March 5, 2015
The Ultimate Easter Basket Gift from kaboom! #Giveaway #Review
Easter is right around the corner (doesn’t it just feel like it was the New Year?) and what better way to surprise your little ones with a Treehouse Cube full of their favourite shows on DVD format!
On March 3rd, kaboom! entertainment launched the Treehouse Ultimate Collection cube which includes ten hours of your favourite Treehouse shows. Inside this unique package you will find ten DVDs featuring: Toopy and Binoo, Franklin, Max and Ruby, Brother Bear, Captain Barnacles, Kwazii, Golias and Nessa. This collection features one hundred of your child’s favourite episodes!
Our youngest was so excited to come home and find the Cube. He didn’t know which one to watch first! So he settled with catching up on more Toopy and Binoo followed by Octonauts and Bernstein Bears for me.
Zack and Quack: Popping Hopping Easter came with this bundle which was the perfect movie to get just in time for Easter. This DVD features Zack and his best friend, an impulsive young duck named Quack. They live inside a pop up book. It is a place full of surprises where pulling pop ups makes exciting and unexpected things happen. This DVD comes with five episodes.
Remember the Guess How Much I Love You DVD I featured in January? This would be the perfect addition to add into your Easter gift basket for your little one. A special reminder to your little one on just how much they mean to you.
If you have a little one at home that would love to win this Ultimate Treehouse DVD cube and Zack and Quack Popping Hopping Easter, you can now win your own just in time for Easter! My Canadian residents can enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Make sure to follow kaboom! on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with new releases.
Disclosure: I received the above mentioned products free of charge. All opinions expressed are my own.
March 4, 2015
Escaping The Every Day Norm at Scandinave Spa #WinterWarrior
Nestled in the woods, roughly ten minutes away from Blue Mountain Village, the Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain offers an experience to remember.
One of the highlights of my Blue Mountain trip was heading over to Scandinave Spa on the morning before we left. When we had arrived at Blue Mountain two days prior, I had heard many of the visitors mention the spa and could not wait to experience for myself what every other visitor was talking about (two different groups in the lobby at check in were having a spa weekend!).
When you arrive at Scandinave Spa, the spa is located in an area that is heavily dense with trees and far back from the main road. You access the main building by a bridge and as you are passing over the bridge you have wonderful views of Blue Mountain. Light music greets you and welcomes you into the relaxation. Signs are posted welcoming quiet and peace which is the perfect reminder for all guests.
The lobby was warm, inviting and open. When I checked in I received my two towels and was able to head down into the change room areas. There was a separate coat and sitting area before walking into the change rooms. The change room area itself was large and clean with an abundance of lockers, washroom stalls, tables, private changing areas and even hair dryers. After quickly getting into my bathing suit and putting my robe on I was ready to head out to the baths.
Walking outside for the first time was an incredible experience in itself. Wearing a robe, sandals and carrying my water bottle with snow-covered trees and rocks I quickly headed over to the Steam Bath. The eucalyptus steam bath was incredible and almost felt like you were walking into a steam of Vicks! Sitting in the room (with my water bottle because of the heat) my skin was instantly sweating and my sinuses were clearing up fast. I had a sinus headache that had started that morning and the steam helped to quickly release the mucous buildup and tension in my head.
Each of the three hot baths offers a multi sensory experience that will relax and bring you peace. One of the hot baths allows you to smell the fire pits stronger, feel and hear the wind and hear the light music. The second bath allows you to hear the waterfall stronger and the sound of the music. The third bath nestled in the back and closer to the forestry brings to you the scent of eucalyptus from the Steam Bath and the sounds of the trees blowing in the wind. Each area is marked for silence and every patron was excellent at following those rules. I was so relaxed in the hot baths that I could close my eyes and almost drift off into sleep (if I wasn’t so excited!).
The Scandinave Spa Experience Includes:
- Finnish Sauna
- Norwegian Steam Bath
- Thermal and Nordic Falls
- Three hot baths
- Three cold plunges
- Three solariums
- Outdoor relaxation areas
- Hammocks
- Outdoor fireplaces
- Massage treatments (Swedish massage, hot stone therapy and sports massage)
- Bistro
- Boutique
- Private yoga classes and retreats
The tradition of hot baths, cold plunges and Finnish saunas remains popular today in Europe. There are many therapeutic and personal benefits to using these baths and spas including stress reduction, detoxification and cleansing. The three-part cyclical routine of the spa (heat,cold and relax) allows an individual to benefit the most from the baths. Each part works to rejuvenate, revitalize and relax the body.
One of the best features of the Scandinave Spa is their commitment to being green. They encourage patrons to bring their own water bottles and have several water refilling stations throughout the buildings.
The Scandinave Spa is definitely an experience to help you unwind and escape from the daily pressures of life. You leave feeling relaxed, renewed and ready to face the world with a positive outlook.
You can connect with Scandinave Spa on Twitter and Facebook.
March 3, 2015
You are my Heart by Marianne Richmond #bookreview
“Before you were born my heart always knew I wanted to be a good parent to you” – You are my Heart
About You are my Heart
You are my Heart puts into words some of the magical moments we share with our children every day as they grow into our hearts forever. The joyful love we feel and all the emotions straight from pregnancy to birth and beyond.
My Thoughts
I fell in love with You are my Heart. This book puts into words every emotion and feeling you have for your child. The love we feel for them is all-encompassing and this book delivers all of that and more. I actually teared up reading it to my kids (which caused them to tease me endlessly!). Through all the good moments and the bad moments we love our children and it is important to remind them of this.
