YYZ Bambina

Has this ever happened to you? You're in the public pool's changing room, struggling to get a bathing suit on your impatient child for your parent and tot swimming lesson and there it is. That hair on your leg you missed this morning in the shower.

This happens to me ALL THE TIME, which is why I was so excited to learn about the NEW Gillette Venus Snap with Embrace.

It's so small you can put it in your bag, and takes up little space in your weekend getaway bag. It works super well for missed patches, but might be difficult to do a whole body shave with the smaller handle.

Also, for those ladies who have flyaway issues in the summer (me included when I'm sans pony tail) embrace your natural wave with Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Waves Enhancer Spray and Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Waves Crème Pomade. The 7-in-1 wave enhancer spray allows for maximum styling so you can achieve that tousled, beach hair look with ease! After a quick spray, just apply the crème pomade for genius curl control, leaving hair soft, touchable and beautifully defined for up to 24 hours.

One lucky YYZ Bambina reader will win! This giveaway is valued at $45 and includes:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

By entering the following contest you are accepting that if you win your contact information will be shared with a P&G PR and shipping agency for the purpose of mailing your prize. Please allow 4-6 weeks from the contest closure date to receive your prize. This giveaway may appear on other blogs as part of the #PGmom program. However, to be fair, you can only win once per giveaway. If your name is chosen more than once, another winner will be selected. All winners must be from within Canada excluding Quebec. Valid entries only. Contest ends August 18th, 2014. For further contest rules, refer to the Terms and Conditions within the Rafflecopter.

I am a P&Gmom. As part of my affiliation with this group, I have been offered compensation to participate in the #cleanwater photo challenge. The views, opinions and photographs expressed on this blog and in my social networks are my own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

Recently we had the opportunity to go wild at African Lion Safari, about an hour west of Toronto in Cambridge. And boy, did we ever.

We started our day on the Safari Tour Bus (our car has yet to be paid for, so we left Megatron in the ample free parking lot). The Bus Tour is air conditioned and only water (no other food or drink) is allowed to be consumed, so make sure you give kids a snack before boarding the bus. Our driver was very knowledgeable as she swerved through traffic (including an ostrich!) as she took us through the Game Reserves. We were able to capture some great pictures, especially of Safari the baby giraffe who is the first in Canada and the second in the world to be born through artificial insemination. Hannah wasn't sure what to make of the situation of us being "caged" on the bus and the animals being wild. But I thought it was pretty neat, especially when the baboons would hitch rides on the cars!

After our tour, we headed to the Mombasa Market Restaurant for a reasonably priced and delicious Pizza Pizza lunch.

Then we headed to the "Nature Boy" Scenic Railway. We saw a LOT of Canadian Geese and some other, more exotic animals en route. Hannah loved the wind in her hair as we travelled around the small lake. Near the end of the trip we saw an elephant, so we decided to check that area out next.

We all enjoyed watching the Elephant Round Up Show. It's not every day you see an elephant paint a picture or score a soccer goal. At the end of the show, we all got to touch an elephant!

After sitting for so long, Hannah was feeling kind of restless so we walked around and looked at the various animal enclosures - many of them being birds, and also a small petting zoo where you can feed the animals who reside in that area.

And then it was the highlight of the trip for Hannah - playing in the Misumu Bay Wet Play area. Parents, bring your bathing suits. I attempted to walk around with Hannah in street clothes...and got completely soaked! There is plenty to do for any age group including water slides - kids under 5 require an adult with them at all times.

When Hannah finally uttered the words, "No more water" after more than an hour of playing (aka me chasing her and getting soaked), we of course, headed to more water - in the form of the "African Queen" Boat Cruise where we spotted black swans, primates and more.

We took the opportunity to let Hannah burn some of her energy (where do toddlers get it...especially with no nap?) in the Jungle Playground while we waited for the elephant swim.

The Elephant Swim was easily the cherry on top of an already amazing day. Between Chris and I, we took over 200 photos of it! Some of the elephants head to the water (holding trunks and tails no less) and enjoy almost a 30 minute swim, with apples as a snack. Watching baby elephant Nellie with her mom Natasha frolic in the water was mesmerizing. Nellie is the first "All Canadian" Asian Elephant at the park - both her parents were also born at African Lion Safari.

We had a great day and will definitely be returning in the future.

African Lion Safari is celebrating its 45th season and is open every day until October 13, 2014. Have you gone wild?

Disclosure: We were guest of African Lion Safari for the purpose of this review. As always, all opinions on this blog are my own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

During my pregnancy, I was very sensitive to smells. Food, body odour, almost any scent grossed me out. Even now, my nose is more sensitive than Chris - or maybe he's just noseblind.

Definition of Noseblind: The gradual acclimation to the smells of one’s home, car, or belongings, in which the affected does not notice them (even though their family members or guests do).

