Invite a Magical Friend to Your House with The Irish Fairy Door Company-Giveaway

November 8, 2016 by Kathryn 67 Comments

One of the things I loved most about Ireland was the eerie fairy tale-like quality of so many of its areas. Of course, most fairies originated in Ireland and when you’re driving through the winding roads surrounded by rock walls and trees, it’s easy to see why the magical sprites loved the area so much! While at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, we even had the chance to walk through a fairy village and see the homes of some of the country’s most popular residents. And I couldn’t help but wish we could bring a little fairy magic back to Canada with us when we left.

Luckily, The Irish Fairy Door Company has created a way for me to do just that! This company knows that every house is happier when a fairy lives there, and its innovative fairy doors create a way for you to invite a fairy into your house to stay. Recently I received an Irish Fairy Door and a Playtime Accessory Set to review and I was so excited to introduce my boys to the magic of an Irish Fairy. [Read more…]

Planning a Cruise? 4 Reasons You Should Be Booking with Carnival Cruise Lines!

August 9, 2016 by Kathryn 16 Comments

For quite a few years now, I’ve dreamed of taking my boys on a cruise. I loved the idea of visiting multiple exotic locations at once while also having the fun of sailing the ocean in a massive ship. This summer, my dream came true when my entire family had the chance to take a 7-Day Western Caribbean Cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines. I’d only ever been on one cruise before, and I was ten years old at the time. My fiancé had gone on a Caribbean cruise a few years ago, but hadn’t enjoyed it much. Zackary and Benjamin were stepping onto a cruise ship for the first time. Needless to say, none of us were sure quite what to expect. And within the first day, all of us were in love with Carnival Cruise Line.

There are a lot of different cruise lines to choose from, so what makes Carnival different? Well really, it was almost everything! Food, entertainment, staff and activities had all four of us enjoying every second on board. For me, these four features of the Carnival Magic ship stood out to me as being highlights of our cruise. If you’re planning a cruise, these are the reasons you should be booking with Carnival!

High Energy Fun 24 Hours a Day

While I wasn’t sure what kind of dynamic to expect from our Carnival cruise, Jeremy noticed at once that the Carnival Magic ship offered nonstop fun. On his previous cruise, entertainment had been limited and had generally ended in the evening. Carnival offered the exact opposite experience: a ship that never slept and offered endless entertainment options for all ages. From live musicians in the pubs to theme nights at the dance club to family-friendly magic shows on the main stage, it was no surprise to us that people seemed to be wandering the ship talking and laughing long into the night.

Since Jeremy and I are big comedy fans, we especially enjoyed the nightly shows at the Punchliner Comedy Club. We had the chance to see four different comedians during our seven-day cruise and even made time to take the boys to one of the comedian’s PG show. While some of the performers were better than others, we were both impressed by the high calibre of talent on the Carnival Magic. [Read more…]

Cruising with Carnival! 4 Reasons it’s the Perfect Family Vacation

June 29, 2016 by Kathryn 24 Comments

My family and I have been lucky enough to take some pretty amazing vacations over the years. From road trips to resorts, we’re not picky about where we go or how we get there since every new place has something different to see and do. But I have to admit that I’m especially excited for our next vacation…a Carnival 7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise! These are four reasons I’m especially looking forward to my first ever Carnival Cruise experience.

1) Amazing Food

If there’s one thing that can make a vacation stand out in my mind, it’s delicious food. And it’s clear that the Carnival Magic, our home for the week-long cruise, will have plenty of it! Personally, I can’t wait to try one of the burgers at Guy’s Burger Shop, created by Food Network star Guy Fieri. With a unique toppings bar, a burger can become a personalized work of art! And as a family that can’t get enough Mexican food, the homemade tortillas and salsa at the Blueiguana Cantina are something that I’m sure will make that restaurant a favourite too. [Read more…]

Try These 5 Surprising Cleaning Tips Using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser #15MinuteReno

October 19, 2015 by Kathryn 22 Comments

Recently I shared some fabulous tips and ideas for getting a home sparking clean and ready for Thanksgiving fun. But as every family knows, there’s more to holiday cleaning than just tidying up before the big day! After the turkey is finished and the pie has been devoured, a house can often need even more tender loving care than it did to be ready for Thanksgiving!

