Check out this coupon from Chapters.Indigo.ca. It's valid starting today and expires May 2, 2010. If you have plans to buy books this weekend, might as well print off a copy and save some of your hard-earned dollars. You gotta love some good ol' savings!

Recently, Nicole Baute, a reporter for the Living section of Toronto's TheStar.com, contacted me to inquire about honorifics from the viewpoint of a teacher and a mother. She brought up an interesting point, that it isn't so clear nowadays as to when we should Mr. or Mrs. or Miss or Ms. It seems that our society is becoming more informal in that regard. I, on the other hand, am stuck in my traditionalist views of honouring honorifics. Being of European descent, I feel an inclination towards demonstrating respect for my elders and for people in a position of authority. It's what my parents taught me to do.

As a teacher, it goes without saying that my students are required to use the French version of Mrs. - Madame. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. I feel as though there is a fine line that distinguishes between the roles of the teacher and student, and once you cross that, you can't go back. I don't need my students to befriend me on an informal level. I need them to respect me as their elder. I also hope that my colleagues refer to me as Madame in front of students as well, to keep in the theme of showing respect. It's a personal desire of mine to maintain professional relationships at work and without honorifics, what would we do?

As a mother, I teach my kids to use honorifics. I found it odd when their daycare teachers insisted on being called by their first name. But that's their choice. So it should be respected. When I introduce a family friend, it's a bit too formal to use Mr. or Mrs, etc. and yet we don't necessarily want our kids to refer them solely by their first name either. In our culture, we often use zia or zio in Italian or tia and tio in Portuguese, meaning aunt and uncle, to emphasize that these friends are close to our family but should also be shown a little more respect than our kids would show their peers. Confusing? Yes. We hadn't really given it much thought until I was approached about Ms. Baute's article. Or should I say, "Miss Baute" or "Nicole?"

In any case, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topic. If you have a minute, head over to TheStar.com and read the article for yourself. If it sparked some water cooler talk at work or a heated debate in your family, I'm curious to hear about it. You can leave a comment on this post or you can always send me an email.

Spring is in the air! And something else, too. An unpleasant odour of sorts... oh, wait a minute. That's my dirty laundry piled up in my overflowing hamper. No. I stand corrected. That smelly laundry belongs to my dear husband! Well, it's a good thing I have a new odour-busting laundry tote to help keep the stench in check.

This March marked the launch of a very innovative line of laundry products by a Canadian company called neatfreak! This company has been designing, manufacturing and distributing organizational products for the home for over 30 years and has now added 100% natural and environmentally friendly laundry products to their repertoire. This new line, called everfresh, is designed using fabric with built-in environmentally friendly and bacteria-busting enzymes, making this the first natural way to get rid of those nasty laundry room odours.

I was fortunate enough to try out the neatfreak! everfresh Single Fashion Laundry Tote for review. And I speak on behalf of all those sensory preceptors in my olfactory bulb when I say that I couldn't be more grateful. This thing really works! I have tried it out for a few weeks now and have purposely left laundry in it for lengthy periods of time to really put it to the test. But I didn't smell a thing. I couldn't believe my nose. I now use it all the time. I use it to store my husband's laundry mainly, seeing as he works in the trades and often works up a sweat doing so. And it's quite fashionable so I don't mind leaving it hanging around. (I love that it's chocolate in colour!) I also appreciate the capacity of the tote. It nearly holds an entire hamper full of laundry and has two sets of handles, snap closure and two exterior pockets for carrying detergents or accessories. It's also very compact if you want to take it with you on a trip and store your dirty laundry until your return.

I browsed through neatfreak.com and drooled over their other laundry products, including their everfresh Triple Folding Wood Sorter. I might just have to add that to my wishlist for Mother's Day. It's so sexy! It's like a neatfreak's dream come true - stylish and organizational with embroidered labels. * Sigh! *

And if you're in spring clean mode, why not have a look at their other stylish solutions to household chaos, like their closetMax system or shoe organizers. Are you stuck on how to get organized? Visit their blog for tips and ideas on how to get started. They even have some great videos illustrating how easy it can be, such as this one:





You can find neatfreak! products at a lot of big name stores in Canada such as the Bay, Zellers, Home Outfitters, Canadian Tire and Solutions. They are also available at many other large chains such as Walmart, Target, Costco, Lowes and Winners.



