When we first bought our home over five years ago, we didn't realize how much work needed to done and how much needed to be replaced. It wasn't long after we moved in that we decided to replace all of our major appliances, our air conditioning system, a couple of windows and our toilet bowls. For all of these items, we looked at energy efficient and eco-friendly models. Take, for example, our washing machine. We went with an LG Energy Star rated, high-efficiency, front-loading model that uses very little water and requires very little detergent (which I just recently discovered).


Our refrigerator is also an LG Energy Star rated model. Our new air conditioning system proudly shows off the blue Energy Star sticker to our neighbours. And about a year ago, I reluctantly let a door-to-door salesman fast talk me into having our water heater replaced. It, too, has the Energy Star rating and is supposed to help reduce costs.


We even went so far as replacing our toilet bowls with low-flow models. I don't think we'll stop there, though. We'll probably join nearly half of Canadian homeowners who plan on investing in energy efficient upgrades in the next year. And to encourage this positive trend, BMO has introduced a special Eco Smart mortgage rate.

For Canadians who meet BMO’s energy efficiency criteria, The BMO Eco Smart Mortgage is a new mortgage product with market-leading five-year fixed rate of 3.89 per cent – a rate significantly lower than comparable green mortgage products.

Green mortgages are a new concept to me. So as a part of this blog tour, I downloaded a BMO Eco Smart Mortgage checklist to see if I would qualify. Unfortunately, our home didn't meet the minimum requirement of 6 out of 7 categories in the checklist. I'm starting to think maybe we should look at replacing doors and the rest of the windows next. These are just a few of many renovations we are willing to consider. But, seeing as we have a 4-level side-split with cathedral ceilings, we don't have an attic so I'm not sure if that category would even be considered in our case. To see if you would qualify for the mortgage, visit the BMO website.


Once you link over, scroll down and click on the survey for either single family homes and townhomes or high-rise condominiums.


And if you'd like to share your future plans, you can win a $50 RONA gift card right here on Toronto Teacher Mom.
In order to win a $50 RONA gift card,  leave a comment on this post sharing your efforts or future plans to make your home more energy efficient. (This entry is pretty easy, yes, but mandatory.)

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

• Blog about your efforts or future plans with a link back to this post for 5 (five) bonus entries!
• Add my button to your site.
• 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 and tweet about this giveaway. Feel free to use the following tweet:

Contest ends May 15 at 10pm EST. Open to Canadian residents only.

Winner will be selected using Random.org and must reply to the notification email within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn.

213. Paula M-B

Disclosure – I am participating in the BMO Eco Smart Mortgage program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of BMO - Bank of Montreal. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

This picture was taken on our first family vacation. We stayed at the Barceló Maya Beach Resort which was absolutely wonderful. I was pregnant at the time and my daughter was only two. Man, it seems like eons ago. On our last day, I left my husband and daughter in the hotel room to capture this Mexican sunrise. It was breathtaking.

This sounds like a pretty unique opportunity to explore the Arctic and some of Canada's coolest wildlife. I've included the information I received below:

To kick off Earth Month, Earth Rangers is giving kids across Canada the chance to win a family eco-adventure to the Canadian sub-arctic this summer with the Whales, Trails, and Polar Bear Tales Contest.

Entering the contest is easy, just set up a Bring Back the Wild™ campaign at EarthRangers.com and choose one of four animals and their habitats to help protect.

The contest will award four families of four across Canada the opportunity of a lifetime to travel for a six days and five nights stay at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre in Manitoba. The Centre is where hundreds of scientists and their students come to learn about northern plants, animals and climate.

Families will get the chance to kayak with the beluga whales, go on a tundra buggy ride to spot polar bears, explore the Boreal forest, go fossil hunting and so much more!

The Whales, Trails, and Polar Bear Tales Contest closes on May 24th, 2011 at 9:59 a.m. The contest is open to all residents of Canada, excluding those residing in Quebec. Winners will be announced May 25, 2011. The trip takes place from July 11, 2011 to July 16, 2011.

So jump on over to EarthRangers.com to enter the contest now! 

I think I might jump on over, too.

So you didn't win the "Think Outside the Basket with Hasbro" prize pack here on Toronto Teacher Mom? Well, you might like to know that I have happened across some other similar giveaways that are still running.


Also, I wanted to let you know that I have another fabulous Hasbro giveaway coming up soon, just in time for the warmer temperatures. Heck, I might just be doing more than one giveaway this time. Aren't you dying to find out what it is? The suspense must be nerf-racking...

As I am preparing this post, I'm chewing on some Pür Gum that has somehow lasted more than a month. I have packs of gum that keep popping up everywhere; in my purse, my car, the closet... Anyway, it is with great excitement that I announce the winner out of 456 entries in the Pür Gum giveaway. Here's the lucky winner as determined by Random.org:

Congratulations goes to:

80. Dianne said... I follow you on Twitter
http://twitter.com/wowcheckitout/status/54202737948241920

I will be emailing you soon.

Thanks so much to all of my wonderful readers both new and old for participating. And a big thank-you goes out to Pür Gum for offering up such a fantastic giveaway!

Don't forget that tomorrow is the last day to enter for a chance to win 2 pairs of Agoo Leggings. I also get to pick three winners who will get to download The Penelope Rose app of their choice. And the newest giveaway is a super cool ARM & HAMMER prize pack containing two kids Spinbrush toothbrush and one for adults, in celebration of Oral Health Month.

April is considered National Oral Health Month and the Canadian Dental Association wants us to remember the importance of good oral health. The best way to ensure a healthy mouth is to visit your dentist regularly. But that's not all.

Along with your dentist, you also play an important role in maintaining good dental health and in preventing oral disease. Brush your teeth twice a day and floss once a day, limit food and beverages with a high sugar or acid content in your diet and avoid all tobacco products. Finally, if you see or feel anything irregular in your mouth, talk to your dentist immediately.

Ever since I was a little girl, I would often get more cavities than I would care to admit. My penchant for chocolate, caramel, toffee, and candies was largely the cause of my dental woes. I also had poor dental hygiene habits. It was very distressing to know that every dental visit cost my parents a good fortune since they did not have any dental benefits, nor do they today. My father lost all of his teeth at a very young age and has had false teeth ever since I can remember. It is understandable why he indulged one Christmas and bought all three of us a battery powered toothbrush. I found it quite touching really. He didn't want us to suffer the way he did. Once I reached age 16, my pediatric dentist advised me to find another dentist who treated adults. But I didn't. Not until, that is, one of my fillings along with half the tooth had fallen out and required a root canal along with surgery to fix the receding gum line. Luckily, by that time, I had already started teaching full-time and took advantage of dental benefits. The procedures were painful and not fully successful as I discovered last year when the pain returned. They discovered a fifth root that hadn't appeared in the original x-ray. So another root canal (and one unsightly hole in my expensive crown) later, I find myself with a permanent reminder to teach better dental hygiene habits to my own two children.

This is why I am excited to share with you the ARM & HAMMER® My Way! ® battery-powered toothbrush for girls and boys. This customizable battery-powered toothbrush not only promotes brushing by making it fun, it helps to remove plaque while massaging the gum. The smaller brush head is suited for smaller mouths and is easy for little hands to operate. My favourite feature is the ability to customize the Spinbrush handle with a large variety of stickers that are included in each pack. And what kid doesn't love stickers, right? As a French teacher, I also appreciate that the Sprinbrush À Moi also includes accents. C'est très utile pour ceux dont leur nom contient des accents comme, par exemple, Émilie.

