There's always one. That one person on your holiday list for whom finding the perfect gift is next to impossible. But at the end of the day, do we really need more stuff? As much as I would love a 60 inch 4K Ultra HD TV, I really don't need one. If there is one thing I do need, it would be more down time, some good ol' rest and relaxation. And that's not something you can easily wrap in a box. Thanks to Breakaway Experiences, we can think outside the gift box and treat our loved ones to unique experiences and fond memories to be treasured forever.

We were then invited into our private luxury suite where we revelled in a 60 minute holistic massage. Inside the suite, there was a colour therapy shower with a rainforest cascade, and a mini lounge area. It was the perfect place to escape the everyday chaos and relish the serene atmosphere of the spa.

Afterwards, we were invited to enjoy a complimentary tea in the luxurious tea room where gentle music played.

And before our experience ended, I was able to enjoy some quietude in the relaxing steam colour therapy sauna in the ladies' change room. (There is also one in the men's change room as well.) This is actually recommended before the treatment but I completely forgot and didn't want to pass up on the chance to check it out. It's not like any sauna I've been in. The ceiling is dotted with tiny lights that slowly change colour. So pretty!

This Luxury for 2 at Novo Spa experience is but one of many spa experiences available through Breakaway Experiences. But that's not all. They have flying experiences, hot air balloon rides, driving experiences, dog sledding, gourmet experiences, snowshoeing, horseback riding, dance classes, aerial adventures, segway tours, family fun experiences and... need I go on? And if you just can't choose, you can't go wrong with a Breakaway Experiences Gift Certificate. It's kind of like a gift that gives twice!

Speaking of gift certificates, Breakaway Experiences has offered up a $100 gift certificate to one lucky Toronto Teacher Mom reader! To be eligible to win, please complete the Rafflecopter form below. Open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a complimentary experience via Breakaway Experiences to help facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Of all the gifts I have to buy for Christmas, toys are my absolute favourite. I blame it on the kid in me that refuses to grow up. And I make no apologies for wanting to open my kids' toys after they have unwrapped them. But alas, my children are getting older and they aren't as interested in toys as much as they used to be. Luckily, I have a niece and nephew who still love to play with cute little toys. This is why I get so excited when I see some pretty amazing deals on Amazon's Holiday Toy List. We're talking 50% off LEGO Classic sets and Pie Face! Game, PlasmaCars for less than $60 and Connect 4 Grid Game for just over $10! And the kid in me is just itching to take advantage of the current sale price on the Elenco Snap Circuits set. There are so many great deals to be had, especially if you are an Amazon Prime member. Can we say "Free shipping?!"


Below I round up my top 10 favourite toy deals available on Amazon. Plus one for good measure. And don't forget to check out the Ultimate Gift Guide for Women!

Disclosure: I have partnered with Amazon.ca to bring you this post, which contains affiliate links, and have received special perks. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

With the exception of the "GO" button, the commands are symbols so you can use the Bee-Bot in virtually any language class. In fact, not only did I create French sequence cards for my new Bee-Bot, I also translated them into Spanish at the request of a teacher who I connected with on Twitter. 

I printed them onto card stock and made multiple sets. Since I only have one Bee-Bot, the students could work in groups to collaborate on a possible sequence of commands (an algorithm) that will navigate Bee-Bot on the floor mat that I had created using two poster boards and black electrical tape to create a grid with 15cm by 15 cm squares. 

When I first brought Bee-Bot to class, the room was abuzz with excitement. On the second day, I brought in some chips or markers and gave one to each student. Then I created various algorithms and students had to predict where Bee-Bot would arrive. I then invited students one-by-one to input a single command as we went around the circle and then watched Bee-Bot follow the sequence. It was a lot of fun!

Aside from the fact that Bee-Bot's expression is irresistibly cute, what I love most about Bee-Bot is that it is so easy to use. There are two buttons on the bottom, one to power on the motion, the other turns on the lights and sounds. You will also find the charging port to be used with the charging cable that is included with the robot. Plus, you can find so many great resources and ideas online, such as  these Bee-Bot Teaching Cards and Bee-Bot Activities provided by Canadian Classroom.

