Holiday Gift Guide

Make Quick and Customizable Holiday Beverages with Soda Stream

December 20, 2012 by Kathryn

I am really not a fan of soda. I dislike it not only because it’s full of sugar and caffeine, but also because it results in the production of a large number of wasteful plastic bottles. And while I don’t mind drinking soda water, I find myself getting annoyed by the idea that I’m basically paying for carbonation. That’s why the idea of a Soda Stream system always intrigued me. Recently I got to test out the Soda Stream Genesis Starter Kit and I couldn’t wait to see how it worked.

The Soda Stream has been offering an eco-friendly alternative to store-bought soda for the last decade. My initial thought about the device was that while it did eliminate the wasteful plastic bottles, using it would still mean I was giving my kids a drink that wasn’t especially healthy when using the machine to make soda. So I was thrilled to learn that Soda Stream syrups contain less sugar and caffeine than store-bought soda brands. And the system even offers flavourings for water that are completely free of calories and sugar! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, Men, Reviews, Reviews and Giveaways, Women Tagged With: canada, carbonator, christmas, genesis, genesis starter kit, gift, kit, present, soda, soda stream, starter, starter kit, stream

Your Kids Will Be Ready to Hit the Ice wiith Hockey Gear from Sport Chek-Giveaway

December 20, 2012 by Kathryn

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If you have a sports enthusiast to shop for, high-quality sports equipment is always a great gift and no store has a better selection than Sport Chek! My oldest son has been passionate about learning how to play hockey this year, so recently Sport Chek sent us one of its top gifts for the Christmas season, the Warrior Bentley X Grip Jr. Composite Stick!

This stick features a precision taper flex profile and a velvet grip coating for a feel that ranges between a clear and a soft grip. The soft-core X blade technology uses a durable 20% lighter polymer for better balance and puck feel, ensuring that this stick will be a hit with any hockey player on your Christmas list. And with both Junior and Senior sizes, it’s a great gift for any age!

Sport Chek also offers skates, helmets and protective wear so that you can fully outfit your future star in the best hockey gear. And if hockey isn’t your family’s thing, the store has tons of amazing brand-name equipment for other sports too! Whether you’re looking for a new snowboard or an indoor soccer ball, Sport Check will be able to get you what you need at a great price. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, Reviews, Reviews and Giveaways, Tweens and Teens Tagged With: bentley, chek, equipment, gear, hockey, hockey stick, sport, sport chek, sports, sports equipment, stick, warrior, x grip

Hasbro Has Tons of the Hottest Toys of the Holiday Season-Giveaway

December 20, 2012 by Kathryn

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Shopping for older children can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. The latest fads change so fast that it’s hard to know what the newest and best gift for an older child might be. Fortunately, Hasbro specializes in creating toys that keep up with the trends and this year, the company has some great gift ideas for the older children on your list!

Twister Dance

This innovative version of Twister isn’t just a fun and active game; it’s your own personal dance instructor! The game combines hit music, the traditional Twister spots and flashing lights to let kids learn how to dance to hit songs! Just follow the lights from the Twister Dance console to start grooving.

But the coolest part is that you can even plug in your MP3 player to the console and dance to your favourite songs! Twister Dance’s beat-detection technology provides dances for your songs too! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, Reviews, Reviews and Giveaways, Tweens and Teens Tagged With: angry, angry birds, birds, christmas, dance, elite, game, games, gifts, hail-fire blaster, hasbro, hasbro games, hasbro toys, kids toys, n-strike, n-strike elite, nerf, presents, star, star wars, toys, twister, twister dance, wars

Give the Gift of a Great Shave Wet or Dry with the Philips AquaTouch Electric Shaver-Giveaway

December 19, 2012 by Kathryn

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I am a big fan of a man with a smooth, close shave. I don’t mind the look of facial hair but when it’s time to get close and cuddly, there’s just nothing better than a clean shave. Philips has been helping men get that close shave they crave since 1939 and now they’re innovating the shaving world once again with the Philips AquaTouch AT940 Wet & Dry Electric Razor.

The Philips AquaTouch electric razor is the perfect example of the exclusive technology that Philips uses for its shaving devices. The most original feature of the AquaTouch is its Aquatec seal, which allows men to use the shaver with shaving cream or gel and water for a less irritating shave as well as being able to use the razor dry.

