'A Joy to Share' with Kinder and the Children's Miracle Network | #Kindermom

To say life has been busy lately, would be an understatement. Life has been hectic, exciting and full of change, so much so, that I almost forgot to let you know about an exciting campaign that Kinder has embarked on to help us remember to think of others this holiday season.

But I digress, over the past month and a half, we have packed box after box and through the process we've taken the time to explain to Bolt and Simba that we don't need to keep everything.  We explained that they could donate some of their toys for other children to enjoy and they seemed to take pride in placing their old toys in the donate box.  They did get a little crazy at one point and started putting EVERYTHING in the box, only to fish it back out the next day.

In this materialistic world we live in, its important to take the time to teach our children to think of others and I'm excited to tell you about a very fun and easy way to donate $1 to the Children's Miracle Network, from the comfort of your own home, with the help of your children.

Can it get any better than that?

Kinder® has partnered with the Children's Miracle Network's 'A Joy To Share Program'.  Head over to the 'A Joy To Share' on Facebook and they will donate $1 to the Children's Miracle Network when you create a digital greeting card. The program is super easy to use, you can click through options to choose your background, character, greeting and message and of course you can sign it with your own name.  

A Joy to Share is a fun way to teach your kids about giving and you end up with a card to share with all your friends and family.

And if you're looking for delicious morsels for your children's stocking, be sure and check out the Kinder holiday goodies. It's been such a challenge to keep from busting open that giant egg, I do have two children and there's an odd number of treats, no one would ever know!

“Disclosure: I’m part of the Kinder® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own”

RESP's for our Children's Future | #SaveWithRBC

When my Mom graduated high school, she wanted to go to art school, but she had no money. There was no scholarship, no savings, no student loan. She never went to art school.

When I graduated high school, I went to University and I earned my degree; quite simply because my Mom saved money when there wasn't enough to go around, so that we could have the choice. She put away a little bit of money each and every month, sometimes only $5, to give us the opportunity she never had. And for that, I thank her (and my Dad who was working his tail off to make the money in the first place).

When my boys were born, one of the first things I did was apply for a social insurance number on their behalf and opened up a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) to start saving for their future education, whatever that may be. If my Mom taught me one thing, she taught me that every penny counts and the earlier you start saving, the more time that money has to grow.

Are YOU saving for your child's future education?

Did you know that as a Canadian, YOUR CHILD could receive FREE money from the government?  The Canada Education Savings Grant will match up to 20% on the first $2,500 that is contributed annually. Your child can earn up to $500 a year, to a lifetime maximum of $7,200!

Here's a tangible example, if you contribute $25 a week into your child's RESP, that money can grow to over $50,000 in 18 years, which should be enough to at least get your child started on the education of their dreams. And that includes a career in the trades or an apprenticeship program. If your child doesn't pursue post-secondary education, the funds you contributed can be transferred to an RRSP or a sibling's RESP depending on your plan.

Growing up with a Mom who worked in banking, it was instilled in me early on that it was important to 'pay your bills before you spend your cash', so our RESP contributions are on automatic payment and have been since day one. The good folks at RBC can help you set up an RESP-matic if that sounds like just the thing you need to start getting money in the bank.

I know talking money and saving for the future in today's economy sometimes feels like a bit of a a pipe dream, but I know first hand that every little bit can help your child make their dreams a reality and I'm very excited to be part of the select blogger team that has teamed up with RBC to spread the word about RBC RESPs.

If you are ready to #SaveWithRBC you can check out their website and chat with them on Twitter at @RBC_Canada .

“Disclosure: I am part of the RBC RESP blogger program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.”

Please Help Me Meet Michael Smith | Love Your Lentils

When I was maternity leave, I watched a lot of cooking shows on the Food Network; one of my favourites, was always The Chef at Home with Michael Smith. He always seemed so authentic and his food was so appealing yet simple.

I'll never forget watching him make a Beer Beef Stew; he said don't bother putting half a can of tomato paste back in your fridge, you're never going to use the rest of it, just throw whole thing in there. I don't even like stew and that simple segment inspired me to try his recipe, substituting gluten-free beer of course. It was awesome.