One of my Canadian readers will get to celebrate Oral Health Month with an ARM & HAMMER prize pack which includes:

• one ARM & HAMMER® My Way!® girls battery-powered toothbrush
• one ARM & HAMMER® My Way! ® boys battery-powered toothbrush 
• one ARM & HAMMER® Spinbrush Pro Clean Sonic Battery Powered Toothbrush

• Add my button to your blog or web site. Copy code is located in the right sidebar.
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom using Google Friend Connect.
• Like the Toronto Teacher Mom Facebook fan page. 
• Subscribe to this blog by email or in a reader. 
• 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:  

This Earth Day saw the premiere of Disneynature's African Cats, a True Life Adventure narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. Following the lives of Sita the Cheetah, mother of five, Layla the Lion and her cub Mara, and the notorious Fang, leader of the pride, the film provides a breathtaking look into the circle of life on the Savanna.

Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada

African Cats is replete with stunning video and imagery. The majestic landscape of the Masai Mara National Reserve alone makes it worth the while to watch the movie on the big screen. From sunrise to sunset, the beauty of the land is wonderfully captured in this film.

Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada

The cats who call the Savanna their home each possess a beauty of their own. The slow-motion frames gracefully capture their strength, agility and stunning physical features. Of particular note are the cheetah and lion cubs who, so innocent and unaware of the dangers they will face, sent the audience oohing and aahing on more than one occasion. Watching them as they grew up also allowed the viewers to empathize with them and their mothers during some of the more difficult scenes.

While the narration provided some necessary tidbits of information, both myself and my sister-in-law agreed that it did not seem to fit the movie. She felt that the narration was more suited for a younger crowd while the actual movie and storyline was more befitting of a mature crowd. I, on the other hand, felt that there was almost too much narration but thought that African Cats could be suitable for children as young as seven or eight. There weren't any terribly gruesome scenes but there were indeed some scenes that would have frightened my 5-year-old. We also agreed that, even though we're both Jackson fans, his narration was overdone and disappointing. My sister-in-law struggled to find a reason for the awkward narration, contemplating whether or not Jackson ever watched the film before recording his narration. On a side note, we also kept laughing when we recalled the shots taken of the lions' behind. The king's jewels were predominantly on enlarged display during a couple of the scenes. I, personally, could have lived without that imagery.

All in all, I would recommend African Cats simply based on the quality of the footage. The story itself has enough substance to it and is easy to follow, though it might be better enjoyed if you can tune out some of the narration.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend an advance screening of African Cats to help facilitate this review. I was not compensated in any way. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

The Mom N' Tot Deals website has just launched. And if you haven't checked it out yet, it offers Canada’s latest and greatest deals, coupons and freebies website for mom, moms-to-be, babies and children. With online shopping deals for major retailers, including Sears, Roots, Lego, Leap Frog as well as smaller unique stores that carry hard to find items, you're sure to find an exclusive online deal or promotional code that you won’t find anywhere else. Their mission is to help Canadians save money so they never have to pay full price again!


Don't forget to join the Mom N' Tots Deals Facebook Launch Party on Friday, May 27, 2011 for a chance to win over $1000 worth of giveaways from their sponsors, such as Weleda Baby, Little Bambino, Jilly bo Billy Boutique, Organically Hatched, Tummy Tankz, Cool Cats and Snugfits. Want to stay connected so you never miss a deal again? You can sign up for their newsletter, follow them on Twitter @momntotdeals or like Mom N' Tot Deals on Facebook.

Here's a quick little post to announce a couple of winners here on Toronto Teacher Mom.

The winner of the $10 Growing Tree Toys gift code is:


5. Angelene said... I follow on gfc


And the winner of the fun Easter prize pack from Hasbro is:

131. Amy C said... daily tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/Butterfly_012/status/59436416458960896

Congratulations, ladies! I will be emailing you shortly. I'd like to thank everyone who participated and I would also like to send a special thanks to Hasbro Canada for sponsoring the Easter giveaway. Stay tuned over the next little while for another super Hasbro giveaway. Think summer fun...

