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Category Archives: Useful Info

  1. Toddler Adventure Group – Big Like!

    Any of you who have a toddler at home know how difficult it is to keep them busy.   My  2 yr. old Liam and I were feeling a little lonely and uninspired at home.   I knew he needed more structure and exposure to new activities and children and I was looking to add more programs to his schedule.

    As if she read my mind, Sharyn, of Toddler Adventure Group (TAG), sent me an email and invited us to experience one of her playgroups .    Sharyn is a toddler expert who runs structured playgroups for 18-36 month olds in the Thornhill Woods area.   A playgroup is 90 minutes long and includes skill development through play, songs, crafts, and much more.

    As soon as Liam and I sat on a carpet covered in colourful little pompoms, I knew that this wasn’t just another playgroup.  Every minute at TAG is planned to help toddlers grow and hone skills that most of us take for granted.   Sharyn brings warmth, energy and new materials every week to engage and stimulate the little ones and she reminds us to do things at toddler speed, toddler height, toddler fun.  While Liam was enjoying every minute of his participation, I too was learning.  Being in the company of other adults while focusing on my child felt great.  Learning to teach my toddler important skills through play was inspiring and being reminded that toddlerhood is a magical time was simple here.

    To learn more about Toddler Adventure Group visit the website or follow their Facebook Page.  If you are looking for a backyard camp, TAG’s Summer Sparks may be the perfect camp for your toddler.

    Posted in Activities & Events, Useful Info.

  2. Home Depot Workshops for Kids

    Mamapicks used to have a ” what to do this weekend” column and she sort of gave up because there is not enough high-quality stuff to do in the Winter with kids.  But now and then , she will let you know about great activities that she finds.  She will also let you know about places that are not great in the new “It sucks” column.

    Home Depot has monthly workshops for kids which are FREE and amazing.  We went to our first one this past Saturday morning with my 5 yr.-old son and he was the happiest kid on earth.  The two-hour workshop involves a different building project every time which is suitable for ages 4-12.  It is held at most Home Dept locations one Saturday morning a month, 10am-12pm.  This past weekend, my son used a hammer and nails to carefully construct a savings shed.  He received a kit to complete with an accompanying adult and a really cute  Home Depot kid-sized apron.  He also received a tattoo sticker which was a really big deal for some reason.  You must pre-register as many locations fill up fast.  The next workshop takes place on Feb.11th. Register online.

    Posted in Activities & Events, Ideas, Useful Info.

  3. Free Valet Parking @ Yorkdale

    Located at Holt Renfrew’s lower parking deck on P1, valet parking is available for $8 and is complimentary with a visible Accessible Parking Permit and for MasterCard World and World Elite cardholders from December 1 – 31.  From December 1st – January 8th, receive free valet parking for the first & last two hours of Yorkdale’s operating hours with a $50 purchase. Space is limited.

     

    Posted in Free, Useful Info.

  4. Great article (and short enough for moms to read).

    Posted in Useful Info.

  5. Morning & Bedtime Checklists


     

     

    I hate this time of year.  Perhaps if the start of the school year did not coincide with the end of the summer season, it would be more tolerable.  For those of you who are past denial and getting ready,  Children Inspire Design has two super useful checklists to help you ease (or crash?) back into routine.

    Posted in Free, Useful Info.

  6. Things to do with your toddler…

    I love this list of great ideas from Counting On Me.  The Baby is almost a toddler and some mornings, I feel like I need fresh ideas in order to keep him busy.  Come to think of it, I can keep the other two non-toddlers busy with some of these tips too.  Rain doesn’t scare me any more.

    Posted in Ideas, Useful Info.

  7. Heartsy for Etsy

    Worlds collided in a really good way yesterday when I heard that my all time favourite Etsy (a website for all things hand-made) and my recent infatuation with Grouponish sites came together into something called Heartsy.  Heartsy is a Groupon-like site for Etsy.  So, if you like Etsy, you might want to subscribe to Heartsy.  Gotsy?

    P.s. above is this beautiful mom’s nest which makes for a personal and symbolic gift for Mother’s Day.  Great for your mom or mother-in-law if you order all of the grandkids’ names.

    Posted in Gifts, Personalized, Useful Info.

  8. Old Navy Coupon

    So…Old Navy says they just got better!  A Play Spot for kids, now that is a good idea :)  Let’s just hope they maintain and keep it clean unlike some Children’s Place location I am thinking about.  Print your coupon for 30% off one item and go check it out.  Valid until Feb. 27th.