One reader of Toronto Teacher Mom will have the chance to win their own neatfreak! everfresh Single Fashion Tote. (Dirty laundry not included.)



For your main entry, which is mandatory, visit neatfreak.com and tell me what other product you'd like to have or something you think your mother would love to get this Mother's Day. 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.

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.

• 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 in a reader or by verified email.
• Become a fan of Toronto Teacher Mom on Facebook via Networked Blogs. 
• Become a fan of the new Toronto Teacher Mom Facebook fan page.
• Update your status on Facebook to notify your friends about this giveaway.
• 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 May 10 at midnight EST. Open to Canadian and US 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.

Here's a little FYI for those of you who will be in the Toronto area next Wednesday and are itching to try some mouth-watering Spanish cuisine. For more information and for the full press release including details on this 6-course meal, visit the Events section on FridaRestaurant.ca today.

The Olivar Corp Inc. and olive oil expert Dolores Smith invite you to savour extraordinary Spanish olive oils that express their various terroirs in ways that will surprise and astound at a special dining event. The new gems in the Olivar Corp’s collection are the exquisite FULL MOON and ORO SAN CARLOS olive oils from Spain’s Extremadura region; both were proudly showcased at the 2009 Gastronomic Summit Gala Dinner in San Sebastian Spain and now, for the first time in Canada, they’ll be highlighted in a special dinner featuring all 6 award-winning Spanish Olive Oils prepared by three talented chefs on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2010.


The unique Full Moon, Oro San Carlos, Rincon de la Subbetica, Gasull, Dauro and Parqueoliva oils will be savoured as part of a unique guided tasting prior to a six course meal featuring the oils themselves, complete with Spanish wine pairings, at Frida Restaurant & Wine Bar starting at 6:30pm. A portion of the proceeds from this evening’s dinner will go to Food Share’s School Program because Dolores Smith believes that all children should have access to good food for a healthy start in life. Tickets for the April 28th Full Moon Feast are $130 with wine pairings each or $100 without wine (including tax but not gratuity) and are available at Frida Restaurant & Wine Bar (999 Eglinton Avenue West.)

Welcome to Twitter Hop Thursday, hosted by Simply Stacie, The King's Court IV, Little Yaya's and Blessed, Review Retreat and Moms Wear Your Tees! Would you like more Twitter followers and be introduced to more neat blogs and businesses out there? Come and join us!!

1. Add your Twitter to the MckLinky (you only have to add it to one and it will appear on all).

2. Click on the Twitter for the five hostesses and follow each of them on Twitter. They will follow you back.

3. Follow as many people on Twitter as you like, but make sre to leave comments with links so they'll know where to follow you!

Spread the word and add this MckLinky to your blog! Write your own post or copy and paste this one. Below the MckLinky box, you'll see "Want to be a part of this Blog Hop? Click here for instructions and code...." Or try copying and pasting this code and replace { } with < >

{script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=25117" type="text/javascript"}

For the past few weeks, I have had the good fortune of testing out some paper products from Majesta's new eco-friendly line called Treesponsible. In the company of some fantastic Canadian mom bloggers, I learned about what makes Majesta products unique, shared our experiences and discussed ideas on what we can do to be more "green."

In fact, one of the first things we discussed was the types of things we are currently doing in order to be eco-conscious and help our planet. From the list of the things I'm currently doing (or trying to do) to be eco-friendly, I have created a list of tips and ideas on how we can all be more "green."

• Look into buying high-efficiency appliances. 
• Use High Efficiency detergent.
• Do laundry during off-peak hours and use cold water.
• Fill the dishwasher to the max before washing.
• Use cups when brushing instead of letting the water run.
• Water the grass minimally.
• Invest in low-flow toilets.
• Consider buying a water purifier instead of bottled water. We just bought a new one by Mavea that has a filter recycling program.
• Use eco-friendly water bottles.
• Recycle. And teach your kids to do the same. I'm still working on my husband.
• Encourage your child's school to take part in an eco-school initiative. The school where I work is an eco-school and just yesterday we planted five new trees in front of the school.
• Use low-wattage, high-output light bulbs. You can even find some that emit "natural" lighting. And remember to turn off the lights when you're not in the room.
• Stock up on re-usable grocery bags.
• Donate unwanted clothing and toys to local charities.
• Use rechargeable batteries and dispose of old ones safely. Do not throw them in with the garbage.
• Mail out old ink cartridges to be reused.
• Buy organic, natural and local foods whenever it's feasible for your family.