Many times I'll come home with Hannah, and Chris will already be back from work. I will smell dinner, or worst case scenario, Booyah's letterbox...he may have sensitive smell, but he's one cat who is definitely noseblind! I crack out the Febreze Air Effects Meadows & Rain to make our home breathable for all.

Learn more about being Noseblind by watching this Funny or Die video starring Jane Lynch:

Febreze surveyed Canadians and here’s the smelly truth:

93% of Canadians would like to know if their homes smelled bad. Wouldn’t you?!
But we’re just too nice: only 63% of us would tell someone if their home smells
48% of Canadians believe that a smelly home is the sign of a dirty, lazy homeowner. Ouch!!
So, what are the worst home smells? Garbage, pet odours and smoking smells
Back on the dating scene or have a teen who’s trying to impress? For 61% of Canadians, the smell of their date’s home is a deal breaker, and 28% would make a quick exit if their date’s home smelled.
Excuses, excuses: 36% of Canadians have either avoided visiting friends with smelly abodes or make it a quick stop.
Doorbell or warning bell? 37% of Canadians panic when unexpected guests drop by. Is your home always ready for guests?
45% of us dread visiting homes with pets because of the smell. Don’t let Fido take the blame, take action!
Pull over, driver! 58% of people have wanted to get out of someone’s car because of its smell

One YYZ Bambina reader will win a Febreze Noseblind Kit (valued at approximately $50) to make sure you can be fresh and guest ready from your clothes to your home and car to office. The Kit includes:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

By entering the following contest you are accepting that if you win your contact information will be shared with a P&G PR and shipping agency for the purpose of mailing your prize. Please allow 4-6 weeks from the contest closure date to receive your prize. This giveaway may appear on other blogs as part of the #PGmom program. However, to be fair, you can only win once per giveaway. If your name is chosen more than once, another winner will be selected. All winners must be from within Canada excluding Quebec. Valid entries only. Contest ends August 25th, 2014. For further contest rules, refer to the Terms and Conditions within the Rafflecopter.

Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom/mamanP&G. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are my own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

Yesterday I was in the ER. I'm a migraine Mommy, and this "summer" weather (pft) has not been kind to my head.

On Tuesday evening I couldn't feel my right leg. Sometimes my limbs go numb, but usually after a night's sleep I feel normal again. Not the case Wednesday morning.

So Chris dropped me off at the hospital, drove Hannah to daycare and then came back to meet me. He arrived after my blood had been drawn (can you believe that still freaks me out after having given HOW much blood during my pregnancy?) and right before the coolest ER doctor ever saw me. This guy needs his own reality show. He was really just that cool of a dude. You would have thought we were just conversing like old friends at a party instead of him attempting to diagnose me in a busy Toronto hospital.

Anyways, after getting a needle in my butt, it was determined I needed a cat scan and was told since it was off my head, I could eat. So Chris quickly found a Tim Horton's and treated me to a water, bagel and some TimBits. That's when I realized it was the first time we had been "alone" in months.

While we were waiting for my cat scan, he found some free Metro newspapers for us to read.

When that was done and we were waiting to see cool dude Doctor we attempted the Sudoku together.

I'm happy to report there is nothing wrong with me...except for my migraines. Maybe my new neurologist who I will see in a few months can help me find the right medications to lead a normal life.

Where's the weirdest place you've ever had a date?

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

With all the rain we've had this summer, it's good to have some indoor activities in your back pocket. Enter the Canadian Warplane Heritage museum in Hamilton, Ontario.

The Canadian Warplane Heritage museum is a working airplane hangar with many interactive displays where you can touch, sit in and learn about warplanes. There are also flight simulators for kids to experience what it would be like to be in a plane.

Hannah enjoyed sitting in an Avro Canada CF100 MK 5D with Daddy, riding in a "jeep", and sticking her head through the photo cutouts to be a pilot with Mommy.

I enjoyed learning about Canada's history when it comes to planes in the war. The volunteers who work at the museum are priceless - not only are they great with children, but they also bring the stories of the aircrafts in front of you alive. One volunteer told me about how Europeans would come to the Toronto Islands to learn to fly, and then return to their home country to fight in the war.

While we were there, we also got to watch people restoring older planes - we even saw one plane start up and fly over us.

We enjoyed a nice lunch on site, the cafe has huge windows to take in all the action outside the hangar.

This museum is the perfect place for history buffs and airplane fanatics.

Would you like to visit? One lucky YYZ Bambina reader will win a family pass for 4 (2 adults and 2 children)! (Please note, transportation is NOT included.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: My family were guests of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum for the purpose of this review. As always, opinions on this blog are my own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

Beautiful is the strength it takes to reach for your dreams, to speak a little louder, to stand up for what you believe in and to not apologize for it. And that’s what Pantene wants to recognize and celebrate!

#ShineStrong is an exciting movement designed to empower women around the world to be strong and shine, on the inside and out. It celebrates women just like you—who are confidently and courageously bringing this essence to life and inspiring other women every day to do the same.