    Posted in Coupons, Useful Info.

  9. The Inverse Power of Praise

    I am sure you have all read some excerpt of an article about the effects of praise on kids.  I think my kids are praise junkies (My fault) and it’s something my husband and I are working hard to remedy.  This article from New York Magazine was quite long and I praised my own effort for reading it through.  It is a really good one though, and has a wealth of useful information and real-life examples.  Take the time to read it, I assure you that you will learn a lot about how not to talk to your kids.

    Posted in Useful Info.

  10. You Name It Baby: New Location

    You Name It Baby is an amazing place for personalized gifts for kids.  They are opening a new location and you can use the above voucher if you go for a visit.  They have great products and customer service!  The new address is 3383 Bathurst St.  New store opens Feb. 22nd.


    Posted in Coupons, Useful Info.

  11. Please Mum Green Backs

    Please Mum is offering you store bucks for gently used clothing.  For more info and restrictions, please check out this link.

    Posted in Useful Info.

  12. Best of 2010: Cruise with the kids? (Fixed!)

    One of our best vacations ever was a cruise vacation…but that was before we had kids.  I sometimes wonder if and when it would be appropriate to take the kids on a cruise vacation.   The travel company who we booked our cruise with was incredible and I often recommend them to friends.  VacationsToGo has great prices and the service is immaculate.  They have compiled information on all of the programs and services available for kids (ages 2-17) by each cruise line.  What a great resource!

    Carnival
    Celebrity
    Costa
    Disney
    Holland America
    MSC Cruises
    Norwegian
    Princess
    Royal Caribbean

    Posted in Travel, Useful Info.

  13. Best of 2010: If you were a piece of IKEA furniture.

    …what would your name be?  A little silliness to perk up your Thursday.  Try it!

    Posted in Useful Info.

  14. Loot Bag Idea!

    Mabel’s Labels has a new Loot Bag Combo for $5 which includes a personalized bag tag and 5 sticky labels.  Fun & useful!

    Posted in Ideas, Useful Info.

  15. All in one place!

    Remember I told you how enamoured I have become with group coupon sites?  Well, my inbox is getting pretty heavy with those and if I see another coupon for microderm abrasion…  Anyhow, I found a new website called OneSpout which is an aggrogator of all of the other sites.  You can go to one place and see all of the offerings for cities of your choice.  As well, if you sign up for their daily mail, you can filter out the kinds of products and services that you are not interested in.  It’s pretty great.  No more clutter.

    I love how someone has a good idea (Groupon) and then dozens copy it,  and then come the aggregators, and then come the aggregators of the aggregators.

    Posted in Useful Info.

  16. Rating Movies with Kids in Mind

    My kids have gone to a couple of movies for toddlers (where have those gone?)…but they have never seen a real movie in full at the theatre.  I was thinking about Yogi Bear and Tangled for next weekend but need to be very careful.  My kids are easily frightened.  Disney on Ice was very scary for them.  The Boy still shakes when he sees Swiper on Dora and he is almost 5 yrs. old.

    I found this great website (www.kids-in-mind.com) that gives parents ample relevant info about current movies so that we all can determine if a movie is appropriate for OUR kids, not someone else’s.  The website does not  assign an inscrutable rating based on age but 3 objective ratings for SEX/NUDITY,VIOLENCE/GORE &PROFANITY, on a scale of 0 to 10, and they explain why a film rates high or low in a specific category. Also, instances of substance abuse are included in the review as well as a list of discussion topics that may elicit questions from children.

    Amazing!

    Posted in Useful Info.

  17. Three Kids :)

    3


    “There is always a little person in need of something. Food. A drink of water. A boob. A bath. A hug. A mouth, nose, or bottom wiped. A timeout. Electroshock therapy. Oh no, sorry, that’s me.”

    I knew I was in for a good read after reading that.  I also knew that I could read this article to my husband and he would actually pay attention.  It’s called On Having Three Kids and it’s all about…that.  In case you are considering it…or are already in this wonderful predicament.   It is written by Jennifer Eyre Wright and can be found on her website – www.havingthreekids.com (yes there is such a  website!).

    Posted in Useful Info.

  18. Nasal Mist

    My house is a snot factory.  I recently tried saline mist rather than drops on the little noses and…amazing.  My baby didn’t squirm when I applied the mist and so I had to try it on myself to see what it felt like.  Well, rather than liquid shooting up and nearly touching your brain, you feel a soft mist coating the inside of your nostrils ever so gently.  I highly recommend it!  The Life brand sold at Shoppers Drug Mart is the cheapest and best in my opinion.  Pure sea-water mist costs twice as much and was not as effective.

