Holiday Gift Guide-Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand Vacuum-Giveaway

Holiday Gift for Pet Owners

Pets are wonderful, but they do take extra work. And while feeding, exercising and playing with your pet may not be much of a chore, cleaning up their hair can definitely be frustrating!

We used to have a large Rottweiler cross that shed huge hunks of hair all over the house and while he has been gone for years, we still sometimes come across hair that he’s left behind! Our current pet, the standoffish Siamese cat that has reviewed cat products for me occasionally, doesn’t lose huge amounts of hair but in the fall and early winter she still goes through a phase in which quite a bit of her hair falls out when we’re petting her.

bissell pet hair eraser vacuum in charger

So how do we clean all that hair up quickly and easily? With a little help from Bissell Canada, of course! Bissell knows that different messes require different techniques, and the company has a product to tackle almost any floor or upholstery mess imaginable. When I received the new Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand Vacuum, I knew at once that it was just what I needed to deal with all the pet hair in the house!

I decided to test the vacuum out on our sofa and chair in the living room. Our furniture has a fabulous design of off-white with a blue, green and burgundy geometric pattern. It’s very subtle and it hides everything! But even though the cat hair wasn’t visible, I knew it was there and since I have extended family members that are allergic to cats, I wanted to make the house as free of cat hair as possible.

The Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand Vacuum has a few special features that make it especially good for removing pet hair. The most important is the rubber nozzle, which has small nubbins on it to help attract and catch pet hair. Because it’s rubber, it’s also safe for all kinds of surfaces, from hard floors to carpets to upholstery. When I started vacuuming the couch, I really noticed a difference in the way the vacuum moved over the fabric. There was some extra resistance as the rubber nozzle grabbed the fabric to pull off all the pet hair. It took about twenty minutes to do the job, but when I was done the sofa looked great and there was lots of hair in the vacuum canister!

Using the hand vacuum was quick and easy, and storing it for next time was just as easy thanks to the handy wall mount! We put it right in the living room in a corner by an outlet because that way it’s always ready to use at a moment’s notice. I just leave it charging all the time so that it’s powered up whenever I need it.

bissell pet hair eraser cordless vacuum in use

At just 4 lbs. the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand Vacuum was nice and light and it even featured a pullout nozzle for corners or edges. While it works great for pet hair, I quickly started using it for other messes too. Whether the boys had a messy snack like popcorn or the family had tracked dirt into the house, the hand vacuum was perfect for cleaning it up in a flash. I even used it to clean our stairs, since it was so much lighter and easier to use than our full-sized vacuum.

Bissell Canada has recently launched a brand-new Facebook page and the company is celebrating with a fun Dirty Little Secrets contest! Just visit the Bissell Canada Facebook page and check out the Dirty Little Secrets tab to see how to enter. You can enter daily to win great products from Bissell or maybe even a trip for two to Las Vegas!

The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand Vacuum can be purchased at major retailers across North America and would make a great gift for any pet owner looking for an easy way to keep their furniture free of pet hair. It would also be a great gift for busy parents looking for easy ways to clean up after their kids! Check it out for yourself and let someone you love see how easy cleaning up pet hair and so much more can be!

ARV: $39.99

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Holiday Gift Guide-Tints of Nature Permanent Hair Colour

Holiday Stocking Stuffer for Women

If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer for your favourite “gracefully aging” family member or for the resident fashionista, you could grab a box of their favourite permanent hair colour. Or, you could go green this Christmas by grabbing a box of Tints of Nature instead!

tints of nature organic permanent hair colour

Tints of Nature is the only permanent hair colouring made with organic ingredients and without ammonia and other harsh products. The natural colours such as Natural Black, Natural Light Brown and Natural Medium Blond are said to completely cover grey and I couldn’t wait to see if this gentler, more eco-friendly permanent hair colour was as effective as a commercial brand.

The application was essentially the same as any other product I have ever used: mix colour into a base, shake it up and apply it to hair, working it through to the roots and leaving it on for 30-40 minutes. I don’t colour my hair but my husband went grey quite early so he has been using hair dye for quite some time. Some of the grey hair in the front of his head is quite stubborn so I was excited to see if the ammonia and paraben free formula would cover it!

