Personal Photo Gifts From Posterjack: Win a $100 Voucher

I truly believe that the best gifts are personal ones, and you can't get much more personal than photo gifts.

Posterjack (a Canadian company) has a huge selection of options, in a variety of sizes and at a range of price points, which is why I turned to them in the past when redecorating my family room, and just recently for my husband's birthday gift.

We have a small music room downstairs where he and the girls spend a huge chunk of their time, but until now the only things on the wall were our framed Trent and Queen's degrees (still there from when we used the room as our home office). I wanted to put something personal on the wall, so I decided to take photos of the girls doing what they love to do: singing, playing guitar and playing piano. (I just snapped the pics on my phone, made some minor edits, and sent them off.)

I love the look of a row of canvases, so I ordered three identical 16 x 20 sized pictures. My husband always loves black and white photos so I went with that style, and added floating black frames for a bit of extra punch (thanks to a recommendation from my Posterjack friends). Their shipping, as always, was very quick, and I was thrilled with the results. (I just had to hide the large box from my husband for a few weeks!)

He was definitely surprised and very impressed with our new musical mini-gallery, and I just love how there's now a personal touch. It makes the room seem much warmer and "finished"...giving everyone even more motivation to get in there and practice!

If you're thinking ahead to gift season (Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduation, weddings, etc.) you can't go wrong with a personalized photo gift from Posterjack. From poster prints to framed photos to desk items, there's something for everyone you know and love.

Now one lucky This Mom Loves reader will win a $100 voucher from Posterjack to be used towards any item of their choice! To enter, simply fill out the form below with your email address (so I can contact you if you win) and what item you'd love to order from Posterjack (see their website for ideas). Bonus entries for showing social media love to Posterjack on Twitter and Instagram and to This Mom Loves on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The giveaway will run until Saturday, April 29th at midnight, after which time a winner will be chosen by random number generation. Good luck!

Disclosure: I was provided with the above products for review purposes. Opinions are, as always, my own.

My Favourite Mother's Day Gift

Oh, I love my spa days, flowers, chocolates and jewelry. I especially appreciate the restaurant meals, so please keep those coming, honey. But after 11 years of being a mom, if I had to choose my favourite Mother's Day gift ever, it would be this.

The supplies were purchased at Michael's, but many of these items could even be picked up at a dollar store, so the cost is certainly not prohibitive.

The project definitely did require some time. My husband sat the girls down one afternoon when I was out and got them to decorate the box, and then the really personal part began: he asked them to tell him all of the things they loved about me. Liv was five at the time, and Eva almost three, and six years later their answers still bring tears to my eyes. (Plus it's cute to see what their printing looked like at that age.)

I'm so glad to have proof of that one! 

The sentiment has changed over time.

"Brighten" is putting it politely. My father used to always

tell me to put my eyes back in my head...

If you can't read five-year-old, this one says,

 "I love when you read in funny voices"

Even at age three her passion was evident!

As the queen of decluttering, there aren't a lot of things that I keep - especially indefinitely - but my special little box of love will be with me 'til the end.

This Mother's Day gift is not only great for moms: there are many grandmas, aunts, godmothers and stepmothers who would appreciate the personal touch as well.

Gift Ideas For Kids: from an 8-year-old

Not to be outdone by her sister, my 8-year-old daughter Eva wanted to make a contribution to the blog as well. Today she is sharing some (mostly) classic gift ideas - items that she has enjoyed for years, and would recommend for your children too! Take it away, Eva!

*****

I am an 8-year-old child so I would know what some of the best gifts are to get your kids, at Christmas or any time!

• ·        Rubik’s Cube: This is very popular in my school, and it’s a nice thing for kids to try to solve when they’re getting bored.

• ·        Zoomer Zuppie: I got this as a Christmas gift one year and it’s especially fun to pretend you have a pet when you don’t really have one. But now I do and I think you have heard about Thumper!

• ·        Play kitchen: My sister got this before I was born and I have been playing with it as long as I can remember. I like to pretend that I’m working at a restaurant and making food in the kitchen.

• ·        Build-a-Bear: You would want to give a gift card for this so your child can pick it out and decide on the details because it's a lot of fun to have the whole experience of picking things out and making your bear. You can also get all sorts of accessories for your bear and bring it to the store to visit the bear spa too. My Build-a-Bear is named Minnie Eva and even though I got her four years ago I still play with her and like to change her outfits.
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• ·        Twister: Now this is a really fun and active game to play, and you can do it with different numbers of people. That’s not the only game we like though, also Bounce-Off, Trouble, Jenga and the Game of Life are fun to play with your family.