    Posted in Useful Info.

  19. Daily Deals

    The Groupon phenomenon is sweeping the world and new websites are popping up, offering you incredible savings daily.  I love waking up to an inbox full of deals, it’s so exciting.  I have actually bought and used quite a few vouchers for restaurants and others.  Today, I got 3 free Gymboree classes from PeachyBuy before getting dressed…now that’s what I call a productive morning!

    For all of you looking for great gifts – these deals make for impressive ones that would normally be beyond your budget.  For example, Dealfind is offering a 1hr. massage + manicure & pedicure at a local salon spa for $39.  Who wouldn’t love that?

    Here are my favourites.  It’s simple, just sign up.

    Peachybuy (for moms!)

    Groupon

    Dealfind

    Dealticker

    Fabfind

    Livingsocial

    Sharingforce

    Posted in Coupons, Deals, Useful Info.

  20. Rogers Thanks You

    Rogers thanks you for all the time you spent on hold.  There are a few big prizes, but I think everyone gets a small prize (free video rental, temp. magazine subscription or phone cover).  The kids got a kick out of choosing the virtual gift box and giving it a virtual shake.

    Posted in Useful Info.

  21. Dear-Born Baby Outlet Store

    Based on your experience with Dear-Born Baby, you will find this really exciting or really not exciting.  You choose.

    Posted in Useful Info.

  22. Donating Halloween Candy

    I know what you are doing now.  You are going for another Kit-Kat and feeling guilty about it…  All that junk food in small packages is going to our rumps after the kids go to bed.  No one needs that much candy…and there are people out there in our community and beyond who really do need a treat.  This week, donate some of your Halloween candy while it’s still fresh.  It’s a great way to stop eating it.  Your kids can learn a valuable lesson.  So many great reasons to donate.

    Always call ahead to make sure that donations are welcome.  Here are some ideas:

    Meals on Wheels

    Canadian Food for Children

    Ronald McDonald House

    Nursing/Veterans Homes

    Posted in Useful Info.

  23. Huge Fisher Price Recall

    You thought you were having a bad day???  Fisher Price is recalling:

    7 million tricycles.

    2.9 million toys.

    1 million high-chairs.

    120,000 ramp & car toys.

    Click on each of the above to see images in the Health Canada website.  Good night!

    Posted in Useful Info.

  24. The Body Health Spa

    Hairless.  Can you imagine a summer without a razor or waxing appointment?  Sounds like complete freedom to me.  This mama has taken the plunge and started IPL hair removal.  As always, I ask friends, do some research and all this brought me to The Body Health Spa and Treatment Centre.  It is not a regular relaxation spa, it is a centre that offers a wide selection of non-surgical treatments for both men and woman of all ages.  These include special facials, cellulite treatments, body wraps….and of course, IPL hair removal.

    The spa is new, immaculate and relaxing with knowledgeable and friendly staff.  Upstairs you will see a teaching area – the fact that this spa trains staff from other spas made me feel really good :)    The technician  took the time to explain all of the details of the treatment to me with great patience.  The treatment itself was PAINLESS.  It is difficult for me to explain the sensation but there was definitely no pain involved (believe me, I was ready for pain and was even told by friends  to use skin numbing cream!).

    I can’t wait for my next session and to be hairless by next summer.  Prices are really reasonable and Mamapicks readers receive an additional 20% off!

    Posted in Exclusive Discounts, Useful Info.

  25. Slow Cooking

    Just in time for the new school year, your best investment will be a slow cooker.  I bought one 6 years ago and it sat in a box in the garage and thankfully, Sears wouldn’t take it back.  Last year, I opened the box and started slow cooking.  I must say that nothing feels better than throwing together a few ingredients in the morning and having a savoury dinner ready by the afternoon with no work inbetween.  Nothing.

    For tonight’s dinner, I defrosted a package of boneless chicken breast and put it along with the following in the cooker:

    1 jar apricot jam
    1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/4 cup chicken broth

    Set on low for 4-5  hours….and voila, tender chicken in a beautiful tangy sauce.  Add rice and you are done.  One tip – when done cooking, always take off the lid of the slow-cooker so that the food doesn’t dry out.

    Here are two websites/blogs that have lots of great recipes!

    http://healthyslowcooking.wordpress.com/

    http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

    Enjoy!

    Posted in Useful Info.