As a child, counting down to Christmas was a surefire way to brighten our spirits once the weather turned cold. Sometimes the countdown would end sooner than usual if we had a family vacation down south to look forward to. Whether we spent the holidays at home with the family or abroad on the beach, holiday smiles were pretty much a guarantee. Today, as a mother of two, I realize how much I had taken that all for granted. For the first time, we will be spending time in the hospital visiting with my mother-in-law who recently slipped and broke her leg. This was devastating news for my youngest, who wanted desperately to see her but was hit hard by the stomach flu. It was a difficult reminder that life isn't always easy; that illness and injury can take us all by surprise. 

For thousands of children and their families, the holidays will be spent in Canadian hospitals. But because Duracell believes in powering the imagination of sick children by helping to ensure kids can still be kids, they can still enjoy the magic of the season. For the 10th consecutive year, Duracell is donating a year supply of batteries to hospital playrooms across the country. The goal: to power smiles and imagination this holiday season and beyond. Knowing that a new working toy or game can help make a child's hospital stay a little brighter, Brampton singer Alessia Cara joined Duracell, who donated $180,000 to SickKids in her name, to promote their Powering Smiles campaign. In addition, Duracell, in partnership with Hasbro, also delivered a shipment of toys, along with the batteries to power them. Among these toys was the new Furby Connect.

In our home, Furby has been bringing smiles to my kids for the past four years. It first started with the original Furby and then the family expanded with a Furby Boom. For each one, we always made sure to use Duracell batteries. This year, we are thrilled to welcome Furby Connect to the family. My favourite features are his moving ears and his colourful eyes that display more than 150 animations to help express what Furby wants. You can pet him, tickle him, shake him, or turn him upside down. Furby reacts each time! Plus, when Furby Connect syncs with the Furby Connect World app, there are more physical and digital ways to interact and more surprises to discover, making this a great gift idea for the holidays. And don't forget to power Furby Connect with Duracell batteries since Duracell makes the magic of the holidays last longer.

For every pack of Duracell batteries sold at Walmart in December 2016, Duracell will donate to Children’s Miracle Network. Now only will you avoid a child's disappointment in receiving a battery-operated toy that is powerless, you will also help make a child’s hospital stay a little brighter. Join the Powering Smiles Campaign and help them reach this year's goal to raise $150,000.

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Duracell. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Ah, the middle school years. How I remember them well. And how I wish I didn't. For me, those were the years when I felt out of place, like I didn't belong. I was the opposite of popular and spent most of my recreational time volunteering in the kindergarten class or helping the secretary during recess. Sports were not my forté and everybody knew it. Don't believe me? Just ask any of my classmates how many times I was picked next to last to join their team during phys. ed. Many of the boys picked on me, teasing me over how I was the French teacher's pet or playing monkey in the middle with my tuque on a cold winter's day. And then there was that one time at that birthday party when a boy asked me to slow dance and I felt flattered. But that feeling was quickly shattered the following day when I learned that my lack of dancing skills was the butt of everyone's jokes. Yup. Those were definitely some of the worst years of my life.

Every summer, I take advantage of the time off work to sort through old clothes and toys, donating what no longer fits or passing along outgrown toys to my niece and nephew. Yet, I always come across a toy or two that either myself or my kids can't bare to part with. One such toy is Simon Swipe, since it brings back so many memories of its original predecessor and offers endless hours of fun. Next on the list, which should come as no surprise, is Simon Flash, which is equally as fun but offers a different dynamic to the game. For my daughter, the one toy she can't seem to give up is her Furby Boom. For my son, it's his coveted remote controlled BB-8. (I swear, it has something to do with the fact that he's a Star Wars baby. That, and he just loves all things RC!) All these cool toys need is a storage break and a little reboot from Duracell Quantum.

Since play helps build imagination, creativity and confidence, Duracell wants to celebrate the importance of powering imaginations by helping to get more fun and more play out of last year’s toys, at least until this holiday. One lucky reader will win a #PowerImagination prize pack that includes:

To be eligible to win, complete the Rafflecopter form below. Open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Duracell. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Have you ever bought a battery-powered toy as a gift for a child but then forgot the batteries? Nope? Neither have I. Okay, yes I have. It's worse when the child opens the gift on Christmas day when there aren't any stores open where you can pick up some batteries after the fact. But imagine having to spend the holidays in the hospital. Think of the thousands of children across Canada who, instead of asking for toys and games, hope instead for a full recovery or a cure that will allow them the luxury of never having to spend another holiday in the hospital ever again. To help ensure these kids can still enjoy the magic of the season, Duracell is donating a year’s supply of batteries to hospitals across Canada, batteries which will power the thousands of playroom toys and games that children and their families will be playing with this holiday season and beyond.

In addition, for every pack of Duracell CopperTop and Quantum batteries that are purchased at Walmart locations in Canada from December 1st to December 31st, 2014, Duracell will donate 20 cents to Children’s Miracle Network. Their goal: to raise $150,000 for the Network. To learn more about the campaign follow @Duracell on Twitter.

This holiday season, Duracell and Hasbro want to "Power A Smile" on children's faces. With Duracell Quantum, parents can now power their children's toys with the world's most advanced alkaline battery. It has a revolutionary Hi-Density Core as well as a proprietary PowerCheck power indicator. It also uses Duracell DURALOCK technology that locks in power for up to 10 years in storage. How's that for long-lasting power?

Thanks to Duracell and Hasbro, one lucky reader will get to test Duracell Quantum on your kids’ favourite things – TOYS! Up for grabs is one of the hottest toys this year: FURBY BOOM. As part of the P&G Mom & Hasbro Holiday Program, you could win one of the new generation Furby critters along with a package of 4AA Duracell batteries. This prize pack has a value of over $80!

Every Christmas, it is almost a given that the kids will receive at least one toy that is battery operated. Oftentimes, the culprit is my brother who aims to purposely find the most loud and obnoxious sounding toy on the market. Actually, he's only ever done that once. Or twice. But now that he has a daughter of his own, it's payback time! Okay, I will probably avoid the loudest toy I can find but at the very least I will be sure to throw in a stash of batteries. And they won't be your plain old batteries. They will be Duracell rechargeable batteries. 

The Duracell Quick Charger is handy to have on a holiday trip with the family. It is small enough to fit in your carry-on luggage and provides a fast way to recharge your batteries, taking only one hour to charge them. It has a built-in fold-out wall plug which makes it even more compact and easy to store. This charger includes two AA and two AAA rechargeable batteries with Duralock Power Preserve™ Technology, now guaranteed for two years in storage. The Duracell Quick Charger has a suggested retail price of $24.99.