So when an opportunity to meet Michael Smith, thanks to Lentils.ca, landed in front of me, I knew I had to participate.

If you want to help me meet Michael Smith, head over to Loveyourlentils.ca and VOTE for my BBQ Chicken Pizza with Quick Lentil Crust by clicking on the voting circle at the top of the page. Voting is open until May 31st, at which point Chef Michael (and his team) will evaluate the top ten recipes as voted by the public and determine the winners.

Thanks in advance for your support!

Psst. if you click the picture it will take you to my recipe page, where you can vote.

Life Brand Bonanza at Shoppers Drug Mart

A few years ago, back when Simba was a newborn and Bolt was an out-of-sorts toddler, Shoppers Drug Mart was my refuge. A place I could go, clad in sweats and dishevelled hair, at 10:30 at night when both my precious boys were finally asleep. I would wander the aisles leisurely, looking for deals and buying any essentials we needed. Now that the boys are older, these little outings continue to give me some much needed alone time, satisfy my need to shop and ensure our medicine cabinet is always fully stocked, but they don't feel quite as essential as they once were.

I'm a little embarrassed to say that although we have medicine cabinets, most of the medicine we use on a regular basis is in a basket in my kitchen.  Although it seems like a sound idea, in reality, it tends to be an extremely frustrating mess. So when I was offered the opportunity to 'clean out my medicine cabinet' and fill it with Life Brand Products, I realized it was the perfect opportunity to actually start using the medicine cabinet is it was intended.

Since I loathe all things cleaning, I made a trip to Shoppers Drug Mart before I actually cleaned out my medicine basket. There are a number of locations close to my home, but I decided to go over to the No. 5 Road and Cambie Shoppers Drug Mart location in Richmond, BC. This store is new, big and spacious and I never feel crowded when I'm shopping. 

Shoppers Drug Mart wholeheartedly embraces the local community; this simple sign in the front window displaying the most prevalent languages in the community really speaks to me and shows me that Shoppers Drug Mart pays attention to the people they serve.

On this particular trip, I was on a Life Brand Bonanza, comparing prices and looking for products my family can always use. My first stop, was of course, the baby aisle where I grabbed some Baby Life bottle liners (saving about $1.50 over the name brand) before heading over to the medicines. 

I also made sure to grab 'essentials' including antihistamines, pain killers (I saved $6 on Life Brand Children's IBuprofun), cold and flu medicine and band aids, which we go through at the speed of light around here.  I regularly purchase Life Brand products since they are consistently cheaper than brand name products and when I compared the ingredient lists there were very few variations, most of which are usually in the non-medicinal ingredients.

In an area where the closest grocery store is a 15 minute drive away, Shoppers Drug Mart has stepped up and has a quite comprehensive grocery section complete with milk, eggs, bread, coffee, hummus, cheese just to name a few of the products. I feel like this simple fact speaks volumes about the investment Shoppers Drug Mart makes in the community.

Armed with a slough of new Life Brand products, I undertook the task of cleaning out my medicine cabinet and filling it up. It looks fantastic, now I can only hope I can maintain the neat, orderly shelves.

Are you a Life Brand Shopper?
Do you have a system for keeping your medicine cabinet tidy? (because I need one)

You can see ALL the photos from my shop on Google+.

“I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® #cbias #SocialFabric”

Celiac Clinical Research Study

Although I follow a strict gluten-free diet, I am not a diagnosed celiac, and its unlikely that I ever will be.  If you however, have a confirmed (by biopsy) diagnosis of Celiac disease and have been on a gluten-free diet for a minimum of 12 months you may qualify to participate in a Celiac Disease Clinical Research Study.

Trials are taking place across the US and Canada, click the image below for more details.

Thanks to Living Without for bringing this to my attention. Have you checked out their recipes? I made this Gluten-Free Corn, Mango and Black Bean Salsa twice this month and it only arrived in my email box on July 12!

Ddrops Bliss Contest | YOUR votes are needed

When I started the Momma Stuff Blog, I barely knew what a blogging conference was.  In fact I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted, nay needed, the Momma Stuff Blog to be.  A year later, although I still don't have any concrete answers, I've learned so much.

