Northern Mama

Greetings from Camp ~ Be Prepared with Label Daddy

2010-05-16T20:08:00.006-06:00

"Hello Mudder, hello fodder, greetings from camp I-Don’t-Wanna…”
Mosquito bites and gooey marshmallows, hikes and ticks, leaky tents and creepy campfire tales.
Camp season is just around the corner and despite all the fun and personal development, memories and irreplaceable moments there are always the inevitable worries and irritations. Ironically children are far more adaptable than parents and the lion’s share of worries are those of parental units such as us! Label Daddy can’t relieve all the worries of camp parents. They can’t protect the well-being of your children but Label Daddy can protect their personal belongings!

My son, Gabriel is an avid little boy scout. His favourite Cubs' activity? Camp!! Winter camp with its chilly temperatures, snowshoeing and skiing or Spring and Summer camps’ filled with hiking and campfires my son is thrilled by his personal journey to experienced outdoors man! Sleeping bag, rubber boots, toiletries, dishes, and clothing, camping success is all about the gear! But when a group of boys hit the trails the last thing they think about is whose undies are whose. Label Daddy’s camp labels are the ideal solution to preventing the loss of the scattered items of untidy young campers.
Colourful and eye catching, these laminated sunscreen proof, wash proof and waterproof labels stay stuck and announce to my son without a doubt “these are my undies”! Okay I know typically having your name in your underwear is not cool but when you can choose from 40 different very cool icons including your favourite Disney characters, 17 colours, and even a variety of fonts your one up on campers with their John Hancock scribbled on tags with permanent marker. The Label Daddy Camp Pack includes six different sized labels, a total of 152, enough for all your child‘s camp gear with perhaps a few to spare:
4 luggage bag labels
60 extra small labels
40 small labels
16 medium labels
10 shoe labels
22 mini-shoe labels
In minutes with a quick peel and stick I had all Gabriel’s camp gear labeled and ready to go! His choice of icon? The dinosaur from Disney’s Toy Story as his career goal currently is to become a paleontologist. Because Cub camp is just for a weekend here and a weekend there the plethora of camp labels meant I had far more than I needed and I can use the extra labels for Gabriel’s other belongings including his school items in the fall.
I’d say this is a sign of good value!

$50 may seem like a lot to some but often you spend your hard earned money for your children’s belongings why not use some of that money to protect those valuables. If you do the math each label costs you 33 cents….not bad right?

Prepare your little campers before they head out into the wilderness. Pack their Kleenex and teddy, that extra blankie and secret stash of goodies but remember to seal their pack with hugs and kisses and label everything with Label Daddy!

ID Me Labels Mother's Day Coupon Code!

2010-05-07T10:35:00.003-06:00

ID Me Labels would like to offer Northern Mama readers a 20% off coupon code as a Mother's Day treat! The code Mom25 is valid until May 10th, 2010.

More Winners!

2010-05-04T19:02:00.004-06:00

Winner of the Green Blaster $15 Gift Certificate:

Congratulations Misfit Mommy aka Missy. These Green Blaster cleaning products are great!

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WordGirl DVD Winners:

Congrats Tannie's Chatter and Pixie13! You've won a copy of the DVD Word Girl.

Fish Soda Sample Winners

2010-05-04T15:10:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to the following 5 winners! Coupon Mom, Amanda, Randa @ Bewitchin' Kitchen, KatKlaw777, And Kara! I had one repeat number so I selected one more number which was Kara. I will be emailing you all soon.

NIKKI

MIO Motiva Petite Watch Review

2010-05-03T13:54:00.002-06:00

Since May is National Fitness Month, I thought this would be a great opportunity to review an absolutely amazing fitness 'tool'. Although this watch has basic features such as the date, time, a back light and an alarm, it offers so much more than that! It is a personalized fitness monitor! You programme in your name, age, gender,weight, height, activity level, resting heart heart and weekly goals, (which is really easy to do even for a technically challenged individual like myself). However, if you are the type of person that finds it hard to learn to use a new gizmo The Mio Watch web site does offer a step-by-step instructional video at: http://www.youtube.com/MIOwatch.

So, with all of this information the watch will automatically set a personalized daily target calorie goal that you can keep or adjust as you wish ( as long as it does not go below what the World Health Organized Standard recommends for your daily calorie intake: which is 1200 calories for women and 1500 calories for men). One of the best features of this watch, in my opinion, is that the watch will automatically default back to these levels if you try to set it lower, thereby prohibiting or preventing one from using this watch to become unhealthy or anorexic.

Next, the watch helps you keep track of your calories in and calories out.

Calories In:You can programme in the calories you consume throughout the day. (If you do not know how many calories there are in what you are eating, the MIO watch comes with a guide to healthy living that includes a food and drink table at the back of the book to help you with this).

Calories out:. There are 5 different exercise timer modes to choose from in order for you to track you burned calories (to count up from zero, to count down from zero, to count down from zero and then count up, to use the walk/run dual interval timer, and to count down to zero and repeat. You can also choose to track only your exercise calories or all of your calories throughout the day.

The watch will automatically subtract calories in from calories out for you.

Or, you can set the watch with a standard 3500 net calories (which is apparently equivalent to one pound of weight) and track your calories out using the exercise timer and after approximately one week you will see that you burned 3500 calories and therefore have lost one pound. The Mio watch site actually has a 3,500 Calorie Club where you can talk with trainers and other members as well as track fitness goals and get nutritional information. http://www.miowatch.com/3500-calorie-club-learn-how-burn-3500-calories

By now you are probably wondering how the watch can possibly do this! Well it uses your heart rate and all of the information you programmed in it to determine how many calories you are burning. And that best part is that there is no chest strap! This is the first watch of this kind! All you have to do is strap the watch to your wrist, and gently press on the side buttons with your thumb and index fingers to get your heart rate. You need to check your heart rate every time you exercise level increases or decreases, or every three minutes or so to get accurate results for calories burned.

I personally enjoy tracking the calories in and out throughout the day, especially during exercise. I do however find it difficult to take my heart rate while I am running and have to wait until I break to take my heart rate. Like all new technology it truly is amazing but does have it's quarks (nothing is perfect).

The watch comes with a removable face that can be inserted into different wrist straps. You can get them in a variety of colors so that it goes with whatever you are wearing, whether you are at the gym or at the office. Mio watches also come in several other unisex types and styles!

One final thought that I want to share with you is that this particular watch ( The Mio Motiva Petite Pink) supports breast cancer research as 10% of the proceeds are donated to the Susan G Komen Foundation for the Cure.

So If you are trying to loose weight, gain weight or maintain it, this watch is a great fitness tool to have! Check out the Mio Website today to purchase this great fitness monitoring watch.

Review By NIKKI

2010-05-02T23:17:00.002-06:00

Well, after spending four hours in our home this week the couple I mentioned earlier this week have finally decided to make an offer on the house! Yes, if you look back you will find my post in which I vent about their two hour first showing and their need for a second showing. The second showing proved to be just as long and I literally had to sit in my van with a 90 pound dog and three children in my driveway in the pouring rain for half of it Thursday night!

Saturday finally brought us an absolutely shocking low-ball offer!! I was ready to literally lose my lunch when we were presented with the number. Our realtor actually already had the paperwork ready and waiting for our counter knowing it would be a given. To make a long story short we countered, they countered and we accepted. 14 days on the market and we are a few days away from a final sale. We have to wait out the week for the inspections and their financing approval so fingers crossed by Friday it will be a done deal!

On the down side the house we were truly prepared to buy in our new location sold this past Friday!! Can you believe it? Two days ago! I keep telling myself it just wasn't meant to be and that everything happens for good reason but I can't help but be disheartened!

I am still excited to start looking for a new home...hopefully soon!

Sing the Blues with Grandpa Elliot Sugar Sweet CD

2010-05-02T22:45:00.003-06:00

I often find it daunting reviewing CDs. Music is such a personal taste and preferences can often make it difficult to be unbiased and open minded. I value diversity in music and feel lucky to have a very eclectic and varied taste in music. I am a fan of a variety of musical genres from world music to rock and roll, classical to alternative. I am a fan of the blues though I do not claim to have a great deal of knowledge and expertise in critiquing any music. My music reviews stem primarily from my personal preferences and the way the music speaks to me. I love the emotive nature of music!

When I slipped Grandpa Elliott “Sugar Sweet” into the CD player I was not sure what to anticipate. The Grandpa Elliot “Sugar Sweet” CD is a Playing for Change album created by the Playing for Change Foundation helping to bring music into the lives of disadvantaged youth. Labeled as Blues I suspected I would experience the authentic, raw sound of traditional blues and I was met with little surprise. It was truly raw and heartfelt. Discovered as a street performer in New Orleans’ French Quarter Grandpa Elliott Small has been performing since he was 6 years of age. Now at the age of 65 he is an internet sensation. His Stand By Me video performing with other artists has brought him fame and a Playing for change album brimming with cool, smooth, blues!

Though I did not feel the emotional charge Blues tends to inspire from the very beginning of the CD by the final tracks I began to feel it in my soul. The fourth track “Baby, what you want me to do”--a blues song I honestly had only heard prior as an Elvis recording but knew was originally a song from the great blues influence Jimmy Reed--was for me the pivotal moment of emotive momentum on this album. My other favourites Another Saturday Night, Fannie Mae--a live recording--and Please Come Home for Christmas. These four tracks are the reveal of this album’s genuine blues heart! I also recognize hints of spirituals, gospel, and surprisingly the Caribbean rhythmns of “Sugar is Sweet“.

Grandpa Elliot, clad in his trademark red t-shirt and blue overalls and breathing life into his harmonica, is a musical legend 60 years in the making. Blues from the streets of New Orleans!
Enjoy these 9 Tracks:
Ain’t Nothing You Can Do
This Little Light of Mine (Medley)
Sugar Is Sweet
Baby, What You Want Me To Do
We’re Gonna Make It
Share your Love With Me
Another Saturday Night
Fannie Mae (Live)
Please Come Home for Christmas

One Northern Mama reader will enjoy a copy of Grandpa Elliot Sugar Sweet.

To Enter:

Tell me your favourite genre/type of music {Required}
non-bloggers leave me your email please

Extra Entries:

Follow Northern Mama {google}
Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
Subscribe via email
Grab my button
Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave a link to your post}

Open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes May 15th 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Painful Process!!

2010-04-28T22:34:00.002-06:00

I know I'm harping on my house sale saga but the frustration is starting to threaten my very sanity! If you read my story this morning you know we had a house showing Monday night. Two hours they spent in our house so we suspected they must have been very interested but heard nothing. Our realtor told us yesterday that their realtor called saying they were interested and he would call in a day or two. Last night they wanted to know our monthly utility costs so we thought an offer was coming. This morning we get a call from their realtor wanting to set up a second showing for tomorrow night!!

Talk about prolonging this process and still no offer so are they interested or not?? Each day seems like an eternity of scrubbing and cleaning, stress and headaches. I'm fearful of a truly low- ball offer we will be forced to turn down knowing this may mean a long wait to sell! Maybe they won't even make an offer which would burn my butt after all the hassles. Well, maybe just maybe we will have good news after tomorrow night!

If my posts seem muddled and sporadic I apologize now. I'm finding my concentration and focus non-existent lately. My head is spinning and my thoughts muddy!

Everyday Beauty ~ Everyday Minerals!

2010-04-28T21:38:00.013-06:00

With skin like mine makeup seems a true essential to my feelings of self-confidence and well being. That being said, I have always hated heavy goopy liquids, and drying, talcy powders layering my face. I am a natural girl by heart--if only my skin would cooperate! Now I’ve discovered the beauty and health of mineral makeup and for the first time I actually feel good about applying makeup! I am exploring great mineral makeup companies including the wonderfully playful Everyday Minerals, an amazing company which offers high quality vegan, animal cruelty-free mineral products at an everyday price we can all afford!

Though I have yet to try Everyday Minerals’ concealer and foundation I know I will be ordering them in the near future. Love letters from customers rave about the exceptional coverage these bismuth free products provide even for rosacea sufferers. As an acne sufferer myself with scarring finding the perfect coverage without the caking and clogging effect is a necessity. I want to have fun with makeup! I don't want to worry about whether it will camouflage but rather take coverage for granted and then enjoy playing with colour!

I believe anyone with a skin condition knows how absolutely important it is to find products which promote skin health rather than douse it with chemicals. Everyday minerals has a long list of no’s:
No Petrochemicals - No Mineral Oil - No Silicones -
No Parabens - No Propylene Glycol - No Carmine -
No Retinol/AHAs - No Synthetic Lake Dyes - No Alcohol -
No Animal-by-products - No Animal Testing -
No Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS)
But it’s Yes to natural ingredients, Yes to health and environment, and Yes to value and style!

I received for review two fun and shimmery eye colours and two chic cheek colours I love! One of the things I adore about mineral makeup is the matte yet youthful glow it seems to bring my appearance. Spring has sprung!

The sparkle of Everyday Mineral eye colours is youthful but not childish. I was sent Hot Chocolate, a warm, light neutral with a pearly glow perfect for brightening and highlighting my eyes. I also treated to Smokey Pink which is almost a mauve pink and is dark enough to accentuate your eyes by applying it to the crease above the eyelid and the outer corner of the eyes. Finely ground and pearlized Everyday Minerals eye colours create sexy, flirty eyes without a cakey and heavy residue.

I have learned since experimenting with mineral makeup that I am not as limited to one cheek colour as I used to believe. I was always fearful of certain tints of cheek colour, too pink I’m too childish and too deep a tone creates too harsh an appearance, right? Well Everyday Minerals sent me two very distinct colours and I was skeptical at first glance. Bollywood, a very pink hued number and Sprung which was a far deeper colour I feared would make me look severe. Of course a review must be based on trial! My concern was unfounded because I was surprised to discover I was pleased with the different looks these colours helped me to achieve. Sprung instead of making me look severe and harsh was dramatic , sophisticated, and seductive while Bollywood produced a fresh and youthful look.

Everyday Minerals cheek colour comes in a great stack able, pancake container with a revolving cover to help contain the powder so it does not spray out each time you remove the lid. Their packaging is simple and clean just like the makeup they contain!

Everyday Minerals offers a plethora of colour choices and also sells skincare. A great perk is Everyday Minerals’ Try me Free option and their Fan Club provides customers with great deals and promotions!

Treat your skin everyday with Everyday Minerals! Northern Mama readers will have a chance to adorn her cheeks with graceful layers of coral shimmer and win a full sized Everyday Minerals blush in Truly Tiger one of their newest spring collection colours!

To Enter:

Visit Everyday Minerals and tell me your favourite eye or cheek colour {Required}
non-bloggers please leave your email

Extra Entries:

Follow Northern Mama {Google}
Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
Subscribe via email
Follow on Twitter @ Northernmama35 and Tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave a link to your post}

Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes May 14th, 2010 midnight EST. Read giveaway rules for details.

Winner Congrats!!

2010-04-28T09:02:00.004-06:00

Harumika Winner:

Congratulations edmontonjb! You won a Harumika Starter Set.
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The Royale Renocation Winner:

A great win for silverneon2000. You will be receiving two $50 gift certificates you're going to love!!

Sorry I took a Hiatus this weekend!

2010-04-28T08:13:00.003-06:00

I know I;m behind and I know I've been away for a while but life happened! Last week I was substitute teaching more than usual, the weekend brought with it two days of dance competitions {my girls were great by the way, if I do say so myself}, then Monday it was the house showing from hell! Okay, maybe not hell because who knows they may still actually make an offer on the house {and yes I am knocking on wood as I type}.

Ever feel like you are trapped in a revolving door that won't stop spinning? That would seem to describe my state of mind. I have friends who had to wait what seemed like an eternity for their homes to sell so they could transfer for work but I obviously have less patience. Our house has been listed for a week with only one showing so far. We've known since the fall that we had a spring transfer so I suppose that makes it seem far longer.

A Monday night showing seemed ideal! We had to take my youngest to her dance lessons anyway and we thought we'd bring the dog and walk her while my daughter was in class, stop at the corner store for a treat and then leisurely drive home. I mean how long could they take? A half an hour at most? The showing was schedules for 7:00 pm and we arrived home around 7:45 only to find the vehicles still there so off we drove to the local school playground. The night had turned cold and unlike most days when the kids would have been thrilled to be on the playground they were all shivers and sat in the van to keep warm. To make an already long story short, The showing lasted until 8:45. An hour and 45 minutes {and no our house is not a huge estate}! We hoped this was a sign of extreme interest but when we heard nothing the next morning our hopes waned.

When we called our realtor to see if he could find our if there were comments he was in a meeting but took our call to tell us that they were keenly interested and he was expecting a call from their realtor within the next two days. These people are obviously not the jump into things type! Last night our realtor calls to say they are at least interested enough to ask about all the utility costs and to forward those on to his office. Again we heard nothing more but it seems these people can't do more than one thing per night so this could be it, tonight could be offer night, or maybe ....nothing! It's torturous knowing someone truly wants your house but is waffling. My fear is they will continue to prolong things by wanting a second showing and then make no offer!

When we returned home on Monday night I noticed the throw pillows on my couch had been tossed around it and the window seat cushion had been moved. I know they have a little one and I thought no harm done but the next day when working outside I realized they had tried opening the attic space of the garage. The opening was not entirely closed as it usually is and the dry wall cover had been cracked. One of my planters had also been dug up, the plants and dirt tossed back in! It was like the three bears coming home after Goldilocks' break-and-enter! Now, any of my friends will tell you that I am not an uptight individual and I have a very easy going personality typically but I was disturbed. I was disturbed not only by the unusually invasive nature of it all but by the fact that no one left a note perhaps to apologize for these damages {no matter how minor} and offer to pay for them if need be!

I have yet to say anything however because I can not afford to jeopardize the possibility of an eminent offer! I'm so afraid to hope for one....

Reserveage Winner

2010-04-28T07:10:00.002-06:00

Congratulations Huguette E! I will be emailing you soon!!

NIKKI

Barbara Coloroso knows "Kids Are Worth It!"

2010-04-24T09:52:00.004-06:00

When my husband and I became parents my mom offered advice only when asked. She knew it is often intimidating and stressful to be fed unsolicited advice which can sometimes seem like criticism. As new parents you can feel green, and knowing what decisions to make can be daunting. Parenting is not an easy path to navigate and there is no map but there are tools to help you orient yourself. My mom--who I am sure often bit her tongue knowing sometimes I needed to find my own compass--did offer us a useful tool. One day my husband and I received a parcel. Enclosed, Barbara Coloroso’s book “Kids are worth it!” with the inscription “Dear Angela and Tom, I hope this book will be a practical and useful guide as you begin the challenging task of raising children. Love Mom”

I suspect I am not the only one who has been graciously offered a copy of this #1 Bestseller over the last decade as Barbara Coloroso says:

"My parenting has come full circle. My children are raising their own children. Regularly I meet or hear from parents who received a well-worn copy of the first edition of "kids are worth it!" from their parents, sunts, uncles, friends or in some cases grandparents. These young parents' concerns were our concerns a generation ago--slightly different wrapping but the same substance."

Thanks to my sister and myself, my mom knows as well as any parent how challenging raising children can be and though my mom would never say she was a good parent I strongly believe she was and is. As a teacher her theory was the same as Barbara Coloroso’s, Kids are worth it, worth the challenge and the headaches! April 1st, 2010 this international bestseller is being released with a new introduction, updated copy, and a new vibrant cover for a new generation of parents!