If your man has ever been frustrated by a dead battery in the middle of a shave with an electric razor, he’ll love the one-hour charge time of the AT940 as well as the unique quick charge feature. In just three minutes, the Philips AquaTouch will charge enough for one shave, approximately five minutes. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, Men, Reviews, Reviews and Giveaways Tagged With: aqua, aquatouch, at940, christmas, dry, dry shave, electric, electric shaver, man, men, men's gift, philips, philips shaver, present, razor, shaver, shaving, touch, wet, wet shave

Find Fresh and Functional Gifts for your Favourite Coffee Lover at Williams Fresh Cafe

December 19, 2012 by Kathryn

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Williams Fresh Café has won acclaim across Ontario for its fresh and tasty food and delicious holiday drinks. But this Christmas, the popular coffee chain has expended its holiday line to include a fantastic selection of gifts all priced under $25!

I received a box of the Williams Fresh Café gift items to review and I feel in love as soon as I opened the box. Coffee mugs, travel mugs and gift sets are designed with a fresh and contemporary look and feel that is sure to be appreciated by your favourite coffee lover.

My personal favourite product was the Sentiment Mugs. These mugs feature two different inspiring words, one on either side of the mug, and I loved the idea of starting the morning off on the right foot with one of these uplifting mugs. Best of all, they are just the right size for that first cup of coffee or your favourite Williams Fresh Café drink. Candy Cane Hot Chocolate anyone? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, Men, Reviews, Reviews and Giveaways, Women Tagged With: cafe, christmas, coffee, coffee gifts, coffee shop, fresh, gifts, holiday, presents, williams, williams fresh cafe

Celebrate the Christmas Season with New DVDs from NCircle Entertainment

December 19, 2012 by Kathryn

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Christmas is just days away and my boys are bouncing off the walls with excitement! We have been celebrating the season with lights, carols and, thanks to NCircle Entertainment, lots of new holiday DVDs! Here’s a few of the festive titles NCircle has available this Christmas:

The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About Christmas (NEW) – premiering this fall on PBS, this new DVD was specially produced to ring in the 2012 holiday season, and features the voice of Martin Short as the Cat.

Dino Dan ‘Twas a Dinosaur (NEW) – follow the adventures of palaeontologist-in-training Dan Henderson as he learns what might have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, tracks down a Euplocephalus, and gives the poem “The Night Before Christmas” a new spin! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, Infants and Children, Reviews, Reviews and Giveaways Tagged With: cat in the hat, christmas, christmas dvds, dino dan, dvds, entertainment, holiday, holiday dvds, kids dvds, ncircle, ncircle entertainment, puppy party, wiggles, wordworld

Entertain Your Kids with the Where’s Waldo: Santa Spectacular Activity Book-Giveaway

December 19, 2012 by Kathryn

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When winter break boredom strikes, it can be hard to find entertaining activities for my boys that don’t involve a screen. But neither one of my boys can say no to a good book and both of them love fun activities. So I was thrilled when I got the chance to review Where’s Waldo: Santa Spectacular, a fun activity book featuring everyone’s favourite hard-to-find friend, Waldo.

This book is not your typical Where’s Waldo book. Packed full of fun activities ranging from puzzles to word searches, there’s a lot more than seek and find adventure inside! I loved the fact that the book also contained hundreds of stickers so that kids could create their own Where’s Waldo scenes.

Zackary is a big fan of Where’s Waldo books so I knew he would love this book, that combined some of his favourite activities with one of his favourite book characters. At six-years-old, he was just the right age for this fun-filled book and like almost all kids, he always loves a book that includes stickers! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, Infants and Children, Reviews, Reviews and Giveaways Tagged With: activity, activity book, book, books, christmas, kids book, kids books, present, santa, santa spectacular, spectacular, waldo, waldo book, where's waldo, wheres

Stuff Your Family’s Stockings with Personal Care Products from Infusium 23, PERT Plus and BRUT-Giveaway

December 19, 2012 by Kathryn

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Stocking stuffers may be small, but they can still be incredibly useful! I always love seeing what fun new goodies might be in my stocking after Santa visits and whether I find the pastry blender I’ve been lusting after or a new tube of flavoured lip-gloss, unpacking all my treasures is an exciting event even at 31 years old. This year, Idelle Labs, Ltd. has some fun ideas for stocking stuffers and they’re sure to please whoever pulls them out on Christmas morning!

For the Haircare Diva:

Infusium 23’s Repair & Renew collection is the perfect stocking stuffer for those that crave a little more luxury in their beauty routine. This three-step system features a vitamin-enriched shampoo, conditioner and leave-in treatment that all work together to leave hair healthy, shiny and damage-free. Infusium 23 Repair and Renew Collection ($5-$8, drugstores nationwide, www.infusium.com) [Read more...]