You can currently shop tax free and receive free shipping on orders over $69 (some exclusions apply) by visiting http://www.allchildrensfurniture.com/. And until Sunday, they are also offering a 30% savings on all Sorelle cribs and furniture. You can even save 10% on best selling kids' beds and table and chair sets, as well as KidKraft dollhouses.


In order to win the Frog Pod, you must first visit http://www.allchildrensfurniture.com/ and browse through their online catalogue. Leave a comment on this post with the name of the product that caught your interest and a way to contact you if you win. (You need to click on "comments" at the end of this post to leave a comment.)

For additional entries, you may choose to do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each entry indicating what you have done.

• NEW! Add my newly designed button to your site. (Worth 2 entries! Please leave two separate comments.)

• Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post. When you are done, leave a link to your post in your comment. (Now worth 2 entries! Please leave two separate comments.)
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom using Google Friend Connect.
• Subscribe to Toronto Teacher Mom.
• Become a fan of Toronto Teacher Mom on Facebook via Networked Blogs.
• Update your status on Facebook to notify your friends about this giveaway.
• Become a follower of CSNStores on Twitter.
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Tweet daily for additional entries. Feel free to use the following tweet:  

Contest ends April 8 at midnight EST. Open to Canadian and U.S. residents.

Winner will be selected using Random.org and must reply to the notification email within 3 days or a new winner will be drawn.

Okay, it's that time again. That oh, so dreaded milestone that can cause anxiety amongst even the most resilient of parents. Potty training. Just typing those mere two words turns my stomach into knots. It's not that I'm less than optimistic about being more prepared with my second try at potty training. It's simply that it conjures up feelings of dread when I recall how many "accidents" we experienced with my daughter. This time, I am making sure that I'm prepared. And I have Huggies to thank for their contagious Potty Dance which will make for a very effective tool to encourage my son and make it more fun to use the potty. Even Canadian comedian Jessica Holmes is doing the potty dance! And if you don't believe me when I say it's contagious, just watch Traci Melchor from eTalk bust a move with her kids Phoebe and Phoenix. I watched the videos today and my daughter was instantly hooked. It's been about 10 hours since I first watched the videos and I still can't get that song out of my head. My daughter loved it so much, she insisted that I videotape her this afternoon while my son napped. You see, it really is easy to learn and lots of fun, too!


Huggies Pull-Ups Potty Dance from Diana M on Vimeo.

Since my son is approaching his second birthday and can already say the words relating to potty time,  I know he is well on his way to his first successful potty experience. Here are a couple of tips I'd like to share based on my mistakes experiences the first time around:

1. Wait until your child is aware of his/her bodily functions and can indicate when he/she has soiled or wet his/her diaper.
2. Allow your child to be in the washroom when you, your spouse or older siblings use the toilet.
3. Have a potty situated in the main areas of the house where your child spends most of his/her time. I also plan on keeping a couple of soft potty seats in both of our bathrooms as well.
4. Incorporate song, dance and other playful ideas as a motivator and a distraction, if needed.
5. Rewards in the form of a sticker chart might also work.
6. Make it a routine of placing your child on the potty at regular intervals throughout the day. At this stage, I have a general idea of when my son has bowel movements.
7. Don't let your child see you angry or disappointed when your child has an accident. It's all part of the learning process. Which leads me to my next point...
8. I've learned to hope for the best and expect the unexpected. Even after I just had my daughter on the potty, I remember she would sit there for a long time, give up and then go pee in a corner. So now I'm going to resign myself to having rolls of paper towel and some cleaner stashed on every level of the house to be ready for the inevitable.
9. Always remind yourself that this is just a stage, and although you may never grow out of the My House Must Always be Clean and Sanitized stage, your child will eventually grow out of diapers.

I'm feeling a little more at ease now that I've put some thought into my strategy for potty training my second child. And the Pull-Ups dance will definitely come in handy. I've already stocked up on training pants during a Shopper's Drugmart Optimum Points promotion and got 6 packs for free! Yay, me! Do you have any other ideas or suggestions that worked for you? Feel free to leave a comment with advice and tips that made potty training easier for your family. I'd love to read them!