In her book Coloroso describes three family philosophies: the rigid entirely parent controlled Brick-Wall family, the weak, unstructured jellyfish family, and the firm and structured yet flexible and functional backbone family. My parents were for the most part examples of those with Barbara Coloroso’s backbone parenting philosophy {although they occassionally reverted to the brick-wall philosophy in my younger years}. Especially in later years my parents learned that structure also requires flexibility, negotiation, and a sharing of control through mutual respect.

I am not a self-help book fan. I don’t tend to look to books as solutions for my own personal everyday situations and experiences, but practical guides offering solid advice and the wisdom-- only extensive experience can nurture--are a godsend when struggling with parenting issues. Over the years Barbara has been there for me as I surveyed “Kids are Worth It!” not for answers so much as guidelines, rules of thumb to help me govern my own parenting path, and for examples and anecdotes from a woman with a wealth of experience and knowledge.

From toilet training and bedtime, chores and sibling rivalry, to drug abuse issues and suicide Barbara Coloroso has shared her philosophies for well over thirty years. Demonstrating how to raise self-assured, responsible, and loving children by allowing children to make their own decisions whenever possible, by teaching them to take ownership of their feelings, problems, and natural consequences to progress toward self-discipline. Coloroso has a background in sociology, special education, philosophy and theology but most importantly she is also a teacher and a mother of three grown children herself. She has been there herself and then revisited there thousands of times over as she counseled others through their parenting nightmares and dilemmas.

Admittedly, as time has passed our copy of "Kids are worth it!" was relegated to a dusty bookcase and as I revisit it now I am again stashing it in my bedside table for reference! I now find myself flipping around the book nodding my head at familiar anecdotes and filing away tips and snippets I will be retrieving daily as new parenting experiences abound. First published in 1994 and republished by Penguin in 1999, Penguin is now republishing this enduring book again in 2010 proving Coloroso's strategies and philosophies timeless! I do not recommend parenting books lightly. I do recommend stashing this one in your bedside table for quick reference!

Barbara Coloroso does not believe there are parenting experts, she knows how individual an experience it can be but if anyone comes even close to being an expert she does! Kids are worth it! Promotes a parenting style, a style which acts proactively to prevent problems and provides parents with the tools to develop a backbone--a living, supportive yet flexible structure which holds a family together!

“The backbone family provides the consistency, firmness, and fairness as well as the calm and peaceful structure needed for children to flesh out their own sense of true self. Rather than being subjected to power expressed as control and growing up to control others, children are empowered and grow up to pass what they have learned of the potential of the human spirit on to others.” (Coloroso 1999: 51)

Northern Mama readers will have the opportunity to experience the parenting wisdom and advice of Barbara Coloroso ! Penguin Canada is giving away three copies here at Northern Mama!

To Enter:

Be a Northern Mama Follower or Facebook Fan

Extra Entries:

Subscribe via email
Grab my Button
Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave me a link to your post}
Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}

Open to Canadian residents. Giveaway closes May 8th, 2010 midnight EST. Read giveaway rules for details.

Winner of 2 Drop Guard Baby Bottles

2010-04-22T05:11:00.004-06:00

Congrats! Randa @ The Bewitchin' Kitchen! I will email you soon.

NIKKI

Winners! I have not forgotten you:)

2010-04-21T20:16:00.007-06:00

Alvin and the Chipettes DVD:

Congratulations to the Alvin and the Chipettes winners MissCrabbyPants and Gingermommy!!
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Crest and Oral-B Sensitivity Bundle:

Congratulations MissCrabbypants, you've won the Crest and Oral-B Sensitivity Bundle giveaway!!

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Chicken Soup for the Soul Nascar:

Tannie's Chatter, couponmom and Fredamans you have all won copies of Chicken Soup for the Soul Nascar! Congrats!

Sunlight Green Clean! ~ No Compromises!

2010-04-21T09:25:00.006-06:00

With three children actively wading through knee high puddles, sliding into base, and running the playground circuit--mud be damned--I struggle to find a green laundry detergent that meets all my needs. I have used many eco-friendly, green detergents over the last several years. Some have stood up well but others have fizzled under the pressure of meeting the challenges of my children! To be perfectly frank, I am a scent person. I love a fresh inviting scent. That waft of lavenders, citrus, or floral is the brightness in one's day of household drudgery. Sunlight Green Clean has proven that green doesn’t have to mean scentless and dull! And it has also proven what I’ve known for sometime now, green is effective and efficient!

I am a cold water washer! Whenever I know I can get away with washing in cold it is all I do. I know washing in cold saves energy which is both cost effective and environmentally responsible but finding a green cleaner that works well in cold water can be problematic. When I lifted my free review bottle of Sunlight from its box I was intrigued. Not only is it unbelievably concentrated, requiring very little detergent per load, but the bottle states it works in cold water! I was ecstatic! Upon opening the lid my olfactory sense was met with the awakening and fresh scent of citrus and I knew then that I would be won over…so long as Sunlight Green Clean could pass the ultimate test: cleaning the soiled clothing of my ragtag crew!

Sunlight Green Clean’s rays of light shone through my testing. My family's clothes came out clean and smelling fresh. It is amazing that such a tiny small bottle can literally handle the same 32 loads as the larger leading brand bottle of green detergent that currently sits alongside it on my laundry room shelf. No compromises! But don’t take just my word for it. Sunlight Green Clean was voted Best New Product of 2010 by Canadian Living Canadian Consumer polls! Why? Because consumers do not have to compromise clean clothes for a clean environment. Sunlight Green Clean uses plant-based ingredients, is chlorine free, and biodegradable. Using it in cold water makes this detergent more energy-efficient and--with less packaging and a cleaner production process--Sunlight is working to create the best eco-friendly product it can and the most effective.

Concern for the environment is not a new concept for Sunlight. In 2006 Sunlight launched Sunlight Small and Mighty as the first national three times concentrated laundry detergent. In 2007 Sunlight began the Sunlight Eco-Action Kids Awards to support the environmental contributions of young people to their communities. Sunlight has made a commitment to environment which allows individual consumers to do the same.

I love the scent, I love the clean, I love my environment friendly wash! And so can you! Get a $2.00 coupon from Sunlight but even better Sunlight would like one Canadian Northern Mama reader to receive a year supply of Sunlight Green Clean! WOW!To Enter:

Visit Sunlight Green Clean Kids and tell me one fact you learned about Sunlight's green campaign/products or tell me your nightmare laundry story. {Required}
non-bloggers remember to leave me your email address.

Extra Entries:

Be a Northern Mama Follower
Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
Subscribe via email
Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
Grab my Button
Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave me a link to your post}

Giveaway open to Canadians only {sorry company policy}! Giveaway closes May 6th 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Omega-3 Effervescent

2010-04-19T14:50:00.002-06:00

It can be hard with our busy lifestyles to eat all of the foods we need to be healthy. One of the hardest foods for me and my family to find the time to eat is fish! For one thing, my kids don't like it, and for another, it can be very expensive and time consuming to make. Perhaps that is why my grandmother always took her cod liver oil capsules. I can remember as a child trying these horrible tasting pills. The taste would continue to come back up into my throat hours after having swallowed them. "YUCK" I didn't realize it then, but now I know that Cod Liver Oil contains omega-3 Fatty Acids that are extremely important to my health.

Our bodies can not make Omega-3 fatty acids on it's own. They need to be consumed and there are very few sources we can get them from: cold water fish, some nuts, olive oil, beans, green leafy vegetables, and flaxseed. As you can imagine most of us do not get the necessary amounts of omega -3 fatty acids in our diets and therefore should be supplemented. (Effervescents are an effective way to take supplements as studies show that they are more quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and are not as hard on the stomach as pills.) The health benefits from these include but are not limited to the following:

heart support (may help lower blood pressure and triglycerides)

memory and brain support

bone and joint support

supports vision

They are also an anti-inflammatory and may therefore reduce inflammation and inflammatory diseases.

Since it is hard to get Omega-3's in my diet and I do not like taking Cod Liver Oil Capsules, The Vitamin Shoppe agreed to let me try Nordic Naturals, Omega-3 Effervescent supplement also referred to as "Fish Soda". It is a powder that you mix with 4-8 ounces of water to drink. I admit I was very skeptical at first, that is until I tried it! I was afraid that it would smell and taste like those cod liver oil capsules of my childhood, but it didn't. My husband and I both really enjoyed the creamy orange flavor!

The Vitamin Shoppe would like to give 5 Northern Mama Readers a chance to try out Nordic Naturals, Omega-3 effervescent supplement! (2-3 individual serving packets)

To Enter:

Simply tell me what your favorite fish is! ( please remember to leave a way to be contacted if you are not a blogger)

Extra Entries:

Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
Subscribe via email
Follow via Goggle

(Give Away open to Canadian and American Residents only. Give Away closes May 3, 2010, 12pm EST) Read Give Away rules for details.

Review By Nikki

Veggie Tales Winner!

2010-04-19T10:18:00.002-06:00

Congrats to our Veggie Tales Pistachio winner Pixie13!!

Nick Jr. Characters Go Green!

2010-04-18T14:14:00.005-06:00

Earth Day is fast approaching and though more and more adults and older children alike may already have plans for green acts and may finally be comprehending the significance of not only this day but the environmental impact of every day of the year, we need to also understand the importance of teaching youth children as early as possible the way to live a earth-friendly, green lifestyle.

Nickelodeon strives to help the parents of preschoolers with this momentous endeavour by bringing favourite Nick Jr. characters together in a green themed, Earth Day inspired DVD complete with eco-friendly packaging and over two hours of environment oriented episodes. Released March 30th Go Green! includes the ever environmentally vigilant Dora and her cousin Diego, the lovable Wonder Pets, as well as Yo Gabba Gabba, Blue's Clues abd Ni Hao, Kia-lan. Action packed and diverse the episodes on this DVD cover environmental topics from saving endangered animals to trees and learning how to care for plants and animals to recycling and reusing unwanted things.

Episodes You'll find on Go Green!:

Dora the Explorer Bugga Bugga~ Dora and Boots discover Mama Bugga Bugga struggling to bring home a giant cookie to her 10 bugga bugga babies. Can Mama Bugga Bugga make it home passed bug eating flowers and lurking spiders in a maze of spider webs, with the help of Dora and Boots?

Though this would not be my first choice of Dora episode for Go Green! it does explore difficult survival and the intricacies of ecosystems to some extent.

Go, Diego, Go! Manatee's Mermaid Rescue!~ A storybook adventure, this Diego episode finds Manatee and Diego delving into a fairy tale Mermaid city rescuing mermaids and the city itself. An allegory for the true reality of endangered manatees and the destruction of environment. The clever play on the manatees' similarity to the imaginary mermaid was a hit with my youngest!

The Wonder Pets! Save the Tree/Save the Elephant~ The Wonder Pets get a call to save a lonely tree alone in a city lot and an elephant in Kenya stuck in the mud.

Yo Gabba Gabba! Green~The Gabba Gang go green learning to care for the plants and animals and clean up the world around them. Lessons in recycling, picking up trash and refraining from littering are taught through featured songs.

Blue's Clues: What Does Blue Want to Make out of Recycled Things?~ Blue has a great idea when he and Steve are cleaning. Steve begins throwing things away but Blue knows the value of reusing old things and soon viewers are playing Blue's Clues as they sort recycling, choose projects to make and visit Recycle Town.

Ni Hao, Kai-lan~The Place Where We All Live~ Kai-lan and her friends learn the world is a place where we all must live together. After littering they discover their thoughtlessness has caused a big problem for others. The ants, worms, and snails building a fruit stand in ant city are hindered by trash. Who will clean it all up? Your kids can help Kai-lan and her friends!

It is important for children to Understand their part in creating a healthy environment and this DVD is a great start! In honour of Earth Day Northern Mama is giving away a copy of this Go Green DVD!
To Enter:

Be a Northern Mama Follower or Facebook Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

Subscribe via email
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Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes May 3, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

City of Night Winner!

2010-04-16T18:59:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Michelle B. ! Michelle B. has won a copy of City of Night! I will contact you this weekend for your info.

Swan Thieves Winners!

2010-04-16T18:39:00.003-06:00

Belated posted winners! Sorry, I've been a bit behind posting the winners but there are many!

The five Swan Thieves winners are...Marilyn (A Lot of Loves), Kelsey, edmontonjb, Tannie's Chatter and because number 24 was a repeat I also randomly selected #44 Debbie!

Congrats and I will be contacting you this weekend via email.

Blast into Spring ~ Green Blaster!

2010-04-16T08:30:00.000-06:00

Spring in my neck of the woods has sprung and then "un-sprung"! A week ago I was blogging at my deck table about the return of geese from their winter sojourn and yesterday I was staring out the window with chagrin at the flurry of snow I beheld. I'm not letting the tentative nature of early spring dampen my Spring spirit. The comforting renewal of spring cleaning is a nesting instinct many of us experience. The refreshing de-cluttering and the scrubbing, polishing, and shining of surfaces to a high sparkle can mark the commencing spring. Before the sprouting of green shoots from the flowerbeds, before the greening of the grass clean and green your home in preparation for spring with Green Blaster products!

As the name implies Green Blaster products are ecologically friendly, safe for your whole family and blast grime with surprising power. Without bleach, harsh chemicals, oxidizers, and toxic fumes Green Blaster harnesses the power of nature cleaning with non-toxic, all-natural enzymes! I am a strong believer in green cleaning products and though you can take the time to mix your own everyday ingredients, vinegar, baking soda and the like are not always the most effective nor the most pleasantly scented. I have tried various department store green brands. Some are effective, some less than aggressive on dirt, grease and grime. I find the lack of scent in some disappointing.

Green Blaster Minty Bathroom Cleaner was truly aggressive and--bonus--it smells delightfully minty without the nasal insult of strong chemical scents. I felt entirely satisfied! Spring cleaning this year has taken on a whole new dimension as we prepare our home for sale. Cleaning for house showings is an essential and my large 1 quart reusable spray bottle of Green Blaster Bathroom Cleaner is quickly dwindling because I am constantly reaching for it to clean every surface! This product is so versatile you can even use it on windows and mirrors, from glass to tile this green cleanser tackles it all. I was impressed from the first spray! I found Green Blaster left less streaks on mirrors and windows and it worked in my frustratingly difficult to clean shower better than most {of course I don’t think anything tackles our shower without combining it with a great deal of elbow grease}.

The second product Green Blaster sent me free to try was a quart of All Natural Stain & Spot Remover. I have tested using this on a mattress stain, small stains on two throw pillows and on my couch. Now I don’t tend to trust most spot cleaners/stain removers. I have often encountered one of two results. Either the stain remover just doesn’t work at all or it leaves a terrible “bleached” area where a stain once was. Green Blaster All Natural Stain & Spot Remover was actually more effective than I anticipated. It removed my pillow and couch stains with ease. As for the very stubborn mattress stain, All Natural Stain & Spot Remover managed to minimize it--though not completely remove it--better than the harsh chemical laden stain removers I had tried previously. I have a feeling with a few more applications the stain may dwindle even farther. As with other stain removers the company suggests you spot check first for colourfastness but I experienced no issues. It’s simple to use and can be used on virtually any surface from fabric to stone!

Green Blaster carries a multitude of cleaning products from $7.99. The quart sprayers are $9.99 and these large bottles really last!

Eager to give Green Blaster a go? One Northern Mama reader will receive their choice of $15 worth of Green Blaster products.
To Enter:

Visit Green Blaster and tell me which product you would be interested in and why. {Required}
non-bloggers leave your email address with your comment.

Extra Entries:

Follow Northern Mama {Google}
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Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes April 29, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Winner of Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right!

2010-04-14T06:28:00.003-06:00

Congratulations Matt, Kara, Hunter, and Cavan! I hope you enjoy this wonderful book!
Nikki! I will email you soon for your information.

ReserveAge Organics Youthful Vitality Give Away and Review

2010-04-13T10:10:00.001-06:00

" Anti-Aging's biggest breakthrough"

Do you want to turn back the clock and be younger again? Although this is not possible, as we are all destined to get older, scientists and doctors now believe that we can slow down this aging bus we are all on with Resveratrol. It is said to have anti-aging properties, a hot subject that has been in the media for some time now. You've seen it on such shows as Oprah, 60 min's, CNN, Fox news, and read about it in the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine, to name a few.

For those of you that do not know what Resveratrol is I will tell you: it is a polyphenol(antioxidant) that can be found in the skin, seeds, and stems of grapes. It is this part of Red Wine that improves cellular function and longevity. It is also what is believed to be the answer to the French Paradox (the fact that the French have low levels of heart disease despite the fact that their diets are high in fat).

While most of us know that antioxidants are important to our health many of us do not know why. Antioxidants are molecules that slow down or prevent oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation can cause free radicals that damage cells, the antioxidants prevent this from happening and can therefore help to prevent heart disease, visible signs of aging (like wrinkles), and a deteriorated immune system. They can also help increase energy levels, and can aid us in weight loss.

Reserveage Organics uses Resveratrol and Trans-Resveratrol ( the active, potent form of Resveratrol )in their products providing the benefits associated with antioxidants. However, Trans-Resveratrol is the only antioxidant that can trigger the SIRT1 'longevity gene.' This is the gene that defends us against age related problems and diseases.

There are a multitude of Resveratol products on the market and it makes it very confusing to decide which ones to buy. They range in not only price but quantity and quality as well. Not all Resveratrol products are the same and if you don't read the fine print you may find out that what you bought is not what you thought it was. With Reserveage you know what you are getting: A certified organic product grown in a southern France certified organic vineyard. (Organic foods contain up to 40% more antioxidants than non-organic). Reserveage also guarantees that all of their Resveratrol products provide the clinically recommended dosage of bioactive trans-Resveratrol. Reserveage is a green company committed to the environment, using vegetable based inks to print on recyclable material. They are also cruelty and animal- testing free, using vegetarian capsules.

So with this information in mind I recently tried out 2 of Reserveage products, Resveratrol 250mg, and Collagen Booster (with hyaluronic acid and resveratrol).

Resveratrol 250mg is designed at the optimal potency levels and gives it's users the most benefits and protection that any antioxidant can provide. Who could benefit from taking this? Well, quite frankly, anyone! Both men and women alike can reap the benefits ranging from improving cardiovascular health, reducing blood sugar levels, to supporting eye and brain function. And, as we all know, if your body if functioning at its optimized levels and we are healthy then we feel younger and live longer naturally.

Resveratrol 250..." helps to fortify your cellular structure and works to turn back the clock on your appearance." ...It is... "Your ultimate defense against premature aging, Resveratrol 250 helps you harness the health benefits of red wine without the adverse effects."

The collagen booster has both Resveratrol and Hyaluronic Acid. It is designed to help boost your collagen production as it unfortunately declines in our bodies as we age. It may help to reduce the visible signs of aging such as rough, wrinkled, sagging skin, by both moisturizing and increasing our skin's elasticity and firmness. I would imagine that women everywhere could benefit by using this product.

"To encourage collagen production, BioCell Collagen II, a triad of real collagen protein, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate, are included to reveal soft, smooth, silky skin."