As part of this movement, Pantene has started #ShineStrong Tag to encourage women to give a shout out to the people, events and products that help them #ShineStrong via YouTube, Instagram (@PanteneHair), Twitter (@Pantene) and Facebook (Facebook.com/PanteneNA)!

Here are the #ShineStrong Tag Questions, with my answers!

1. Finish this sentence, “Strong is…”

Strong is my daughter's perseverance. She will try so many times, so many different ways, to accomplish something.

2. What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?

The bravest thing I've ever done is become a Mom. It's the best thing I've ever done too.

3. What do you do to unwind?

I like to cuddle with my daughter and discuss her day.

4. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to learn?

To scuba dive! I've gone snorkelling and loved it, can only imagine what it would be like to stay under water for longer periods of time.

5. How does your #bff #ShineStrong?

My #bff always looks on the bright side of things, especially in situations where it's hard for me to. I hope I do the same for her!

6. What natural talent would you want to be gifted with?

Mathematic brilliance! Numbers and I haven't gotten along for a long time...and they are so essential!

7. What is your idea of happiness?

Being at the cottage with my family.

8. What is your motto? (Words you live by or that mean a lot to you)

I stole this from Muno on Yo Gabba Gabba. "Think Happy Thoughts, Happy Thoughts" it gets me through a lot of different situations - from bad drivers to dealing with toddler tantrums!

9. What is your ultimate #ShineStrong hairstyle?

Wearing my hair down, with a side part.

10. Finish the sentence, “I love good hair days because…”

I love good hair days because that's when I feel most polished.

11. Share your best tip for strong, healthy hair.

Always protect your hair before you blow dry. I love Pantene's Heat Protection Spray. I use it each and every time I blow dry, and always get shiny, smooth results!

12. Finish this sentence, “I #ShineStrong when I…”

I #ShineStrong when I'm being Mom.

Now, it's YOUR turn. Answer the questions above using the #ShineStrong hashtag. You can film it, Instagram it, Tweet it or even blog it. I have three Pantene giveaway kits (valued at $51* each) for YYZ Bambina readers who participate to win! (You can also print a $2 coupon for Pantene products here.)

The kits include:

An assortment of Pantene products, including shampoo, conditioner etc.
A“Strong is…” whiteboard
#ShineStrong video tag details.

To enter to win a kit, please leave a link to your #ShineStrong share in the comments of this post. On August 18th, 2014 I will choose three winners using Random.org, who will have 48 hours to respond in order to win.

Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom/mamanP&G. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are my own.

As part of the Netflix Canada #StreamTeam, you may have noticed I post at least once a month about awesome Netflix shows, and usually said posts have a theme. The theme for August is Adventures. The PR folks recommended a slew of great titles for little kids and for the first time ever, ALL the shows recommended were ones that have never streamed on our TV screen.

So, it's been an adventure trying to watch something new with my preschooler who lives for routine (and rotating through the same episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba!, Bubble Guppies, Thomas and Friends, Sesame Street, Super Why! and Pingu).

Right now, Hannah is obsessed with turtles. Well, at least her turtle shirt. Whenever we wash it she HAS to wear it the next day, so I thought for sure she would want to watch A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures.

So when Hannah has asked to watch TV these past few weeks, a lot of our conversations have been like this:

Me - "Hannah, do you want to watch a movie about a turtle?"

Hannah - "Bubble Guppies Flashlight." (referring to Bubble Guppies "The Legend of Pinkfoot")

Another attempt:

Me - "Let's watch a movie about a turtle!"

Hannah - "Toodee Rocks! Where's my tambourine?" (referring to Yo Gabba Gabba!"Band")

Trying to be slightly more influential:

Me - "I would REALLY like to watch a movie about a turtle."

Hannah - "NO! I want Big Bird and Snuffleupagus." (referring to Sesame Street"Up in the Air")

So, August became and continues to be an adventure in trying to get Hannah to watch something new.

If you think you'll have better luck with your kids, here are some awesome adventure shows for little kids currently streaming on Netflix Canada:

As for Sammy, he's been added to MY List on Netflix. I really do want to watch A Turtle's Tale. I just want to watch Hemlock Grove slightly more.

Disclosure: I am part of the Netflix #StreamTeam. As always, opinions on this blog are my own.

I love Kinder Surprise. And I love Guinness World Records.

On Saturday August 30th, 2014 you can make history with KINDER® Canada as they attempt to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® mark for the most people opening candy simultaneously on at the Canadian National Exhibition.

Timing for the Event

10:30 a.m. – Arrive at Bandshell Park near the Kid's World at the CNE
10:45 a.m. – Get a KINDER® egg
11:00 a.m. – Guinness World Records official record attempt

The Kinder Smile Booth

You may have seen my photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook last week of my daughter, my Mom and I in the Kinder Smile Booth at the Toronto Eaton Centre.

The interactive photo and video KINDER® Smile Booth and play area will also be set up in the Kid’s World to capture moments of joy between parents and kids. If you haven’t already experienced the Smile Booth, this is the perfect day to try it out with your kids!