I would like to thank everyone who entered the Green Beaver Jr. giveaway and all those who tweeted or followed. You are awesome! Unfortunately, I can only pick one winner. The lucky number as selected by Random.org out of 140 entries is:

suzie said... 91

daily http://twitter.com/suzquiz/status/10442101972

5:55 PM 

Congratulations, Suzie! Please check your email. You will have 3 days to reply.

Thank you to Green Beaver for sponsoring yet another giveaway here on Toronto Teacher Mom.

My March Break - A Week in Review continues with the coolest party in Toronto: Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! There's a Party in my City!

Wednesday:
My son slept in that morning but thankfully my husband was home so the boys hung out while I rushed my daughter to the VIP pre-concert party at the Elgin Theatre. I had never been there before so I marveled over the beautiful architecture and almost 100-year-old elevators. They lead us downstairs to the party room where the one and only DJ Lance Rock was busy posing for pictures and signing autographs. Man, is he tall! And he was so good and patient with Madeleine, who was a little shy at first. The food spread was pretty impressive, too. Fresh fruit platters, cheese and crackers, boiled eggs, bagels with ham or cream cheese, oats and honey bars, muffins, juice... let's just say it was refreshing to sit back and relax knowing my daughter could help herself to some really healthy and tasty mid-morning snacks. Afterward, while waiting for the theatre doors to open, I couldn't resist buying my daughter a Yo Gabba Gabba! Live t-shirt. In pink, of course. Then we were finally ushered to our seats, located smack in the middle of the orchestra level, and were handed a couple of DJ Lance frames to wear. My daughter was ready to party!


I wasn't quite sure what to expect of the show, seeing as I'm more of a Wiggles fan, so imagine my surprise when I caught myself singing along with the catchy tunes and flagging down a vendor to get my hands on a copy of their CD. The balloons, confetti, streamers and bubbles only added to the enjoyment as I watched my daughter's face light up and her eyes fill with excitement. I kept thinking to myself 1) how lucky I was to be able to attend the show and 2) how fortunate I was to be able to experience it with my daughter. Biz Markie also popped up on stage and did some beat boxing with some cute little munchkins from the audience. The Aquabats also performed and managed to get everyone to jump up and down. There was even a surprise appearance by special guests Nathan and Mike of Midway State who taught us the Peanut Butter Stomp for the Dancey Dance segment. The visual effects of the giant screen were pretty impressive, almost as impressive as DJ Lance's energy level. I got hand it to Yo Gabba Gabba. They won me over as a fan! A big thanks to Michelle Sisco for securing the tickets and tour manager Susan Brumley who made sure we got in backstage.

Thursday:
After driving to the Toronto Zoo and being reverted to their secondary parking lot, my mother-in-law and I decided to avoid the extra walk and lengthy lineups and made a detour to Edwards Gardens. It was a gorgeous day. We had a little picnic while my son napped. My daughter got to run around and roll on the ground. And then we took a walk along the stream before scaling some rocky hillsides and heading home. I can't wait to see what it will look like when all the flowers are in bloom.




Friday:
On a much more somber note, this week marked 6 months since the passing of my father-in-law. March 19 also marks his name day (the feast of St. Joseph). And this Wednesday is his birthday. So we decided to visit the cemetery and left him a card Madeleine and I had made. In it, she wrote: "Dear Nonno, I hope you can come outside and play with us. We miss you very much." It was a sad day. It makes me sad just writing this. He was the nicest man you could ever meet, if you were so lucky to know his kind heart and giving nature. I think I'll end this post here and dedicate this picture in his loving memory...

It's about time I review something that wasn't a product sample. So here it is, my March Break review.

Saturday, Sunday, Monday:
It started out rough. Saturday night, we chose to order in. My husband picked up some chicken from one of our favourite places. My son went to sleep at 4:30 pm that night so it was just us and our daughter for dinner. I had fed her a sandwich because she was too hungry to wait for the chicken, and it's a good thing I did. At around 1 am the next morning, I fell ill. Stomach bug ill. The Telehealth nurse said it was unlikely to be food poisoning, but we questioned that when my husband also fell ill. It was awful! I will never forget that dreadful day. Needless to say, I won't be ordering in any time soon. After about 12 hours, I didn't feel the urgency to run to the washroom so often, so I braved a one-hour trip with my kids in tow to stay with my parents for the night. I needed all the help I could get. They were great, and after a good night's rest I was feeling much better, though still without appetite. I did manage to work on a sample for my friend's wedding invitations but I'll have to start working on the final product tomorrow.