Even though this sounds like a lot, I know there is still more our family can do. But it is great to know that over the past few years a lone, the number of companies that offer eco-friendly products has multiplied exponentially. That always makes it easier for us moms. So yay, Majesta!

Now, when I was first asked to try out Majesta's new line of recycled paper products, I had this pre-conceived notion that the toilet paper and facial tissue would feel pretty rough and probably wouldn't do as good of a job as some of the popular brands out there. But I must say, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the facial tissue and toilet paper. They felt quite soft and held up very well when I put them to the test. The texture of the paper towel was a bit different, being a bit stiff, but compared with the other brand I used, it was pretty much the same. It felt a bit thin but it did seem to handle the cleanup fairly well.

While shopping for these types of paper products, most of the Majesta moms in our group admitted that they don't really look at the packaging. My daughter has experienced some sensitivity so when it comes to flushable wipes, I make sure I look for fragrance-free and biodegradable wipes. I also prefer scent-free tissue, too. Luckily, Majesta has designed their packaging in such a way that we can easily identify some of the important features such as:

• No dyes or fragrances
• Whitened without chlorine
• Biodegradable and plumbing-friendly
• Made in Canada 

As part of the Majesta moms group, we were asked to try out an experiment to test how easily Majesta toilet paper breaks down in water in comparison to a leading brand. My daughter and I placed five sheets each in two water bottles filled with the same amount of water, shook the bottles five times and noticed the Majesta brand broke down almost instantly. When I drained the bottle containing the other brand of toilet paper, it clogged at the neck of the bottle and, after I poked and prodded, it came out in one large clump.You may notice that the bottle on the left containing the other brand lets more sunshine through compared to the bottle with the Majesta toilet paper on the right that is more cloudy.

Recently, Majesta Bathroom Tissue has been awarded the 2010 Product of the Year in Canada in the category of household products. I also love that, for every tree used in the production of Majesta products, they will plant three more. And not only that, but they have offered a prize of $15,000 towards a Green Makeover! The contest will end on June 27, 2010 and you can enter daily. Hmmm, $15,000. That sounds like a lot of money! If I won, I would like to replace some of the older windows that are drafty which makes me think of redoing the insulation. I am also interested in Solar energy in terms of powering heating, cooling, and electricity. And landscaping... our home could definitely use a *professional* landscaper. (Sorry, dear husband...)



What would you do with $15,000? Leave a comment sharing your ideas for a "green" makeover and spread some Earth Day love with some inspiring tips on how families can become more eco-conscious. And then be sure to head on over to Majesta's web site and share with them what you've done to be more Treesponsible. Have you planted a tree lately?


Disclosure: This post was written as part of the Mom Central Majesta Blog Tour. I received a package of Majesta toilet paper, facial tissue and paper towels for the purpose of this review. I have also received a Chapters gift card as a thank-you for participating. I was not compensated in any other way. The thoughts expressed are my own honest opinions.

A few days ago, I called up my eye doctor to ask for my prescription because I wanted to order a pair of eyeglasses. What I didn't realize was that I've had my current pair for almost 5 years now and wouldn't be given my prescription unless I did an eye exam. Yesterday, I had already booked the afternoon off to take my daughter in for her pre-op exam (she's having a tonseladenoidectomy next week :-s ) and I decided to take my son in as well for an early 2-year exam. My optometrist's secretary mentioned she had a cancellation for the afternoon so I decided, why not?

Now here's what I love about the eye exam process. I love being able to see what 20/20 vision really looks. Having worn prescription glasses since I was about 5 years old, I have developped a strong appreciation of near-perfect vision. I remember that my vision would deteriorate quite rapidly while growing up and I was always updating my prescription. However, I wasn't very good at taking care of my glasses, which I only had to wear while reading or watching t.v. at that point. After breaking my fourth pair or so, I felt awful! My parents never had coverage so they always ended up paying a fortune for my glasses. So I didn't bother renewing my perscription until I had to undergo testing for a driver's permit. (I failed the vision test miserably!)

My father was then kind enough to take me to my optometrist right afterwards so I could have a quick exam and get new glasses. What I didn't know was that, because it was at the request of the Ministry of Transportation, I had to pay an additional fee for them to sign the form. That's not the worst part. The doctor's office had very few parking spots which were all occupied. My father had to thus park against the wall of the building. As a customer was pulling out, she didn't notice my dad's minivan and rammed right into the side of it! So guess where we were off to next? The police station to file a report! You see how much trouble I caused my parents? I will never forget that terrible day!