Hope to see you there!

Disclosure: I am a #KinderMom. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are my own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

Yesterday Hannah wore her Thomas shirt to school. The one I purchased in Walmart. In the boy's section. (The girl's section had no Thomas).

Since she's a preschooler now, I couldn't help but wonder if other kids would notice that she was wearing a boy's shirt. Some of the kids she's with now are 4 years old. When you're only 2.5 you don't notice much of fashion (OK, my kid doesn't). She just notices the characters or colours. She doesn't care what section it was purchased from or who it was "intended" for.

And obviously, since I made the decision to purchase it, deep down I don't care either. Thomas is a non-offensive show that she enjoys. There are two Thomas backpacks in her new coat room - guess what she shows me every day?

But a part of me couldn't help but wonder if the older kids would pick up on it. Would they think she's cool for liking Thomas? Would they question her as to why she's wearing a boy's shirt?

It brought me back to high school. I was obsessed (kind term) with the Backstreet Boys. I still kind of am. But I liked them back before it was cool to like them (circa 1996 when everyone hated them because rock music was popular and "clearly" they were just trying to be New Kids on the Block). And I still got a BSB shirt. And a BSB hat. And I wore both to school on a regular basis (had to do my part to Keep the Backstreet Pride Alive!). At first, I would get made fun of. But I really didn't care. The Backstreet Boys made me happy, and in turn, wearing their merchandise made me happy too. Once people began to notice I was STILL wearing the shirt and could care less what they thought, I'd like to think in some weird way I gained their respect (not that I was after it) or they just saw their teasing was pointless, and moved on to someone who's skin they could actually get under. I liked wearing my shirt with A.J., Brian, Nick, Howie and Kevin's face on it so much I continued to wear it until it got holes. (I have others I now wear as pyjamas, and one in rotation in my closet from their tour in 2013).

So, if Hannah wants to be like me and wear what she wants (as long as it's appropriate for preschool, which a tee shirt is) that makes me proud. As you can see from the photo above (where she is wearing said shirt), Thomas makes her as happy as the Backstreet Boys make me.

Obviously I wasn't with her at preschool all day, but soon after we got there a little girl gave her a big hello hug in the coat room. And when we got to the Preschool room, her friend M, in a flowing dress, ran right over so they could play bunnies together. Besides a scrapped knee she gained on the playground, Hannah came home unscathed - and I had to take notice that her Thomas shirt was much cleaner than her clothes usually are at the end of the day.

I hope Hannah's generation will truly be the one who bases their opinions on someone's personality - not the colour of their skin, who they love or what they decide to wear.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

As a native Torontonian, a yearly tradition for me is attending the annual CNE (Canadian National Exhibition). When I was younger, I was all about the Tiny Tom Donuts and the rides.

Now that I'm a Mom, I'm still all about the Tiny Tom Donuts, but I see the Ex through my daughter's eyes. We still spend a little bit of time on the midway (Hannah isn't quite tall enough to ride the rides herself), but we enjoy watching the President's Choice SuperDogs, spending hours in the CNE Farm building looking at the piggies and cows and of course riding the Fun Train (well, Hannah, I'm too big for that one).

The CNE can be so many things to anyone. Great shopping. Great food. Great entertainment. It's all at the Ex.

The highlights for me personally in 2014 was finally obtaining my own personalized Coke after looking for weeks and seeing Optimus Prime - both located quite close in the Direct Energy Centre.

Hannah's was riding the Fun Train all by herself.

Here are my top 5 tips for navigating the CNE with a little kid:

1. Arrive Early. It doesn't matter how you get to the Ex - parking, GO Train and TTC are always less busy before the buildings open at 10 a.m. Try to plan where you think it's most important to start (for us, it was the Food Building) and avoid line-ups.

2. Bring a stroller. There is ample stroller parking at the shows. Although the thick crowds can be difficult to navigate in some buildings and on the midway, I don't think little ones would survive walking the entire day. I know at a few points I wish Hannah's stroller could handle more than 50 lbs of human.

3. Bring snacks and a water bottle. There is plenty to eat on the midway and the infamous Food Building, but you never know when your little one might get hungry - or if they'll like what you enjoy. Sad to say, Hannah did not like Tiny Tom's this year. She lived on hot dogs and rice...and I lived on Tiny Tom's. There are many water stations throughout the grounds to refill water bottles.

4. Spend some time in Kids' World and at the CNE Farm. There's a playground. Hannah wanted to go down the slide and have a swing. During a day where you structure most of it, it's nice the let your kids run around and get some energy out. There's also a bunch of great stations in Kid's World - music, magic, art and even making pizza! This is also where you can see great kids shows - Hannah loved watching Splash 'N Boots! It's right next to the Kiddie Midway, and fairly close the the CNE Farm, another kid favourite - you can learn about and see many animals, participate in the Kids AGventure becoming a farmer for the day and of course, take a ride on the Fun Train. Hannah also enjoyed leading Daddy and Grandma through the Corn Maze. All of these activities are free for the younger bunch and included in the price of ground admission for the bigger kids.

