Canadian Moms Blog

Be My Valentine Giveaway Event Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:34:00 +0000

I hope you all had a wonderful love day! Thank you to everyone that entered the giveaways and congratulations to those that won some awesome goodies!
Of course, without the help of some amazing Canadian companies, the Be My Valentine Giveaway Event would be pretty sad so a huge thank you to The Pumpkin Patch, Look Who's Growing, Posterjack, PINK Espresso and Shian Naturals. I would also like to give a shout out to the lovely Theo for covering the shipping costs of the CMO Scentsy giveaway! We truly appreciate your support and generosity! MWAH!

WINNERS:
The Pumpkin Patch:
#10 Suelyn Liked The Pumpkin Patch on Facebook
#139 Carrie Liked the blog post
Look Who's Growing:
#24 @mommyto5boys followed @LookWhosGrowing on Twitter
Posterjack:
#101 Laura P Tweeted about the giveaway
PINK Espresso:
#8 Lisa Bbl Liked the blog post
#65 Patty O Liked PINK Espresso on Facebook
#44 Sue S Liked the blog post
#112 Kristen S Blog about it
# 96 @xocanadianangel followed @PinkEspressoLTD on Twitter
Shian Naturals:
#151 @RebTheCatSitter tweeted about the giveaway
CMO (Scentsy):
#290 Louise G followed @CndMoms on Twitter

Congratulations all! Enjoy your gifts!

Be My Valentine ~ The Pumpkin Patch

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:36:00 +0000

About The Pumpkin Patch:

After my son was born going shopping with my then 2.5 year old daughter and a newborn proved to be a challenge. I did A LOT of online shopping just to avoid the mall. I found myself shopping mostly in the wee hours of the night when I finally had peace and quiet. I also noticed that I was buying from many different sites and couldn’t find one that had everything I needed. So I started my own little pumpkin patch!

I look for unique products that are fun for kids but also make mom and dad’s lives easier!

Connect with The Pumpkin Patch:

http://www.thepumpkinpatch.ca/
http://twitter.com/pumpkinpatchCDN
http://www.facebook.com/ThePumpkinPatchCAN

Start the day off with good cheer with these cute toothbrush guards. Most people store toothbrushes either in their bathroom cabinet or on a countertop. Every time you flush, droplets of contaminated water spray into the air landing on bathroom surfaces and items on the countertop, such as toothbrushes. Experts say that you should not let your toothbrush make contact with other toothbrushes. This is a quick and easy way of passing along the common cold and other diseases.

1. Flipper provides a great, secure storage solution away from harmful germs.The cap's side vents allow in just enough air flow for bristles to stay clean and dry.
2. Flippers are large enough to accommodate almost every type of toothbrush on the market including those with fat handles.
3. Its amazing suction-strength can even handle electric toothbrushes while staying gripped to a mirror, tile or most other smooth surfaces.
4. Unlike other toothbrush holders that are attached with permanent adhesive strips, the Flipper can be moved anywhere at any time.
5. Easily converts into a travel case to keep brushes safe from other toiletries and keeps your toothbrush away from harmful germs and dirt while traveling.

Be The Pumpkin Patch's valentine and enter for a chance to win a cute Flipper Toothbrush Guard! 2 winners!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be My Valentine ~ posterjack.ca

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:31:00 +0000

Posterjack.ca is an online company that transforms Canadian's digital photos into big, bold, vibrant artwork. Looking for a thoughtful gift idea for someone special? Put your most memorable photo onto a Metal Print,Canvas Art, Framed Photo,Peel N Stick or Mounted Print.

Ordering from Posterjack.ca is a really easy process. Simply upload your photo, select the product, choose the size and you’re done! And it’s shipped right to your doorstep.

For photography tips and info on the latest Posterjack.ca news and deals follow us on Facebook.com/Posterjack and @PosterjackDotCa on Twitter.

Be Posterjack's Valentine and enter for a chance to win a $50 voucher code which can be used for a Metal Print, Canvas Art, Framed Photo,Peel N Stick or Mounted Print!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be My Valentine ~ Shian Naturals

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:25:00 +0000

Shian Naturals is an all natural health and beauty products company located in Burlington Ontario. They produce premium quality, all natural, unscented skin, hair, and body care products that can be found in many retail stores and clinics as well as purchased online. Every single Shian Naturals products are registered with Health Canada's cosmetics program.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shiannaturals
Twitter: http://twitter.com/shiannaturals

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be My Valentine ~ PINK Espresso

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:20:00 +0000

“PINK Espresso is a proud Canadian fashion and beauty company (e-commerce) and is Canada's Top-choice for the hottest, online shopping. We specialize in jewellery that is pretty and sparkly, while also being very reasonably priced. Perfect for MOMs, Girls, Gals, Divas and Devos. We retail products include: Jewellery, Beauty and Organic/Vegan cosmetics and accessories, Nail products and Brand name bath and lotion products. Most of our products are made in Canada and from Canadian companies. We take our customers and retailers seriously. Your comments and feedbacks are extremely important to us and We'd love to hearing from you.”

