It All Starts With Yes!

My sons are do-ers. They love creating things and learning new skills. They like to be involved in what's going on. They are always coming up with creative ideas for things to do but I'm not always up for it. Even though I love hanging out with my kids, sometimes I'm tired or busy and sometimes I just want to avoid the mess.

Apparently, I'm not alone - a recent national survey found 64% of moms regularly say no to their children when they ask to do something together. Proctor & Gamble's Family Care brands (Bounty®, Charmin®, Puffs® along with Tide® and Mr. Clean®) want to encourage you to start saying yes to your kids, so they have issued the It All Starts With Yes Challenge.

The Challenge: It’s easy -- count the number of times you say ‘no’ in any given week or weekend, and then turn them into “Yes” opportunities. The result:  more fun activities together such as baking, games, and arts and crafts!

Over the past week, I've made a point of saying "Yes" and it has been great. Sure, it takes longer and is messier when my 7 year-old is helping me put a fresh coat of paint on his toy box but the pride he feels and the memories we make are well worth it!

If you're ready to start saying "Yes" head on over to the It All Starts With Yes facebook page and take a look around. There are ideas and coupons to get you started and there's even a contest! You can create a Yes Pass for various activities you pledge to do with your kids. For each Pass you create, you are entered to win a Yes Kit. When you follow through on the pledge, you can redeem the Yes Pass for an entry into the grand prize draw for $10,000 towards a dream family adventure! Imagine the adventure you could have with that!

In order to encourage me and my readers to start saying "Yes" more often, I received a Yes Kit to keep and another to give away. This kit includes Tide® original liquid laundry detergent, a Mr. Clean® Magic Eraser, box of Puffs® facial tissue,Charmin® Freshmates, Bounty® paper towel, and  adult and child-size aprons - some great products to get your creative juices flowing and to help clean up afterwards! If you want a chance to win, enter on the rafflecopter form below. And don't forget to like It All Starts With Yes on facebook.

Lady and the Tramp is Out of the Vault

Lady and the Tramp is being released on DVD and Blu-Ray combo pack on February 7th. This is the first time the classic Disney story will be available on Blu-Ray and it's a great opportunity to introduce your children to the lovable characters you've known since you were a child.

A classic love story unfolds in the best Disney tradition as a lovely young pedigreed cocker spaniel named Lady, who lives a pampered life, finds herself falling romantically for Tramp, an amorous street-smart pooch without prospects. Although they have fun together on several dates, including a sentimental spaghetti dinner by moonlight at Tony’s restaurant, their relationship is strained not only by Lady’s loyalty to her human family and their newborn baby, but by Tramp’s devil-may-care attitude that eventually gets Lady in trouble and tossed into the dog pound. However, good-hearted Tramp redeems himself by saving the baby from potential harm and thus wins Lady’s love and the affection of her human family.

Disney has sent me a bunch of fun Lady and the Tramp themed activities to share with you guys. There are coloring pages, craft instructions, valentines cards and more! Visit this link to download the activities.

You can also check out the trailer below

Cheerios Celebrates Heart Month

February is almost here and you know what that means; love is in the air and hearts are on our minds. February is Heart Month - that short little month when we are reminded that our tickers need love too!

Just in time for Heart Month, Cheerios.ca has launched. This new website is a great source for heart health information. There is lots of info on there to help you understand and control cholesterol along with recipes and lifestyle tips. High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease so we all need to take steps to lower cholesterol. Both Original and Honey Nut Cheerios contain an ingredient that can help us do that naturally.

If you're looking for new ways to enjoy Cheerios, you can find lots of inspiration at Cheerios Recipe Central. My son recently tried the Crunchy Frozen Bananas recipe. He used Chocolate Cheerios because that's what we had on hand but the recipe was so easy he did it all by himself!

