Reviews

Upper Canada Soap Celebrates the Naturally Signature Collection with The Awesome Canadian Woman-Review and Giveaway

February 21, 2012 By Kathryn 29 Comments

I am proud to be a Canadian woman for so many reasons. I believe I live in one of the greatest countries in the world and I love sharing information about our wonderful nation with others that I meet. So when Upper Canada Soap, a company that has provided Canadian women with the best all-natural bath and body products since 1969, contacted me to tell me about their brand new The Awesome Canadian Woman video, I couldn’t wait to check it out.

This new ad campaign is an adorably cheeky look at the ultimate Canadian woman. Whether she’s swinging an axe or sipping champagne, you know she’s in her element! And with a little help from Upper Canada Soap’s Naturally Signature Collection, she’ll be looking and feeling her best the entire time! Check out the video below; it really is pretty cute:

I received a gorgeous gift basket containing the entire Upper Canada Soap Naturally Signature Collection to review and I have to admit, I was feeling like an awesome Canadian woman myself with such decadent bath and body products! The entire product line boasts a Golden Maple Sugar scent that is just dreamy. It doesn’t have a strong smell of maple sugar but the scent definitely had that addictive hint of maple to it and reminded me of a sweet maple cookie.

The basket contained body wash, bar soap, hand and body lotion, whipped hand repair balm, lip balm and bubble bath. To my delight, the lip balm had the genuine smell of real maple sugar and it smelled so amazing that I was almost tempted to take a bite out of it! All the products were so nourishing and I couldn’t believe how soft my skin was after using the body wash in the shower.

My personal favourite product was definitely the whipped hand repair balm though. The whipped texture made the balm much easier to apply than a solid balm and it did such a great job of healing my dry hands. We haven’t had as much cold weather as we usually do here in Saskatchewan this winter, but my hands still suffer in the dry air and this balm was just what they needed to look and feel great!

upper canada soap naturally signature basket

Upper Canada Soap believes every Canadian woman is an Awesome Canadian Woman, and so they are offering three lucky readers the chance to win their own Naturally Signature Collection gift basket, an $85 value, for themselves! To enter, just share The Awesome Canadian Woman video by clicking any one of the share buttons (Facebook, Twitter or Google+) on the YouTube video to spread the message of awesomeness to other amazing women!

I loved this decadent collection and I especially loved the fact that, like all products from Upper Canada Soap, the line contains only natural ingredients and is completely free of harsh chemicals and preservatives. It’s even made right here in Canada! If you want bath and body products that will nourish your body and your soul, the Naturally Signature Collection from Upper Canada Soap is a great choice for you. After all, us awesome Canadian woman deserve the very best!

Buy It: To purchase any of the great products in the Naturally Signature Collection from Upper Canada Soap, check the website for a retailer near you or shop online now

T-Shirts.com Fun Children’s T-Shirts-Review

February 20, 2012 By Kathryn Leave a Comment

Now that Zackary is in Kindergarten, I have lots of fun picking out fun t-shirts and other clothing for him to wear to school. He is so proud of having clothing that shows off his interests! Sometimes finding shirts he likes is easy (anything with a Hot Wheels logo is sure to be a hit, for example) and sometimes it is pretty hard. His newest favourite hero is Sonic the Hedgehog and while shirts featuring the spiky-haired speed-demon were absurdly easy to come by ten or twenty years ago, they’re significantly harder to find now.

t-shirts.com sonic the hedgehog posse boys t-shirt When T-Shirts.com contacted me about reviewing one of their fun children’s t-shirts, I knew at once that this was just the kind of online boutique any mom of a picky boy would love. T-Shirts.com has an absolutely amazing collection of t-shirts for both adults and children that feature everything from funny sayings to popular singers. And to my son’s delight, the website offered t-shirts featuring all his favourite cartoon and video game characters too!

There were plenty of shirts to choose from and initially my son was torn between shirts featuring various Angry Birds, Mario and Phineas and Ferb. But when he saw the website’s Sonic the Hedgehog Posse t-shirt, his deliberation ended in an instant. “I want that one, Mom!” he announced.

We ordered the shirt in a size Small. While the site has shirts for the entire family, this particular t-shirt was for sized for older children and came in the standard children’s Small, Medium, Large and X-Large sizes. I was a little worried that the Small t-shirt would still be too big, but it fit Zackary just perfectly! I was happy to see that the shirt didn’t shrink at all after washing. I always find that the biggest risk with buying shirts online is finding out too late that they haven’t been made of pre-shrunk cotton. This shirt didn’t have that problem; it still fit perfectly after washing.