~ Limit 1 per household

~ 18 years and older

~ Entire amount has to be used in one order/purchase

~ no Refund and no Cash Value

We now have more new Add-Ons (DIY Accessories…etc), new services (Free Shipping to Canada, QC and USA on orders over $75cad…..ect), and we are Greener – Pink Espresso, CHIC Bean and BizBlackBook are now run on Wind

***We NOW ship all across Canada “INCLUDING” the province of Quebec and we also ship World–Wide (Hooray !!! J)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PINKespressoLTD

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/pinkespressoltd

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be My Valentine ~ Look Who's Growing

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:13:00 +0000

Look Who's Growing has many designs to choose from for both boys and girls. Their charts track height from toddler to teenager and yes, it's the digital age but, nothing can compare to doing it old-school and actually seeing it physically right in front of you. Not to mention these designs are a total asset to any decor!

"We're a manufacturer of personalized growth charts. The charts are available in over 20 different designs and colours that you can personalize with your child's name and date-of-birth. For added personalization you can also add a photo of the child.

Keep record of a growing child's height in a stylish way. Our colourful, high-quality personalized growth charts accent any room.

A personalized growth chart makes a great gift. It's a unique present that you know will be used and one that will be a cherished memento.

The charts are available in 2 widths: 6 and 12 inches. They are printed on high-quality vinyl and come with a wooden dowel inserted in the bottom and 2 grommets at the top for easy mounting. Your personalized chart will be shipped to you within 2-3 weeks from time of order."

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LookWhosGrowing

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/lookwhosgrowing

Enter for a chance to win one of these awesome personalized growth charts from Look Who's Growing!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CMO's Be My Valentine Event!

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Will you be our valentine?

With the help of a few friends, we have put together a sweet pack of giveaways! A huge thank you to The Pumpkin Patch, Look Who's Growing, posterjack.ca, Shian Naturals, Beauty RSVP (to be posted on Feb. 6) and PINK Espresso! They all have a little something special to give to some very lucky members/readers!
As a token of our appreciation for all of your support and awesomeness, we have a little something something for one winner too! CMO will be giving away one full size Scentsy warmer (see image below), one "Love Story" Scentsy bar and one "Satin Sheets" Scentsy bar!
I would like to send out a special thank you to Theo from Scentsy for covering the shipping cost of this giveaway! Thanks, Theo!

Have fun and good luck!

Links to our Be My Valentine Giveaways:
Look Who's Growing
PINK Espresso
Shian Naturals
Posterjack
The Pumpkin Patch

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:34:00 +0000

Happy New Year from the CMO team! We thank you all for your support in 2011 and look forward to connecting even more in 2012! To health, happiness, friendship, support, love and laughter in 2012!

Canadian Find Friday ~ Colorful Concepts

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:07:00 +0000

Decorating your toddler's room can be fun but also very frustrating. Colorful Concepts is an awesome option for your decorating needs!

Some words from Amanda West:

Inspired by my kids I design Educational Art for toddlers and preschoolers and it has three purposes:

1. Looks great in any young child's bedroom or playroom

2.Designed to be taken off of the wall by parents and used in a variety of activities to teach shapes, numbers or the letters by using the accompanying Activity Guide. Also they are waterproof and beautifully finished on the back so they can take the abuse a young child will be sure to give.

3. They hang back up in the child's room where it constantly reinforces everything that the child has learned

It is this Activity Guide that really makes my product different from other sets of stretched canvases. For example, the guide with the Discovering Shapes set has 6 activities and 4 shape songs to help toddlers learn the four basic shapes. If you check out my website my debut line Discovering Shapes is featured there. It has recently won Creative Child Magazines 2011 Product of the Year Award.

In January 2012 I am releasing my first designs in the Discovering Numbers and Discovering the Alphabet collections. You can check out these designs under my :What's Happening" tab on my website www.colorfulconceptsforkids.com.

C
onnect with Colorful Concepts online:

www.colorfulconceptsforkids.com

www.twitter.com/educationalart

www.facebook.com/colorfulconceptsforkids

Where to buy:

Online: http://www.colorfulconceptsforkids.com/collections/all

Offline:

bo bebe Crowfoot Crossing

86 Crowfoot Tce. NW Calgary, Alberta

Kids in Harmony

#16 - 7667 - 50 Ave. in Centre 76 Red Deer, Alberta

Mildred and Doris Gift Studio- Find that perfect something for that special someone.