Thankfully (get it?), Mr. Clean was ready and willing to help me out with the post-Thanksgiving cleanup too. With plenty of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers and a bit of time, these five tips are how I gave our little apartment and our favourite things a thorough cleaning when the fun was over and the food was finished. [Read more…]

Give Your House a #15MinReno for Thanksgiving with Mr. Clean-Giveaway

October 8, 2015 by Kathryn 293 Comments

Having just sold a house for the first time, I’ve experienced firsthand the work that goes into preparing a home for sale and closing. The minor repairs were something that I expected, especially in a house as old as mine. But something I hadn’t realized was how much of a difference a good, thorough cleaning could make to the look and feel of my house. In fact, a few minutes of cleaning can sometimes be like a mini renovation all on its own!

Now, with Thanksgiving fast approaching, the timing is perfect for giving our current home a fresh look with a good cleaning. And Mr. Clean has five great tips to help you give your home a 15 minute reno that will have you ready to welcome your guests!

[Read more…]

Escape to a Fantasy World with Strange Magic on DVD

June 15, 2015 by Kathryn 2 Comments

My boys love stories of fantastic places and fictional creatures, so the computer-animated musical fantasy-comedy Strange Magic was a movie that suited them perfectly. Now available on DVD and loosely based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this story is wild, wonderful and sure to entertain. Here’s a brief synopsis:

Bog King, leader of the Dark Forest, hates the notion of love and has ordered the destruction of all primroses, which are an essential ingredient of love potions. However, when he meets Marianne, a feisty fairy princess whose heart was broken by a philandering fiancé, he begins to change his mind. Meanwhile, an elf named Sunny makes his way to the Dark Forest to collect enough primrose petals for a potion of his own.

Even though my boys had already watched Strange Magic, they were pretty excited about seeing it again when the DVD arrived. Both of them enjoyed the conflict between the fairies and the bog creatures, and were delighted by the antics of the grumpy Bog King especially. Personally, I loved the soundtrack of the movie, which added to its energy and made watching the story even more enjoyable! [Read more…]

The Best of Walt Disney World-A Guide to Experiencing All Four Parks in One Day

March 11, 2015 by Kathryn 25 Comments

It’s easy to spend multiple days exploring the four different parks that make up Walt Disney World and see new things every day. But if time is short and you want to make the most of your visit, this is the information you’ve been looking for. Enjoying the best of all four parks in twelve hours might seem impossible but with some strategic planning and a little luck, it can be done. On a recent trip to Orlando, I decided to prove that with a 1 day park hopper pass and a whirlwind day that took me from the plains of Africa to the surface of Mars!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Since Disney’s Animal Kingdom closes earlier than the other parks, it’s a great place to start the fun. The Tree of Life is a must-see, with its stunning carving depicting over 300 different animals. After taking a few minutes to admire the tree, I was off to Expedition Everest, one of the park’s most popular roller coasters. As a first ride, it’s a great one with a fast-paced coaster and a very close encounter with the Abominable Snowman. In fact, it was such a great ride that I just had to go on it twice!

Then it was off to walk through the Maharaja Jungle Trek and see the giant fruit bats, tigers, tapirs and other animals inhabiting the area. With the fun of seeing animals up close fresh in my mind, heading to the popular Kilimanjaro Safaris ride was my next top pick. Watching lions, elephants, giraffes and more roaming in expertly designed areas that simulated their natural landscapes was thrilling.

After all that walking, I was ready for a break. And watching the hugely popular 4D live show It’s Tough to be a Bug was the perfect way to relax while enjoying some great entertainment. Featuring 3D special effects, smoke, scents and more, it’s one of the top attractions in the park for good reason! My personal favourite moment was right at the end when the seats simulated the feeling of bugs crawling away underneath me! [Read more…]

Get Healthier with Herbal Magic Sensible Weight Loss Programs and Natural Supplements

July 29, 2013 by Kathryn 1 Comment

When it comes to losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle, it seems there are two main challenges that most people encounter. The first is developing an appropriate eating and exercise plan. The second is finding a way to battle the cravings that tempt dieters to overindulge in unhealthy foods.

Herbal Magic tackles both those issues and its revolutionary combination of natural herbal weight loss supplements and common sense eating and exercise plans have helped to make the company one of the most popular weight loss centres in Canada.

herbal magic information [Read more…]