Win 1 of 5 Tickets for a Family of 4 to Spend a Fun Filled Day at Safari Niagara

Safari Niagara in Stevensville, Ontario is a wonderful attraction to spend a day with family and friends. We had a fun filled, adventurous day enjoying the attractions at Safari Niagara. Since our visit last summer, the attraction has changed quite a lot and I was very impressed that people’s opinions were considered and they have made it more fun and enjoyable for everyone. Now the admission tickets cover all the fun at the park, and parking is free. 

My Family's Dental Health Routine: Our trip to Shoppers Drug Mart

Collective Bias #cbias #shop is sponsoring this post for me to share my family's dental care routine. To share more information about our practices, I purchased Colgate dental products from Shoppers Drug Mart. Having good dental hygiene is very important to my family and I. We take lots of precautions and care to avoid teeth problems by doing the following.

Win a World Series Yahtzee Hasbro Game Before The Canada Day Weekend

This World Series Yahtzee game is a new way to play the classic dice-rolling challenge of Yahtzee. We enjoyed playing this fast paced game, as all the players can roll at the same time without waiting for one another. We have to roll out the right combinations faster than the other players to win. 

Exploring the Harbourfront on the Mariposa Cruise

Mariposa Cruises gives us a wonderful opportunity to explore the Toronto Harbourfront. People of all ages will enjoy sightseeing, while cruising on the calm waters of Toronto's inner harbour. Mariposa Cruises is a wonderful way to relax, enjoy the cool breeze, and see the famous Toronto skyline.

Stay Fit Cycling

My husband believes the most fun way to stay fit for him is cycling. He just wishes there is more good weather to do this often. We introduced our children to cycle with a tricycle first and now they are in the process of learning to ride a bike. This has become one of our favourite summer activities.

Riding a bike not only benefits our body, but also the environment as it is emission free. We should be walking/riding the bike to help our environment, whenever we can. Lets celebrate the World Environment Day on June 5th by doing something that will help the environment.

Watching The Skies As It Is Almost Time For Us To Fly

My husband is a space enthusiast and love talking about stars, space shuttles, airplanes, and even about aliens (star wars) :) His enthusiasm towards these have obviously rubbed off to our children, so they were excited to watch flights landing and taking off for a long time.

Check out this video we took of the Airbus A380 Super Jumbo landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport. We will be travelling in this big bird soon :)

Win a ROKU 2 and 1 Year Subscription for Netflix

Subscription to Netflix is a perfect year long gift for anyone that enjoys watching movies and TV shows. Netflix wants to help families celebrate moms with a great list of family and mom-themed titles. I watched and enjoyed these movie titles, and would like to recommend these for you as well.

Connect, Collaborate and Commercialize at CDMN Conference on May 14-15

Connect, Collaborate and Commercialize at Canada's Only National Digital Media Conference (CDMN Canada 3.0 Digital Media Conference) that will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on May 14th and 15th. The conference is expected to draw over 2,000 attendees from industry, government and academia to advance Canadian innovation. The conference will feature speakers, Canadian entrepreneurship, and a wide-range of programs.

Our Discovery at LEGOLAND

If you a fan of LEGO, then I am sure you too would be excited to be in a place full of LEGO attractions like the recently opened LEGOLAND Discovery Centre at Vaughan Mills mall. This indoor LEGO Centre has lots of fun things that the whole family will enjoy. 

When we were entering the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre it didn't look like much, as we can't see everything from the outside. Once we enter there is a world of LEGO attractions for us to explore. 

3D animated TIFF Kids Opening Night Film: The Legend of Sarila (La légende de Sarila)

The Legend of Sarila (La légende de Sarila) by Nancy Florence Savard is an 82 minutes Canadian film inspired by various Inuit legends that explore the themes of friendship, hope, perseverance and self acceptance. This animated 3D movie is wonderful to watch for anyone over 8 years. The movie shows that life can be harsh and challenging for people who live on the Arctic tundra and how important the animals in the tundra are for their survival.

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.  

By the colour of our skin...

Do people treat others differently just because of the colour of the skin?  Does racial prejudice exist in the 21st century when we see intermarriages, immigration and rapid globalization through information technology and the Internet?  

TIFF Kids International Film Festival 2013

This year will be the 16th annual TIFF Kids International Film Festival.  TIFF Kids 2013 features 117 films, 29 Features and 88 Shorts that represents 40 countries. 

There will be films like A Turtle’s Tale 2: Sammy’s Escape From Paradise (Belgium), Believe (UK), Buta (Azerbaijani), Cinnamon (Mexico), Elmo’s Alphabet Challenge (USA), Miffy the Movie (The Netherlands), Once in a Lullaby (USA), Rafiki (Norway), The Pee-Wee 3D: The Winter, That Changed My Life (Canada) and Waves (India) just to name a few.

The 13 short film programs will run between 50-90 minutes that cover a myriad of subjects and themes for children and youth aged 3 to 13.  Some of the titles are The Adventures of Pim & Pom: Safari, To Give a Present, Jungle Beat: Tiny Bubbles, Her Rain, Room on the Broom, My little Chicken, The Red Carpet, Children of Kabul and more.

Highlights of special events

• This year at the TIFF Kids Award ceremony will be on April 21st at 3:15pm.  There will be two brand new annual awards in the categories Best Live-Action Film and Best Animated Short Film. These two awards will be in addition to the TIFF Kids Jury Awards, TIFF Kids Audience Choice Awards, the Jump Cuts Awards and TVO Kids Choice Awards. 
• The festival lights up screens and imaginations with the best of children’s cinema from around the world. 
• Dino Dan-The Adventures of Trek will be on April 13th at 12:30pm. The premiere will be followed by Q&A with the Trek and Director. 
• The Monkey Bunch Live at TIFF Kids on April 14th at 3:30pm will have kids dancing, rushing the stage and going bananas. This will also end an educational message about the environment. 
• Wild Kratts: Rattlesnake Crystal on April 14th at 10:30am and April 21st at 11:15am. 

• The Festivals opening night film will be The Legend of Sarila (La legende de Sarila) is the first 3D Canadian animated feature.  This adventure is inspired by various Inuit legends and features the voice of Oscar-winning Christopher Plummer.  This film explores the themes of friendship, hope, perseverance and self acceptance.  Before the screening on April 12th at 5:30pm there will be free pizza, snow cones and lots of fun activities.

• We are excited that for the first time ever, Sesame Street will be coming to TIFF Bell Lightbox. During the weekend of April 20-21 there will be fun activities and a chance to meet and greet Sesame Street mascots. 

• This year’s closing night film on April 20th is the German film Famous Five 2 (Funf Freunde 2), which is an adaptation of the Enid Blyton classic.  This is the sequel to last year’s TIFF Kids Audience Award winner Famous Five.  

Hope you guys will be able to take your children and family to enjoy these fabulous events as well as check out the digiPlaySpace.

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TV for March Break & a chance to win Netflix subscription

With March Break right around the corner, I am sure many parents like me :) are looking for ways to keep their children entertained.  
Although, I plan indoor and outdoor activities sometimes my children just want to watch TV from the the comfort of our family room.  I like allowing them to watch TV by themselves through Netflix, as I can control what they watch by selecting an age appropriate show for them for a controlled period of time. There are no commercials that I need to worry about :) 
I like the wide variety of content in the Just for Kids section, which is specifically for children up to the age of 12.  Here are some examples of shows and films that is available on Netflix, which will keep our children happy.

• Chip Wrecked 
• The Adventures of Chuck and Friends 
• Rango 
• Caillou 
• Dora and Diego titles 
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• Rugrats 
• The Karate Kid 
• The Adventures of Tintin 
• Hoodwinked 

Giveaway:
If you would like to win a 6 months subscription for Netflix please enter through the rafflecopter below. This giveaway is open to people in Canada and ends on March 31, 2013. 
Please follow all social media networks and leave comments to be eligible. Winner will have 48 hours from the time of contact to claim the prize.
Update: The winner is Paresh

a Rafflecopter giveaway
All rights reserved on the opinion of the written content Createwithmom © 2011 - 2013. Please Ask First

PressReader App to read newspapers from all over the world

The feature where we can zoom in

If you enjoy reading global news from newspapers published in other countries, then this PressReader app will benefit you.  

List of different newspapers from different countries and language

There are over 2300 newspaper from 96 countries in 54 languages on PressReader that we can access on our favourite mobile device.  This app is perfect for travellers, parents and everyone who is interested in staying up-to-date with current news.  I like this eco-friendly method of reading newspapers without blotting our fingers with newspaper ink :) 

Colourful and clear

There are great choices and content in the app that enhances the user's reading experience as we can benefit from its...

• Horizontal reading steam.
• Flip pages like when we are reading like reading real newspapers.
• setup an automatic subscriptions to our favourite titles so we get the latest current newspapers.
• Sorting the publication by country, language, favourites or the ones that were recently ordered.
• Panning and zooming articles and photos and viewing it in stunning clarity.
• Listening to publications using on-demand audio.
• Sharing articles by email, Twitter and Facebook.
• and many other features.

This app has been nominated for the Best App Ever Award for iOS.  They have many subscription packages, check out the site for more details.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2011 - 2013. Please Ask First

Win 1 of 3 BlueWater Seafood Giveaway Kits

There are about 3 million people in Canada that are gluten sensitive however, it is hard to find gluten free products that taste good in the market.  BlueWater's Gluten Free Grill Fish is made using high-quality fish that is flame-grilled and lightly seasoned.  The absence of wheat, barley, rye and oats does not take away from the delicious taste and flavour.  Their gluten free grilled seafood options include Haddock, Salmon, Tilapia and Fillets from white Alaska Pollock.  I think it is better for all of us to avoid gluten in our diets to have a healthy lifestyle.  

BlueWater has lots of flavourful seafood products so we can enjoy a different flavour of fish each time we prepare meals.  These products have natural omega-3 fatty acids and are source of lean protein that has lots of health benefits for us, such as maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improving arthritis and join pain, and enhancing brain growth and development.
I like having these packages in the freezer to use when we want to prepare hearty, healthy meals for the whole family to enjoy within minutes.  

This package of Crunchy Breaded Sole is not gluten free.

BlueWater is also committed to protect and enhance sustainability of seafood resources, as their realize that increase demand put pressure on our natural resources.  They are part of the Trusted Catch Program and are in collaboration with other industry partners to proactively influence seafood sourcing to minimize harm to the surrounding ecosystems.  

Everyone in my family enjoyed this great tasting Crunchy Breaded Sole, this product is not gluten free.   We found it to be flavourful and had it in a burger style sandwich bun with salad, tomato and hot sauce.  I also served fries on the side.  Their site as lots of recipes that show us how else we can serve.

BlueWater products are available in Ontario at Loblaws, Fortinos, YIG, Zehrs, Valu-Mart, No Frills, RCSS, Metro and Sobeys.  In Quebec it is available at Loblaws, Provigo, Maxi, Metro, Super C and IGA/IGA Extra.  In the West of Canada at Extra Foods, RCSS, No Frills, Sobeys, Safeway, Federated Coop.  In the Atlantic you can find it at Save Easy, RASS, No Frills and Sobeys.

This cool sling bag from BlueWater will come in handy when we go shopping as it can be easily folded and kept in your handbag.  It is easy to wash and clean this bag so we can keep it fresh all the time.

Giveaway:
By entering this giveaway through the rafflecopter below you will win a sling bag and a product coupon.  Three winners in Canada will be picked by March 15, 2013.
Please make sure you visit BlueWater's Grill Fish is Gluten Free page and click Facebook and/or twitter share and leave a comment on two posts and follow my social media networks to win.  The winners will have 48 hours to respond.
Update: The winners are Andrew, Jay and Sam
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I recieved a coupon to try their product.  All rights reserved on mentioned photographs and opinion of the written content Createwithmom © 2011 - 2013. Please Ask First

Importance of healthy breakfasts for daily life and sports: Recipe for Fruit and Honey Oatmeal breakfast

My four year old son loves to play hockey and other sports, but I haven't yet put him into anything other than preschool programs so he can get a feel for different sports.  I wanted to share the story and tips from Linda Staal, an expert mom of four professional hockey players.  Many hockey families will find this information to be very helpful as they try to make tournament weekends to work smoothly for everyone.

Linda emphasizes that we make time for family meals so we can stay connected i.e. preparing oats in the slow cooker overnight so it is ready for breakfast.  Encouraging our children to have fun and feel good about their accomplishments without judging success by the scoreboard is important, and this is something that we as parents need to take to heart so we can keep our children motivated in everything they do.  Linda suggests that families should pack a hockey survival kit that have snacks like Quaker granola bars and fruits for everyone to snack.  Her children pack their favourite pillows and blankets for long car rides, which is something my family does as well so we feel comfortable.  I agree with Pearle Nerenberg, a sports dietitian's idea of packing a cooler and kettle along with oatmeal packages, dried fruits and nuts when we travel.  These make it convenient for us to make nutritious meals and save money when we are on the road by avoiding fast food and hotel food expenses.

Linda's children started playing hockey since they were four and she found that being organized was very useful so she can manage everyone's schedules.  Like Linda, I too believe that having a healthy sleep and a nutritious breakfast makes a good start for our day.  I think Quaker Oats is one of the healthiest meals we can have to kick start a functional day.  
Linda and her family is committed to being balanced and healthy that they have recently established the Staal Family Foundation to support families in need that want to provide recreational activities for their children.      

