A few months ago, I signed up to become a BzzAgent and see what all the Bzz was about. In doing so, I was able to take part in the BzzAgent DanActive campaign and sample DanActive Probiotic Drink. I chose to try out the strawberry flavor which came in a pack of 8 x 93 mL bottles. That was the first thing I noticed - the size. The bottles are quite small but the good thing about that is it fits nicely into my busy schedule. I just take one out of the fridge and quickly down it before heading out the door! The first time I tried it, I was expecting it to be more like a yogurt smoothie of sorts but it was almost like flavored milk, making it easy to drink in my morning rush. (I'm not a huge fan of yogurt unless it's really sweet.) A bottle of Strawberry DanActive has 13 grams of sugar so of course I loved it. But the great thing about DanActive is that it contains 10 billion L.casei Defensis bacteria, a probiotic culture exclusive to Danone and proven to strengthen your body's natural defenses. That's why they recommend a bottle a day as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. With factors that can weaken your natural defenses such as lack of sleep (ahem), stress, cold weather, bad nutrition and harmful bacteria, it is handy to have something like DanActive. I know my kid's pediatrician always recommends giving probiotic-enriched yogurt to my kids whenever they need antibiotics to counter the effects. It's healthy to have good bacteria in your system and sometimes antibiotics kill off some of the good along with the bad. I also remember having suffered some type of bug that had me, er... spending some time in the, er... washroom. When I called TeleHealth, the super-friendly nurse suggested having some probiotic yogurt to help with that little "problem." So I would agree that probiotics are great to have as part of your daily consumption and DanActive can help you achieve that. I could live without the modified corn starch, though. Just saying.



Disclosure: I was sent a coupon for a free 8 x 93 mL pack of DanActive Probiotic Drink to sample for the purpose of this review as part of the BzzAgent DanActive campaign. I was not compensated in any other way. The opinions expressed are my own honest opinions.

In a few short days, I will be attending a Maple Leaf Foods roundtable dinner event and I have been invited by Matchstick to bring a list of questions along with my appetite. Which is why I'm calling on my readers.

It has been almost two years since news reports ran rampant over the deadly outbreak of Listeriosis which has been linked back to one of Maple Leaf Foods' meat packing plants. What resulted was a sad total of 23 deaths along with other numerous individuals suffering from the illness. Could this tragedy have been prevented?

The theme of Thursday's event will thus be "food safety." Since there will be some Maple Leaf executives and food experts in attendance, this would be an excellent opportunity for you to have your questions aired and comments heard. Simply leave me a comment on this post, send me an email, direct message me on Twitter, post a comment on my Facebook page or wave at me frantically if you see me walking down the street and I will make it a priority to share your questions or comments on your behalf. So go ahead, have your say. What would you like to ask or share with Maple Leaf Foods?

Of all the giveaways I have hosted here on Toronto Teacher Mom, the Hilroy giveaway ran for the shortest amount of time and yet had the second highest amount of entries. 185 to be exact. Not bad seeing as I posted the giveaway 5 days ago. So, without further ado, I am super excited to announce the winner of $100 worth of Hilroy school supplies is, as selected by Random.org:


Congratulations goes to the following happy-go-lucky winner:

thesehappydays said... 51 Voted for their recycle Butterfly Binder - entry #1

I will be sending you an email shortly to which you will have three days to reply. Thank you so much to all of my readers who voted for Hilroy. You're awesome! I will post as soon as I hear the final results. Have a happy Tuesday!

I know, I know. This giveaway is only for U.S. residents BUT I have been told that there is a giveaway in the works slated for Canada Day and it will be open to Canadian residents only. Woot, woot! I will let you know once that contest is up and running.

Below you will find the information on the ATG Stores Backyard Giveaway.


This is the largest contest by ATG Stores thus far and they are excited to announce that they have prize packs for first place valued at over $5000, one for second place valued at over $1200 and one for third place valued at over $500.

1. Fill out the form on the contest page.  You can also upload a picture or include a link to a video to really show them why your backyard needs some sprucing up!
2. Become a fan of ATG Stores on Facebook.
3. Fans will be voting on the backyard that needs a makeover- so be sure to return on June 8th to vote on a winner!