With that being said, here is what I dislike most about eye exams - the eye drops! I hate it when anything gets near my eyes, let alone in them! I tried contacts once but not even the store manager who had biceps as large as melons could get the contacts in my eyes. Apparently, I have forceful eyelids. So needless to say, getting eye drops was like torture! And then it took me all afternoon for my eyes to adjust. I couldn't read anything if it was right in front of my own face. And driving with the sun shining brightly was killer. When my optometrist asked me about ordering frames through her, I told her I might try buying glasses online, to which she just frowned. Anything was better than the gawd-awful selection she had in her office.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

It is with great honour that I share with you that I have been given the Sunshine Award by two wonderfully Canadian mom bloggers: Mom vs. the Boys and Tracy at The Daily Mom Diaries.


The rules state that I need to pass this on to 12 fantastic bloggers. I would like to pass on this award to the following fabulous bloggers:

1. Tammi at My Organized Chaos
2. Angela at Northern Mama
3. Vivian at Natural Baby Goods
4. Natural Mama at Canadian Natural Mama
5. Lena at Listen to Lena
6. Dana at Fun and Funky Mommy
7. Leanne at Rave and Review
8. Amanda at Natural Mommie
9. MommyB at MommyB Knows Best
10. Dayngr at Dayngrous Discourse
11. Sienna at Hon, What's for Dinner?
12. Zealand's Mom at There's No Snakes in New Zealand

So if you have a few minutes to spare, why not stop by their blogs and have a look around. Most of them are Canadian, too, doncha know!

One of my first product reviews here on Toronto Teacher Mom was on the topic of Clorox cleaners and disinfecting wipes. I received a whole bunch of wipes that I shared with family and co-workers, which they instantly used and loved. At the end of the post, I remember saying to myself how much I would love to try their Green Works Natural cleaners. It hasn't been until recently that I finally got to try some Green Works products thanks to a review offer I received not too long ago. I nearly leaped out of my computer chair when I read about it! While a part of me was excited to try an eco-friendly alternative, another part of me was somewhat dubious that they would match up in terms of cleaning results. So I was up for the test.

My parcel arrived, hand delivered, in this adorable pail along with a cleaning cloth, Green Works Natural Biodegradable Cleaning Wipes and a bottle of All-Purpose Natural Cleaner. I couldn't wait to get started. I first tackled the washrooms and used it on the sink, the toilet and the bathtub. With a little elbow grease, I was able to attain a nice, gleaming finish. And the room smelled great, too! I often use a harsh cleaner in the bathroom when the kids are not in the house because I want to *feel* like the washroom is clean and sanitized but I don't want my kids inhaling any of the fumes. With the Green Works all-purpose cleaner, I don't have to worry about the fumes because it's made using natural essential oils and is coconut-based.

• Green Works Natural Cleaners allow you to clean without harsh chemical fumes or residues.
• They are plant-based and contain biodegradable ingredients.
• They are never tested on animals.

I also enjoyed using the convenient wipes, which I use sparingly in situations that require immediate attention. They smell great and are made of 100% wood-based fibers. They are also free of bleach and phosphorous. I would definitely recommend these products to the eco-conscious. Even HGTV host and eco-conscious designer Sarah Richardson, mother of two young children, uses Green Works cleaners on a regular basis to help keep her house spotless. Here are some tips she has to help you during your spring cleaning:

To make sure even the toughest stains come out, fill a bucket with warm water, add detergent for a full load and allow the clothes to soak. Then dump the bucket into the washing machine when you’re ready to run the cycle. All the stains will disappear and there’s no need to use additional detergent.

Sweep your floors daily to prevent dirt and dust from building up. If you keep your home tidy on a daily basis you won’t need strong chemicals to get it clean. Sweeping instead of vacuuming also reduces energy consumption!

Dilute window cleaner with some water and instead of paper towels use a sponge to wipe and a squeegee to dry. You’ll get a professional look without adding a thing to your garbage bin.

For more eco-friendly tips and how-to's by Sarah Richardson, you can check out the Clorox website.

You can purchase Green Works cleaners online through Amazon.com or you can visit the Green Works website to find a store near you. They are also offering a $1 off coupon towards their wipes when you sign up for their newsletter.


