The Black and Decker Dual line Trimmer and Edger helps keep our garden neat

My husband and I enjoy gardening, as the outdoor gardening season in Toronto is short :) We encourage each other to keep our garden neat so we can admire it throughout the summer. We enjoy spending time watching birds, gardening different flowers, fruits and vegetables so it important for us to make sure our garden looks neat and maintained. To motivate us and not feel as though gardening is a chore, we think it is important to have the correct gardening tools.

The rock and wooden gardening edges in our garden makes it hard for us to cut the grass that grows in the edges using the lawnmower.  This 14" Black and Decker 6.0 AMP Dual line trimmer and edger has helped us overcome this problem. It has also made us perfectionists in the garden, as the trimmer helps us keep our garden neat and clean. 

Cushe® footwear makes us happy

Cushe® pronounced "cushy" says "happiness" to me :) We are definitely happy with these shoes, as they are comfortable, cozy, modern and unique. I like the detailed artistic designs on their shoes, which I can't stop admiring.

Cushe® footwear has a wide range of designs for men and women. These shoes conform our foot's natural shape that makes it comfortable to wear for long hours. The quality and stability of the footwear makes it a good investment.  

Our Childhood Summer Camp Experience and The Awaiting Fun At Muskoka Woods

When I was growing up, I always look forward to spending my summer at summer camp. While in high school, I spent my summers as a camp counsellor making some cash while having lots of fun and seeing many attractions in Ontario. My memories of camp are mostly stored in my memory drive, as none of us at that time had digital cameras or camera-phones to capture all the wonderful memories. I remember as a camp counsellor we had lots of fun carrying out our approved planned activities such as sports, crafts, cooking, and trips. I learned a lot going to camp, as it helped me grow my confidence and allowed me to take on new challenges. Here are some of the little things I saved over the years in my treasure/ shoebox :)

Time to think of Summer Camps

It is time to think of Summer Camps already, especially if you want to get a spot. TIFF Summer Day Camp sessions are geared towards children ages 8 to 16.  

The variety of camp sessions at Tiff Bell Lightbox promote creative thinking, filmmaking, teamwork and technical expertise.

Meet Me There if you come via Emirates to our Summer Vacation Destination

My family and I are very excited about our upcoming summer trip to Sri Lanka via Emirates.  One of the excitements of travelling long-distances overseas is flying in fabulous aircrafts, enjoying the food served in the plane, appreciating the service, experience and adventure of travelling. We chose Emirates because it goes to our destination without a change in different airlines and because of their free to join Emirates Skywards program.  

It Is Officially Spring, Time To Spot Bugs and Butterflies

Today is the official first day of spring, but the weather outside is nothing like spring.  Everyone in my family is missing the warm weather, the beautiful sunshine, flowers, birds and even the bugs.  

As an adult I am not a big fan of bugs, however when I was little it was a different story as my brothers and I use to collect flies and look for other types of bugs in our garden... thinking back I feel bad about this activity of ours as it wasn't cool for the bugs.  

My children are big fans of insects as well, and they are both in the age of exploring about them.  When they saw this book Spot the Bug by Tom Jackson they became very excited.  

Egg carton characters

To make this girl and boy with the baseball gear we needed...

1 egg carton
scissors
glue
markers
and things found around the home to decorate
* cloth
* plastic craft lace or gimp
* ribbon
* tissue paper

Children will need help from an adult to cut the cups from the egg carton.  Once it is cut just play with it and let your imagination take over in creating a variety of different things.

After creating this girl and boy with the baseball gear, we were able to make up our own little story behind it.

"Is she still looking at me?"

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Win your copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid & Ice Age + Inspired activities

Here are some activities that are inspired by the movies, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Ice Age that you can enjoy with your children and family :)  If you want to know more about the movies check this post.

The activities below are inspired by the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

S’mores, the yummiest camping treat that can be made indoors.

You will need...

graham crackers 

milk chocolate

large marshmallows

Place a couple pieces of chocolate on one half of the graham cracker. Place the marshmallow on a skewer and hold it over the stovetop on high heat.  Once it is toasted place the marshmallow on top of chocolate and stack the other half of the graham cracker on top.

Other ideas...

Why not build a tent with ropes and sheet in the living room.  Or cozy up and watch a marathon of movies, if your kids are up for it :)

Activities that are inspired by Ice Age: Continental Drift 

Watch a movie in the theatre with dad, then eat out and talk about the movie.

Go shopping for something specific so both you and dad will enjoy the experience.

Do a DIY project together, however before doing make sure mom approves :)

During good weather camp out or take a trip to the zoo.

