Spring is in the air and so too is Mother Nature's calling to revitalize, rejuvenate and rejoice. After a long and stress-filled winter, I know I feel compelled to escape the everyday, indulge in some rest and relaxation, and celebrate the beauty of the season, which also happens to be replete with many a birthday. Luckily, I had a little help from Hallmark in finding the perfect gifts for my family and friends. First up is this beautiful Mark & Hall Camel Colorblock Tote Bag, featured above. Stripes are always fashionable and this handbag has the perfect blend of simplistic style and practicality. It's a steal at a special value of $14.95. Featuring comfortable shoulder straps and a reinforced bottom panel in attractive vegan leather, it pairs beautifully with a matching embossed luggage tag and passport holder set. We gifted this as a bon-voyage-slash-early-birthday gift for my sister-in-law who is living in Italy for a few months while she works on writing her cookbook. But it would also make a great gift for a graduate, honeymooning bride and groom, or a friend journeying abroad. We also threw in a botanical inspired Floral Grey Scarf, available at a special price of $9.95.

For the littles celebrating springtime birthdays or kindergarten graduation, check out these new Happy Go Luckys mini plush toys ($12.95). The Springtime collection includes Twirp, the adorable chick, who is as mighty as he is little, his friend, Boe Kay the flower, who loves to brighten everyone's day and the street-smart gray bunny, Hip Hop, who bounces through the day with a style all his own. And of course, I can't forget Floral Print Floppy Snoopy ($12.95). This stuffed animal screams "spring" and is just begging for little hugs!

Finally, whether you're going away for the weekend or planning a staycation filled with yoga and meditation, don't forget to spoil yourself. Hallmark's Hot + Cold aromatherapy Lavender Comfort Wrap ($34.95) soothes, relaxes and rejuvenates achy shoulders, sore spots on lower and upper back or the tummy area for relief of uncomfortable cramps. It features a blend of aromatic herbs known and selected for their qualities to calm, soothe, and release stress, including flax seed, lavender, chamomile, peppermint, spearmint, lemon grass, rosemary, cinnamon and other natural ingredients. While you let the wrap do its thing, chill on the sofa in a pair of "Just Chill" lotus flower slippers. These fun and casual slippers are soft and cozy, and retail for $29.95. And remember to rehydrate and remind yourself that glamour has no age limit with a sassy 17-ounce water bottle, featuring a double-wall construction and a screw-top lid. Need somewhere to store them all while on your mini getaway? Check out their classic faux-leather Mark & Hall zippered tote. It features two decorative tassels, gold-tone expansion zippers and a bright floral-lined interior that makes it easy to find what you're looking for. It also includes a zippered interior pocket and a detachable zippered wristlet.

Want the perfect excuse to just chill? Enter for a chance to win a pair of "Just Chill" slippers, valued at $29.95. This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only, excluding Quebec, who have reached the age of majority. Please complete the Rafflecopter form below to be eligible to win.

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

A while back, I shared with you my thoughts on a super chic 4-in-1 tricycle by smarTrike. It was right around the time my youngest nephew was born and my niece, his sister, was about 30 months old. It goes without saying that the versatility of a 4-in-1 is so practical and definitely helps you stretch your dollar. I had first assembled it as a training bike for my niece and then my brother could transform it to Stage 1 once my nephew turned 10-months-old. Brilliant, right? Well, today I share with you how smarTrike has taken their innovation even further with their new smarTfold 500, a revolutionary fully foldable, portable combination stroller and trike, now available in Canada. 

The smarTfold Trike is the ultimate portable multi-phase stroller and trike for children 9m-36m. Available exclusively at Toys R Us and Babies R Us throughout Canada for $229.99, the versatile smarTfold trike is the latest game changer from smarTrike, which features Touch Steering that provides smooth maneuverability, even with one hand. What makes smarTfold so unique is that it is 85% smaller when folded for travelling, transporting or storage, making it the world’s most compact folding trike. 

Unlike the smarTrike Chic, it comes mostly assembled in its folded state and it took me approximately five minutes to fully assemble it for the 9m stage, seen in the first photo above. I love that it has a storage bag at the back and a tray that easily mounts to the handlebar to store baby's bottle.

I haven't had to fold a stroller for travel in quite some time but it was fairly intuitive with the smarTfold and the mesh cover keeps everything in its place with a top flap that has hook-and-loop fasteners. While in folding mode, you can adjust the handle to your preferred height, making it perfect for travel, or you can lower it all the way, making it ideal for storage in cars, planes or even cluttered closets. It is heavier than I thought it would be but, luckily, it has a roller that allows you pull your smarTfold alongside you while folded. 

If I were to ever have a third child, this smarTfold would definitely be on my baby registry. Its quick-click design enables folding the trike, while it stays intact, just like a stroller and, in just a few clicks, you're ready to go. Plus, it will grow with your child, providing the ideal ride at every stage of their growth, from 6-months to 3-years. The smarTfold is a true winner in my books!

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

In a century where educational technology has become the norm, securing valuables at school, such as portable devices, is more important now than ever before. For middle school and high school students, Master Lock has designed an incredibly smart padlock that puts control in the palm of your hands by way of Bluetooth. The Master Lock 4400D Indoor Bluetooth Padlock turns your phone or any Bluetooth-enabled device into a key. Say good-bye to forgotten combinations or lost keys and hello to secure convenience.

