Did you ever wish you could find a way to make tidying up more fun? I know my kids love a good game. But putting away their play things? Not so much. And since I do not own a contraption similar to that used by the Cat in the Hat, that usually means I end up spending a lot of time picking up after the kids. I have tried to encourage them to put their toys away before taking out another toy but it doesn't always work that way. It's a good thing Leslie Jacobs designed a creative game with the goal of teaching kids how to organize and be tidy.

Les Mess is a card game that is simple in concept yet effective and fun. It contains a series of cards that instruct your child to complete an organizational task within a specific time limit. If your child completes said task within the time allotted, your child then wins a "prize" of your choosing. Les Mess card game is available for purchase online at LesMess.com for $14.95. It is geared towards children between the ages of 5 and 12, and helps to make clean-up a regular part of your routine. Les Mess is "NOT just a game, it's a way of life!"

I tried this game with my 5-year-old daughter who is focusing a lot lately on measuring time. Take her on an hour-long car ride and you'll know what I mean. "Mom, how much longer until we get there?" Enough said. The time element makes this more of a challenge for my daughter and she loves anticipating what the next card will be. I also let her read some of the simple tasks such as, "Make your bed" since she is learning how to read. All in all, I think this is a great game for younger kids and it helps parents instill necessary organizational skills to avoid having their child end up being a clutter bug such as myself. Hmm, I might need to get my hands on Les Mess for Couples...

Disclosure: I was sent a set of Les Mess cards to help facilitate this review. The opinions expressed are my own honest opinions.

Picture this: You're sitting on the sofa, munching on a bag of Lays Salt and Vinegar chips, when it hits you like a tonne of potatoes. You have this vision of a street sign pointing you towards great fun and great savings. Yeah, yeah, it's just the creative packaging of the chip bag, but you get the idea. Summer is the perfect time to load the kids in the car and explore all the wonderful sights and attractions Canada has to offer. And if you love chips as much as I do, you'll soon realize how easy it is to enjoy some fabulous discounts while devouring delicious chips made from 100% Canadian potatoes. It's as easy as 1-2-3 thanks to Lays Chip Trips. Here's all that you need to do:



So now that you've signed up, enjoyed some great tasting chips and you have some points in your account, you can take advantage of some great offers for as little as 5 points. That's what I did. Five points got me a 30% savings at Casa Loma right here in Toronto. That beats the discount I would receive as an Ontario-certified teacher. Score! And let me tell you, I am so glad I went.



With my 2 year old son and my 5 year old daughter, we drove downtown yesterday morning to make it there just after opening (9:30am). And yes, Toronto has an amazingly large historic castle right near the downtown area. I have always had a fascination over castles since I was a kid but never had the opportunity to visit one. Thus, the three of us thoroughly enjoyed our first castle experience. We started off our day in the breathtaking gardens before the heat of the midday sun. It was almost like we had the entire gardens to ourselves since the tour buses had yet to arrive. We then ventured a trek indoors where we discovered a secret passageway to the wine cellar which led us to the cafeteria. This place had what looked like a brand new seating area with comfortable benches, tables and chairs, and a t.v. perfect for entertaining the kids while we waited for our grilled panini.



After munching on a small bag of Lays chips, we burned the calories with a long walk up to the very top of one of the towers. This was the highlight for me. From this vantage point, you get a 360 degree panoramic view of Toronto and area. Just when I finally caught my breath from carrying my son up three flights of stairs, the spectacular view takes it away again. This is definitely a must-see for visitors to Casa Loma. The one thing I love about this place is that you feel like you're discovering how to get to these neat parts of the castle on your own. There aren't huge signs telling you where to go at every turn. It sort of felt like an adventure of the Indiana Jones variety. Except without the ginormous rolling ball of stone hot on your tail.