Giveaways

2 people can win a copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Blu-ray   

1 person can win a copy of Ice Age: Continental Drift Blu-ray and an acorn ice-cube tray gift pack 

These giveaways are open to people in Canada and US, ends on December 15th.  Please enter the giveaways through the rafflecopter below and please make sure to leave a comment. 
Update: The winners are Jennifer and Dawn 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Handpicked potatoes from the farm and potato side dish

We handpicked these beautiful red potatoes in the Summer this year. The potato covered ground had an earthy smell that we loved. It was a lot of fun to choose fresh potatoes off the ground.

Barbecued chicken with Korean BBQ sauce

I tested the delicious Korean BBQ sauce from VH.  This sauce can be used to stir fry, marinade or as BBQ sauce.  It tastes delicious with chicken or beef.  I applied the sauce when the meat was cooking in the barbecue.  This sauce made our barbecue very special as everyone at home enjoyed.   

To make this barbecue chicken, I marinated the chicken without the skin with the following ingredients for more than 6 hours.
1/2 tbsp chillie powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp yogurt

After the chicken marinated, I boiled the chicken with the marinate and 1/2 cup water until the water evaporated.  When the barbecue was about 350F I placed the chicken and applied the VH Korean BBQ sauce.  After it cooked on one side I applied the sauce on the other side and let it cook to our preference.

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Carrots from our garden and sweet carrot dessert

Carrots from our garden this summer.  I put some seeds in directly in the soil a few weeks before the last frost.  We enjoyed these delicious carrots in the beginning of summer. 

Children love pulling and digging out the carrots themselves.  Carrot plants are beautiful foliage and are wonderful border plants.  It is healthy to eat carrots just on its own.  We like making this delicious dessert with carrots and milk, it is known as carrot halwa or carrot pudding.    

4 to 5 big carrots (if grated it will be about 2 cups)

2 cups milk

3 cardamom pods ground

2 to 3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp ghee 

1 tbsp nuts 

1 tbsp raisins

Mince the cleaned carrots with the milk in a blender.  Cook the milk carrot mince with the cardamom and sugar until it is well cooked.  

When the milk evaporates and the carrots are well cooked it will become vibrant in colour.  Add ghee, nuts and raisins and sauté for a few minutes.  

Add more sugar if needed depending on your taste.  Serve warm or cold.

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Homemade pizza and Ontario Natural sauces

Ontario Natural products are organic locally made products.  I tried a delicious variety of tomato sauces that we enjoyed in a variety of ways.

This tomato sauce with button mushrooms is full of flavour.  The sauce had diced onion, roasted garlic, basil, oregano and pepper in it.  I used this sauce to prepare lasagna.

The tomato sauce with roasted red pepper is made with organic whole crushed tomatoes, roasted pepper, onion, garlic, chile, basil and pepper.  We simply heated it up and tossed with cooked pasta then topped it with cheese to enjoy a meal.

The tomato sauce with basil had a delicious taste and we enjoyed it by tossing it with pasta as well.

We enjoyed the pizza & bruschetta sauce by making a healthy pizza with our favourite toppings.  I used the fresh vegetables from Carron farms to make this pizza at home.

94% of the ingredients of these products are from Ontario except for the non-organic olive oil and sea salt.  Since all the products are made in Ontario and are sold in Ontario, it keeps the carbon foot print down and helps the economy.  All these products are gluten free and are certified low in sodium.

Here is recipe to the homemade pizza base that we enjoy.

2 cups flour

1 tbsp yeast *

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

water to knead very little if needed

* If you are not using instant yeast, froth the yeast and sugar with about 2 to 3 tbsp warm water.

Mix everything together and knead into a smooth soft dough. Leave the dough aside to double about 1 to 2 hours depends on the humidity etc :)

Roll the dough and prick all over it with a fork. Then put the sauce and some cheese over it before putting the toppings of your choice.  Put more cheese over the toppings.

Bake the pizza in a prepared pizza stone with olive oil and cornmeal. Bake at 400F for 10 to 15 minutes till the bottom of the pizza is golden brown.

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Making Ginger Ale from Artisan Soda Workshop book and PC products

The Artisan Soda workshop has 70 syrup recipes to make flavourful fizzy homemade sodas.  With this book, we can make our own combination of refreshing sodas at home and avoid canned carbonations.  The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow to make fruit, herb and spiced bubbly drinks.  

I like the bit of history given in the beginning of the book about carbonated drinks.  Carbonated drinks were originally produced because of medicinal benefits.  Coca cola made in 1886, derived from coca leaves and kola nuts.  Pepsi cola came 12 years after coca cola, which is made with pepsin and kola nuts.  The cans and bottles replaced the traditional soda fountains in the 1920s.