One reader of Toronto Teacher Mom will receive a bottle of the Green Works All-Purpose cleaner and their Biodegradable Cleaning Wipes.

For your main entry, which is mandatory, visit the GreenWorksCleaners.com and tell me what other product you'd like to have. 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 the word "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 in a reader or by verified email.
• Become a fan of Green Works on Facebook. 
• 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 Toronto Teacher Mom on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Tweet daily for additional entries. Feel free to use the following tweet:  

Contest ends May 2 at midnight EST. Open to Canadian residents only.

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

Though I wish I had spent more time sifting through the thousands of blogs that joined in the party this year, I am grateful that I was able to take part and be introduced to some really fantastic blogs. Here are just a few fabulous finds:

1. Coupon Teacher - A great place to find bargains and coupons galore!





2. Dayngrous Discourse - A humorous blog written by an organized, talented, mom blogger slash entrepreneur who just happens to be blonde.



3. Hon, What's for Dinner? - A food blog written by a fellow teacher mom who's mission is to help lost souls such as myself find their way around the kitchen and make tasty meals for the family.

Welcome to the April 16 Friday Follow celebration at Toronto Teacher Mom which is hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! Join every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun. Have a look at all the fun giveaways I have going on too! They're all on the right column! Thanks so much for visiting!!!

Here's how YOU can join the Friday Follow celebration:
--Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.
--Grab the Friday Follow button and include on your Friday Follow blog post.
--Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
--Follow as many other blogs on the linky as you'd like.
--Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you're from Friday Follow.
--Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow.

Then you must check out Memories By Marie! I have been following her work for about a year now and let me tell you, I have yet to come across a photo that I didn't like. She has an artistic eye for baby and children photography and has done some stunning work with maternity, family and wedding shoots. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was when I finally got to take my kids for their first real professional shoot. The studio was full of beautiful props and backgrounds as well as some really technical looking photography thingamajigs. Not only was it a great atmosphere to work in, but my kids really hit it off well with Marie. In a short 30-minute mini-session, she was able to get some fantastic shots of my kids.


My son, who doesn't always fair well with strangers, instantly made himself quite comfortable on the velour sofa while he patiently awaited his time in the spotlight. He even understood enough of Marie's instructions to get some really cute poses in. My daughter, who loves the camera, was a natural and finally got to model her tutu, a gift from her aunts. You can view Marie's blog post to see more of my cutie patooties. And it's okay, you can go ahead and leave a comment there to back me up on that statement!

For those of you who live in the area, Marie is located in Burlington, Ontario just minutes from the highway. And I lie not when I say the 45-minute drive from Toronto was well worth it!

You can also fan her on Facebook.

Here's a little FYI for readers of Toronto Teacher Mom. I was recently interviewed by ConnieFoggles about my blog and blog-related experiences. So if you'd like to learn a little bit more about me, check out the interview which was published today on MurryNewlands.com. Leave a comment there after you've had a chance to read it and/or leave a comment on this post, too. I'd love to read your thoughts but I'm a bit lacking in the ESP department.

Have you heard what all the buzz is about? It's the Ultimate Blog Party for moms, dads and virtually anyone who loves kids. This incredible event is hosted by 5MinutesForMom.com and is full of blog hopping opportunities and some fabulous prizes.

To all of my regular readers, why not take a load off and check out what it's all about. You can take part even if you don't have your own blog.

To all of you UBP blog hoppers, thanks for stopping by. Please stay a while and share some comment love. I [heart] comments! Here's a little bit about me, just in case you're wondering who that mysterious lady is behind the glasses.

I am a mom of two kids, aged 2 and 4, who are utterly adorable. I am married to a man who is very smart. His marriage proposal is proof of that.  I teach over 200 students who love French, or will at some point in my career. Okay, maybe not. But it's what I aim for. Yoga, paper crafts, dance and teaching are some of my passions. I even signed up to be a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, as if I don't have enough things to do already! I blog about my family and seek advice from and virtual friendships with fellow bloggers to help maintain my sanity and social skills. I have also recently started reviewing products that are family-friendly and seek out products that are eco-friendly, organic and/or natural. I also write about local events and try to promote local businesses that may be of interest to families or are of educational value. I could go on and on and on all about little ol' me. But that would probably kill the mystery. You are always more than welcome to leave me some comment love or send me an email if you have any deep thoughts to share or if you're dying to ask me how many languages I speak.