• Arrive early if you want to enjoy the castle sans crowds. The majority of visitors seemed to arrive between 11 am and 12 pm. 
• Explore the gardens first so you can take in an enjoyable walk in the fresh morning air.
• Strollers would be more of a hindrance. Since the elevator is reserved for the elderly or disabled, I would recommend a carrier or wrap if you have a wee one.
• Parking is available on site for $3 per hour and you need to pay cash. They do have a debit machine at the main entrance if you need to withdraw funds. I ended up paying $9.
• Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. It can get a little hot and stuffy in some parts of the castle.
• Don't forget to use your 15% discount at the Gift Shop that comes with your online ticket purchase. This is in addition to the 30% you save on admission with your Chip Trips discount.
• No outdoor food or drink is allowed on the premises but they do have a nice spread in the cafeteria. We had a ham and cheese grilled panino with some fresh seasonal fruit. (And we brought our own water but don't tell anyone.)

If you're wondering what to do with your family this long weekend, you may want to consider taking them to one of many family-friendly farms. Chudleigh's Farm looks like a great place to visit and offers a variety of activities for the entire family. Located five minutes north of Milton, it's open seven days a week from 10am-5pm.


Here's a little more information on Chudleigh's Farm:

It is a short country escape for parents and children of all ages who live in the city. Although it is known as an apple farm, there are tons of attractions year-round:

•  A petting zoo with alpacas, deer, goats, peacocks and more

• Tractor-drawn wagon rides

• A large safe & fun playground complex with a sandpit, towers, bridges and slides

• Straw maze

• Face painting and pony rides on weekends

• A restaurant great for farm-fresh summer lunches

• Store where you can take home an apple pie and many other treats

• Picnic area

• Nature walks featuring a teepee

A family of four can visit for $17.50, those aged four and over is $5.00 per person. Here is a Google map where you can also obtain directions: 9528 Hwy 25, Halton Hills

If you have ever been or plan on going, let me know. It would be nice to hear about your experience.

 
A couple of months ago, you may recall a review I wrote on Green Works Natural cleaners. I tested out their Natural Biodegradable Cleaning Wipes and their All-Purpose Natural Cleaner. I loved them so much, you can still find them in my cleaning stash. This is what I wrote about the all-purpose cleaner:

I tested it out on windows and mirrors to see if it left any streaks or residue. And the way my kids manage to completely cover our windowed closet with their greasy hand prints, I knew it was going to be a tough job. Surprisingly, the Green Works cleaner held up quite well. I still needed to go over a few heavily soiled spots using some elbow grease but with the pleasant smell, I didn't mind in the least. 

Now that it's summer and I'm off work, I thought I would have more time to clean and work on my blog. The fact is it seems I have less. The days are filled with trips to the park, trekking my daughter to gymnastics camp or soccer practice, and playing with my son's toy cars. Does it really matter that I occasionally hang out in my pj's until noon-ish? No, right?

 
I would like to share with my readers a little diaper cake tutorial I created for a guest post on Practical Mum. I kept the diaper cake plain and simple since I won't be needing one anytime soon. But I also included a picture of one I made for a friend last year which was personalized with the baby's name. Head on over to Practical Mum and if you have any questions or comments on making diaper cakes, I'd love to hear from you. Here's the link:

A Diaper Cake Tutorial - Easy as Pie!

I know, I know. Another video. Isn't it what you've been waiting all week for? Honestly, I really need to work on my speaking skills and making these vids a little more exciting. So as a little bonus for watching the not-so-glamorous video, you will be told at the end how you can receive a bonus entry into the underWAY/Smart for Life/Thin Adventure giveaway. That's right. You can leave a comment on the original underWAY Blog Tour post if you choose to follow the extra step as suggested in my video.

This one focuses on the underWAY appetite suppressant supplement drinks and their site under-way.com. I used these drinks as part of my daily routine and often found myself grabbing a bottle when heading out for a walk with the kids. It was a great way to quench my thirst, stay hydrated and suppress my hunger until I got home.



In the next post I plan to put up as part of this blog tour, I will share my thoughts on the Smart for Life cookies and their ready-to-go shakes as well. Please don't hate me, but I would like to include another video. I'll try to spice it for you this time. I'd really appreciate your thoughts on the videos so if you'd like to leave a comment on this post telling me why you like them (or not), that would really help. Have a fabulous weekend!