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:53:00 +0000

Mildred and Doris Gift Studio is an online tool to help women nurture their friendships.

Whether it was when she was in the downtown 9-5 world or a stay at home mom, there was a point when studio owner Melanie Minor found it increasingly difficult to find the time dedicated to finding personal and unique gifts for friends – mainly the “women in my life” she would joke. Life was busy, but staying in touch and being a friend was still very important to her. “Let’s face it - those are the people we call when we need to unload on because of how hectic and overwhelming life can be – we should be putting some thought and effort into these relationships”.

Mildred & Doris Gift Studio was born not only from the need to continue to foster those relationships and recognize friend's milestones with a “little something”, but the desire to keep it personal, unique and distinctly them. The sites inventory strikes a balance between unique artisan crafted gifts and more established and familiar brands.

“I would often find myself looking on facebook in the very early morning and see that it was a friend’s birthday, or receive an email that a friend across town had just been let go from her job. Engagements, pregnancy announcements were being thrown at me! Although I wanted to recognize their successes or send a pick me up with something tangible, I didn’t have time to dedicate a shopping trip for the occasion let alone find a shipping box, gift wrap and send it in the post. That time that I was online was my free time, and the only online offerings were to send flowers, a fruit basket, or a text message. None of them were particularly personal, so the text would often prevail”. says Minor.

The site is designed to allow users to pick 'a little something' or mix and match items to create a full service gift. They are encouraged to add a personal touch and then simply enter the recipients address and send. It offers the satisfaction that they have sent something unique and that the ‘task’ of gift giving, if you will, is complete.

Services such as customized gifts and corporate giving for small women centric companies are also available.

Mildred and Doris is where good friends go to send good gifts. Be it a "chin up" on a break up or a "thumbs up" on a pregnancy announcement you'll be able to find something unique & special that is, well, just as unique and special as her.

www.mildredanddoris.cafacebook.com/mildredanddoris
@mildredanddoris

It's Party Time: Come and Party with Elephoto!

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:06:00 +0000

You're Invited!

So, guess what guys?

On Friday, December 2nd at 4:00 PM we are going to be having a fun Q&A with Elephoto! Come on by and meet Elephoto and ask them your questions! We are also hosting a Christmas or Ugly Sweater picture contest! Show us your best shot and enter for a chance to win prizes! Make sure you "like" Elephoto prior to coming to the event that way you can participate and follow along and of course, win prizes! Like Elephoto, here.

Now, we aren't forgetting our tweeps either!

Tweet, Tweet!

On December 9th at 9PM we are having a Twitter party! Please make sure to follow your hosts @CndMoms, @WhispersInspire and @elephoto to follow along. There will be fun trivia and another chance to get to know Elephoto better. If you missed your chance to enter your favorite Christmas pictures or Ugly Sweater pictures, be ready to share them here! So, get ready to chat it up, laugh and get into the Christmas spirit! There will also be a savings special for ALL those who attend!

See you there!

Please fill out the form to RSVP:

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Heart and Stroke Foundation- Pay it Forward #GiftAndWin

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:21:00 +0000

Heart disease and stroke is the number one killer of women.

Stroke kills 45% more woman than men.

80% of premature heart disease and stroke is preventable.

Scary, right? We need to educate ourselves and do our best to lead healthy lifestyles. The reality of heart disease and stroke is, it can happen to any of us.

My grandmother is one of them. She is only in her 70's, has never smoked, eats a well balanced diet and recently had coronary artery bypass surgery.

The numbers for Toronto alone, are staggering...

13.9% of area residents smoke

41.2% of area residents are overweight or obese

Only 46.6% of area residents eat at least 5 servings of fruit or vegetables a day

56.6% of area residents are inactive during leisure time

Nearly 24, 000 residents are hospitalized each year for heart disease and stoke related conditions

The Heart and Stroke Foundation is dedicated to working towards eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact with the advancement of research, promoting healthy living and advocating. We can help!

Have you heard about the Heart and Stroke Lottery Calendar? For $25.00 you can help fund life-saving research. As an added bonus, you can win cash prizes every single day of the year! The calendar features 12 incredible photos taken by amateur photographers from all over Ontario and 100% of the net funds go towards life-saving Heart and Stroke Foundation research!