Ingredients:

4 firm ripe bananas
8 wooden sticks with rounded ends
1-1 1/2 cups (250-375 mL) low-fat yogurt (any flavour)
3 cups (750 mL) CHEERIOS* cereal

Cover baking sheet with waxed paper. Peel bananas; cut bananas crosswise in half. Insert wooden stick into cut end of each banana. Roll in yogurt, sprinkle with cereal. Place on baking sheet. Freeze about 1 hour or until firm. Wrap each banana in plastic wrap or foil. Store in freezer.

How do you keep your heart healthy? One of the things I've been doing is planning my snacks. When I'm prepared with a well-stocked snack cupboard and fruit drawer, I will grab a few almonds and a tangerine. When I'm not prepared, I am much more likely to run to the corner store and grab a bag of potato chips! I would love to hear any heart healthy tips you have to share.

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Winners!

Here are the most recent giveaway winners:

Coupons & Gift Cards Winner - Rebby

La Creme Cow Winner - Francine

Real Steel Blu-Ray Winners - Bree, Athena, Glogirl

All the winners have been emailed. Thanks to all the sponsors and entrants. Remember to get your entries in for my current giveaways and keep coming back for more!

Treasure Buddies Is Almost Here (Giveaway)

The adorable Disney puppies are back in a new adventure and this time they have made their way to Egypt! Treasure Buddies hits store shelves on January 31st on Blu-Ray Combo Pack and DVD. Find out what the Buddies are up to this time in the synopsis below.

Disney’s talking canine superstars are back in “Treasure Buddies,” their 6th all-new adventure. This latest story is told from the perspective of the Buddies’ newest friend, a mischievous Egyptian monkey named Babi. As Babi tells us, more than 40 years ago a young archeologist named Thomas Howard, travelled to Egypt with his dog Digger to search for the lost necklace of Cleocatra. They managed to discover half of an artifact, the Bronze of Bastet, but their find triggered a booby-trapped cave-in, which they barely escaped. Forty years later, Thomas is living in Fernfield where he manages a museum. Digger’s grandpups, Rosebud, B-Dawg, Budderball, Buddha and Mudbud also live in Fernfield and, in fact, Mudbud belongs to Thomas’ grandson, Pete.

Thomas is about to close his museum due to lack of funding when he gets a visit from a mysterious stranger, Dr. Philip Wellington, who reveals the other half of the Bronze of Bastet and invites Thomas and Pete to accompany him back to Egypt to resume the quest for the legendary Cat’s Eye Jewel. Pete offers to bring Mudbud along but Wellington refuses as he travels with Ubasti, a hairless cat who is allergic to dogs. When Mudbud learns that Ubasti plans to steal the necklace for herself and use its power to dominate both dogs and humans, he rallies the other Buddies to stow away on the private plane in order to overtake the expedition and thwart Ubasti’s plan.

Once they get to Egypt, danger lurks around every secret sphinx, cryptic crypt and puzzling pyramid. With help from lovable new friends including Cammy, a baby camel and the clever Babi, the Buddies avoid booby traps, solve puzzles and explore a mysterious tomb in their most exciting and challenging adventure yet.

For all the latest Treasure Buddies news and extras follow Walt Disney Studios Canada on facebook.

Walt Disney Motion Pictures Canada has generously offered me the opportunity to give away 3 Treasure Buddies Combo Packs to my readers so if you would like to win your own copy, enter using the rafflecopter form below.

*Disclosure - Sponsor is providing giveaway prizes. No further compensation was provided. All opinions are honest and my own.

Celebrate Chinese New Year With VH

My kids go to a very diverse school so they learn about many different cultures and traditions first hand and Chinese New Year is one of their favorites. They love learning about the Chinese zodiac and making decorations. They have taught me quite a bit about Spring Festival, as it's called in China. It is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays and this year January 23rd starts the year of the dragon.

Chinese New Year is a great time to add a little culture to dinnertime. When I want to mix things up and bring some culture to our meals, I talk about it with my boys and we go shopping together at the local Asian, Polish or Italian market to decide what we would like to try. My picky eater is much more receptive to trying new dishes when he has played a part in the decision-making process.

