A Gift For Dad: Handmade bookmark and Parker Urban Pen

For 125 years, Parker has created pens that redefine writing. Now as handwriting makes a comeback, it would be a perfect gift to give our dads or the men in our lives :)

This Parker Urban is a cool pen that redefines modern writing, as it combines ergonomics with art to give an unconventional shape. It has the perfect weight and balance to make beautiful curved writing. I really like the shine and the beautiful black colour body of the pen. This modern premium quality pen has an asymmetric cisele pattern, and provides durability and flamboyance. 

Beautiful Black Cardigan from Pinkblush Maternity and A Chance For You To Win

Image from pinkblush maternity

I like the beautiful trendy maternity clothes Pinkblush maternity has. I chose to check out the cardigan from their collection of maternity clothes. I am impressed by the way it looks, and this cardigan would be perfect to wear during any season to dress up or down. Since the cardigan is made with a blend of polyester, rayon and spandex it is very soft and comfy. 

Enjoying sweet and salty kettlecorn while watching The Quest for Crystal Mickey

My children are addicted to this sweet and salty, organic kettlecorn from Neal brothers foods. Since the  product is made with organic certified ingredients in a nut-free environment, I feel good about giving this popcorn to my children to snack on. 

We like the sweet and salty flavour in this popcorn as it satisfies all our palates. It is not overly sweet or salty, and has the perfect balance to make everyone happy. The popcorn doesn't have any preservatives or trans fat, which made it the perfect snack to have when we were watching The Quest for Crystal Mickey.

Win a Kanex Syndee Recharging Station Just for Mom

We find this Kanex Sydnee to be a useful device in our home. We have been using it everyday for several months to charge our iOS devices and smartphones. 

Since using Kanex Sydnee, the task of charging our devices has become simpler. We can neatly and easily charge up to 4 devices by using one outlet, instead of plugging our devices all over the house. This recharging station keeps our home neat and organized, while eliminating chaos and frustration of looking for the charger and devices. 

Giveaway: 

One person in Canada or US can win a black Kanex Sydnee (Value of $150) before May 8th. 

Say a Special Thanks to Mom With This Parker IM Pen

It is important that we say thank you to our mothers everyday for all that they have done for us. After becoming a mom myself, I honour the hard work my mother’s done for me when I was growing up. I like seeing how my mom displays all the things I make for her and tell my children about these.

General Mills Partnership with Dairy Queen Just in Time for the Warm Weather

General Mills has partnered with Dairy Queen® to offer Canadians fabulous coupons as a bonus on top of their cereal. We are so excited about this with the weather warming up, as we love our ice creams and cold desserts :)

As a child, I used to go to DQ with my parents and brothers to get treats during summer evenings, and sometimes even in the middle of winter to get ice cream cake :) I am so glad DQ has the same wonderful treats so I can start to make new memories with my children.

Top Chefs Canada is back on air with a chance for us to win

Top Chef Canada is back on air with its 3rd season. Sixteen of Canada’s most talented chefs are competing for the coveted title and the $100,000 cash prize that is presented by SpongeTowels, one of Canada’s favourite paper towel brands.

Contest:

SpongeTowels is also providing one lucky viewer a chance to win - cooking demonstration and dinner

Win $100 Walmart Gift Card To Help You With Spring Cleaning

This "Spring Cleaning" giveaway event is sponsored by Tip Hero. Tip Hero has featured many ways we can save money on spring cleaning. Their free homemade cleaners ebook features wonderful homemade cleaner recipes. 

Giveaway:

To help you get started with spring cleaning and redecorating you can win a $100 Walmart gift card before April 24th. This giveaway is open to everyone over 18 in US. 

Use the PromoSimple form below to enter,

The connection of music to our development and your chance to win a LEGO DUPLO CD

Studies have proven there is a link between music and children's development. Music has been used for many centuries in all types of different cultures from the time babies are born with sweet lullabies to sooth them or to rock them when they are little. As we grow we listen to and sing different types of music depending on our mood and activities. There are different opinions on how music and sounds can make us feel, and impact our thoughts. 

Win a copy of the Willow Blu-ray

In celebration of its 25^th anniversary Willow is now available on Blu-ray and DVD combo back.  This fantasy tale written and produced by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard points out that heroes come in all sizes.
Win a copy of this fantasy film Willow (1998) blu-ray copy before April 10th.