The Prizes:

· 3 Daily Cash Prizes of $5,000, everyday of the year

· 52 Weekly Cash Prizes of $10,000

· 12 Monthly Cash Prizes of $100,000

· 12 Bonus Holiday Jackpots of $25,000

· 1 Early Bonus Cash Prize of $25,000 (new): Get your calendar before November 10^th, 2011 and you’ll get a bonus chance to win extra cash.

· 1 Early Bird Cash Prize of $250,000: Buy before December 15^th, 2011 and you’ll be automatically entered for your chance to win

I would like to invite you to join me in the "Pay it Forward" campaign! The idea behind it is, get a calendar, give a calendar. Imagine, if each of us purchased a calendar to pass on and that person then did the same, we could raise a lot of money that goes straight towards research!

The Heart and Stroke Foundation have given me 5 sets of calendars to pass on to get us started! All you have to do is tweet:

“Give your friends a chance to win big & support @theHSF by paying it forward. Get a calendar, give a calendar. #GiftandWin.”

Don't forget to leave the URL of your tweet in the comments section of this post( must be a resident of Ontario to win)! The first 5 people to tweet and comment will receive 2 calendars- one to keep and one to pass on! Please don't forget to encourage the person you give the 2nd calendar to, to do the same!

Together, we can do great things!

Buy a calendar:

Purchase your calendars online!

1- $25

3- $70

6- $125 (you get one free!!)

Heart and Stroke Foundation ~

"Be sure to join the movement and let people know if you’ve bought them a calendar! Tweet us @theHSF and use the #GiftAndWin hashtag on Twitter to join the conversation. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook on the Heart and Stroke Foundation page as well as the Heart andStroke Calendar Lottery page, where the daily winners are announced."

Canadian Moms will receive 2 calendars to participate in the "Pay it Forward" campaign. No other compensation was received.

Dr. Oetker Gourmet Pizza Review

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:36:00 +0000

I don't purchase frozen pizza very often but once in a while we go the frozen pizza route. They can be a tasty treat that is quick and easy to prepare when time is short, I am sick or just plain ol' don't feel like cooking!

I was recently asked to try the Dr. Oetker Casa Di Mama, Ristorante and Panebello gourmet pizzas. There are so many different brands of frozen pizza these days, it can be a little daunting standing in the frozen food section trying to decided which ones to buy. Each brand has it's own sauces, toppings and crusts to choose from so I was happy to give these yummy looking pizzas a try.

My thoughts:

All three pizzas were very simple and quick meals as is to be expected. You simply open the box, take off the plastic and place in your heated oven for 10-12 minutes and they all smelled delish as they were browning in the oven.

Casa Di Mama- Hawaiian: I love the crust on this pizza! I have never had a crust quite like it. The taste and texture is similar to a biscuit. YUM! It was nice and moist and fairly thin. The sauce was unique as well. It wasn't your typical tomato sauce! It had a creamy sweet flavor to it and added to the tropical taste of a Hawaiian pizza. I was very impressed with the size and amount of ham and pineapple chunks. Usually I am left wishing for more pineapple since it is my favorite part but with this pizza, that wasn't a problem.

The Casa Di Mama Hawaiian pizza was definitely my favorite of the three pizzas I tried and I will purchase them in the future.

Ristorante- Pizza Polo: This pizza is for the thin crust lovers! The Ristorante pizza has a very thin crust and it was crispy without being hard. I was very happy to see a chicken option among the pizza varieties because while the boys in the house love their "meat lovers" type pizza, I like my chicken and veggies type pizzas and I did like the Pizza Polo but I didn't love it. The Pizza Polo had a very nice, fresh flavor to it but I found the spices a little overwhelming in some bites. The toppings were fairly generous but I didn't find it quite as well covered as the Casa Di Mama pizza.

Panebello- Classic Canadian: The Panebello pizza crust is more of the classic crust, I would say. It was the thickest of the three and I was impressed at how crispy the outside was while the inside was super soft and moist. As with the other pizzas, the sauce was a nice tangy sauce rather than spicy. I picked the Classic Canadian because as mentioned earlier, the boys (including the biggest one-my husband), love their meat! The bacon and pepperoni were well distributed throughout the pizza as were the mushrooms. All of the toppings were nice sized chunks and satisfied the meat-eaters appetites nicely. I had to admit to they guys that for a pizza lacking my usual veggie overload, it was pretty darn tasty. I am looking forward to picking up the Bruschetta Panebello pizza the next time I am out to try. I think that just might turn out to be my all time fave!

Thanks, Dr. Oetker for giving me the opportunity to try out your yummy pizzas!

I was sent three coupons for one free Casa Di Mama, one Ristorante and one Panebello pizza for the purpose of writing my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

Designer Baby Cakes Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 02:12:00 +0000

To Celebrate my Birthday, Designer Baby Cakes is giving away a Boba Carrier to one Random member of our fan page, Once we surpass 600 members by November 32St....Thank for helping me Celebrate!