• ·        Play-Doh: I take this out and play at the kitchen table all the time. It’s nice to have lots of colours and accessories to use with it. I like to make food out of the Play-Doh too. (Yes I do like cooking and baking a lot!)

• ·        Barbies: We have a LOT of Barbies because some were my great-aunt’s and some were my mom’s and now Olivia and I have even more. We play with the Barbie house and cars, and now our bunny Thumper likes to go in the Barbie house too which is hilarious!

I hope this helped you with your shopping list. Merry Christmas!

How Families Can Give Back This Holiday Season: Special Guest Post by Clare Morneau

A passionate advocate for girls’ education and refugee issues, Clare Morneau is a 17-year-old author and speaker who lives in Toronto with her father, Canada’s Finance Minister, Bill Morneau, mother, Nancy McCain, and siblings Henry, Edward and Grace Acan, who joined the family in 2010 from northern Uganda. Clare is compassionate, driven and committed to working for real change. As a student at Havergal College, she founded the Kakuma Toronto Girls Education Partnership. In the fall of 2016, she released her first book, Kakuma Girls (named one of "Heather's Picks" at Chapters Indigo shortly after its launch). She completed a four-week internship at the Global Humanitarian Lab, a partner organization of the United Nations, in the summer of 2016 and has been named a Global Humanitarian Lab Youth Ambassador by the organization.

I'm thrilled to have Clare as a special guest blogger today, sharing ways families can give back over the holiday season.

********

I’m Clare Morneau, and I’m the author of Kakuma Girls, a book about refugee girls in Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwest Kenya. My book is about the challenges young refugees, particularly girls, face when attempting to get an education in refugee camps. More than that though, it’s about how we can mobilize youth to be engaged in our efforts to help refugees.

The story about how I got involved with these girls is rooted in friendship. It’s also about helping young Canadians understand the enormous gulf between our experiences and those less fortunate, and how a small local effort has the potential to lead to a great solution to a global issue.

There are so many amazing ways we can all give back over the holiday season through random acts of kindness rather than just by buying more things. Here are 5 ideas I love:

1. Buy a book for someone in your community – books change lives. I’ve always been inspired by the power of books. Everyone should have access to books and the right to read and learn. You can’t give a more impactful gift than the gift of education.

2. Donate to your local clothing drive. Clothing is a fundamental need, but for many, it’s also transformational. One of my favourite clothing donation programs is Dress for Success; an organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire. Another great option is New Circles, a not-for-profit organization based in Toronto that gives local families and newcomers to Canada the clothing they need. With another cold Canadian winter approaching, it’s a great idea to donate your or your kids’ gently used winter clothing.

3. Bring school supplies to donate to the kids in the regions you’re visiting over the holidays. We are so lucky here to have access to new pens, binders, and notepads for every new school year. So many kids worldwide don’t have this luxury and it has a negative impact on their motivation to thrive at school. Popular holiday destinations like Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba are examples of countries where kids are living in poverty. If you’re visiting these areas over the holidays, bring an extra bag of school supplies to leave with these children! It’s a small thing to do, and it will make such an enormous difference in their lives.

Photo: Storey Wilkins

4. Share a holiday meal with a new Canadian and/or a refugee. There are many new immigrants and refugees spending their first holiday season in Canada this year. It’s a huge blessing for them to be here, and also, a daunting reality since for many, they won’t be with their loved ones. Sharing a meal together will be an incredibly humbling and rewarding experience for them and you.

5. Sponsor a meal at a soup kitchen. If you’re based in Toronto, the Muslim Welfare Centre hosts a series of meals around the GTA, helping Torontonians get warm meals.

We all have the means to make a real difference in someone’s life. Whether your efforts are global or local, they matter.

Happy holidays! 

*******

Thank you, Clare! You can find Clare's book Kakuma Girls on Indigo and Amazon.

Follow Clare on Twitter @KakumaGirls and Instagram @Kakuma_Girls.

Christmas Spirit Roundup: Decorating, Crafts, Gifts and More

It's pretty fair to say I get into the Christmas spirit early...so why not share all that joy with my dear readers?

Today I offer you the post of Christmas past (see what I did there?) - and whether you're in the mood to decorate, shop, craft with kids or bask in cheesy sentiments, I've got you covered!