When I was a kid, I fondly recall the anticipation of Easter, mainly because it meant a four-day weekend full of chocolate and turkey. It was one of the few times my father would actually go out and buy us a gift instead of my mother. It was often a chocolate Easter bunny for each of us and with the great big smiles that resulted, no wonder my dad would take on the dreaded chore of heading out to a busy store. Ahhh, chocolate!

As a family, we pretty much made it a point to sit in front of the t.v. with our parents to watch The Ten Commandments together. It was a long movie but that was kind of our little tradition. Now, with little kids, I find we are avoiding the chocolate as much as we can and trying not to get too wrapped up in the Easter bunny. But spring is all about animals, rebirth and a renewal in energy. I would much rather embrace the symbolism of renaissance that lies in nature during this time of year. And oddly enough, today happens to be Earth Day. I'd like to think of it as the Earth's ReBirthday. It's a time of year that serves as a reminder that the Earth sustains much throughout the year. Our gift should be to show thanks and give back to Mother Earth. We all know the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling. And we also put food waste and the like into our green bin, too. When we first bought our house, we replaced all of our major appliances with the latest High Efficiency models and also had our water tank replaced a couple of years ago with an HE model as well. I usually buy environmentally friendly detergent with the HE front-loading symbol on the front. Little did I know that I was putting too much detergent in it. We had a service guy come in check out a little problem we had with our washer only to discover that I was putting close to 3 times as much detergent than was needed! So, my Earth Day tip to you would be to check your washer's manual to find out exactly how much detergent it requires.

I also have another tip for you, too. This afternoon, at 4:00 p.m., tune into Playhouse Disney for a marathon of treasure-themed episodes AND included in the lineup is a sneak peak of the new Disney Junior series Jake and the Never Land Pirates at 6:00pm. The Playhouse Disney Day of Treasures is in celebration of an age-old game called Hide and Seek. Who knew it was invented by pirates?


And since you're already recording that on your calendar, you might want to jot down that on Easter Sunday, at 9:00 a.m., it's Mickey's Great Clubhouse Hunt. Mickey and the gang are preparing for an Easter party when Pete says the password incorrectly, blowing the clubhouse away. Now it's up to Mickey to travel far and wide to get it back. It will be hard for me to forget since I can't get the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song out of my head. I have this Easter card to thank for that.

Disclosure:  I’m part of the Playhouse Disney Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

This Easter, I am looking forward to spending some time with my family. I am hoping it will be sunny and warm enough for the kids to play outdoors. We usually do an Easter egg hunt but I don't really give them gifts during this time of the year. My kids get spoiled enough as it is. However, with all this miserable weather we've been having lately, I know they could use a little sunshine.


With Hallmark's Totally Ticklish Duck, they will be sure to have a smile on their face. This cute and cuddly plush duck is soft and sings a hippity-happity version of "If You're Happy and You Know It." But that's not all. You can tickle it under its wings and it will start laughing hysterically. And it's contagious. So on a gloomy, cold and wet spring day, it's the perfect toy to spread some happiness this Easter. As they say, laughter is the best medicine. It retails for $29.95 but if you buy three Hallmark greeting cards, you can save $15. Hallmark also has a book called Silly Jilly's Specquackular Day that would be the perfect complement to the Totally Ticklish Duck.

Disclosure: I was sent product from Hallmark Canada as part of their Press Pause Panel and to help facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

Three readers will win a free download of The Penelope Rose App for the device of their choice.

For you first entry, which is mandatory, tell me why you would like to try out The Penelope Rose for yourself.

For additional entries, you may choose to do any or all of the following:

• Add my regular blog button to your website or blog for one entry. Copy code is located on my sidebar.
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom using Google Friend Connect.
• Like the Toronto Teacher Mom Facebook fan page. 
• Subscribe to this blog by email or in a reader.
• 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 10pm EST. Winners will be selected using Random.org and must reply to the notification email within 3 days or a new winner will be drawn.