Yours Kindly,

Chantel Ford

Facebook
http://www.designerbabycakes.ca

Zellers- The Final Holiday Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:15:00 +0000

Zellers is Canada's second largest chain of mass merchandise discount stores. There are 273 locations throughout Canada but as of 2012 that number will decrease as most of the current locations slowly turn into the American chain, Target.

Zellers isn't done yet though! They are asking all of us to help plan their final holiday sale. How? They will be posting various offers on their Facebook page and asking fans to vote on the offer they would like to see next.

"Our employees have always been the backbone of our company," says Ford. "To involve them in addition to our customers was critical to us." "We wanted to make this campaign successful and memorable," says Ford, "and in many ways acknowledge the contribution that our customers and associates have made to our success over the years. We thought this was a novel, fun and very engaging way to do it." ."

~ Debbie Ford, Senior VP, Marketing at Zellers.

If you would like to help plan the final holiday sale, visit the Zellers Facebook page and click on the Festive Finale tab to vote for your favourite offer. Every Monday at midnight the offer with the most votes will be the next coupon. You are able to vote more than once so keep voting until Monday night!

What do you want to save money on this holiday season?

This post is sponsored by Zellers.

Zellers is putting someone new in charge of our last big holiday sale: you! Click the link to check out the Festive Finale tab on our Facebook page and vote on exclusive coupons, choose our in-store music, record a radio commercial and more!

noreply@blogger.com (NPC) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:03:00 +0000

So, I'm a total techie.

I love my gadgets, especially those that make life much more simple. Let me introduce you to one of the most awesome things that I have ever come across and for the last 2 weeks has made such a difference in my life.

What is it you may ask?

Well, it's called a Keyport and I think it's the neatest thing since sliced bread.

No jokes.

So, mamas, you know when you prep about an hour and a half to get yourself and the kids ready for an outing or doctor's appointment and somehow your alarm decides not to go off and you are rushing?

Daddy is at work and the kids don't want to wake up and when you finally get the kids ready, you're half dressed--grab your purse, diaper bag, snacks and anything else your kids will need and rush to the van then... With a child on your pant leg and a kid on your hip you have to fumble through your ginormous purse because when you're a mom--the bigger the purse the better--and you can't find your keys!

Your keys, something that you should have taken out before you decided to carry all that stuff, while you're shuffling through your huge purse, you still can't find the keys so you reluctantly have to put everything down. All the while, you need to keep the kids safe while you look for your keys. Alas, you find them and head on your way. Either just making it or your late. All because those darned keys. Well, maybe not JUST because the keys but they ultimately made a bad day worse.

Yes, girls, come on--we've all had days like these.

Quite often right?

Well, this is where Keyport comes in handy.

Literally.

Ladies, let me introduce you to your new best friend.

What is a KeyPort?

A Keyport is an innovative keychain alternative that will hold up to 6 keys, it has 6 slots and you can choose which keys go inside. It is Universal and compatible with most keys on the market, including chipped auto keys. In addition to just adding keys to your port you can add USB's, barcode readers, LED lights and more. For the men in your lives, they no longer need to have a big lump in their pocket that has the potential to stab them whenever they sit down.

Keyport Slide // Get Ported from theKeyport on Vimeo.

It's so versatile that you no longer need to carry that huge jumble of keys in your purse, you can simply slip the Keyport into your back pocket or even front pocket and just GO. It is so lightweight and compact that some days, I even forget that I have it in my pocket and I have to feel my pant pocket to see if it's still there. It's made of polycarbonate and stainless steel so you can bet it's durable. It's also lighter than my iPhone and that says a lot.

So, how much are you looking at for one of these babies? It really depends on how you customize it-- it ranges from approximately $50 and up.

Which is so amazingly worth it!

How Do I Order Online?

So, when Keyport sent me one of my own to design and try out, I was so thankful for this godsend. It is very, very simple to order online and I did it in less than 25 minutes. I ordered a 6 slot keyport with my mini-van keys, 2 cars and an LED light which is so exquisitely fabulous and useful. I chose gun metal and if you want to be fancy, you can even opt for diamonds nodes and mini reelers. I got the lanyard that came with it (which is snug and secure) and controlled my impulse with the diamond nodes, perhaps later, I may just add them.

I compiled a video to show you how to order your own:

What Do I Think of It?

Honestly, it's made my life a lot easier. I have less bulk and more room in my purse. I don't have to worry that I'd have to dump all my purse's contents to find them. I love the fact that I have the choice and I could seriously take the Keyport with me and slip it in my pocket, swipe in to my gym and work out with the Keyport in my pocket.