What I really loved about the Tints of Nature was the smell. My husband said that it smelled like liquorice and I really did notice a sweet candy-like scent. It was such a nice change of pace from the traditional harsh chemical aroma of most commercial products.

After forty minutes, my husband rinsed out the dye and then shampooed and conditioned his hair with the special Tints of Nature products that were included in the package. When he was done, his hair was soft, smooth and completely black! Even the stubborn streak of grey right in the centre of his forehead was gone.

Tints of Nature permanent hair colour can be purchased at various online retailers throughout North America including well.ca and would be a great choice for anyone that colours their hair and would enjoy a gentle and eco-friendly alternative to commercial products. Whether you’re shopping for someone that wants to cover their grey or just show off a daring new look, there’s a Tints of Nature shade for you. Check out the colours for yourself and fall in love with organic permanent hair colour!

ARV: $20

Disclaimer: The product/s mentioned above were provided free of charge from the company or PR firm in exchange for being featured on Mommy Kat and Kids. Opinions expressed belong to Mommy Kat and Kids and are NOT influenced in any way. Please view full Terms of Use and Policies

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Holiday Gift Guide-Life is good Clothing

Holiday Gift for the Whole Family

People may joke about giving clothing as a gift during the holidays, but when it’s really great clothing, it can be the best gift ever. And no company understands great clothing more than Life is good.

life is good enjoy the ride sleep set

Life is good is NOT your typical clothing company. The focus isn’t on trendy fashions or mass-produced designs. The brand very much lives by its name by promoting optimism, humour and humility in all of its designs, and the result is clothing with a comfortable faux-vintage charm that the whole family will love.

From skirts to sweats and products for dad or for the family dog, Life is good is sure to have a gift for every member of the family. My personal favourite is the sleepwear. The designs are cheerfully charming and the jammies are made from 100% cotton so you can be sure they’re incredibly comfortable. My son received the adorable Enjoy the Ride sleep set and it quickly became his favourite sleepwear.

The pyjamas are nice and snug without being too tight like some other brands we have purchased, and the soft cotton is just incredible. I love the message on the pyjamas, and Zackary loves the cool old truck!

Life is good also has great choices for the adults on your list, and they go far beyond pyjamas! What woman wouldn’t love this adorable sleigh hat lined with ultra-soft faux fur? Warm, comfortable and completely cute, it’s my favourite winter headgear and if it doesn’t match my outfit, who cares? There are even Life is good coffee mugs for that first hot beverage on Christmas morning!

life is good sleigh hat

Life is good products can be purchased at select stores throughout North America and are also available to buy online at www.lifeisgood.com. A quirky t-shirt or cozy sleep pants from Life is good would make a great gift for almost anyone on your holiday list and the company’s simple message of optimism is sure to start Christmas morning off with a smile. Check out the selection for yourself and see which item has you proclaiming, ‘Life is good!”

ARV: $12-$46

Disclaimer: The product/s mentioned above were provided free of charge from the company or PR firm in exchange for being featured on Mommy Kat and Kids. Opinions expressed belong to Mommy Kat and Kids and are NOT influenced in any way. Please view full Terms of Use and Policies

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Holiday Gift Guide-CLEANCut Touchless Paper Towel Dispenser-Giveaway

Holiday Gift for Busy Moms

Last year I got the chance to review the incredible CLEANCut Touchless Paper Towel Dispenser. (You can read the review here.) This fantastic device is such a lifesaver for a busy mom and is great for when kids come in with dirty hands!

cleancut touchless paper towel dispenser

The CLEANCut Touchless Paper Towel Dispenser is the most convenient way to dispense paper towel that I have ever found. The device uses two LED sensors to dispense and cut paper towel to any length, regardless of the perforations on the paper. It works with any brand and you are able to control exactly how much paper towel you use.

What I love most about the CLEANCut dispenser after using it for almost a year is how much paper towel I am able to save thanks to the customizable size. The length of time a roll lasts compared to when we used to tear off individual sheets really is amazing!

