Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park

Sky Zone is the only fun Indoor Trampoline Park in Canada where we can experience an Ultimate 3D play.  My children and we enjoyed the bouncy fun at the park.  Adults will enjoy this as much or more than the kids, as we can become a kid again and have fun jumping in the trampolines.

Floppets will travel anywhere with us

Floppets are cool, creative, flexible little animal characters that are attached to a Velcro strap.  They would go anywhere you take them :)  We love every character of these cute collectible Floppets.  
Floppets are available in a variety of bright and vibrant characters from animals, birds, aliens, sea creatures, teapots and many more.  Both boys and girls will like collecting and attaching these "pets" to their belongings.  
Floppets can be attached to anything we want such as slippers/flip flops, shoes, bag, lunch boxes, pencils, literally anywhere!  

Floppets are on a Velcro strap that can be linked so a few Floppets can attach together and be worn as bracelets, rings etc.  My daughter is very careful with her "pets", as she makes sure they are safely hanging onto her belongings, hand and hair.    
This toy/accessory is for anyone over 4 years.  I like attaching these cute pets to my handbag and key tag as well :)    
We can include Floppets as a reward children can earn, when they do their chores and homework.  Each Floppet is about $2 and can be purchased in these places. 

Check out Floppets on Facebook to see pictures of all the places Floppets get attached to.  Interesting news of Floppets can be followed on twitter.  

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Safari Niagara

Safari Niagara is a fun attraction in Stevensville, Ontario close to Niagara falls. In my opinion this park will be visited even without the animals because of its fun components such as the splash pad, lovely big children's play area, paddle boats and the barnyard to name a few. The domestic animals such as cows and goats in the barnyard were fun for children to watch.

We liked the big splash pad and had lots of fun at the park and the sand area. My Children liked the little features such as the hidden huge egg that is under the bushes by the entrance, which was a nice surprise for children. They also spotted a rabbit/hare that was hiding there.

We enjoyed paddling the boats, which was a good workout for the legs :) This relaxing fun paddling allows only two people per boat. It would be nice if the staff is more welcoming and friendly, only the person who was driving the tram was friendly. There amphitheater in the safari has live concerts.  There was an area for fishing which we saw, but couldn't find a way to get there so we passed it.

We took the tram, which costs an extra $3 per person over the age of 3 years. This was fun for my children and us as we got on and off in the six stops throughout the park. We enjoyed the scenic ride and spotted a variety of sculpture art in the park.

All thrill seekers will enjoy the SkyQuest challenge.  It is 30 Feet high with beams and ropes. People over 48" can enjoy this obstacle course for a price of $10 at their own pace. The SkyTykes for children can be enjoyed for $5. It has balance beams, ropes and bridges similar to the large one. Everyone is harnessed so people can maneuver themselves along the track safely without rushing. This is open everyday from 11 to 4 pm.

The park has lots of family picnic areas for our enjoyment. They also allow group functions where people can barbecue. I didn't like that it was in a close proximity to where the animals were, it is as if we are teasing the senses of these animals i.e. lion, Bengal tiger etc.  

Safari Niagara is a nice scenic place to visit so I don't think they is any need to have these wild animals caged to encourage visitors.  Although I visit zoos I am negative and skeptical about it, I often feel that the animals are in a "jail" and feel sad about this.  I felt sad to see the caged animals that were mostly on their own without a partner. The cages and gates with electric fencing were put for our safety is not the same in an animal's perspective. I felt a sense of sadness in the areas where I saw the animals. 

There wasn't much greenery inside the cage or food, which is visible to us except for water; although I am sure the animals are fed. The safari is involved in an animal exchange program so the animals get moved around. We didn't bother with the live animal shows as it looked like it was going to be the same as the ones at Marineland and African lion safari.

I really believe there isn't any need to prison animals large or small or birds for our enjoyment in any of the zoos.

The fresh air and greenery at Safari Niagara connects us with nature and is worth visiting. We took advantage of the groupon tickets online to visit the attraction. The parking at the park was free. Safari Niagara is trying to improve as they give an anonymous survey at the ticket booth, so I hope they will consider my opinion.

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Green Living show 2012 experience

We learned about eco-friendly products and ways we can to be part of sustainable living at the Green Living Show, which will be held at the Direct Energy Centre CNE from April 13th till April 15th.

At the show, we got to know about free services such as getting rid of our garbage in an environmentally friendly way. For example, using TerraCycle. Once, we sign up and tell which type of the waste we like to get rid of, we can start collecting and then send it to TerraCycle using their free shipping UPS slip. The materials that are collected will be used to create new products. TerraCycle operates all over the world. Recycle your electronics is a service that helps us get rid of office and home electronic products. Orange drop can be used to safely dispose our hazardous waste free of charge. Household hazardous wastes should not be thrown in the garbage or down the drain. We can take it to municipal HHW depot collection event or take the paint and batteries to a retail drop-off location. Put your postal code on the side bar and search for the collection depots. 

There were other companies that offer eco-friendly options and ways we can make our home greener, for example using rain barrels, solar powered panels, roofing, green windows, water systems, and more. They had a variety of gardening products and tips. There were many products related to fashion, beauty and clothing which were made using natural organic material such as pure cotton and bamboo. The show had companies and business that taught about healthy living by adding yoga and exercise to our daily routine. The electronic cars on display looked really cool.