One of my co-workers is due to have her first baby in July. Colour me envious! Yes, I have two of my own already. I kind of want a third, mainly to be able to experience pregnancy just one more time. But I don't think I'm cut out to raise three kids. It's a lot of work. So, instead, I have been living vicariously though my colleague and can't help but feel so giddy every time I'm around her. And then there's the baby gear, cute baby clothes and nursery decor - all the stuff I go ga-ga over. There are so many fantastically chic and innovative products out there for babies that didn't exist even just two years ago when my second child was born. And then there's Corner Stork Baby Gift Store.


CornerStorkBabyGifts.com is an online store that offers a nice assortment of unique baby gifts, personalized baby gifts, baby shower favors and gift baskets. You can shop by collection (boy, girl, surprise, twins, etc.), by price or by category such as, get this, NASCAR, which includes items for both boys and girls. What I really like is their selection of organic items, such as their GI Joeys Organic Baby Socks made with 100% organic cotton and natural dyes. I also like their Eco-Princess Onesie and their Strawberry Fudge Organic Outfit which is currently on sale for 15% off.



Unfortunately for us Canadians, we are not eligible for the free shipping offer. But if you're sending a gift to someone in the U.S., you can benefit from free ground shipping on orders over $70 by entering discount code FSSUMMER at checkout. Also, if you subscribe to the Corner Stork Baby Birthday Club, you'll be emailed birthday reminders two weeks before the date along with special offers. You'll also be entered for a chance to win a $75 CornerStorkBabyGifts.com certificate with no expiration date. I almost forgot to mention that orders over $60 come with a free gift like the baby bibs seen below. Who doesn't love free stuff?



Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by CornerStorkBabyGifts.com. The opinions expressed are my own honest opinions.

You may recall an earlier post I wrote about Agoo Leg Huggers and a promotion they had on their Princess packs. Well, it's promotion time again and you won't want to miss out! Agoo and Leg Huggers have teamed up to bring you brand new fashion in leggings for their Fall 2010 Agoo Leggings collection. These leggings range in sizes from age 0 to any age and coordinate with their existing apparel. And because they're still made using luxurious 100% sustainable bamboo fibers, they stretch easily or can be scrunched up for tiny babies, making them quite versatile and helping you to stretch your dollar. You can even wear them on your arms!


I am excited to announce that the first 25 Toronto Teacher Mom readers to purchase Agoo Leggings will get their first pair for a mere 1 cent! This does not include their standard shipping fee as listed in their terms. It is a one-time use coupon and cannot be used with any other coupon code. Visit Agoo Leggings to order and enter the coupon code 1centleg9 to take advantage of this promotion. You can also visit Agoo Leggings Facebook fan page to see additional pictures of their newest leggings.

With all this gorgeous weather we've been having, I can't help but get excited about summer vacation. I will have two months to spend with my two kids and take them on some exciting adventures (just one of the perks of being a teacher *wink*). It will be full of a lot of "firsts" for my son now that he is two years old and loves to explore new things. I have learned to be very spontaneous and explore alongside him as he oohs and aahs over everything and anything. Not being the most organized person you'd ever meet, I really need to work on being prepared and coming up with quick and easy solutions when it comes to kids on the go. That's why I love Eco Mom's new line of organic lunchbox snacks.
Eco-friendly Baby Products - Eco Mom is a wonderful company that aims to link the health of our environment to the health of our children by offering a wide array of affordable eco-conscious and organic products. They offer products related to healthy eating, bath and body, toys and books and are geared towards mom, baby and the home. With an easy-to-navigate website full of adorable baby pictures, browsing their site makes for a pleasant and informative experience.


A few weeks ago, I received a Plum Organics Sampler and a Revolution Foods Sampler in the mail. It couldn't have arrived at a better time. My daughter just had her tonsils and adenoids removed and could only eat soft foods. So I gave her a Mixed Berry Mashups squeezable fruit puree pack made with 100% organic fruit. That's it. Nothing else is added. I love that Eco Mom offers a variety of foods that are perfect for high chair to lunch box. My four-year-old loved it! And so did my two-year-old! I also love that it makes for a handy snack to pack before heading out the door and knowing that it is a healthy organic snack for my kids. The Jammy Sammy snack size sandwich bars also made for a tasty treat, too.