Disclosure: I am participating in the underWAY program by Mom Central on behalf of Better Health Beverage, LLC. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Last night, I was fortunate to attend the opening night of the Toronto premiere of Love, Loss and What I Wore. It features a fabulous female cast which includes Louise Pitre, Mary Walsh, Andrea Martin, Sharron Matthews and Paula Brancati. To say that their performances were phenomenal would be an understatement. And my judgment was not clouded by the glass of bubbly I downed before taking my seat. These ladies truly captured the essence of each of their characters by evoking feelings of nostalgia and making us laugh to the point of nearly peeing in our pant(ie)s. My friend and I went out for coffee down the street from the Panasonic Theatre afterwards to discuss our favourite parts including the hilarious scene which spoke of bra fittings and mono-boobs, and who can forget the "I hate purses!" scene? Seriously, if you're in or around Toronto these next few months, you best take a drive down Yonge Street and take in a delightful show on lust, life and what they wore.

Also, if you like Sharron Matthews, love to read and enjoy a good laugh, or any combination of the three, head on over to Sharron's Blog and Vlog. She has posted some behind-the-scenes photos from last night's after party. Check out Paula's hot red dress and Mary's bright pink blazer! I'll take one of each. In black.

I also want to send a big shout out to Hubert Hsu, the show's social media man, for arranging to provide me and my guest with tickets for the show.

Growing up as a kid, I remember getting so excited when Grease would air on t.v. My favourite part of the movie, aside from the delicious eye candy (thank you Travolta), was the songs. They were fun and catchy, and all I wanted to do was get up and dance. Some of my favourite songs were Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee, You're the One That I Want, Greased Lightenin', Summer Nights and Born to Hand Jive. And if you're a fan like me and live in or around Toronto, you'll be thrilled to know that Grease: Sing-A-Long hits Scotiabank Theatre this weekend. Thanks to Cineplex Entertainment, you can join other Grease fans as you watch subtitled musical numbers from the original movie and sing along with John Travolta, Olivia Newton John and Stockard Channing. This limited engagement debuts Friday, July 23, 2010 and Saturday, July 24, 2010. To find show-times and purchase advance tickets, visit Cineplex.com. It's sure to be a hit!

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

I just wanted to quickly share an email I received through my Wonderlist subscription. Today only you can buy some pretty good seats for only $15! When I tried looking, I found a seat in section 127, row 8, seat 8. Not too shabby! I mean, you'll probably end up spending more on parking if you drive to the Rogers Centre, but it's JON BON JOVI! If I didn't already have plans, I would totally go. You can't beat that price! Here's the link: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/10004366E3BD77A1?did=starwon

You should also sign up for the Wonderlist newsletter. They send you invitations to enter contests for some pretty amazing events. I won tickets last December to watch a Leafs game in the Toronto Star private booth. Cha-ching!

What do you get when you mix peanut butter, bears and a bunch of feel-good hugs? A whole lot o' lovin' and a tonne of donations to the Daily Bread Food Bank. As part of their new goal of donating a total of 60 000 jars of peanut butter, Kraft will be at Ontario Place with the aim of sharing hugs and donating up to 20 000 jars towards their goal. Here is some more information on the Toronto event:

I am excited to introduce you to the underWAY Blog Tour campaign by Mom Central. Thin for Life for Weight Maintenance has now added their underWAy supplement drinks to their repertoire and, as part of this tour, I have been sent two packs each of their Acai-Pomegranate and Grape varieties. These drinks are to be consumed before and after a workout to help hydrate and rehydrate, contain 10 calories and 2 carbs per 250 mL serving and are free from preservatives, artificial flavours and sodium. They are infused with HeroFiber and heart-healthy vitamins that work to help suppress your appetite and quench your thirst naturally. underWay supplement drinks are brought to you by the same people who made Smart for Life Cookie Diet.


