CBC's The Canada Lives Here Experience Exhibit Now Open

CBC launches its large-scale, open house event featuring "The Canada Lives Here Experience"
open to the public May 16 to 19. Register for tours at canadaliveshere.ca

CBC's The Canada Lives Here Experience exhibit is now open and I look forward to possible attending this weekend. It provides a larger-than-life look at the Canadian experience through the lens of the CBC. The public is invited to the CBC Broadcasting Centre in Toronto from May 16 –19 for tours, fun-filled activities and events, and the opportunity to meet their favourite CBC personalities. I am personally looking forward to meeting Allan Hawco again and learning how he got his start.

Admission to The Canada Lives Here Experiences is FREE for all visitors. To register for tours and special events, visit www.canadaliveshere.ca. 

The Canada Lives Here Experience features:

• The “Canada Lives Here” Movie: a larger-than-life, immersive film experience that delivers an emotional telling of how CBC connects with Canadians every day.
• The Hall of Information: brings the audience inside one of the world’s most respected news organizations to see how a major news story with global repercussions takes shape from the ground up.
• The Hall of Conversation: an installation that combines inspiring visual elements with a provocative soundtrack that brings to life the vast topics of Canadian conversations that CBC facilitates every day.
• The Hall of Music: CBC celebrates our country’s finest performers, recording artists and songwriters through an immerse display of sounds and images.
• The Hall of Stars: a stunning celebration of Canadian stars, literature, music, art, fashion and design through the lens of CBC’s platforms, awards shows, cultural events, and news coverage.
• The Hall of Sport: features iconic pieces of Canadian and world sport history, our insatiable love of hockey, and the countdown to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

The CBC Open House also offers a number of fun-filled live public events and activities, including:

• Panel discussions and Q&A’s with a variety of CBC personalities with topics ranging from “How I Got My Start”, “The State of Music in Canada Today”, and “Ask Me Anything”, to a discussion about comedy in Canada with the stars of CBC’s comedy lineup, and more.
• Photo opportunity with the stars of the CBC’s hottest programs.
• Fun-filled activities in the CBC Kids’ Zone, including arts and crafts, and the CBC spin wheel.
• A “Hoist the Cup” photo opportunity with an impressive replica of the one and only Stanley Cup.
• News junkies have the chance to sit behind the news desk, read off the teleprompter and take cues from the camera operator at the “Be a News Anchor Desk”.

Canada's Sugar Beach, Toronto

After my son and I met the Wiggles at Corus Quay on the weekend, we headed next door to Canada's Sugar Beach. It's so pretty there!

Participating in Wordless Wednesday this week? Link up your posts below.

Stampin' Up! Spring Surprise Bundle

This weekend, the weather was so cold that we had to turn the heat back on. While Mother Nature may have a hard time understanding that it is spring, Stampin' Up! knows full well that it's the perfect time to celebrate the season of May flowers with their Spring Surprise Bundle, coordinating inks and card stock in bright colours. Stampin' Up! sent me a sample of the bundle that features the Round Array stamp set (available in clear-mount only) and the coordinating Scallop Circle 7/8" punch featured above. The stamp set includes five stamps with sentiments and three generic stamps that are perfect for everyday embellishments.

The Stampin' Up! Spring Surprise Bundle is a perfect set for those looking to incorporate stamping into their crafts as it includes all the elements required to complete a project. With these stamps and coordinating punch, you can easily embellish a variety of projects, like cards, notes, jars of homemade goodies, and more!

Since I love to make greeting cards, I chose to use some Stampin' Up! card stock in Primrose Petal and Raspberry Ripple with coordinating water-based dye ink to create a couple of birthday cards which measure at 5.5" by 4.25". I stamped and punched two of the same images and attached them using a dimensional to add some pop.

I loved using the stamps and coordinating punch so much that I decided to embellish the inside of the cards as well. I seriously need to look into getting more coordinating stamp and punch sets...

The Wiggles Are Taking Off! - Toronto Concert Dates

What's red, blue, purple and yellow, and comes from Australia? Why, it's the Wiggles, of course! In case you haven't heard, there are some new faces amongst the beloved group of children's entertainers. Last year, we said good-bye to the lovable Greg, Murray and Jeff who retired their purple, red and yellow skivvies in 2012 to make way for a new generation of performers. Welcome to Emma Watkins, Lachlan Gillespie and Simon Pryce!

Photo courtesy of Corus Entertainment

For those who have been following my blog for a while now, it will come as no surprise how relieved I was to learn that my favourite Wiggle Anthony would be staying on as the blue Wiggle. It goes without saying that I could not pass up on the chance to meet the new Wiggles here in Toronto. Earlier today, my son and I headed to the Corus Quay for a special meet and greet. They performed snippets of some of the old favourites as well as songs from their newly released album Taking Off! Today's event also doubled as a fundraiser to benefit Corus Feeds Kids.

The new generation of Wiggles, who will never be able to 'replace' the original cast, brings nonetheless a fresh and upbeat twist to the stage while still staying true to all that makes the Wiggles fun and enjoyable.

 

Mother's Day Gift Guide: Bath & Body Works Signature Collection

Want to pamper mom this Mother's Day? Check out Bath & Body Works Fragrance Trio Gift Sets. Hand-picked by their gift specialists, these gift sets include their exclusive 3-step fragrance ritual from their Signature Collection. Cleanse, moisturize and mist for the ultimate fragrance experience.

 

Take mom on a tour of some of Italy's famous Italian cities with fragrance as your guide. Featured here are the three fragrances in the new Bella Italy collection:

• Rome Honeysuckle Amore - a head-over-heels surprise with pink honeysuckle, golden peach and cyprus woods
• Capri Seaside Citrus - a sunny seaside escape of fresh citrus, juicy nectarine and orange flower
• Venice Dolce Berry - a playfully sweet treat with plumberry, frosted magnolia and sandalwood sugar

Personally, I love citrus so the Capri Seaside Citrus collection suits me just find. But I also love the smell of sandalwood as well. The fact of the matter is I would rather enjoy these fragrances while actually in bell'Italia but I'm not entirely sure that will happen anytime soon. The Bath & Body Works gift set will have to tie me over until then.

Each set includes Body Lotion (8 fl oz.), Shower Gel (10 fl oz.), Fragrance Mist (8 fl oz.), Cello, Ribbon and Hang Tag.

Disclosure: I was sent product to help facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Happy 5th Birthday to My Little Man!



For my son's 5th birthday,
I made a monkey card for my little monkey.



My husband and I bought him a brand new two-wheeler
 and he loves it!

  

To my little man: I love you more and more each day!

Here is this week's Wordless Wednesday linky:

Falcons and Vultures and Hawks, Oh My!

 

As guests of the Toronto Botanical Garden, my family and I attended the second in the City Critter Series called "Great Birds of Prey" last month.  We learned about the fascinating world of predatory birds and got to meet a few of them, with a return visit from Hibou who we first met at the Hoot n' Howl Owl Prowl back in January. Let's just say the kids were super excited for part two in the City Critters Family Series.

The presentation was very interesting and I learned a lot about hawks, falcons and vultures. I think I fell in love with the peregrine falcon. It must have something to do with his Elvis sideburns... I also learned that the turkey vulture loves to eat carrion, which is a fancy word for... yep, you guessed it. Roadkill!

Did you know...

...the falcon is the fastest animal on earth? It can dive at speeds of over 320 km/h!

 

Dance While You... Brush?

About a week ago, the kids and I attended a media brunch and kids' karaoke event hosted by YTV's Adamo Ruggiero to celebrate the launch of the Arm & Hammer Tooth Tunes. The kids were each given their own toothbrush, one featuring two songs by One Direction for my daughter and the junior version for my son. The Music in Your Mouth technology somehow streams sound vibrations from the bristles of the toothbrush through the teeth so that kids can hear music while they brush and... dance?

