When my daughter was little, we enrolled her in ballet class. But being as shy as she was, she didn't want to go. A few years later, we found a small dance company close to home and enrolled her in jazz class instead. Some days were harder than others because she didn't know anyone and it was becoming more and more challenging. She wanted to give up but, with a little perseverance and a lot of encouragement, she made it to the recital and performed so well, it brought a tear to my eye. Since then, she has enrolled in two other jazz classes as well as a hip hop class, and has transformed into an incredibly talented dancer with a personality to match. She can do the splits and swim-throughs like nobody's business and has grown tremendously in terms of physical strength but in character as well. When asked how she wanted to personalize her complimentary leggings by Twiga, it was no surprise she chose the word 'strength'.

Based in Toronto, Twiga is an athletic clothing company that designs apparel specifically for girls with personality and flair. With a variety of leggings to choose from, girls have the chance to express themselves and their own unique sense of style while they train, dance and live comfortably. For review, my daughter selected the Chloe Capri in stone grey, which gives you the option of personalizing the waistband and retail for $58. When they arrived, they looked rather small but she tried them on and they were a perfect fit. Like all of their capri leggings, they are meant to be worn fitted. My daughter loves how comfortable they feel since they are made with a quality fabric that is wicking, breathable and very soft. Me? I love that they are handmade in Canada! To see their full line of leggings, shorts, yoga pants and headbands for girls and women, visit twigaclothing.com.

Twiga makes it their mission to provide the perfect fit, feel and appearance for their community of unique, outgoing girls. Drawing on the designer’s past experience working for Lululemon, Twiga emerged from a gap in the market for stylish, quality athletic gear for young girls and women. However, these leggings take style and practicality to the next level: your name/nickname, team name, or even your favourite phrase can be printed on the waistband or hem to really make you stand out!

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

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.

How many of you are jumping for joy now that Pokémon GO is now available as a free download in Canada from both the iPhone App Store and Android's Google Play Store? If you have been living under a rock, Pokémon GO has become extremely popular in such a short time frame and has been causing quite the stir. This new app allows users to discover Pokémon in a whole new way using real world locations to encourage players to search far and wide to discover Pokémon. 

This year, people across the globe will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Pokémon in a way like never before thanks to Pokémon GO, a celebration which will continue with the launch of Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon on November 18. 

Still reading this? Or are you already off in search of Pikachu?

Hello? 

Yeah, that's what I thought...

Remember the days when scratch 'n' sniff stickers were a thing? I loved collecting them as a kid and now, whenever I can find them, I like to add them to my teacher stash. There's a certain nostalgia to scratch 'n' sniff stickers which is why I was curious to see what the Original Whiffer Sniffers were all about. Recently launched in Canada, Whiffer Sniffers are cuddly scented plush characters and backpack clips with quirky personalities to match their scents.

For review, we received a Milton Melon Backpack Clip and a Chocolate Chip Backpack Clip. They clip easily onto backpack, lunchbox or bag, and are a fun collectible to keep or trade with friends. Our favourite is the watermelon backpack clip. Each clip retails for $9.99 each.

We also received a 12-inch Freddy Froster Super Sniffer. This adorable donut scented plush toy comes in a huggable size that kids will love. Super Sniffers retail for $19.99. All plush toys and backpack clips are packaged in giftable clear containers and are designed for kids ages three and up. Also available are Myster Packs that contain rare backpack clip-sized Whiffer Sniffers such as Sunny Pop and Jerry Pie, super rare gold bag characters that are a mix of two existing characters, or one of the other regularly sold Whiffer Sniffer characters. They are now exclusively available at Toys"R"Us.

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

No ordinary day.

No ordinary walk.

On September 24, 2016, thousands will gather together for The Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk, a camp-themed walk to benefit The Hospital for Sick Children here in Toronto. Canada’s leading centre dedicated to improving children’s health, SickKids treats more than 100,000 patients each year and is home to Canada’s largest, hospital-based child health research institute. In an effort to support patient care, research discoveries, knowledge sharing among medical professionals and the hospital’s most critical needs, The Great Camp Adventure Walk will embark on its fourth annual event and is something you cannot miss.

