals, birds, dinosaurs, etc. but this book also provides us with countless opportunities to learn about these animals and their environments. In our minds, you really can't lose when you are able to mix fun & learning together! Hide and Seek Animals is a great 'family activity' book, a great book for quiet places (such as church, weddings, etc.) and perfect for some longer-lasting traveling entertainment as well. We are looking forward to many more great games of hide and seek in the future...both in real life and in our hide and seek story books! :)
WIN IT!
One of our readers is going to win their own copy of Hide and Seek Animals! In order to enter, please follow the instructions on the form below. (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.
Maternity clothes have improved a lot over the past few years, haven't they?! These days you can find almost anything you're looking for in a maternity wardrobe...you may need to search a little harder and farther than your local Wal.Mart, but it's out there! One of my recent additions to my maternity wardrobe came from Isabella Oliver. They are a top-notch place to shop for the latest and best maternity (and nursing!) fashions. Isabella Oliver came to be because the founders were unable to find clothing for pregnancy that was comfortable, stylish and fit well. Fast forward a couple of years and you now have a great online shop that is filled to the brim with stylish & comfortable maternity clothes which are currently being sold around the world!
I received the V Neck Ruched Top. Ruched clothes are fabulous for pregnancy, and this top has definitely become a quick favorite! It is great for wearing either around the home or for dressy occasions. In fact, I wore it to a Christmas banquet a few weeks ago - and it worked wonderfully. The top fits beautifully and can even be worn post pregnancy. The quality and make of the top is great, and it truly is a maternity wardrobe 'classic' that I am proud to own!
In addition to maternity tops, you'll find some gorgeous maternity dresses, pants, jackets & coats and so much more! A lot of the items from Isabella Oliver also come in various colors/shades of fabric - and as I mentioned earlier the choices of styles, colors & outfits at Isabella Oliver is exceptional!
**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.
Nature, the GREAT outdoors, our earth and our world all play a huge part in our lives whether we realize it or not. Too often we spend so much time indoors that it's hard to remember what the air smells like after a good thunderstorm, or what the grass & sand feels like under our bare feet. I believe that kids are naturally drawn to the outdoors...they LOVE to play outside and all we need to do around here is mention going outside and there is a small stampede of little people trying to find their boots & winter gear! There is so much to learn, and so much to explore in our natural environment and I love to watch my children enjoy our beautiful, intricate world. Naturebag is a Canadian company that also loves to encourage outdoor exploration. They have come up with a fabulous little kit called the Naturebag - an organic nature activity bag that is perfect for exploring, learning and developing a love of the outdoors. The activity bag strives offers a hands-on alternatives instead of all those inside "screen" activities we often allow our children to do. This fun little bag is packed full of items to guide you and your children through a variety of hands-on, educational activities. It is geared for kids ages 3-12 and it is very simple to adjust many of the activities in the booklet provided to suit the specific age of the child.
The great thing about the naturebag is that it requires literally no prep...everything you need for your outdoor adventures is right there in the bag. It includes:
The activities you can enjoy with the naturebag are countless and the booklet includes ideas for every season - yes, even for the cold, snowy winter season! The versatility of the naturebag is fabulous...you can use it anytime, the activites are easily age adjustable and you can do most of the activities more than once - yet with new and exciting results each time!
WIN IT! Naturebag is giving one of their great activity filled bags away to one of our readers! In order to enter, please follow the instructions on the form below.
**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.