I can easily see You are my Heart becoming a favourite for baby showers as it is a story you will enjoy reading to your child over and over again. It is always important to tell our child how much we love them and You are my Heart does that and more!
The illustrations in this book are wonderful both light and airy that fits in perfectly with the story. Marianne uses colour to coordinate with the words she writes perfectly.
You are my Heart, not only makes a perfect gift for expecting parents but is also suitable for children ages 2-8 years.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Marianne Richmond is both an author and illustrator (and does both in You are my Heart) who has touched millions for nearly two decades with her award-winning books, greeting cards and gift products that help to connect individuals. She lives in the Minneapolis area. She is the author of If I Could Keep You Little, Big Girls Use the Potty and I Wished For You: An Adoption Story.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
March 3, 2015
Supertruck by Stephen Savage #bookreview
Facing an awful snowstorm, who can the city turn to save the day? Supertruck of course!
About Supertruck
Every truck in the city has a special job. Some trucks rescue others, some tow while others transport. But the garbage trucks just collects garbage.
When the colossal snow storm hits the city everything comes to a standstill. The trucks can’t do their job. So who comes to the rescue to dig them out? Supertruck of course!
But who is this mysterious superhero? And why does he disappear after the storm?
My Thoughts
A simple and beautifully written story – our son fell in love with this book right from the start (he had us re-reading it five times the very first time we opened it up!). The story was easy to follow along with and our eldest son was able to read it to our youngest as well. It was easy to read aloud which makes it the perfect bed time story.
Supertruck has a lovely message about not judging a book by its cover. A person is not always what they seem and everyone has a special job to do. Supertruck is one of those people. His true identity is one you would not expect showing our children that everyone is special and has a special job to do. Or as our youngest says, we are all superheroes inside!
The illustrations are bright and bold. They draw you right into the book and enhance the story.
This is the perfect story for children ages 2-6 years old.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Stephen Savage is the illustrator behind the New York best-selling picture book, Polar Bear Night, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated children’s book and an ALA notable book. His editorial illustration has been featured in dozens of major newspapers including: The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
March 3, 2015
Fun Family Activities at Blue Mountain Village #WinterWarrior
After wrapping up three days at Blue Mountain (staying at the gorgeous Westin Blue Mountain) we were amazed at how much the village has to offer. Blue Mountain Village has something to offer for every member of the family, from the youngest to the eldest.
We started off our stay at Westin Blue Mountain by dropping off our bags early and hitting the Hike and Tube. It was a short walk (less than five minutes) to the location and easy to locate as it was right on the main road.
I haven’t had that much fun in a long time! The staff were fantastic and hilarious as they spun us down the hill. I honestly don’t know how they don’t go home sore from twirling people all day but it looked like they were having a fantastic time! Our youngest was terrifying me as he was laughing and telling them to spin him more. The ‘hike’ up the hill was short and easy to do for most individuals. Our youngest kept getting free rides up the hill by staying in his tube and getting us to drag him up (oh the joys of being young and lightweight!).
On our second day we were ready to hit the slopes (or in our case the novice course!). Blue Mountain has an incredible novice area with excellent and patient instructors. I would highly recommend if this is your first time trying out the sport to meet with an instructor and have them go over the basics with you – honestly this is so important both for your own enjoyment and for personal safety.
My eldest son took to snowboarding like it was nothing! He was doing his second turn across the open area while I was still navigating how to push the snowboard with one leg and pull my leg across without falling. I could not believe how much work it was – these guys make it look super easy.
It was truly amazing to see the amount of young children on the course. They took to the skiing and snowboarding like it was second nature to them. They were fearless in getting up the mini hills and gliding back down the hill. My son had tried snowboarding before in the past but I was so grateful for all the time and energy our instructor spent on teaching my son the basics. It truly made a big difference.
The Kids at Blue Mountain located out of South Base Lodge is the perfect opportunity for your youngest members (ages 3-5) to learn in a quieter environment with the focus solely on children. A short walk (roughly ten minutes) or you can take the shuttle from the Westin hotel lands you at South Base Lodge and the Kids at Blue Mountain area. The children were adorable as they stepped out on the skiis and up the ‘carpet’. The instructors were fabulous as they came down the hill behind the children holding on to the jacket and guiding them through each stage.
The Plunge Aquatic Centre is located just adjacent to the Westin Blue Mountain. It took us under five minutes to walk there from the hotel. The Plunge Aquatic Centre contains both an indoor and outdoor pool (with access through the pools), indoor water playground, hot tub, rope swings, slides and basketball nets. Swimming outdoors in the cold temperatures (-26C) was an experience to remember. Your face could barely feel the cold but your eyelashes would have frost on them! The steam from the pool would become thick at times and you could sometimes only see a couple of feet in front of you which was pretty awesome! There were plenty of lifejackets and the pool space was quite spacious. Each pool is kept quite warm so you never felt cold.
The Ridge Runner Coaster is an exciting single person (or you can go with your children) that runs through the mountain. The coaster takes you on a 1,085 metres down the mountain. It was fun, scary and exhilarating all at the same time! At times you felt like you were going to fly over the side of the mountain. While I screamed the whole way down the mountain both of my children laughed the whole way!
We also spent an afternoon at Crock A Doodle painting our own ceramic creations. There was a wide variety of ceramic options to choose from and which you can settle in right away. Your creations are left over night and can be picked up the next day after four or for a small fee can be mailed to your home. We just received our creations in the mail today!
Here is a collection of some of my favourite photos around Blue Mountain village:
What are your favourite winter activities? What activity would you love to do at Blue Mountain?
Come back again tomorrow for more Blue Mountain fun!
