Author: cvegnad

Spring Flooding – Red Cross Update

With spring comes the melting of snow and occasionally mixed in precipitation. Over the past couple of days we have seen an increase in our area with flooding risk alerts. The Canadian Red Cross is prepared to help communities but we should all do our part and prepare as well as protect ourselves.

The Canadian Red Cross has given us three simple steps to prepare for potential flooding:

  • Know the risks – be aware of flooding risks in your community
  • Make a plan and talk to your family about it. Do your children know what to do in a flooding emergency??
  • Get or make a kit – put together or assemble your own kit in case of emergencies.

Check out the Canadian Red Cross website for more helpful information on flooding.

 

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Skin Barrier Health: Skinfix

As you are aware, I am a Skinfix Ambassador  – if you are not familiar with the brand you can check out my post here or visit their website at this link. Skin care is so important to me especially with eczema affecting both my children and myself. I wanted to share this important video with you from Skinfix on skin barrier health. Enjoy and take care of your skin! 🙂

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Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada: Exploring The Wonders of the Sea

The ocean holds many wonders for children and adults alike. The magical and graceful movements of the animals of the sea captures the heart and imagination of so many of us. My children love fish, fishing and most importantly sharks (Shark Week is huge in our house!). For them being able to visit Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada in Toronto was a dream come true.

Both of my boys were a bundle of nerves as we set off to Toronto not really knowing what to expect from the Aquarium as this would have been their very first visit to any kind of aquarium. Stepping inside the building alone transports you to a different place. There is so much to see both above you and below you! My eldest son (also my little budding photographer was excited to be able to capture each  moment!).

Stepping into the aquarium after the ticket booth you are greeted by a beautiful globe of the world above. Below is a bright and colourful discovery area for children to touch and explore. Hanging from the ceilings are large skeletons and a large unique water tank with circling fish. There is so much to see just in that first area alone!

The senses really come alive throughout the aquarium. Children are encouraged to touch, see and listen. The lights are dimmed to really make the aquarium come alive – you literally feel like you are under the sea and exploring the ocean and the animals that call it home. The flow of the aquarium allows you to casually tour through the exhibits in a natural way while allowing you to explore at your own pace.

Some of the most exciting parts of the aquarium were the areas you were able to touch fossils, feel what a jellyfish would feel like and even touch a horseshoe crab! All four of us were scared at first to put our hand in the water but being able to touch the crab is definitely an experience we wont soon forget. We loved how each exhibit had so much educational value and encouraged our children to participate in the exhibit through touch and sight.

Our son was able to capture this fantastic picture of a Giant Pacific Octopus. This guy managed to terrify our two year old whom thought it was going to touch him through the glass.

Our eldest son’s favourite part of the aquarium? The Dangerous Lagoon.

And just like the name suggests all of our boy’s favourite ocean animals were there: sand tiger sharks, sandbar sharks, stingrays and so much more. A moving walk way allowed us to be able to really take in the whole experience around us as the animals swam beside us and above us. Our son was able to capture this fantastic photograph of the stingray as it lay above us.

 

And the man of the hour that amazed and terrified us all. Check out those teeth!

Here are some of my personal favourites photographs that I snapped during our tour through Rainbow Reef and Planet Jellies. This was my favourite part of the whole aquarium. The colours were so vibrant – I just wanted to reach out and touch the glass (which our kids did repetitively!).

I could have stayed all day by the jelly fish exhibit watching both the exhibit light up and the jellies changing colours. It was truly breathtaking.

 

The gorgeous moon jellies! What a task to try and capture these beauties!

The Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada in Toronto is an experience that will stay with us for a lifetime. There is so much to see and learn. We are already planning our return visit!

What would you be excited to visit at Ripley’s Aquarium? Have you visited the aquarium before?

Disclosure: I received a complimentary ticket to visit the aquarium. All opinions expressed are my own. Images are both my sons and my own.

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Racing Action with AnkiDRIVE #review #giveaway

I love race cars and everything racing! We love auto shows, race tracks and playing racing video games with our children. We love the fast pace, quick decisions and excitement of choosing cars and winning.

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When I was given the opportunity to test out Anki DRIVE how could I resist? This looked like one of the most exciting video games ever brought to life. Anki DRIVE uses artificial intelligence to deliver a racing video game in the real world with you in control. Pretty amazing, right? I had too literally take it away from my children in order to set it up they were so excited.
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Anki Drive comes with a starter kit starting at $199 – which may seem expensive at first but once you open the kit and begin to use the cars you can fully appreciate the technology behind the system and appreciate the price.

Each kit includes:

  • the racing track (roughly 8.5 feet by 3.5 feet)
  • three car charger
  • two cars with charging pods
  • start up information.

The Anki Drive app is free to download at the Apple app store and the game is compatible with any of the following: iPhone 4s or newer, iPod touch 5th generation, iPad3 or newer or iPad mini. Anki Drive is suitable for all ages capable of using an iOS device (our two year old had no problem!). You can also purchase additional race cars for additional cost.

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Set up is incredibly easy – I was actually expecting it to take long but was pleasantly surprised.

Physically you have to just unroll the mat in a clear and flat area, ensuring the cars are fully charged before you can begin to play.  The game will work best on a smooth and flat floor but we also played on the carpet in our children’s toy room and had no problem as well.

The app took less then two minutes to download – which was perfect for my impatient family members who could not wait to start playing. This also surprised me because apps can sometimes take quite a bit of time to download.

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The technology in Anki DRIVE is jaw dropping – literally. The moment you set them down on the race track they sense the track’s every curve and line. The cars speed around the track, gliding through every curve and avoiding each other. It is incredible watching the cars race each other. Our boys were screaming in excitement. Using blue tooth the cars report back to the app on the IOS device. You control the speed, turns, maneuvers – all through the app. The app also has a great starting guide that walks you through on how to control the car so you don’t have to worry about not understanding how to play.

As if this was not cool enough – the cars battle. Yup you heard that right – they sense each other and can battle their racing opponent. This has been a fantastic game for our whole family to play and has provided hours of entertainment for all of our family and friends that have come over to visit.

Anki DRIVE and PTPA are now giving you the chance to win your own starter kit – the perfect gift for any car enthusiast in your house!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada.

Don’t forget to follow Anki on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date on important news and information!

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MOM SEEKS GOD Kindle HDX Giveaway & “Moms’ May Day” Facebook Party with @JuliaLRoller

Mom Seeks God by Julia Roller offers a highly relatable story and useful advice to help new moms grow in their faith as they address life changes with grace, patience, and prayer. As readers discover ten essential faith practices, they’ll learn that motherhood itself is a spiritual discipline and can be God’s most effective technique for forming a more Christ-like life.

Julia is celebrating the book’s release with a fun giveaway and connecting with moms during a live Facebook author chat.

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One winner will receive:

  • A Kindle HDX
  • Mom Seeks God by Julia Roller

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 1st. Winner will be announced at “Moms’ May Day” Facebook Party on May 1st. Connect with Julia for an encouraging discussion on spiritual discipline and finding joy in the middle of motherhood. Win prizes, connect with other moms, and be inspired.


So grab your copy of Mom Seeks God and join Julia on the evening of May 1st for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; RSVP todayTell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 1st!

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