Included in my trial package was an assortment of the Smart for Life product line which includes cookies, cupcakes, soup, cereal, shakes, bagels and crunch. Today was the first day I tried one of these products. I elected to try their Thin Adventure Carrot Sunshine Cupcakes and was quite surprised at how delicious they taste. So much so that I created a little video using my newly installed Smart Board tools. It's nothing fancy, just me talking you through their Smart for Life website and pointing out some information of interest. I am planning on doing more videos like this one depending on how well they're received. I can't say I'm a huge fan of my voice but my son's, on the other hand...



Okay, so the video is a little cheesy but the cupcakes are far from it. They really do pack a lot of delicious flavour into a mini cupcake. I ate one about two hours ago and I am only now starting to feel a little hungry. What I did not mention in the video is that the Thin Adventure Smart Foods were designed to:

introduce kids to healthy, tasty, quick and easy choices instead of fast food and poor nutrition. Many fast foods are made with unhealthy ingredients such as preservatives, pesticides, and toxins not to mention sugar and high fructose corn syrup. This is the reason we are becoming a nation of kids that are inactive and less fit as well as seeing an increase in various diseases such as cancer, autism, ADD and many more. foods are made with natural and organic ingredients without toxins or preservatives...and they taste great!

products are healthy snacks or meal replacements that the whole family can enjoy. If you would like to lose weight, follow our Meal Plan and learn to eat often with small, multiple meals throughout your day or use the Smart Foods as healthy snacks, and share them with your friends and family.

You can visit ThinAdventure.com for more information, games and resources. I will aim to post more information over the next week or so as I try out the rest of the Smart for Life and underWay products. There is just so much to try and so few waking hours.

Ten (10) lucky Toronto Teacher Mom readers will be selected to win a case of underWAY and Smart for Life products to try for free!
To find a store near you, try the store locator on the under-WAY.com site or take advantage of their free shipping offer. You can also visit SmartforLife.com to learn more about their products and program options. They currently have a limited time offer on their 42 Day Variety Program which would cost about $5.49 a day.
In order to win one of 10 cases of free underWAY and Smart for Life products, leave a comment sharing why you would love to try underWAY and/or Smart for Life products. This entry is mandatory. Please note that you may enter on any blogs participating in the tour but you are only eligible to win once throughout this tour.

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.

• Become a follower of underWAY on Twitter. 
• Like the underWAY Facebook fan page.
• Add my 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. (Worth 3 entries. Please leave three separate comments.)
• Complete my reader survey. (Worth 2 entries.)
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom using Google Friend Connect.
• Subscribe to Toronto Teacher Mom.
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom on Facebook via Networked Blogs. 
• Like the Toronto Teacher Mom's Facebook fan page.
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom on Twitter

Contest ends August 4 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.

A thunderstorm has just rolled in here in Toronto and, for fear of a power outage, I am going to quickly post the winner of the CSN Stores $40 Gift Card. There were a total of 178 entries in this giveaway and Random.org returned the following number:


This means that the $40 CSN Stores gift card will be going towards the purchase of a ceiling fan. That's right, Night Owl. You won!

153. nightowl said...

I would get the I would get the Emerson Fans 52" Builder Ceiling Fan in Polished Brass - CF700PBW

July 18, 2010 12:39 AM

Congratulations! You will be receiving an email shortly and based on your profile name, you'll probably still be up to reply to it and won't need to worry that you have 72 hours to do so.

A big thanks to CSN Stores for sponsoring another great giveaway.

Happy Monday to one and all! Any exciting plans for the week?

 
Yesterday, someone knocked on our door and handed us a flyer with information on a delivery service new to our area. It sounds very appealing and I want to know what my readers think about it. By paying $48 for a regular box, you can opt to have fresh local organic produce delivered right to your door every week or every other week. It averages about 10 types of vegetables and 5 kinds of fruits which total about 1 bushel. It's enough for about 2-3 people a week and varies according to the season. What I really like is that they customize your order according to your preferences based on "no thanks," allergies or things your kids don't like at all. So my question is, have you ever tried a local delivery service that picks out fresh vegetables and fruits for you? And do they offer organic produce? Or do you prefer to shop for your own produce yourself?