5. Be thankful for the numerous building washrooms. There was plenty of places to change Hannah - her clothes AND her diaper. On Kids' Street in Kids' World there is a Baby Care Centre where you can nurse and change your child.

The CNE is definitely family friendly and a great place to spend time together before the hectic month of September begins.

I'm crossing my fingers next year Hannah will be tall enough to dominate the Kiddie Midway...and that her tastes will adjust to enjoy the amazing Tiny Tom Donuts.

Have you visited the Ex?

Disclosure: I received three adult passes and parking for the purpose of this review. As always, opinions on this blog are my own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

Hannah might not be going back to school - she's been at daycare and then preschool all summer - but the germs are definitely coming back. Soon the crisp fall weather will force her and her friends indoors more often, and as they share toys, books and markers so too they will share their germs.

I've never been more sick than when Hannah started daycare two winters ago. Last winter was slightly better, but not by much. It breaks my heart when she has a Rudolph nose...and I hate having one right along with her!

Thank goodness for Boogie Wipes, the first ever saline nose wipe for sore, red, runny noses.

Some fast facts about Boogie Wipes:

Helps moisturize noses with vitamin E, aloe and chamomile
Made with natural saline that helps dissolve mucus
Alcohol, phthalate and paraben free
In fun scents like grape and fresh and unscented for kids with more simple taste

Boogie Wipes are smooth to the touch and super soothing for the dry area around a runny nose. I love that the 30 count package can easily be thrown in a bag or back pack, and that the 90 count wipes would definitely get us through a sick day at home.

Boogie Wipes also have Boogie Buck$ - points you can collect from Boogie Wipes products to earn Boogie Wipes and Boogie Swag.

Would you like to win a Boogie Wipes Prize Pack worth approximately $60 consisting of Boogie Wipes and Boogie Wipes swag? Enter using the Rafflecopter below - giveaway ends September 15th, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: For the purpose of this review, I received Boogie Wipes. As always, opinions on this blog are my own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

As Chris is the cook at our house, he wrote this review.

One of the many, MANY benefits of being with Sarah is getting the opportunity to try out healthy and tasty foods and beverages. So when she asked me to give Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea Powder a taste test, I was all over it.

I chose the Berry Good Morning Smoothie recipe – unfortunately the supermarket was out of strawberries (to the dismay of both Hannah and myself – she loves coming with me to buy groceries) so I just doubled the blueberries.

Recipe - Berry Good Morning Smoothie

Ingredients:

½ cup cold orange juice
1 tsp. matcha
2 tsp. warm water
1/3 cup chopped strawberries
1/3 cup blueberries
½ banana, sliced

Instructions:

1. Mix matcha and warm water until blended.
2. Add all ingredients into a blender and run until smooth.
3. If needed, add more orange juice or water for a thinner smoothie.
Makes 1 cocktail.

The smoothie was a delicious and healthy excuse to use my blender, which, if I’m honest, hasn’t seen the light of day since we moved.

It took all of five minutes to prepare and about sixty seconds to enjoy – it was THAT good.

Unlike regular brewed green tea, Matcha powder contains the entire tea leaf which considerably increases the nutritional value. Much like the “whole grain” logic, I suspect. It also increases metabolism while sharpening your focus thanks to its slow release of natural energy.

The product is 100% organic and contains a whopping 137 times the antioxidants found in a cup of brewed tea. I’m certainly planning to drop a spoonful into my water glass at work for an extra boost of energy. Or when I’m feeling fancy at night, a “Green Russian” with a little Matcha would really tie the room together.

Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea Powder is sold exclusively on Amazon.ca.

What’s your go-to energy booster to keep the parental juices flowing?

Disclosure: Chris received Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea for the purpose of this review. His opinions are his own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

Once upon a time an amazing brown box arrived at my Mom's office (she is the official package receiver for YYZ Bambina) with the words "Pringles/Cereal" on it. This elicited great excitement from my Mom, Chris and of course, me. Truthfully, we are always excited when a new box from Kellogg's Canada arrives.

Almost a year ago my Mom was diagnosed with diabetes, which unfortunately runs in our family genes. She eats cereal every morning and needs it to be low in carbohydrates and sugars. It's not surprising she has quite the collection of Kellogg's Cereal in her pantry. She was happy to learn about new Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes which are low in carbs and sugar. They also have no artificial flavours or colours, are fortified with Vitamin D, made with whole grain and are an excellent source of iron.

When the Kellogg's Krave Chocolate Flavour Cereal came out of the box, you would have thought it was Christmas with the look on Chris' face. The fact that in was Family Size just made it better - now you can make your kids (or kid at heart) extra happy too with a bigger box to purchase in the cereal aisle.