The Plum Organics line of baby foods is another great product. These foods come in a nice variety and for different stages of infancy. Made with pure ingredients, Plum Organics are made with care and are cooked at just the right temperature for the right amount of time to ensure quality in flavor and nutritional value. Care to try some for yourself?




You can order direct from EcoMom.com and get free shipping on orders over $75. If you enroll in their new program called EcoPass, you can get free shipping and 15% off every order as well. The EcoPass is a $99 annual membership. Toronto Teacher Mom readers will also get a discount of 15% off their first order by using discount code SBBL286 at checkout. This discount code will expire May 31, 2010.


One reader of Toronto Teacher Mom will win $20 worth of Plum and/or Revolutions Foods shipped to your door.


For your main entry, which is mandatory, visit Eco Mom's Green Gift Guide and tell me something that caught your eye. 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. Copy code is located on the right sidebar. (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. (Worth 2 entries! Please leave two separate comments.)
• Become a follower of Eco Mom on Twitter.
• Become a fan of Eco Mom on Facebook.
• Sign up for Eco Mom's newsletter.
• 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.
• 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 June 9 at 11pm 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.

It was roughly 20 years ago when I gave a Christmas card to my grade 6 French teacher. In the message, it mentioned that she was my inspiration and that one day I would be a French teacher, just like her. And here I am, a French teacher! Only not quite like her. She managed to be an inspiring teacher of a not-so-easy second language and she did so in a time where computers were only just popping up in the classrooms. She taught us in a time where we still prepared worksheets by writing them out by hand. She enlightened us with music on cassette tape, hand designed poster boardgames, and chalk on chalkboard. When she tripped over the recycling box as she was walking backwards to show us something on the board and fell right into it, she got right back up, laughed along with the rest of us and continued onward and upward. She made learning fun and that's not easy when you're learning a new language. In my opinion, she ranked among the best of teachers and I would like to include her in this shout out to all my favorite French teachers of the past: Mme Di Liberto, Mme Ironberg, M. Roberto, Mlle Gallo and Mme Bolton. Votre patience, votre passion et votre amour de l'apprentissage m'ont impressioné beaucoup et pour toujours. Vous êtes vraiment formidables! 

Today, teaching has taken on a whole new look. Blackboards are becoming whiteboards, audio cassettes are now on CD or in mp3 format and overhead projectors are being replaced with LCD projectors. Our world is no longer complete without some form of remarkable technology touching our lives in some way and on a daily basis. To think of all the advancements made in my lifetime alone, it's astonishing. Never did I imagine I could get my students up off their chairs in excitement over a computer screen brought to life. And that's what happened today.

Today was a first of many exciting days to come.

Today I used a SMART Board!

Never in a million years would I believe that I could stand in front of a class of intermediate students and watch them ALL gaze intently as a fellow classmate raced against the clock to conjugate a verb in the passé composé. Never! I mean, everyone was watching! Including myself. It was so incredible to witness 12 and 13 year old kids manipulate this amazing piece of technology as if it were second nature to them, when for some it was their first time. Do you have an idea what this SMART Board is? Sit back and watch this video showing what you can do with it and why it's so easy to use, because really, my explanation won't do the SMART Board any justice.



So there you have it, an interactive whiteboard that incorporates hands-on learning and interactive technology that is captivating and easy to use. You can use it as interactive word wall, a video screen, a game board, the possibilities are virtually endless. Basically, whatever you can do on your computer and through the internet, you can do using the SMART Board in conjunction with their software and make it all interactive to suit your needs. It's a teacher's dream come true!

That is why I take great pleasure in bringing to you the SMART Love of Learning Blog Tour care of Mom Central Canada. If you are a parent and you are interested in raising funds towards a SMART Board for your child's school, visit the SMART Love of Learning Facebook page and click on the ToolKit tab to access some useful tips to help get you started. And while you're there, why not enter their contest to win a SMART Board for a school of your choice? All you need to do is share a short story about someone who instilled a love of learning in you. You can also tweet about and share the link on Delicious for a couple of extra entries, too! Not on Facebook? Not a problem. Visit the SMART Love of Learning website and you can enter there as well as access the tool kit.