But what I loved most about this t-shirt was how happy it made my son. Zackary was absolutely thrilled when he saw the shirt and he wore it proudly every chance he got. If I had let him, he even would have worn it to bed! I loved the dark grey colour of the shirt and the decal of Sonic and his friends was bright and vibrant. Zackary had so much fun telling me about each of the hedgehogs on the shirt.

T-Shirts.com has shirts featuring all the most popular characters from television, movies and video games from today and past decades. And there are plenty of funny and silly shirts too! I’m so excited to have found this great online boutique and can’t wait to surprise my son with other shirts. He was pretty tempted by the Angry Birds t-shirt too and to be honest, I wouldn’t mind having one either. If I’m feeling creative, I can even design my own custom t-shirt! With low prices, online support and quick shipping to Canada, outfitting the whole family in style has never been easier. So check out the selection for yourself and enjoy fun and funky t-shirts that your kids will love wearing!

Buy It: To purchase any of the fun kids t-shirts at T-Shirts.com, shop online now

mommy kat and kids RP

Filed Under: Reviews, Reviews and Giveaways Tagged With: children's t-shirts, funny kids t-shirts, funny t-shirts, kids t-shirts, t-shirts, t-shirts.com

Find the Best Canadian Coupons and Freebies at VoucherCodes.ca!

February 20, 2012 By Kathryn Leave a Comment

I have to admit, as a stay-at-home Mom, I’m a little bit obsessed with saving. Whether I’m heading to the store or shopping online, I always want to make sure that I’m getting the best deal possible. But with two little boys running around, I don’t have tons of time to clip coupons and hunt for deals either.

vouchercodes.ca logo That’s why I was thrilled to learn about VoucherCodes.ca, a new website with all the best coupons for Canadian stores. I’ve tried visiting websites to hunt for coupons in the past, but I generally find that most websites are geared to the U.S. and many of the Canadian forums are hard to navigate. I wanted a site that would make finding Canadian coupons a quick and easy task and I was so excited to see if this new site would finally be the site I had dreamed of for getting the savings I craved.

My first visit to the homepage was pretty promising compared to my past experiences with other coupons sites. I liked the fact that all the newest deals and coupons were listed right on the homepage so that I could see the most current offers. I also liked the way that the site’s most popular promotions were listed as well so that I could quickly check some of the “hot offers” and see if any of them appealed to me.

But it wasn’t until I realized that I could search through the currently listed stores alphabetically that I really fell in love! I was thrilled to discover hundreds of my favourite Canadian stores had coupons and promotions listed at VoucherCodes.ca. From Mabel’s Labels to Old Navy to Well.ca, VoucherCodes.ca had savings available for almost every retailer I could think of!

I appreciated that every promotion had an expiry date and a success rate so that I could quickly see if the coupon or promotion was likely to work for me. I also liked that every retailer’s page also featured a review and some information about the company. Since there were lots of promotions on VoucherCodes.ca for stores that I wasn’t familiar with, it was nice to be able to learn more about those stores.

And for all you freebie-lovers out there (and really, who doesn’t love a free sample?) VoucherCodes.ca even has a special Free Stuff section that contains links to all kinds of free sample promotions just for Canadians! I just love getting freebies in the mail and I’ll definitely be visiting this section regularly; thanks to VoucherCodes.ca I have a Biore free sample on its way to me now!

For the newest coupons and promotions, make sure to check out the VoucherCodes.ca Facebook page; it’s a great way to learn about the newest promotions and freebies available to Canadians. And if you’re getting ready to do some shopping, do yourself a favour and check the current coupons available at VoucherCodes.ca first! With the handy alphabetical search feature and all the newest and best Canadian coupons, it’s a great way to maximize your savings quickly and easily!

Have you visited VoucherCodes.ca? How did you like it?

Filed Under: Reviews, Reviews and Giveaways Tagged With: best canadian coupons, canadian coupons, canadian freebies, vouchercodes, vouchercodes canada, vouchercodes.ca

Katie M. Berggren-Painting Intimate Moments of Motherhood-Review and Giveaway

February 19, 2012 By Kathryn 27 Comments

I’ve seen a lot of different products in the last two years of blogging and so it’s pretty rare for me to find something that both touches my heart and blows me away with its brilliance all at once. But that’s exactly what the paintings from artist Katie M. Berggren did to me and I knew right away that I had to have one.

These painting are simply stunning; there’s no other way to describe them. Katie is hailed as the #1 motherhood artist in America and her artwork features gorgeous depictions of parents and children that almost seem to radiate love and energy. I was thrilled when I was given the chance to review an archival print of one of her paintings for myself.

katie m berggren happy hour print

While Katie M. Berggren has a huge collection of gorgeous paintings, I knew immediately which one I wanted to review. Happy Hour took my breath away from the first moment I saw it and I couldn’t imagine a picture that better represented my love for my boys.

