Magic of winter: Snow tubing at the Horseshoe Resort

Snow tubing and Snowshoeing are fun activities to enjoy during winter.  The scenic hills at the Horseshoe Resort makes it a perfect place to enjoy these activities.  Horseshoe resort is located in the natural snow belt area and is surrounded by beautiful nature.

We are big fans of sliding down hill and enjoy activities such as tobogganing, so we had an awesome evening tubing.

We can purchase tubing tickets at the Tack Shop located within the Adventure Park.  During the winter season they have special perks such as on Wednesdays we can go tubing from 4pm to 8pm for Free.

Tubing is pretty simple... get the tickets, grab a tube per person, go up their long "magic carpet," and then stand in line for your turn to go down the hill.  We can go in the the tube by our self or with up to 7 tubes connected.  All four of us went together, and then we went two at a time.  
The staff at the Tubing hills will ask if we want to spin or not, I would recommend spinning at least once it is really fun :) 

We spent a couple of hours snow tubing before we called it a night and enjoyed the comfortable accommodation at the Horseshoe Resort.  The next morning we did some snowshoeing before heading home, more about that with pictures coming soon.

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Shaking up dinner with Cavendish potatoes and flash back of our PEI trip

Some days I have a hard time preparing a satisfying meal for dinner especially on busy days after work and school, so having something convenient to shake up our dinnertime is very helpful.

Won't Back Down: a must watch movie

Won't Back Down is a fabulous movie that I highly recommend all the adults who are concerned about education to watch.  This empowering drama is inspired by actual events.  
It is about a hard-working single mom Jamie Fitzpatrick (Gyllenhaal) who is concerned that John Adams Elementary is letting her daughter down.  She teams with a caring teacher (Davis) who wants the best future for her own son.  They set out to improve attitudes and elevate the school’s academic standards, despite the odds with courage, hope and persistence.

The movie points out that unions usually protect the interest of teachers, but not necessarily the students.  It is a big eye opener for parents, teachers and administrators to start thinking and focusing on our children.  

Being a teacher is more than a job and I don't think every good student can become a good "teacher".  I think a good teacher has to have a committed teachable personality.  I don't feel our system gives the opportunity for people who have the passion for teaching to get the jobs.  Unfortunately, not every classroom or teacher across North America sees being a "teacher" in the same way.  

This movie highlights the problems that we have in the North American education system such as 

• The system passes children that don't meet the grade criteria, which in turn doesn't help the child become motivated to learn, as they know they will be passed no matter what.
• Putting children into "special needs" programs without making sure that they have a good foundation from the start so we prevent issues before it arrives such as reading.
• Many of our "smart" students are not challenged in a fun way at school so they become bored and easily give up.

This movie Won't Back Down is fabulous from start to finish, it doesn't only highlight the bad things in our education system rather it shows the value of caring teachers and importance of education.  
As a parent, I try to do my part as time permits to teach things outside of school, reading with my children, respect and other morale.  Since children spend most part of their day in the classroom, their thinking and learning is in the hands of the teachers and other school staff.  Therefore having the best teacher is very important.  The education system really needs to be looked upon on how they approach learning from the start.  Paperwork over paperwork is not the solution as it makes more unnessary work for teachers that takes away from their real purpose, which is teaching. 
We should also remind our children that they too are responsible for learning and taking a stand.

I believe our children are our hope for the future and these types of movies make us stop and think before it is too late. 

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Winter Waves: Scarf and Skiing adventure at the Horseshoe Resort

Our skiing adventure at the Horseshoe Valley Resort inspired me to make this striped check stitch scarf for my son.  This pattern reminds me of the beautiful snow filled mountains and hills that are like winter waves.  I picked this colour of 4 ply worsted weight yarn as these shades remind me of the ever-changing winter sky.  I chose to knit instead of crotchet because the knitting needles represent the skiing equipment. 

To make this scarf I put 21 stitches using a 4 1/2mm needle, but if you want something wider then cast on a multiple of 6 stitches plus 3 extra

Row 1 and all odd numbered rows K

Row 2 K

Rows 4 and 6 P3, *K3, P3 repeat

Rows 8 and 10 K

Rows 12 and 14 K3, *P3, K3 repeat

Row 16 K

Repeat rows 1 to 16 until desired length.

Learning to ski at the Horseshoe Valley Resort will remain as a wonderful memory to our family.  We had a satisfying experience that I would like to share with all of you.  If you want to learn skiing I hope this post will inspire you... or if you already know then take a trip to Horseshoe and enjoy the gorgeous slopes.  

We were happy to enrol our son in this year's new Kids Korral Ponies program at the Horseshoe Ski Resort.  It is a wonderful opportunity for potty-trained children age 3 and 4 to get lessons from qualified instructors, so they can learn this sport correctly at an early age and have fun.
The lessons were from 10 am to 12 pm, so we left him with other children the same age and went to do our family Discovery ski lessons.  
My son said his instructor Connor and other staff like Jessica taught him to make a triangle shape with his skis to stop the skiboards from going; I think this a good way for little children to remember. 

Since he was on his own for the couple of hours until we returned, I could see his eyes were tearing and he was glad that we had come to pick him up.  I think this program is a good opportunity for children to learn skiing without the parents around, so they don't depend on us too much or cry because it is cold.  I felt that my little one was in good hands with the kind instructors.  There were lots of staff members to care and supervise the children, and I liked that they were making safety a top priority by not letting any parents inside the Kids Korral area.
At the end of the lessons the instructors took him inside to change the skis and shoes, and to offer him hot chocolate.  My little guy passed on the hot chocolate so he can come back to us quickly.  After we came to the room, he told us how much fun he had and that his favourite was going up the "magic carpet" and zooming down the slopes.   

The quality of the picture is due to my husband who went down with my poor camera as he tried to take action pictures :) He didn't get to hold the camera after that Incident!

This Kids Korral Ponies program is for beginner skiers as they learn the fundamental skiing skills without any pressure.  For the half-day Kids Korral Ponies lessons and rental the cost is $50.  Once the children master the stop and turn skills they can go for Kinder Private lessons or the Kinder Kolts program.

The family or group Discovery ski lessons that we did are for anyone age 7 years and up.  This program is a wonderful opportunity to everyone who wants to learn skiing or snowboarding.  The discovery program allows us to learn the basics so we can enjoy the hills at the Horseshoe Resort at our own leisure.  The beginner lesson package is $73 per person and includes the 1 and 1/2 hours lesson, 4 hour equipment rental and beginner lift ticket.  We can learn all the basics such as putting on the skis, going up the slope, skiing, stopping and turning.  I totally think having a teacher helps and makes a big difference when we are learning.  
Horseshoe also has a variety of snow school lesson packages such as private lessons, mommy and me programs etc to accommodate different ages, abilities and skills.

At the beginning of the lessons I was nervous because I thought we were going to be late as it took some time to get the rentals and to put them on.  So next time, I plan to be early at least 1/2 to 1 hour to get the rental equipment.  There is a lot of learning involved especially if it is your first time skiing such as putting and handling the equipment.  Renting the equipment made it easy for us instead of lugging our own.  
We found all the staff at the Horseshoe resort friendly, hospitable and wanting to help.  It was easy to ask them when we needed help with the equipment and to find the correct size.  There are coin lockers within the Horseshoe activity center in the Main Chalet if you need.

Our instructor Kelsey was very encouraging throughout the lessons.  By the end of the lessons, I wanted to keep on skiing :)  I liked our instructor's approach and enthusiasm, which made us believe we could do it as well.  The instructor put on a stretchy cord in front of my daughter's skiboards that she called "a worm" so my daughter could stretch it as much as possible to make the skis stop.  

My daughter told me that she was scared and nervous in the beginning just like we were.  However, after knowing how to stop and use the skis she felt comfortable and happy to go down the hill.
My challenge was getting off the lifts without falling :) I guess I will need more practice on that.

Look for their wonderful deals such as on Mondays we can take up to three friends for Alpine or Nordic skiing for $20 each.  Horseshoe Facebook is updated on Tuesdays with special offers.
They have lots of savings if you are member of their free Sky Life Rewards program.
Both my children and we had a fabulous time discovering skiing at Horseshoe.  Since Horseshoe is a located at the natural snow belt, it is a wonderful place to learn downhill skiing as they have fresh snow all the time.  Just thinking back to our experience makes me happy :) and makes us want to put on a pair of skis and head up the hill.

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Scenic accommodation and dining at Horseshoe Valley Resort

At the first sight of snow my family and I get very excited to get outdoors and have fun.  During the December holidays when we had some snow in Toronto, we were too sick to go out and enjoy it :(  However, I am glad we had planned to go to Horseshoe Resort in Barrie, Ontario before the school holidays ended and miraculously got well a day before our trip.

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.

Netflix subscription for our readers just in time for the holidays

We have been busy with shopping and baking lately, so I am counting the days for the winter break so I can relax and spend some time with family and friends.  Usually when family and friends come over we like watching movies together.  Our subscription to Netflix has allowed us to watch a variety of movies and TV shows on our TV, computer and on other devices i.e. phones, iPad and iPod touch.  I like that there are so many options of movies and shows on Netflix for us to choose from depending on our mood and company.  It is easy to navigate Netflix and I like the way they have organized it, which allows us to narrow down our options.  Another wonderful thing is no commercials to worry about. 

I was a little surprised when I saw the recent research done by Netflix and Leger Marketing that show the top 5 holiday traditions in Canada was to watch movies together.  I didn't know that other families also liked watching movies and shows just like us :)  The other holiday traditions on the list were holiday dinners, cooking, baking and shopping.  
This survey is based on a total of 1009 Canadians who celebrate the holiday season, where most of them said that it is hard to find the perfect gift that doesn't cost a lot. 
69% think it’s difficult to find a great last minute gift
83% try to avoid crowds when holiday shopping
42% shop online to avoid crowds and lineups

3/4 of the people can name a gift under $10 they'd be happy to receive

Over 3/4 say it’s possible to purchase a meaningful gift online

After looking through the results I agree that a Netflix subscription is a wonderful gift to children or adults as the cost is about $8 per month.  We can stream the content on Netflix through the Internet and watch it in over 800 devices from anywhere we want.

I think Netflix would be a wonderful gift to any of our friends or family.  I am glad that I can bring this Netflix subscription entertainment giveaway to our readers.  
Giveaway:
Two people in Canada can win 3 months of Netflix subscription.  This giveaway ends on December 15th please enter through the rafflecopter below and leave a comment on this post.
Update: The winners are Crystal and Brianne
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Tilley apparel goes anywhere

Tilley apparel has existed for over 30 years.  Over these years they have evolved because of their committed focus on innovation, fabrics and design.  The team at Tilley are constantly looking for the latest engineered modern fabrications that make durable, versatile, easy to wear and care clothes and accessories that are also trendy and fashionable. 

With Tilley apparel we can travel light with one bag.  My father-in-law is a frequent traveler that sticks to his policy of travelling light and with only one bag; this is something I always hear from him as he encourages us to do the same :)  I agree with him and believe that when travelling we should be comfortable and clothes should be the last thing on the worry list.  Having clothes that we can trust, which will not tear or wear easy is the best way to not worry about clothes :)

Tilley Endurables started in 1980 by Alex Tilley after he developed the original Tilley Hat (T1).  Alex Tilley is a self-employed art consultant and avid sailor who made this T1 hat because he was tired of his sailing hats getting blown off his head, sinking and shrinking.

All the clothing and hats except for the TF2 Fur Felt Fedora hat and socks are made in Canada.  Although this TF2 Fur Felt Fedora hat and socks are made in the US, they follow the specifications of Tilley's standards.  When I browsed through the clothing at Tilley Endurables I liked the quality and collection of the lightweight clothing and the idea of wearing the same clothes in different ways.  These clothes are supposed to be comfortable to wear for travel and for everyday use.  