Christmas Idea # 1: The Festive Lantern

Christmas Idea # 2: Displaying Christmas Memories

Christmas Idea # 3: The Holiday Book Basket

Christmas Idea # 4: The Throw Pillow

Christmas Idea # 5: Printables


Christmas Idea # 6: DIY Decorative Pots

How things are shaping up this year Chez Winn

Primary Christmas Crafts Morning

My Mom's Christmas Decor: A Photo Tour

My Christmas Decor: A Photo Tour (2014)

Christmas Gifts For Teachers

A Thank You Letter to my Mom at Christmastime


There you have it - a dose of Christmas spirit!

(Note: one month from today it's all over...and my house will be de-Christmased by lunchtime.)

10 Halloween Etiquette Tips and Tricks

With the spooky occasion almost upon us, I'm sharing these helpful holiday tips from Sharon Schweitzer, an international etiquette expert, author and founder of Protocol and Etiquette Worldwide. (And just for the visual appeal, I'm also sharing some of my girls' best Halloween moments!)

-        Select Appropriate Costumes: Costumes that represent a culture, race, ethnic or religious group or someone with a serious illness, poverty or other hardship, are inappropriate.  Sexually explicit costumes and those mocking LGBT or gender identity encourage negativity. During this election year, American public political figures are certainly on the table; expect to see Clinton and Trump. 

-        Age Appropriateness: While many adults enjoy Halloween dress up, remember this is mostly a children’s holiday.  What your teenager might wear, is not a good fit for a first-grade Halloween party.  Gage the costume based on your child’s age, and the age of his or her peers. Even if you think your young child might be able to handle dressing up as Freddy Krueger, it might be too much for his or her friends. 

-         Candy Alternatives: Traditional chocolate or sugar-laced candies are always a hit. With more health conscious parents, consider sealed mini bottled water, pre-packaged popcorn, coloring books, pre-packaged healthy snacks, small inexpensive toys, or pens/pencils.

-        If You Don’t Want Anyone To Ring Doorbell or Knock: By simply turning off the outside lights, you will alert trick or treaters to skip your house and go on to the next.  As an option, consider leaving a bowl of candy by the front door.  Putting the car in the garage may also remove the question of whether someone is home. 

-        Knock One Time and One Time Only: If no one answers, move on to the next house.  There’s no need to be excessive and knock 10 times. The homeowner might be on an important call or trying to help a baby to sleep. On a related note: know when it’s appropriate to knock. Trick or treating generally starts just before sunset and ends by 9 p.m. 

-        No Homemade Treats: While it’s a nice thought to want to bake homemade Halloween treats, don’t do it.  Parents have heightened safety concerns for good reason, and will discard these items.  Buy pre-packaged candy from trusted brands like Hershey, M and M, Skittles, Dove and Reese’s. 

-        Teach Your Kids Manners: Halloween is a great opportunity to teach your kids manners, such as greeting and thanking each homeowner who gives them candy. Explain to older kids and teenagers that bullying and pushing smaller kids out of the way won’t be tolerated. When they encounter a bowl of candy at the door, make sure they are considerate and only take one or two pieces.  Be sure they respect private property, including homeowner decorations, and don’t leave unwanted candy or wrappers on lawns.

-        Never Arrive Empty-Handed: Anyone invited to a Halloween party does not arrive empty handed.  Bring a small hostess gift such as tea towels, diffuser, candle, coasters, fresh fruit, wine, packaged sweets, or children’s game.

-        Office and School Policies: Office culture varies, so be sure to research your workplace policy. Ask a trusted colleague about the ‘unwritten rules’. Some offices encourage tasteful costumes, while others frown upon the practice.  Education policies vary, so don’t assume children may wear their costumes to school.  In many school districts, costumes are prohibited for safety reasons. Double check and don’t assume. 

-         Stay Safe: Younger children should always be accompanied by parents or a designated chaperone. Older children and teens should trick or treat as part of a group.  Never enter someone’s home you don’t know, no matter how nice they seem.  Carry a flashlight and mobile phone.  Follow your intuition and if you have a bad feeling about something, avoid it.

Thanks, Sharon!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!  

Easter Giveaway: Winnie the Pooh itty bittys in Basket from Hallmark!

Time for another flash social media giveaway!

The prize: four Disney's Winnie the Pooh Easter itty bittys from Hallmark in a cute felt basket (value $35). Aren't they adorable?

Here's how you can enter:

Retweet this tweet for one entry: https://twitter.com/thismomloves/status/707668075873587200

Like and/or comment on this Facebook post for one or two entries: https://www.facebook.com/ThisMomLoves/posts/1109132462444252

Like and/or comment on this Instagram post for one or two entries: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCvv9cQxBcS/?taken-by=katethismomloves

Total possible entries: 5

The giveaway will run until Saturday, March 12th at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, after which time a winner will be chosen through random number generation. Good luck, and Happy Easter!

P.S. Looking for some Easter decor that's a bit more grown up? My favourite item is this Spring Ornament Tree ($19.95, and sets of two ornaments are $4.95/set). This is currently a cute centrepiece on my kitchen table!

The Meaning of Flower Colours

I receive a *lot* of media releases in my inbox: most that are not relevant to This Mom Loves and my readers, many that don't pique my interest, and some that are great but I just don't have time to pursue.

This week when I received this information about the meaning of flower colours (just in time for Valentine's Day), I thought it was too cute not to share (the photos are gorgeous!) - plus I'm happy to support Flowers Canada (Ontario).

Take a peek, and see what your favourite colour means!

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Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to show your lover, family or friend just how special they are. Flowers have a long history of being the ideal gift whether you are celebrating 30 years of marriage, have just started to date someone or want to show your friend you appreciate them.

“The beauty of flowers as a Valentine’s Day gift is that they can easily be personalized depending on how you want to make someone feel” said Dejan Kristan, Marketing Director at Flowers Canada (Ontario). “You want to send out the right message to your Valentine, whether it is ‘I love you’, ‘I care for you’, or simply—‘you are a great friend’”.

Dejan offers insight into the meaning of flower colours:

Red: Undoubtedly the colour of passion. Giving out a red flower arrangement will communicate your strong and powerful love. With a colour the same as the heart, red means seduction, desire and passion. Try red roses, red gerbera daisies, or red tulips.

Pink: A colour of innocence and sensitivity, but also very romantic. Although red flowers mean love and passion, pink flowers can show your gentle, yet deep love for someone. Pink flowers can also indicate appreciation, joy and happiness. Try pink ranunculus, calla lilies, or potted azaleas.

Yellow: The colour of harmony, trust and kindness— a great middle ground between friendship and love. Yellow flowers have grown increasingly popular in the work place and at social and family gatherings. These convey meanings of sympathy, thoughtfulness and friend-like love. Try daffodils, yellow tulips, chrysanthemums, or potted begonias.

Orange: Symbolic for growth, enthusiasm and warmth—orange is the colour of friendship and community. Orange flowers send feelings of happiness and joy, with a hint of adventure and spontaneity.  Just like a beautiful sunset, these flowers can also convey a message of fiery passion and intense desire. Try orange parrot tulips, gerberas, or Asiatic lilies.

Green: This colour will send wishes of good fortune and harmony. Green is the colour of health, youth and prosperity. By giving this flower, you are telling your friend or loved one that you’d like your relationship to grow and continue to do well. Try an arrangement with lots of green ball chrysanthemums, or give a lucky houseplant such as jade or pachira.

Purple: A royal colour which often means fascination and respect. Purple flowers show a very romantic gesture as they carry with them feelings of elegance and charm. These can express feelings of love at first sight and say ‘I admire and adore you’. Try purple iris, campanula, or an elegant potted orchid.

Blue: Blue means serenity, intimacy and deep trust. Blue flowers are often used by long-term couples to communicate their never-ending love, trust and loyalty in a relationship. Try soft blue hydrangeas, or a bouquet of delphinium and muscari.

White: The colour of purity, innocence, sympathy and humility. This flower will show your friend or loved one that you are thinking about them. While it does convey messages of purity and innocence, this colour also means new beginnings. If given to a long-term partner, they show you want to move forward and think about marriage. Try white daisies, roses or gardenias.

“Flowers are known for having their own language” added Dejan. “It is important to keep these meanings in mind so that your flowers communicate exactly what you intend. One bouquet will tell a passionate love story, while the other will be the tale of a never-ending friendship.”

For more information, please visit www.pickontario.ca. Follow @pickOntario on Twitter and Instagram, and like them on Facebook.

About PickOntario

Pick Ontario is a comprehensive marketing communications campaign developed by Flowers Canada (Ontario) Ltd. to raise awareness, interest and demand for Ontario-grown cut flowers and potted plants. Launched at the Grocery Innovations Tradeshow in October 2007, the fully integrated strategy includes PR, media relations and outdoor advertising initiatives intended to promote the reasons why consumers and retailers should Pick Ontario. When you Pick Ontario, you are supporting the more than 200 greenhouse farmers who employ over 7,000 people in our province. The growers in Ontario work hard to produce quality flowers and are always looking for latest trends in technology and growing techniques. This is all done to produce the best flowers possible!