When making sodas at home we can cut down on the amount of sugar and use fresh fruit without artificial flavour.  We can also use sugar alternatives such as coconut palm sugar.  The suggested syrups can be used in pancakes, French toasts, oatmeal, ice cream, smoothie or in a salad dressing combined with oil and vinegar. I also used the syrup to make spicy hot tea.

The taste and flavours of the carbonated drinks made at home will not be the same as the ones sold in the store and it is a little bit more work than opening a can :) but it is worth it because mass produced store-bought soda has chemicals, high fructose and corn syrup.
The appendix in the end of the book has recipes separated by seasons, which is helpful to pick one and get started.

If you have a soda stream, you can use it to make carbonated water then add syrup and flavour to it.  We can also control the amount of carbon dioxide that we put with this type of machine.     
I used the carbonated natural spring water from PC to make this ginger ale.  I made half of the ginger syrup recipe from the book.

2 cups of water
6" of fresh ginger root thinly sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp ground ginger

Bring the water, sliced or grated fresh ginger and sugar to a boil in high heat.  Add the ginger powder to the syrup and let it simmer in medium heat for about 10 minutes until the syrup is half the amount you started with.
Strain the syrup through a fine mesh and let it cool.  Add 3 tbsp or more syrup to taste into 1 cup of cold seltzer or carbonated water and serve.  The syrup can be kept in the fridge for unto 5 days in a container.

President Choice also has a few new products just in time for back to school.  We all need some pre-prepared options for the busy days.  Here is a highlight of some of the products.

• PC shelf stable milk packets are safe to send in the lunch bags or to take on the go.  It can also be stored in the cupboard instead of the fridge.
• Individual cheese portions made with 100% Canadian milk makes a healthy smart snack.
• Peanut free individually wrapped snacks such as carrot cakes, chocolate chip bars, brownies and decadent chocolate chip mini bar make delicious snacks for anytime of the day and to send for school snacks.  
• PC honey chipotle kettle cooked almonds is a lovely snack for those who like smoky flavour. 
• The sour jelly beans are chewy treats for everyone who enjoys sour fruit flavour.  
• PC also has pita crackers and flavoured chips that are delicious for snack time.

This picture goes to black and white event hosted at tomato blues.

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Our stay at Delta Markham

We went on a mini-getaway to Delta Markham to celebrate a special occasion. The atmosphere in this hotel is calm and colourful. The concierge and the front desk staff are very friendly at Delta Markham. I liked the welcoming setting of the hotel lobby that had a theme of red and black furniture. Children were welcome with a toy and a book.

The bed decor and the furniture in the room we stayed at was light coloured and airy. The room had a coffee machine, kettle, sugar, coffee, tea, microwave, mini fridge, glasses and mugs that was comfortable to have inside the room.  

The room also had an iron, ironing table, hair dryer, fully stocked washroom and a separate area to get ready. The television had lots of channels without extra cost.  

Delta is part of the green program and have taken steps by encouraging the guests to reuse towels and bedsheets during their stay. They also had a separate blue box for our recycle inside the room. The hotel also has amenities such as a swimming pool, hot tub and gym.

One downside during our stay was the internet connection, which didn't connect to the wireless. Whenever it did the internet was slow and disconnected often; so I couldn't use the laptop. Instead I just used the phone during my stay at the hotel and not having the internet didn't bother me too much as I was enjoying the stay and did some shopping around the area :) The hotel has a room where we can use the computer, scanner, fax etc if needed. 

There is an in room menu that we can order from.  They also had a colourful directory of restaurants that were close to the area. The Tivoli garden lounge located in the lobby level of the hotel is spacious and beautiful to spend anytime of the day. They also have a separate area to hold meetings, banquets and parties.

It is good to know that Delta helps the community by donating reusable goods and furniture to habitat for humanity, women's shelters etc.

Delta has a privileged recognition program to appreciate people who stay a lot at the hotel. Overall, we had a comfortable stay that we all enjoyed. It is a lovely place to getaway from the busy everyday life, have meetings, parties and weddings. Delta gift cards would be a lovely gift to treat friends and family so they can enjoy a stay at the hotel.

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Centreville Amusement Park at Centre Island

We had a fabulous time at Centre Island and enjoyed everything from the ferry ride to the fun park and rides. We can easily spend a day or few days :) in the summer at Centre Island. This is an experience that everyone in the family will enjoy and will be excited every time you go there. The fun of getting to the park in a ferry sets a lovely mood for children and adults. We enjoyed the cool breeze in the upper level of the ferry ride.

