Imagining and Discovering With The Imaginext Rescue City Center

I am sure all parents just like me enjoy watching their little ones imitate, imagine and play. It puts a smile on our face when our children are playing and we hear positive interactions such as helping or caring about others. When my children play, I hear them imagining to be superheroes and firefighters to save the day, or caring about other people as doctors, or being a person in the community like a cashier. 

Travelling via Emirates

This summer when we travelled to Sri Lanka we travelled by Emirates via Dubai. We travelled from Toronto to Dubai on the Airbus A380.  
Travelling via Emirates was fun because of the spacious seats. I like that we can put the seat hand resting part up and allow children to sleep flat. We enjoyed their ice entertainment that kept us busy during our long journey.

Fall Adventures With Disney Junior

I am very excited to announce about Disney Junior’s Princess and Heroes Contest. The grand prize for this contest will include round-trip flights to Toronto, two nights stay at a hotel, rink side seats, backstage character meet and greet for a family of four. The winning family will also get a $1000 for a Disney Store shopping spree.

Our Stay at Jetwing Beach Hotel by the Golden Sandy Beaches

During our summer vacation in Sri Lanka, we had the pleasure of staying at the Jetwing Beach hotel in Negombo, Sri Lanka. We had a memorable stay at this hotel by the golden sandy beaches of Negombo.

The Little Mermaid and Other Adventures at Disney Junior This September

Disney Junior is full of adventures this September, as they will have many new episodes of programs such as Justin Time, Doc McStuffins, and The Little Mermaid series. They will also be having an awesome contest for a family of four who are fans of The Little Mermaid.

Hilton HHonors Knows the Importance of a Well Travelled Teacher

I am glad to be part of the Hilton HHonors loyalty program for many years, as we can earn perks by staying at any of the ten Hilton Worldwide’s distinct hotel brands. This loyalty program as a part of Hilton Worldwide’s Travel with Purpose has put together a grant program, in partnership with the Institute of International Education (IIE). This program celebrates cultures and the power of travel that builds stronger communities.

Through this Teacher Treks Travel Grant Competition, 15 teachers will get to travel and experience first-hand the subjects they teach, enrich their curriculum, benefit the school, and inspire students to explore the world. Hilton HHonors has announced 30 finalists from 20 different states chosen by K-12 teachers and education experts after going through the applicants’ entries. We can vote for our favourite finalist until April 30^th and win 1 of 10 Hilton HHonors $250 Gift Cards.

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.

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The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Pillsbury crescents

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is coming to Blu-ray and DVD on September 18^th.  The movie is based on Deborah Moggach book The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Although the movie is G rated, it is not recommended for young children.  It is a wonderful movie for adults to watch, as we found it funny.  This comedy has genuine charm.  It is about seven cash-strapped seniors that decide to go to a resort named Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in India.  Friendship and romance blossom in the most unexpected ways, which is interesting to watch.    

Some history and information about the popular Brit pastime high tea, which is something that happens in the movie.  

Most people refer to afternoon tea as high tea because they think it sounds regal and lofty, when actually high tea or "meat tea" is traditionally part of a British dinner.  

High tea is an early evening meal that runs between 5pm and 7pm.  Later in the evening, people enjoy a lighter second meal. 

High tea was traditionally served to laborers and miners of the working class as an evening meal for when they returned home from a hard days work. The workers were served a hefty meal in the main dining area at the high table as opposed to a low table in the parlor where the afternoon tea was served. 

The middle and upper class adopted the high tea for their children to enjoy sandwiches and cakes in smaller portions rather than heavy meals.  Eventually the parents took on the early meal for themselves, making the tradition common in all families across England.

I made these delicious Pillsbury chocolate crescents treats that are wonderful to serve for breakfast, snack or at high tea :)  This new product from Pillsbury is available in grocery stores for less than $3.  I had some trouble opening the container, even though I read the instructions a few times :) so I wish they make it a little bit more easier to open.

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Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3, Viva La Fiesta! is releasing on blu-ray combo pack, DVD and Digital on September 18, 2012.  
Everyone's favourite talking Chihuahuas Papi (voice of George Lopez) and Chole (voice of Odette Annable) joined by their five playful pups in a fun filled family comedy.  It's canine chaos as the Cortez family members, humans and dogs move into the posh Langham hotel, which has all the services including a complete luxurious doggy spa.  
The movie brings out the importance of family, friends and teamwork making it lots of fun to watch.

We enjoyed watching the bonus features; "Hanging with Papi," which is a playful look at the typical day on set with Papi.  The English and Spanish versions of the song "Living your dreams" music video was lots of fun. 

We enjoy watching these types of creative Disney movies as it is well thought out and detailed.  Do check out this cute funny movie that will be available on blu-ray combo pack and DVD on the 18th.
Here is a link to the trailer.

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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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