Lastly, I was ecstatic about the new Pringles Tortillas. I suffer from migraines and recently got my blood tested for food intolerances to see if avoiding certain things in my diet would help with my head. There is a laundry list of foods I'm intolerant to, one of them being white potatoes. I LOVE snacking, so this really hit me hard. But then, the Pringles Tortilla Original Flavour arrived - and voila, none of the ingredients are on the laundry list I'm attempting to avoid. I may or may not have brought the entire container in to work today. I may or may not have eaten the entire container before lunch. I may or may not have contemplated leaving the office at lunch to find more. (OK, I totally did all of those things.) As an aside, I totally didn't dip them and they were super delicious. Hannah is a fan of the Nacho Cheese and Zesty Ranch. Kindly, I left these at home so we could share...for now.

Would you like to try some of Kellogg's great new innovations?

One lucky YYZ Bambina reader will win Pringles Tortillas (Nacho Cheese, Original and Zesty Ranch flavours), Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes Cereal, Kellogg's Krave Chocolate Flavour Cereal (Family Size), Special K Original, Special K Low Fat Granola and a super cool Pringles shirt.

To enter fill out the Rafflecopter below by September 17th, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I am part of the Kelloggers Network. As always, all opinions on this blog are my own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

If I ever become famous and do one of those "25 Things You Don't Know About Me" with US Weekly magazine, one of my things would be that I got perfect on a city-wide math test in grade 4. If I felt honest, I would then share I went on to almost fail math in grades 10 and 11 and took grade 12 advanced math - twice.

Math has an unfortunate stigma attached to it, so I'm happy the Canadian show Monster Math Squad exists. It makes the basics of math fun for Hannah as she starts to learn about numbers and all the fascinating things you can figure out by using them.

The Monster Math Squad consists of three monsters - Lily, Max and Goo (he is littlest one who can squish into different shapes - including numbers of course). They are on call to help other monsters in Monstrovia deal with various problems that need solving by using math. Throughout the 12-minute episodes, the Squad successfully help by completing "Monster Math" including but not limited to counting, measuring, sizing, sorting, exploring shapes, patterns and time.

The episodes we watched recently were about words of the day "subtract", "fit" and "backwards".

In Monster Go Round, the Squad (with the help of the Monster Math Monitors) realized only three monsters could fit in a certain section of a ride in order for it to work, so others needed to be "subtracted" and wait their turn. (Hannah especially liked that because Lily's Uncle got in the last section of the ride with Max that they would have to stay on the ride all day..."Wheeee!")

In Monster Joke Box, the Squad helped unlock multiple boxes by realizing shapes sometimes need to be turned or flipped to fit. (Hopefully Hannah remembers this the next time we are doing puzzles together.)

In Delivery Monster Doesn't Deliver the Squad help Playtime Monster when the Delivery Monster does his route backwards, and the whole gang of monsters learn how to count backwards from 5. (When Playtime Monster finally gets her delivery, I could tell Hannah wanted to reach through the screen and play with it herself.)

I enjoy watching Monster Math Squad with Hannah. It's a cute, fun show and you can tell she gets satisfaction from the Monster Howl the Squad performs with the viewers to celebrate the completed math, Monster Math!

What's your favourite educational show on Netflix?

Disclosure: I am part of the Netflix #StreamTeam. As always, opinions on this blog are my own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

Do you ever surf Pinterest for inspiration, and instead, just get the overwhelming feeling you could never create the beautiful homemade works of art showcased? Me too.

So when I heard about Stampin' Up! I was excited. Maybe I just needed a little help to be creative and make cards and journals at home.

Once you reach a certain age, lots of friends start getting married and having kids. I was the first of most of my friends to have a child, and I spent so much money on standard thank you cards. I wish I had discovered the Everyday Occasions Cardmaking Kit a few years ago. I made some cards on the weekend, and they look great while having such personal touch (including a "Created by" stamp!). All the difficult stuff is done for you, and there's even a brochure of examples (which I totally used as a guideline to create my own ideas).

The stamps were easy to put together and to use - and to clean, just use a diaper wipe! The decorations were also very simple (punch outs) and the neat adhesives worked really well.

I was also sent a very pretty This and That Document Journal...which I'm not sure what to do with quite yet. A part of me wants to keep it until Hannah starts kindergarten and use it to record her first year of school. That way, she will be old enough to help me make the book and therefore make it that much more special.

Would you like to get creative? One lucky YYZ Bambina reader will win a Stampin' Up! kit that has an estimated value of $100 including:

1 Everyday Occasions Cardmaking kit – cardstock and envelopes for 20 cards, twine, buttons and clips, precut paper embellishments, Stampin’ Spots, 7-piece Occasions
1 Stamp Set & clear stamp block, full color Tips & Tricks brochure for making the cards and a cool, storable, giftable box.
1 Documented journal from the This And That collection – debossed chipboard cover and 60 total printed sheets
1 Rotary stamp – includes dates and 12 clever and useful phrases

Hannah has a lot of words. Sometimes she forms comprehensible sentences, other times she does not. After we tried our first Super Beasts class at The Little Gym of Vaughan, I thought they must have found a toddler with a flair for the English language who detailed everything the perfect gymnastics class should include - because Super Beasts (a Parent/Child Class) was everything Hannah wanted and more.