I found the prices a little on the expensive side, but I guess we pay a little more as an investment for the quality of the products.  Tilley stands behind its quality and guarantee us that all their hats expect the Raffia and clothing such as their Drummer Legends items are guaranteed for life and the socks are guaranteed to be hole free for 3 years.  Since Tilley products are durable and washable, they are environmentally friendly and sustainable.  

Tilley donates discontinued fabrics to NGOs to use for other projects. Every holiday season, Tilley has a tradition of supporting the Sir Edmund Hilary Foundation that is dedicated to help improve the lives of the Sherpa people in Nepal, and they sell the Baby Yeti soft toy for $7 and the Mom and Dad Yetis for $14 each.  

There are lots of unique features in the fabric that Tilley uses in their products, however features vary depending on the clothing and apparel.  Some of the features include fast drying, wrinkle resistant, lightweight, water repellent, washable, colour fastness, UV rated at UPF 50+ which is the maximum rating that offers sun protection etc.  Tilley products are designed by an in-house team that is inspired by travel trends and suggestions from customers i.e. their Intrepid bag with the brown vintage, hand-distressed leather and Italian buckles was based on a WWII bag suggested by a client.  

I liked the spacious layout and creative decor throughout the store as there are photographs, wooden carvings and other unique things from around the world that are interesting to look at.  I like the unique style of the fitting rooms as each room had a name of a country on the outside and inside there was a scenic picture from the country mentioned.  

Although Tilley is mostly known for travel clothing, they are moving from this and making fashionable clothes for everyday wear for all types of body shapes and sizes so Tilley products are appealing to globetrotters and backyard adventures alike.  They are the leading manufacture of high quality hats in Canada and across the globe.  There are seven family owned stores in Canada and more than 2600 retailers in 18 countries sell their hats.

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Rolling sushi with Bento

Everyone in our home enjoys eating sushi.  I have always admired the art of sushi and have tried making sushi at home, but haven't been fully satisfied by how the sushi turns out :)
I got a fabulous opportunity to attend a hands on #rollwithbento event, where I learned many skills and important tips about making sushi from experienced Bento sushi chefs.  With step-by-step instructions from the chefs, I got to make a beautiful pomegranate glazed rainbow sushi roll.

 

At the event, I learned the uniqueness of Bento that started as a kiosk in 1996 and now they are the largest sushi company in Canada.  Every year Bento sells over 13 million handmade servings of sushi in North America.  I felt very satisfied to know that Bento makes food safety their top priority; they rigorously ensure high standards in food handling are met using internal and third party auditing.  Bento is part of the Marine Stewardship Certification as they are committed to sustainable seafood; due to this certification they use Albacore tuna instead of eel.

Bento sushi is available in over 350 on site sushi bars in quality supermarkets, premier shopping malls, office towers, food service facilities and restaurants.  I am glad that Bento sushi is available all across Canada and US to fulfil our cravings :)  Bento has a variety of combos/selection and party platters to suit a variety of palates.  We like the convenience of "Grab and Go". 
Some of their selections of sushi include: 
*Traditional rolls i.e. California and Dynamite roll
*Healthy choices i.e. using brown rice, multigrain rice, low sodium soy sauce
*Limited time specialties and innovations i.e. lobster, coconut, pomegranate
*Party platters and sushi boats for large gatherings i.e. birthday, holidays

It is better to enjoy sushi fresh on the same day or store in the fridge and eat within a day of purchasing it.  If the sushi was in the fridge then leave it out for about 20 minutes before enjoying.  Sushi should not be frozen.  
We can enjoy sushi with any type of sauce such as soy sauce mixed with wasabi, sesame sauce or sweet chillie sauce.  Having sushi with a healthy seaweed salad on the side makes it a satisfying meal.  

Some etiquettes of enjoying the experience of sushi:
*Eat in one bite or a maximum of two bites, but don't put a half eaten sushi piece on the plate.
*Be light on the soy sauce and don't soak the sushi with the sauce.
*If it is hard to manoeuvre the chopsticks, eat sushi with your fingers the traditional way, but don't eat with fork and knife.
*And finally don't rub the chopsticks as it is not respectful, if there is splinters get another chopstick instead. 

More about Bento coming soon...