It's easy to use since you put it together yourself and very quickly, you get used to where you've placed your ports and consequently you get to the point that you can simultaneously use your key and LED light. What I find to be most important is that it withstands the torque of twisting when in use.

Like I said, it feels like it's not even there and the LED port is really bright which is so useful at night. As you saw in the picture, you can see the capablilities that Keyport has, when it comes to your house keys, car keys, for the adventurous--motorcycle keys, bottle openers, bar code readers, LED lights and USB sticks in 3 memory sizes!

A few things I would love to see is a Keyport with more slot capablities since the chipped keys take up two slots. Perhaps in the future, a beeping system can be implemented to locate your keys in your house in the case that you misplace them. The programming of the keys was a bit tricky but, I got it following the directions.

Lastly, it would be really, really cool to see the ability to customize your Keyport with skins or personal engraving.

I am pleased to say that Keyport and their innovation can help a busy mom like me, not only is super COOL but, it is functional. I have gotten so many compliments and mere shock and awe when they see my Keyport. After the shock wears off they are amazed at how awesome Keyport is.

It's definitely something that I will use long-term. It's an investment but the features and functionality absolutely outweigh the cost.

If you want one of your own, after watching the video, you've seen it in action and you see what it can do! By the way girls, this makes for an EXCELLENT Christmas gift for your husbands.

I guarantee you that they'll love it and score you a few retail therapy trips! Hehe!

For more info:

Follow Keyport at @thekeyport

Like Keyport on Facebook, here.

Subscribe to Keyport's YouTube at theKeyport.

Til then, cheers m'deres!

Disclaimer: I received a Keyport in exchange of writing my honest opinion. This is not a paid post and all opinions and thoughts expressed are my own. I've chosen to write about this product because I believe it works and would benefit my readers.

The Eczema Company

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:33:00 +0000

The Woman behind the store:

I am a WAHM of two wonderful children. My youngest is healthy as can be, but my son, Tristan, has eczema, allergies and asthma. His eczema was severe up until a few months ago when, at its worst, my poor son’s body was 90% covered in what looked like burn wounds. The itching was intense and kept the whole family awake at night. Although his condition has greatly improved after discovering his triggers, his eczema drove me to create The Eczema Company, a store featuring children’s eczema products; such as scratch protective clothing and natural creams. I have also started a blog to share our story and the story of so many other parents dealing with eczema, allergies and asthma. You can find a list of support groups around North America on the blog, including the group we’re trying to start in Montreal.

Find The ezema store online:

Store: www.eczemacompany.com
FB: www.facebook.com/theeczemacompany
Twitter: www.twitter.com/EczemaCompany
Blog: itchylittleworld.wordpress.com/
Support Group: www.usplus/eaapsupportgroupmtl

Finally! The Dinner We Always Talk About!

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 01:51:00 +0000

Yes you read that right!

We would love for all CMO members attending Blissdom in Toronto or ALL those who live close by to meet up with us for a nice get together at The Old Spaghetti Factory. We have chosen this restaurant because their food will not disappoint and it will not break your wallet. Entrees start at about $12 and go up from there. Appetizers start at $6 and up. All dishes can be substituted with whole wheat (yay) and gluten-free if you so wish. We will be meeting there at approximately 4:30 PM! Please RSVP by sending us a mention via Twitter at @WhispersInspire or @KatsConfessions with the hash #CMOdinner or anyway you would like. The purpose of this is so we know how many will be attending and if we need to make a reservation for a large group.

Directions:

We are located at 54 The Esplanade, one block east of Yonge Street and one block south of Front Street. We are located within a short walking distance from Air Canada Centre, The Sony Centre, The St. Lawrence Centre and Union Station. If arriving from Union Station Take the Front Street exit out of Union. Head East two blocks on Front Street. Turn right (south) on the east side of Yonge Street. Take a left (east) onto The Esplanade and travel one block, we will appear on the left side of the street. If travelling by car: From the west take the Gardiner Expressway East towards Toronto. Exit at Jarvis Street and head north. Take a left onto The Esplanade at the first intersection. Travel two blocks on The Esplanade and we will appear on the right side of the street. From the east/north take the Don Valley Parkway South to the Gardiner Expressway West. Exit at Jarvis Street and head north. Take a left onto The Esplanade at the first intersection. Travel two blocks on The Esplanade and we will appear on the right side of the street.

See You There!

I look forward to seeing many of you again and to meeting all you lovely ladies who make CMO what it is.

Exciting News from The Pumpkin Patch!

