Christmas Idea # 1: The Festive Lantern

So, I've had this beautiful lantern hanging around for years, without really having a great idea for what to do with it. (No offense if you gave it to me. It's lovely, I'm just not creative enough.) Thanks to the inspiration of Pinterest, I decided to pull it out and incorporate it into my Christmas décor this year. A few packs of ornaments from Dollarama, and I was all set:

The original pin that inspired me: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175288610468060889/

  

Since I'm adding some new holiday-themed items to my home this year, that means editing out some of the old ones...and my school bag is packed full of the goodies that didn't make the cut, and are destined for my classroom treasure box. (My apologies if your child brings one home.)

Stay tuned for more (usually inspired by Pinterest) Christmas ideas!

This Mom Is Everywhere!

Do you ever feel like you just can't get enough of This Mom Loves? (Crickets...crickets...anybody?)

For those (two) who have been asking lately how to find me on various social media, here are all the details:

Twitter (@thismomloves)

https://twitter.com/thismomloves


Pinterest (katewinn77)

http://pinterest.com/katewinn77/

I'm not much of a recipe blogger if that's your thing (but if you're here reading this blog you clearly have other interests). My boards include Decorating/Home, Arts and Crafts, Education, Organization, Fashion, and all of the various holidays. Watch this space for some new as-seen-on-Pinterest Christmas ideas, coming soon!

Leave a comment below with your info if you'd like a Pinterest follow-back. I love scoping out new ideas!


E-mail:

http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=ThisMomLoves&loc=en_US

Signing up for e-mail guarantees that you'll receive every new complete post (no partial posts, no link-clicking* required) delivered right to your Inbox. I have my settings so that new posts are mailed out around 9 a.m. each day. (Yes, I am in class at this time, but it is an automatic feature. I'd like to stress that.) Once you sign up, you'll receive a "Feedburner E-mail Subscription Confirmation" message, which very well might go to your spam folder. You need to open it and confirm to be added to the list. Many of my friends and family members do it this way, so they can read posts on their phones and not have to keep checking the blog for updates.


Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/This-Mom-Loves/194451707245670


I'm relatively new to Facebook, but I know it is the Holy Grail for some, and you might prefer to get updates from me right in your timeline. Be sure to like, comment on or share anything that interests you! (The more you interact, the bigger the guarantee that Facebook will generously allow my new stuff to appear in your timeline. I currently have 1390 Facebook 'likers', and my last status update was seen by 21 people. What??? Of course Facebook encourages me to pay to promote my updates, in order to have them seen by more people. No thanks.)

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If any of these links don't work for you, they're all in my sidebar as well at www.thismomloves.blogspot.com.

*Before I proofread this post, I was assuring you all that there would be no link-licking required. I'm not even sure what that could mean, but it doesn't sound good.

Anastasia's Picks: Books for Tweens and Teens

Check out the latest book recommendations from my 11 year old niece, "Anastasia":

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THE LAST FREE CAT by Jon Blake

Jade has always been a quiet girl, until a strange but beautiful cat shows up in her backyard. A boy named Kris shows up at her house, knowing the cat quite well. He tells Jade that it would be be best if Jade and the cat [given the name Feela] should embark with Kris on a journey, for cats are not supposed to just "show up" in people's yards, and cost millions of euros to buy. After the death of a family member, Jade agrees to the plan, and they set off together, to find Feela a better home, themselves a better home, and try to achieve what they want most: to keep their cat as their own.

My favourite part of the book is when Kris and Jade are in impossible situations. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering "what's going to happen next?"

I would recommend this book for 12 to 16 year olds. A good action read definitely! Out of 10 stars, a definite 9!

DARK OF THE MOON by Tracy Barrett

"She who will be goddess"[lets just call her 'swwbg'] is preparing to become "she who is goddess." But SWWBG has a secret. Her brother is the feared minotaur of Athens! But as SWWBG learns more about her past, she starts to doubt her future. Meeting a new boy sent as tribute from another country, SWWBG realizes that her brother just wants to die instead of living his life in horror, and that there is more to her life than the falling city of Athens.

My favourite part of the book is when SWWBG is caught in a terrible dilemma, and she uses her smarts to pull together a last minute solution! Right before a very important moment too!

I would recommend this book for 13 to 16 year olds. A very descriptive read. 7 out of 10 stars.