With the Master Lock Bluetooth Indoor Padlock, you can unlock your lock, share limited or permanent access with guests, and monitor activity using the free Master Lock Vault app. To open the lock with your phone, simply touch any button on the lock while your device is with you. If you don't have your phone or the battery dies, no problem. Enter the directional code on your lock keypad. will Knowing this padlock has a hardened boron alloy shackle will give you peace of mind, as will tamper alerts whenever you are not around. And a low batter reminder on both the padlock and app will come in handy, too.

Another one of my favourite Master Lock padlocks is the equally innovative 500iD Speed Dial Set-Your-Own Combination Lock. I first discovered this lock when I tried a Breakout EDU escape game at a the Toronto GAFE Summit last year. It opens with a combination of up/down/left/right directional movements and can be reset to any number of movements in any sequence. You can also apply matching passcode indicators such as letters, numbers, colors, shapes, symbols for added customization. This lock is perfect for younger kids who don’t yet have Smartphones.

Every thought about securing your child’s backpack to protect important school documents, personal information, homework and valuable items, such as smartphones, laptops, tablets and money? Neither had I. But, now that my son wants to bring his iPad mini to school on BYOD days, it is important to ensure protection for when his table is left unattended in his backpack, such as during recess. With the Master Lock 1550DAST Backpack Lock or Master Lock 1548DCM Set Your Own Combination Padlock, the added layer of protection will help deter possible theft.

For college students living on campus, the Master Lock 5900D SafeSpace provides extra safety precautions to ensure that your valuables are safe and secure. It is also a great portable solution that you can take with you since it includes a heavy duty cable that can be secured around a stationary object.

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

I have mostly overcome that fear now that I am thirty-six -something. But if I am home alone with the kids at night, the dark can be a very scary thing. I seem to harbour some deeply embedded fear that 'bad guys' will break into my home at night with malicious intent. I distinctly recall memories from my childhood of laying perfectly still under the covers at night, peering into the darkness and listening for possible intruders in the middle of the night. I would lay awake for what seemed liked hours just waiting to have the bejeezus scared out of me. And if it wasn't the fear of some stranger lurking in the darkness, then it was that one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people-eater that was surely hiding under my bed ready to pounce as soon as I nodded off. 

It's amazing, though, how much more stupid confident I feel when the lights are turned on and I discover that there really isn't anything to worry about. It's all thanks to something we take for granted every day - light. If light can offer a sense of security to me, a fearless warrior mom, imagine how much reassurance it could give to a baby or young child, especially when sleeping in a new place. With the new Dreamz To Go Octo, both parent and child can enjoy a better night sleep thanks to its soothing light.

From the makers of Nighty Night Owl Smart Sensor, Dream To Go Octo is based on the original Twilight Turtle by Cloud B. It is part of the dreamy lites collection and offers a compact solution for soothing sleep. My favourite part? It runs on 3 AAA batteries (included) which means you can take it with you virtually anywhere you travel. It is lightweight and small so it doesn't take up a lot of space. Octo also has a built-in projector which sprinkles the walls and ceiling with bright stars and friendly little fish blowing bubbles. There are two buttons on the back; one to change the colour between blue, red or green, and another to turn it on, off or to rotate between all three colours. After 45 minutes, it automatically shuts off on its own.

Okay, ladies. Time to empty your purse and take inventory. How many personal items would cause you undue stress if they were ever stolen or go missing? Credit cards, IDs, car keys, house keys, money? The number one item on my list would be my cell phone. It is my life. I use it to tweet, take family photos, navigate, schedule, email, text message, listen to music, read ebooks, watch Netflix, shop,... Get the picture? No? Let me put it this way: my cell phone is like an additional appendage that I cannot live without. Period. Whenever I have a temporary loss of memory and can't remember whether I left it in a public washroom or in my car, I experience heart palpitations. My sanity aside, you have to agree with me that no one would ever want to lose their cell phone, let alone other valuables and personal items that we carry with us on a daily basis. For peace of mind, I needed a solution for security on the go. And this summer, I found just what I needed - a Master Lock Portable SafeSpace.

During the summer, the kids often wanted to go swimming at the local community pool. One of the reasons I would dread going is the simple fact that, when I remove my glasses, I can't see very well. If I am alone with the kids, I have to be close by them at all times in order to see them clearly, which makes it difficult to keep an eye on my personal belongings poolside. Next to having my cell phone stolen or accidentally kicked into the pool, my biggest fear is that someone steps on my glasses and crushes the lenses. Luckily, Master Lock sent me their Portable SafeSpace 5900D to help keep my valuables safe and out of harms way.

The durable water-resistant construction is the perfect solution for my portable security needs. It is also lightweight and has plenty of room for MP3 players, glasses, keys, credit cards, passport, and even my new LGG3 smart phone.

The Master Lock SafeSpace is also great for people who may suffer from PIN-code overload like I do because you can set your own combination.

In three weeks, I will finally be on summer vacation. I know, aren't I lucky? That's two whole months off to spend with the family enjoying the summer weather and heading out in the Jeep on day-trips. We hope to head out on a camping trip as well. I love camping! Packing up all the gear and making sure we haven't left anything behind? Not so much.

Planning a family getaway can be a little stressful, especially if you’ll be spending lots of time in the car for day-trips or heading overseas for a family vacation. You need to be prepared for the unpredictable and remember to bring everything that you need. To ensure your vacation starts off on the right foot, here is a list of top summer travel tips and tricks from my friends over at P&G along with some of my own: