Tracie is the co-owner of Help We've Got Kids. In addition to raising her two children, volunteering on several non-profit boards and trying to keep the business running, Tracie is on a never-ending quest for balance and sanity.....can it even exist?

K5 Learning has an online reading and math program for kindergarten to grade 5 students.  I've been given a 6 week free trial to test and write a review of their program.  If you are a blogger, you may want to check out their  open invitation to write an online learning review of their program.

Please note: Posting this invitation is the first step before you can sign up for a review.

By now, I am sure most of you have heard about pink slime, otherwise known as Lean Beef Trimmings. Jamie Oliver was one of the first people to talk about pink slime when he demonstrated its production to parents and children in his Food Revolution series last year. In the video, he mentions how 70% of America's ground beef contains leftover cow parts, the kind that's unfit for human consumption and is often thrown out or used for dog food. But don't worry. This 'meat,' which contains e.coli and salmonella, has been treated with ammonia. You know, the poisonous chemical compound that has been deemed corrosive and hazardous.

Since then, McDonald's, Taco Bell, and school districts across the US have rejected pink slime, and yet the USDA continues to offer it to children throughout their schools. In an effort to educate and activate people across the US as part of the mission of the Food Revolution, Jamie and his team have built a website www.stoppinkslime.org to showcase all of the information about this issue and provides a link to the Health Petition started by Bettina Siegel of The Lunch Tray. As of the publication of this post, 246,597 out of the required 300,000 signatures have been obtained.

I have included the aforementioned video below for your displeasure. If you have a weak stomach, consider yourself forewarned.

I'd like to take a minute to introduce you to the newest member of the family:

2012 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

Ain't she a beauty? Such soft leather interior and a shiny complexion, she looks tough on the outside but really she's just a softy on the inside. She and I have already hit it off. Yes, it's been a bit of adjustment when compared to the cabin space of the minivan that my husband now drives. But with Uconnect capabilities, 18" aluminum nitrogen-filled wheels and 4-wheel drive, it was practically love at first sight.

Feel free to share your Wordless Wednesday post by using the thumbnail linky below:

Tweet with the hashtag #HaveYouPlayedToday and you could get a free KINDER® Egg! They're giving away 1,000 KINDER® SURPRISE® Eggs, 100 per day from March 19 to 23 and March 26 to 30. Looking forward to reading your moments of joy. Good luck!

Vous êtes francophone? Vous pouvez suivre @KinderCanadaFR sur Twitter pour y recevoir des nouvelles et pour y partager des moments de joie. Bonne chance!

Disclosure: I’m part of the Kinder® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
Décharge : je fais partie du programme MamanKinder et je bénéficie d’avantages en raison de mon affiliation au groupe. Les opinions exprimées dans ce blogue n’engagent que moi.

This week, my husband and I bought a new vehicle since my husband's truck is pretty old and run down. As a result, we have been looking at ways in which we can reduce our expenses. We decided we could do without our VIP Digital Cable package and go back to basic. The only thing is... there is no more 'basic.'

It turns out that Digital Basic is the smallest package we can get. Small, as in hundreds of channels, which includes Rogers on Demand and 27 timeshifting channels. Most of which we will never watch. Ever.

We could purchase the digital box instead of renting it. It costs about two year's worth of renting.

We could resort to just Netflix but I would miss Mr. D and Republic of Doyle. Mind you, I could always watch them online.

For now, we're sticking with Digital Basic.

Total monthly cost?

$52.49!

I want my analog back.

KINDER eggs and a handmade greeting card will surely bring joy this Easter.

Do you see them? Off in the distance. They're there. If you look long enough, you'll see the sideways V-shaped flock of geese. Is it spring yet?

Here is this week's Wordless Wednesday thumbnail linky:

What: Being Elmo Family Film Event for Zack's Dream Room
When: Sunday, March 18, 2012
Time: 11:00 am; movie begins promptly at 12:00 pm
Where: Bloor Street Hot Docs Cinema, 506 Bloor Street West
Cost: $20, available through Eventbrite only; admission includes a small popcorn, small drink and participation in all events;

Why?

This was the only ad I could find for this week's Flyer Friday. Prices in effect from March 9 until March 15, 2012:

• Allen's Juices, Selected Varieties - 2 (8x200mL)/$4 (25 cents per box) @ Valu-Mart

That's the most I'm willing to pay for our fundraiser juice sales. Have you found a better deal on 100% fruit juice boxes?

This Thursday, March 8, Kellogg's is celebrating National Breakfast Day by partnering with Breakfast Clubs of Canada and Breakfast for Learning. Together, they are launching the Share Your Breakfast program with the aim of encouraging Canadians to help children who go without breakfast.

It should come as no surprise that eating a healthy breakfast can help kids boost their performance at school. It can help improve behaviour, reduce absences and tardiness, and increase focus and physical performance. But did you know that 1 in 10 Canadian children live in poverty and are likely to go start the day on empty stomach?

As part of the Share Your Breakfast movement, Kellogg's will be surprising Canadians across the country with free mini-packs of Kellogg's Rice Krispies to help raise awareness about our nation's hungry children. They will also be donating to their National Breakfast Day charity partners. So what does this mean? A bowl for you equals a bowl for a hungry child.

How can you help? Pick up a specialty marked box of Kellogg's cereal in-store, visit breakfast charities directly to make your own donation, tweet your support using the hashtag #shareyourbreakfast or visit www.kelloggs.ca/SYB to learn more.
Disclosure: I am a member of the Kelloggers Network.

Many people in my profession will likely agree that supervision duty on blistery cold days like today are, well... slightly unpleasant. The below-freezing temperatures mixed with the wind chill factor dictated that students would remain indoors. But since I had bus duty first thing in the morning, I stayed outside to supervise eight busloads of students during drop-off. I was bundled up from head to toe but didn't have a scarf so my face was exposed to the elements of wind, cold and dry air. And my lips had something to say about that.

 

This October, Frankenweenie hits the big screen for a frightfully delightful black and white 3D experience like no other. If you liked The Nightmare Before Christmas, I think you're going to like this one. It's kind of like Frankenstein meets Pet Sematary.

Synopsis:


From creative genius Tim Burton ("Alice in Wonderland," "The Nightmare Before Christmas") comes "Frankenweenie," a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor's fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new "leash on life" can be monstrous.

(Video courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures Canada)

March is now upon us and I am very much looking forward to warmer temperatures. Rainy days? Not so much. This is the month, though, where you kind of have to go with the flow. No matter what the weather, it's always handy to be prepared with some activities to keep your preschooler entertained. I am excited to share with you an article I wrote for DisneyJunior.ca called "Developing a Sense of Adventure." In it, you will find some ideas you can try with your little ones that will have them exploring and using their senses while venturing off into a world of fun. Hope you can spare a minute or two and head on over to DisneyJunior.ca!

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