I haven't been able to get that One Direction song out of my head but if "What Makes You Beautiful" keeps my kids' teeth looking beautiful by motivating them to brush regularly, sobeit!

Just a little FYI: Church & Dwight Canada Corp. is hosting a Rock with One Direction & Tooth Tunes Sweepstakes. Visit www.toothtunes.ca/sweepstakes for a chance to win a Grand Prize - a trip to Toronto and two-tickets to a live One Direction concert on July 9, 2013, or one of three Rock Star First Prize Packs. The contest runs from April 19 to June 9, 2013.

Need a New Smartphone? Get a Free Kindle!

Do you consider yourself a booklover? I have to admit that I read less books than most people I know. But since I have had my smartphone, I find that I am reading more and more. Granted that reading novels using my smartphone isn't necessarily the smartest solution, I still love having the ability to read a chapter here and there no matter where I go.

If you love the flexibility of toting around virtually hundreds of ebooks along with a smartphone, check out the latest Rogers promotion where you can get a free Kindle Paperwhite 3G e-Reader when you purchase a new smartphone and activate a new line on any eligible three-year plan. This offer is available to new or existing customers who meet the criteria and redeem the offer by May 30. This offer has been extended until May 15 so if you're in the market for a new phone, visit www.rogerspromotions.com/kindle for full terms and conditions.

What I like about having a smartphone and an e-reader is that I can buy a Kindle book via the Kindle Reading app on my smartphone (available in both English and French) and read that same book on my Kindle. I can also take advantage of the built-in Whispersync technology and automatically save and synchronize what I'm reading across both devices or even use the web browser to check out the latest on RedBoard. The Kindle Paperwhite also reads more like paper without the glare of a smartphone, plus you can easily adjust the font and text size for a more enjoyable read.

If you're looking for some suggestions on what books to read this summer, the RogersBuzz team has compiled a list of favourite beach reads on RedBoard.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Fisher-Price Favourites and Exclusive Savings!

Remember when you first discovered that you were expecting? While I look back on that day as one of my many moments of joy, my first thought was, "Holy cow! I'm going to have to share my body with another living being?" I was shocked that I was pregnant mainly because it happened on our first try and only a mere three months after getting married. I mean, we wanted this to happen. But I wasn't prepared for it to happen so soon, or for the feeling of panic that ensued. I wondered, how is my body going to change? Will I make a good mother? How do I know what to buy? Unfortunately, I missed out on having a formal baby shower, with the exception of a surprise party organized by my dear office mates. So I never got to fully experience the excitement of putting together a baby gift registry. It would have been so easy: Pick out what I thought I would need and then family and friends, many of whom would have had more experience than I, would buy the ones they thought I needed most, right?

After having two children, I have seen my fair share of baby gear and children's toys. As such, I can easily point out my favourites, a couple of which have made their way onto the Fisher-Price favourites list of moms’ “must-have” items. They are:

1. Ocean Wonders Aquarium
2. My Little Snugabunny Cradle N Swing 
3. Infant to Toddler Rocker
4. SpaceSaver High Chair 
5. Discover’n Grow Jumperoo 
6. Brilliant Basics Rock a Stack
7. Laugh & Learn Love to Play Puppy
8. Laugh & Learn Say Please Tea Set
9. Laugh & Learn Click ‘n Learn Remote 
10. Brilliant Basics Stroll-Along Walker
11. Little People Wheelies Stand ‘ n Play Rampway
12. Little People Animal Sounds Farm

At the top of my list is the Fisher Price Cradle N Swing. It was undoubtedly THE best piece of baby gear that I owned. I kid you not. With my first, I had borrowed a standard baby swing from a friend but my daughter never really liked it. With my second, I bought a Fisher Price papasan cradle swing second-hand and till this day I regret not buying one for my first-born.

My son absolutely loved this swing and he would use it every day. He would often fall asleep in it and by often I mean about 99% of the time. And as a sleep-deprived mom, it was a huge relief to be able to count on the Fisher Price Crade N Swing to lull my son to sleep.