Although I do not believe in a miracle, fountain of youth, pill. (Because if one existed everyone would want it and not many of us would be able to afford it, I'm sure!) I do believe that these products have multiple health benefits! I have only been taking these products for 2 weeks and I have already noticed an increase in my energy levels and feel that my skin is both moister and softer than usual. Above all I have faith that the Resveratol in the products is working behind the scenes in my body to promote a healthier me! Who knows, maybe I will live longer?
*(All quotes were taken from pamphlets distributed to me from Reserveage Organics)

Reserveage Organics wants to give one Northern Mama reader a chance to look and feel younger again by winning a package from them worth approximately $200.00. The giveaway package will include 4 bottles of supplements containing the well publicised Resveratrol. ( Resveratrol 100mg, Resveratrol 250mg, Resveratrol 500mg and Collagen Booster). In addition, you will receive a bottle of wine from their Vineyard!

To enter: visit Reserveage Organics web site and tell me something you learned about their products that I did not mention in my review. (REQUIRED)

Extra Entries:

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Give away open to Canadian and American Residents only. Give away closes April 27, 2010, 12pm EST. See Give away rules for details.

Review By Nikki (I received both of these products to review for free from Reserveage)

The Backyardigans Escape from the Tower~ Now Available!

2010-04-12T22:32:00.001-06:00

The Backyardigans has been a favourite in our family! It was the Snow Fort episode with Mountie Tyrone that truly drew me in as a fan. What Canadian can resist a moose dressed as a Mountie, guarding a fort comprised of snow blocks, singing “I’m a Mountie and I’m marching threw the snow, I’m a Mountie to the Yukon I must go…”? No one loves Canadian stereotypes more than Canadians themselves and the Backyardigans creators are no exception to the rule.

Now those adorable singing critters have come to DVD in The Backyardigans Escape from the Tower. March 30th Paramount Home entertainment released this DVD filled with the imaginary backyard adventures of these five outrageously adorable kids. Like all kids The Backyardigans are expert practitioners in the use of imagination from Magical mirrors and prison towers to sock factories and intergalactic odysseys The Backyardigans stretch their imaginary muscles to the out limits.

My children loved the catchy tunes and the clever and creative adventures which featured Early 60’s Girl Group music, Bhangra, and Mariachi. The Backyardigans are the perfect introduction for youngsters to the unique sounds of various music genres and their choreographed movements are phenomenal! You can expect high quality animation, well orchestrated plot lines and music which will soon have everyone toe tapping and singing along!

Break Out!~ Move over Supremes Princesses Uniqua and Tasha plan an elaborate escape from their prison tower! Tower Guards Pablo and Tyrone desperately give chase but sister-power, the help of a magic mirror, and some phenomenal rocket slippers make the princesses unstoppable and if you can’t beat them you might as well join them, right?

For The Love of Socks~ Ever wonder where socks come from? They may not all be made overseas but you’d think they are all being made in India or Pakistan. The Backyardigans enjoy making socks at the world’s sock factory while expressing themselves with a little Bhangra--Punjabi folk music. Feeling a little Bollywood? Join the Backyardigans as they venture to save socks for all humanity!!

Los Galacticos~ A Galactic Mariachi band? Only Backyardigans could imagine this out of this world, Mexican inspired musical extravaganza. The Los Galacticos Mariachi band accidentally blasts off into outer space and encounter marauding gooey aliens. An unforgettable intergalactic mission to save the earth!

Honestly, I am not a huge children’s programming enthusiast. I watch typically only to appease my children but I can without word of a lie say I thoroughly enjoy The Backyardigans. My children and I can truly enjoy family viewing at it’s finest with Nickelodeon’s Backyardigan adventures. As a bonus this DVD also includes a music filled, choreographed Dance-along The Fresh Beat Band episode Rock the Luau!

I recommend wholeheartedly The Backyardigans Escape From the Tower on DVD now!

Word Girl: Earth Day Girl DVD

2010-04-12T22:15:00.004-06:00

You will see a theme this month as I review and giveaway DVDs dedicated to the tenets of Earth Day! Modeled in the tradition of classic superhero cartoons Word Girl is a hero kids can relate to! Word Girl is a young girl with clever ideas to change the world for the better, fighting seemingly everyday villains. Why Word Girl? Because this PBS character not only saves the world from dastardly scoundrels but introduces vocabulary words, reinforcing their meanings in the context of comic-book-like animated adventures.

Word Girl: Earth Day Girl will remind parents of the superhero adventures of their youth complete with a soundtrack which will seem unbelievably familiar. Suggestive of an educational and much younger “Wonder Woman” Word Girl presents explanations of quite advanced vocabulary in a way children will be bound to remember with the help of course of the ever present sidekick Captain Huggy Face. This has been our first encounter with Word Girl. I have always been a firm believer in using high vocabulary when speaking to my children rather than “dumbing things down”. People are amazed my the vocabulary of my children which is the simple result of my husband and I using the very same method Word Girl employs--Use the word and then reinforce by defining the word or following the use of the word with other familiar words which have the same meaning. This may sound complex but is really simple!

Word Girl: Earth Day Girl features 8 exciting and goofy episodes in which Word Girl and monkey sidekick Captain Huggy Face encounter quirky villains. I found it ironic that the villains were as mundane as a young birthday girl, a sandwich making guy, a kid named Tobey, and the butcher. The spoof-like quality of these episodes promoted the odd chuckle from my husband and I. My children found this DVD intriguing and were attentive to the content and story line but I believe toddlers would not be drawn in and may become bored. I’d recommend this DVD to children ages 6-10. Word Girl’s superhero story lines appealed to my nine year old son and the slap stick antics kept my 5 and 7 year old daughters in their seats. I was just pleased by the educational quality! 16 new vocabulary words are presented on this DVD words like recycle, guarantee, coincidence, motivate, and even perplexed!

Earth Day Girl~ Buried in Bubble wrap and other excessive packaging Word Girl decides it is time to take action and plans the perfect Earth Day event. Unfortunately, the self involved and greedy Birthday Girl threatens to destroy the day and the earth in one fell swoop!

Mr. Big~ Mr. Big, the mysterious man, is preparing to carry out a mysterious plan--The Thing!! A little vague?? Word Girl fights the vague “Thing” which seems mysteriously to have everyone obsessed. Can Word Girl convince a brainwashed public that the vagueness of the Thing n=must be fought with specifics?

Lady Redundant Woman~ Fight redundancy with Word Girl and Captain Huggy Face! When an everyday copy store employee merges with a photocopier she becomes super villain Lady Redundant Woman. Will the multiple Lady Redundants take over the copy store from manager Dave? Not if Word Girl can help it!

Also enjoy You Can’t Crush City Hall, Two-Brain Highway, Jerky Jerk, Tobey or Consequences, and Coupon Madness! And don’t forget the cool special features: Interactive Games, Parent Information and even Colouring Pages.

In honour of Earth Day we have two copies of Word Girl: Earth Day Girl up for grabs! Word Girl “Fighting for truth, justice, and use of the right words”!
To Enter:

Be a Northern Mama Follower {Google} or a Northern Mama Facebook Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

Subscribe via email
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Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {Please leave a link to your post}

Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes May1st, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Review conducted as per my I Disclose Policy.

Iams Winners!

2010-04-12T20:58:00.002-06:00

Number 13 is Miss Crabby Pants! And number 27 is Tannie's Chatter! Congrats!

Winner of the Bob Greene DVD!!

2010-04-09T22:41:00.002-06:00

Congratulations Debbie! You won the Bob Greene Workout DVD Nikki reviewed so thoroughly:)
Hope you love it! Emailing you now.

Lone Star Legend by Gwendolyn Zepeda ~ A Blogger's Cautionary Tale!

2010-04-09T09:27:00.005-06:00

Blogging is a bizarre culture, an online world in which strangers are friends and confidants and one begins to feel aggrandized by perhaps fictitious or undeserved fame. It’s a precarious world of broadcasting secrets and personal anecdotes with a false sense of privacy and it became Gwendolyn Zepeda’s source of inspiration for her novel Lone Star Legend. Sandy S.-- Gwendolyn Zepeda’s young, self-involved protagonist--is a struggling Latino writer for an online magazine, living in her own apartment located in her mother’s converted garage! A job, an apartment, a gorgeous boyfriend who is less than perfect, and now a new vivacious and hard-nosed boss who will turn Sandy’s world upside down, what more could a girl ask for??

Sandy soon goes from writing at a small news blog, writing her own personal blog of gripes, and a little contract technical writing on the side to a corporate takeover which finds her writing for a popular trash-talking blog conglomerate, and even starring in a cable television show. But is fame all it is cracked up to be? And how much integrity is Sandy S. willing to forfeit? A chance meeting with the elderly hermit Tio Jaime soon has Sandy’s page views skyrocketing but she learns quickly to take Tio Jaime’s sage advice herself and trade fame for authenticity!

Zepeda writes chick lit with a voice so authentic it ties you emotionally to her characters. A light read yet full of life’s little lessons, Lone Star Legend presents as a folk tale for our times. Fresh and modern but peppered with the morays of Latino culture this is a particularly great leisure read for bloggers! Delightful to indulge in and the perfect scoop up paperback, Gwendolyn Zepeda’s Lone Star Legend is a contemporary tale of morality in a world of frivolity and fluff. It is the story of one woman’s self-discovery and hard-knock transition into adulthood.

Enjoyable, honest, and humorous Lone Star Legend will be a great addition to the bookshelves of at least five Northern Mama readers! Yes, Hachette Book Group is giving away 5 copies here!
To Enter:

Be a Northern Mama Follower {Google} or a Northern Mama Facebook Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

Subscribe via email
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Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes April 24, 2010 midnight EST. For further details read the Giveaway Rules.

If fashion is Your Passion Harumika!!

2010-04-08T09:55:00.002-06:00

This may seem quirky but I remember a very similar toy from my childhood so when I came across Harumika not only did it resonate with me but I was excited to introduce it to my daughters Emma, 7 and Bronwynn, 5! Fashion is an artistic form of expression that is constantly evolving, changing, and repeating and not only do adults choose to define themselves with their own authentic styles but as the eras pass children are becoming more and more involved in their creative fashion trends and choices! This can be frustrating for some parents but for others who view this as creative and artistic expression it can be exciting and inspiring.

Harumika lets your child's passion for fashion take on a new creative twist. Requiring no sewing my daughters quickly developed a skilled hand at using a stylus tool to snugly tuck fabric ends into a slotted dress form mannequin. Using their Harumika Starter Kits, my daughters have developed their own amazing sense of colour and pattern combination, draping and layering techniques and even accessorizing. Harumika is recommended for ages 6 and up and though I am just now teaching my daughters basic hand sewing Harumika allows my little non-seamstresses the ability to design and create without hindrance. The Harumika starter kit includes a Harumika dress form and stylus design tool, signature fabrics, fashion accessories, a rhinestone sheet and fashion stickers to make fashion designing easy and fun.
My daughters started by using one piece of fabric to create a basic uniform dress but it wasn't long before they were layering various fabrics, adding lace scarves and belts and embellishing their designs with stickers! I was astounded by how long this kept them entertained and even my son and a friend of his became interested in trying their hands at a little design magic {sh...don't let it get out to the rest of the neighbourhood boys}!

Feast your eyes on a runway of pieces from my daughters' spring collection!

My children are now begging me to take them to Toys R Us or Zellers to purchase more Harumika collections and you can beg me to get a Harumika set out to my readers....Okay, okay you win! Harumika is offering a Harumika Starter Kit to a lucky fashion forward, Canadian Northern Mama reader!
To Enter:

Visit Harumika and and tell me from either watching the video or reviewing the products what one of the sets/products available is.

{Required}

Non-bloggers remember to leave me your email!

Extra Entries:

Be a Northern Mama Follower {Google}
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Giveaway open to Canadian residents only!! {sorry folks} Giveaway closes April 22, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Vital Earth Winner!

2010-04-07T18:21:00.002-06:00

Congrats to Misfit Momma aka Missy who won the Vital Earth Traditions Sugar Scrub and Bitch Balance Butter!

Words To Sweat By WINNER!

2010-04-07T16:46:00.002-06:00

Congratulations Jen Michouris, you are the lucky winner of 2 workout towels. I will e-mail you soon to get your mailing information.

NIKKI

Drop Guard Baby Bottles Review and Give Away

2010-04-07T07:25:00.021-06:00

There are always so many decisions to make when you have a baby, from what car seat to buy to what clothes they will wear. One simple question turns into a web of smaller questions we need to ask ourselves to make that decision. What type of diaper should you use, cloth or disposable?and if it is disposable what brand do I choose? Do I breast feed or bottle feed? If you choose to bottle feed what type of bottle do you get, plastic or glass? There are many things we take into consideration when we make these important decisions. If your decision is to use a bottle for your infant or toddler then Drop Guard Baby Bottles are the next choice you should make.

Firstly, these bottles are made of glass (non-toxic, BPA Free, and recyclable), which we all know is better for the environment than plastic. Secondly, they are covered with a silicone sleeve that makes it a lot easier to hold and less likely to drop out of your hand or your toddlers. The best part about this silicone sleeve is that it protects the glass bottle from impact. You can smash this bottle on the floor all you want and the bottle will not shatter or leak fluid. When the bottle breaks the silicone sleeve contains all of the glass and liquid, thereby protecting your baby or toddler from cutting themselves on a broken bottle. Last, but not least, this bottle is dishwasher and microwave safe, and provides thermal insulation.

Drop Guard bottles come in 2 sizes (4 ounce and 8 ounce), and are available in 4 different colors (Blue, clear, pink, and yellow). Finally,Drop Guard bottles are not that hard on the pocket book for the piece of mind that they provide. The 4 ounce bottles are $11.49, while the 8 ounce bottles are only $12.99. A small price to pay for a top quality, innovative, shatterproof bottle for the one you love most in your life!

I will be sending my Drop Guard Baby Bottle to my new beautiful baby Niece.

Sandy, at Envirobottles, would like to give a Northern Mama reader 2 Drop Guard bottles (1-4 ounce and 1-8 ounce).

To Enter: Visit Envirobottles Web Site and tell me what other product you would like to have. (Required)

Extra Entries:
Be a northern Mama Facebook Fan
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Follow on Twitter @northernmama35 and tweet about this give away 1x daily.

Give away open to Canadian and American Residents only. Give away closes on April 21, 2010, midnight EST. Read Give Away Rules for details.

NIKKI

Be Gentle, I'm Sensitive~Crest and Oral-B Sensitivity Bundle

2010-04-06T21:16:00.010-06:00

Alright, in the interest of full disclosure I am sensitive, probably over sensitive. And being sensitive and passive is--I can vouch for it--a terribly stressful combination in an individual. My sensitive nature causes me to analyse everything, gauging what people say, their reactions to me. I drive myself crazy mulling over, and analyzing the minutia of life, deliberating the "what ifs" . My sensitivities extend beyond the emotional however, sensitive skin, and sensitive teeth and gums, what’s a gal to do?

Crest and Oral B decided to give me a little help with my glaring sensitivities by sending me a bundle of products they knew I could use!

Ever been to the dentist and heart wrenchingly listened to him tell you things like, “you have very delicate gums which therefore recede from the teeth if brushed too hard.” or “your gums are bleeding when I floss them you must not floss enough” after he have unfeelingly wrenched a heavy thread of rough floss with gale force into the tight spaces between your teeth? “Be gentle with me!” you want to respond…if only you could speak with your mouth fully extended, stretched to unnatural limits!

Crest and Oral-B are listening! They’ve heard your incomprehensible, garbled plea and translated it into great products for sensitive gums and teeth. Crest and Oral-B have done their research. Their creators at Proctor and Gamble know that 60% of Canadians suffer from some degree of tooth sensitivity. Crest and Oral-B have surpassed the idea of toothpaste for sensitive teeth alone and have created a group of products for overall oral care for those with sensitivities featuring: Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield Toothpaste, Crest Pro-Health floss for sensitive Gums, the Oral-B Advantage toothbrush, and Oral-B Vitality Sensitive Rechargeable power toothbrush.

Crest and Oral-B treated me to this free bundle of care and threw in a few amazing extras like Olay Total Effects for Sensitive skin, and Tide Free liquid laundry detergent perfect for warding off all those skin sensitivities as well as a book for sensitive “Drama Queens” {who me?}, “Don’t Call Me a Drama Queen!” by Dr. Debra Mandel

Crest Pro-Health Sensitive shield Toothpaste contains something called stannous fluoride, the secret ingredient to protecting teeth from sensitivity and the use of this toothpaste builds increasing protection against the pain of sensitive teeth. It really works!! Now enjoy the extremes, hot tea, or cold ice cream as you should.

Just make sure you apply this toothpaste to the gentle Comfort clean bristles of the Oral-B Advantage manual toothbrush or even better the Oral-B Vitality Sensitive rechargeable power brush which includes a timer for the dentist recommended two-minute brushing and for even better plaque removable. I loved the soft bristles because my gums are very “delicate” as described by my dental hygienist. The soft bristles are a must for me and I actually do find a power brush the best way to cut back on plaque build up!

Finally, as we have all been told time and time again floss, floss, floss! But now you can floss while being gentle on your gums with the silky smooth strands of Crest Glide Pro-Health Floss for Sensitive Gums. My teeth fit quite tightly together yet the Crest glide floss slides comfortably between them!

Now a Northern Mama reader will be the lucky winner of a Crest bundle of their own including Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield Toothpaste, Crest Glide Pro-Health Floss and the Oral-B Vitality Sensitive toothbrush. As an added bonus I am throwing in a copy of “Don’t Call Me a Drama Queen!: A Guide for the Overly Sensitive and Their Significant Others Who Need to Learn How to Lighten Up and Go with the Flow” by Dr. Debra Mandel.
To Enter:

Tell me about your sensitivities! {Required}
non-bloggers please remember to leave your email

Extra Entries:

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Giveaway open to Canadian residents. Giveaway closes April 20th, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details. As stated in my I disclose policy I receive free products to test for my reviews!

Sensations of Spring!

2010-04-06T19:26:00.008-06:00

Here I sit at my on my deck on the first real warm evening of a Saskatchewan spring. We are lucky the temperatures are above seasonal today and though I wrap my sweater around me as the sun slowly dips and wanes I feel the sensation of spring. The sensation of spring is far beyond an rejuvenating feeling brought on by an internal clock. Tonight it takes on the more tangible, it is made real by one of the most amazing sights any Canadian can experience. The wild blue of a cooling evening sky is crowded to bursting with Canada geese by the thousands, perhaps the tens of thousands.

I am a Canadian. I have welcomed the geese and relished their return home year after year but never have I so entirely been immersed in the experience, so emotionally uplifted by the repeating waves of V-formations, nature's perfect patterning until tonight. Their incessant, and jubilant honking created a fervor within me, a sense of well being heralding the coming of spring and its renewal!

Today was a difficult one but the sensation of spring has renewed my faith in tomorrow!

A Great Offer From Words To Sweat By

2010-04-06T14:52:00.004-06:00

Dana, at Words To Sweat By, is happy to offer Northern Mama readers a 15% discount off her workout towels. The coupon code is " northernmama" and the code is good until April 16. The towels are only $8.00 (prior to the discount) plus shipping and would make a great gift for anyone in your life this spring season.

NIKKI

Chicken Soup for the Soul - NASCAR!

2010-04-04T15:19:00.007-06:00

This Chicken Soup book, Chicken Soup for the Soul-Nascar, is loaded with "101 Stories of Family, Fortitude and Fast Cars".

The 101 stories are sub-divided into 12 different themes which include Lessons Learned, Behind and Beyond, the Wheel, Behind the Billboards and The Secrets of Success.

