DIY CD Case Project

Loved this idea of using plastic CD cases to display a favourite photo.  Check out the Country Living website for more details on how to do this yourself.

What To Do This Weekend (Feb. 27th & 28th)

Toons for Toddlers is a great family cinema experience for little ones (ages 2-5).  Enjoy reduced sound, better lighting and special features.  $5 pp.  This weekend, see In The Night Garden – Fun in the Garden.  For details about various times and locations, check the website.

Saturday is opening day for the new Bat Cave a the ROM.  Bigger, better, scarier.  Families will be able to view more bats and highlights include an audio-visual show that explores cave formation, how bats use echolocation and more, and a spectacular dramatization of bats in flight during a nightly exodus for food.

If your kids are into trains, there is a great opportunity to see the Model Railroad Show at the Model Railroad Club (in Liberty Village) on Sunday, Feb. 28th.

Something to do at home?  Bake cookies with your kids…  always fun, quality time!

Check out more great weekend events on www.mamapicks.com

New To This World

Love this fine art print, personalized for a newborn.  Created by an Australian designer (Freya Art & Design)…found on Etsy, of course.

Free Weekly Meal Plans

What’s for dinner?  Ugh.  It’s not about whether you love to cook…it’s about being organized.  I do like to cook but figuring out what to prepare every day and making sure that the ingredients are in the house overwhelms me sometimes. Not to mention that I prepare separate dinners for my husband (who is a carnivore) and my kids (who have the pickiest palates).

I have been using Wovenfare’s free weekly meal plans for quite a while now and I love the great recipe ideas and the weekly grocery list.  I don’t normally use the whole plan, but pick and choose the recipes that appeal to us.  I am going to start publishing their dinner ideas right here on Mamapicks every Thursday.

Here are this past week’s recipes:

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, Cilantro Beef Meatballs with Sour Cream Sauce, Roasted Salmon with Butter, Dill and Garlic, German Style Pork Steak with Red Cabbage, Mediterranean Pizza, Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard.

Bon Apetit!

Time to replace your pots & pans?

My mom recently got it into my head after pointing out that some of my pans were scratched and that Teflon is hazardous.  I am not much of a “green” mama so I am no expert on this kind of stuff.  Sometimes I even question recycling because I do want the weather to get warmer, I really, truly do.  However, the thought of Teflon in my kids’ scrambled eggs freaked me out.  I was on the lookout for a new set and found this great deal on Sears.ca.  Save $400 on this Henckel’s 10-piece set of pots & pans.  Regularly priced at $599.   Available for $199 until Feb. 26th.

Best of 2009 Series: Tree House Beds

I think I need to start a new category.  Things I want but can’t have.  These amazingly-amazing loft beds are from a Danish company called Kids Factory.  Their site is in Danish with no English options but I can tell you in very plain English that these tree-house beds are very expensive and that shipping would be a bitch.

Turn your child’s handwriting into a font!

The Boy is now writing.  He mostly writes lists of the names of the kids in his class.  He often makes a dotted outline of a letter for himself (just like on the worksheets at school) and then goes over the dots.  It’s quite charming.  I recently thought about capturing his handwriting style as it develops over the next few years and decided to look for a way to create a font for my computer called The Boy.  I found a website which generates personal fonts.  All you have to do is give your child (or anybody else you want to create a font for) the printable sheet to fill out the letters of the alphabet.  Then, you scan the sheet and the program generates the font for you.  This costs $9.95.  Click here to try it, it’s quite simple…and it’s a really nice way of saving your child’s handwriting, using it for various projects, and sharing it with them when they are older.

What To Do This Weekend (Feb. 20th & 21st)

I am happy to report that a 90,000 sq. ft. INDOOR BIKE PARK recently opened in Markham!  There are designated areas for all skill levels.  You can bring your own bikes or rent equipment on site.  Doesn’t this sound like fun??  Check out the website for more information.  If you go, let me know what you think!

The Wave Pool (Richmond Hill) is a fun outing!  Keep the family active and healthy.

Woodbine Fantasy Fair at Woodbine Mall is a great indoor treat for the kids.  This is Ontario’s largest indoor amusement park and kids just love it.

Check out more great weekend events on www.mamapicks.com

Free Movie Tickets

This coming weekend, get 2 free Cineplex entertainment tickets with a $75 spend at Shoppers Drugmart.

Bath For Baby

We are slowly bringing out the equipment for Baby #3 and I am reminded of my favourite products for newborns.  This bath with a stand that folds, can be easily transferred from one place to another and folds up nicely.  It removes the need for a spacious counter or kneeling over the big bath.  To drain the bath, my father-in-law bought a long and flexible plastic tube from Home Depot and attached it to the draining hole of the baby tub.  Something that never occurred to us!  I think we were quite prepared to lift and throw out the water daily…thank goodness for grandparents.  As far as I know, this model is only available at Dearborn Baby.

Tiny Love Toy Recall

Last week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with Tiny Love, announced a voluntary recall of the the company’s wind chime toys. Consumers should stop using the recalled products immediately.  Please note that the image above is only one of a variety of toys recalled/ If the toys break apart, metal rods are exposed which pose a danger to infants and kids.  For more information, please see the Health Canada advisory.  To get a replacement toy, call Tiny Love at 1-888-791-8166.

Best of 2009 Series: Table Playhouses

We celebrated our anniversary this weekend trying to enjoy brunch with the family.  Five adults, two kids.  No one sat for more than five minutes at a time as we all tried to mind my children and have a meal.  At one point, the kids were playing ever so quietly under the table and we all managed to have a conversation.  I thought to myself…wouldn’t it be nice if a family friendly restaurant designed tables that are like playhouses?  Parents sit and eat, kids play underneath.  While there is no such restaurant (anyone??), I did find someone who makes such playhouses!  Miss Pretty Pretty can create a playhouse to fit any size table.  Many playhouse themes available (such as the CupCakery, Royal Castle or Farm) and custom orders are always welcome.  Playhouses range $90 – $150 US.