Tuesday:
This was the day my daughter was waiting for - a meet-and-greet with Dora the Explorer at the CN Tower. And boy, did we luck out! We were fortunate enough to be invited to this exclusive date with Dora thanks to the fantastic ladies at Mom Central Canada and MegaBrands. I cannot tell you how cute my son was. Upon seeing Dora enter the room, he took my hand and pulled me along as he made a bee-line towards her. During the photo op, he just stood there, cheek to cheek. My daughter, on the other hand, preferred to be the last one to hug her.


After our brush with the revered celebrity, we were cordially escorted to the high-speed elevator and given a complimentary tour of the CN Tower, who hosted a number of fun activities as part of their March Break Adventures. We visited the infamous glass floor where I failed to keep up with my kids due to weakened knee joints. I should get those checked. And thanks to the phenomenal weather, we got to take in some gorgeous views of the Toronto area from the Sky Pod. Coo, what a sight!

With all this wonderful sunshine and all the birds a-singing, it's almost easy to forget the events of winters past. It isn't any surprise that this winter was full of stuffy noses and annoying coughs, in our household at least. However, statistics show that babies are likely to get as many as eight colds in a year, so I'm sure I wasn't alone. And even though some people may insist that having my kids in daycare would increase their chances of getting sick, I'm still grateful that my son learned at a very early age how to blow his nose thanks to his diligent teachers. He's 22 months old and can blow his nose on his own. It's really quite cute. What's not so cute is having to listen to your kids struggle to inhale at night due to nasal congestion. When I recall my experience with our children's first cold, I remember feeling frustrated at not being able to help my kids sleep more comfortably at night aside from slightly elevating the mattress and using a humidifier. I did use a homeopathic remedy for runny nose/nasal congestion by Boiron called Coryzalia and that seemed to help. But sometimes, when the cold was already fully blown, it wasn't as effective. So imagine how relieved I would have been if the hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator was available back in the day. My husband and I would have probably had less sleepless nights, I'm sure. Check this thing out!
























Here's a little more about the hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator:

The hydraSense®  Nasal Aspirator and its filters were developed with pediatricians, and are brought to you by hydraSense® , the leading brand in saline solutions for the whole family.  The hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator is a gentle and safe way to relieve your baby’s nasal congestion quickly and effectively.  It helps to maintain clear breathing and to facilitate eating and sleeping. Its soft nasal tip is specifically designed for babies’ delicate noses and its transparent design allows for you to see the amount and type of mucus that is being removed. hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator has a protective single-use filter that traps excess mucus, providing hygienic aspiration. The tip and base of the aspirator are easily removable for effective cleaning after each use. Unlike squeezable nasal aspirators, the hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator allows you to control the strength of the suction with your aspiration.

For best results, hyrdraSense recommends liquefying the mucus before using the hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator. This can be done by simply using hydraSense® Easydose, which comes in 5 mL doses and can be used twice daily, morning and evening, as part of baby's hygiene routine or 4-6 times a day when the symptoms of colds or allergies are present. You simply turn the tamper-proof tip of the vial to open, carefully place the tip in the nostril and apply 1-2 drops, pressing gently on the vial. Spray some on a tissue or a cotton ball and use it to wipe the baby's nostrils. You can even try hydraSense®Ultra-Gentle Mist with Comfort Tip, a nasal solution composed of isotonic, undiluted, sterile, 100% natural-source desalinated seawater which contains more than 70 trace elements and minerals naturally occurring in seawater and is preservative free.

Why not become a Dolphin Club member? If you sign up with hydraSense® to join their Dolphin Club, you will receive this exclusive club member kit for FREE!