Tie dying shirts with the Tulip tie dye kit

I used the Tulip tie dye kit to colour some shirts that turned out beautiful.  I was very happy to hear good remarks from everyone who saw it :)  It was our first time tie dying at home and we had lots of fun.  The instructions that came in the kit were simple and easy to follow.  There were comfortable gloves in the kit for my children and I to wear while we did this craft without getting it all over our hands. The bottles had dye in it and also came with powdered die sachets for later use.  

The kit included 5 bottles with tie dye.  I like that it had coloured caps so we can remember what colours were in the bottles.  The rubber bands were strong and didn't break easily.

We lined our workplace with paper then covered it with plastic sheets, just so we don't end up with cleaning to do afterwards.  

Prepare the shirt/cloth by wetting it first, squeeze out excess water; the cloth must be damp.

I put the damp shirt on the table, pinched the middle of the shirt and slowly turned it by rotating it to form a ball.  Then I put 3 rubber bands to make 6 parts.    

There are many different methods shown clearly in the kit.  We can also use our own imagination and put rubber bands in the shirt.  

We filled up the water up to the line on the bottle and squeezed it to the prepared damp cloth/shirt.  

We each took turns to gently squeeze the dye in a pattern with a few colours we chose until the cloth was fully soaked; we did this because we wanted the whole shirt to be coloured.

After putting the dye, I carefully placed it in a plastic bag to let it sit for about 6 to 8 hours, however I ended up keeping it overnight.

I pleated this shirt like a fan, twisted it and then put rubber bands.  We mainly chose the blue and red shade with some green in different spots.

After letting it sit, I was curious to see how it turned out and took these pictures before washing it.

With gloves on my hands, I washed the shirt in hot water and rinsed it several times to let all the dye to run clear and let it hang dry.

My children really enjoyed tie dying and felt the shirts were really special.  This Tulip tie dye kit can be used to make more than 20 shirts.  It was easy to use as well.  These kits are available at craft stores and Walmart.  We can't wait to do more projects.  

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Lovable labels back to school package review and giveaway

Lovable labels was launched in 2003 by a mom who found the need for durable, tough labels that will test time and everything children put labels through. The product line is influenced by customer suggestions and feedback. The labels are available online to make it convenient to order from anywhere in the world.

As a parent or guardian, we know daycares, schools and camps require us to label everything we send with our children.  Lovable labels offer a unique choice of colour and designs that children and adults will like.  I liked that the labels come in a convenient booklet so it would be easy to find when we need to use it.  The tabs on the booklet makes it easy to know the intended use. 

When we personalize belongings, I find children tend to take better care of it and not loose it; this in turns saves us money. 
These labels grow with the child so it is a good investment to get the back to school package with over 165 labels.  In a household of multiple children it helps to keep things organized and personal where children will feel unique.
These labels were personalized for my daughter.  She was really happy to see the cool package of printed labels with her name on it.  She helped me choose the design on the net :)  
The cool mini metal bag tags will be treasured :)  We already put the bag tags on her school and sunday school bag for September.  My daughter has placed many of the labels on all her belongings.

Loveable labels

• are waterproof and bleach safe; therefore the labels can go in the dishwasher, microwave, washer and dryer. 
• will not fade as it is UV and temperature resistant.
• are safe from tiny fingers trying to pick it as the labels are made with good quality 3M scotch marking film. 
• The labels stick on all products with smooth surfaces, shoes, clothing etc. 
• Clothing labels come in 3 sizes and aren't meant for sticking on material.  Peel n' label on garment tags, care labels or nylon lining found in jackets and snow pants without the need to iron.
• The multipurpose sticker labels, slimline, square, fun stickers stay well on flat, clean and dry surfaces. 
• The shoe labels are perfect for inside the non-shiny insole of the footwear.  

The lunch box "lil'love" messages are cute.  Children will like to see these messages in their lunch box.  I pasted the stickers on little cards and transparent plastic paper so I could place different messages inside the lunch box and bag.  This way I could change it up and reuse the stickers to make a special moment during lunch.
There are many other unique products on the Loveable label site, do check it out for yourself.  Get the labels now so you can prepare and be ready for school in September.

Use this coupon code: BTS201213 during checkout to get $5 off on your $25 or more purchase until September 30, 2012.

Giveaway: If you would like to win this back to school package of unique labels in your style with your child's name then leave a comment on this post.  Giveaway is open to Canadian and US readers. It ends on August 10th.

Follow Loveable labels and createwithmom on twitter so it is easy to let you know if you win.

Like Loveable labels and createwithmom on Facebook so you know about special deals, contests and offers (not mandatory but would be nice)

Share the love of this giveaway by tweeting or posting on your site.
Update: The winner is sweet panda

Disclosure: This product was provided for me to conduct a honest review All opinion and rights reserved on written content and photographs Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First