  

Bee-Bot is available for purchase from Canadian Classroom for $123 and is suitable for children ages 3 years and up. And Bee-Bots are not only great for the classroom. They would make a great toy for the kids to explore at home, too! Check out this and other great teaching tools at canadianclassroom.com.

Disclosure: I received product to help facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

'Tis the season to be jolly, especially when Hallmark makes it easy to find holiday gifts for everyone on your list. Whether you're looking for timeless holiday décor, Signature Christmas cards, quality gift bags or the perfect hostess gift, you will surely find all this and more at your local Hallmark store. We're talking about poinsettia tea lights, decorative trays, holiday picture frames, and wine charms, too! Today I round up my favourite items for this year's Hallmark Holiday Gift Guide.

At the top of my list are the ever adorable holiday edition itty bittys featuring our favourite Peanuts characters. These include Charlie Brown, Lucy, Woodstock and Snoopy himself, dressed in holiday style. Each one is listed at $6.95 and would make for an ideal stocking stuffer. Collect all four and store them in Snoopy's dog house carrier. It is easy to assemble and costs only $4.95.

If you're looking for holiday décor ideas, check out Hallmark's Mixed Media Santa. This classic Santa would make a lovely hostess gift and would look beautiful atop a mantle. It is priced at $32.95.

And then there is Santa in a Boot-Shaped Sleigh, featuring a hand-carved look, a bottle-brush tree, leather straps and metal runners. The retail price is $39.95.

Of course, we can't forget Hallmark's newest stuffed plush with light and motion. The 14th in the series, Stockings Hung with Care features a super cute snowman and his puppy pal Rex. Watch them dance and sing a fun parody version of “Jolly Old St. Nicholas” while they prepare for Santa's arrival on Christmas Eve. The candy canes light up, too! Purchase three Hallmark cards and you can take this plush home for $17.95.

Another personal favourite is Hallmark's Snowman Tea Towel with Dish set. This beautiful holiday gift set features a ceramic jolly snowman plate sized for appetizers and a woven tea towel with a "Merry Christmas" embroidered design and crochet details. It's even wrapped with a ribbon for easy gifting. It retails for $24.95.

One lucky Toronto Teacher Mom reader will win a Hallmark Holiday prize pack valued at approximately $50. It includes:

For your chance to win, please complete the Rafflecopter form below. Open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

It's Computer Science Education Week and students across the globe are learning to code, program, debug and more. For me, this week is the perfect time to share with my students something I enjoy so much. I'm not sure why I love coding but, ever since I learned how to create programs using QBasic back in high school, I love tinkering with code. It is such a rewarding feeling of accomplishment when you can create something out of nothing. I now mostly dabble in HTML but I love block coding, too, especially when it comes to introducing my students to coding. I have mostly used Scratch during Hour of Code or as part of a CS First Coding Club, but I'm hoping to eventually try coding in Minecraft and programming robots such as the Sphero or Ollie. For my younger primary students, however, I have been wanting to try something a little more simplified, such as Scratch Jr, but when I attended Steven Floyd's workshop at OECTA’s Technology Summit: Get Your Head Out of Your Apps conference last spring, I discovered the perfect solution - the Bee-Bot floor robot.  

Thanks to Canadian Classroom, I finally get to test out Bee-Bot in my classroom, just in time for Hour of Code. Since I teach French, I wanted to have a set of sequence cards that students can manipulate while waiting for their turn to program Bee-Bot. The creator in me just couldn't help but make my own set using Google Drawings. I even drew Bee-Bot, too! If you would like to try unplugged programming, feel free to download the sequence cards by clicking on the thumbnail below. 

Even if you don't have a Bee-Bot, you can still use the cards to "program" students as they move throughout the classroom. Our classrooms have tiled floors and each square is the perfect size for a student to stand inside. I designate a starting tile, add a couple of obstacles such as chairs, and a destination. Then students can use the sequence cards and dictate instructions in French. No computers required!

Teach Spanish? I created a Spanish version of the sequence cards which you can download by clicking on the thumbnail below.

Stay tuned as I share my first Bee-Bot experiment, as well as some handy resources from Canadian Classroom. Oh, and happy coding!