Inspiring Arts and Craft books and Easy Embroidery Hoop project

In March, we take a little extra time to do a few more crafts anticipating the warm weather. With the kids at home for Spring Break, there is more time to break away from our routine and try some hobbies we put off during our busy schedules. We have been trying a few ideas from Quarto Knows books Brain Lab for Kids, Stitch + String Lab for kids, Art lab for kids, Paint lab, and Calligraphy Kit.

Importance of CO safety during winter with FirstAlert

Thank you FirstAlert for sponsoring this post. Help ensure your home and family is protected with CO alarms!

Many of us have heard about the tragic carbon monoxide (CO) gas related deaths that happen, especially in winter. This poisonous gas is called the silent killer because it is an invisible, odourless, and tasteless deadly gas, which can be produced by any fuel-burning device. The only way to detect CO in a home is by installing a CO alarm.

Learning the origins of board games, illusions, journey, and math

We love playing board games and have a few family favourites. As children, we have played lots of different board games from monopoly to mancala, and made sure to introduce our children to board games at a very young age. A few years ago, we made a wooden convertible storage cart just to keep our games. We believe most board games are a wonderful way to socialize and connect, and they have become part of our lifestyle. Over the past decade, we have documented a few board games on CreateWithMom. When we saw the Board Games in 100 Moves by Ian Livingstone, we were curious to discover different board games and their origins. 

Brushstrokes Acrylic Painting

Brushstrokes: Acrylic Effortless painting with minimal tools and materials by Angela Marie Moulton gives a unique introduction to acrylic painting. We did a few projects following the step-by-step instructions in this book, and love how the paintings turned out. This approach of using colourful bold strokes strategically felt relaxing and fun, and the paintings didn't take too long to do.

Self Care and Learning from DK books

We have been reading a couple of Self Care books from DK Canada - Sleep and Trigger Points. These books have been useful to think of what we should change to better take care of ourselves. My children read a few interesting DK readers - The Story of Civil Rights, I'm an activist, Sports Legends, and Festivals and Celebrations that has lots of useful general knowledge.

Fun Games and Entertainment

We are always excited to try new games and do different hands on activities in our family. We love game nights, and recently have been playing Azul and Ticket to Ride London. We also spent time building with Flexo. A new calendar year comes with new resolutions to become more creative, so we have been practicing watercolour painting with Watercolour the Easy Way book and took the time to clean up, get organized, and even spiced up our phones by replacing our Pop Sockets with creative ones! We have also been reading the Four Seasons of Entertaining book that is filled with colourful photography, recipes, and ideas separated by each season. 

Fun and Engaging Toys

I like investing in toys and kits that not only engage my children, but also encourage their development. Just in time for the holidays, we checked out two new products from Basic Fun! - Cutetitos and Cutetitos Babitos and a couple of ooey-gooey fun kits and Globber scooter from Incredible Novelties.

Books that spark creativity

We enjoy books that spark our creativity and inspire us to try different types of art. We checked out a few books that are good to have as reference or to give as gifts to creative friends and family. Some of the books we have been getting our inspiration from are... The Ultimate Fluid Pouring and Painting Project, LEGO Book of Bedtime Builds, The Art for Joy's Sake Journal, Patchwork Quilt Designs Colouring Book, and Draw Like an Artist series.

Learning to appreciate what is around us and Giveaway

It is important we take the time to educate ourselves and teach our children about the beautiful things that surrounds us. When we forget to appreciate nature, things like Climate Change will not feel like a big deal. In recent years, we have seen major concern for climate change, but have we taken the time to reflect on how we can help reduce it?

These books from DK Canada such as Trees, Leaves, Flowers and Seeds; The Wonders of Nature; Manmade Wonders of the World; and Ice takes a closer look at the beauty of nature and man-made things around us.

Go Back in Time with these DK Canada Books

We have been learning a lot of facts about influential people from the past that still impact our lives from a variety of DK books: The 100 women who made history, Explorers, and books from the DK Life Stories series. These books deliver the facts in a fun manner using colourful images to keep the readers engaged.

End of Summer Reads

We have been reading the pioneering and groundbreaking work of the narrative nonfiction The Mosquito by Timothy C. Winegard that offers a dramatic new perspective on the history of humankind, showing how through millennia, the mosquito has been the single most powerful force in determining humanity's fate.

The 2019 Mazda6 Experience

We gave the all new 2019 Mazda6 a go recently and here are our thoughts. If you owned a Mazda6 from the past 5 years you wouldn't notice a drastic change in design. Instead, Mazda has added more power, tech, and subtle tweaks to the exterior design to keep this popular mid-sized family sedan in check with the competition.

The All New 2019 Mazda3 Experience

We recently got a chance to experience the all new 2019 Mazda3. Our test vehicle was the Machine Grey Metallic GT Sedan with the Premium package and i-ACTIV AWD. This model's design gives careful consideration for a true driver experience with vastly improved performance, features, and premium materials.

Meals in Windsor-Essex: Healthy Mama, Paramount Windsor, and Stacks

While exploring a few attractions in Windsor-Essex, we stopped for lunch at Healthy Mamas, had dinner at Paramount Windsor, and brunch at Stacks. Here is the scoop on what is special about these foodie spots.

Exploring Space, Stars and the Moon

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first human to step on the moon, the Ontario Science Centre and the Aga Khan Museum have must explore exhibits. During our recent visit to the Ontario Science Centre we explored the space themed exhibitions; Astronaut and Women in Space exhibits. We also learned from The Moon: A voyage through time exhibit at the Aga Khan museum.  

The Horse and His Boy at the Shaw Festival

Going to the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-lake would make a memorable weekend getaway or a day trip. Every year there is a show that is perfect for families with young children and teenagers. This year it is The Horse and His Boy based on C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. Last year, we watched the Magician's Nephew also based on the children's fantasy novel Narnia. My children have read the novels and watched a few of the movies, they were excited to see how the story would be acted on stage.

Spring Reads and Cookbook

There's Something about Sweetie by Sandhya Menon is a fun book to read about being happy about yourself and falling in love; it was like watching a movie. I like how the main character Sweetie stands up for herself without letting other people's perception of her body image take charge of how she felt about herself. Even when her mother was being over protective thinking being "fat" is a bad thing, Sweetie proved that she was healthy, happy, and was a good person. This book will be enjoyed by teens and adults. 

Soaker Afternoons and Nerf Fights

Playing with Nerf is super fun especially when we spend our warm summer afternoons in the backyard with the soakers getting each other drenched. We have been having fun with the new Nerf Fortnite lineup. The new Hasbro NERF Fortnite lineup and Super Soaker blasters are inspired by the blasters used in FORTNITE, as it replicates the look and colours of the rocket launcher from the popular video game. Fans can take action from their screens to their backyards and recreate Fortnite action.

Lemongrass House Handmade Spa Products that everyone will enjoy

Ever since we tried a few Lemongrass House products, we have been loving it because of their unique natural fragrances. Recently, we tried a few other products and love these as well. These handmade fresh products from Thailand do not use any type of artificial colour or preservatives, chemicals or parabens which makes it perfect for every skin type.  

DK's Big Ideas Simply Explained Series

The Big Ideas series from DK is available in a variety of topics such as religion, economics, psychology, philosophy, sociology, ecology and more. It explains hard to grasp ideas in simple ways with pictures, info-graphs, timelines, definitions, and creative typography. The format of the Big Ideas Simply Explained series is easy to navigate to learn about the different concepts on each of the topics.