The Great Camp Adventure Walk is a 20-kilometre family-friendly walk that is open to participants of all ages and features themed campsites every 5km. Each campsite will offer the opportunity to enjoy fun activities, grab a snack, and pick up a unique badge for reaching distances milestones. While you can challenge yourself to walk the entire 20km, you can complete 5km, 10km, or 15km and catch the bus at any of the campsites for a ride back to Main Camp.

Where Does The Great Camp Adventure Walk Take Place?

How Do We Register?

According to George Couros, a well-known Innovative Teaching, Learning, and Leadership consultant and school principal from Alberta, reflection is part of your work as a teacher. His blog post entitled, "Another Reason to Blog; Proactive Through Reflection" underlines the importance of making the time to thoughtfully reflect on our teaching practices and narrowing our focus. As I begin on another journey by way of a second additional qualification course on Integration of Information and Computer Technology, I am tasked with sharing my own reflections through blogging. 

While I am no stranger to blogging, I have to admit that I haven't written many blogs that reflect upon my own teaching practices. With that said, I welcome this opportunity to share open reflection on my learning throughout this course. I completely agree with Couros that reflection is an essential part of our role as a teacher. In this way, we can model to our students the how and the why of self-reflection.

If there is one thing I have learned from blogging throughout the past ten years, it is that you can only get better with practice. You see, English class was one of my least favourite subjects. As a student, reading and writing proved to be more difficult than I cared to admit. In fact, I hated writing. I struggled with organizing my thoughts on paper and always wrote the bare minimum. While my English grammar improved thanks to my extensive undergraduate studies in French, Spanish and Italian, it wasn't until I made a regular habit of blogging that I finally felt confident in my writing skills, which, by no means, are perfect. My personal goal, therefore, is to embark on a journey of reflective blogging as I continue my professional learning in the years to come.

Learning Experience #1: Program Development

During our first learning experience in the course, it was interesting to see how different schools set up their technology differently, whether it be using a centralized model where technology is stored in one location such as a computer lab or whether they follow a model of technology integration. One observation that keeps standing out in my mind is the varying degrees of access to technology and the types of technology that have been made available in some schools. It has inspired me to better advocate for the need to supplement the current ICT resources in our own school so that all students have an equal opportunity to put their 21C skills into practice.

This first learning experience was also a great way to connect with other like-minded educators who understand the need, and the benefits, of pursuing professional development in the area of information and computer technology. In particular, as a blogger of ten years, it was really nice to see so many fellow educators taking the leap into blogging. I know how overwhelming it can be at first but imagine how empowering it will be for students to learn from someone who has experience in blogging and customizing their own site! Well done!

Learning Experience #2: Special Needs and Technology - Part 1

Necessary for some, good for all.

If there is one thing I've learned over the past year, it is that technology that has been designed to assist those with special needs can indeed benefit others as well. Take, for instance, the voice typing tool in Google Docs. For those who are unable to physically type on a keyboard, this tool is indispensable. However, for my FSL students who may be reluctant to write in French, they can easily change the language and dictate their responses directly into the document. What I love about this is that the tool automatically adds accents when needed and the students don't have to worry as much about spelling. They can simply focus on getting their thoughts and ideas recorded in writing.

Learning Experience #2: Special Needs and Technology - Part 2

When the lovely hostess extraordinaire Lena extends an invitation to enjoy a delicious BBQ, it's kind of hard to pass up. Especially given that it was nearing the end of June and it was the perfect way to ring in the summer. Co-hosted by Walmart Canada, the backyard BBQ was an excellent opportunity to discover fun summer party foods and entertaining tips to help #MakeSummerGreat. From secret burger sauce and creamy taco dip to an incredible ice cream sundae bar, I'd say our summer got off to a pretty great start indeed!

If you were following along as we tweeted photos of the scrumptious fare and were curious to try out some of the menu items, fret not. Today I share with you a super easy recipe for what will be my go-to summer treat, courtesy of Walmart Canada. If the brightly coloured fruit isn't enough to entice, wait till you try the creamy lemon dip. Serve them up in mini mason jars with chalkboard labels to finish them off with a personalized touch.

Whisk yogurt with honey, lemon and cinnamon. Set aside. Skewer fruit in rainbow pattern. Serve alongside dip.