There are stories from a variety of sources, many of which are embedded directly in the Nascar scene. There is a whole chapter dedicated to Dale Earnhardt, as well as personal stories by Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Labonte, Buddy Baker and Kerry Earnhardt just to name a few. Not only are car driver's represented, but also stories from sports journalists, as well as track employees to give you another perspective!

Myself, I am not a race car fan, let-alone a Nascar follower. Many names flew over my head, and did not have a great deal of meaning to me. That being said, I can see where those who are faithful to the Sunday circuit of races would really enjoy this book and who doesn't know the Earnhardt legacy?? Angela believes this will be the perfect Father's Day gift for her dad! He is a mechanic and has always been into cars. He isn't a religious Nascar fan but does follow the races and the cars he so loves!

Darrell Waltrip wrote the forward and also says: "We're a family sport. What I'm talking about is the garage area, the camaraderie and the respect that we all have for each other. Every driver is a role model and that is what makes our sport great." These values are shared on many levels with the submissions included in this collection.

If you have a Nascar faithful in you family, Chicken Soup for the Soul has kindly allowed Northern Mama to give away 3 copies!!!

To Enter:

Be a Northern Mama Follower {Google} OR a Northern Mama Facebook Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

Subscribe via email
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Giveaway open to Canadian and United States residents only. Giveaway closes April 17th, 2010, midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

TOM

Alvin and The Chipmunks are Back!! Alvin and the Chipettes in Cinderella,Cinderella Now on DVD

2010-04-04T14:59:00.005-06:00

Do, Do, DoDoDoDo....we're the chipmunks...

yes, a sound reminiscent of the 1980s {well that marked their come back anyway}. A decade many of us try to forget but can't help but hearken back to and maybe even sing along to! The '80s a decade of unique rock/pop antics, big hair, and relatively substantial prosperity. Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Chipettes were the perfect refection of an era of outrageous fashion and rock and roll overload and now that children of the '80s are the parents of today imagine the surprising pleasure of sharing the "classics" with a new generation.

Alvin and the Chipettes in Cinderella, Cinderella brings a true classic to life in '80s cartoon classic fashion. Self-indulgent Chipette, Brittany, becomes fed up with responsibilities and fancies herself a modern day Cinderella. Her daydreams find Brittany the central character of a famous fairy tale complete with the fairy Godmunk and a handsome Prince Charming with a strong resemblance to you know who...that famous chipmunk, Alvin.

After the latest computer generated Chipmunk movies came out in theatres, our children discovered the chipmunks. A little glitzier, a little more real than cartoon I wondered how the old cartoons would compare in their eyes. With superfluous Alvin and Brittany and their personal counterparts, the musical numbers and the parodies of stories from tv, movies and fairy tales the classic '80s chipmunks actually entertained my modern gaggle of children ages 5-9.

I found it humourous that Alvie's Angels, a parody of '80s television's "Charlie's Angels", and The Brunch Club {sound somewhat familiar? If you said "The Breakfast Club" you could be showing your age!!} actually resonated with my children despite their lack of '80s pop culture knowledge. To them these stories are original and new! Funny how old is thought to be innovative, ignorance can be bliss in just such circumstances. My favourite the small Indiana Jones reference segment in Alvie's Angels and the "Eye-of-the-Tiger"-ish song "The Beast of the Jungle"...okay I am definitely showing my age and oh how I hate to admit my "child of the '80s" status.

Three episodes:

~Cinderella, Cinderella

~Alvie's Angels

~The Brunch Club

Running Time: 66 Minutes

Paramount Home Entertainment

If your children are newly discovering Alvin and his delightful band of Chipmunks and Chipettes or you, like me are a child of the 1980s harbouring a secret yearning for the good ole days {well the ole days anyhow} Alvin and the Chipettes Cinderella, Cinderella and other recent DVD releases of favourite Alvin and the Chipmunks episodes are a great addition to any collection!

Win one of two copies being given away here at Northern Mama!

To Enter:

Be a Northern Mama Follower OR Facebook Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

Subscribe via Email
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Tell me something you remember about the '80s or know about it if you're not "old like me" {just for fun I thought i'd throw this in}

Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes April 18th, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

A New Veggie Tale ~ Veggietales Pistachio: The Little Boy That Wouldn't DVD

2010-04-02T18:10:00.004-06:00

I wonder if the creators of VeggieTales realized how popular bright talking vegetables portraying healthy relationships and life lessons could possibly become! A truly healthy lesson in listening to your parents is brought to you by the vegetables kids would rather watch than eat!

VeggieTales Pistachio: The Little Boy that Wouldn't, in true VeggieTale form, combines delightfully bright, eye-popping animation with important life lessons for children and humourous puns, word play, and spoofs parents can snicker at. Pistachio--more than reminiscent of another infamous wooden boy--struggles with a bit of a behaviour issue. Created by toy maker, Gelato living in the town of Pistachio makes the dangerous error of proceeding through life un-heeding of his father's wisdom and sage advice. A "whale" of trouble ensues but can the truth and listening to a parent's reasoning save Pistachio and his eclectic family from the belly of the fish?

These colourful veggies are definitively easier to convince my children to stomach than most! My 9 year old son has enjoyed VeggieTales since toddlerhood and still tossed himself onto the couch as I popped the Pistachio DVD into the player. My daughters, 5 and 7, find the seemingly three dimensional animation attention grabbing and the silly antics a treat. There's something crazy about brightly coloured talking and singing vegetables and that's what makes VeggieTales so irresistible. My daughters delight in the musical interludes interspersing the story. My husband and I are grateful for the moral lessons and a movie which encourages them to verbalize the lessons they've learned without prompting. We are not religious parents but we are a values based family and we appreciate the values portrayed in Pistachio and the traditional storytelling style.

Pistachio includes an intermission featuring a goofy new VeggieTale song: "Where Have All the Staplers Gone?" My husband and I also got a chuckle out of the pre-show, "Extreme Re-Do", a spoof of a popular home makeover show.

Veggietales Pistachio: The Little Boy That Wouldn't is an adorable family tale cleverly told and a pleasure to watch together! Your family can cuddle up to a copy of Veggietales Pistachio too! Win a copy here at Northern Mama.

To Enter:

Be a Northern Mama Follower or Northern Mama Facebook fan.

Extra Entries:

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Open to Canadian and US residents. Giveaway closes April 15th, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.

Let the Games Begin...

2010-04-02T09:23:00.002-06:00

One weight has been lifted from our shoulders! Yesterday we received our paperwork regarding my husband's transfer. We can finally set the ball in motion for our moving arrangements. Of course the Easter weekend will slow things down but at least we feel a bit of control and relief. We are contacting the woman who was interested in our house and hoping we can set up a viewing of the house maybe even this weekend. We'll see. Fingers crossed these people put in an offer because otherwise we may be waiting indefinitely to sell.
Let the games begin...

Winners! Winners! Winners!

2010-04-02T08:54:00.007-06:00

Winner of the Prima Pincessa Swan Lake DVD:

Congratulations Tannie's Chatter!!

-----------------------------

Winners of Chicken Soup for the Soul Teacher Tales:

Congratulations to The Bookworm, Misfit Mommy aka Missy, and Couponmom!!

--------------------------

Cahootie Winner:

Congrats to Misfit Mommy aka Missy you've won a Cahootie!

--------------------------------------

James Patterson's Worst Case Winners:

Congrats Suzie, Simply Stacie, Matt Kara Hunter and Cavan, and Fredamans! #50 was a repeat so I redrew and the final winner is #40 Sarah Lynnes!!

I will contact winners later today:)

Nightmare!!

2010-03-31T08:44:00.003-06:00

I just woke up from a terrible nightmare!! Have you ever had those horrific dreams when everyone you love, trust and care about either betrays you in the worst ways possible and/or are taken away from you? I rarely have nightmares and when I do they always involve just this--total loss and betrayal. Obviously my greatest fears or at the very least the worst things I can imagine ever happening!

I wake from these dreams with the feeling that I have swallowed an enormous pebble which sits in the pit of my stomach. It rocks back and forth at nauseam and every once in a while sets off shock waves of panic. I now know the stress I am feeling is effecting me even while I sleep. I’ve tried telling myself not to worry, not to let my nerves get the upper hand. Through the day I work hard to keep myself busy, preparing the house for sale, cleaning and painting but it’s easier to tell yourself to stay calm than to listen to your own advice!!

2010-03-31T08:11:00.002-06:00

Be careful who you challenge to a fight…you might wind up fighting a champion! When Carly jokingly trash talks teen fighting champion Shelby Marx and unwittingly challenges her to a fight Carly soon gets more than she bargained for! iCarly: ifight Shelby Marx , a television movie, is now the DVD of choice in my household. It has been an eternity since one movie has been replayed this often and by all three of my children! My children rave about this movie in which Carly prepares for the fight of her life--or perhaps will be fighting for her life--with the help of her friends!

iCarly is a Nickelodeon hit television show about a young teen and her friends who create and produce the web show iCarly.com. If you haven’t heard then where have you been? This is the top rated show for kids 2-11! Yes, two to eleven and not only does its appeal extend across age groups it also knows no gender boundaries. iCarly is a favourite for boys and girls of all ages and my children are the perfect example of the iCarly fan range.

I only recently learned the impact of the iCarly phenomenon. I knew my girls ages 5 and 7 watched the show regularly, and yes my son watched but I thought this was possibly only for the sake of his sisters. I was talking to a friend and soon learned that iCarly was the favourite program of her two boys 6 and 8. It was then that I discovered the wide, boundary crossing appeal was truly genius. What makes this show so popular? I believe it is a combination of the zany antics complete with verbal zingers and slap-stick humour, and the contemporary context of a computer show and tweens just dealing with the dilemmas and frustrations of everyday life--school, family, growing up, and creating! A show within a show, the concept is fresh, fun, and the definite wave of a new era. Hilarious, goofy, and computer oriented it is exactly what kids are currently looking for in television viewing.

While the real excitement from this DVD will be generated by the feature movie iCarly: ifight Shelby Marx Paramount Home Entertainment has even more to offer the truly iCarly crazed! This DVD includes a second television movie special: idate a Bad Boy and two more bonus iCarly episodes. Special features of this sure-to-be-popular DVD: exclusive behind-the-scenes extras and the Pilot Episode of Big Time Rush.

If you are looking for a DVD your kids will probably never become bored with--hey, maybe to top up that Easter basket this weekend-- iCarly: ifight Shelby Marx which just hit store shelves yesterday is a great choice!

Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right Book Review and Give Away

2010-03-30T05:19:00.031-06:00

Author: Joanna Dolgoff, MD
Format: Paperback
Pages: 254
Publisher: Rodale Books
Published: (2010)
List Price: $21.99US/$25.99CAN

If you have kids, then you need this book! It is a valuable resource guide for parents to learn and to teach their children how to choose a healthier lifestyle for themselves. We, as parents, teach our kids their habits for life. We try to teach them the difference between good and bad, right and wrong, but we also need to teach them how to make healthy lifestyle choices. If we show our kids that exercise and good eating habits will not only make us look good but feel good and keep us healthy at a young age, then our children will be empowered with this knowledge and have the ability to make these important choices over a lifetime.

Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right is written by a Pediatrician who specializes in childhood obesity. But don't let that trick you, this book is not just for overweight kids and teens, it is for skinny kids too. That's right, just because your kid may be skinny does not necessarily mean that they are healthy.

As the title would suggest, the weight loss and healthy eating plans in this book are based around a traffic light system, which is easy for children to follow. Green foods are "go" foods that have a lot of nutrient value, are lower in calories and fat, and contain protein and fibre (i.e. chicken and brown rice).Yellow foods are "slow" foods that are moderately high in calories, with slightly more fat but yet still provide nutrient value. These foods should be eaten in moderation (i.e. granola bars and chicken nuggets). Red foods are "uh-oh" foods or treats that should only be eaten 2 times a week. They are high in calories, fat and sugar, and unfortunately do not provide much in the way of nutritional value(i.e. cake and fried chicken).

Kids on these plans should eat every 3-4 hours, thereby incorporating 3 meals and 2 snacks every day. By eating smaller portions throughout the day your child will increase their metabolism and burn more calories. Each child will eat a specific number of green foods at each meal and snack based on their age, gender and BMI (Body Mass Index).

Now, you may be asking yourself how you are suppose to teach a small child all of that?! Dr. Dolgoff includes many strategies to do just that in her book. One idea is for you and your child to color code your foods in the pantry and the fridge with green, yellow and red stickers, making it easy for a child to know what foods he/she is choosing. She also includes an appendix at the back of the book loaded with more than 1000 foods that have been color coded with appropriate serving sizes.There are also tons of recipes in the book for snack and meal choices. You can go through all of these with your child and highlight the ones they would like to try.

Here is one of my kids favorite snacks that we made from the book:

Bugs On A Log

My Kids love to create and eat their own healthy foods. My son Keegan was so impressed with this snack idea that he eagerly grabbed the book searching for other great healthy food recipes. He discovered the "Banana Dog" and said we should definitely make this for dad's breakfast in the near future!

While healthy eating choices are an important component to weight loss and good health, so too is exercise. In the later portion of the book Dr. Dolgoff writes about many aspects of exercise and how to motivate your kids to do it. I was surprised to find out that children need 60 minutes of vigorous exercise almost every day of the week. However this does not need to be consecutively, it can be done intermittently throughout the day and can include such fun activities as dance and exergaming ( the use of interactive video games like Wii fit).

In short, this book is a safe, standardized weight lose program boasting a 96% success rate, loaded with strategic and motivational ways to help you and your children build a healthy lifestyle together!

Dr. Dolgoff has made it clear that she wants to help people achieve these goals, by building a pediatric weight loss clinic, and writing this book. She would also like to help one of our Northern Mama readers by giving one of you a copy of Red Light Green Light Eat Right.

To Enter:

Visit Dr. Dolgoff's Web Site at DrDolgoff.com and tell me something you learned that I did not talk about in my review. (REQUIRED) and don't forget to leave email address with your comment if you are not a blogger.

Extra Entries:

Be a Northern Mama Follower (google)
Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
Subscribe to Northern Mama via google
Grab my button
Follow on Twitter @ Northernmama35 and tweet about this give away 1x per day
Blog about this give away with a link back here (leave me your post link)

Giveaway open to Canadian and American Residents. Giveaway closes on April 13th, 2010. Read Giveaway rules for further details.

NIKKI

Winners!!

2010-03-29T21:45:00.003-06:00

Winner of Building Character:

Congrats to Misfit Mommy Missy:) Yay!

Winner of Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Boogie DVD:

Congrats to Tannie's Chatter!

"City of Night" by Michelle West

2010-03-29T21:34:00.006-06:00

City of Night is the second novel written by Michelle West in The House War series, which is shaping up to be a four book series. I say shaping up, as West's Sun Sword series was originally planned as a duology but ended up taking six publications to complete. Once again, I am reading an author for the first time, and very quickly became trapped by the world she has created around her Essalieyan Empire.

As described on the inner front jacket, West opened our eyes to this fantasy universe in 1995 with her duology Sacred Hunt. From what I can gather, The House War series is the story behind one of the main characters in The Sun Sword series, Jewel Markess.

In City of Night, Jewel (or Jay) to her friends is the head of a 'Den' of 10 youths in the Essalieyan's capital city Averalaan. This den, which struggles within the holdings of Averalaan-- and the hidden city below its streets--to eek out a survival is thrust into the house wars of the ruling powers of Essalieyan.

West does an artful job of building the path between the urchins of Jay's den to their eventual introduction into the upper echelons of Averalaan. As this is accomplished, the universe she has created is revealed in extremely rich detail. This is not only accomplished in the physical realm, but also in the exquisite detail she puts into developing her characters and the complex social structure of the societies they interact with.

As I began to read this novel, I did not have the benefit of being previously introduced to the various characters and beings of the Essalieyan realm. For me, the story began slowly as I tried to understand who the characters were and how they fit into the overall scheme of things. While doing this though, I came to appreciate the Tolkeinesque detail that was being poured into this book. I enjoyed learning about Averalaan, and exploring the niceties and defining behaviours of the various classes making up this city. By the end though, I was reading at a fevered pitch and could not wait to see where Jewel and the survivors of her Den would end up. After all, children are disppearing from the holdings of Averalaan, and Mages of the Order of Knowledge are all entangled in the battle with a nearly unstoppable foe.

West has captured my interest with her writing with the same sort of snare that J.R.R. Tolkein and Robert Jordan and will perhaps be one of the next Greats of fantasy fiction!

Eager to read? Penguin Canada is offering one lucky Canadian Northern Mama reader a copy of City of Night by Michelle West!
To Enter:

Be a Northern Mama Follower {Google} OR a Northern Mama Facebook Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

Subscribe via email
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Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave the link to your post}

Giveaway open to Canadian residents only {sorry publisher's request}. Giveaway closes April 14th, 2010, midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

TOM

Life According to Angela~Update of my latest Life Adventures!

2010-03-29T08:56:00.003-06:00

I'm used to a life filled with the unexpected and the exciting drama of living each day as a learning adventure but the latest life turn has me in a tailspin!

I have never been the most patient individual. I get an idea, make a life decision it is then time to implement it...no sitting around! Unfortunately, the nature of my husband's career can often take the control we have over our own lives and leave us waiting anxiously with our hands tied. How to explain?

My husband has a career which will require us to transfer every so many years. This past fall my husband received paper work asking if we would accept a transfer. After deliberating briefly we knew we were ready to accept the transfer and the idea of moving took hold. There was no rush of excitement. There were no arrangements to be made. We knew the final paperwork telling us our transfer was granted would not arrive until Spring. After Christmas I realized I had a long road de-cluttering and downsizing for the move so the last several months I have spent my time desperately weeding out items to donate and shedding unnecessary extras, making small home repairs and trying to live life as usual.

Now that spring is here and April 1st is supposed to be the day transfers are announced this week has been the longest I can remember! The wait has been exacerbated by so many unknowns and frustrations. The government organization which employs my hubby is one brimming with policies, including regarding the removal benefits. We have to sell our house before we can go on a house hunting trip and we are not allowed to put our house on the market until we receive the go ahead {or we forfeit the benefits the organization can offer! This would be frustrating enough but the kicker is we may have a buyer lined up and we can't even show her the house yet.

Someone contacted us several times this year eager to buy or at least get first crack at the house before we list but we keep having to put them off until we get the nod. The worst part is we have been checking mls and other online sites for available properties in our destination location and because we are looking for acreages the selection is more than a little limited. In fact, we have found a total of one...yes only one...listing which suits our needs and though it seems perfect I fear it may be gone before we have even an opportunity to view it.

Sorry I'm in such an unfocused frame of mind! I hope to get back on track soon. With any luck the end of this week will bring at least some answers and resolve! Here's to the longest week!

Mattel's New WWE Collection!

2010-03-27T09:28:00.006-06:00

This toy review may seem out of my normal realm but there is a nostalgic reason I just couldn’t resist. In the 1980s, when the WWF {as it was known at the time} and wrestling mania took hold my cousin Craig became possibly the world’s biggest fan of this crazy new entertainment/sports genre. My cousin had Downs Syndrome and anything which allowed him a moment away from the troubles of the world and gave him an outlet for his imagination and creation of an alternate reality was wonderful. He understood it was only entertainment and imaginings and it was his WWF action figures which became his favourite toys.

When I was asked to review a toy from Mattel’s new WWE {World Wrestling Entertainment} lineup it was in honour of my cousin that I thought this review apropos and to be honest, though my son doesn’t watch WWE matches, Gabriel was very excited about the Ultimate Rivals WWE action figures he received from Mattel for this review! Some children will enjoy recreating their favourite matches using these seven inch action figures or like my son they may just enjoy displaying them as collectors items. My son posed them on his bookshelf and praised how very cool they looked.
Admittedly I am not a WWE fan myself and being a rather pacifist individual I find it odd including these wrestling icons in my home but I do realize the entertainment value for boys and the relative innocuous nature of a figurine. My son loves collecting them, just as he does other sporting memorabilia and Mattel has kept the adult collectors in mind as well by creating an Elite Collection and Entrance Greats line. These lines include individual stands, authentic costumes, extreme articulation and amazing accuracy that even the most discerning collector will appreciate. I know my cousin would have been completely enthralled with this new line of WWE products!

“Mattel is excited to bring the iconic WWE entertainment brand to fans worldwide, through an authentic line of products that capture all the drama and excitement that makes the WWE a worldwide phenomenon, WWE has spent the past decade tailoring its live and broadcast entertainment experience to a more mainstream audience. Our goal is to help kids and parents extend the experience even further by safely recreating the action in the home through play with these action figures.”
Tim Kilpin, general manager, Mattel Brands' Girls, Boys & Games Division.

Launched in January 2010 the World Wrestling Entertainment line from Mattel includes Action Figures created to replicate individual WWE stars authentically , these can be purchased individually and in two-packs. My son received the Ultimate Rivals 2-pack with the Shawn Michaels & Chris Jericho action figures. The two-pack was perfect for recreating matches especially for a child like my son who did not already have other figures. Mattel will be releasing new figures each month!

Also included in the new WWE Collection Flex-Force figures which can be manipulated into recreating various wrestling moves and the WWE Superstar Ring perfect for housing the ensuing action. From action figure play and costume elements for imaginary play to authentic collectables this collection will certainly be a hit with boys of all ages!
Available in toy stores and toy aisles everywhere!

Affresh ~ Say Goodbye to Dishwasher Stench!

2010-03-26T09:56:00.007-06:00

With a family of five I love the convenience of a Dishwasher. Depending on your dishwasher's efficiency it can often cut back on water usage as well! I resent spending too much time slaving over sinks of soiled dishes when I could be spending quality time with play-soiled children instead!

The efficiency and convenience of a Dishwasher can be grand but I have a problem. My Dishwasher is a disaster. I've used dishwasher cleaners before but never been entirely satisfied. Affresh I'll admit did not solve all my tired dishwasher's dilemmas--I think it may be beyond the possibility of perfection--but I did notice a marked difference with Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner. This different was the newly fresh citrus-y scent wafting from my Dishwasher in place of the foul scent I could never completely wash away before.

It is suggested that you clean your dishwasher monthly using Affresh. I have used Affresh two months in a row and found that more staining has been removed and though not all of the mineral deposit residue has disappeared it has decreased! I live in a rural setting and we do not use a water softener which may result in over mineralization and a greater problem than most of you may encounter so I would say Affresh is battling a war at my house and winning one small strike at a time.

Another great advantage to using Affresh over bleach and other brands with harsh and harmful chemicals, Affresh does not harm your septic system nor does it therefore create as much environmental havoc!

Freshen up your dishwasher, dispel those lingering odours for good and fight the gruelling battle of disgusting food residue and mineral build up with one packeted Affresh "pill" each month! It's a vitamin for your dishwasher!

Canadian readers win a year supply of Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner along with other great cleaning supplies here at Northern Mama!

To Enter:

Visit Affresh and tell me where you can purchase Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner. {Required}
non-bloggers remember you can still enter just leave me your email with your comment.

Extra Entries:

Be a Northern Mama follower {Google}
Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
Subscribe via email
Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
Grab my Button
Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {leave me your post link please}

Giveaway open to Canadians only {sorry company's requirement}!! Giveaway closes April 9th, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.

My Blog is Carbon Neutral!

2010-03-26T09:21:00.003-06:00

Make your blog carbon neutral! Who would have realized that just writing a blog could cause a carbon footprint? Yes, according to a Harvard physicist and environmental activist an average website causes about 0.02g (0,0008oz.) of carbon dioxide for each visit. How? The calculations are based primarily on the immense energy use of mainframes, servers, computers, and cooling systems. Imagine....you can make a footprint even sitting at your computer, not to mention the shipping of goods for product review blogs...ouch!

I certainly don't want to be the cause of so many footprints when I write here advocating for the environment so I'm enlisting the help of "make it Green" the 1 Blog, 1 Tree program to help neutralize and offset Northern Mama's carbon dioxide output...yes, I want to take a branch and sweep up my footprints and a young team in Germany is doing just that!

Can one tree actually effect change? There is no tried and true answer to the question "How much CO2 does one tree absorb this depends on the tree type and the many variables effecting its growth however the assumed values vary between 10 and 30kg (20 and 70 lbs).

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) assumes a yearly absorption of one tree as approximately 10kg (20lbs) carbon dioxide emissions. “Make it green”, the environmental programme of kaufDA, is using a yearly absorption value of 5kg (11lbs) for its “My blog is carbon neutral” initiative. This is a very conservative calculation, ensuring that the neutralisation of each blog is achieved. Hurray!

So join in and make your blog Carbon Neutral simply by clicking My Carbon Neutral Button!

The Swan Thieves

2010-03-25T16:54:00.007-06:00

Sensuously stunning and woven with an artistry of language and storytelling The Swan Thieves is Elizabeth Kostava's latest masterpiece. Author of the #1 bestselling novel The Historian--which also graces my shelves--Kostava masterfully entwines the richness of history with contemporary times. She innately understands the intimacy humanity can feel for its history.

The Swan Thieves opens with the vicious imagery of a painter, Robert Oliver, defacing a canvas in a National Gallery. Incarcerated and considered troubled after the incident Robert's Psychological well-being is placed in the hands of a middle aged Andrew Marlow, Psychologist. Marlow becomes deeply engrossed in the tangled web of Robert's relationships with women of the present but most importantly of the past...a very distant past! Robert's obsession with a woman long since dead involves Marlow in the pursuit of a puzzle hearkening back to France in the late 1800s.

This is a tale of obsession, unconditional love and treacherous betrayal. An historic wrong which must be made right in order to save the troubled mind of a genius.

Admittedly The Swan Thieves is a long ride but one with mesmerizing intensity. I felt the story almost endless at times but could not resist picking it up again and again to continue the story's journey. Romantic yet mystifying this novel is like a hand reaching out to grab your hand and lead you on, lead you through a thought provoking, stomach tightening tale. The characters are charismatic and complex, and the plot original and curious!

If you are a lover of lyrical description, dramatic and romantic literary and artistic mastery you will lavish in the reading of this beautiful piece of fiction.

Win one of 5 copies of The Swan Thieves being given away here at Northern Mama!

To Enter:

Be a Northern Mama Follower {Google Friends Connect} OR a Northern Mama Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

Subscribe via email
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Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
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Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway ends April 8th, 2010. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.

Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover DVD Review And Give Away

2010-03-24T12:20:00.022-06:00

Are you looking for a great workout video or exercise program? Then Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover is the DVD you should try! I don't know if any of you get tired of doing the same video over and over again, but I do! That is why I have tried so many different ones over the years. This innovative dvd provides you with 8 progressive workouts, as well as the ability to customize your own routine. What is really amazing is that it takes less than 15 minutes a day, 3 times per week to do, and does not require a formal meal plan or "DIET"! It only requires you to follow 5 simple rules of eating in addition to following this accelerated workout program.

Bob's 5 rules are:

have an eating cut-off time
eat a nourishing breakfast

drink a minimum of six 8-ounce glasses of water every day

eliminate 6 "problem" foods

make eating a conscious act

Bob talks in detail about these rules on the dvd and in the getting started booklet included inside the dvd case.

The 8 workouts are actually a progressive series ( it gets harder every week). The first week you start out with a chair, yoga mat and your hand weights. You will perform squats, lunges, presses, tricep extensions, bicep curls, chest fly's, ab crunches, stretches, and more....... On week 2 you drop the supporting chair and the workout gets a little bit harder. The body parts you work and the exercises you do are similar to the week before but with increased variations and combinations of each exercise. Each week your need for balance and coordination increases as the exercises grow in intensity. By week 6 you are twisting and turning, working almost every muscles in the body.

After you have completed all 8 weeks you can still continue to perform a varied workout with the customized workout option on the dvd. You can choose any workout in any order you want to create your personal workout routine. For example, I can choose week 3,week 8 and week 6 and the dvd will play these workouts in that order for me, giving me approximately 30 min's of exercise (as each segment is approx 10 min's). It doesn't get much better than that!

To summarize my opinion, there are so many great features to this program that I could go on forever about it. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone! I personally thought that Bob was amazing in his instructional techniques throughout the video, guiding you through step by step with helpful "Keys" to accomplish the exercise properly and to attain the most benefit. Finally, since I already have an established workout routine, it was easy for me to add this to my daily routine because of the minimal amount of time it requires.

To Enter the Give Away:

If you would like a chance to try this amazing workout dvd, then visit Gaiam's Website and tell me something you learned about Bob Greene. (REQUIRED)

Extra Entries:

Follow Northern Mama (google)
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Good luck on winning this Give Away and with achieving your Exercise and Lifestyle Goals!

(Give away open to Canadian and American Residents Only. Give Away Closes on April 8th, 2010. Read Give Away Rules for details.)

NIKKI

Book Winners!!

2010-03-23T10:03:00.004-06:00

We have some wonderful book winners!!

Miracle in Sumatra: The Story of Gutsy Gus:
Congratulations to couponmom!

-------------------------------

Making a Family Home:

Congrats to MissCrabbyPants you've won a copy of Making a Family Home!

Aleutia~The Iams Ambassador Without Finesse

2010-03-23T09:34:00.001-06:00

Who would have thought 12 years ago when we brought a fuzzy ball of rusty-hued fur home with us that we would be turning our lives upside down and backward for a nightmare dog we couldn't help but adore? Yes, that endearing chubby pup, the last of the litter, is now a 90 pound bear, a spoiled, cantankerous old lady. Aleutia is an Alaskan Malamute-Husky cross and though she has evolved and grown at an alarming rate over the years two things have remained constant: her unbelievably loud howling and her sensitive tummy!
While other dogs may make the perfect pet ambassadors for their charming personalities or their adorable faces, or maybe their smart tricks, Aleutia is the ideal Iams ambassador for one simple reason Iams is the only dog food she has ever been able to stomach...oh and she certainly "gets noticed"! Her wolfish, siren like howl--which we thought delightfully quaint as a small puppy--is a neighbour's worst nightmare and her massive size is enough to intimidate grown men. From soiled floors to a broken window, angered neighbours to chewed up belongings you'd think Aleutia had few redeeming qualities. You'd be wrong! Aleutia is exceedingly loyal and protective, her patience of three spirited kids admirable considering her breed. She is an active dog even in her aging body and she is truly affectionate, approaching cuddly!
When we ventured out to the backwoods of Thunder Bay Ontario in search of a sled dog owner selling a litter of hefty, endurance running dogs and we laid eyes on Aleutia it was impossible to believe she had been passed over and was the last of her brothers and sisters left waiting for a new family. We fell in love with her squinting eyes, fluffy appearance, and stalky stoic little body. We were just finishing our teaching degrees and as newly married students we were less than affluent. Our first instinct was to buy an inexpensive supermarket brand dog food. Aleutia soon developed some serious gastrointestinal upset {not pretty} and we began searching out a food which wouldn't result in nasty surprises! Expensive brands, brands meant for food allergies. We gradually introduced new foods only to realize nothing was working until Iams.

One of the keys we learned for choosing a quality dog food is simply looking at the ingredient list. Look at the order of ingredients. Like human food labels, pet food ingredients must be arranged in decreasing order by weight and the terms are standardized by the American Association of Feed Control (AAFCO). Select a food that lists an animal based protein as one of the first ingredients. In general, animal proteins are more highly digestible than plant-based proteins (e.g. soy) and contain a complete balance of essential amino acids (EAA) that dogs and cats need for optimal growth and development.

Iams has been a tried and true staple in the diet of both Aleutia and our cat, Jarre, and Iams has now introduced something very special Prebiotics! While Iams Probiotics and Eukenuba formulas are nothing new now they have been improved by the addition of prebiotic FOS (fructooligosaccharides) to promote intestinal and immune system health. Okay, I know you're asking what are prebiotics? I think most of us are familiar now with probiotics which we find most readily in our favourite yogurt brands but prebiotics actually feed those amazing probiotics--good bacteria--leading to a decrease in non-beneficial bacteria and better gastrointestinal health.

Iams believes in being both pro-active and pre-active when it comes to the health of your pets! We have experienced first hand the effects of Iams pet foods. Our dog no longer experiences digestive upset and Aleutia and Jarre, both now in their senior golden years are of excellent health and remain active. What more could a pet owner hope for? Well maybe a quiet dog who doesn’t less-than-secretly sleep on the sofa all night causing me to wonder why the drool stained cushions to wash? Can’t win them all and like they say you sometimes don’t choose who you fall in love with--maybe this is even true of pets!

Is your pet an Iams Ambassador? Or maybe you've been thinking of switching to Iams! Iams is offering two Northern Mama readers there choice of free Iams pet food {a 17.5 lb bag or smaller}!
To Enter:

Tell me a little about your pet{s} and what Iams product you would purchase. {Required}

Extra Entries:

Follow Northern Mama {Google}
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Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes April 9th, 2010. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.

"Words To Sweat By" Towel Review And Give Away

2010-03-22T17:31:00.020-06:00

When I first saw these inspirational work-out towels (designed by Whimsical Walney) I was instantly hooked on them. If the name (words to sweat by) is not catchy enough, then just read the mantras on these towels and feel motivated to keep up those weight lose goals or healthy lifestyles.

In addition to sporting my trendy towel at the gym, I have hung my towel on the bathroom towel bar, and the kitchen stove bar. When I see the towel and read the mantra on it, I am reminded of what I have worked so hard for and what I must do to continue to succeed. I am motivated by and get encouraged from these simple words.

" HEALTHY, STRONG, HAPPY "

There are lots of other fun, witty, motivating, and inspirational mantras to choose from on their user friendly site. And if that's not enough to make you buy one of these towels then maybe the price will. These towels are only $8.00 plus a $2.00 shipping fee for Canadian and US residents.

The Give Away:

Dana Lardner, at Words To Sweat By, would like to motivate one of Northern Mama's readers by giving away 2 towels to one lucky winner. She would like the winner to keep one towel and give the other towel to a friend, workout partner, or someone else in need of some inspiration to achieve their healthy lifestyle goals. The towel comes in a sheer gift bag making it perfect for gift giving!

To Enter:

Visit Words to Sweat By and then tell me what your 2 favorite towels are! (Required)

Extra Entries:

Be a Northern Mama follower ( google friends connect)
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Follow on twitter @ Northernmama35 and tweet about this contest (1x per day)
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Blog about this give away with a link back here ( please leave the link to your post)
Follow on twitter @ wordstosweatby

Give Away open to Canadian and American residents only. Give Away Closes on April 6th, 2010. Read Give Away rules for details.
Review By Nikki

Spongebob Squarepants: Spongebob's Last Stand DVD

2010-03-21T23:06:00.002-06:00

Spongebob continues to squeeze his way into the hearts of my children and I know they are not alone in their relationship with this dynamic spongy character. His popularity has become iconic and with such a meteoric rise you encounter fans who have seen every episode. Compilations become a review of repeats but not this time! Spongebob and Patrick become activists fighting to save Jellyfish Fields in the never-before-seen episode Spongebob Squarepants: Spongebob’s Last Stand available as of March 16th, 2010 on Paramount Home Video!

Despite the crazy hilarity resulting from Spongebob and Patrick’s naïve natures it is often amazing how Spongebob fans can encounter a certain morality, and value system. Spongebob’s Last Stand ultimately introduces fans to the importance of standing up for what you believe in through the ridiculously fun antics we’ve grown to expect from any Spongebob episode.

In this new adventure Spongebob becomes insensed by the proposed construction of a new highway which would spell destruction for his beloved Jellyfish fields. What can be done to save an ecosystem in danger? Spongebob has a plan of protest but will he succeed? The fate of Jellyfish Fields, for better or worse, is in Spongebob’s well-intended but less than capable hands. You’ll find on the DVD exclusive special features which include karaoke music videos of the Jellyfishing Song and Save Jellyfish Fields!

As you know one can always expect more from a Spongebob compilation! Enjoy six additional new-to-DVD episodes:

Pet or Pests {my youngest daughter, Bronwynn’s favourite}
Spongebob finds he’s taken on more than he bargained for when he adopts a stray worm who soon gives birth to a litter of baby worms!

Komputer Overload
Plankton contemplates swapping Karen, his computer wife, with a new line of Krabby Patty thieving robots!

Gullible Pants
Spongebob is no business man, naive and rather a bit gullible but perhaps Mr. Krabs is a little gullible himself when he leaves Spongebob in charge of Krusty Krab. What could possibly happen for just 15 minutes?

Overbooked
Have trouble saying no? Spongebob knows what it's like to try to please everyone but wind up overwhelmed, overexerted and even overbooked. Three events at the same time? How will Spongebob manage to be in three places at once.

No Hat for Pat
Patrick takes a job as a sign-holder compliments of Mr.Krabs.

Toy Store of Doom
It sounds like a dream come true for most kids...being locked in a toy store for the night. Is it a dream come true for Patrick and Spongebob when it becomes a reality?

Loaded with even more special feeatures including a sneak peek of "Neptune's Party", Bollywood Bob, and How to make a Spongebob Squarepants this is a great DVD for any Spongebob fan!Spongebob has become an old stand by and regardless of the adventure, dilemma, or disaster my kids enjoy each episode!

Need a Vacation and a Renovation? Royale Reno-cation Giveaway!!

2010-03-21T21:09:00.006-06:00

Ever wish your life was just a little bit better, a little more relaxing, luxurious, and stress-free? Of course you do. I know I could use a Royale reno-cation! A what you ask? A few home renos and a vacation all rolled into one. I am a closeted interior designer. My friends and family know my addiction to adding a regular nip and tuck to my home environment. I admit it, I’m a nester. I love to be surrounded by the aesthetically pleasing and unfortunately my tastes sometime exceed the contents of my pocketbook {okay, okay I just splurged this week on some all-too-pricey fabulous throw pillows}.

Lately my needs for home renovations have taken on new meaning. Our family is currently in flux. We are preparing for a possible move and I am working to give our home a mini-makeover to further entice buyers. I’m sure what awaits at the other end of a sale will be a new home which may require work or at the very least loving touches to make our new environment home, our home!

The stress of three children and an eminent move has me dreaming of a vacation. Though I love my children dearly and we are generally inseparable as a family it would take no arm twisting to send my little miracles off to grandma and grandpa while hubby and I enjoyed a vacation all our own. We are dreamers, adventurers so our ultimate vacation would probably be exotic. We’ve often talked of visits to the Belize, Africa, maybe Greece, New Zealand, or India however having three children, a dog, and a cat is not conducive to world travel. Let’s be honest any vacation to anywhere that didn’t necessarily require a tent brimming with five people would be a welcome change!

I am willing to assume I am not the only one who could use a reno-cation and this is why Royale is offering Moms across Canada the opportunity to win the Royale Reno-cation Contest! Canadian moms looking for a fresh start this spring, a pick me up after a long winter’s doldrums can enter to win the spectacular Grand Prize including $13 000 to spend on home renovations AND an 11-day, $7000 Royal Caribbean cruise for two on the “Jewel of the Seas” --sounds hard to take right? Not too tempting {can you hear my dripping sarcasm}? Too good to be true? It gets even better, an additional $5000 in prizes will be given to secondary winners in the form of 15 weekly prize packages including a personal heated towel rack, new luxurious towels, and premium Royale robes all from the Royale Luxury Bath Collection. I know you have just one question….it’s simple enter to win on the Royale website until April 27th! Yes, GO THERE NOW!

AND…just when you think the sky’s the limit Royale goes above and beyond because thanks to them I am hosting a mini reno-cation of my own! One fabulously lucky Northern Mama reader will win a $50 Restaurant gift card for a night out and a $50 Home Hardware gift card to give your home a small nip and tuck!
To Enter:

Suggest to me what your ultimate "Reno-cation" would be! {Required}

Extra Entries:

Be a Northern Mama Follower {Google friends connect}
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Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about these contests {1x daily}
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Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave me the link to your post}

Giveaway open to Canadians. Giveaway closes April 27th, 2010. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Nurture a Traditional Natural Lifestyle with Vital Earth Traditions

2010-03-19T09:53:00.005-06:00

Lotions and potions have been a part of human society since the first humans started plucking leaves from plants and peeling the bark from trees. We have explored the bounty of our environment for thousands of years and it is this essential habit which has provided us with the traditional knowledge of nature's medicinal properties. Natural herbal and aromatic care has been tested and true for centuries and mompreneur Kelly Lynch Ring creator of Vital Earth Traditions understands the significance of this knowledge.

Vital Earth Traditions offers a variety of natural lotions, salves, salts and scrubs made fresh and free of chemicals using natural processes and ingredients including natural preservatives providing skin with nutrients and imbued with anti-aging properties. What impressed me most is Kelly's use of her personal life experiences as inspiration for some of her most popular products. Acting as peacemaker as her daughters battled out their first "cat fight" was cause for the inception of a lotion to induce soothing and Bitch Balance Butter was the amazing result!

Aptly named, Kelly developed Bitch Balance Butter using ingredients known traditionally for their support and relief of symptoms of the female cycle. Massaging just a small amount of this whipped body butter onto my abdomen and feet truly had a calming effect. I felt a warmth emanating through my abdomen. Whether this was the effect of the actual application of this amazing cream or the soothing nature of the aroma, reminiscent of florals such as rose and geranium and hearkening the freshness of peppermint, spearmint, and green tea it was definitely a hit of well-being for those "female moments". You would be stunned by the plethora of natural ingredients this butter contains! I have been feeling a great deal of stress and agitation lately preparing for a house sale, raising three demanding children, worrying about a move, and trying to fit blogging into the fray. Bitch Balance Butter's calming effects has helped me while weathering this storm of hormonal angst and it truly does balance the bitch within! I plan to use this little charm monthly!

Kelly spoiled me with a care package of further Vital Earth Traditions including three luxuriously lavish handmade sugar scrubs so scrumptiously scented you may be tempted to taste them rather than scrub your body with them. Believe that the latter experience is as deliciously satisfying! I received the Coconut, Cranberry and Mandarin, and Peppermint Patty sugar scrubs all delectably aromatic. What I love most however are inclusions I can actually see. The seeds and bits of herbs whipped in provided me with a sense of assurance that these are naturally, well, natural! It's a glorious sensation to know that you are scrubbing and massaging with natures beauty inducers rather than harsh, fabricated chemicals. Exfoliate, moisturize, and enjoy a little aroma therapy with one simple act! Honestly, I could not even begin to choose a favourite of the three. The invigorating and fresh Cranberry and Mandarin, the exotic and sensuous coconut, and the inviting and fun Peppermint Patty are equally delightful products.

I love handmade soap! I adore the homey aesthetic of chunky soaps with visible inclusions and roughly hewned imperfect edges. Vital Earth Traditions creates Recycle Soap. Recycle soap is formed using the bits and pieces which are the remnants from the soap making process...less waste and the result lovely! Vital Earth Traditions includes Recycle soap with customer purchases and also donates Recycle soap to local charities. I will be garnishing my bathrooms with these beautiful bars for house showing!

There are so many reasons to be impressed with Vital Earth Traditions! Kelly is a licensed Massage Therapist, a Doula, Child Birth Educator, Master Aromatherapist, Reiki Master, an Herbalist, and is also enrolled in the Associates of Applied Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine. Her expertise can give customers confidence in the products she brews but the fact that she is also an everyday mom who knows the needs of everyday families is also a source of comfort. Vital Earth Traditions provides a variety of products which are tailored to your unique tastes and specific conditions all using 100% natural ingredients!

Receive an extra 40% off your purchase with the promotion code: SPRINGBLOG

Kelly has graciously offered one Northern Mama reader the luxury of one 16 oz. jar of the three sugar scrubs I reviewed {reader's choice} and a 1 oz. jar of Bitch Balance Butter for those female moments!

To Enter:

Visit Vital Earth Traditions and tell me what product you would love to try. {Required}

Extra Entries:

Follow Northern Mama {Google friends connect}
Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
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Grab my Button
Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave me the link to your post}

Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes April 3rd, 2010. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.

Mexican Card Holders ~ Great Gift Idea!!

2010-03-19T09:06:00.006-06:00

Those of you who are crafty, creative, or just love unique home decor will appreciate this post! I love handmade items! I think handmade gifts say so much more than those pre-fab items you find in a store. They are unique and if you make them yourself they become a "labour of love". I admit I truly enjoy spending every extra moment I can scrounge producing some handicraft or another. I also enjoy buying handmade items from small business owners like those on Etsy.com. It is truly amazing the amount of talent there is in the world and Etsy represents just some of this untapped artistry.

Even if you are not an expert crafter or undiscovered artist you can produce this fabulous Mexican inspired card holder in minutes! I admit they may not be as authentic as the ones they are manufacturing in Mexico but they can still be as beautiful if you choose the proper materials.

I must give credit to my mom. She is a retired kindergarten teacher and is more creative than she would ever care to admit. After admiring a friend's greeting card holder she had purchased on a trip to Mexico my mom decided to create her own. I received one as a gift this Christmas and started making them as gifts for my friends and family! Uh oh...now I've spoiled the surprise!

You can find what you will need at local dollar stores and craft shops. My mom found all her supplies at Dollarama and around the house. I found my clips at Dollarama and the beads at a local craft warehouse. Now that I have been searching I have found a variety of themed clips for almost every holiday.The green wire I purchased from Michaels in the jewelery making section but I later realized my husband had some wire of the same gauge in the garage!!

What you will need:

*Approx. 192 small hand painted wooden beads

(You will need less beads if you use larger beads or a mixture of large and small beads. You may also need more or less depending on how many clips you choose to use)

*12 or 13 medium sized Decorative clothes pins (there are smaller ones also available or you may choose to use large ones and decorate them yourself)

*approx. 1.65-1.7m (5 ft. 5 inches) of 18 gauge multi-purpose or craft wire.

(check your hardware store or your local craft shop)

*A wire cutter and pliers

*Two picture hanging hooks

Here's How:

1. Cut your length of wire. The craft store may have coloured wire if you wish.
2. Form a loop on one end of your wire by wrapping it around the end of small pliers two or three times. The loop should be just big enough to hook onto the end of your picture hanging hooks.

3. Start threading the wooden beads onto the other end of your wire. You can use all the same sized beads or vary the bead size which looks fantastic too! The numbers here are based on small wooden beads so you may wish to decrease by 1-3 if you are varying the sizes. String on 6 small wooden beads then string on your first clothes pin. The wire should be fed through the side hole of the metal clamp which holds the clothespin together. Make sure that the clip end faces down.

Note: I found that some clips are made to face the wrong direction with the clip end up. Do not use any that will look upside-down if the clip end is at the bottom....clear as mud?? Basically, the cards must hang below the cardholder. They will just flop over if you try to clip them above it.

4. After the first clothespin string on 15 small beads (approx. 12 beads if you are varying big and small beads) and then another clothespin. Repeat with 15 small beads between each clothespin until you have string on 12 to 13 clothespins. After the final clothespin is strung, string on the final 6 beads (to match the number you began the strand with).
Note: You may choose to make a longer cardholder with more clothespins but you must remember to cut a longer wire accordingly.

5. With the remaining wire form a loop similar to the one you made on the other end of your wire. Again form the loop by wrapping it around the end of your pliers or even a pencil 2-3 times. Make sure the loop is tight up against the last bead so the beads and clips cannot slip and slide. Remove any excess wire with the wire cutters.

6. Use the picture hanging hooks to hang your finished piece!
VOILA!! Your Mexican Inspired Cardholder is complete!!

A great way to package your gift is to purchase a wine bottle gift box. Then the holder can be stored in it when not in use!

~This post contains paid links. Please read my disclosure policy for further details~

Carolina Pad Winner!!

2010-03-17T23:34:00.003-06:00

A wonderful giveaway thanks to Carolina Pad!! And the winner of this Tax time "Hot Choclate" patterned collection is LizW!! Congrats!!

Cahootie ~ The Future is In Your Hands!

2010-03-17T21:31:00.005-06:00

A little nostalgic despite it's fortune teller claims. Fortune tellers, cootie catchers, whatever term you used for these oragami like folded, finger moving, paper games are sure to bring back memories for many women around my age. I remember memorizing all the folds, writing numbers, words, and seemingly mystical all-knowing statements on the resulting flaps. I guess these were the magic 8 balls of my childhood. To see these pieces of nostalgia boxed and sold was to me a zany thought. I mean wow who'd have thunk it? Well, obviously someone did and if my daughters' reactions are any indication Cahootie is a hot item!

I think my girls will wear their Cahootie thin with use! What makes Cahootie products better than the self-fabricated paper fortune teller? It is made of durable, laminated paper created to last and each cahootie has been adorably illustrated. Complete with 40 reusable stickers children can continually re-vamp their Cahootie with new statements and questions. Cahootie is also I believe a great jumping off point for girls to learn to fold their own creations.
I admit I was skeptical. I mean I could just make one myself..right? Well, I could have had I remembered how or thought to but until receiving Cahootie I had forgotten this simple childhood delight. Now Cahootie has allowed me the opportunity to share a quaint childhood pastime of mine with my children. The Cahootie stickers feature inventive, thought provoking questions and statements which make children think, laugh, and really just feel an optimism toward the exciting future ahead of them! This may be a "girl's club" but honestly even my son plays Cahootie with his sisters.

Cahooties come in a variety of themes from Girl Wonders to Sporty Girl, My Fab Family and the giveaway Wishes and Dreams. Coming soon Animal Planet Cahooties are a great way for children to have fun learning about the world around them. Priced at around $5.95 each or $12.99 for a twin pack, Cahootie is a great add-on to Easter Baskets and I would hazard a guess that you will get your money's worth basing this instinct on the fact that my daughters have been playing with their free review Cahootie non-stop since it was torn from its box!

Want to give Cahootie a try? The future is in your hands...enter to win the Wishes and Dreams Cahootie here at Northern Mama!

To Enter:

Visit Cahootie and tell me what your favourite Cahootie is! {Required}

Extra Entries:

Be a Northern Mama Follower
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Subscribe via email
Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
Grab my button
Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave a link to your post}

Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes March 31, 2010. Read Giveaway rules for further details.

Winner of the Curious George DVD

2010-03-17T21:27:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Kara, Matt and the boys!! It's been a while since you've won glad to see you won this one:)

Winners of Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven

2010-03-17T21:14:00.004-06:00

Congrats to Fredamans, Tannie's chatter, SarahE, and suzie. Because the last number was a duplicate I reran the Random Integer Generator to get a new 5th winning number. The 5th winner is#47 misscrabbypants! This is a great read!!

Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake

2010-03-14T18:42:00.008-06:00

It is the dream of many young girls! The opportunity to float with grace and elegance across a stage, a star, a dancer, a prima ballerina. I recall the daydream, I vicariously placed myself in the scenes of Ballet Shoes, I clumsily recreated my own renditions of pirouettes, and jetes with little knowledge of what I was endeavouring to do, but Prima Princessa presents Swan Lake is a wonderful introduction to the world of ballet. Young girls preparing to enter dance, young girls already enrolled in beginner classes such as my daughters, and those who may never have the opportunity to attend formal classes will learn not only the basic movements of ballet dancing and terminology through footage from the School of American Ballet but also experience the beauty and tradition of a performance by the Paris Opera Ballet of Swan Lake. A bright animated fairy Prima Princessa is the perfect guide for giggly, frilly tutued little girls. Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake reminds me of Baby Einstein when the ballet steps are introduced between segments of Swan Lake, incorporating text and visual clips to reinforce the concepts of each step and teach ballet terminology. Because this DVD features only excerpts of the Paris Opera Ballet's Swan Lake performance with dance breaks between them the DVD holds children's attention much better than a full performance would. I actually found the explanations during the Swan Lake acts sophisticated for parents and yet helpful for children unfamiliar with watching ballet and unfamiliar with the Swan Lake story. Created by moms and one of an entire series ballet has never been so enjoyable! My 6 year old Bronwynn was listening and watching the Swan Lake segments with intensity then danced through the intermissions!

Educational, fun, and filled with girlish delights Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake is ideal for darling little dancing divas. Perfect for infants to 6 year olds {and perhaps beyond} this DVD perpetuates the ballet dream and gives girls the chance to don dancing shoes and connect performance, art, and activity!

Be sure to find the adorable colouring pages and other ballet information on the Prima Princessa website and give your delightful dancers this DVD! One Northern Mama reader will win a copy of NCircle Entertainment's Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake!
To Enter:

Visit Prima Princessa and tell me something you learned there i.e. something about the producers of Prima Princessa or a Ballet term definition {Required}

Extra Entries:

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Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes March 29th, 2010. Read Giveaway Rules for further information.

Chicken Soup for the Soul~Teacher Tales!

2010-03-12T10:47:00.005-06:00

My mom was a teacher for many, many years. I grew up with the yearly late summer tradition of helping my mother prepare her classroom. Stapling up bright, cheery bulletin boards, filling wallpaper covered juice cans with fresh pointed crayons and thick blue and red primary pencils. I fell in love with the purpose and organization of it all and the smell of tempera paint and crayon wax. Perhaps this is why I also became a teacher. The thought of reigning over my own classroom domain, the world in miniature. A world in which I was the protector and keeper, the one moulding young minds and spirits into the future!

Alright, this was obviously a rose coloured, optimistic view of the hard core world teaching truly is and has become. Teaching is one of the most challenging occupations. Other jobs are challenging but when you hold the balance of young lives in your hands you come to realize the enormity of your responsibility and it can be daunting.

Admittedly, teaching was meant to be a transition for me. I knew that teaching was not my true calling and that one day I would move on to other things but regardless I took my role seriously and gained even further respect for those whose true calling teaching has been. Ever teacher has a story to tell. Some are stories of heartache punctuated by the feeling of failure or helplessness, some are joyous, silly, and heartwarming, but the most fantastic of stories are those inspiring stories of triumph and difference making. These stories no matter how seemingly trivial to others which make teaching rewarding and aspire others to continue the fight to fill young lives with a tangible future whether academic or just plain productive and happy!

Chicken Soup for the Soul once again collects the inspirational and heartwarming tales of others, this time in a collection of teaching stories which include those from all the 2009 State teachers of the year. Chicken Soup for the Soul~Teacher Tales had me balled-up alternately with tears and laughter.

Those of you who have read my blog from it's inception know I taught in the Canadian Arctic for many years. To give you an indication of what that would be like I guess I could describe it as an inner-city school without the city. While inner-city kids juggle the two worlds of school with its academic expectations and city neighbourhoods with their hard core street code, arctic kids are also caught between the academic world of school and the culture of traditional land life and the social problems often encountered in their homes. It was the stories of children with uncertain lives or rather bleak looking futures which hit me the hardest. Hearing the stories of teachers making a difference through most often the simplest acts of caring are by far the most touching.

Chicken Soup for the Soul~Teacher Tales is filled with the uplifting, the funny, the sad, and the exceptional experiences teachers do not forget! You will never forget some of these tales either. From the touching story of a second grade teacher helping a student write to her father at war overseas in "Letters from Home" to the hysterical error of a first year social studies teacher whose lesson on Paris, France accidental became a sex-ed class involving footage of topless-dancers in "ooh La La!" this anthology of teaching experiences is truly a perfect gift for your child's teacher at the end of this school year!

Thanks to Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing 3 Northern Mama readers will win a copy of this fabulous collection of inspirational stories from great teachers and appreciative students!
To Enter:

Be a Northern Mama Follower or Facebook Fan {Required}

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US and Canadian residents only. Giveaway closes March 27th, 2010. Please read Giveaway Rules for further details.

Get Lucky St. Patty's Day with Eden Fantasys!

2010-03-12T10:04:00.008-06:00

St. Patrick’s day celebrates the "luck of the Irish" but it is also an especially lucky day for my husband and I as a couple. 16 years ago in a small favoured university hot spot my husband and I met for the first time and have been inseparable ever since! When Eden Fantasys asked me if I’d like to review more of their products to remind people to get a little lucky this St. Patty’s day they had no idea how very apropos this would be!

It's a Happy Anniversary of our first meeting to us!! Eden Fantasys has a plethora of exciting, erotic products perfect for making your St. Patty’s day lucky but I chose a bit of lingerie and a little gold dust to enhance my St. Patty’s day appeal. If I’m lucky hubby will be eager to find the sex-pot of gold at the end of the rainbow--me! {Giggle, Blush}

To be honest the lingerie was supposed to be green/black in honour of the occasion but I was sent this Coquette bra and G-string set in red/black instead--which is actually a better colour for me anyway. I love that the G-string is skirted, a bit flirty and great for anyone who feels slightly uncomfortable with the “full moon” reveal! This lingerie is red with a black mesh overlay which adds to the sex appeal and a cute add on is a small gold charm adorning the center of the bra. The bra sizing is a small, medium, and large rather than specific sizes but using the sizing chart the bra I chose fits well for fun lingerie style.

To complete my St. Patty’s day ensemble who could resist the glitter of gold. The My Joy collection Gold Dust is the perfect way to add shimmer and sparkle to any look. Whether you want to dazzle in the bedroom or sparkle out on the town, at a party, or on the beach come summer gold dust shimmery body blush powder will allow you to shine! A soft and finely ground powder, gold dust is formulated with honey--known as an ancient moisturizer--and has a sweet, delicious scent. Perfectly irresistible!

Get lucky with Eden Fantasys this St. Patty’s Day!

Worst Case by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

2010-03-12T09:01:00.006-06:00

Join Michael Bennett as he works with an import from the FBI to help solve the kidnappings of prominent NY Society youth. That's right, a sinister villain--Mr. Mooney--with an agenda is absconding with the 'privileged' of NY.

Question is, will Bennett, his partner and the youth be up to passing Mr. Mooney's tests and survive to tell their harrowing story? Mooney shows his fanatical desires as he not only tests those he abducts, but educations Bennett as he races across New York to save those he has sworn to protect.

I was able to squirrel this book away from Angela to give myself a taste to Patterson as Angela had done all the Patterson books previous to this one. Once I picked this book up, I found that the pages were flying by, and I was pulled through the book at warp speed. Patterson weaves a suspenseful tale that is a fast paced, enjoyable read!

The plot is both compelling and relevant to what is happening in the world around us. We also get a look into a very likable NY police officer that is has a great sense of humour. To me, that is a must as he is a father to 10 children, adopted that make for what sounds like a beautiful mosaic of a family...not to mention a father who's a priest!

Thanks to Hatchett, Northernmama readers will get the chance to win one of five copies of James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge's novel Worst Case!!! Five copies are up for grabs here at Northern Mama!
To Enter:

Be a Northern Mama Follower and/or Facebook Fan {Required}

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Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes March 26th, 2010 10:00pm CT. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.

Tom

And the Winner Is...

2010-03-09T09:34:00.006-06:00

SO MANY WINNERS....SO LITTLE TIME!

Valerie Bertinelli Losing It DVD :

Congratulations to tvwatcher! Now you'll not only be watching tv but exercising to it:)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TCM 31 Days of Oscar Pack:

May I have the envelope please? And the winner is...Congrats Liz W.! You've won the Oscar prize Pack from TCM!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Orglamix Organic mineral Makeup:

Congratulations to the beautiful Belinda M.! It will be hard to choose just three shades trust me!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flirty Apron Winner:

Congrats, Tannie's Chatter, you will be cooking in style!! You've won a Flirty Apron of your choice!

Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Boogie DVD

2010-03-08T21:42:00.003-06:00

Children seem to adore crazy colorful and bizarre characters and Yo Gabba Gabba certainly fits this bill. Yo Gabba Gabba is a fun and creative show for pre-schoolers, teaching them basic skills and allowing them to discover their world through the use of imagination. Nick Jr. released Yo Gabba Gabba: Birthday Boogie February 2nd complete with four toddler friendly episodes: Birthday, Dress Up, Talent, and Ride.

Brobee’s birthday party is truly a surprise as he first believes his friends have forgotten him. Do the Birthday Boogie as Brobee sings of birthdays past and Brobee’s friends throw his birthday bash!

One of the most entertaining activities for young children is the game of pretend. Dress Up illustrates for children the joys of pretending and dressing up. Sing and dance and become anything you want to be with the Gabbaland gang.

Discover your special talent…everyone has one. Gabbland is hosting a Gabba Talent show. What could everyone’s special talents turn out to be? Find out by watching Yo Gabba Gabba’s Talent.

Finally enjoy the ride! From surfboards to roller skates the gabba gang will teach you there are many ways to go from here to there. Getting around has never been so much fun.

With music and dance Yo Gabba Gabba will have your little one on his feet rather than sitting on a couch! Active preschool fun, that’s what Nick Jr.’s Yo Gabba Gabba offers!

Want Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Boogie? Enter to win a copy here on Northern Mama!
To Enter:

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Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes March 24th 2010. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Building Chasracter from the Start: 201 Activities to foster creativity, literacy, and play in K-3

2010-03-08T21:23:00.003-06:00

Teaching is an all consuming profession. When not in a classroom teachers continue to constantly be contemplating new and innovative activities, topics, and instructional techniques. Teachers never stop planning and spending money on resources is just another aspect of the job. I know as an educator that one of the crazy thrills of teaching is finding exciting new resources, books and activities that make the job easier and fit into your curriculum.

School is not only a place for academic learning but more and more educators are discovering or perhaps re-discovering the importance of holistic learning. Considering the whole child and considering the significance of values and character building is becoming a regular part of the curriculum.

Susan Ragsdale and Ann Saylor have created Building Character from the Start: 201 Activities to foster creativity, literacy, and play in K-3, a perfect foundation for Character education or as an addition to a pre-existing Character building Curriculum. Building Character from the Start offers some fabulous worksheets but what impressed me most about this teacher resource is the section dedicated to literacy related activities. A great deal of time has been spent finding children’s literature with character building themes and creating discussion questions to stimulate conversation and then further exploration activities based on the stories. I always love literacy tie-ins to every theme!

Community building games and hands on activities are another fabulous feature of this resource and can easily be applied to other units and can be used as valuable time fillers for substitute teachers like myself currently. To be honest I actually have included this book in my subbing kit and used it just last week as an add on to a teaching plan about decision making and choices. Well organized in a way which allows you to easily see the connections between assets and themes for fast and effective planning I would certainly recommend this to elementary school teachers and homeschoolers. Building Character from the Start also includes a CD Rom.

Win a copy of Building Character from the Start here at Northern Mama!

To Enter:

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Open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes March 23rd, 2010. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.

Olivia Takes Ballet

2010-03-08T21:11:00.003-06:00

As a book fanatic I can’t help but be thrilled when favourite children’s books are developed into movies and television shows. My daughters have loves author Ian Falconer’s dynamic 6 and three quarter year old Olivia since their introduction to the books so to see this adorable pig dance into their hearts all over again from a television screen is delightful!

Released on DVD March 2nd Olivia Takes Ballet will warm the hearts of your daughters and encourage them to take a bite out of life, challenge themselves and live with spunk and gusto just like Olivia. Olivia’s confidence and positive energy inspires children to think boldly and follow their dreams!

Eye popping animation and a character so infectious makes Olivia truly educational and endearing entertainment. Adventure with Olivia through four double episodes!

Olivia knows she can learn to dance as well as any ballerina if only she can find the perfect partner. Could her football playing uncle handle the part? A pas de deux which is unforgettable and surprisingly graceful! When a duck and her ducklings follow Olivia and Ian home household mayhem makes keeping them a secret from mom and dad a bit challenging!

Join Olivia in three other new-to-DVD adventures: Olivia Runs a carnival /Olivia Explores the Attic, Olivia and the Anniversary Surprise/Olivia the Pet monitor and Olivia Goes Camping/Olivia Becomes a Vet. This DVD also includes Olivia’s Fashion Show featurette! My spirited daughters feel a definite affinity to Olivia and I’m sure yours will too!

Purchase Olivia Takes Ballet now on DVD!!

Miracle in Sumatra: The Story of Gutsy Gus

2010-03-08T20:53:00.003-06:00

I have been intrigued by the great apes ever since my days as an anthropology student. The gentle and peaceable nature of the mountain gorilla, the curiosity and ingenuity of chimpanzees and the mysterious red-haired orangutan are our close relations and though they are so very like us we continue to be the cause of their endangerment. It is the hope of activist and author Jeanne McNaney “that our children become aware, that as the next generation of the world, they can do their part in helping to preserve our animals and our environment.” It is this hope which spawned the conception of the inspiring children’s book Miracle in Sumatra: The Story of Gutsy Gus.

Miracle in Sumatra: The Story of Gutsy Gus teaches children the significance of conservation and wildlife preservation capturing their minds and hearts through a touching and well woven tale of Gus, a baby orangutan whose family has been threatened. My daughters were drawn into the suspense of the story immediately and my five year old soon became worried and feared for Gus and his family. I had to stop to explain that I was sure his family would be rescued. She then thoroughly enjoyed the ensuing action.

Though the story is long it held the interest of my daughters entirely and it is enhanced by beautiful full colour illustrations. As an educator and parent I appreciate and respect the values of compassion and forgiveness, kindness and advocacy for environment little Gus inspires in all who read Miracle in Sumatra.

Gutsy little Gus perseveres on his quest to save his parents from greedy trappers. Maya, a little girl aids Gus in his mission and soon learns about the plight of the orangutan first hand. With a little magic and a miracle Maya determines that though she is young and small she can be as gutsy as Gus and stand up for what she believes in!

Enjoy this book with your children. Win a copy here at Northern Mama!
To Enter:

Follow Northern Mama {Google} or be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan {Required}

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Open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes March 22nd, 2010. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.

The Big Dyson Vacuum Winner is....

2010-03-06T22:25:00.002-06:00

Extremely excited to announce the winner of the Dyson Vacuum! Congratulations go to Sarah who's comment was #403 {it was a daily tweet}!! I will email you tonight:-)

Chicken Soup for the Soul: True Love

2010-03-05T23:04:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to the lucky three winners: Bcteagirl, fredamans and misscrabbypants!
I'll be in touch with you soon!

Winner GreenSmart Wine Tote!

2010-03-05T14:21:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to Couponmom Kim!! Hey I was just on email with you the other day. I'll be emailing again, this time to say you won!

Possibly Starting Over!

2010-03-05T13:54:00.003-06:00

I have mentioned in a post here or there that we will be moving...maybe sooner maybe later. My husband's job affords us the opportunity to move all over our great country. He is being transfered this spring but everything involved in a government move is always tentative. First we wait for final paperwork {fingers crossed this will come around April 1st}, then it is time to sell our house. We've been preparing. We installed some replacement windows, I'm decluttering and weeding through the accumulation from the last four years, and we've even replaced some of the vinyl siding around our back down, necessary compliments of our giant nuissance of a dog.

Already, though our house is not even on the market yet, we have had some inquiries so with any luck these prospects will prevent us from stewing over the house sale too long.

With the magic of online realty sites we've already been peeking at what is currently available in the town to which we will be relocating but it certainly has us on tender hooks! I developed an incredible headache last night just reviewing the few properties that suit our needs. I enjoy redecorating and house improvements but am not interested in huge home remodeling projects. I hate the idea of paying too much but I also hate the idea of getting a bargain that will require us to live in a renovation zone for an enternity. What I am most excited about however is an acreage. Yes, we want a little land with that house, a place for the dog to roam, a place where the kids can build a fort in the summer and Tom can flood for an outdoor rink in the winter, a huge garden for us, fruit trees, and room to live! Keeping our fingers-crossed and our toes too!

*The links in this post are paid links.

Is Industry Looking out for You?

2010-03-05T13:02:00.005-06:00

Environmental awareness can be simple and include the everyday acts ordinary people strive to accomplish daily but it can also involve complicated science and the knowledge of what industry needs to do to change.

We can aid in preventing and minimizing pollution and environmental degradation but industry must also use environmental controls like thermal oxidizer equipment to prevent or minimize their impact as well. We can beg for industry to become entirely environment conscious and turn to alternative sources of energy but until society and government demands it perhaps the band aid solution will be reduction versus extinction of emissions!

Why do I care what a thermal oxidizer is or whether industries go to companies like Combustion Controls Solutions & Environmental Services, Inc. to purchase thermal oxidizer parts? Well, maybe I don't care about the details and science. Maybe I don't need to know that Thermal oxidizers are used to reduce air pollution emissions from a variety of industrial processes by treating the polluted exhaust gas prior to discharging the exhaust gas to atmosphere. But because I breathe in the air these emissions invade, because my children breathe it in I care what steps industries may be taking to minimize their impact.

To destroy the contaminants in a polluted exhaust gas, a thermal oxidizer uses the principle of "thermal oxidation". Thermal oxidation is a combustion process in which the contaminants within the polluted exhaust gas react with oxygen in a temperature controlled environment to create an oxidation reaction. This chemical reaction is what reduces the pollutants in the exhaust gas to an innocuous--or shall we say somewhat less toxic--emission (CO2, water vapor, and heat) to atmosphere.

Thermal oxidizers and thermal oxidizer repair are not solutions to global warming nor do they deter the need to look for alternative environmentally friendly energy sources but haven't you ever wondered what are industries doing? What steps are they taking no matter how small? Are they doing anything or are we the everyday ordinary Joes with no knowledge of thermal oxidizers and combustion controls being duped into believing someone is watching out for us all? Hmmm!

* The links in this post are paid links. Please review my disclosure policy.

Making A Family Home

2010-03-03T22:55:00.005-06:00

I peek over the table edge with the shining eyes full of youthful curiosity and amazement. Glimpses of pale patterned skirts and umbrellas against a heavily stitched backdrop of pink alternately catch my flickering vision as I rise and fall upon tippy toed feet. My eyes focus on the studied movement of my grandmother’s loose skinned, soft deft hands as they pushed a needle down through soft cotton then forced back upward creating discreet patterns of tiny white stitches. I still cherish the small quilt my grandmother so lovingly conceptualized and pieced together for me. It now adorns my eldest daughter’s bed and she is wrapped in my grandmother’s love when she warms herself within its folds.

Shannon Honeybloom believes we must channel our grandmothers, and the happiness which can be gained from the simple pleasures of living a life unencumbered by commercialism and technology, when making a house a home. This urge to cultivate, nurture and enrich her children’s home life and development culminated into a beautiful book, Making a Family Home. Honeybloom’s mindset:

“My grandmother imbued her household with love, simplicity, and joy. In putting together my own home, I asked myself: What makes a space sheltering, harmonious, and healthy? What kinds of materials can be used to help the development of my children? So I wrote this book to share my discoveries.”

I remember my grandmother’s love through memories of baking cookies, doing dishes in a cotton print apron modeled after her own. I remember my grandfather’s love through the memory of a wooden puzzle cube I used to take apart and desperately attempt to piece together but inevitably took to grandpa for the thousandth time to observe with amazement its solution. My mother taught me to embroider, my aunt taught me to knit and all this holds a special place in my heart as well as in my development. It is this happiness from simplicity which I yearn to pass on to my children but it has become harder in recent years. With the onslaught of technology it is difficult to tear children away from television, computers and handheld games. I refuse to let these electronics rule my home, preventing my children from developing skills and finding happiness in imagination, physical activity, the simple tasks of homemaking, and old-school practices.

Honeybloom a former educator and a mother of three like myself has captured the essence of creating and providing a cozy and enriching family home room-by-room, element-by-element. Admittedly, I lingered page by page over the captivating photographs of her charm filled house, envious of her endearing home. I realized as I read however that I had similarly set up my family’s home but could add further to my commitment to placing greater emphasis on the elements I truly value and wish to honour.

I believe we have forgotten the value of traditional living and old-school homemaking and Honeybloom brought this back with stunning observance to details easily dismissed in this fast-paced world of information overload and commercialism. It becomes as simple as relegating technology to the back burner, including natural materials and simple toys to your household, adding wooden steps to a tree, baking or knitting with your child. Including your children in the daily household tasks do not have to become chores but rather enjoyable family experiences which may form special and lasting memories. Perhaps a world of plastic toys and computer chips is not the way of the future…at least perhaps it shouldn’t be!

Follow Shannon Honeybloom's journey to Making a Family Home and perhaps find yourself nesting, re-learning, and teaching the simple pleasures of life. Phenix & Phenix and Northern Mama is giving away a copy of Making A Family Home to one Northern Mama reader.
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Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes March 17th, 2010 10:00pm CT. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Save the Hooch~ The Yellow Umbrella Organization!

2010-03-03T20:57:00.005-06:00

I am many things, I am a blogger and educator, an artist and writer, and most importantly a wife and a mother. Most women are many things and they are many things to the people who love them and rely on them. Women are the givers of life and often spend their time caring for others unselfishly without consideration for themselves. Women must be empowered to take care of themselves, to view themselves and their health as vital and important. Women need to be empowered and as a mother of two girls it means the world to me to empower my daughters to understand and care for their bodies.

The Yellow Umbrella Organization was formed to spread the word about a significant threat to the health of women--cervical cancer! Rocker and cervical cancer survivor, Christine Baze decided her fight against cervical cancer was more than an individual one. Her discovery? cervical cancer is preventable if you use the right tools and she has made it her mission to “Save the Hooch”!

I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials. You may already be aware that cervical cancer is caused by a very common virus HPV--that’s the human papillomavirus. What is hard to fathom is that most women (80% of all women by the age of 50) will contract HPV despite the fact that most will not develop cervical cancer. No woman however wants to become a statistic and prevention is empowering. There are steps that can be taken to help protect yourself:
~ Ages 9 to 26 ~ Can get the HPV vaccine
~ By age 21 get the liquid Pap test
~ Age 30 and up ~ get an HPV test with your liquid Pap
Working under the same umbrella to remind women of the three steps to “saving your cervix” Baze has teamed up with well-known makeup artist Debra Macki. Macki has produced an amazing 3 shade mineral eye shadow palette. Silky smooth, rich in colour enclosed in a stylish silver mirrored “Yellow Umbrella” case as you beautiful your outside you will keep in mind the importance of caring for your inner beauty as well!

Whether you are a Rocker chick like Baze, saving the hooch, or a sophisticated diva like Macki, protecting your pearl, be aware, be proactive, and support educating women young and old regarding cervical health! For more information visit The Yellow Umbrella.

Curious George 2 - Follow That Monkey

2010-03-03T15:08:00.007-06:00

Here is one of those characters, that just doesn't get old!

Yep, Curious George is at it again. Who among us cannot remember sitting down with a Curious George book, or watching a video when we were a child? As time goes by, and the world changes, who better to show us the joy in it than Curious George? Just yesterday Universal Studios Home Entertainment released a sequel to the hit animated movie, Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey, which also features two never-before-seen episodes from the New TV Season! The Curious George TV series is set to air in the fall of 2010.

Once again, Bronwynn could not wait to pop this movie into the DVD player when she saw that it had arrived! The theme music, and songs throughout had her bee-boppin in her seat, and humming along (until she learns the words, then I'm sure she'll be singing!).

George makes friends with a blue elephant who has been taken from his parents, and sets to putting things to right. Thus, ensues a wild and wacky cross country trip with all the calamity we have come to expect from Curious George. A personal fave was the escape from authorities (yep, George is on the lamb!) at the farm in California.

Among the bonus features, are the new episodes from the TV version: "A Monkey's Ducking" and "George's Super Subway Adventure" to tickle your little one's funny bone. Included on the DVD is also Curious George's Curious Cross Country Caper game, colouring sheets and wallpaper, and a bonus music video. Plenty of Curious George delight to keep your kiddo's coming back for more. A big plus is that the movie stresses the all important values of family, friends, and determination in accomplishing your goals.

For a limited time with the purchase of the Curious George 2 DVD as an added savings value will include a $5 grocery cash check card mail-in offer and an instnat $3 savings towards any Curious George catalog, tv or DVD title purchase in tandem.
Running time: 1 hour 21 minutes

Northern Mama is pleased to be able to giveaway a copy of "Curious George 2 - Follow That Monkey" on one lucky Northern Mama reader.
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Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes March 16, 2010 10:00 pm CT. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.

Flirty Apron wants you to be a Glamour Gourmet!! {Discount Extended!!}

2010-03-01T20:28:00.000-06:00

Firty Aprons is pulling out all the stops! You can expect beaudatious deals from this company which puts makes domestic duties stylish endeavours! Adorable, sexy, oh and functional too Flirty aprons are the perfect gift for your girlfriends, relatives, and brides-to-be....heck just treat yourself at 30% off it's a steal of a deal!

Yes, Flirty Aprons is offering all my readers 30% off. Just use the coupon code: 30Coupon at checkout. This coupon will end March 4th, 2010 at midnight so click over to Flirty Aprons now while you have the opportunity!

Read my Flirty Apron review and giveaway.

Southland Season Premier March 2nd

2010-03-01T09:55:00.004-06:00

As a police family one of our prefered television genres is of course the "cop Drama"! Over the years the television viewing audience has been innundated with police drama. Some portrayals are hard hitting and gritty, some professional and sleek, Southland has a way of combining these images into a cohesion that may just be representative of the reality in a city like LA!

Now I could critque the realism of this show or any other police drama endlessly but the point is entertainment reflects reality but it is also a fictional story requiring a level of excitement which reality only occassionaly offers. The characters Southland presents span a gamet from professional and politically correct to rough and offensive, from green and naive to experienced and jaded. Viewers of Southland will get a taste of good police work and the less than stellar!