The winners are:

5. Nugglemama

14. Jessica 

8. Carrie

Congratulations, ladies! Please check your inbox.

When I first tried Green Works cleaning products almost a year ago to date, I wasn't sure it would match up to the conventional cleaners that I usually use. The fact that it has been a year and I'm still using them is a good indicator that they work well in our home. Green Works Natural Cleaners allow you to clean without harsh chemical fumes or residues, are plant-based, contain biodegradable ingredients and are never tested on animals.

Recently, a number of Green Works products have earned the Natural Products Association certification, which means that at least 95% of its ingredients are natural and that the product is safe, responsible and sustainable. I particularly love that all of their products include ingredients derived from coconuts and lemon oil. But, more importantly, they work.

Also, I noticed that Simply Stacie is offering up an amazing giveaway (CAN only) consisting of a full line of Green Works products, which ends April 28. Just sayin'.

Disclosure: I was sent a sample of Green Works Dishwashing Liquid from Devon Consulting. I was not compensated in any way. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of visiting Bingemans FunworX as part of their first ever Bingemans eNight. This place is amazing, complete with a 3-level indoor play structure, a climbing wall, a glow-in-the-dark mini golf, and more. I am happy to announce that Bingemans is opening its doors for an appreciation event next Wednesday and is inviting you to join in the fun.

When: Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Place: Bingemans FunworX, 425 Bingemans Centre Drive, Kitchener, Ontario
Cost: FREE!
RSVP: Starr Kopf by phone (519) 744-1555 ext. 2271 or skopf@bingemans.com.


I hope some of you can make it. It should be lots of fun!

COLD-FX is currently running their "Proudly Canadian" contest with 13 weekly prizes available to be won. These weekly prizes consist of a $100 CDN prepaid VISA card. But wait! There will also be one grand prize consisting of a $3000 CDN cheque. Think of what you could do with that kind of extra money in your pocket! From April 15, 2011 to July 14, 2011, participants can log onto Facebook and like the COLD-FX Facebook page. Complete the online contest entry form on the contest application link. For a chance to win the weekly prizes, you will also need to answer a Canadian trivia question and can enter daily.

Eligibility: "Entrants must be a legal resident of Canada (excluding residents of the province of Quebec), must be of the age of majority in the province or territory of residence, and must be a fan of COLD-FX® on Facebook at the time of entry in the Contest."

What would you do if you won $3000?

Last week, I came home to an unexpected package from MSN.ca as they launched their MSN.ca Breakfast campaign in support of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. It was a yummy surprise containing some delicious mini muffins and a coffee mug. It also served as a reminder that some children go without breakfast entirely. I can only assume that is the case with a number of students that I have taught over the years. It is always at the back of my mind, especially when I see them feverishly devour their snacks as part of our Nutrition program or when they head down to the office at lunch hour because they didn't bring a lunch. I will not presume to understand their individual circumstances or which factors come in to play, however. (I know my daughter, as of late, would prefer to skip breakfast altogether knowing that she will be getting a morning snack at daycare.) But still, I wonder.


The Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada is helping children who live in difficult circumstances in communities across Canada by addressing child hunger and providing nutritious meals and snacks to young people in need. And with close to 700,000 Canadian children living below the poverty line, that nothing to sneeze at. Microsoft Canada has been a proud partner with Boys and Girls Clubs for over 10 years. And as part of the MSN Breakfast campaign, you can help MSN.ca reach their goal of donating 100,000 breakfasts to the club. Simply visit breakfast.msn.ca to reset your homepage to MSN.ca to show your support. On my MacBook, it was as easy as dragging the toaster to the Home icon on my Firefox toolbar. You can also visit the MSN Canada Facebook page and click on the Get Toasted app located on the left. This app will let you 'toast' your profile photo and post it to the Wall of Toast. What do you think? Do I look a little burnt to you?