To make ahead, wrap skewers tightly with plastic wrap, or place in a resealable bag and refrigerate up to 12 hours. Make dip up to 24 hours ahead.

TIP: If skewers start to splinter, use a twisting motion to skewer fruit.

Makes 10.

Don't forget to try out this incredible recipe for Grilled Peach Salad!

For more recipe inspiration, visit www.walmart.ca/recipecentre.

This post is sponsored by Walmart Canada, as part of the Great Value #MakeSummerGreat program. In exchange for this review, I have received special perks in the form of products and/or compensation. All opinions on this blog are my own.

Last fall, the Toronto Catholic District School Board jumped on board the GAFE train and launched their Google domain for elementary schools. In anticipation of this exciting change, I decided to do some online training and obtain a Google Educator certificate. This consisted of completing a series of five online competency tests. There were four mandatory tests on Gmail, Calendar, Sites, and Google Docs/Drive, and as my elective, I chose Chrome. It was a great learning experience and a step towards possibly becoming a Google Certified Trainer. Unfortunately, they no longer offer this certification and my certificate will expire in October. Now I am tinkering with the idea of following in the footsteps of my French teaching hero Sylvia Duckworth and applying to become a Google Certified Innovator. For that, I would need additional certification as a Google Certified Educator.

This new certification program is broken down into two levels. Level 1 validates fundamental competencies in using Google Apps for Education and standard technology implementation skills. Level 2 validates advanced technology integration skills. The good news is that, if you are a super user, you can by-pass Level 1 altogether and complete the Level 2 online test, which is what I opted to do. Keep in mind, though, that you only have three chances to complete an individual test and there is a waiting period in between attempts if you fail. I know this because I first attempted the Level 2 test in April and did not complete all the tasks within the three hour time limit. Therefore, I received a mark of 75% which fell short of the 80% requirement for a pass and had to wait at least two weeks before attempting it a second time. Yes, it was disheartening since I could have completed it all if I had had an extra 30 minutes but at least the cost to take the test is only $25 and I felt much more confident the second time around. I re-took the test last night and am happy to report that I completed it successfully with 30 minutes to spare!

UPDATE (May 2019):

I have been officially re-certified as a Google Certified Educator: Level 2 and just recently received certification as a Google Certified Educator: Level 1. I'm working my way towards becoming a Google Certified Trainer. Fingers crossed!

If you yourself are interested in Google for Education certification, visit the Google for Education Training Centre online for more information.

Over the next few weeks, I will be participating in a HyperDocs Bootcamp online course delivered by the EdTechTeam and learning all about a transformative digital tool that will take student learning to a whole new level. The HyperDoc Handbook: Digital Lesson Design Using Google Apps, which is currently on sale for half price, was written by Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton and Sarah Landis and aims to shift our teaching practice as well as the student learning experience by replacing the worksheet method of delivering instruction. The course is a study of the book taught by the authors themselves via Google Groups and Google Hangouts and will give participants an opportunity to transform their lessons into an interactive and engaging HyperDoc experience that will allow for greater creativity and collaboration. 

Our first assignment was to find a creative way to define HyperDoc and we were given free reign to select an edtech tool of our choosing. I opted to draw a sketch note in the style of the uber talented Sylvia Duckworth using the Tayasuii Sketches II app on my iPad. Le voilà!

Click here for a French version of a HyperDoc template.

Next up is the super stylish Metro Gym Bag. It has pretty much everything you need in a gym bag, only without all the bulk: large pockets with magnetic snaps, sides pockets to hold water bottles or other essentials, a zippered pocket on the inside to secure valuables, a key ring holder, and a cinch cord on the bottom for your yoga mat. The only thing it doesn't come with is the fabulously fit body (or yoga mat) seen below.

And then there's Rodney Yee, my favourite yoga instructor of all time. I swear, I can listen to him talk for hours on end, his voice is that soothing. His new release for 2016 "Best of Yoga" is perfect for busy teacher moms who blog because they only take up between 18 and 24 minutes of your time. You can select from any of the three types of yoga, all on a single DVD: 

And as an added bonus, a digital copy is included with purchase so I can take Rodney Yee pretty much everywhere I go. The DVD is currently listed at $14.99.

So... feeling inspired to get your yoga on? Head on over to gaiam.ca to find your own moment of zen. Namasté.

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