Exciting #LEGODUPLO sale @ChaptersIndigo + Win $50 to shop

Even before my husband and I had children Chapters/Indigo has always been our go-to indoor place during all seasons.  We like hanging out in the calm environment at Chapters/Indigo surrounded by books.  Indigo is a good place to sit, relax, read and have something delicious from Starbucks; that is not the only motive :)

We have continued this "tradition" even after our children were born.  My husband and I hangout in the children section and take turns supervising the kids so we can get some alone-time to read the latest magazines and books.  I can also spends lots of time looking at the beautiful home decor products they have, controlling my wants so I don't buy the whole of Indigo :)

When I was attending cake decoration classes, my husband's go-to-place was Indigo.  He entertains our kids either by reading to them or participating in the organized children's programs at the Indigo Kids Play Area.  These free programs at Chapters/Indigo has fun, crafts children can make as well as a Indigo staff member or a local author reading the latest children books to the kids.

Click to make it big; this is what is happening during the March Break at the Kennedy Commons location

For my family and I, on top of the fabulous products at Indigo the free WI-FI for members, clean environment, children friendly washrooms and the play area has been motivating us to keep going to Indigo.  

As you probably know we are big fans of LEGO so we are very excited to let you all know that this month all LEGO products at Indigo will be 20% off.  
If a store is not close to you, don't forget to check Indigo online.

Giveaway:
If you like shopping at Indigo as much as I do then you will be happy to know Create With Mom will be hosting a giveaway for you to win a $50 Indigo gift card.  
Enter this Canadian giveaway before March 20th through the rafflecopter below.
The winner will have 24 hours to respond from the time of contact.  You can enter similar giveaways on other sites, but will be eligible to win only one.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I am a LEGO DUPLO play ambassador and receive special perks for being part of this.  All rights reserved on mentioned photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2011 - 2013. Please Ask First

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

Review of Life of Pi and a chance to #win 1 of 2 blu-ray copies

Life of Pi comes to Blu-ray and DVD on March 12th.  This fabulous Oscar winning family movie is about Pi Patel, a young man on a fateful voyage. 

I highly recommend watching this heartwarming family movie with the whole family.

We really enjoyed the way the movie started off with a beautiful Tamil song and vivid pictures of animals in a Pondicherry Zoo. Pondicherry or Puducherry is a place in South India influenced by the French. The architecture and feel of the area is beautifully portrayed in the movie. My children couldn't wait for the part when the adventures of Pi started in the sea.

• It was funny to watch how Pi or Piscine Molitor Patel and Richard Parkerthe Bengal tiger, got their names.  
• The scene where the family was ill-treated by the cook in the ship because they were Indian was heartbreaking.  This type of racial discrimination and prejudice still exists in our society... more about that in another post.  
• I felt really sad when I was watching the scenes of Pi loosing his family and when he retells the story.  
• Pi Patel and the fearsome 450 lb Bengal tiger are the only survivors of the shipwreck.  
• Pi did everything possible to survive by putting his faith in God even in moments of despair.  
• Although Pi knows life is about letting go of things, he regrets not being able to say goodbye in the movie to many people. 
• It was amazing to see this young boy trying to make the best of everything he had without giving up hope and believing that God did not create us in vain. I think this is something many people these days should remember as we see there are lots of people that commit suicide and loose control of their life because of their lack of belief in the higher power.

The wonderful special effects will be really enjoyed by everyone such as the jelly fish lighting up the dark ocean. It was amazing to see how it was filmed with the tiger so close and the Meerkat in the carnivorous island. This drama, adventure movie is based on the acclaimed best-selling novel from Yann Martel that has been published in 40 languages. This magical adventure of hope, wonder, survival and the power of the human spirit is wonderfully directed by Ang Lee.
The documentaries in the bonus feature of the blu-ray are a must watch. This movie won four oscars for best director, original score, cinematography and visual effects.

Giveaway:

2 people from US and Canada can win this giveaway by entering through the rafflecopter below before March 31st.  To be eligible please follow all the social media networks on the rafflecopter and comment.

Update: The winners are Arik and Jo-Anne.

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

4 Pillars of Strength from the movie Chasing Mavericks & win 1 of 3 prize packs

Chasing Mavericks is out on Blu-ray and DVD today.  This movie is inspired by a true story of real life surfing phenom Jay Moriarity (played by newcomer Jonny Weston).  

When the 15 year old Jay discovers about the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth is real and is only a few miles from his home Santa Cruz.  He asks help from a local legend Frosty Hesson (played by Gerard Butler) to train him to survive it. As Jay and Frosty embark on their quest to accomplish the impossible, they form a unique friendship that transforms both their lives.  Their quest to tame Mavericks becomes about more than surfing. 

Chasing Mavericks was made with the help of some of the biggest names in the surfing world, and features some of the most mind-blowing real wave footage ever captured on film.  