In a just a few days, the Friends of Naturalizer campaign saw over 17,000 votes. It looks like the lucky charity is WaterCan which received 43% of the votes. I'd like to thank all of my readers who participated in the campaign and for sharing your preferred charity. Now, I have the exciting duty of announcing the winner of the $125 Naturalizer shopping spree. There were a total of 228 entries and Random.org returned the following winning number:

78. D.Calvert said...

Follow on twitter @dewinner & Tweeted http://twitter.com/dewinner/status/56054351357153280

Congratulations! I will be sending you an email shortly.

Again, thanks to everyone who shared and tweeted about the Friends of Naturalizer campaign, and a big thank you to Naturalizer for sponsoring this fabulous giveaway!

My kids absolutely love Play-Doh. The trail of tiny bits of Play-Doh that can be found throughout the house can attest to that. They love squishing it. They love cutting it. They love mixing it. But most of all, they love being creative with it. Yes, they are definitely their mother's children. So when Hasbro sent over a box full of the stuff, I couldn't help but get inspired to create something using all the wonderful spring colours. The first thing I thought of making was an Easter egg. I used about half of the Play-Doh that can be found in one of their Spring Characters, which contains about 53 grams of Play-Doh, to make the shape of an egg. I knew I was going to let it dry so I smoothed it out to make sure there weren't any cracks in it. Then I applied some pressure so as to slightly flatten the bottom. That way, it won't roll around and it could be later used as a paperweight. Then, my daughter and I proceeded to decorate our eggs using the different colours. While mine never quite made it to the drying stage thanks to my little guy, my daughter's egg managed to escape his wrath and has dried quite well.


Another easy craft my daughter and I enjoy is creating magnets using Play-Doh cut-outs. The Spring Characters have a stamp on the bottom, one is a carrot, the other a chick. They are tiny and cute so we cut some out and left them to dry. Once dry, I used markers to add some details and used double-sided tape to adhere a piece of magnet. I always keep magnets for just such a purpose, most of them I find in the mail as promotional material for businesses. I never throw them out because they can easily be cut to size and I use them a lot to make my flashcards and word cards magnetic. The magnet I used here was taken from the back of last year's magnetic calendar. I really like how the blue chick turned out. With that one in particular, I let the Play-Doh dry out a bit before breaking off the excess portion. Since it had already hardened somewhat, it kept its shape and details.


My daughter loves making Play-Doh magnets and I think they would make a great little gift idea attached to a card or something. So we decided to make some more, this time cutting out a basic flat egg shape by hand. If you plan on drying it, you will need to make sure that all the details are carefully secured with pressure. Otherwise, they could fall off once they are dry.

Playhouse Disney Canada invites you to create your own Disney Parks memories by entering "The Making Memories Contest". By doing so, you could win a family vacation for four at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida courtesy of Playhouse Disney Canada. This contest has been running since March 16 and will close on April 10, 2011. That's coming up pretty soon so get those entries in. Open to residents of Canada only. For more details, please visit PlayhouseDisney.ca.

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During the Friends of Naturalizer 2011 campaign, Naturalizer will be supporting three charities by donating $1 for every pair of shoes or bag sold between April 7-11 up to $20,000. Throughout the next few days, you have an opportunity to vote for the charity or cause that means the most to you. You can choose from one of the following:

• World Wildlife Fund http://www.wwf.ca
• Boys and Girls Club http://www.bgccan.com
• WaterCan http://www.watercan.org

One Canadian reader will win a $125 gift code to be used online at Naturalizer.ca towards her choice of shoes from Naturalizer's spring line!

Mandatory Entry: Vote for your preferred charity on Naturalizer.ca and leave a comment on this post telling me which one you chose along with your email address. (I voted for the Boys & Girls Club!)

For additional entries, you may choose to do any or all of the following:

• Like the Naturalizer Facebook page. 
• Follow Naturalizer on Twitter.
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom using Google Friend Connect.
• Like the Toronto Teacher Mom Facebook fan page. 
• Subscribe to this blog by email or in a reader.
• 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: