Pure Via Stevia Adds Natural Sweetness to Food Without Adding Calories-Giveaway

My love of natural products is something I’ve mentioned often in the past. Because I prefer wholesome and natural food, I’ve never even considered using artificial sweetener. I’ve always thought that it tasted awful and the more I learned about it, the more I started to believe that it was more damaging to the body than the sugar it was replacing.

pure via steviaSo when I was asked if I would like to review the brand new line of Pure Via sweeteners, I was very hesitant. Before I even responded, I investigated the product to find out exactly how Pure Via was adding sweetness to foods without adding calories. The answer was an extract from the Stevia plant, a plant that has been used in South America for centuries, and after reading up on it a bit, I found myself actually eager to give the new Pure Via line a try.

Pure Via is currently available in three different forms. Pure Via packets add the same sweetness as two teaspoons of sugar and are fabulous for sweetening coffee, fruit or cereal. Pure Via Turbinado and Stevia Blend combines the Stevia sweetener with raw cane sugar for a sweetener that tastes great and has only five calories per packet. And Pure Via Granulated is especially designed to replace white sugar cup-for-cup in baked goods and recipes. [Read more...]

Customized Whiteboards from Tailor Made Whiteboards Make Family Organizing Easy-Giveaway

It’s a little hard for me to believe sometimes, but my boys aren’t babies anymore! My oldest is reading, playing sports and going to the library all by himself and my youngest is dressing himself, playing independently and only too eager to remind me that he’s “a big boy.” Going from caring for all my boys’ needs to realizing that they can handle more responsibility themselves has taken me a bit of time, but I’m getting there!

Finding ways to give my boys the responsibility that they craved has been one of my biggest challenges and so I decided to start simply by giving the boys some daily chores. And just as I was planning out that idea, Tailor Made Whiteboards contacted me and offered me the chance to review one of its gorgeous customized activity planners, chore boards or menu planners. Of course, I chose the Chore Board and I was especially excited that I was able to customize it with a picture of my two boys to make it extra special!

tailor made whiteboards chore board [Read more...]

Maximize Your Closet’s Potential with the New Rubbermaid Closet Helper System

I think every woman dreams of that huge closet with neat rows of hangers, perfectly positioned shelves and every item of clothing in place. But the reality is that most household closets have a single hang bar and a single shelf above it. Definitely not the best way to maximize space for most people, but who has the time to fully renovate their closet?

That’s why Rubbermaid created the Closet Helper system. This unique tool-free system makes maximizing closet space quick and easy so that anyone can get the organized closet of their dreams! I recently received the Rubbermaid Closet Helper Max Add-On to review and I couldn’t wait to check it out.

rubbermaid closet helper max add-on [Read more...]

Stellar Performances, Special Effects and Leather Pants Make Stars on Ice a Hit

Figure skating is such a beautiful sport. The combination of athletic ability, breathtaking tricks and beautiful choreography captivates me every time and I love watching a really good show. Recently Jergens offered me the chance to check out the Saskatoon performance of Stars on Ice featuring some of Canada’s most popular and talented figure skaters including Patrick Chan, Ashley Wagner and the incredible Kurt Browning, my favourite figure skater ever since I watched him win the World Championships when I was just a child.

stars on ice program

But as much as I would have loved to attend, the two-hour drive was a bit much to manage and I knew that my mother and sister would appreciate the experience even more since my sister used to be a figure skater herself. My mother, Sharlee and her good friend Hannah were thrilled to head to the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon to check out the show and the girls loved it so much, they couldn’t stop talking about it! [Read more...]

Teach Children the Importance of Perseverance with the Never Give Up Bunny-Giveaway

In many ways, kids don’t get as many chances to fail as they used to. Sports are often played in a non-competitive setting, children are no longer held back at school and because instilling positive self-esteem has become a focus for so many parents, many children no longer learn about how to continue on regardless when they’d don’t succeed at a task.

But failure is a part of life and learning to keep moving forward despite a setback is one of the most important lessons we can give our children. That is the concept behind the Never Give Up Bunny and recently I received the Never Give Up Bunny Family Pack to review so I could see just how these adorable bunnies help children learn about perseverance and achieving goals.

boy with never give up bunny bani-o [Read more...]

Renew Your Skin’s Appearance with the Riiviva Microderm Home Microdermabrasion Device-Giveaway

For the first time in years, I had quite a bit of trouble with my skin this winter. I’ve always had issues with breakouts but usually the worst months are the warms summer ones. So I was surprised to suddenly be dealing with acne during the coldest months of the year and then some scarring as a result when the breakouts healed.

riiviva deviceThe offer to try the Riiviva Microderm home microdermabrasion device couldn’t have come at a better time. This handy unit provides professional microdermabrasion results in the comfort of your own home. I have used microdermabrasion devices before and I was interested to see how this one would compare.

I plugged in the device to charge and the fact that it was cordless and rechargeable was a feature I immediately appreciated. Our house is older and the bathroom actually doesn’t have an outlet so my previous corded unit was a bit of a pain to use since I had to set a mirror up on the kitchen table. I charged the device and chose the diamond tip I wanted for the first session.

The device comes with three removable diamond heads in fine, medium and coarse. The first time I used the device, I started with the fine tip. The process basically involves stretching the skin taut with one hand while moving the device over the skin with the other. The vacuum action pulls skin against the diamond head and stimulates circulation as the diamond head gently and deeply exfoliates the top layer of skin. [Read more...]

Get a Custom Swimsuit Made for Movement with Nayad Aqua Sportswear

I have a larger chest and after six solid years of pregnancy and breastfeeding, I’ve found that I need the bras and swimwear I buy to be fairly supportive if I want to do anything more strenuous than stretch out in the sun. I’m not a very sedate person so a swimsuit that can let me run after my boys, dive into the lake and still look and feel great is exactly what I look for when shopping.

Recently, Nayad Aqua Sportswear contacted me about reviewing their line of athletic swimwear and it looked like it might be the ideal choice for a busy, active mom. The wonderful thing about shopping at Nayad is that every piece is custom-fitted to your exact specifications. You choose the material, enter your measurements and decide on the styles that best fit your needs. There’s even a section to add any specific details that might result in a better fit!

I took my measurements, chose the style and fabric I wanted and sent away my info. A few weeks later, my custom-made swimsuit arrived and I pulled it out to try it on. I decided on the V Band Brief bottoms because the description stated that the soft, wide waistband would eliminate any pinching and bulging. To my extreme delight, the claims were completely true. I loved the way the bottoms hugged my curves without digging into my skin at all.

nayad aqua sportswear [Read more...]

Brew Up Your Favourite Beverage Any Time with a Keurig Brewing System from Staples

I love coffee but since I’m the only one in the house that drinks it, I often find myself miscalculating how much I want and then wasting coffee as a result when I make a pot. I have a specialty coffee maker that’s great for creating individual lattes and cappuccinos, but what I really wanted was a way to make a single cup of good coffee so I could have one when I wanted without wasting.

Recently, Staples Canada came to my rescue by giving me the chance to review the Keurig Elite Single Serve Brewing System. This single-serve coffee maker brews a variety of tasty beverages ranging from coffee to tea to hot chocolate. I was excited to see how it compared to my other machines and I had it filled and ready to use within an hour of receiving it.

keurig elite [Read more...]