I just received an email from the Toronto Hatley store announcing their "Thaw Out Sale" where you can save up to 70% off. I recently bought some onesies and a bunch of pyjamas for my son at 50% and I thought that was a steal of a deal! The store is located on 2648 Yonge Street. For those of you who don't know, Hatley offers a line of adorable children's clothing that was once sold in a little gift store in the lakeside village of North Hatley, Canada. The company now sells their products all over the world and, as stated on their website, has adopted the following environmentally conscious practices:

Garment Production and Shipping 

• We use only azo-free dyes in our apparel.
  
  
• We only use non-chlorinated bleach.
  
  
• We use only closed loop dyers. this ensures that waste water from the dyeing process does not contaminate the water table of the communities we work with.
  
  
• Our company goal is to use organic cotton, natural fibers and alternative sustainable fibers wherever possible.
  
  
• All all products are PVC free.
  
  
 Printing and Packaging

• All of our magnetic lists are printed on recycled paper.
  
  
• Our catalogues are printed on paper that comes from FSC managed forests.  

Don't live in Toronto? You might be happy to know that they currently have an online sale for up to 50% off select items and are offering free shipping over $50. Visit www.hatleystore.com to view the items on sale.

In early January, I wrote a review on Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion. It's an amazing alternative to conventional lotion in that it helps to restore the skin's natural protective abilities by bonding to the outer layer of the skin. Because of this, it protects the skin from moisture-robbing irritants and toxins, all the while locking in the skins' natural oils. I am happy to announce that Skin MD Natural has graciously offered a 20% discount to Toronto Teacher Mom readers on all purchase made on www.skinmdnatural.com. Simply use the discount code "TTM" at checkout to take advantage of the savings. Please note that the code is case sensitive, must be typed in all caps and will expire on April 15, 2010. A big thank you to Skin MD Natural for offering up this discount. Who doesn't love to save?

You may recall my book review earlier this month on Tina Turbin's Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy children's book and her Danny the Dragon DREAMS CD. It's a wonderful, imaginative story about a boy who finds a magical sea shell, which he discovers is home to Danny the Dragon and his navigator Skipper. Now this story will be soon available on DVD. Set to be released in April, this DVD provides a unique experience for children of differing abilities, especially for the deaf and hard of hearing. As you listen to the audio and read along with the illustrations, you can also watch it with sign language interpretation. I don't know sign language, but it made it more interesting to watch the expressive signs. I found it even enhanced my interest in the story simply because I'm more of a visual learner. When I threw in the DVD to watch for the first time, my kids were busy playing in the room. As soon as the story began, they gradually walked their way over to the screen and gazed on in almost a trance. I tried not to take any offense that they preferred the DVD version to my animated reading of this delightful tale.

I think it is a wonderful idea to have a DVD version of Danny the Dragon with sign language. And because Tina Turbin is such a caring humanitarian, she has chosen to donate half of the profits of this DVD to support literacy and education for Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf, one of only two Montessori schools in the United States serving the deaf student population. The other half of the profits will go towards literacy and education for the welfare of all children. This is just an example of all the charitable causes Tina Turbin is involved with. You can read my interview with the author here or for more about Tina Turbin, Danny the Dragon and gluten-free information, you can visit the following sites:


http://www.dannythedragon.com/
http://www.tinaturbin.com/
http://www.glutenfreehelp.info/

* Disclosure: I was sent a Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy DVD for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated in any other way. The opinions expressed above are my own honest opinions. *

Simply Stacie is a wonderful place to visit for product reviews and giveaways, but she also interviews other bloggers and features them on her site. Today, I am honoured to be in the Blog Spotlight!



If you're new to blogging, or want some ideas for networking, Stacie often posts some great links and information. Currently, she is hosting Simply Stacie's Ohhh Baby Extravaganza from March 1-15. Check it out for some awesome reviews and fabulous giveaways!

• Made with all natural, fresh ingredients 
• No additives or preservatives 
• GMO free and trans fat free   
• Made without gluten, yeast or dairy 
• Very high in vitamin A and vitamin K 
• Good source of vitamin E

• Made with all natural, fresh ingredients  
• No additives or preservatives  
• GMO free and trans fat free    
• Made without gluten, yeast or dairy 
• Very high source of fibre   
• A good source of iron

This blog carnival is as easy as it sounds...

Each week, The (Un)Experienced Mom and A Working Mom will pick a category, then ask you to share your Top 3 thoughts on it. This week, they want to know...

What are your Top 3 favorite things about being a parent?
Or, if you're not a parent yet, the Top 3 things you're most looking forward to about parenthood? 





#3. Being a parent is a lot of hard work. You're always worried or feeling run-down. But at the end of the day, it's wonderful to know that you have someone who looks up to you, depends on you and learns from you. You are important to them in a way that is different from any other relationship and that is what makes it so special.

#2. Tiny arms that wrap around you, never wanting to let go... what could be more precious than that?

My favourite thing about being a parent:

#1. The miracle and blessing of creating new life, caring for your children and being able to watch them grow and learn. It never ceases to amaze me how much learning actually takes places from birth. Every milestone they reach is a reminder of how proud I am to have two amazing children!

 

If you'd like to read up on these tips for parents by parents, visit the Pampers site and download a PDF copy today. (Mine is listed on page 2 of Balancing Baby and Life, just in case you're wondering.)

Imagine being able to inspire your children and encourage them to be active while building their self-esteem in a fun and positive way. That was the idea behind my kidsquarters Sports Kids t-shirts. As a parent, I'm always on the lookout for products that are customizable and that come in a variety of styles or colours that are sure to please my daughter. When I was asked to review my kidsquarters t-shirts, my daughter jumped right on board. She saw all the options available to her but was easily drawn to one of the first pink tees that she saw, which happened to be the Soccer Sports Kid tee. I quickly pointed out to her that there was also a Ballerina Sports Girl tee, hoping she would opt for that instead. It's not that I want her to choose an activity that is often associated with girls. It's simply my secret desire that she share the same passion for dance as I do! When she insisted on the soccer tee, I knew it was what she wanted. She felt very confident about her decision. She instantly narrowed it down to Sport Kids Amy and made sure I specified that the t-shirt colour be in pink. When it arrived in the mail, she tore open the package and threw it on, right over top the shirt she was already wearing. She wore it proudly and was eager to show it off to her aunt and grandmother.

Here's a little more about the concept behind the Sports Kids t-shirts:

The concept is simple - we have a range of illustrations of kids participating in various sports; customers choose the illustration that most resembles their child and we customize the hair colour, skin tone and add any distinguishing features such as glasses, freckles or specific uniform colours or numbers.  The child can now relate to the illustration because it looks like them. The t-shirts retail for $19.99 which includes any requested customization.

I really like the illustrations and the use of bold, bright colours. But what I really like about my kidsquarters is the wonderful selection of unique gifts for kids, such as their personalized blankets, funky bags, pillows and their adorable helmet covers. The best part is that all the products by this Pickering-based company are made in Canada! As a crafter who loves designing my own greeting cards, I truly appreciate the creativity and thoughtful design behind my kidsquarters products.




You can customize and purchase products via mykidsquarters.com and you might also like to know that my kidsquarters is a UNICEF Global Parent, donating to UNICEF monthly to help children around the world. In addition, if you spend $100 or more, shipping is free. But wait, it doesn't stop there. My kidsquarters is also offering Toronto Teacher Mom readers an additional savings of 10% off their purchases. Simply use coupon code "TORONTO" to take advantage of this offer.


For your initial entry, which is mandatory, check out the my kidsquarters website and tell me which of their products caught your eye. Leave a comment on this post and a way to contact you if you win. (You need to click on "comments" at the end of this post to leave a comment.)

For additional entries, you may choose to do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each indicating what you have done.

• Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post. When you are done, leave a link to your post in the comment. (Now worth 2 entries! Please leave two separate comments.)
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom using Google Friend Connect.
• Subscribe to Toronto Teacher Mom.
• Become a fan of Toronto Teacher Mom on Facebook.
• Update your status on Facebook to notify your friends about this giveaway.
• Become a Toronto Teacher Mom follower on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Tweet daily for additional entries. Feel free to use the following tweet:  

Contest ends March 31, 2010 at midnight EST. Open to Canadian residents only.

