The day I met Oprah and Christine Magee.

Warning: Bacon lovers may want to sit down before reading this.

In one week, Maple Leaf Foods will be hosting a mouth-watering Twitter party like no other, completely centred around - yes, you guessed it - BACON. Be still, my heart! Now, if that hasn't got your glands salivating, check out the incredibly awesome prizes up for grabs.

Date: Tuesday, April 23rd
Time: 9:00 – 10:00 PM EST
Party Hashtag: #NeverWasteBacon
Hosts: @MapleLeafFoods – @MyChaos – @TeacherMomofTwo – @MomVsTheBoys

Last week saw the launch of Spa Week by WaySpa for the first time here in Canada and of course, WaySpa.com president Jeremy Creed felt Toronto was the perfect city to kick things off. From April 15 - 21, 2013, residents of the GTA can enjoy luxury spa packages from various spas in and around Toronto for just $50! We're talking one-hour dead sea scrub treatments, aromatherapy massage, Caribbean spa pedicures, and deep hydrating Logona organic facials to name a few.

Now that spring has finally arrived, I am counting down the days until summer. Not only do I get to enjoy a couple of months off work with the kids, but I also plan to cross off some titles on my must-read book list. Nothing screams 'summer' more than lounging on the patio with a fresh cup of coffee and a good book! 

In anticipation of summer reading, the RogersBuzz team has compiled a list of their favourite beach reads to share with you. From books that have inspired TV series and feature films to romance novels and suspenseful stories, you're sure to find something to help inspire your next book selection. Personally, I think I'm leaning towards @RogersSarahM's suggestion: Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. She had me at 'Prada.' Check out the full list of favourite beach books on RedBoard.

Si vous cherchez des livres en français à ajouter à votre liste de lecture estivale, vous trouverez des suggestions sur le site FilRouge. Cet été, @RogersElise vous propose Anna Karénine de Tolstoï dont l'adaptation cinématographique était très connue l'année dernière. Je ne l'ai jamais lu mais c'est sur ma liste, bien sûr.

What about you? Which books do you plan on reading this summer? If you're like me and like to get away for the weekend, an ereader would be perfect for bringing hundreds of books along without weighing down your luggage. Hence the reason why I am so excited to share with you the Summer Reading Contest on RedBoard and FilRouge. They are giving away one Kindle Paperwhite 3G (approximate value of $199.99) and one Sony Xperia ZL smartphone (approximate value of $624.99)!

To be eligible to win, all you have to do is visit RedBoard or FilRouge and tell them your favourite novel to read in the summer. There is a limit of one entry per person and it must not exceed 100 words. The winner will be selected at random. This contest ends at noon on Monday, April 15, 2013 so be sure to enter soon. Click here for full contest details and rules.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Any opinions in this post are my own.

My nephew recently celebrated his 9th birthday and, the dinosaur fan that he is, he had his party at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington where they had a little dinosaur exhibit.

At this year's OMLTA Spring Conference, I met a gentleman named Jay Bailey who has traveled across Canada living the life of les voyageurs. I was drawn to his booth when I heard him playing the spoons and wasn't prepared to see the number of spoons he had collected during his travels. It really was an impressive collection and I soon realized that not all spoons are created equal. I ended up buying my first pair of Richard Cyr wooden spoons called the boîte à boîte at the One of a Kind Show here in Toronto but they cost a pretty penny. If you want an inexpensive alternative, Jay showed me how you can make your own set of spoons by purchasing a cheap pair from the dollar store, separate them with a wooden dowel and secure them with duct tape. You can see the metal spoons in the middle of the photo above. I think you could even use a wine cork if you don't have a wooden dowel. It would be fun to experiment with all the different sounds you can make. Thanks for the mini lesson on spoons, Jay!

Update: Voyageur Jay has recently created a video that demonstrates the different types of spoons and some of the basics for how to play. Check it out below!

Ever find yourself at work craving a quick snack that will satisfy your taste buds? I am constantly snacking at work, especially during recess times or whenever I have a break between classes. In fact, I snack so often that I am always looking for new snack ideas to put a twist in my snack routine. When PepsiCo offered to send a sampling of Twistos Baked Snack Bites and Snack Crackers, I couldn't say no. I had never tried either of these snacks before and was very much interested in trying Twistos Snack Bites in particular.

Twistos Snack Bites are savoury and pack a hearty crunch. They are great on their own or tossed onto a salad. The downside to eating these bite-size snacks, however, is the inability to have just one. They come in four different flavours: Bruschetta, Parmesan & Garlic, Asiago, and the newest flavour Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil. If I had to pick just one as my favourite, it would be, without a doubt, the new Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil. Just typing those words makes my taste buds happy. I also enjoyed the Parmesan & Garlic variety but wasn't so keen on the other two.

It's that time of year again. It's the Ultimate Blog Party 2013! The first time I participated in some UBP fun was back in 2010 and I loved it so much, I made sure to join in UBP11 and UBP12. Not only do you get a chance to win some cool prizes, I feel the best part of the celebration is discovering new blogs and making new friends.

As a working mother of two living in the big city of Toronto, I enjoy teaching French, shopping, card making, and of course, blogging among other things. My biggest challenge is trying to find the time to do it all. I think a huge part of the problem is that I have always wanted everything to be perfect. But let's be real here. That is never going to happen. As quoted in this article on Brighterlife.ca "Tips for moms from some of our favourite bloggers" I believe that:

And trust me, I may have a tonne of blemishes but I would never claim to be the wisest woman I know. Au contraire, mes amis. I have much to learn. I continually strive to grow as a person and feel it's important to challenge the mind while nourishing the soul. This is why I love blogging, social media and connecting with other moms. I have even met a number of very wise and talented dads, too! When you are a part of social networking, not only do you have a chance to impart some wisdom but you also reap a tonne of benefits by learning from others as well. And sometimes you find yourself in the luckiest of situations like, for example, receiving a VIP invitation to meet Oprah or joining Jordan Knight on stage for some NKOTB karaoke.

Every year, my kids and I meet up with my shopping buddy and her girls in March. For the past three years, we head out to Crock a Doodle for some pottery painting. It's so nice to see their talent develop over the years. These are the ones they made on the weekend and I can't wait to see how they turn out once they have been glazed.

For a post-Easter laugh, check out the Easter Bunny coffee mug they had on display at the register.

As always, feel free to link up your Wordless Wednesday posts below.

April is Oral Health Month and during the next thirty days Crest is supporting Dress for Success in its mission to "promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life." Of course, a confident smile always comes in handy, too, which is why Crest is dedicated to creating products that improve your smile and promote oral health. 

Ever since my children were able to brush their own teeth, I would often buy Oral-B Stages manual toothbrushes since they loved all of the fun characters they could choose from. When I made the switch to using an electric toothbrush, they were curious to try one as well but found past electric toothbrushes a little too intimidating. It wasn't until I received the Oral-B Pro-Health For Me to try out as part of the P&G Mom program that my children reconsidered making the switch. They found the brushing experience to be quite gentle and they found it easier to use the on/off switch. I personally like that it has a built-in two-minute timer.

When I took the kids to their dental checkup during the March Break, I was so happy to learn that both kids were cavity free. While I was there, I asked the dentist which electric toothbrush he would recommend for the kids and he did not hesitate when he stated his preference for Oral-B. Having noticed the benefits of using an electric toothbrush myself, I was a little surprised to learn that, according to the third annual Crest and Oral-B Great Canadian Smiles Survey, 72% of Canadians were still using a regular manual brush as of 2011.

With the advances in technology comes a whole new design in electric toothbrushes. The Oral-B Professional Deep Sweep + SmartGuide brings you 40,000 pulsations and 8,800 oscillations per minute, five customized brushing modes, a professional timer and a really cool wireless SmartGuide that smiles at you once you've brushed for the dentist-recommended two minutes. The SmartGuide also doubles as a clock to help keep you on schedule.