THE DOLLHOUSE MURDERS by Betty Ren Wright

After a fight with her mother, Amy moves into her aunt's house. But something scary is happening! An adorable little dollhouse in the attic makes scratching sounds at night, lights come on and the dolls move by themselves! After hearing terrible stories about a murder involved with her family, Amy decides to find out the mystery of the dollhouse with the help of her sister; and possibly find out who was the killer himself.

My favourite part of the book is when Amy hears scratching sounds from the attic and goes up to the attic to try and find out what [or who] is making that noise.

I would recommend this book for 10 to 13 year olds. A very suspenseful read. 8 out of 10 stars.


THE UPSIDE OF ORDINARY by Susan Lubner

Jermaine wants to become famous, and what better way to do it by making her own reality show! But when an uncle disappears, a tarantula is lost,and other things start getting out of hand, Jermaine has to decide: family and friends or being famous?

My favourite part is when Jermaine can't find her tarantula! Funny and suspenseful.

I would recommend this book for 9 to 12 year olds. 6 out of 10 stars.


THE SISTERS 8 BOOK NINE: THE FINAL BATTLE...FOR NOW  by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

The sisters 8 disappear into a magic snow globe in an attempt to find their father. There they meet 8 boys with the same powers as them, and are offered 8 challenges to compete against each other: If they win they find Daddy! A story about not underestimating your own limits and determination.

My favourite part in the book is when one of the sisters takes up a challenge. They are so serious it's funny!

I would recommend this book 7 to 10 year olds. 7 out of 10 stars.


THE BOOK OF BLOOD by HP Newquest

 

A great non-fiction book: everything you need to know about blood. From legend and myth to science, "The Book of Blood' is your guide and go-to about the world's most puzzling mystery: blood.

I love reading about how doctors have progressed through the years. Fascinating!

This book is for 14 and up. A whopping 9 stars!

Halloween 2012 Recap!

Our Halloween Recap:

• Spent too much on costumes, but Maggie has only ever had hand-me-downs and Frannie has only ever had one new costume (plus, I've been at the same school long enough now that I've run through all of my old ideas and needed something new too!)
• I was impressed that Frannie went with something not "pretty" (although I can't say I really set a good example for her, with my princess look, did I?) and really enjoyed freaking people out as a scary raccoon.
• As organized as I may appear, our candy was purchased on the 29th (why did we buy 48 full-sized boxes of Smarties when we usually get a dozen trick-or-treaters?) and pumpkin carved on the 30th (we did a neat idea from Pinterest - using the drill to make holes in the pumpkin. The light from that is really pretty).

Source: strawberry-chic.blogspot.com via Kate on Pinterest

• Living in the country has many benefits. The four of us went out trick-or-treating as a family, and left our goodies on the porch for visitors to help themselves. (I think we missed 8 or 9 kids, who all helped themselves to 'one of each' as per my posted instructions.) I am told this system would not work in the city.
• My biggest compliment was at school, from a parent who had popped in for our Halloween Fashion Show: "I feel like I'm at Disney World! It's always been a dream of mine to meet Cinderella!"
• My fall/Halloween decorations were cleared away before I went to bed that night. The house looks pretty bare at the moment, but as soon as Remembrance Day is over, the Christmas decor will be out!
• Hope you had a wonderful Halloween!

Girls' Night Out at Mandarin Chinese Buffet

It may surprise my loyal readers to hear this, but while I love to eat out, I have not actually been to every chain restaurant in Ontario.

In fact, Saturday night was my first trip to the famous Mandarin Chinese buffet. Another secret? As a picky eater, I'm not even a huge Chinese food lover...but I did not go away disappointed.

When we arrived for our girls' night out, the first thing I noticed was that parking was overflowing from the huge lot onto the street. Obviously it's a popular place...and thank goodness we had reservations! We were given a very warm greeting, a quick tour of the buffet, and then we were shown to our table in room F (the rooms are named so you can find your way). This location is 18,000 square feet, yet the dining rooms still feel intimate. (Ours had a neat fish tank separating from neighbouring room; other rooms have special themes).

We were offered drinks, and while of course I surprised no one with my choice of Diet Coke, one of the ladies had a glass of wine, and three others tried out the Mojito Wildberry, which received very positive reviews (the fresh mint garnish was particularly noted).

Then it was time to load up on food. Wow. I have honestly never seen such a selection at a buffet (well, maybe except for the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Vegas). And let me assure you, if you've been passing by Mandarin because you have a member of your family/group of friends/coworkers who doesn't like Chinese food, they will do fine here. I managed to fill three plates, and that's before I went for dessert.