In the meantime, you can peruse through my list of things I'd love to win while taking part in my first Ultimate Blog Party. Like to see it? Hear it is:

USC 17  - A $200 Apple Gift Certificate from CmomGo
USC 60 – A $200 gift certificate for any Wall Slicks vinyl wall decal from Modern Wall Graphics
USC 35 - A $50.00 cash Paypal Transfer from American Muslim Mom
USC 39 – A $50 paypal cash prize from MomDot
USC 34 – $60.00 worth of merchandise from Fashions For Your Little Ones
USC 30 – A $50 Gift Certificate to Paperlicious.com

USC 31 - Lovable Labels Special Starter/Camp Pack from Nicole Laws of Simplicity Lovable Labels
USC 49 – Label Out Loud Essentials Combo Pack from Mabel’s Labels
USC 4 – A Child’s Summer Fun Gift Pack from The Plus Size Mommy
USC 29 – Little Leaders DVD from Serendipity is Sweet
 
This is just a sampling of the amazing prizes to be won by participating in UBP 2010. How lucky do you feel? (... in addition to feeling honoured in making my acquaintance!) Looking forward (and feeling just as honoured!) to making your acquaintance. Party on, dudes and dudettes!

Those of you who know me can testify to the fact that I love shopping online. It is very convenient for me, having two kids who want to buy everything in the store whenever I take them shopping with me. Plus, I can often find some really good deals on the Internet and they ship it right to my door. They won't even know that I did my shopping in my pyjamas! So imagine my delight when I was emailed about another great place to shop online - ATGStores.com.  ATGstores.com has over 400 great online stores like LightingUniverse.com, FixtureUniverse.com, DecorUniverse.com, HomeFurnitureShowroom.com, SportingGoodsCentral.com, NewBabySupply.com, OutdoorLivingShowroom.com and CookingandTableware.com. They have the largest selection of over 3 million products from over 1000 brand name manufacturers and offer free shipping on most orders over $49 to the lower 48 states, which is free from sales tax (except for customers in Washington). They have also partnered with Bongo to provide international customers with their own US forwarding address so you can combine multiple shipments from any other US retailer to save up to 82% off typical international shipping rates. They even offer a 110% price guarantee.

Now for the exciting news.

ATGStores.com is offering one very lucky Toronto Teacher Mom reader the chance to win a $100 gift certificate to be redeemed on any of their websites.

In order to win the $100 gift certificate, you must first visit ATGStores.com and browse through any of their 400 websites. Leave a comment on this post with the name of the product that you might like to own along with an email address where you can be contacted 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.

• Add my newly designed button to your site or add Toronto Teacher Mom to your blogroll and leave a link where I can find it. (Worth 5 entries! Please leave FIVE separate comments.)

• Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post and ATGStores.com. When you are done, leave a link to your post in your comment. (Worth 5 entries! Please leave FIVE separate comments.)
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom using Google Friend Connect. If you're already a follower, you can leave a comment as well. (1 entry)
• Subscribe to Toronto Teacher Mom. (1 entry)
• Become a fan of Toronto Teacher Mom on Facebook via Networked Blogs. (1 entry)
• Become a fan of ATGStores on Facebook. (2 entries)
• Become a follower of ATGStores on Twitter (2 entries)
• Become a follower of the ATGStores blog. (2 entries)
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (1 entry) Tweet daily for additional entries. You may use the following tweet:  

Contest ends May 6 at midnight EST. Open to Canadian and U.S. residents. PO Boxes are not eligible.

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

Here's a little FYI for my local readers in the Toronto area who might know teens aged 14-18 who would be interested in enrollment:

Bad Dog Theatre is where the funniest people in Toronto come to play and learn. And you could be one of them!


What: Teen Improv Classes

Where: Bad Dog Theatre at 138 Danforth Ave., Toronto

When: Saturdays from 1pm-3pm until June 3

Why: Because it's a rockin' good time and a great way to gain confidence, learn new skills, laugh, and meet new friends!

Website: Find out more by clicking on "youth classes" at www.baddogtheatre.com

Cost: $210

You can contact Bad Dog Theatre at youth@baddogtheatre.com or just show up on Saturday and fill out a registration form.

Thank you to all who entered the Boon Frog Pod giveaway sponsored by CSNStores.com. There were 81 entries in total and I used Random.org to select the winning number. Would you like to see it? Here it is:

Congratulations to

Naddez who said... 72  Follow blog. (please follow me)

I will be emailing you shortly. You will need to reply within the next three days to claim your prize.