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 03:39:00 +0000

The Pumpkin Patch is a sweet little online shop packed full of goodies for you little pumpkins! There is a ton of cute items including crafts, books, hair accessories, bath toys, outside toys, infant toys, toddler toys, backpacks, puppets, music and more! If you haven't been over to check it out before, you are going to love it!

The exciting news? The Pumpkin Patch will be opening their very own storefront on October 5th! Hooray! A huge congratulations to The Pumpkin Patch! Mark October 22 on your calendars for the official grand opening of The Pumpkin Patch Store Front!

Location:

123 Alma Street in Rockwood, ON.

Hours:

Wednesday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Online:

Website: www.thepumpkinpatch.ca
Twitter: @pumpkinpatchCDN
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ThePumpkinPatchCAN

Happy Shopping!

CMO Featured Member- SJM

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 16:42:00 +0000

ABOUT ME:

St. John's Mom - A voice from the Rock, but heck, motherhood is global ;-)
I like SpongeBob and Bugs Bunny.
I LOVE chocolate.
I have 2 sons in primary school – they ROCK!
My DH is freakin’ awesome
I always have 50 things to read.

A little about my blog:

I started this blog about a year ago. It is a place for me to share my baking/attempts at cooking, my mom life and my hobbies - stamping and crocheting.

I try to start the week off with a Marvelous Monday to get me is a good frame of mind. That's when I'll mention my crafts or anything else marvelous :-)

On Tuesdays, I usually post a recipe - something I make or something we tried.

Wednesday are usually what we are up to....

On Thursday's I do a "What to Do this Weekend with the Kids or for date night" post... this kind of came about from the calendar on my blog where I track local kid-friendly events to make planning our family fun times easier. It ended up being helpful for my friends and others as well....

I read a lot so I often post tidbits I have come across on the blog. And if I find useful "mom" sites, I add them to my sidebars. This makes St. John's Mom a little resource centre for me and others :-)

Connect with SJM:

Blog: http://stjohnsmom.blogspot.com/

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/St-Johns-Mom-Blog/146577425398111

Guest Post- Back-To-School Jitters from Tea and Snippets

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 05:59:00 +0000

I would like to welcome the fabulous and funny Liz from Tea and Snippets back to the Canadian Moms Blog! Thank you for another great post, Liz! You may remember her last guest post "I Had a Dream". If you didn't have a chance to check it out, please do! You will love it! Don't forget to hop over to Tea and Snippets for more great reads! Enjoy!

I guess the back-to-school jitters (for me) started after an email from one of my best friends who is returning to finish a degree she started years ago.

She described a recent incident where, armed with her course codes, she eagerly approached the bookstore to purchase her crisp new textbooks so she could get ahead of the game prior to her first week in the classroom.

Upon entering the bookstore, she found the student working behind the counter and while attempting to hand her a slip of paper outlining the names of her courses, asked if she could help her find her books.

The student pointed toward a giant, cardboard, bar code type image taking up the size of a wall and gave no further instruction.

My friend did exactly what I would have done. She stared at the black dots connected by some lines, whose maze-like quality had her confused, almost hypnotized. She attempted to relax her eye sockets in the hopes it was one of those optical illusion pieces of art that if she stared long enough, her book titles would seem to be floating off the page. She wondered if she held her gaze in the right spot, she might notice the flap that would eventually spit her books out at her or at the very least a full list of what she was going to need to find in this foreign, Jetson-like-futuristic store. She worried (as I would have) this box might in fact be the same thing she had spotted in magazine ads and might require some sort of gadget all of the kids were carrying these days but with a purse full of binders, pens, highlighters and Nick Jr. Band-Aids, there was simply no space for a lot of extra technology.

She considered taking a picture with her Kodak disposable camera but opted instead to simply ask for help. I would have opted to throw a dart in the middle or draw a happy face with a Sharpie and run home giving up on the idea of ever finishing the degree. I mean, she already had one, was it really worth this scavenger hunt type exercise to just come up with a list of books? What would she do when she figured out the titles? Surely there’s a second barcode system hanging from an adjacent wall with a map, a magnifying glass and a series of Sudokus she would be required to complete with accuracy in order to move onto the next step.

I started to worry about my own kids getting on the bus today and quickly realized I had not been informed, or informed anyone myself that my kids would in fact be riding the bus this year. Would the driver just remember to stop this morning? What if it’s a different driver, different bus company, different vehicle altogether? What if we watch the red, antique fire truck whistle down our street while skipping on the driveway paying no attention because we were waiting for Jen the bus driver to be driving….a bus?