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Halton County Radial Railway

We had lots of fun riding the rails at the Halton County Radial Railway.  At the Streetcar Museum, we felt as though we were time travelling and enjoyed riding the olden time streetcars and looking at the beautiful fall scenic route. 

The ride is about 20 minutes as the streetcars start at the "Rockwood station", then it goes to the ice cream shop and then to "Meadowvale station".  The museum has put all the details of how it would have been in the past.  The conductors were dressed up.  

We can get off at the stations and enjoy the view or take a walk.  The ticket allows us to go on the streetcars as many time as we want.  

At the Meadowvale station, which is close to the ice cream shop we can enjoy ice cream and snacks.  There is a garden path, a fish pond and a lovely bridge.  The scenery is beautiful to take pictures.  We went when the leaves were changing colour.  

The subways and street cars at the display barn was fun to look and walk through.  

When you visit, you will see how much everything has changed over time including the advertisements that are displayed in the streetcars/subway.  

The museum is located in Milton, Ontario and they are open on the weekend and holidays from 11am to 5pm.  The parking at the museum is free.  

Check out their admission page as they have special rates for families and groups.  We spent about 2 to 2 1/2 hours looking through everything, relaxing and enjoying a picnic there as the weather was beautiful.  Check out their special events here and follow their twitter to know about events that are happening.

Old and New way of operating streetcar/subway

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Mark's: Smart Clothes for Everyday Living

Mark's Work Wearhouse is rebranded now as Mark's because many people perceive Mark's to carry only work clothing that are mostly for men.  I like shopping at Mark's because they have a wide collection of casual clothing for men and women from underwear, outerwear, nightwear, footwear to accessories.

I like the practical decent clothing at Mark's, which is pretty hard to find in many stores these days.  The clothes are feminine, stylish and at the same time covers up :)  The quality, special features i.e. wrinkle free, and the functional aspects i.e tummy control etc are things that I like about the clothing from Mark's.
My husband too likes shopping at Mark's because of the wide selection of all types of clothing that have guaranteed quality.  Their clothing are durable, fade-resistant, have sub-zero insulation, some clothing are water resistant and despite many washes the clothes look new.

I enjoyed meeting Brad Goreski and others from Mark's at the Eaton Centre, Toronto a couple of weeks ago.  This location has a walk-in closet that is similar to a freezer, which stimulates winter weather conditions so we can wear the outerwear and test it.  The changing rooms are bigger and better lit.  The lighting is brighter with TV screens displaying the look-book and styles.  I find that the staff at all the Mark's location are helpful and know about the products, so we can ask them and let them know what we are looking for and to get the correct size etc.  There is always something at Mark's that I like and am looking forward to see the Fall collection a little more closely :)   

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We Day: Be the change

Give the Canadian penny that appeared in 1853, a powerful farewell before it goes out of circulation. Students and schools were given penny bags on We Day to collect $25 in pennies, which will provide a permanent source of clean water to one person in developing countries. From November 1st to December 21st, then again in Spring 2013 RBC branches across Canada will collect these penny filled bags making it easy for us to collect the pennies without counting or rolling.  All we have to do is fill up the bags and drop it off at any RBC branch.

Free the Children is an international organization started by Marc and Craig Kielburger. This organization empowers youth to remove barriers that prevent them from begin active local and global citizens. This program educates, engages and empowers youth in North America and UK. 
   

We Day brings big issues to the forefront and changes the value system of everyone, especially the youth as they become leaders. There are over 1.7 million young people from 45 countries involved in this initiative to make a positive change at home and abroad. In the 2011/2012 school year youth raised $6 million for local and global causes.  They invested more than 1.7 million hours of time volunteering. 

I support this type of active awareness and education, and believe it is important for our children to be involved in these positive changes. I attended the We Day event at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto and was able to meet celebrities and activists such as Martin Sheen, Nelly Furtado and Jacob from Hedley. We listened and saw speakers and performers such as Molly Burke, Romeo A. Dallaire, Robin Wiszowaty, Shawn Desman, Spencer West, The Tenors, Tyler Shaw, Al Gore, Jake Zeldin, Jennifer Hudson, Jesse Giddings, Justice Murray Sinclair and Justin Trudeau.