When I told them I wanted to make something special for Chinese New Year we decided to look at some recipes on the VH Sauces website and see what sounded good. We couldn't narrow it down to just one, so tonight we will be having Mandarin Chicken with Broccoli and tomorrow dinner will be Grilled Szechwan Pork Ribs. Both of these Asian-inspired recipes have big flavour but the ingredients are quite common so I won't even have to make a special trip to the Asian market.

VH Sauces make it easy to add big flavour to your meals but if you just don't have the time to cook, VH Steamers may be just what you need. These Asian-inspired meals can be found in the frozen food section at your grocery store. They use DuoTray SteamCooker technology to steam your meal to perfection while locking in flavour and preserving texture, all in under 5 minutes!

You can connect with VH on their facebook page for product info and delicious recipes.

To help you celebrate, VH Sauces is providing me with a Chinese New Year prize pack valued at $60 to give to one lucky reader. Enter using the rafflecopter form below.

*Disclosure – I am participating in the VH Chinese New Year Celebration program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of VH.  I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Five Calorie Desserts? Yes Please!

I have always had a sweet tooth. I love pie and cake so much and crave them often but I usually feel guilty about the amount of calories it requires to satisfy my cravings. This is why I was so glad to hear that Juicy Fruit has launched a line of gum that is going to help us satisfy our cravings anywhere, anytime and without the empty calories.

Juicy Fruit Desserts is a sugar-free gum available in the same flavours as some of Canada's favourite desserts. You can now find Strawberry Shortcake, Orange Crème Pop and Apple Pie on store shelves in the form of 5 calorie sticks of gum. Juicy Fruit Desserts gum is available at retailers across the country for a suggested retail price of $1.69 (single, 15-piece pack) and $3.99 (multipack with three, 15-piece packs).

My family had the chance to try all three flavours of Juicy Fruit Desserts gum. We started with the apple pie flavour. My sons and I loved it! The cinnamon and apple flavour was spot on and it would definitely satisfy an apple pie craving. Next we tried Strawberry Shortcake. I have to admit, none of us were fans of this one. The flavours just didn't seem to blend well. So on the Orange Crème Pop. This was the big hit! We all loved the creamy orange flavour and we were gushing so much that my husband (who usually only chews minty gum) joined in the taste test and agreed that it was delicious. Each variety had long lasting flavour and a nice aroma.

Whether you are watching your waistline or just looking for some interesting new choices in gum, Wrigley's Juicy Fruit Dessert gum provides a delicious, low-calorie option from a trusted company.

You can connect with Juicy Fruit on their facebook page or on twitter.

*Disclosure - I received product samples free of charge for the purpose of this review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Real Steel Blu-Ray Combo Pack Giveaway

Whether you're a mom of boys or just a Hugh Jackman fan, I'm sure you'll be excited to know that Real Steel hits store shelves next week. The box office hit will be available on Blu-Ray Combo Pack, DVD and digital download for you to own on January 24th. Check out the synopsis below:

The family action-adventure is set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone high-tech. Charlie Kenton, played by Hugh Jackman, is a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (played by Canadian actor Dokota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.

Connect with Real Steel on facebook and twitter for more information, conversation and extras.

I have been offered 3 Real Steel Blu-Ray Combo Packs to give away to my readers, so if you would like a chance to win your very own copy, enter using the rafflecopter form.

*Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. Sponsor is providing giveaway prizes.

La Creme Cow Review & Giveaway

I love to snack and I really love cheese so I was excited when I was given the opportunity to sample the newest product from Parmalat Canada. La Creme Cow is a line of spreadable snack cheese that fits perfectly into busy lives. Healthy, convenient and delicious - just what we all want in a snack!