Last night, around 9:30 in the evening, I laid down on the sofa with the intention of resting, possible napping, before returning to my computer and selecting the winner of the Coriolis Flat Iron from Misikko. I was very excited to do so seeing as so many people have entered. However, I was out like a light. I just woke up about 45 minutes ago and now I am really excited to announce the winner. The contest closed at 11pm and I had one entry past that cutoff time that I deleted which brings the total entries to an even 400. Are you ready to find out who won? Well, here is the lucky number for starters:

This means that the flat iron goes to the very lucky....

shala_darkstone said... 

I follow Misikko on Twitter. (@shala_darkstone)  

July 5, 2010 7:32 PM    

Congratulations! I will be emailing you shortly and you will have 72 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected. A big thank you to Misikko for sponsoring such a hot giveaway (pardon the pun) and I also wanted to thank everyone for participating. You followed, tweeted, "liked," and subscribed like mad! It was totally awesome! So thank you!

Just a reminder that the CSN Stores $40 Gift Card giveaway ends tomorrow so get those entries in! Have a fabulous weekend!

From the great city of New York comes the award-winning theatrical event Love, Loss and What I Wore. Scheduled to premiere Friday, July 16, 2010 in Toronto at the Mirvish Panasonic Theatre, the show will bring with it an incredible cast of talented Canadian icons. The rotating cast features Paula Brancati, Andrea Martin, Sharron Matthews, Louis Pitre and Mary Walsh from July 16 - August 7 and  Lauren Collins, Wendy Crewson, Cynthia Dale and Margot Kidder from August 10 - September 4.

Ever have those moments that make you wonder if things happen for a reason? I've been having a lot of those moments lately. Tonight I have spent a lot of time thinking about how much I miss my family and friends in Hamilton and how hard it is traveling back and forth to see them. It's especially hard after my dad ended up in emerge after collapsing at work last week, probably due to his angina combined with working in the extreme heat. I just wanted to be by his side at that very instant. But I couldn't. Moving to Toronto was one of the hardest decisions of my life and I've been focusing a lot on that lately. Maybe too much. What I should focus on is the fact that I probably would not have this blog if I didn't live in such a vibrant city as Toronto. And I probably would have never heard of Pickles the Pig either.


A couple of months ago, while attending a SmartBoard workshop, I met a gentleman in the class who, as it turns out, I have a number of things in common with. Aside from the fact that we have both moved to a different city, it was also interesting to note that he and his wife, just like me and my husband, first met online. Yes, I guess you could call us nerds. (The fact that we met at a techie workshop is proof enough but seeing that we each have kids just goes to show that online dating can work. So there!) After further discussion, I found out that his wife owns Pickles the Pig, a manufacturer of "stylish accessories for the hip mama and babe." Niki Geldart is the name and designing soother clips is the game. With an Honour's Degree in Costume Design for Theatre, an additional degree in Education and a Phd in motherhood, Niki brings a unique perspective to her delightful creations.

For centuries, the orchid has been a symbol of elegance and uncommon beauty. Driven by the thrill of discovery, adventurous explorers traveled the globe in search of new varieties. Today, we mirror this passion in our quest for coffees that are rare, exotic and distinctive—the hallmarks of Reunion Island Coffee.

As part of the Glue Dots Summer Bonding Project, I have been able to try out some Glue Dots adhesives on some of my crafts. One such craft was a collection of last minute teacher appreciation gifts for my kids' teachers, 7 in total! I kept it very simple and decided to get them a bar of Lindt chocolate with a Tim Hortons gift card attached. I didn't have time to buy small enough gift bags, so I decided to take advantage of my new stash of Glue Dots and wrap the bars using some card stock. I cut down letter-sized lilac card stock to fit the length of the chocolate bar, which was 7" I believe. Then I wrapped the paper around and adhered it using the large Glue Dots dispenser. I also used my Cricut to cut out the word "Thanks" in the same lilac, glued it on to a strip of pink card stock, and punched out a whole for my daughter to secure a flower using a brad. Again, I adhered the strip to the wrapping with Glue Dots. And voilà, a quick and easy gift that any teacher will enjoy. (At least, it's something I would definitely devour enjoy as a teacher!)