I also feared Hanna would be assigned a classroom where her closest friends would be in one room and she would be in the other where she didn’t know anyone. I guess this was my fear because I couldn’t think of any situation that would upset her more than being separated from her friends. By the time I was in full REM sleep I was in fact, able to dream up something worse.

I dreamt that today, the first morning of the first day of this school year, there was an announcement over the loud speaker while parents and kids gathered in the parking lot to listen for their class assignments. All names would be posted as usual on lists across the front of the school but one new and exciting program would be introduced. One lucky student (Hanna) had been selected to take part in a teaching experiment where she would share a windowless portable with a seeing-eye dog for the duration of her grade three year. They would then introduce Hanna to Sparky (who was game) and lead them in the opposite direction of her friends, her play equipment, known teachers to begin their lessons.

Also, Sparky was allergic to nuts (among other things) so she didn’t even have the ability to break that rule. Subconsciously, I think the nut reminder was more about my fear of coming up with creative food alternatives that do not involve nuts and how one day I worry I’ll accidentally send along a peanut butter sandwich with a crunchy, peanut butter cookie crust and some child will have to ride in the fire truck to the hospital while Sparky eats Hanna’s homework.

http://www.teaandsnippets.com/

twitter: @teaandsnippets

It CAN Happen to You!

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:23:00 +0000

Many of you know Nancy from over at Whispered Inspirations. She is a wonderful person and does her best to lead a healthy lifestyle. Recently, she had a serious health complication- a pulmonary embolism. Her birth control is the suspected cause.

We know there are risks associated with birth control. We hear about them from the television, our doctors, magazines and various other sources. But. Do we really pay attention to them? Do we really put much thought into those side effects and the consequences of them? Do you research your birth control any further than what your doctor tells you? Most of us don't. It is important for us to know what we are putting into our bodies, the effects they can have and to realize it can happen to you. It is all too easy to skim over the side effects and never think about it again but the consequences can be life altering for you and your family.

If you take birth control, know someone that takes birth control or know someone that will take birth control in the future, please read Nancy's post- Birth Control: Do You know the Risks?

Canadian Find Friday ~ Along Came Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Online Baby Boutique based out of Markham (Toronto), Ontario, Canada. Bringing unique, safe baby items and gifts to parents across the globe. We also carry maternity and nursing apparel, gifts for Dad as well as specialty items for preemies and multiples.

Find Along Came Baby:

Website: www.alongcamebaby.ca

Twitter: @alongcamebabylt

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Along-Came-Baby-Ltd/150458937029

Baby Yums

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 03:22:00 +0000

Baby Yums offers the nutrition of homemade food for baby & toddler, without the work of shopping, cooking and puréeing.

Our goal is to let you know that you can still feed your baby healthy food even if you don't have the time. Baby Yums has a big commitment to quality in food. It's very important to us to provide our children with a healthy lifestyle from the start.

All foods are freshly prepared. They are frozen, vacuum-packed and labelled for optimum freshness and nutrition. We offer 3 different textures "Smooth, Mushy & Chunky" as well as 3 different portion sizes depending on the age of your child. We are a local service to the Ottawa & surrounding area with optional delivery services (at additional cost).

Baby Yums supports local producers during the spring to fall months. We also offer seasonal foods based on availability from local markets.

"I love what I do because it makes me happy knowing that babies & toddlers are eating food that is healthier. I'm thrilled to offer this service to parents & caregivers. I also love being able to do this from home and able to spend time with my 2 beautiful boys!"

Connect with Baby Yums:

website: http://www.babyyums.com
fan page: http://www.facebook.com/babyyums
twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Babyyums

Local to the Ottawa, Ontario region.

Breastfeeding Q&A Aug 5th with Ddrops and Pat Bucknell

noreply@blogger.com (Kats Confessions) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 04:03:00 +0000

As a way to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, Ddrops company will be hosting a free live question and answer event on breastfeeding! Lactation expert, Pat Bucknell will be available to answer your breastfeeding questions!

"Pat is a lactation consultant, a Mom to 6 breastfed children, was a La Leche League Leader for 25 years, and is now the owner of Mother's Helper, Inc., which provides in-home lactation consults, rents breast pumps, sells pump parts and pieces."

When and Where:

August 5, 2011 from 11:00 am to 12 pm (E.S.T).

How to participate:

Hop on over to Baby Ddrops Facebook page and if you don't already "like" them, go ahead and click that button! Once you have done that, you will be able to post your questions for Pat to answer during the session. All members of the page will be able to join the discussion with comments, and feedback.

Shy? That's okay! If you don't feel comfortable posting your questions on the page, send them over to Nat at http://facebook.com/NatBourre. She will be happy to post your question for you without your name.