The CLEANCut is available in a white, black or stainless steel finish to match any decor. It would make a great gift for a family or for any mom looking for a faster and easier way to grab a piece of paper towel when she needs it. The CLEANCut Touchless Paper Towel Dispenser can be purchased at select stores in North America and can also be purchased online at cleancutdispenser.com. Check it out and help make your favourite mom’s life a little less messy!

ARV: $139.99-$159.99

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Holiday Gift Guide-Rubik’s Race Board Game-Giveaway-CLOSED

Holiday Gift For Children and Adults

We all remember the classic Rubik’s Cube, the fun, frustrating and addictively awesome toy that first launched in 1980. Well for those of use that find the regular Rubik’s Cube more anger inducing than entertaining, there’s a new variation of the game that anyone can enjoy! Rubik’s Race is the fun new two-person game that takes the Rubik’s Cube to a whole new level.

rubik's race

The concept is simple. A cube filled with nine coloured squares called a Scrambler is shaken and then set down on the table. Opponents face off head-to-head and race to match the pattern of squares inside the Scrambler by sliding their own coloured squares around in the five-by-five grid in the same manner as a sliding square puzzle (often referred to as a 15-puzzle). The first one to complete the puzzle by matching the inner nine squares flips down the centre divider over their squares and yells, “I am the Rubik’s Race Champion!”

Okay, I made that last part up, though my husband and I have been using that phrase when we play! The game is fun, fast-paced and best of all, it’s appropriate for all different skill levels! The recommended age is 5+ so even my youngest son has been having some fun testing his skills, though he does need a little bit of help occasionally! If you so desire, you can even play by yourself and use a timer to try to beat your previous best times!

This game really is a brain twister, but fortunately, it’s easy to match people of similar skill levels to make it interesting for everyone. And it’s a great way to build concentration and logic skills! Rubik’s Race is available at major retailers throughout Canada. So check the game out for yourself and have fun as a family battling with Rubik’s Race!

ARV: $19.99

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Holiday Gift Guide-Green Beaver Après-Ski Winter Skincare-Giveaway

Holiday Gift for Healthy Winter Skin

Canadian winters are not kind to the skin, so this year, why not give the gift of healing and protection from the rough ravages of winter? Green Beaver has been providing Canadians with safe, natural and eco-friendly personal care products for the last nine years and the company’s latest line is just what weather-beaten skin has been craving.

green beaver apres-ski boreal hand balm

The Green Beaver Après-Ski collection contains five natural products specially designed to moisturize, protect and heal dry and cracked winter skin. From Boreal Face Cream to Winter Lip Balm, you’ll be embracing the cold once your skin is protected by healing ingredients like Labrador tea, shea butter, balsam fir and cocoa butter.

My personal favourite product is the Boreal Hand Balm. It is incredibly rich and the perfect thing for painful cracked hands, something I battle every winter. A dab on any cracked skin was not only instantly soothing, it also did an amazing job of healing the skin quickly. And once I started using it after washing the dishes or doing anything else that dried out my hands, the Boreal Hand Balm did a great job of preventing any additional damage too.

The Green Beaver Après-Ski line is the perfect way to take care of your skin naturally this winter and a great gift for anyone that struggles with painful chapped lips, cracked hands or dry skin when icy winds start blowing. Green Beaver products are available at natural health stores across Canada, or shop online and give the gift of naturally healthy winter skin!

ARV: $3.99-$13.99

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Holiday Gift Guide-Nescafe Dolce Gusto Specialty Coffee Machines-Giveaway

Holiday Gift for Coffee Lovers

For some people, there’s no better gift than a hot cup of specialty coffee. And while there are many different machines available to make fancy specialty coffeehouse in the comfort of your own home, there is only one system that offers the convenience of a pod beverage maker with the customizability of a professional coffeehouse machine. The Nescafe Dolce Gusto system combines the best of all possible worlds to help anyone make tasty, restaurant-quality beverages completely customized to their taste!

nescafe dolce gusto circolo machine

The Nescafe Dolce Gusto machines are available in a variety of styles, from the space-saving Piccolo to the programmable Melody. My personal favourite was the very unit that I received to review, the attention-grabbing Circolo. The Circolo won the International Forum Design’s Product Design award and while some feel that it is a bit of a “counter hog,” I absolutely love its unique circular design. The machine really doesn’t take up much more space than my regular coffee machine and since it sits in a fairly solitary area on my counter, I don’t mind the space it takes. I just love how stylish it looks on my counter!