I appreciate how every item is labelled, not only for someone picky like me, but also for the many who have dietary restrictions or allergies and don't want to risk taking a mystery item. (Though the food has not been analyzed for allergens or nutritional content and caution still needs to be exercised, it's at least helpful to know the name of each item.)

There were stations for soups, salads, vegetables, meats, and of course all of the traditional Chinese dishes you would expect from Mandarin. My favourite? The prime rib. Two words: Yum my.

The service was excellent. Water glasses were filled before they were even empty, and plates were cleared away just as soon we finished with them. As a blogger, I am sometimes unsure if special attention like this is attributed to the fact that the staff know I'll be reviewing the place, but it was obviously happening all over the restaurant, and my friends who had been there before confirmed that it is the norm.

Some feedback from the gals who were with me:

• "They made sure our water was full- which is important for me. I hate it when I need a drink and you can't get the wait staff's attention to fill your glass."
• "They make a mean mango salad. In fact the salad bar was pretty impressive."
• "Their mixed veggies (not sure the official name was) were nicely done. They were al dente, just the right amount of crisp."
• "I think I really like the wide range of choices best. Some may think the Mandarin only serves Chinese food, however, they have a varied selection of food that aims to satisfy any appetite."
• "It is family friendly and the staff provide prompt service as they anticipate your every need."
• "It is refreshing to find a restaurant that can feed every member of your family, offering great choices and unlimited amounts of your favourite food."
• "I really enjoyed the garlic shrimp and the salmon, and the chocolate mousse cake was also very light and creamy. I would definitely recommend it!"

And the negative? We're grasping at straws here, but one friend found the chicken balls "doughy". Gasp!

To top the meal off, we were presented with hot hand towels and individual fortune cookies. A staff member agreed to take our photo, and then offered to print us each a copy...which he presented in little magnetic Mandarin frames:

As we cracked open the fortune cookies, one of our group informed the rest that when reading your fortune, you need to add "...under the sheets" to give it an element of humour (or truth?) Hence, here are some of our fortunes:

"A danger foreseen is half avoided...under the sheets."

"Fearless courage is the foundation of victory...under the sheets."

"Happiness is a journey, not a destination...under the sheets."

And mine:

"The best year-round temperature is a warm heart and a cool head...under the sheets." I'll let you know how that goes. (No, I won't.)

I would absolutely recommend Mandarin for a girls' night, but I will be back with my family as well. The prices for kids are very reasonable (kids 5-12 are half price, 4 and under are only $2 for sharing), and there are more than enough options for my daughters' palates. After our all-inclusive March Break trip, I know kids love the novelty of buffets, and I can see mine finding the atmosphere neat as well.

Disclosure: Although this post was generously sponsored by Mandarin, opinions are, as always, my own.

Hearts For Hearts Girls: Dolls For a Cause

So I know I said we're cutting back on "stuff" for the girls this Christmas, but I don't think either one of them is ready to celebrate the holiday without a new doll...and these ones actually help support a good cause too!

Hearts For Hearts Girls: You can empower girls to change the world with this charitable doll line from Playmates Toys featuring six authentically dressed dolls from India, Belarus, Laos, Mexico, Ethiopa and the U.S. A portion of each sale goes to World Vision Canada.

Right now, there are six Hearts For Hearts Girls dolls: Lilian (Belarus), Rahel (Ethiopia), Nahji (India), Tipi (Laos), Consuelo (Mexico), and Dell (United States). Each of them has an important story to tell about life in her country, inspired by real girls who are strong, smart, courageous, and determined to rise above challenging circumstances. (My girls will be receiving Lilian and Consuelo for Christmas. While I don't think we'll be in Belarus any time soon, the Mexican doll is very appropriate after our March Break trip last year).

When you buy a doll, Hearts For Hearts Girls donates part of the purchase price through their charitable partner, World Vision, to programs that support girls in that country. Whether it’s malaria nets in Africa, schoolbooks in Asia, or food supplies in the US, these programs help girls to thrive and succeed.

And as with most toys these days, each Hearts For Hearts Doll also comes with a special product code for online fun. Once you enter that code and create a user name on the hearts4heartsgirls.com website, you can enjoy all of the online content (like reading the diary of each girl) and activities—for free!

Each doll comes with a friendship bracelet, comb and storybook. I have a feeling these are going to be a huge hit around our place Christmas morning!  

Disclosure: I was provided with two Heart To Heart Girl dolls for review purposes. Opinions are, always, my own.