Our school only has one SMART Board to use with a potential 650+ students but logistically, it doesn't work so well. So the more you have, the better, right? I just completed my second workshop to learn more about how we can use it in the classroom and I have decided to make it a mission to use it in all of my nine classes and give an opportunity to each of the 200+ students I teach to use the SMART Board by the end of this year. I know that doesn't give me a lot of time but I am so excited about what it's capable of and I really want my students to share in the excitement. Wouldn't you?

Before I sign off, I want to share with you a really creative stop motion YouTube video which illustrates how SMART Technologies is making it easier for us teachers to inspire a love of learning in our students. Watch for all of the elements of nature and real-life objects that can spark creativity and enliven your imagination. Here it is - SMART Love of Learning.

Disclosure: This post was written as part of a Mom Central blog campaign. I will receive a gift card as a thank you for participating. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own honest opinions and have not been influenced in any way.

Today I announce the winner of the Juppy Baby Walker. Just a little update that they are in the process of making the Juppy in pink for girls and blue for boys. How cute!

Out of the 32 entries for this giveaway, Random.org returned the following number:

The person who won was pretty adamant on winning, having left 20 of the 32 comments. It pays to enter more than once! Congratulations goes to:

roswell said... 22

daily tweet http://twitter.com/roswello/status/13844843607

I will be emailing shortly. You will have 3 days to reply to the email. Thanks to all who entered!

Just a reminder that I have another great giveaway for $100 worth of amazing, brand new school supplies by Hilroy. And if you haven't yet had a chance, I would greatly appreciate it if you could complete a survey I am doing on my readership. Your answers will be kept confidential and only be presented as a percentage of the whole. I'd be forever thankful!

Yes, you read correctly! Yo Gabba Gabba! There's a Party in My City will be on tour starting August 27 and will be hitting a whopping 60 cities in North America. And Toronto is one of them! (Insert emphatic cheer here.) Now let me tell you how amazing this is! I got to see them live during here in Toronto during the first Yo Gabba Gabba tour and I couldn't help but have a rocking good time. They totally know how to party! You can read more about the fun my daughter and I had when we attended the Yo Gabba Gabba concert during the March Break.

Okay, so I know you're dying to find out if they're coming to a city near you... right? Well, here's a list of cities that I received in yesterday's press release. (Pardon the super tiny font. It's the only way I could get the info to be fully displayed neatly.)