There were lots of things related to bio-diversity such as plants, seeds, flowers, planting with Rona and Rouge park and magazines that has tips on how we can be part of cultivating a green city.

We spent a lot of time at the Eco-zone which had lots of hand-on children friendly things to do. They had reptiles to touch. There were lots of playhouses and toys built with cardboard. Children mixed clay, soil and wildflower seeds and made seed balls to plant. I found out that there was corn-based glue from Elmer's. The ROM had organized a booth where we learned about some creatures found in the oceans in Canada.

We made cool fish using paper plates. The paper plate fish were made using...

paper plates

googly eyes

glue

markers

yarn to hang

Cut a triangle shape on one sides of the paper plate for the mouth. Staple this triangle piece on the opposite side, horizontally from where the cut was made for the tail.

Glue the googly eyes and decorate the fish. Punch a hole to hang the fish using yarn.

There were lots of organic and healthy food to taste. They had mushroom growing kits at the Organic Garage so we can try our hand at growing our own oyster mushrooms at home.

I was happy to see familiar products such as Green toys, Kicking horse coffee, Organic Meadow, Three Farmers Camelina oil, TIFF, Rough park, ROM, WWF, and RONA. 

Organic and eco-friendly products have so many benefits to all of us, however they aren't very accessible. My hope is that it would become wide spread so people would be able to purchase these regularly for a reasonable price. Although, paying the extra cash makes us reluctant to take a step towards eco-friendly options, at the Green Living Show we felt that the long term cost would be less and the impact on the environment would also be less when we use eco-friendly products.

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Strategies for parents and fun activities for children (cookies and crafts)

As parents, we all get busy so often and sometimes there isn't enough time to do everything we intend to. However, the time we spend with our children will be valued life long and if we don't try to squeeze in some time for memorable activities we might regret it.

Sonsi clothing and accessories

We all like making fashion statements in some way or another and size shouldn't be a barrier. Sonsi is an online shopping and social destination that has clothing for plus size women. It is an award winning easy, fast, personalized shopping experience that sells all types of clothing. Women can determine their shape without measurements and customize it online. Sonsi has a variety of style and over 300 brands.

Follow Sonsi on Facebook and twitter to find fashionable clothing for all seasons. Their products are shipped International so start shopping from anywhere in the world :)

If you want to win a similar package of Sonsi products (accessories, clothing and jewelry), leave a comment on this post.

Updated: The giveaway winner is comment #6

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Movies for the March break: We bought a zoo, The Descendants, ToothFairy 2 and The Lion King

We bought a zoo is a fabulous movie for the whole family.

This is a heartwarming adventure is based on a true story. It is directed by Cameron Crowe starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.

It will be available on Blue-ray, DVD and Digital download April 3

Benjamin Mee (Damon) is a LA newspaper columnist and adventure writer. He is a single father who raises 2 young children on his own. He wants to start a new life and give his family a fresh start after his wife passes away. He decides to quit his job and move outside the city to an old rural house which is part of a zoo.

This story about his adventures of reopening the zoo. It has lots of wonderful family scenes between a teenage son and father, a caring father to a seven year old daughter, and a loving person who cares about everyone including the animals.

He is a father who tries to make his family feel good during hard times i.e. financial and loss of his spouse.

The movie has a beautiful beginning and ending, the conversations are superb. I would definitely recommend this movie and give it a 5 out of 5.

The blu-ray and DVD has lots of special features, so enjoy it with your family.

The Descendants

The story is set in Hawaii. It is about Matt King (George Clooney) a husband and father of two girls, who is forced to think about his past and embrace his dying wife. She had cheated on him and he only got to know about it after her accident. Matt is also a trustee of a large plot of land inherited by his family, and he had to decide if they were going to sell it or preserve it.

I liked the story which was about making time to spend with the family before its too late. It didn't matter how much we have or where we live because in the end we can't get back the time we've missed spending with our family.

If you haven't watched the movie I would recommend this movie for youth and adults and give it a 4 1/2 out of 5, only because I would have preferred the movie without the swear words.

If you have read the book and watched the movie, what do you think about these questions? (Click on it to make it larger)

Join Kaui Hart Hemmings chat on GoodReads on March 13th, you would be able to win DVD/book bundles.

ToothFairy 2, a funny comedy already out on Blu-ray and DVD. It is about Larry, an irresponsible immature man who tells a child that the tooth fairy is a fairy tale. He couldn't take back what he said, so he is sentenced to be the Tooth fairy and to collect 20 teeth in 20 days.

A funny movie that children will enjoy.

Another fabulous movie for the children: The Lion King 1 1/2 and The Lion King 2 on Blu-ray and DVD. Who doesn't love the Lion King right?
Click on the image for the activity sheets children will enjoy.

Enjoy this trailer clip.

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Hasbro family game night

Hasbro games bring families together, entertain and make memories. They bring the old favourites and classics in new style :) I love the classics like Scrabble that teaches vocabulary, Monopoly that teaches about money, and Cranium brain breaks has lots of mini games. Hasbro has lots of family games, which are affordable, lasts long allowing us to start our collection at home, and handy to take on trips.