Didn't win? Don't worry. I have more exciting giveaways to come!

In just a few months, school will be out for the summer. And while this may sound great to us teachers, most parents might begin fretting over what they can do to keep their kids busy and active during their summer vacation. I recently found out about a summer camp right here in Toronto that offers Dance and Arts Camps during the month of July. These camps are held at Pegasus Studios located at 361 Glebeholme Blvd. (near Danforth and Coxwell) and for the first time, they are expanding their summer programs to include sports games and fitness activities. The Centre was founded back in 1986 by mother and daughter team Lynda Johnson and Jane Davis-Munro and currently offers a wide array of classes including Ballet, Hip-Hop, Jaz, Tap and Modern dance, as well as Kindermusik, and fitness classes such as Yoga and Pilates. I'm really interested in the Yoga 4 Kids class, which combines two of my favourite forms of Yoga - Kundalini and Hatha. If you'd like more information, you can check out their website at PegasusDance.com or call 416-469-2799.

Just a few days ago, I was overwhelmed with a sudden desire to design my own Grab Button and figure out how to add the special code to my Blogger template. So I googled and browsed, and settled on the instructions I found on the blog of a fellow mom blogger - All About Kimberly. She explains the steps in detail on how to add the "Grab My Button" link for WordPress users. I figured it would be the same if not similar using Blogger. So I followed her steps and entered the code into a text box widget (I didn't think of ever putting HTML code into a text box before. I have always used the HTML/Javascript widget in Blogger.) The only glitch I noticed was that, by copying and pasting directly from her post into the text box, the quotation marks mysteriously appeared twice, one set slanted and the other vertical. I didn't think to read all the way to the end of her post that suggested you copy and paste the code into Notepad first and then copy and paste from there into the widget. I just manually edited my quotation marks and it worked. Thanks, Kimberly!

Now here is my latest discovery that I'm so excited to share with you! I really wanted a button that matched my blog template, which is a wonderful freebie designed by the talented April at April Showers Blog Design. [Here's the thing... I'm not sure how copyright works and I suppose I could google that info, too. But I will state that the template is not my own and therefore I cannot take full credit for the design of my button. And if someone can clarify this for me, please don't hesitate to do so because I don't want to infringe on any copyright laws here. I should probably pre-order The Blogger's Guide to the Galaxy: Everything You Wanted to Know About Blogging (But Were Afraid To Ask)]

Update: I emailed April about using a snapshot of this template and she said it was fine as long as I keep her link on my blog.

This is what I did:

1. I loaded my site in a web browser (I usually use Firefox) and on my Mac, I took a screen shot. You can do this by simultaneously pressing the Apple Key, Shift and 4. You will then be able to select an area anywhere on the screen and, as soon as you release the mouse button, it takes a snapshot and saves it onto your desktop with the time stamp. I chose to grab a shot of the flowers in the header. In Windows, you'd use the Print Screen or Prt Scr key but you'll probably need to crop the image to narrow in on what you'd like to use for the button background.

2. Upload the snapshot to an online photo service such as Photobucket. I use Flikr but I'm quickly running out of storage space.

3. Next, you need to resize the image to 125 x 125, . In Flickr, you would click on Edit Photo. This launches the editing tool called Picnik. Now click on Resize to enter the dimensions.

4. Finally, edit your image by adding a border and any text you'd like. Continuing from step 3, you would simply click on the Create tab to take advantage of all these and other neat options available in Picnik.

5. Once you have saved the image, you'll need to grab the photo's url to be used in your "Grab My Button" code. In Flickr, you'll need to click on All Sizes.

This is how mine turned out after creating my button image and following Kimberly steps:







I love how it turned out! What do you think?

Now that Spring is finally here, we can bring out the t-shirts and pretty soon, shorts! I can't wait! And now, two lucky winners will get to choose their own customized t-shirts by my kidsquarters. Here are the two lucky winners, selected using Random.org:

Amy Brown said... 14

daily tweet: http://twitter.com/amym_brown/status/10624307769

Sarah said... 43
daily tweet http://twitter.com/Sarah_jbd/status/11082547344

 

Congratulations, ladies! I'll be emailing you both shortly. You will have 72 hours to reply and then you'll be given more information on how to place your custom order. I'd also like to thank my kidsquarters for sponsoring this great giveaway! 

 

Now, bring on the sunshine!