Go Behind the Scenes with these Movie Maniacs DK Books

Every Disney fan, young or old will enjoy the Pixar: Character Encyclopedia. We are big fans of Disney Pixar movies so we enjoyed looking through this book and learning about more than 200 characters. We like that the characters are separated by the movies such as Toy Story 1, 2, 3, a bug’s life, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, Wall. E, Up and Brave. 

Be #BacktoSchool Ready

Some products and companies to keep in mind during Back to School Season.

Keep yourself and family organized with the 2015/2016 Day Ja View Calendar. I enjoyed using this calendar last year. Day Ja View, August to July wall calendars starts on Monday and ends on Sunday. I like this unique calendar because it comes with stickers that we can place on the removable plastic protective sheet, and avoid re-writing recurring activities.

Attracting bees to the garden with these DIY bee hotels

Over the years, we have made our garden pollinator friendly by adding a variety of features! It is exciting to watch these homes and places being utilized by benefiting creatures. We have also seen the benefits of these features as they have encouraged different types of bees to come into the garden and help pollinate flowers - especially in our vegetable garden. 

The bee hotels we placed in our garden were made in a post or block style, and painted with acrylic paint for aesthetics. We leave these homes all year round in the garden. 

Common Signs Your House Might Be Outdated

Usually, you know an outdated home when you see one, which is not exactly a timeless or historic home, just an outdated one. Sometimes, our beloved homes start showing their age. Honestly, it's not like it's anyone's fault; it's just that trends come and go. 

When working on improving the home, most people think of energy efficiency, such as ways to warm up the house in the winter. It's not always just about trends and fast homeware; it's about the atmosphere and the overall look.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Around the Clubhouse World

Pack your bags and grab your passport! Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Goofy and the gang go on a trip of a lifetime in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Around the Clubhouse World on DVD May 20th. Explore France, Italy, China and more in one of their greatest global adventures featuring over two hours of song-filled fun. The DVD is value packed with four additional episodes and a passport activity book our explorers will enjoy.

Quench Your Thirst for Science at the Ontario Science Centre

Quench your thirst for science this summer with a visit to the Ontario Science Centre. There is something for everyone in the family to do and explore from uncovering the truth behind myths in MythBusters, to gliding down a tree trunk slide in the Cohon Family Nature Escape or getting close to humpback whales without getting wet with the IMAX®film Humpback Whales.

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.

Win a Family Pass to Enjoy March Break at the Art Gallery of Ontario

We can take a colourful journey through time and space this March Break at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). They will be having nine days of futuristic programming for the whole family, inspired by their current exhibition Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors and Kusama's playful world of light and colour.

Celebrate the Season of Giving with Hallmark

We love this festive season! It is a season to give, celebrate, and be thankful - Hallmark has the perfect items we can give to our loved ones and friends.

Planning Our #BathroomReno DIY Project

As our family grows and children are becoming bigger, it is easier for us to do upgrades and renovations to fit the needs and comfort of our growing families rather than moving. During fall many of you like us, plan on doing indoor renovations and look for helpful information. Doing the renovations ourself is lots of fun, as it gives us the comfort of using any product we like and saves us a lot of money. 

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.

Nerf Rebelle Heartbreaker Bow and Kre-O Dungeons & Dragons

We can experience real bow action with the Nerf Rebelle Heartbreaker Bow. This Nerf Rebelle bow comes with 5 collectible colourful, designed foam darts that blasts up to 22m. The built in dart storage accessory rail holds the 5 darts, so we can load and launch continuously without looking for a dart.

Hasbro Toys For Everyone

We had a chance to go to a Hasbro preview event this summer to check out all the new toys that were coming out this fall just in time for the holidays. My children enjoyed testing the cool toys for a long time. Here is list of the new and upcoming Hasbro toys and games for everyone in the family.

Painting and projects

Mag Ruffman and Lowe's have created videos of cool fun family constructible projects that teach parents and children how to build things that they could use. This is a lovely way to create lasting memories.  Some project ideas from Lowe's Family Fun Projects are building a step stool, table with a writing space, a hockey/soccer net and more.  

Exploring the heritage of Stratford and Perth County

We spent a few days towards the end of our summer vacation exploring the heritage, trails, theatre, and outdoor activities in Stratford and Perth County. While enjoying the activities in this area, we stayed at Forest Motel and Woodland Retreat located in Stratford. It is a family friendly woodland retreat close to all the amenities, a few minutes from the Stratford Festival Theatre. 

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax movie is arriving on Blu-ray 3D and 2D combo pack on August 7th.  The story of the movie is based on the best-selling children's book by Dr. Seuss.

The Art of Weaving

Weaving is a craft I remember doing as a child using ribbons, construction paper, and wool. My daughter started enjoying weaving about four years ago when she did an activity at Michaels, and when she made the scarf using the Weaved Threadz kit. From a young age, my daughter has weaved using wool, yarn, thread, and once on vacation we used leaves from a coconut tree. We find weaving to be a relaxing meditative craft that is fun and the end results are rewarding.

Sightseeing in Québec City

We wanted to visit Québec City for a while, and was finally able to do this during our road trip from Ontario to New Brunswick. Québec City is located on the north bank of the Saint Lawrence River and offers unspoiled views of the Laurentian Mountains. It has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. During our visit, we had the pleasure of spending a night at Auberge Saint-Antoine, and checking out different places in Québec City on a bus tour of the city. 

Dad's Will Enjoy These DIY and Woodwork Books

Our dad's will enjoy getting colourful, useful books like this Do It Yourself and Woodwork, as the information on these books will help do quick fixes and larger projects. These go-to books are simple, easy to follow, and has lots of practical tips and techniques. My husband has used the Canadian edition of Do It Yourself to help him fix lots of things around the home from small to big jobs such as adjusting loose toilet seats, changing fuses, unblocking drains, fixing gutters and more. 

Cacti Design using Double Cast Embroidery

The double cast embroidery stitch gives a beautiful effect for the cacti design. The completed design can be used to decorate anything or just hung as a wall decor.