TenMarks is an excellent online resource for parents, educators, homeschoolers and students. It provides each child with a personalized curriculum that will cover all the core math skills required in school. Researchers have discovered that students can lose 2 months worth of math learning over the summer months. For this reason, TenMarks has been designed to help them avoid the "summer slide."



For a limited time, you can take advantage of a one-week promotion on the TenMarks Summer Program. Your child or student can practice their math skills in a fun and unique way while enjoying a $12 discount off the TenMarks Summer Math Program. Start engaging your child with this fantastic summer enrichment program today! Use coupon code Mathten. This offer expires July 16, 2010.

Here's the TenMarks Dad and Kid Friendly video for your viewing pleasure. I think it's such a clever video. Very well done.



-->



"TenMarks: Building stronger foundations one click at a time."

I wish I knew about this when I taught the after-school math program this year. Yup, we covered area of a trapezoid. Yup, I bored my students to death. Online learning is where it's at!

It has been such an awesome time blog hopping through some fabulous Canadian blogs these past few days through the Canada Day Blog Party. And now I have the wonderful pleasure of announcing the winner of the $20 Amazon Gift Card. The lucky number is... (drumroll please!)

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

25

Timestamp: 2010-07-05 05:37

This means that Organic Girl will be doing some online shopping soon!  Here is the comment she left:

25. Organic Girl said...

Happy Canada Day and I am a new follower! Organic Girl

July 3, 2010 8:28 AM

Congratulations! I will be emailing you shortly. Thanks to all the wonderful Canadian bloggers who stopped by from CDBP. Hope you enjoyed the blog hop as much as I did! Cheers!

TwitterMoms and Glue Dots have partnered up to bring you their Summer Bonding Project contest. With $2000 worth in prizes up for grabs and a chance to try out Glue Dots for the first time, how could I resist? I was among the lucky bunch to try out 6 packs of Glue Dots. Here is a look at the fantastic stash that arrived at my door last week:


My Glue Dots stash could not have arrived at a more appropriate time. I taught a grade 6 class this year whose homeroom teacher is pregnant with her first child. This class was one of my favourite classes of all time and their teacher is super sweet, so I thought we should do something during our little remaining time together to make something for their teacher. I love making diaper cakes and felt it was easy enough for my grade 6 students to put together. So during our second-last French class, we secretly went to work. Within twenty minutes, one group had rolled up and assembled the diapers into a cake and another group had embossed the lettering and used the Glue Dots to adhere the green letters onto the brown letters for a shadow effect. I had used my Cricut Plantin Schoolbook cartridge for the letters and my Big Kick and Swiss Dots folder for the embossing. The problem I often find when adhering the flowers is finding a two-way glue that works well. Glue Dots solved the problem and solved the problem well! My students figured out how to use the dispenser quite easily, too. I didn't have a thick enough ribbon to wrap each tier so I cut out strips of wrapping paper that matched the lettering and the bow, which topped off the cake quite nicely. I was so proud of my students that they managed to come together so quickly and effectively to produce une pièce de résistance such as this:


Their teacher loved it and hadn't seen anything quite like it before. She told me that it's sitting on her table as a centrepiece. All in all, it was lots of fun putting this diaper cake together with my students. A great way to end the year! Here's a little close-up:



This was my first time using the Glue Dots and I am thrilled at how well they work and how easy it is to use them. It was a little unfortunate to find that the dots are so spread out in the dispenser so it took some getting used to. I think perhaps they should put them closer together. But I do like how they offer different sizes and different types depending on your needs. I will definitely be using them again in the future.