The class is 45 minutes long, but time passes by quite quickly. First there is a welcome song, where the children get to use musical shakers and other instruments. Then there is some group play - the first time we went we played with bean bags, the second class brought out balls and the parachute to the absolute joy of my daughter.

Next is free time to explore the gym. Hannah really liked climbing up a group of mats and walking on the beam. The free time is organized, safe chaos. All the other parents tried to stress being patient and waiting your turn like I was trying to stress with Hannah.

The instructor will show two or more moves during the free time and help your child do the featured skill. All the while, The Little Gym's infamous music is playing through the speakers (a couple of times Hannah got upset when it stopped and froze on the beam and asked, "More music?").

When there is about 10 minutes left of class, the group comes back together to play with balls and the ultimate for this age group - bubbles. Then it's the good bye song and time for stamps. And tears from my kid because the class is over.

As a parent, I loved this class because The Little Gym instructors completely understand what it's like to be a toddler in such a fun space. Our instructor lead the class with enthusiasm and patience and recognized that not all "Beasts" would join in every activity. This allows the parents to enjoy the class too - if Hannah wanted to walk on the beam ten times in a row (which she did) that was OK and I didn't have to worry about trying to engage her in something that wasn't holding her interest. There is definite structure to the class, but there is also a lot of flexibility which I appreciate so much at this age.

Have you ever wanted to try a class at The Little Gym? The Introductory Experience allows parents to select a multi-week experience at a significantly reduced cost (on average 75% off) that allows their children to sample several different The Little Gym programs. The Little Gym offers a variety of classes including gymnastics, dance, karate and sport skills classes for kids up to the age of 12.

The Little Gym also offers Birthday Parties, Camps and Parents' Survival Night (so you can have a Friday or Saturday night out).

Three lucky YYZ Bambina readers will win copies of The Little Gym’s recent CD release, “20 Move-Along Fun Songs,” part of their proprietary collection of more than 700 catchy, instructive, sing-along tunes featured in their classes. The kids in your life will love the songs as much as Hannah. Enter before October 5th!

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Disclosure: We participated in a Super Beasts class at no charge for the purpose of this review. As always, the opinions on this blog are my own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

Hannah and I might not be in school. But I work on a university campus and Hannah attends daycare there. In August, we saw tumbleweed (OK, not literally, but you get the idea). Now, there are students as far as the eye can see. You have to move fast to stay out of their way and keep with the general direction or you'll feel like a salmon swimming upstream. It doesn't help that Hannah walks slowly or demands to be carried to and from the car. What was once a 45 minute commute, is now at least an hour - it sometimes takes us 15 minutes just to get out of the parking lot and off campus!

Talk about a sweaty, stress-filled mess! Thank goodness I have Olay, COVERGIRL and Secret to take care of my skin and make sure I don't smell (even after carrying my 30 lbs toddler up four flights of stairs).

We try to go to bed earlier to deal with the chaos on campus, but sometimes our cat has different ideas (yes, the cat wakes me up more than my 2.5 year old does). Regardless, when you get up at 6 a.m. (aka before the sun) it's nice to have fresh smelling products to wake you up.

Enter Olay Fresh Effects {Acne Control Scrub!} Salicylic Acid Acne and Blackhead Clearing Scrub and Fresh Effects {Dew Over!} Hydrating Gel Moisturizer. It's like a fruit salad for my face in the morning. The Clearing Scrub smells of yummy mandarin and the hydrating gel smells of honeysuckle. The moisturizer is my favourite - it really DOES refresh your skin and it leaves me calm - especially when Hannah is yelling for more chocolate milk right outside the bathroom door.

Speaking of dong things quickly due to toddler demands, the Secret Clinical Invisible Solid goes on dry so you can get dressed quickly...and stays dry no matter what heavy lifting or stress may be a part of your day.

Then it's time for hair and make-up. A new essential has become COVERGIRL + Olay De-Puffer Eye Concealer. Recall earlier in this post how I mentioned the cat keeps us up at night? He also has a habit of sleeping...on my face. As I'm allergic, the de-puffer works well for allergies, and the concealer works well for countering my dark circles.

Do you need help getting back in to routine? One lucky reader will win a P&G Back-to-Routine Prize Pack! This giveaway is valued at approximately $122 and includes:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom/mamanP&G. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are my own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

I'm always looking for ways to save money AND calories, if possible. New Pure Via Stevia Liquid Sweetener does both.

I can keep it easily on my desk, so I can have sweetener at my desk when I make my morning tea - versus purchasing it en route (and ensure none of my coworkers "borrow" it, a problem in some office kitchens). You just squeeze it in your beverage, I didn't even need a spoon. Another bonus - it also works in cold beverages!

