christmas gifts

The De’Longhi Coffee, Espresso and Cappuccino Combination Machine is One Machine that Does it All-Giveaway

December 17, 2016 by Kathryn 179 Comments

One of the very few downsides of loving coffee as much as I do is that I tend to have way too many different devices for brewing that perfect cup. From single-serve machines to drip brewers and everything in between, my love of fancy coffee drinks means I’m either constantly moving different brewers in and out of my cupboard or I’m losing all my counter space to multiple appliances.

But just in time for holiday entertaining, De’Longhi has come to my rescue with a brand-new solution that lets me brew all my favourite drinks with one space-saving device! The De’Longhi BCO330T Combination Machine is a combination drip brewer and espresso/cappuccino machine that lets me choose between brewing a pot of coffee, whipping up a restaurant-worthy gourmet beverage or both, any time I like! [Read more…]

Surprise Your Favourite Little Designer with the Crayola Creations Jewel Maker

November 8, 2016 by Kathryn 30 Comments

I’m a big fan of toys that encourage creativity and creation, which is why I’ve always loved the newest innovations from Crayola. This year, the company has quite a few great products that are perfect for holiday gift giving and I was lucky enough to receive some of them to review! Crayola’s hottest new product this year is one that girls everywhere would love finding under the tree: the Crayola Creations Jewel Maker!

I decided to test out the kit by making a few fun jewelry pieces for my three nieces. The kit contains four different colours of gel jewel solution, catalyst solution, glitter, mixing containers, charms, gem molds, clasps, beads, icon-fetti, clasp bracelets, a work mat and a storage base. I loved how many different choices there were for creating something fun, special and personalized. The icon-fetti even included popular emoji icons that could be added to charms! [Read more…]

These 6 Gifts from Mattel are Holiday #ListToppers this Christmas-Giveaway #PlayAdvocate

November 19, 2015 by Kathryn 210 Comments

The holidays are quickly approaching and if you’ve started the search for that perfect gift for your little one, Mattel Canada has you covered with must-have gifts that are sure to be List Toppers! From toddler to tween, there’s something new for everyone on your Christmas list! Check out these six amazing recommendations for holiday gift giving.

Fisher-Price® Bright Beats Dance & Move BeatBo
Ages 9M + | $49.99 | Available at Walmart, Toys “R” Us® and Amazon®

Imagine if you were learning to talk and you had this bouncing, bubbly character to help. For kids nine months and older, Beatbo will jam out to tunes while teaching kids about letters, numbers, counting, music and more. He’ll take baby’s first words and remix them into a party hit! Learning to talk has never been this exciting.

Barbie® 2015 Holiday Doll
Ages 3Y+ | $44.99 | Available at Walmart, Toys “R” Us® and Amazon®

As you’re welcoming the holidays this year, what better gift than someone who embraces the season whole heartedly? Barbie®, dressed in her elegant garnet-coloured gown, is ready for the party. An annual attendee, Holiday Barbie® has been attending December parties for more than 25 years. A dress with silver snow flakes and red cascading ruffles makes 2015 Holiday Barbie® a must for the occasion. The 2015 edition of the Holiday Barbie® Doll will also make a great addition to anyone’s collection. [Read more…]

Giving TOMS this Christmas Helps Give Essentials to Those in Need

December 22, 2014 by Kathryn 2 Comments

Between kids clamouring for presents, parents rushing around to special events and all the other hustle and bustle that the holidays bring, it can sometimes be easy to forget that so many people are wishing for nothing more than a hot meal or a warm coat for Christmas. But Christmas is, above all else, a season of giving…not just to friends and family but also to those in need. And that’s something that I make sure to incorporate into the holidays each year in some way.

My personal favourite cause to support is the city’s Food Bank. In a country of such abundance, the thought of children being raised without enough food is one that breaks my heart. And what many people don’t realize is that it’s not always the hunger itself that’s most damaging to a child. It’s the fear and insecurity of not knowing where the next meal is coming from that can haunt a child for years.