We Day will be held in 8 Canadian cities this school year; Toronto (Sep 28), Vancouver (Oct 18), Alberta (Oct 24), Manitoba (Oct 30), Waterloo Region (Nov 14), Montreal (Nov 20) and National We day in Ottawa (Apr 29).  

The generous sponsors RBC and TELUS make We Day completely free for students and educators.  TELUS has a Phones for Good campaign where they will give $25 (up to $650,000) from the sale of every TELUS Samsung Galaxy SIII and Samsung Ace Q to Free the Children.

They also have an Earn your way to We Day campaign. TELUS gives $1 (up to $100,000) to Free the Children for every submission from the youth across Canada when they tell what they are doing to make a difference in their community.

Youth between 13 and 17 can submit their video on how they would partner with a local charity to make a positive change in their community and win $20,000 to put their idea into action.

MuchMusic will air highlights on November 11th at 7pm EST and CTV will air on November 24th at 7pm EST.  

The international projects such as "Adopt a village" done by Free the Children is a holistic, sustainable model that helps children and their families from the cycle of poverty.  To make an investment in these communities, this project helps develop five of these important parts of the infrastructure.  

1. Education: They make a valuable social investment by concentrating on providing traditional curriculum, healthy homes and business skills.  
2. Clean water and sanitation by providing localized clean water sources and facilities to reduce waterborne diseases.  This source helps the young children that trek to collect water for their families to attend school.
3. Health: providing medical supplies for health clinics and workshops so the community can treat illness quickly. They provide community gardens and tree planting.  Sports equipment to encourage physical fitness.
4. Alternative income and livelihood by skill training, financial business training and microcredit loans to help families start small business.
5. Agriculture and food security provides nutrition programs that give children nutritious food, crop diversification, agricultural training, irrigation and watershed development.  

When there is rapid growth in technology it is sad to see that some parts of the world there are people without the essential of life: WATER.  Things we can do to help.

• Get a penny bag from Free the Children or RBC branch and start collecting.
• Visit the online water initiative and donate.
• Purchase a $10 Me to We Artisan handmade unique Rafiki made by Maasai moms in Kenya, which will provide one person access to clean water for a year.

Help Canada use the penny for a good cause that will change the lives of so many people and communities.  The penny is used to make wishes come true, so lets make the wishes of 100,000 people come true.

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Lemon preserve and jam jar kit

Lemons are cheaper in the summer, so it is a good time to take advantage of this and make lemon preserve to use off-season.

This lemon preserve will come handy in cooking i.e. chicken or to add into other pickles.  For this basic lemon preserve recipe you will  need...

unbruised clean Meyer lemons

coarse sea salt or kosher salt (not table salt)

Trim the top and bottom of the lemon to keep it flat.  Then cut the lemons into quarters vertically up to 3/4 way (the lemon should not split so don't slice it all the way).

Stuff the lemon with salt and pack it into a clean jar.  Cover the lemons with its own juice, when you press the lemons into the jar it will produce its own juice.  You might have to add fresh juice of 1/2 lemon if need be.

Let it sit for 3 weeks or more in a cool dark place.  I usually keep them for longer before opening the container.  Over time the lemons will reduce and become soft. 

As soon as the lemons are soft it is ready to be used.  Once you open the container store in the fridge for up to 6 months or more.  

If the lemons are not fully submerged in its own juice then a white film will appear.  If this happens just remove it with a spoon or lightly wash it off and use.

If you wish when packing the lemons to preserve you can add whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon stick, peppercorns or cloves.

Disclosure:  I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and receive special perks as part of this.  All rights reserved on opinion, written content and photographs Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

I used the creative Jam Jar kit from Cath Kidston Ltd to decorate preserve containers.  
This kit has 20 jar toppers in 5 different patterns, 8 sticker sheets, elastic strings and 6 easy delicious recipes.  
The kit is useful in decorating our homemade preserves, before giving it as gifts to family and friends.
The Cath Kidston Jam Jar kit is available online, bookstores and amazon.