It has a clean, sweet taste - and has ZERO calories.

Here are some more Sweet Facts from the Pure Via website:

Pure Via stevia extract is 97% Pure Reb A made from the sweetest extract of the stevia leaf.
It is sweetened using all natural stevia.
No drip lid. Great in hot & cold beverages.
1 squeeze is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Pure Via liquid sweeteners are suitable for people with diabetes.
It's certified Kosher Parve.

The container is so small it could easily fit in your purse - or diaper bag - to sweeten drinks on the go as opposed to using sugar.

One lucky YYZ Bambina Reader will win a Pure Via™ giveaway basket valued at $150. Enter before October 13th, 2014!

Considering the last preschool I was in was my brother's in the late 80s, the only recent knowledge of preschool I had was Sesame Street's ear worm parody "Preschool Musical" (based on Disney's High School Musical, of course). There's a snippet from Sesame Street's YouTube channel below, you can watch the full video on the Sesame Street website.

So about six weeks ago when Hannah became a "Preschooler" while she checked out the room I did too. I was ecstatic to see there was indeed "Block Corner" (they don't have "Dress Up Corner", but they do have a dress up box near the toy kitchen).

I also noticed the child-sized toilets AND child-sized sinks. There's a calendar, they discuss daily the weather, and the playground she has access to now...let's just say EVERY day she tells me how much she enjoys going down the various slides.

In six weeks, I have noticed she's much better at using her utensils. She can remove her shoes herself and put them in their proper place on the mat near our front door. And her language skills - she still has a few gibberish words, but now someone not used to toddler speak could easily converse with her.

At the end of summer, we took her to the Ex and she cried while she waited in line for rides. Last weekend we took her to Canada's Wonderland and she didn't cry in line once - she just asked "It's Hannah's turn?" over and over and OVER again until it was in fact her turn.

I'm so proud of all the progress she's made and how easily she adapted to her new environment. I can only hope this continues when she moves on to public school. (And OK, I secretly hope I can keep it together and NOT cry as she gets older...I balled my eyes out when she was in the infant room, I got misty-eyed when she was old enough to be in the toddler room, and for preschool I was just mostly in awe she's now old enough to be in that room and OK, slightly jealous of Block Corner).

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

While pregnant, one of the things I looked forward most to was watching childhood movies with my son or daughter. Between my brother and I, we seemed to have all the classic Disney Movies - on VHS. So I started collecting them all again - this time on DVD & Blu-ray.

The latest movie added to our collection? Sleeping Beauty, available in stores on Tuesday, October 7th, 2014.

We made it a family affair last Saturday afternoon, as we all piled on to the couch (cat included) to watch the digitally restored picture and sound of the 1959 movie.

This is the third Disney Classic Hannah has watched. My first attempt (when she was too little) was Beauty & the Beast. Last year we were lucky enough to see a special screening of the Little Mermaid at TIFF Lightbox - a pretty great first movie theatre experience if you ask me! (Mine was Snow White.)

I thought Hannah would like Sleeping Beauty as the fairies (Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather) are prominently featured in one of her Sofia puzzles, but she took a lot more notice when Maleficent came on to the screen. Insulted for not being wanted at the festivities to celebrate the birth of Princess Aurora (or "Baby girl!" as Hannah called her), she puts a curse on the Princess to prick her finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel and die. Merryweather has yet to bless the Princess and in doing so changes the curse so that Princess Aurora will only fall in to a deep sleep and can be awaken by "true love's kiss".

Hannah's favourite part was when the fairies put the entire castle to sleep to go and look for the Prince, which of course begins the exciting ride towards the end of the movie.

As 80s kids, Chris and I enjoyed the animation, but we kind of missed the soundtracks we had grown accustomed to growing up.

There's a variety of magical new bonus features in the Diamond Edition DVD & Blu-ray, including “Once Upon A Parade,” in which “Modern Family” star Sarah Hyland tells us the tale of Walt Disney World’s new Festival Of Fantasy Parade, “Art of Evil: Generations Of Disney Villains,” a legacy piece spotlighting Disney’s favorite villain animator and Maleficent creator Marc Davis, and “@DisneyAnimation: Artists in Motion,” in which Walt Disney Animation Visual Development artist Brittney Lee goes through the process of creating a three dimensional sculpture of Maleficent, completely out of paper. Additional all-new bonus features include never-before-seen deleted scenes “The Fair” (with Deleted Character The Vulture,) “The Curse is Fulfilled” and “Arrival Of Maleficent,” plus the Beauty-Oke sing-along to “Once Upon A Dream.” The Blu-ray Superset also includes classic DVD bonus features and more!

Have some fun with your kids while watching - check out the great printable activities below.

What's your favourite Disney movie?

Disclosure: I received a copy of Sleeping Beauty: Diamond Edition for the purpose of this review. As always, opinions on this blog are my own.

© 2014 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

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