Category: review

September 2, 2018

Your Home, Your Oasis – Keep it Fresh with Febreze Air Purifier

I love my home – I can not wait to come home from a busy day at work to throw off my shoes, get into comfy clothes and just unwind with my kids before we are back out the door for soccer practices. I know I am not alone in this, your home should be the one place in the world that is your special place where you can escape the craziness of life.

The only complaint I have?

Between two dogs and two active young boys, our home can become stinky and full of dust quite fast. There are weeks that I feel I can not keep up with the dust, dog dander and the smell from the soccer cleats (honestly – how is it even possible that cleats can become so stinky???).

But look at those adorable faces – I wouldn’t change it for anything even when you come home and have to clean before you can relax.

To top it off, both of my boys and myself have allergies and asthma which means we have to be extra careful in the home with dust and the dog dander. To combat the allergies and dog dander in the home and to prevent medical flare ups, we make sure that we follow the steps below:

Limit the amount of carpet in the house. Our main floors and bedrooms are laminate which makes it easier to spot the dust and vacuum on a regular basis. I know this isn’t the most budget friendly option for every home but this has definitely helped us out as a family.
Change dog bedding three times a week. Our eldest dog has a skin condition that I like to explain to others as similar to dandruff. Her skin is always itchy and she constantly scratches and pulls off layers of skin and fur. When she has a flare up, we have to be careful and ensure we are vacuuming her sleeping area and keeping her blankets clean to remove the flakes from the floor. For reasons that the vet can not explain, when she has these flare ups her skin also becomes oily and emits a foul smell.
Chore charts to include our children in the dusting, vacuuming and dog walks. We have tried many different methods in the past but we found that recording their completion of chores on the fridge puts a competitive edge to their chores and helps get it done.

The number one item that we have introduced into our home to help improve air quality? A Febreze Air purifier.

This air filter comes in three sizes (table top, mini tower and tower) and has the ability to trap up to 99% of the most common airborne particles like dust, pollen and pet dander with the added bonus of the famous Febreze scents.

We used the tower for the toughest area in our home, the living room, and the table top for the bedroom. Once you have decided on the most appropriate size for the area, set up is extremely easy. We literally pulled the system out, removed the taping, inserted the filter and Febreze cartridge and the unit was ready to go.

We noticed a marked improvement in as little as a day – when the units were operating you didn’t notice the smell from our dogs and the dust didn’t bother us, the air quality in our home was greatly improved. When you forgot to turn the units on and came home, the smells and air quality hit you like a wall (for me I feel it the worst in my sinuses with instant sinus pain, sneezing and irritation).

You can choose from three air cleaning settings on the unit, we had a personal preference for the highest setting for a good portion of the day and using the middle setting at night. The setting choice would come down to how tough the area is with the air particles and smell, since our family spends a great amount of time in our living room and on the main floor – we needed the strongest setting to combat the smells and dust/pet dander. The same applies to the scent setting, you can choose how strong you want the Febreze scent to be. The units are discreet and can be placed in any room without distracting from your décor.

Are you fighting dust and indoor particles? Use my tips above and check out this helpful video that provides you with additional steps to keep your living room clean, fresh and free from airborne particles:

How do you help control and eliminate airborne particles in your home and keep your home smelling fresh?

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned products in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 1, 2018

Turn Your Living Room into an Escape Room with MacGyver: The Escape Room Game!

Do you love the thrill and challenge of solving questions under pressure? But maybe you don’t have the time or an escape room nearby? Or friends that are difficult to get together? Then MacGyver: The Escape Room game is for you – it is literally an escape room in a box that can be played in the convenience of your living room.

About MacGyver: The Escape Room

The game includes five roughly one hour-long numbered missions that you will need to work through in order to solve the missions. The game connects with an interactive website that assists you in solving clues and guiding you through the mission. The missions have been designed with MacGyver in mind – inspired from the original show! You will need to work in a group of up to four to escape from an underground lab, land an airplane, survive a dangerous factory, flee from a missile solo and outsmart Murdoc in the finale. Whew – no easy task there, right?

What The Game Contains

Instruction sheet with link to the interactive website
Five mission envelopes that MUST be opened in order and only in a specific order as you uncover and solve each clue (each mission envelope will contain multiple small envelopes that have clues and more to help you solve the mission).
One utility bag for you to fill up as you go along

Our Thoughts

Having never been in an Escape Room but always wanting to try it out because of the positive feedback we have heard, we couldn’t wait to dive into the game. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, the website is a huge help as it guides you with extra items you may need (paper and pencil, etc..) and when to open the next envelope. You can set up each mission to be completed in a certain amount of time (hard) or no timing (easy), which we set ours to as we didn’t want the extra pressure during our first mission although we kept this setting throughout.