DATE	CITY	VENUE	ON SALE
Friday, August 27, 2010	Bethel, NY	Bethel Woods	May 22, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010	Bristow, VA	Jiffy Lube Live	June 4, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010	Philadelphia, PA	Mann Center for the Performing Arts	June 4, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010	Gilford, NH	Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion	May 28, 2010
Thursday, September 02, 2010	Albany, NY	Times Union Center	June 5, 2010
Friday, September 03, 2010	Buffalo, NY	Artpark	June 5, 2010
Saturday, September 04, 2010	Toronto, ON	Molson Canadian Amphitheatre	May 27, 2010
Sunday, September 05, 2010	Montreal, QC	Place des Arts	June 5, 2010
Wednesday, September 08, 2010	Edmonton, AL	Northern Jubilee	June 5, 2010
Thursday, September 09, 2010	Calgary, AL	Southern Jubilee	June 5, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010	Vancouver, BC	Queen Elizabeth Theatre	June 5, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010	Vancouver, BC	Queen Elizabeth Theatre	June 5, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010	Regina, SK	Brandt Centre	June 5, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010	Winnipeg, MB	MTS Centre Theatre	June 5, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010	London, ON	John Labatt Centre	May 27, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010	Ottawa, ON	Scotiabank Place	May 27, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010	Rochester, NY	Auditorium Theatre	June 5, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010	Burlington, VT	Flynn Theatre	May 28, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010	Portland, ME	Merrill Auditorium	June 4, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010	Boston, MA	Wang Theatre	June 4, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010	Boston, MA	Wang Theatre	June 4, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010	Providence, RI	Providence PAC	June 5, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010	Wallingford, CT	Oakdale Theatre	June 4, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010	Pittsburgh, PA	Benedum Center for the Performing Arts	June 4, 2010
Saturday, October 02, 2010	New York, NY	Radio City Music Hall	June 4, 2010
Sunday, October 03, 2010	New York, NY	Radio City Music Hall	June 4, 2010
Tuesday, October 05, 2010	Hershey, PA	Hershey Theater	June 4, 2010
Wednesday, October 06, 2010	Cleveland, OH	State Theatre at PlayhouseSquare	June 4, 2010
Friday, October 08, 2010	Detroit, MI	Fox Theatre	June 4, 2010
Saturday, October 09, 2010	Chicago, IL	Chicago Theatre	June 4, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010	Chicago, IL	Chicago Theatre	June 4, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010	Louisville, KY	The Palace Theatre	June 9, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010	Indianapolis, IN	Murat Theatre	June 5, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010	Richmond, VA	Landmark Theater	June 4, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010	Greensboro, NC	War Memorial Auditorium	June 4, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010	Charlotte, NC	Ovens Auditorium	June 4, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010	Chattanooga, TN	Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium	June 4, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010	Huntsville, AL	Von Braun Center	June 4, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010	Nashville, TN	Jackson Hall - Tennessee PAC	June 4, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010	Atlanta, GA	Fox Theatre	June 18, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010	Atlanta, GA	Fox Theatre	June 18, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010	Jacksonville, FL	Moran Theatre at Times Union Center	June 4, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010	Kissimmee, FL	Silver Spurs Arena	June 7, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010	Tampa, FL	St. Pete Times Forum	June 5, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010	Miami, FL	AmericanAirlines Arena	June 18, 2010
Tuesday, November 02, 2010	Columbia, SC	Township Auditorium	June 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 03, 2010	Knoxville, TN	Tennessee Theatre	June 4, 2010
Friday, November 05, 2010	Tulsa, OK	BOK Center	June 26, 2010
Saturday, November 06, 2010	Kansas City, MO	The Midland	June 4, 2010
Sunday, November 07, 2010	Denver, CO	1st Bank Center	June 5, 2010
Tuesday, November 09, 2010	Salt Lake City, UT	The E Center	June 5, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010	Spokane, WA	INB Performing Arts Center	June 5, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010	Seattle, WA	Tacoma Dome	June 5, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010	Portland, OR	Memorial Coliseum	June 5, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010	Eugene, OR	Hult Center	June 5, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010	Sacramento, CA	Memorial Auditorium	June 4, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010	San Francisco, CA	Bill Graham Civic Auditorium	June 4, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010	San Francisco, CA	Bill Graham Civic Auditorium	June 4, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010	Los Angeles, CA	Nokia Theater	June 4, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010	Los Angeles, CA	Nokia Theater	June 4, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010	San Diego, CA	San Diego Sports Arena	June 4, 2010
Saturday, December 04, 2010	Phoenix, AZ	Dodge Theater	June 7, 2010
Sunday, December 05, 2010	Phoenix, AZ	Dodge Theater	June 7, 2010
Tuesday, December 07, 2010	El Paso, TX	Abraham Chavez Theater	June 4, 2010
Thursday, December 09, 2010	San Antonio, TX	Freeman Coliseum	June 4, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010	Houston, TX	Hobby Center	June 4, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010	Austin, TX	Cedar Park Center	June 4, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010	Dallas, TX	Dr Pepper Arena	June 4, 2010

Isn't that amazing? Just look at all those cities! Will there be a Party in your city? Well, if you're an American Express cardholder, you can buy tickets as early as today. Yo Gabba Gabba online community members will be eligible to purchase tickets during the pre-sale starting as early as next Wednesday, May 25. And I wouldn't be surprised if there will some chances to win tickets in the near future. I'll keep you posted on that. You can always visit the Yo Gabba Gabba site for more information and the latest news. Yooooo Gabba Gabba!