I requested the 12” by 12” print and I was so happy to see how carefully it was packaged when it arrived. It came in a stiff mailer envelope and when I pulled it out I saw it had been placed in a clear plastic envelope with an acid-free cardboard backing to ensure that it reached me in mint condition. Even though I didn’t have the frame ready for it yet, I still had to pull it out right away and examine it close up.

The print looked even more vibrant and radiant in real life than it had looked on the website. I was so excited and decided to hang it up over the desk where I do my blogging to remind me of my boys and help keep me inspired.

The prints all come unframed and while I’m sure I could have found a suitable frame at a department store, I really wanted to do something special for this picture so I decided to have it professionally framed. I’m so glad I did; it makes this gorgeous print even more special to me! To enjoy all the newest artwork from Katie M. Berggren, I highly recommend visiting her Facebook page or following @kmberggren on Twitter.

katie m berggren set of six 4x4 paintings

All of Katie M. Berggren’s prints are of archival quality so that the colours won’t fade over time, ensuring you’ll be able to enjoy your print for decades to come. I can’t imagine any mother not falling in love with this stunning artwork and if you’re craving one of your own, you’re in luck because Katie M. Berggren is offering THREE lucky Mommy Kat and Kids readers their choice of any one of her gorgeous 8×10 archival prints! But while you’re waiting to find out if you’re one of the lucky three, you have got to check out this collection of prints for mothers and families for yourself. You’ll be sure to find one that touches your heart and reminds you of just how wonderful being a parent truly is!

Buy It: To purchase any of the paintings, prints or other products featuring the work of Katie M. Berggren, shop online now

Taylor Joelle Designs Baby Boutique-Review and Giveaway

February 17, 2012 By Kathryn 43 Comments

I love boutique kids’ clothing because it lets my boys have a style that’s all their own, and the gorgeous clothing from Taylor Joelle Designs fulfills my desire for originality perfectly. This great online baby boutique offers unique clothing and accessories for infants, toddlers and older children and I was thrilled when I got the chance to review one of their adorable shirts.

I received the Cape Shirt with Lighting Bolt in a size 3T to review. This shirt is absolutely ingenious. The bright lighting bolt decal really stood out on the jet-black shirt, and the removable black cape that attached with Velcro was the perfect finishing touch! Benjamin loved the shirt as soon as he saw it and I couldn’t wait for him to try it on!

My sweet boy showing off his Taylor Joelle Designs Cape Shirt!

The shirt looked wonderful on my son, but what I really liked was how soft and comfortable the shirt was. It was made of a rayon and polyester blend and it had a great smooth and stretchy feel. Benjamin, on the other hand, was much more fascinated by the lightning bolt and the cape. He had so much fun running around pretending to be a superhero with his Cape Shirt on!

Taylor Joelle also offers adorable choices for girls, including the too-cute Ruffle Romper, and great accessories like ties, leggings, hats, headbands and so much more! And all the pieces are so unique and are sure to make your baby or toddler stand out in a crowd!

For the latest news from Taylor Joelle Designs, check out the Taylor Joelle Facebook page or follow @TaylorJoelleDes on Twitter. I am so in love with my son’s superhero-style Cape Shirt and he loves it too. He has so much fun running around with his big brother defeating “bad guys” and I have so much fun watching him! If you want clothes and accessories that are as unique as your kids, check out Taylor Joelle Designs for yourself. The gorgeous clothing choices will ensure that your prince or princess is the most stylish child in town!

Buy It: To purchase any of the great clothing from Taylor Joelle Designs, shop online now

Pambra’s The Original Bra Liner-Review and Giveaway

February 16, 2012 By Kathryn 16 Comments

If there’s one piece of apparel that I’ve always had an issue with, it’s my bra. I have a larger chest and finding a bra that looks good, feels good and offers proper support is no easy task! In fact, I often end up settling for a bra that nether looks nor feels good but that does offer proper support.

pambras bra liners And then summer comes, the sweating starts and even the most comfortable bra in the world isn’t very comfortable anymore! Thankfully, Pambra’s has a solution for me and other large-chested women!

Pambra’s is the creator of The Original Bra Liner and these ingenious breathable cotton liners looked like just what I needed. I recently got the chance to try out a package of Pambra’s liners for myself and I couldn’t wait to see how they worked!

I received a package of three white The Original Bra Liners in Large to review. The liners came in five different sizes to fit women with bra band sizes between 34 and 50 inches. The Large liner looked like it would fit in my 38DD bra just perfectly. The liners had a shape that reminded me of a hanger cover; the curved centre of the liner went under the centre of the bra to cushion against those uncomfortable underwires while the long strips on either side fit on the inner bottom half of the bra.