Clearly we had to work on our problem solving skills when we got stuck on clue one! Finding the secret code in the lasers to begin the game – when we realized we were looking in the wrong spot – we were looking on the envelope instead of paying attention to the instructions on the computer which would have guided us to the correct spot – we had a good laugh. Once we got into the swing of it, it did get easier but it was still challenging and full of fun and laughter. The clues have just enough challenge to keep you on your toes but not so much so that you get frustrated and want to give up.

It is important to note, that once you have played each mission – it would be difficult to replay them as you would have a hard time re-sealing the envelopes and clues. It’s not impossible as it would depend on how you ripped them open – so be careful as you open each one. When you compare the price to visiting an actual escape room and the convenience of being able to play at home, this is by far the better choice.

The game is intended for individuals twelve and over, along with one to four players but we included our seven-year old who had a great time assisting us with the clues, writing things down and entering things into the computer (he is quite tech savvy) so don’t let age limit you!

MacGyver: The Escape Room Game is created and distributed by Pressman Toys, who have been helping families have fun since the 1920s! Make sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on the newest products, games and more.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

August 14, 2018

Capturing Family Memories to Last a Lifetime on Canvas Print with BestCanvas.ca

I love capturing moments with my camera. My family can always count on Mom to be there with her big camera capturing moments on the soccer field, at school and just playing around. Time flies by so fast that it these special moments that we capture on film that will always last. We can still look back at photos and remember the history to each one, whether it was just before something silly happened or an accident happened.

Every once in a while you capture an image that you know needs to be printed out. It may be full of emotion or action or even that perfect family photo (and living with three boys, trust me, getting that perfect family photo feels impossible at times!). You want to be to look at that image every day but maybe you are not sure what format would be the best? Canvas prints have been a popular choice for a long time but finding the best company to work with in Canada can be difficult.

Bestcanvas.ca creates high quality photo products from canvas to acrylic to aluminum all in their own factory. Canvas prints are manually stretched on the framework using a specially certified canvas that is resistant to UV damage to keep your image looking as new as the day you purchased it.

Purchasing your canvas print from Bestcanvas.ca is simple, quick and effortless. This was one of the best parts about the website – it was easy to navigate and choose my options. I completed my purchase in less than five minutes! Simply head to their website, upload the image you want in canvas print, choose your size and add in any other addition options you may want and head to checkout. That was it – promise!

The turn around time to receive my canvas print was just as impressive. We received our canvas in just under a week. It was well wrapped and shipped carefully to prevent any damage of the canvas.

I personally love checking the quality of the printing – I love my photos so I like to see how it was printed, if it is clear and the image is crisp (although a lot of this has to do with the photo you upload so make sure you use a good photo). I was really impressed with the texture and quality as well as the frame. It was lightweight but printed on great quality paper making it easy to carry and hang. The image extended over the sides which is so important as I didn’t order mine with a frame.

The canvas itself was easy to put up on the walls and came with its own equipment (added to my order at the time of ordering). I couldn’t wait to get it up on our walls, I had the perfect spot picked out in our dining room that was just waiting for a new print. My kids loved looking at our family portrait once it was up and we have received multiple compliments from visitors on the quality.

The Giveaway!

My Canadian readers can now enter to win their own BestCanvas.ca print! Enter via the Rafflecopter form below to win a 36″x24″ print.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t want to wait to win one? Head over now to BestCanvas.ca and use the WORKINGMOMMYJOURNAL to receive 10% off your order today.

I can’t wait to get started on our next canvas project which will be a collage of the boys soccer photos from this year for the entry way in our basement. The possibilities are endless with the variety of sizes and styles Bestcanvas.ca offers. Head over now to check out their website and make sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with the latest news and offers.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

August 14, 2018

The Top Four Camping Kids Games That You Must Have This Year

While we may be in the start of August, summer is far from over! We still have several great weekends left of camping, labour day long weekend and not to mention fall camping (one of my favourite seasons to camp in from my Girl Guides days!). Camping (or glamping!) not only gets us out of the city but forces us to put away the electronics and our connections to work, and focus on the most important thing, family.

As parents, we know how quickly our children’s attention spans can be. While we may be content curled up reading a book in nature or enjoy watching the rain from inside the cover of a tent, children can be easily bored. The same goes for the car rides, day trips and the list can go on and on. It is so important that we are prepared in advance with games and activities that will keep them having fun and engaged.

Goliath Games has an incredible selection of fun indoor and outdoor activities that will keep them engaged both physically and mentally. These top four activities are easy to carry, easy to use, loads of fun and the best way to unwind together as a family. They are literally just pack and go!

To help save our sanity on the drive up to the camp, cottage or beach, the 6 in 1 travel magnetic games is a life saver! It is small and portable, just a tad bit longer than the length of your hand. Players can choose from checkers, chess, backgammon, Chinese checkers, snakes and ladders and Parcheesi. Each of these games will appeal to all age groups and your older ones will delight in being able to teach their younger counterparts.

