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Help Kids Develop Building and Programming Skills with Creation Crate Subscription Boxes-Giveaway

April 27, 2016 by Kathryn 105 Comments

If there’s one lesson I can teach my boys that I know will be valuable for their entire lives, it will be to find joy in learning new things. And since most kids are lagging behind in essential science, technology, engineering and math skills (often referred to as STEM skills), fostering a love of learning is more important than ever.

Now, Creation Crate, a new subscription box service in Alberta, Canada, has found a way to help kids play and learn at the same time with its new electronics subscription boxes! Every month, children receive a box that contains electronics parts and instructions for building a useful device. Designed for children around 12 years of age and older, each project helps develop essential STEM skills while also letting kids create a fun electronics project! Recently I was sent a Creation Crate to review and I couldn’t wait to see what it was like.

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Help Kids Stay Fit with the T-Fal ActiFry and Healthy Cooking for Healthy Kids Program

March 18, 2015 by Kathryn 39 Comments

Teaching kids about healthy eating is important, but it can also be challenging! As much as my boys enjoy raw vegetables and fresh fruit, they also like fries, burgers and sweet desserts. Finding a balance between the healthy food and the junk is a constant job in this house! T-Fal Canada understands that teaching kids about proper nutrition can be a challenge, and that’s why the company is relaunching last year’s Healthy Cooking for Healthy Kids program. Packed with handy resources for eating well and staying active, it’s a great way to get kids excited about healthy living.

One of my favourite aspects of this program is the fact that it encourages physical activity as well as good eating. I was shocked to learn that only 7% of Canada’s youth meet the guideline of 60 minutes of physical activity per day. By keeping track of activities and offering fun rewards, the website provides fun solutions to get kids excited to move! [Read more…]

Survive Being a Hockey Parent with Tips from Olympians’ Moms and McDonald’s Canada-Giveaway

March 6, 2014 by Kathryn 272 Comments

Every hockey parent knows that it’s not just a child that makes sacrifices in order to play on a team, it’s the parents too! From early morning practices to long drives to games to hours spent in a cold arena cheering on your child, it’s no small job being a hockey parent! But it can be enjoyable too, with proper planning and a focus on teaching children important life lessons.That’s the message that Debbie Bonhomme and Connie Doughty, the mothers of Olympic gold medalists and McDonald’s® atoMc® Hockey Ambassadors Tessa Bonhomme and Drew Doughty, want to share. Check out their tips for being the best hockey parent you can be!

Teach your child the importance of a balanced life – “Help your child understand the need to schedule time for school work, the sport they love, relaxation and rest. This balance is necessary to complete all that needs to be done. Start young so it becomes a habit and not something that is forced. This can also mean missing out on events that your child might have liked to attend.” – Debbie Bonhomme
Make the focus of the game their work ethic – “Sport teaches your children so many life lessons. Unfortunately, they aren’t going to win every game, but if they work hard and put in a valiant effort, they should be proud of themselves. Letting them know you’re proud of their work ethic will build their confidence, which in turn will bring on smiles and fun. They cannot control the outcome of the game, but they can control the work they put in; focus on that as opposed to goals, points and winning.” – Debbie Bonhomme
Get organized and think about meal planning – “I would pick one day a week, usually first thing Saturday morning, and prepare my meal plan for the week. This helps ensure healthy eating, saves on shopping, eliminates guess work, and eases in balancing quick meals for scheduled practices and games.” – Connie Doughty
Stay warm in cold arenas – “A blanket and a hot cup of McDonald’s coffee will do the trick! Dressing in layers is also key to staying warm.” – Debbie Bonhomme
Air out the gear after every game and every practice… even on the road – “We made it a routine for Tessa to always bring her gear in and air it out after every game and practice, whether at home or on the road. Gear becomes moldy and smelly when it’s left in a bag for an extended period of time. I also washed it with detergent once a month during the season.” – Debbie Bonhomme
Make friends with other parents – “Make the most of the new friendships you develop with the other parents. Carpooling and play dates come in handy and will save you time and energy throughout the year!” – Debbie Bonhomme
Make the most of tournaments away from home – “Have lots of car activities for road trips and make the most of every visit. If it’s a new city for the family, stay for a couple of days and get to know the history. It’s a perfect opportunity for some family time or a quick family vacation.” – Connie Doughty
If you miss a holiday with family, make it up – “We missed many Easters over the years, but I always ensured that we had a complete family get-together the weekend before or after. Family time should never be taken for granted.” – Connie Doughty

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Encouraging Safety and Positivity Through the Chevrolet Canada Safe and Fun Hockey Program

January 7, 2014 by Kathryn 77 Comments

I was always a bit of a tomboy as a child, so playing different sports was a big part of my childhood. Swimming lessons, gymnastics, baseball…if I was moving around, I was a happy girl. Now that my boys are getting older, I know that sports are going to become an even bigger part of their lives simply because there are so many different organized sports for kids available today.

While some of the kids that are in Zackary’s class have been in skates since they were old enough to walk and swinging hockey sticks as soon as they could hold them, Zackary doesn’t play hockey. He has taken a few skating lessons but still isn’t especially strong on the ice. And I wasn’t overly concerned about having him play hockey on a team if he’d rather do something else instead. Not only is hockey a huge commitment of time and money, but often there also seems to be far too much pressure on the children playing to win.

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Find the Loyalty Programs that are Best for You with CompareLoyaltyPrograms.ca

August 1, 2013 by Kathryn 9 Comments

I admit to being rather frugal. I look for ways to stretch my budget whenever I can and one of the best ways I’ve found to do that is with a great loyalty program that rewards me for shopping at the stores I already love. Unfortunately, I’ve found lately that the more loyalty programs I join, the harder it is to manage them so that I get the rewards I really want.

And I’m not alone! A recent survey showed that the average Canadian household belongs to about eight different loyalty programs. But by not being picky about what you sign up for, earning that new kitchen appliance or dream vacation you want can actually be more difficult! Fortunately, a new, free online tool was recently introduced in Canada to help consumers make sense out of all the options.

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