If you're looking for some more creative ideas, check out the official Glue Dots Facebook Fan page. Here's some more information about Glue Dots:

Glue Dots Adhesives are a safer, easier, mess-free alternative to typical tapes and glue guns.  Glue Dots provide the strength you need in an adhesive without the mess and dry time required of liquid glues.  Glue Dots bond instantly to a wide variety of surfaces including: Paper/photos, Metal, Wood, Plastic, Textiles/Fibers, Plastic, Foam, and more!  Find Glue Dots at a retailer near you or online today!

You can visit the Summer Bonding Contest on Twittermoms for more details on how to enter. All entries must be received July 13, 2010.

Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Glue Dots blogging contest to be eligible to receive a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Yoga is a physical discipline that incorporates meditative practices and breathing techniques to help you focus your energy, release stress, improve your posture and balance, and find deep relaxation, among other wonderful benefits. There's a lot more to it than sitting with a group of people in skin tight clothing contorting their bodies like I used to see on t.v. When I was first introduced to yoga over 10 years ago, I initially found it awkward, difficult and silly at times. I remember being asked to remove my socks and my instructor even suggested not wearing a bra. There were leg stretches we did while lying on our backs with our finger wrapped around our big toe as we stretched our leg out to the side, hovering dangerously close to our neighbour's face. That, of course, made my friend and I burst out in laughter, which only got worse when our instructor mentioned that passing gas was a good thing and should be practiced freely.

Today, I look back and realize what an amazing instructor she was. She lived yoga. She breathed yoga. And she instilled yoga. I always left her class feeling refreshed, more limber and happy. Until she moved. Since then, I have met several different instructors, some that were very nice and others that knew their routines well but weren't nearly as inspiring as my first. I have practiced yoga on and off since then but find it hard to continue attending class when the instructor doesn't inspire me to do so. This year, the vice-principal of my school invited his long-time friend to lead a staff yoga class at our school. I knew from day one that I would enjoy her class. Her name is Mary Mondelli. She lives in Toronto and is a phenomenal yoga instructor. And just recently, she combined her talents with writer Sheila Trescartin and graphic designer Scott Morrison to put together a Meditation CD. Here is what she had to say about her CD and their new label Little Blue Guru:

What happens when one of your yoga students asks you to lend your voice to a project? A wonderful collaborative CD between Sheila Trescartin, Scott Morrison and myself that’s what! and so Little Blue Guru is born.

After a year in the making we are ready to introduce our Meditation/Full Body Relaxation and White Light Clearing CD. The CD was written by Sheila Trescartin and recorded by Scott Morrison graphic designer of The Bauhub.  I lent my voice to the recording.  

They sold out of their first 50 CD's very quickly and I have been waiting for it to come out on iTunes. But I did find that you can order Full Body Relaxation and White Light Clearing on CDBaby.com for $15.99 or download the MP3 version for $11.99. The first track is design to help you find complete and total physical body relaxation followed by 30 seconds of silence to bring you into the next track designed to bring you peace, balance and tranquility. How zen!

Namaste.

With all the initiatives these days to become more eco-friendly, I always get excited when I find that more and more companies are catching on to the importance of going green. From diapers to facial tissue and lights to toys, there are so many options available to choose from to help do the right thing for our environment.

CSNLighting.com has a "Go Green" listing of all their products that are energy-efficient, eco-friendly or Energy Star rated. They offer solar lighting, dark sky lighting, LED lighting and fluorescent lighting. Not only will you find products that will reduce energy use but they will also help you save money in the long run.

CSN Stores also has over 200 online stores that offer additional "green" products. For example, cookware.com is a great place to find kitchen products made of bamboo, a natural renewable material that is eco-friendly and more durable than maple. Here's a Bamboo Banana Hanger that is on sale for $9.99:


They even have this cute Bamboo Small Salt Box with a slide-off top that rotates 360 degrees and is great for storing spices as well. It's currently on sale for $13.95.

And of course, no kitchen is complete without a cutting board. This Bamboo Hawaiian Cutting Board would be a nice addition to any kitchen and ranges in price from $10.95-$37.95 depending on the size.