This portable game is suited for two to four players, although we found two was the best just due to the size of the game itself. The board pieces were a bit smaller – so be careful when using them. They come with their own carry case that fits in the back of the game (bottom left image above). I loved this concept, as too many times we put the pieces in baggies and the baggie gets misplaced or parts thrown out, making the game unusable. This toy was easy to use and navigate for both our youngest and eldest.

While we all need those rainy day breaks, boredom and frustration can slowly creep in if you don’t have enough planned or ready to go but Flip’n Chips has you covered! This is a unique take on the traditional game of memory. The game can be played with up to four people, although I think two to three would be the best, especially with younger players. You put the chips in the case it comes in, shake and pour. Then you flip over a chip to find your colour – the first to seven chips wins! Easy right? We had a lot of fun playing this game, it is an interesting take on memory and you have to build up a strategy plan in order to secure the correct chip colours.

Need to burn some of that high energy off? Zoom Ball is the perfect, high action game for your children to play. The concept is pretty easy to follow – each child (or adult) pulls on their set of handles to send the ball in the middle over to their partner who performs the same action to send the ball back. You really have to keep yourself on your toes for this one! Especially if you are playing with younger children – it can be hard to keep up with them! This is an extremely fun and yet competitive game, especially in our home with all boys! Throw in a water balloon in the inside of the blue ‘ball’ and you really have some action fun!

The i-Top brings smart technology to kids activities, where you spin to win! In this activity, children spin the i-Top and it counts the number of spins – the higher your score, you win! This game reminded me of all the spinners and battle games my children loved to collect but this was far more advanced! Your kids will spin the top, complete challenges while it records who wins! No more battles over who is the winner here (win win for all parents!).

Summer camping, day trips to the beach and relaxing at the cottage should be a fun way to unwind with your family away from the stress of every day life. With planning, you can make every moment spectacular and full of adventure! Planning for downtimes, car rides and keeping them moving is key to a great adventure. These four games were by far a fantastic way to keep the kids moving, minds engaged and working together (and sometimes against to keep that competitive edge).

Make sure to follow Goliath Games on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with the latest toys, games and more!

What are you favourite summer time activities and games to do together as a family?

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned products in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

August 7, 2018

The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island DVD Giveaway

Just in time to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the book series, The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island are headed to Blu-ray and DVD on August 7^th with the release of the new animated feature film.

About The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island

The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island, is the highly anticipated movie adaption of the popular children’s book of the same name. The DVD stars Golden Globe®-winning actor Martin Sheen (The West Wing) as James Alden, Oscar®-winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) as Dr. Moore, Dane DeHaan (Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets) as the mysterious Joe, Joey King (Independence Day: Resurgence) as Jesse Alden, Carter Sand (Frozen) as Benny Alden, Gil Birmingham (Twilight) as Lonan Browning, Griffin Gluck (Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life) as Henry Alden, Stephen Stanton (Star Wars Rebels) as Capt. Daniel and Talitha Bateman (Love, Simon) as Violet. Now that is a list!

The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island follows the adventures of the orphaned Boxcar Children as they spend an entire summer living on their Grandfather’s small, nearly uninhabited island. There they meet Joe, who is friendly and helpful, and inexplicably living on their island. Does their new friend have a secret?

The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island is fun for the whole family. It is directed by Dan Chuba and Mark Dippé, and is produced by Legacy Classics and co-produced by Shout! Factory, Albert Whitman & Company and Blueberry Pictures. The DVD is the first of three new animated features to be adapted from the “The Boxcar Children” book series, as part of a partnership between Shout! Kids and Legacy Classics.

“The Boxcar Children” by Gertrude Chandler Warner is one of the best-selling children’s book series of all time. Having just marked its 75^th anniversary, over seventy million books have sold world-wide. There are one hundred and fifty books in the series, and over one million kids read the books in schools across North America every year.

Our Thoughts

Having never read the books (I know – crazy right!), I was not sure what to expect from this movie but we fell in love with the Alden family and their focus on family and adventure.

The movie starts off with school ending and the children excited for a special adventure with their Grandpa. Their Grandpa has decided to take them to Alden Island for the summer! What an amazing surprise for any child – we all looked at each other and said we wished we had our own island too! Can you imagine all of the fun you could get up to? And these kids sure did that! The children spend their time in the farm-house (one of my favourite places to visit as a kid), fishing, eating food fresh from their garden and exploring every little spot on the island.

The bond of family is clearly seen throughout the movie, the children help each other and are there to care for each other. We also sense there is a secret hiding in the background but can’t quite put our finger on it. We do find out near the end of the movie but it is how the family pulls together which is beautiful and heart warming.

This is an excellent family movie that all members of the family will love, regardless if you have read the books or not.

Make Violet’s Ice cream!

The Giveaway!

Enter to win one of two DVD copies of this exciting film set to be released on August 7th via the Rafflecopter form below – GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a DVD copy of this film in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.