Blu-ray Special Features include: 

    ●    Deleted Scenes

        ○    Frosty and Jay Paddle

        ○    Jay Plays the Bills

        ○    Power of Money

        ○    Jay Laments

    ●    Surf City

    ●    Shooting Waves

    ●    Live Like Jay

    ●    Surfer Zen

    ●    Commentary from Director Michael Apted and

Writers Brandon Hooper and Jim Meenaghan

    ●    Ultraviolet 

I would recommend this PG movie for everyone, it was lots of fun watching how strong the boy becomes following the four pillars.  In Chasing Mavericks, Frosty gives Jay some lessons outside of the basic surfing protocol, including his ‘Four Pillars of Strength.’ 

Physical

In Chasing Mavericks, Jay must demonstrate his physical strength by paddling 28.5 miles from Santa Cruz to Monterey Bay. This is a tough challenge, as it requires incredible strength to complete. This pillar is about taking care of your health and well-being.

·       Walking three times a week for 30-minutes

·       Balancing the diet, having vegetables as half of each meal 

·       Sleeping for 7 to 9 hours is a must for physical strength

Mental

To prepare for Mavericks, Jay had to study the ocean current, tides and wave patterns, and how these different elements work together. Understanding when to paddle out, when to drop in on a wave, how to use an ocean current to save energy can be the difference between life and death when dealing with 40 to 60 foot waves.  Memory tricks are a great mental workout:

·       Next time when you are travelling, think as many words as possible that begin with the letter A, then work your way through the alphabet.

·       Try remembering a list of objects or people from one category in the space of one minute

Emotional

Jay learns that he must face his fears head on when he gets in a situation that causes anxiety such as seeing a Shark. When fear becomes too overwhelming it can drown a person. Jay is able to address his fear and let go of the pain of his father leaving his mother and this frees him.

·       Address your emotions and take steps to help it without fearing change 

·       Knowing our weaknesses and asking for help

Spiritual

While this pillar is not addressed extensively in the movie, Jay does mention that his life purpose is to surf Mavericks. His passion and drive to push his limits helps him achieve an iconic status in the surfing world. Having spiritual strength is not limited to people with religious affiliations.

·       Seeing the big picture without limiting life to only one viewpoint

·       Seeking a higher purpose to achieve and having faith

The Surf Bracelet

Giveaway: 

Win 1 of 3 Chasing Mavericks blu-ray and 2 "Live Like Jay" surf bracelets before March 31st.  This giveaway is open to everyone in US and Canada.  Please follow all social media networks to be eligible and enter through the rafflecopter below.

Update: The winners are Darwin, Carolyn and ViviAn.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Win Coupons to try all the New Kellogg Goodies

We enjoyed the delicious All-Bran Cranberries & Clusters that makes a healthy start for the day.  This cereal has toasted bran flakes with a light sweet vanilla flavour, tangy red cranberries and crunchy multi-grain clusters that are a high source of fibre per serving.  Everyone in my family enjoyed this box of cereal.

We didn't taste these Mini-Wheats Centres Raspberry Flavour Cereal because it contains gelatin.  It is a lightly frosted biscuit with a raspberry fruit filling nestled into eight layers of whole grain.  This cereal is low in fat and sodium and has 20% of the recommended daily fibre for kids and adults.

Kellogg's also has delicious Nutri-Grain Soft Bakes that my children and we enjoyed.  These snacks were easy to take when we were going on trips and came in handy when we went to the Strawberry Shortcake show.  I like these snacks that have 14 grams of whole grain per bar and 2 to 3 essential nutrients.  We enjoyed both the Blueberry muffin and Banana bread flavours.  These soft bakes contain nut flours.

The Special K Granola Bars come in peanut butter and dark chocolate flavours.  These snack bars have five essential nutrients.  The 27 gram bars have 110 calories, which are good portion controlled snacks for everyone who watches their weight.  The granola bars are chewy and taste wonderful.

The Special K Cracker Chips come in delicious flavours like Bar-B-Q and Zesty Southwest.  We enjoyed these lightly seasoned, savoury snacks on its own and with salsa and dips.

Giveaway:
If you would like to try these products enter the rafflecopter below.  This giveaway is open to people in Canada until March 15, 2013.  One lucky winner of CreateWithMom will get free coupons to try these new Kellogg products:

1 coupon to try a box of All-Bran Cranberries & Clusters cereal
1 coupon to try a box of Mini-Wheats Centres Raspberry Flavour cereal
1 coupon for a box of Kashi Blueberry Oat Clusters & Flakes, please check the detailed review and separate giveaway of this product
1 coupon to try a box of soft bakes
1 coupon to try a box of Granola Bars
1 coupon to try a box of Cracker Chips

Update: The winner is Lori

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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