What I really fell in love with are these kitchen toys by Plan Toys made of environmentally safe ruberwood. My son really loves the Preschool Fruit and Vegetable Play Set. I also bought the Large Scale Cooking Utensils as a gift for my daughter's friend who just turned 5. Both sets are on for $18 each. Aren't they adorable?


One lucky Toronto Teacher Mom reader will be selected to win a $40 gift card to be used towards the purchase of these or any other items currently sold on CSNStores.com.
All of the products featured above are available through CSN Stores and their cookware.com site. With over 200 stores to browse through, be prepared to spend some time looking at all the amazing stuff you can buy. For a limited time, you can also save between 20% - 70% off items in their cookware site. Most items ship to Canada and I noticed several items come with free ground shipping within the Continental US. And if you're a fan of the CSN Stores Facebook page, you can also find further deals on their Special Offers tab. For example, for today only, you can save 15% off by using discount code FBSALE15. Some brand restrictions apply and offer expires tonight at midnight.
In order to win the $40 CSN Stores gift card, you must first visit csnstores.com and browse through their online catalogue. What would you use the $40 gift card towards? 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.

• Add my newly designed button to your site. (Worth 2 entries. Please leave two separate comments.)
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• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom using Google Friend Connect.
• Subscribe to Toronto Teacher Mom.
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• Like the Toronto Teacher Mom's Facebook fan page.
• Become a follower of CSNStores on Twitter.
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• 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 July 18 at 11pm 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.

Over the past year or so, I have had the opportunity to try out a variety of different labels from various label companies. I have yet to find one that I didn't like but I do have favourites based on the quality and amount of options available when customizing. One such label company is Oliver's Labels based right here in good ol' Toronto. I first wrote about them over a year ago and still have tonnes of labels left from the School Package I bought for my daughter and the Preschool Package I bought for my son.



What makes Oliver's Labels stand out from all the rest? It's their unique Fount-It Tracking System. When you select the option of including a Found-It code on your labels, you are taking advantage of their free virtual lost-and-found. Should you ever lose an item with one of these labels, the person who finds it will read the prompt to go to oliverslabels.com and enter the unique tracking code. Then Oliver's Labels will send you an email notifying you that someone has found your lost item and arrangements can be made to return the lost item to you with Oliver's Labels as the go-between. In that way, all of your personal contact information remains confidential. Neat, isn't it?


In our house, Oliver's Labels has been used on school supplies, backpacks, shoes, water bottles and toys. We've even used the new Stick-eez Clothing Labels on some of the kids jackets and sweaters. And the best part is they require no ironing or sewing since they adhere to the care-tags quite nicely and wash very well. They have proven to be very durable over the last year and I love that they can be used on so many things, including items that go in the dishwasher, freezer, washing machine and dryer. So, yes, they are "the perfect way to identify all your kids' stuff so it comes back home again." But what about my stuff?



When I was asked to review a sample of Oliver's Labels last week, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to try out the designs aimed at adults. I used my last name only so that I can use it on items that either my husband or I might use, or use it on my stuff at work because my students are used to me leaving things behind in their classrooms. Here are the labels I received early this week in the stylish Rococo design:


Yesterday, for Canada Day, my husband and I took the kids on their first ever trip to Canada's Wonderland. We had a backpack full of stuff needed for the day outing and, for fear of losing it amidst the hustle and bustle often found at amusement parks, I chose to label it with the handsome brown and blue coloured label. I even labeled my precious digital camera. Whatever would I do if I were to lose it!



All in all, I would definitely recommend Oliver's Labels to anyone looking for high-quality, durable, customizable and Canadian-made labels with the added security of the Found-It Tracking System. I know of people who have actually had missing items returned and were very grateful for it. I am also thrilled to share a promotional code for my readers. Enter the code OLIVERSFRIENDS at checkout and receive a 10% discount. A big thank-you to Oliver's Labels for the opportunity to review their products and for the discount code!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary sample pack of Oliver's Labels for the purpose of this review. I was not compensated in any way. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way.