A little more about the 130 year old trusted Quaker brand that helps people get the best start to their day.  Quaker brand is focused on the power of whole grain oats to provide a nutritious energy that will help all of us have a productive day.  Quaker products are made with 100% Canadian oats and their major production location is in Peterborough, Ontario.  Quaker brand produces honest and pure products.  Over the years they have pursued unique milling methods that provide wholesome nourishments that are convenient.  Quaker supports ONEXONE and Breakfast for Learning and Food Banks Canada has they believe that every Canadian has the right to access a nutritious breakfast.  The 2010 Health Canada study shows that oat fibres helps us reduce cholesterol, risk factors for heart diseases and have other benefits such as lowering cholesterol.  For example 1/3 cup Quick Quaker Oats or Quaker large flake oats provide 40% of the daily amount of fibre we need.

Here is a healthy Fruit and Honey Oatmeal breakfast idea that serves four, from Quaker.

2 cups oats uncooked
3 1/2 cups water 
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 peach or other fresh fruit

Bring water, dried cranberries, honey and cinnamon to a boil.  Then reduce the heat to medium and add quick oats.  Cook the oats for 1 minute or until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.  Let stand until desired consistency then top with sliced peach or other fresh fruit and serve hot.

Click on the image to make it big

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Snowshoeing in the beautiful Copeland forest

When I was growing up in Toronto we used to have a lot more snow that made the air feel clean and fresh, unlike in the recent years where winter comes with flu and sickness because of the chilled windy air and the lack of snow. Walking through the beautiful scenic wilderness in Copeland forest at Horseshoe Resort with our snowshoes, I felt how much of this we miss living in the city.  

There was a sense of calmness and thankfulness being surrounded by the trees that were heavy with snow. Walking by water trickling ponds and listening to the winter birds felt very pleasant.

I was able to take some wonderful portraits of my family in the snow surrounded by the green wonders.  Horseshoe Resort also has cross country skiing in these trails, which would be another wonderful way to admire the nature, exercise and relax our minds.

If you haven't snowshoed before think of it has wearing a big pair of shoes attached to your boots that allows you to walk in deep snow.  We can rent snowshoes at Horseshoe resort, so we don't have to buy or take our own.  

This would be a fun winter activity to do with the little ones and to take the whole family during the Family day weekend, Valentines or March Break.

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Flying trucks @MonsterJam

We had an awesome time at the 2013 Maple Leaf Monster Jam Tour when they came to the Rogers Centre.

My mini Monster Jam fans and I had a wonderful time getting down and dirty at the Monster Jam Pizza Party in the Pit, where we got to meet the drivers, ask questions, get autographs and take pictures.  

Decorating the Crush Car and shovelling the dirt to make the sand mound for the show were a lot of fun for my children.

Decorating the cars

We really enjoyed getting up close to take a look at the 10,000 pound Monster Truck.  My son being a fan of trucks asked Cam McQueen how come there were no doors and how these big trucks were built.  I was happy how nice the drivers were and they answered his questions and explained by showing, so a four year old could say that's cool :)  It would have been nice to see how the inside of the truck looks.

We went to watch the show on the opening day.  I really liked how they started the show with the national anthem and then had all the trucks revving up around the track.  

The 1st half of the show was a racing competition.

During a small break they had competition with three wheel dirt bikes.

Before the freestyle part of the show started they had two robots and fireworks.  

My children and we really enjoyed watching the second half of the show, when the trucks did tricks and was flying over the dirt mounds.  

When the trucks were changing or had to be removed, the audience were distracted by t-shirts thrown for lucky people in the crowd to catch.  

It was almost like the trucks were little toys because of the way they were flying around and tumbling.

This jaw-dropping showcase of freestyle and racing competition features the largest, most advanced automotive machines in the world.  

These custom-designed monster trucks average 12 feet tall by 12 feet wide. The tires are 66" tall and the trucks weighs a minimum of 10,000 lbs. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, Monster Jam monster trucks generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds for up to 100 miles per hour.  

Monster trucks can fly up to 125 to 130 feet (a distance greater than 14 cars side by side) and up to 35 feet in the air.  

Canada’s very own dedicated monster truck Northern Nightmare driven by Cam McQueen competed against 16 trucks on the opening day which included Grave Digger®, El Toro Loco, Metal Mulisha, Bounty Hunter, Avenger, Rap Attack, Max D®, Wrecking Crew, Aftershock, Krazy Train, Bat Man and Scarlet Bandit.

Monster Jam has been touring cities across Canada, check to see when they are touring your city.  Don't forget your earplugs when you are going to watch the show it is very important! :)

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