Blissdom Canada 2012: An Introvert Goes To A Conference

Many people attend Blissdom for the famous Costumes and Karaoke party.

I attended in spite of it.

When Blissdom was taking place last Fall, I followed the Twitter stream and read the blog posts, feeling like I had really missed out on a great opportunity to make connections and learn more about the art and business of blogging. So as soon as registration opened for Blissdom 2012, I jumped all over it.

But then I started getting nervous. While I'm certainly comfortable socializing with "my people" (family, staff, close friends) I'm not so confident with strangers. I started worrying about the Costume party, the meet-and-greets, the meals and round table sessions where speaking to others is kind of essential. Would everyone else know each other? Was I crazy to sign up?

Then I had an epiphany. I was paying for this conference, so I should get exactly what I wanted out of it. I vowed that I would push my limits enough to feel like I had "grown", but not put myself in any situations which would stress me out. And that's exactly what I did.

I know many gals had a great time at Friday night's Road Rally, but I got a good night's sleep at home, ready to head into the big city the next morning.

My fears began to dissipate during the welcome message, when it was made clear that "Everyone is welcome here. No cliquiness, none of that. Not allowed."

Saturday's microsessions were the part I was looking forward to the most. Picture a ballroom with 500 women (and a few men), 41 round tables, each one with a session leader and a specific topic, and did I mention the sessions were first-come, first served? That part was a little crazy, and I know many ladies strategized where they would eat breakfast in order to be at or close to the first table they wanted!

Here's what I took away from my sessions:

Bookkeeping for Canadian Bloggers (Brian Kent-Baas)

• Yes, products, gift cards, etc. received through the blog are considered income
• But:, the expenses a blogger can write off are vast: a percentage of home expenses, such as heat, hydro, property taxes, etc.; a percentage of business travel and meals; products and services that have been purchased and then reviewed on the blog; the list goes on

Creating the Perfect Pitch (Jen Reynolds, Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Family magazine)

• I was excited just to be sitting at the same table as Jen, and of course I said little and just took it all in
• She made a great point about how the magazine's website looks for "evergreen" article topics, but the print issue doesn't want "evergreen", they want things that are more timely. I know that with such a long lead time (pitches coming in now should be geared to Spring topics) it's not like you can cover breaking news, but the subjects still need to feel fresh
• Most articles in her magazine are 650 words, and are seen by many sets of eyes before print
• She receives 50-60 pitches per day, and can't possibly respond to them all

How To Price and Value Your Services (Rebecca Brown)

• I'm beyond working for free, so this topic was of particular interest to me
• Rebecca's handout was full of gems like "Pricing is both an art and a science", and some case study information which showed me what another site with the same traffic as mine should charge for ad space and sponsored posts.
• She also suggested contacting small, local businesses when selling ad space

Sessions which I didn't get to, but would have loved to check out: "Media Training" (with Alison Burke of Impressions PR), and "How To Establish Yourself as an Expert" (with food maven Theresa Albert. Clearly our areas of expertise are very different.)

The afternoon featured several guest speakers, such as:

Jian Ghomeshi: broadcast host, musician, writer and producer

• The best tidbit I took away from Jian (who shared hilarious excerpts from his memoir, 1982): He said that when he started doing interviews, he had to decide whether he was going to follow in the style of Larry King (the "everyman" who doesn't prepare in advance for his conversations) or Barbara Walters (who prepares meticulously, reading the books, watching the movies and conducting extensive research on her subjects). I liked hearing about this, as I consider myself an "interviewer" as well (with over a dozen celebrity Momterviews to my credit) and I, like Jian, have chosen the Barbara Walters approach. I agree with him that the other person is going to open up more and take things to another level when they know that you've come prepared.

Susan Cain: author of "Quiet: The Power of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking"

• My mom raved about this book when it first came out, and I'm excited to see this focus on introverts (I'm especially interested in how it relates to education - as we continue to force our littlest introverts to do more and more group work and 'collaborative learning')
• Though she didn't delve too deeply into this point during her presentation, Susan's bio in the conference program also mentioned "the phenomenon of the social media extrovert but real life introvert, and what it means to be both personality types when we engage both online and in real life." I am WAY different online than in person. I can't even imagine how many fewer opportunities I would have had through the blog if they had required cold calls or visits instead of risk-taking emails (which are far easier for me).