This cheese is wrapped in individual wedges making it very easy to take on the go or share with friends and family. I had the chance to try all three flavours - Original, Light and Parmesan and Peppercorn. I enjoyed the mild taste and creamy texture of each but my favorite was the Parmesan and Peppercorn. It has a nice flavour that comes through but is not overwhelming. I've been enjoying snacking on these wedges straight out of the wrapper.

I had a friend and her children come over this weekend for a play date so I decided to serve up some La Creme Cow appetizers. I spread some Original and Light cheese on crackers and then topped some with cherry tomato slices and others with cucumber slices. I also set out some wedges for the kids to snack on. By the end of the play date, the platter was empty. The kids gobbled up the wedges and then helped us finish off the crackers.

When I first tried La Creme Cow I knew it would make an ideal snack for adults, but I'm surprised by how much the kids like it too. I'm not sure if it's the cute wedges or the fact that they can spread it themselves but La Creme Cow has become the go-to snack for my boys.

La Creme Cow spreadable cheese can be purchased at your local Loblaws or Metro grocery stores nationwide and is available in the following sizes:

• Original - 12 pk average retail price $5.49
• Light - 6pk average retail price $2.99
• Parmesan and Peppercorn - 6 pk average retail price $2.99

To celebrate the launch of La Creme Cow spreadable cheese, I have a fantastic prize pack valued at $100 to giveaway to one lucky reader. The prize pack includes coupons for free La Creme Cow cheese, glasses, a cheese board and more! If you want a chance to win the La Creme Cow prize pack, enter using the rafflecopter form below.

*Disclosure - I was provided with products free of charge for the purpose of this review. All opinions are honest and my own.

New Year, Same Old Me (Only Better!)

Most years I make a New Year's resolution. It usually involves completely changing my life in one way or another and I usually fail miserably and give up within a week or two. So this year I've decided to do things a little differently. I am going to make small changes that are easy to do and will hopefully add up to making me happier and healthier overall.

My first change has been adding more veggies and fibre to my families diet. In the winter it can be hard to find good quality fresh produce but Green Giant always has high quality frozen and canned vegetables available at your local grocery store and all the prep work is done so it is super easy to add them into your favorite dish. Life Made Delicious has a great list of 10 ways to get your daily fibre with some helpful tips that I've been using.

Another change I've made is parking at the far side of the parking lot. It's a tiny change but it means I'm walking more and it also helps relieve the stress of racing to an open spot only to have someone pull in right before you. There are surprisingly few people vying for spots way at the back of the lot!

The third change I've made is I bought a dry erase board for the fridge. I'm using it to meal plan and keep track of my daily to-do list. I've thought about meal planning many times but it always seemed like such a big undertaking. Now, I am just jotting down healthy meals for each day on Sunday and going grocery shopping on Monday to make sure I have everything for the week. It is surprisingly easy and I love not having to decide what to make each day. My grocery bill has decreased and the kids love being able to see what we are having all week.

My fourth change is to stop using plastic baggies. I made this decision after gong through a box of 100 baggies in a little over two weeks! With my sons and husband taking lunch to school and work, it was just becoming so wasteful so I decided I'm not buying anymore. It has been a very easy transition! If you are still using baggies, why not give it a try for a week and see just how easy it is to live without them.

The last change I've made came about because of the Fibre 1 Chill Challenge. On February 29th, The Running Room is hosting a day for everyone to get out and be active for 20 minutes. You can run or walk and the first 10000 registrants will receive a free toque at the event. You can register online here.

When I mentioned this event to two of my friends and asked if they wanted to attend with me, we decided not only would we attend but we would do a 20 minute walk three mornings per week this winter. We are meeting right after the kids go to school, no matter the weather, on Monday Wednesday and Friday to do a 20 minute walk around our neighbourhood. I love that a small idea has turned into something bigger! Why not invite some of your friends or family to attend Fibre 1 Chill Challenge? If you plan to attend in Edmonton let me know and maybe we can connect there.

Have you made any resolutions this year? If so how are they going?

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own