From the makers of ER, Southland's second season premiers Tuesday March 2, 2010 on TNT! I got a sneak peek screener and here's a Season Preview for you!

Lydia struggles with being assigned a new partner as her partner struggles to rehibilitate himself from a gunshot. Partnerships are strong and Lydia refuses to believe her partner may not return! Officer John Cooper, 20 year veteran of the force, continues to train rookie officer Ben Sherman. Cooper is jaded and tough, and perhaps rough around the edges but he cares about officer safety and is quick to point out Sherman's errors though I believe deep down he knows Sherman has the makings of a truly gifted peace officer! Sherman represents the new look of the force, aware and conscious, serious and professional, with an underlying compassion that softens the blow of his necessary toughness.
The LA police continue to fight gang violence with a vengance and Lydia works to find a missing elderly man in this intense season premier. Raw, gripping drama you won't want to miss, Southland tomorrow night 10:00 Eastern/9:00 Central!

I Believe! Showing My Colours

2010-03-01T09:26:00.003-06:00

Winners!!

2010-03-01T09:12:00.003-06:00

Announcing the winners of the Eco-Zone Pencils and the fabulous book The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Buchanan. And the winners are...

Tannie's Chatter you've won the Eco-Zone Pencils! Congrats!

-------------------------------------------

Congrats Darcy O. for winning a copy of The Day the Falls Stood Still! You'll love it!

Going for the Olympic green medal

2010-02-25T23:43:00.003-06:00

Latest News from the David Suzuki Foundation

By David Suzuki with Faisal Moola

Several people have asked me if the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics will be the greenest games yet. The answer may be yes – if we’re talking about the abundance of greenery and lack of snow brought on by record high temperatures during one of the earliest spring seasons the city has experienced.

With respect to environmental impact, all Olympic Games leave a very large footprint. Thousands of people flying in from all over the world, along with local transportation and the infrastructure that must be created, mean a lot of carbon emissions get spewed into the atmosphere.

What many people may not realize is that, along with sports, the Olympic movement has two other official “pillars”: culture and the environment. People in Vancouver have seen evidence of the cultural pillar, with an amazing line-up of music, theatre, and other cultural events for the Cultural Olympiad.

Vancouver Olympic organizers have also tried to reduce the environmental impact of the 2010 Games. For example, venues and infrastructure have been built using energy-efficient technologies, clean-energy sources will be used for many aspects of the Games, and carbon offsets will balance out a significant portion of the emissions from the Games. As a result of these and other initiatives, the 2010 Olympics are expected to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than previous Winter Olympics.

But that doesn’t mean the Vancouver Olympics are as green as they could be. In fact, we may eventually have to rethink our approach to such global mega-events if we are serious about reducing the impacts of climate change, particularly as the very future of winter Olympics depends on having winters cold enough to sustain snow and ice.

We hope that future host cities, and the IOC itself, will learn from the lessons of the 2010 Olympics. For example, despite an emphasis on public-transit use during the Games, the Vancouver Olympics will leave the region with few long-term improvements in sustainable transportation. Instead, the highway up to Whistler was widened at a cost of $600 million. And so far, 2010 Olympic organizers haven’t made the most of opportunities to tell the story of their climate initiatives to Canadians and the world. Because so many people will be focused on the host city, and because climate change is a defining issue of our time, the winter Olympics offer an unparalleled opportunity to inspire billions of people around the world with solutions to global warming.

The IOC itself must also play a stronger role to ensure that Olympic organizers take the environment seriously. A look back at previous Olympics shows remarkably varied performances regarding the environment, with the Athens 2004 Games standing out in particular for their weak environmental record. The IOC should set minimum environmental benchmarks so that every organizing committee has clear targets to meet – or exceed. Such benchmarks would also allow successive Olympic Games to be assessed and compared and opportunities for improvement to be identified.

The IOC should also put in a place an external monitoring body for each host city to ensure that standards for addressing climate impacts are upheld. For example, the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 was created to increase accountability of the London Olympic organizers with respect to their sustainability commitments.

And because not all host countries have the same financial means, the IOC could create an environmental fund, with financing from media-rights revenues or other sources. The fund could help less wealthy countries to incorporate environmental considerations into their games, and to invest in long-term environmental and social initiatives in their regions.

Of course, environmental initiatives around Olympic Games are a shared responsibility. For the Vancouver Games, the federal, provincial, and municipal governments, the organizing committee, and other organizations are all accountable when it comes to ensuring that the Games themselves are green and that they leave a lasting legacy for the region.

The Vancouver Olympics have demonstrated that climate change initiatives, such as green venues and clean energy, are not only doable but affordable and can leave lasting legacies for host cities. Future Olympics can and should raise the bar even higher by finding ways to reduce their climate impact and inspiring their worldwide audiences with climate solutions.

{Taken from the David Suzuki Foundation Newsletter. Written by David Suzuki with Faisal Moola}

Undress Me In The Temple of Heaven

2010-02-25T23:12:00.003-06:00

Backpacking the world, finding ones self, after years of confined classroom instruction it is the dream of many college graduates to venture out into the “real world”, discover diversity first hand, and authenticate their life through exotic experiences. Susan Jane Gilman and her college friend believe their adventurous sojourn into the mysterious unknown of southeast Asia will allow them the opportunity to conquer the world, to collect experiences which will provide them with worldliness and fonder for conversation for a lifetime!

“But this is our one big chance. We do this, and for the rest of our lives, we’re going to know certain things that almost nobody else does. I mean, do you really think the world needs just a couple more Ivy League assholes--two more people like us who go on to become corporate weenies or lawyers, sleepwalking through life?” (Gilman 2010: 22)

Oprah called Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven “unputdownable”, I call it intensely palpable! An epic journey of discovery Quickly Gilman and her friend plummet into the dangerous depths of the secretive and cloistered communist People’s Republic of China of the 1980s. Inexperienced travellers, youthful and naïve, yet self-satisfied with their self-confidence and intelligence suddenly find themselves “undressed” by their foray into an unknown and foreign culture. Their strength of character is laid bare and their physical and mental well-being tested to the ultimate limits.

This book was a departure from the ordinary and is the most captivating memoir I have had the pleasure of reading. Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven is a testament to the adventurous spirit of impetuous youth and its immense impact on ones personality, character and life development. It is when Gilman encounters personal crisis merged with the xenophobic forces of 1980s China that this memoir becomes the story of inner strength discovery.

I have often dreamed of journeying the world, experiencing first hand the nuances of the many cultures I have only read about…and I still have plans to do so. This memoir may scare off some, it may entice others to test their strength, regardless it will be a riveting story too quirky and strange to be anything but true!
{Oh and there is a Canadian connection…but you’ll have to read the book to discover what this may be.}

Win a copy of this page-turning memoir! Five copies are up for grabs here at Northern Mama!
To Enter:

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Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes March 14th, 2010 10:00pm CT. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.

TCM Presents 31 Days of Oscar!!

2010-02-25T20:49:00.006-06:00

The Oscars are just around the corner and during the month of February Turner Classic Movies has been building the momentum while honouring the best of the best in movie history! I know I got a late jump on this excitement but I could not resist joining in!

I am a Classic movie lover! My husband thinks I'm a classic movie buff guru but I know better than to claim such expertise. I am a TCM addict and honestly I am still continually confronted with how little I know about movie history and how many fabulous classic movies I have yet to see. TCM's 31 Days of Oscar is a perfect way to catch notable movies both beloved and well-known, or perhaps--at least to you personally--more obscure and dusty on forgotten shelves!
TCM's 31 Days of Oscar month long tribute could be coined a classic in itself, now in its 16th year hosted by the great Robert Osbourne--true movie guru! Robert Osborne is the official biographer of the Academy Awards and the Academy’s red carpet greeter.

22 films make their debut on TCM this February including:
Gladiator (2000), Titanic (1997), Mrs. Brown (1997), A Room with a View (1985), Trading Places (1983), Frances (1982), Only When I Laugh (1981), Alien (1979), Julia (1977), Serpico (1973),Lady Sings the Blues (1972), Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), An American Dream (1966), Morituri (1965), Summertime(1955), Call Me Madam (1953), The Snake Pit (1948), Moonrise (1948), Kiss of Death (1947), Kitty (1945), Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938) and One Hour with You (1932).

I started to compile a list of my favourites on this years 31 Days of Oscars roster but realized it would span the length of this web page and beyond! I will spare you the horrendously long list and just name a few:

Mildred Pierce, Inherit the Wind, Little Women {there are two versions in this line up}, Waterloo Bridge {I have always admired Vivian Leigh's beauty}, Wuthering Heights and Of Mice and Men {both based on novels I adore}, the light and romantic Roman Holiday and the heavy and dramatic Nun's Story {Audrey Hepburn another actress I've admired for years with whom I share a birth date}, Humphrey Bogart's Maltese Falcon, Casablanca and of course the later African Queen, I must admit a crush on James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause but also Giant...as I warned my list goes on and on!

Just have a look at the schedule for yourself to find your favourites!

There are still 7 days left of fabulous movies. Whether you are already a huge fan of classic movies and movies of the recent past or are just discovering this world of amazing story telling TCM's 31 Days of Oscar presents the history of film at its best.
And to enhance your 2010 Oscar experience further TCM would like to offer one Northern Mama reader an Oscar Party Pack which includes everything you need to make Oscar night a night to remember!

To Enter:

View the TCM 31 Days of Oscar Schedule and tell me your favourite on the list! {Required}

Extra Entries:

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Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes March 3rd, 12:00am CT. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.

Wonderful Wednesday!

2010-02-24T23:01:00.000-06:00

Photo from CTV news --TORSTEN SILZ/Getty Images

I have become glued to my television the last week and a half as I live vicariously through the great Canadian athletes which continue daily to make a nation cheer, laugh, cry, and spontaneously break into song! Never have I heard such spontaneous outbursts of our national anthem, never have I encountered such intense national fervor. As stereotype dictates we are proud of our country but often with a passive, laid back, nonchalance. This humility should never be mistaken for indifference nor ingratitude and perhaps now this inner pride we often hold so close to our chest has now been unleashed, put on display for the rest of the world!

Many Canadians may view our win against Russia in men’s hockey a highlight of the day….not to downplay the immense excitement around this game of historic rivals let’s forget the men! Men may dominate the world of professional sport but in the Olympic realm it is the Canadian women who are reign supreme. In the Turin Olympics Canada brought home 24 medals, 16 of which were won by Canadian women!

My source of pride today, the cause for this wonderful Wednesday, are the amazing and admirable Canadian women athletes who set model examples. Winning 4 medals today--gold, 2 silver, and a bronze--they are proving themselves a force to be reckoned with! These women are not heroes merely because they are Olympic medalists but rather due to their overall strength of character.

Congratulations Ladies!!

David Suzuki Foundation Olympic Message!

2010-02-23T11:02:00.003-06:00

It was back in June that I received a letter from the David Suzuki Foundation written by David Suzuki with this Olympic message which I thought prudent to share now as the Olympic spirit sweeps our country coast to coast!

Here is the excerpt:

"Recently, we teamed up with Canada's top winter atheletes to turn back the clock on climate change. And as Canadians, winter is a huge part of our national identity.

I've talked to many Olympic atheletes who tell me that winter sporting events around the world are being cancelled because there isn't enough snow. In this way, winter sports are like the proverbial canary in a coal mine--early indicators of Global warming. We decided more people needed to hear this warning, and what they could do about it, so we profiled the Winter Olympics.

With the help of our donors, over 70 of Canada's top atheletes, and members across Canada, we convinced the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Winter Olympics to take responsibility for the Games' climate impact by making the event carbon neutral. The organizers are now aiming to offset almost all of the Games' carbon emissions with investments in green energy and projects that reduce greenhouse gases. Our next steps are to ensure that the carbon offsets are top quality, and that the organizers promote climate solutions to an expected audience of 3 billion people around the world.

The amazing thing about this commitment is that so many people made it happen together. Donors funded out climate change research, atheletes and DSF members signed our online petition, newspapers and TV stations picked up our story, and the Olympic organizers took notice!

It really proves that amazing things happen when groups of ordinary Canadians--and extraordinary athletes--take action together to tackle climate change. In 2010, we'll show the world that Canada wants to solve climate change, and send a strong message to the government that we want a sustainable future.

For more information on our other important programs, I invite you to visit http://www.davidsuzuki.org/ ."

{Excerpt from a letter written by David Suzuki in June 2009}

Take the Chill out of Tax-Time With Carolina Pad's Hot Chocolate Collection!

2010-02-23T10:07:00.006-06:00

It’s that time of year! Crunching numbers with bated breathe, rummaging through drawers and boxes for those elusive requisite receipts and documents in panic and frustration, heart pounding as you approach that final crucial calculation, waiting for that positive or negative result! Yes, you know what I am referencing. Denial is futile…it is Tax Time!

To be honest you may think me fit for a straight jacket but I actually love tax time. Obviously this love only stems from the fact that we can most often expect a wonderful return. I’m sure my amicable relationship with tax time would turn on a dime if I discovered it would be us writing a cheque to the Canadian government {or dear old uncle Sam if we were Americans}.

Despite the joys of my tax “windfalls” I admit to pulling my hair out over misplaced paperwork and numbers which just don’t add up. The worst of the frustrations could easily be avoided with greater forethought and a few organizational tools. Carolina Pad--industry leader in stylish and trendy school and office supplies--wants you to be prepared so you won’t be scrambling this time next year! As winter ends and tax time approaches Carolina Pad’s most popular collection, “Hot Chocolate”, will warm away the tax chills!
Carolina Pad sent me the perfect “Hot Chocolate Collection” organizational package to get my tax act together:
~ 13 Pocket Expandable Folder ~ MSRP $7.49
~ Package of 12 File Folders ~ MSRP $5.99
~ 26 Pocket Expandable Folder ~ MSRP $17.99
~ 8 Pocket Folder ~ MSRP $6.99
~ Box of 6 Binder Clips ~ MSRP $2.99
~ Box of 10 Paper Clips ~ MSRP $2.99

I love the various pocket folders! No longer do I have to stuff receipts and documents hurriedly into boxes and envelopes only to be misplaced or relegated to paper heaps. I used the 8 pocket folder to house my tax information, relevant and eligible deductions and other useful tips and forms. The 13 pocket expandable file folder offers the quintessential home for receipts, and other saved documents. I bundled the receipts and documents according to category clipped each bundle with the Hot Chocolate paperclips and assigned each category its very own pocket. Easy Peasey…organized and if you can believe it fashionable too!

I used the file folders and adorable binder clips to enclose the previous year’s tax summaries and other larger forms. The file folders fit easily into the expandable pocket folders. I will be filing my finished return and then the returns for consecutive returns in the larger 26 pocket expandable folder! Durable and well designed adorned with attractive trendy patterns and colours, I’ll be using the left over folders and clips for my substitute teaching materials, so thank you Carolina Pad for organizing my life! Carolina Pad cannot guarantee you a healthy return but they can certainly contribute to your preparedness with style!

Get organized this year! Carolina Pad is offering Northern Mama readers a 10% online discount code: Tax_Relief to help you purchase what you will need.
And don’t scramble this time next year enter to win the same Hot Chocolate Collection Package I received here at Northern Mama!
To Enter:

Visit Carolina Pad and tell me what your favourite collection is! {Required}

Extra Entries:

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Giveaway open to Canadian and US residents. Giveaway closes March 15th, 2010 10:00pm CT. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Another Chance to Win ~ Flirty Aprons Announces!

2010-02-23T10:01:00.002-06:00

Flirty Aprons wants you to have another opportunity to win a FREE FLIRTY APRON or other discounts. Here 's the information they asked me to pass on to you:

CONTENT CONTEST!!!!
Go to Flirty Aprons website and take a look at the resource section located at the bottom of the page. Then submit a paragraph or two that could be used in our new resource section titled Bridal Shower Gifts.
The best/longest submission will receive a FREE FLIRTY APRON and the runners up 50% and 25% off ...respectively.

All submissions can be sent to mail@flirtyaprons.com. Ends February 28th!

Gary Unmarried: The Complete First Season Now on DVD!

2010-02-21T11:51:00.004-06:00

As I inserted the first disk of Gary Unmarried: The Complete First Season on a bitter, snowy day and huddled blanketed upon my couch I was skeptical. Having never seen the show prior to receiving this DVD set I had the vague impression that this would be a show far more appealing to beer guzzling, belch respecting men. It wasn’t at all Neanderthal but rather clever and sharp, shot through with witty, biting humour for both sexes.

My husband and I both found ourselves chortling and at times laughing hysterically. I’m sure most divorced couples could take a page from Gary and Allison who, though they obviously have irreconcilable differences and often loath each other when all is said and done put their children first and continue a relationship which though contentious is amicable enough.

Jay Mohr plays Gary Brooks an uncomplicated guy newly divorced and experiencing single parenting, dating, and his ex-wife’s zingers! While Gary dips his toe into the dating pool after years of marriage his ex-wife throws him a curve by revealing she skipped the toe dipping and is diving in full force! Also starring the zany Ed Begley Jr. this 20 episode, 3 disc compilation is brimming with hilarious one-liners, insults and come backs but never understates the importance of family connections. With all Gary’s bravado he is still just a divorce father trying to muddle through his new life experience.

Gary Unmarried: The Complete First Season bonus features include: Bloopers and deleted scenes, a day on the set with star Jay Mohr, and an all-access tour of Gary Unmarried. Also included in the features is Ed Begley Jr.’s “Planet Begley”! If you know Ed Begley you will remember he is an eco-friendly expert. Now he is using his expertise to make-over the Gary Unmarried set!

Looking for laughter on a cold winter’s day? I recommend Gary Unmarried The complete First Season, released by Disney Home Entertainment February 9th, available now!

"It's All Too Much" DVD and Book - Winner!!!

2010-02-21T11:21:00.003-06:00

Congratulation's again Suzie!

Flirty Aprons Creating Domestic Divas!

2010-02-21T11:16:00.009-06:00

I may not be a domestic goddess, my domestic skills are substantial but mediocre. Regardless I can still be a domestic diva and look great even if I’m just creating spaghetti! Thanks to Flirty Aprons I think I look adorable in the kitchen no matter what concoction I am whipping up.

Flirty Aprons are stylish, fun and well…like their name “flirty”. Think of the 1950s and 60s domestic divas when a woman’s home was really her queenly domain, then think retro apron with a twist. Though flirty aprons may have a bit of a retro design concept the amazing selection of prints, patterns, and colours make flirty aprons hip and modern.
I have never been an apron wearer. Though I may have found myself chastising myself for staining a top or dusting my pants with flour I hated the idea of draping an ugly bibbed apron over myself. I don’t care to look like Aunt Jemima or some pioneer woman working a frontier home. I want to look like the modern-day fashionable mom that I am.

Flirty Aprons sent me a beautiful and bold Teal and black print apron featuring just enough frill to be feminine while still maintaining a sleek modern style and flair that adds that hint of flirtation and “sex appeal”.

I’ve never felt more chic while burning cookies in my life…I never said a flirty apron would make you a better cook. You’ll just look fabulous doing it!

Flirty Aprons wants you to look great in your kitchen whether your preparing gourmet delicacies or just making cookies with the kids! One lucky Northern Mama reader will win a flirty apron of her choice!

To Enter:

Visit Flirty Aprons and tell me your favourite design {Required}

Extra Entries:

Be a Northern Mama Follower
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Open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes March 8th, 2010 10:00pm CT. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.