The Dolce Gusto machines use fifteen bars of pressure to extract the maximum flavour from beverages for a true coffeehouse taste. What really makes it different from other pod machines, though, is that I am completely in control of my beverage. After inserting the pod and locking it in place, I use the lever on the top of the unit to turn the machine to either the hot or the cold setting depending on the beverage I’m making. I then flip the lever back to the centre when I decide that the beverage level is right.

The machine may not have the convenience of a single button, push-and-forget style of machine, but the customizability was well worth it! I tend to like my coffee drinks stronger than my husband, and it was so nice to be able to make a cappuccino for both of us and make sure that mine had stronger espresso and his had a little extra milk!

nescafe dolce gusto piccolo machines

It took me a few tries to figure out how to make a drink just the way I liked it, but once I did, I found the Nescafe Dolce Gusto beverages to be absolutely delicious. And I loved how many varieties there were! From a Chococino to a Caramel Latte Macchiato, it really was like having a specialty coffee bar in my kitchen. There is even peach iced tea for hot summer days!

A Nescafe Dolce Gusto machine would make a great gift for any coffee lover looking for a system that offers lots of variety and customizability. Nescafe Dolce Gusto machines and pods are available at major retailers across Canada, so check them out for yourself and give the gift of tasty coffeehouse-quality beverages all year long!

ARV: $120-$150

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Holiday Gift Guide-Duracell Smart Power Products-Giveaway

Holiday Gift for the Tech Addict

If there’s one type of person that’s hard to shop for at Christmastime, it has to be the gadget addict. The second a new device is released, they already have it in their hands and they’re so up-to-date with technology that it usually seems like there’s nothing else they need! But if you have a tech lover in your house, don’t despair! Duracell Canada has some gift ideas that are sure to be a hit.

duracell instant charger

For the smartphone addict, there’s the unbelievably convenient Duracell Instant Charger. This device provides just what everyone with a smartphone needs…portable power. Just connect it to your computer using the included USB cable. When the light on the charger turns green, it means the instant charger is full and ready to be slipped into a pocket or purse so it’s there to charge your portable devices when you need it!

The Duracell Instant Charger features a universal cable with both a USB and a micro USB connector so no matter what device is in need of a recharge, the Instant Charger will have you covered. My favourite feature was definitely the size of the device. It’s about the same size as a box of mints so carrying it around is no problem at all. And with winter in full swing, I love knowing that I don’t have to worry about a dead phone in an emergency.

duracell mobile charger

If family entertainment is a bigger priority for your household, then the Duracell Mobile Charger may be just what you’ve been looking for. With both a wall plug and a car adapter, this handy device charges your AA and AAA batteries no matter where you are! If you have kids, you know that toys tend to drain batteries at the worst possible time. But with the Duracell Mobile Charger, you won’t have to worry about your child’s video game dying in the middle of a long car ride anymore!

And if your kids have outgrown the age where their toys run on battery-powered devices, there is also a USB hub so that you can charge that cell phone or tablet as well! And best of all, the Duracell Mobile Charger is also a portable power source since you charge your phone or other electronic devices from the batteries in the charger!

Duracell also offers some other great choices for portable power and recharging on the go, including the amazing Powerhouse Charger, which can charge two devices at once and the GoMobile, which charges AA batteries in just an hour and fits in your car’s cup holder. Whatever your power needs, Duracell has you covered this holiday season. The products are available at major retailers across North America and that special gadget addict on your list is sure to be thrilled with any of the great gifts from Duracell that help make on-the-go entertainment even more fun and easy. Check them out for yourself today!

ARV: $21.99-$69.99

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