Winners will be selected using Random.org and must reply to the notification email within 3 days or a new winner will be drawn.

My daughter and I just returned from Louise Kent's CD release party in downtown Toronto and, seeing as my daughter is humming one of the songs she heard only this morning, you know the event was a hit. We danced, we sang, we ate and made friends. With a juggling, hip-shaking, magician as the MC and all-you-can-drink coffee filling the air, both kids and parents enjoyed the show. I'm not so sure about the little boy who volunteered to join in the juggling act but he knew to call it quits when the juggler brought out his mini axes! It was almost a nice segue to Louise Kent's performance full of songs jammed with positive messages for kids and how they can make a change, and like that frightened volunteer, have the courage to stand up for what's right, even if it scares you.

I cannot tell you how glad I am that I got to attend this fun-filled event. The toe-tapping music was catchy and even contagious. I just couldn't help but bust a move! It could have been due to the sudden spike of caffeine in my system, or it could have been from the energy inside the room. The kids were on their feet, bopping to the tunes and stomping their feet like elephants. They quickly caught on to the lyrics and thoroughly enjoyed how interactive the show was. Each family also left with their own copy of the CD Courage, which is available for download on iTunes or by visiting the Me to We website, which also includes information on her tour which will soon land her China. Craig Keilburger also attended the event and I even noticed him clapping to the beat. All in all, it was a great event!

My daughter is too old for these now but if she were still in diapers, I would totally buy these for her. They are adorable. And they're on sale! For one week only, you can buy 5 pairs of Leg Huggers for $24.99, which is a 50% savings. The Princess Pack includes one pair of: Raining Tulpis, Peony Pink, Dixi Tiles Daning Daisies and Bows Fantasia.

Leg Huggers are great for keeping legs cozy in cold weather and also come in handy while toilet training. They're perfect for crawling on hard surfaces and ideal for those with sensitive skin because they're made from 100% sustainable Bamboo fibres. One size fits all.

A magical seashell, one curious little boy and a colourful dragon is the recipe for this imaginative children's tale. Alongside his navigator, Skipper, Danny the Dragon goes on an adventure far from the sandy beaches and into the welcoming home of his new friend Jimmy. Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy is the first in a series of books written by author, artist and humanitarian Tina Turbin.



I was so excited when my package arrived with our family's copy of Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy. I instantly loved the quality of the hardcover book and its large size (approx. 8.5" by 11"). The illustrations, wonderfully designed by Aija Jasuna, easily bring the imaginative story to life. From beginning to end, my daughter was captivated by the storyline and eagerly anticipated the pages yet to come. I also love how Danny is very polite and models good manners. The story is suitable for kids aged 4-8 and is great for read-aloud, shared reading, and independent reading for the older kids in this age group. However, the story line is sure to appeal to anyone with an elaborate imagination. I especially enjoyed the audio CD entitled "Dreams" which both my children loved listening to in the car. This CD was released at a large Sesame Street Concertin Los Angeles not too long ago and the best part is that all profits go to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. Along with the audio version of the story, you can also listen to several musical compositions. It's hard for me to pick a favourite because there are about four tracks that I thoroughly enjoy listening to while driving. In any case, it's no wonder that Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy was nominated for a Best Book Award in 2009. I can't wait to see what adventures lie in store for the lovable characters Danny, Skipper and Jimmy.


* Disclosure: I was sent a Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy story book and Dreams CD for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated in any other way. The opinions expressed above are my own honest opinions. *

Out of 50 entries in the Yo Gabba Gabba! Live concert ticket giveaway, Random.org returned the following number as the winner of 4 concert tickets and a CD:

smurftattoo who said... 16

Love the toddler beanies @ the YGG show store! OMG! I am going to get 3 of them for my girls! I'm a Fan of YGG on Facebook already!

Congratulations Michelle! Please check your email and reply within the next three days. And thanks to Yo Gabba Gabba! Live for choosing Toronto to be a part of their tour and for giving away tickets and a CD to one of Toronto Teacher Mom's readers.