• I've learned about myself; finding my voice, finding my community and finding my style.
• I've learned about interactions; being a friend, being a reader and engaging discussion.
• I've learned about the web; custom domain's, Twitter and Facebook pages.

But there's still so much more to learn, I've barely skimmed the surface of these lessons, garnering what I can from tweets, blog posts and the amazing blogging community at large.

I want to attend Blissdom Canada and spend three days immersed in blogging culture; learning to develop the Momma Stuff Blog, effectively engage readers and increase traffic.  The amazing opportunity that Blissdom Canada provides to network, meet and learn from amazing Canadian Bloggers in person, is absolutley drool-worthy.  I crave knowledge and would absolutley love to attend Blissdom Canada, which is why I have entered the Ddrops Bliss Contest.

Ddrops is graciously giving away four tickets to Blissdom Canada 2011; entrants were asked to write about how Canadian Mom Bloggers Influence the Health of Canadians and the winners will be determined by readers like YOU.  My post was all about why Mom Blogging Matters.

It only takes a moment to vote, you simply need to go to the  

Ddrops Bliss Contest 

and leave a comment there, indicating your vote for the Momma Stuff Blog 

...or any of the other amazing and deserving entrants, if that's your preference.
voting is open until Friday March 11th, 11:59 pm E.S.T.

I am up against some big Canadian Bloggers with followings far surpassing the Momma Stuff Blog, so every vote matters and every vote is appreciated.  Thank you all so much for reading, commenting and stopping by!

Mom Blogging Matters

When I was pregnant with the boy, despite all my reading, I knew that I was going to need more.  I knew that book learning wouldn't be enough and that I needed to expand my circle of friends and family to include other new moms.  I knew that I couldn't go at it alone and that I was going to need all the love, support and advice that I could get.  Little did I know however, that without even taking off my pyjamas there was an entire world of momma's baring their souls and sharing their lives, their experiences and their families through their blogs.

I am proud to say that I am a blogging momma’s and although I love that I now have readers, the truth is, I blog for myself.  I blog as a creative outlet, to ensure that I never lose my metaphorical voice, to remind myself of the little moments that whiz by in the blink of an eye and to document the things that make motherhood amazing, manageable and sometimes nerve wracking.  I hope those intentions are reflected in the posts I write and the products I review, because when I read blogs, it’s the honesty and purity of the writer that touches me and makes me want to come back for more. 

It's the personal connection that Canadian Mom Bloggers offer to their readers, often raw with reality, that reaches out and touches our hearts.  It's the advice we glean from their experiences, the tears we cry for their pain and the reassurance that we are not alone in the struggles and challenges we face each and every day, that positively affect Canadian women across the country.

Many women aren't lucky enough to live in an urban setting where there are mommas on every corner and opportunities to make face to face momma connections every day.  Thanks to Canadian Mom Bloggers, wisdom, support and friends are only a mouse click away and with that connection comes a sense of community, belonging and camaraderie that every momma needs to maintain a happy healthy lifestyle.

Mom blogging is about the collective us; the millions of women who are coming together to provide common ground, mutual respect and support to improve not only the quality of our own lives and health, but of all the women who come together via blogging to read, tweet and interact on a regular basis.  Mom blogs intrinsically have a positive effect on the health of Canadians via the establishment of a much needed, adhoc support system that could otherwise never exist.



This post was written for entry to the Ddrops contest to win tickets to Blissdom Canada 2011. 

Follow the Momma Stuff Blog on Twitter or Facebook and be sure to check out @BabyDdrops on Twitter #Ddropsbliss and Facebook.

Live Clean Baby Review & Giveaway

I am always on the lookout for new, environmentally-friendly products, but at the same time I am always cautious when new products appear in mainstream drugstores.  There are so many products out there labeled as "green", "natural" and "environmentally-friendly" and sadly these terms are not regulated.  Any company can make these claims without any back-up required.

When I first saw Live Clean Baby in my local London Drugs, I picked up the packages, read through them, sniffed the bottles and put them back on the shelf.  I wasn't particularly in need of any personal care products for the boy and I'm always hesitant to try new products before doing a little bit of research (which is likely how you landed here).