[Read more…]

Give Your Kids the Gift of Creativity with Kiwi Crate Subscription Boxes

December 4, 2014 by Kathryn 56 Comments

With so many gift options consisting of tech devices, video games or battery-operated toys, it can be hard to really encourage creativity and imagination in kids when choosing Christmas presents. But those gifts that let kids build, use their hands and learn are often the most popular ones and that’s why Kiwi Crate has made it a mission to let kids experience that joy of creation in a very unique way.

This subscription box service offers a choice of four different craft kits. Koala Crate kits are for kids between 3-4 years of age. Kiwi Crate kits are for kids between 4-8. Tinker Crate kits are science-based kits for kids between 9-14. And Doodle Crate kits are craft kits for kits between 9-16. I recently received a Kiwi Crate and a Tinker Crate for my boys to review and I couldn’t wait to check them out. [Read more…]

Kids Can Listen to Their Favourite Books Again and Again with the Sparkup Magical Book Reader-Giveaway

December 1, 2014 by Kathryn 109 Comments

Due to the nature of my job, I have to travel fairly often and while I am sometimes able to take my boys with me, other times I have to leave them with family while I’m away. I know that they have a great time while I’m gone, but I also know they miss some of the routines we have established. In fact, one of the boys’ favourite activities, reading a bedtime story together, is something that I miss almost as much as they do!

Whether you’re a parent that often has to travel or you just sometimes find yourself too busy to answer a little one’s request to “read this book again,” a new device has an innovative way to let your children enjoy a special story time when you can’t be there. The Sparkup Magical Book Reader is an innovative recording device that lets parents record a child’s favourite book so that the child can enjoy it whenever he likes! I received a Sparkup Magical Book Reader to test out and I couldn’t wait to get started.

[Read more…]

Encourage STEM Learning with HEXBUG VEX Robotics Building Kits

November 3, 2014 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

My boys have been fans of the HEXBUG product line since the brand first released the adorable HEXBUG Nano micro robotic creatures, little critters powered by vibration technology that raced around elaborate tracks. Since then, we’ve discovered some of the other great HEXBUG products and now, just in time for the holidays, HEXBUG has a new line of toys that any child would love to see under the tree.

The HEXBUG VEX Robotics collection is a set of building kits designed to introduce kids to science, technology, engineering and mathematics principles in a fun and interactive way. The robotic creatures snap together without the use of tools and the interactive technology used in the robots let children experiment with various programming patterns to help encourage STEM learning.

[Read more…]

Saving Time Holiday Shopping with the Newly Redesigned Walmart.ca #WalmartOnline

December 2, 2013 by Kathryn 8 Comments

I do a lot of online shopping and so I’ve spent quite a bit of time figuring out how to get the best bang for my buck online. I started shopping at Walmart.ca about six months ago and it didn’t take long before I was hooked. With easy online ordering, free shipping with no minimum purchase and the same everyday low prices as my local Walmart store, I could always count on getting a great deal at Walmart.ca!

Now, the site I love has gotten even better with a recent new redesign that promises to provide a smooth shopping experience whether you’re on a tablet, a smartphone or a desktop computer. And to test out the new website, I had the chance to tackle an online shopping challenge at Walmart.ca. There are a lot of little gifts I buy each year for neighbours, teachers, babysitters and the people that work at the businesses in our small town. My go-to gift is a box of Christmas chocolates, so I decided to see if I could stock up at Walmart.ca for less than $100.

As soon as I started searching the site, I knew I had made a good decision. There isn’t a huge variety of food products on the Walmart.ca site just yet, but there are plenty of Christmas treats! I added Ferrero Rocher, Pot of Gold, Turtles, Toblerone and more to my cart and within fifteen minutes, I had everything I needed. Best of all, when I checked out, I had gifts for nine people, stocking stuffers for each of my boys and a tin of Premium Belgian Biscuits for me, all for just $90.63! [Read more…]