The next big highlight was Sunday morning, when Blissdom attendees participated in various excursions, which were selected through another first-come, first-served process, this time online (thanks to my cousin Kerry for handling my registration, since I was on a field trip with my students at the moment of sign-up!)

My destination?

Behind the Scenes Television Excursion on the set of The Marilyn Denis Show

Hosted by Maureen Dennis and Alison Burke, with special guests Michelle Crespi, Executive Producer of the show, and Steve Ladurantaye, Media reporter for The Globe and Mail, this was a jam-packed two hours full of tips for pitching to a wide range of media.

Being on the set wasn't new to me, as in 2011 I went behind-the-scenes at the show and even sat down for an interview with Marilyn, but this was an entirely different experience.

• Michelle pointed out that for The Marilyn Denis Show, she's looking for "unique things that girlfriends share with each other", and that you don't need the word "Pitch" in your subject. Just go straight to the headline.
• We even had the opportunity to work in a group to present a pitch and a segment and receive feedback from the panel. Very valuable! Thanks to these four for giving up their Sunday mornings to educate us.

When the session ended, it was back in the car and homeward bound...but my mind was absolutely spinning, and still is. You should see the lists that have come out of this!

I know other Blissdom attendees may say that I missed out by skipping some of the conference events, but if it was all a required package deal, I probably wouldn't have gone at all...and would really have missed out on so much!

The point I want to make is that Blissdom can be great for everyone, if you make it what you want it to be. I'm already looking ahead to Blissdom 2013!

Sears Club Points: Earn Rewards While You Shop!

With many store credit/loyalty cards, you can earn points but they're shrouded in red tape, with limitations on how to redeem or what you can redeem for (e.g. special catalogues). You quickly learn that the point value is minimal, especially considering the effort you have to take to get your rewards.

How is Sears different? As a loyal Sears Cardholder since 2000 (it even says so on my card!) I've been collecting points for a long time...but never think to spend them! (Sears Mastercard holders earn points too.) A recent Mom Central campaign gave me the opportunity to spend some bonus Sears Club points in order to share the process with you.

The first thing you need to know: you can use Sears points for ANYTHING! Whether you like the bricks-and-mortar shopping experience or you prefer to make purchases from the comfort of your own home, you earn points either way, and can spend them in store or online. If you're feeling generous, they can even be donated to charity.

To test out the process, I immediately grabbed my Christmas shopping list and started searching the website. My first purchase was a watch for my daughter Frannie (the Timex Kids Time Teacher watch), a 'teachable' analog version with labelled hour and minute hands, etc. but a nice girly look.

All I had to to to use the points was click in a certain spot during the online checkout process. The only extra step is that Sears Card Holders still need to enter their Sears Card number, and their account will be charged, and then reimbursed after the points payment is processed. (Since you have to have a Sears Card to earn points, this shouldn't be too inconvenient.)

When I order items online or over the phone, they are usually at my local Sears pickup location (which is much closer than my nearest Sears store) within three or four days, which is very convenient.

My next plan of action was to have the girls go through the iconic Sears Christmas Wish Book to complete their lists and give me some more ideas. As I waited for the catalogue to arrive, I pondered other possibilities. I could go in-store, visit a makeup counter for a free consultation, and pick up some new eye and lip colours. Perhaps I could put it towards some Christmas decor (as I typed that I remembered that we got rid of our old tree after the holidays last year, and we'll be looking for a new one) or some winter clothes for ever-growing Frannie.

As I've already pointed out, Sears Points can be redeemed for virtually anything in Sears stores or online. Tools, shoes, housewares (I'm sure some people out there get excited at the idea of a new blender or grill), toys, furnishings, etc.

But a sale catalogue arrived in my mailbox before I could get to the store, and as I flipped through I saw a new comforter set that I absolutely fell in love with, the Madison Park Highgate 7 Piece Comforter Set. (They had me at "hotel sleek".)



By the time the Wish Book arrived my points were already spent...but I continue to add to the list for future purchases and points redemption!

I rarely use charge cards for any purchases, but I really need to start using my Sears Card more often (knowing I can pay it off in full when the bill arrives) just so I can accumulate the points. Really, why say no to getting something for nothing?

The only other caveat I can mention is that points do expire for regular Sears Cards (not Sears MasterCards) after two years, but keep in mind if you don't want to use them on 'stuff', they can even be traded for Petro Points (if you don't have to pay for gas I'm very jealous!)

Disclosure – I am participating in the Sears Club Points program by Mom Central Canada. I received compensation for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.