But when Live Clean Baby offered me a chance to try out their products for the purposes of this review, I was more than happy to take them up on the offer.  Live Clean Baby is a Canadian Company that "promises performance with natural, gentle ingredients - caring for baby's delicate skin using plant based formulations enriched with certified organic botanicals that are safe for baby and safe for the earth."  I had the chance to try out three products from the Live Clean Baby line: the Fragrance Free Bar Soap, Moisturizing Body Lotion and the Non-Petroleum Jelly.  

I personally hate shower gel, so I was super excited to try a bar soap out on the boy.  The newest addition to the line, Live Clean Baby Bar Soap left us both feeling squeaky clean; no slimy residue on the skin, the soap lathered easily and all without any skin redness, itchiness or irritation.  The boy loves playing with the bar of soap, chasing it all around his ducky bath.  He cried momentarily when he rubbed his soapy hands in his eyes, but I probably would have too.  In terms of the environment, Live Clean Baby bar soap is made from 99% plant ingredients, SLS and sulfate free, paraben and preservative free, hypoallergenic and pediatrician tested.  And at only $6.99 for three bars, its definitely in my price range.
 

When it comes to creams and lotions I hate it admit it, but I'm an addict.  I have tons of half-full bottles of lotion floating around the house.  Live Clean mouisturizing baby lotion is 98% plant based, including extracts from Chamomile, Lavender and Aloe.  Although the lotion is thinner than I prefer, it absorbed quickly and left my skin feeling hydrated and cool with a gentle scent that reminded me of baby powder.  The boys skin felt moisturized in the morning, when applied after his evening bath, but it didn't seem to affect his eczema, for better or worse. 

The final product we tested out was the Live Clean Baby Non-Petroleum Jelly.  We use Aquaphor on a regular basis and I had hoped that this product might be able to tackle the boys eczema itch in the same way.  Unfortunately, this was not the case.  The Non-Petroleum jelly is made from 100% natural and sustainable ingredients and is smoother and not quite as sticky as either Vaseline and Aquaphor.  I used it primarily on the boys' chest and chin as a barrier; it seemed to help minimize rashes and drool discomfort from all the teething he's been subject to these days. I think Live Clean Baby Non-Petroleum Jelly has great potential as a barrier cream for diaper rash, fortunately I didn't have the need to test this theory out.

On the whole I was impressed with Live Clean Baby Products; they lived up to their claims, performed their functions well and with an average price of $6.99, Live Clean Baby products are available at a price that most of us can afford, while keeping the best interests of the Earth in mind.  I give Live Clean Baby products a 4/5.

Want to try Live Clean Baby out yourself?  We're giving away two full sets of the Live Clean Baby Collection!

Enter To Win:

The Full 'Live Clean Baby' Collection
(two to be awarded)

The First Entry is mandatory; all other entries will be disqualified if it is not included.  Please leave a separate comment for each entry.  

First Entry: Visit the Live Clean website and tell us which product you'd like to try.

Second Entry: Follow the Momma Stuff Blog via Google Friend Connect (left sidebar)

Third Entry:  Like the Momma Stuff Blog on Facebook

Fourth Entry: Follow the Momma Stuff Blog on Twitter and retweet this giveaway (once per day - leave a link) 

'Live Clean Baby' products are good for your babe and the environment - enter the #Giveaway @mommastuffblog #CMTT http://bit.ly/aCtpdg
 

Giveaway closes Sunday August 15th at 8pm.  Winner will be determined by a random number generator. Winner will be notified via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new name will be drawn and contacted.

Contest is now closed.
Congratulations to our Winner - Comment #6 Jeanine

Part 2: Happy Nappy Cloth Diaper Service

This is part 2 of my post on cloth diaper service, if you just got here, make sure you check out Part 1: Why Diaper Service?

The value of Diaper Service:

When we started seriously looking at diaper service, my husbands first concern was the price, but Happy Nappy's price of $25.90 per week, really wasn't that much more expensive that disposables.  Plus there was the convenience, no picking up diapers all the time, running out of diapers, running out to the garbage can stinky diaper in hand and no extra incidental shopping.  Just dump the dirty diaper into the diaper pail (in the bag)  and once a week you hual the entire weeks diapers (dirties & remaining cleans) out to your front door in the morning and bring the new ones in when you get home. 