I used the liner inside a black lace bra that I really liked but that was incredibly itchy. I had actually been worrying that I wouldn’t be able to wear it anymore when Pambra’s liners came along! When I put the liner into the bra, I was surprised and pleased to see that the liner didn’t show. Since the liners were white and my bra was black, I was expecting it to be visible, but the liners are designed to fit completely inside the bra. All I had to do was fold down the centre portion of the liner slightly and nobody could ever have guessed that I had the liner inside my bra.

I was delighted with how much more comfortable the bra was once I had positioned a liner inside and I was glad to see that it didn’t’ shift around in the course of my day. Despite a very warm winter, I wasn’t really having issues with sweating just yet, but I could tell from the soft sponginess of the liner that it would be wonderful at absorbing moisture. And I was glad to see that the liners were machine washable and dryer-safe too!

While I’m sure that I’ll be glad to have the Pambra’s The Original Bra Liners when summer arrives, they are an item I’ll be using year-round to make my uncomfortable bras tolerable. If you’re looking for ways to deal with itchy undergarments or summer sweating, check out Pambra’s liners for yourself. These are an example of one of those simple and ingenious products that you’ll try once and then immediately wonder how you ever lived without it!

Buy It: Pambra’s The Original Liners are available at retailers across North America and online, so check the website for a retailer near you

Book By You Personalized Novels-Review and Giveaway

February 14, 2012 By Kathryn 32 Comments

If you have a book lover to shop for and you want to give them a gift that they’re sure to love, you have got to check out Book By You! This original website offers personalized books for adults, teens and kids. I can’t think of a more fun and surprising gift than a full-length novel starring that special someone and their friends!

book by you the adventures of robin hood cover I spent some time on the website to see what the books were like and I noticed almost at once that the site offered classic novels as one of its categories. I browsed through the available titles and was thrilled to see that I could star in so many of my favourite books, from Alice in Wonderland to Dracula. I decided to create a preview to see how the process worked.

I chose Robin Hood to create my preview and I was very impressed by how quick and easy the personalization process way. I simply entered the names I wanted to use along with some other details like hair and eye colour and then submitted the details to create my preview. It was so much fun to see how the story read when I was one of the main characters!

The full personalization process is even more specific and includes up to 26 unique characteristics of your choosing. You can even include a favourite pet in some stories!

Book By You novels are available in a variety of genres, from romance to mystery to fantasy, but my personal favourite category was definitely the classic books. I’m so excited to create a personalized novel for myself; I’m going to surprise my husband with one about him to see if it motivates him to do some reading!

And if you want to try creating one of these clever books for yourself, you’re in luck because one lucky Mommy Kat and Kids reader is going to win a gift certificate for a Books By You paperback novel (classic, teen, mystery or romance) of their choice! So why not check out these fun books for yourself, create a preview or two and see what you think? No matter which book you choose, a Book By You personalized novel is sure to be one of the most unique gifts you ever give!

Buy It: To create and purchase your own personalized novel, visit Book By You online today

Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Easter Adventure DVD-Review and Giveaway

February 14, 2012 By Kathryn 62 Comments

While most people have pink and red hearts on their minds today, Easter is just around the corner and Nickelodeon is celebrating with a brand new DVD release of the beloved Dora the Explorer series, Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Easter Adventure! Here’s a brief synopsis of the DVD:

Dora and Boots are waiting for their friend, the Hip-Hop Bunny, to bring his basket filled with eggs and treats for their big egg hunt. Just as the Bunny arrives at the forest, Swiper swipes the basket and throws it far into the Rainbow Garden – where it’s headed for a waterfall! It’s Dora and Boots to the rescue as they join the Bunny on an Easter Day Adventure singing the Hip-Hop Bunny’s Easter song, going past the scratchy flowers at the Garden and racing down the Rainbow River on a giant rubber ducky to save the basket. Plus two more episodes and a bonus game!

The DVD featured three episodes; the Easter-themed title show and two shows about the Grumpy Old Troll and Troll Land. My boys really enjoyed the title episode; despite the fact they are enjoying some sweet Valentine’s treats today they are still eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Easter Bunny in a couple of months! They love coming home from church on Easter Sunday to discover that the Easter Bunny has been to our house and left fun surprises all around the house and yard. And watching Dora help the Hip-Hop Bunny had them eagerly looking forward to the upcoming holiday!

The DVD also had some exclusive special features including five Karaoke music videos and an interactive play mode game. For a limited time you can even receive a $3 coupon for the DVD when you visit NickelodeonDVDCoupon.com. The fun bonus content was a hit with my boys and helped make this one of their favourite DVDs. So if you’re tired of winter and ready to welcome spring, check out this fun DVD for yourself and have fun anticipating the upcoming season with Dora!

Buy It: Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Easter Adventure is available today, February 14, 2012, across North America so check your local DVD retailer or shop online now