The Environmental Costs:

I was more concerned about the environmental aspects of the company, I'd heard stories of harsh laundering processes with delivery service, but Happy Nappy is certified phosphate and surfactant free and doesn't use chlorine in their was processes. In fact they're website states:

Compared to typical laundry services that use two to three chemicals to get their white products bleached clean, we use a blend of over 8 environmentally friendly detergent  and 4 separate washes. Our advanced washing equipment, dryers and computers  perform a better job using less energy and water. In short, our process is overall better for your baby and our earth.

Happy Nappy has also started a petition to the Canadian Government requesting a tax break for cloth diapering parents.  How great is that?!

The Diapers:
The diapers are fleece lined, contoured diapers, with multiple snaps to ensure the best fit for your baby.  When our pre-pack arrived the hubs and I both fawned over how cute and soft the diapers were.  With simple snaps and a velcro cover as a trade-off for fleece, my husband frequently said "who wouldn't want fleece next to their bum?"

The diapers are bright yellow in colour on the outside; a great benefit as it allows you to easily see if the diaper is peeking out of the cover. Trust me, you want to know if that's the case, an exposed diaper is a leaky diaper.  Extra night liners (that you throw in the bag with the diapers each week) are also available free of charge, you just have to ask for them.

Using the Diapers:
Our boy is almost 13 months now and we've used Happy Nappy since the day my boy arrived home.  There is a bit of a learning curve; the multiple snap system and the diaper cover seem intimidating, but they truly just take a couple uses and you'll have it down pat.  Those first few tries can be frustrating though, both my Dad and daycare provider managed to put the diaper on inside out.  That being said, shortly after the boy arrived, my husband (and my Mom) made statements to the effect that these really were just as easy as using disposables. Yep, it only took a few weeks to get my skeptic husband on board.  

We've never really had a problem with blow-outs up the boys back (the hubs had heard horror stories about that), though we did have a little bit of trouble with urine leaks but it turned out my boy needed to move up a size in diapers and once we did that, problem solved.   
 

The Diaper Covers:
Happy Nappy can rent or sell you diaper covers and they too will arrive on your doorstep with your delivery.   Happy Nappy uses Mother Ease diaper covers and we love them.  They keep the mess in, they wash up great in the washing machine and they're super adjustable.  They come in both snaps and velcro; the snaps don't catch your clothes in the laundry and they have a more consistent fit, but they just didn't seem to fit my boy right, my good friend however, swore by them.  The velcro ones are quick and my husband can (and will) do them, so they are the definite winner in our house.  

If your starting out new, I recommend renting before buying and figuring out what works for your family.  Keep in mind, its not worth buying the small sized covers as your little one probably won't wear them for long. At the Langley location, covers are $12.75 for purchase or $1.05/week.

Delivery Service in YOUR area:   
I know diaper service probably isn't an option if you live in a remote area, but its worth a Google search isn't it?  Make sure you ask about the laundering process and make an informed decision.  Hopefully you'll find a diaper service on par with Happy Nappy, it's a great option if you are interested in the benefits of cloth diapers, but aren't sure if you're up to all the extra work.  (Plus it might make it a little easier to get yoiur partner on board (if he's anything like my hubs).
 

Happy Nappy Langley:

As a franchise, Happy Nappy is a family run business; Julie, Nichole and Rick are always helpful and prompt to return phone calls and emails and they truly have a personal touch.  In celebration of Earth Day, the Langley office of Happy Nappy is offering 20% off of your pre-pack for all new clients during the month of April, here's what it includes:

The Pre-Pack deal only applies if you are signing up for your service before your baby arrive.  $59.99 + tax gets you:

• administration sign up fee
• Starter diapers delivered to you ONE week before your due date.
• 14 gallon pail with non-toxic charcoal filter and locking lid.

Happy Diapering and Happy Earth Day Mommas!
[ed. note: edited for style 10 April 2010]