Get Into the Valentine's Day Spirit - and Win a Prize!

Sure, some may see Valentine's Day as a commercial holiday, and no, I don't need a special date on the calendar to show my sweetheart how I feel about him...but it's still fun to get festive when a holiday arrives - especially as a parent and teacher of young kids!

Here are a few little touches that get me into the spirit...keep reading to find out how you can win one of them!

Hang a Wreath

I keep a hook on the mudroom door year-round and switch it up with a wreath for every occasion!

Embrace Pinterest

Of course the final results might not (or if you're anything like me, will not) look like the Pinterest-perfect photos you see online, but it can be fun to try! Here you see the a couple of my Valentine's Day-themed Pinterest attempts: XO frames and candy-hearts frame.

Throw a Cushion

This "Happy Pillow" (Hallmark, $34.95) has embroidered and applique front detail and pom-pom attachments and reads, "Let's get happy up in here".

[Giveaway has ended. Plus, guess what? I'm giving away one of these adorable pillows in a flash contest on social media right now (Canada only)! All you have to do to enter is retweet my tweet about the cushion on Twitter, like/comment on my post on Facebook, or like/comment on my Instagram post. You have 5 possible entries, and giveaway ends Thursday, February 4th at midnight Eastern. (I told you, it's a flash contest!)]

Bring it Into the Kitchen 

A few festive details make working in the kitchen even more enjoyable! (Ha ha - just kidding!) Plus, this time of year it's convenient that red is already my kitchen accent colour.

Give a Sick Kids Get Better Gift

What better way to warm someone's heart than to purchase a special if in their name? Ideas, at a range of prices, include a Memory Box, Valentine's Day Craft Supplies or Pet Therapy for a young patient, or a Heart Saturation Monitor - how appropriate! Check out Sick Kids' Valentine's Day Gifts page for more information.

Highlight some Blasts from the Past

As I do for most holidays, I pull out framed pics of my girls (here on their first Valentine's Days) to make a nice greeting at the front door.

Bring Out the Kids' Books

I keep holiday-themed books in the appropriate bins to pull out when the season arrives, and they're like brand-new stories to the girls every year.

Cuddle Up

The Count on Me Bear Techno Plush with Sound ($17.95 with purchase of 3 Hallmark cards, regularly $32.95) was a hit when it arrived at our house...the girls argued over who got to keep this sweet item! Press the button to hear a version of "Count on Me" by Bruno Mars (there's also a coordinating book, sold separately).

Happy Valentine's Day!

Disclosure: I was provided with the above-named two Hallmark items for review purposes. Opinions are, as always, my own.

A Thank You Letter To My Mom at Christmastime

Dear Mom,

Thank you for being the architect of my Christmas experience.

While I believe I had a child-appropriate appreciation of you at the time, now that I'm a mom, I see even more clearly just how much love and effort you put into our Christmases past...and what a lasting effect that has had.

Every year, our already warm and creative childhood home went into overdrive with carefully-placed decorations (including the yearly ornament we each received to add to the tree), delicious baking, and fun music (Dolly Parton's/Kenny Rogers' and Roger Whittaker's Christmas songs still have a huge nostalgic effect on me, even if your cassette tapes were long ago rendered useless).  In 1989, after losing your own father mere months before, you still somehow produced a joy-filled holiday, with no tradition forgotten.

Tradition is so incredibly important to kids, and whether it was new pajamas on Christmas Eve or leaving our stockings outside our bedroom doors for Santa to fill (even if I now realize that bought you some extra sleep while we looked through our goodies in silence), my brother and I counted on those yearly rituals to make the holiday so special.

{Just to be clear, Dad played a big part in traditions as well of course: making Grandma Leahy's fudge (the sweetest treat you will ever taste in your life) and reading us The Night Before Christmas - and is deserving of innumerable thank you letters for his influences on us - but we all know who was in charge of Christmas!}

You weren't parents who bought us toys randomly throughout the year, but we were certainly spoiled at Christmastime, by Santa and by you. I can remember poring over the Sears Wish Book, listing the small, medium and large items that I hoped to find (not wrapped, of course) under the tree - sticking to Santa's total limit of  $50. Every year there was a Barbie to add to my collection...and you can find each one being enjoyed in my home still. (Not by me, though I certainly enjoy my children playing imaginative, interactive games that keep them out of my hair.)

Once I had a child of my own, I realized that - over a period of a few years - a seismic holiday shift had taken place. No longer was my Christmas joy someone else's responsibility, but that (beautiful) burden of creating the holiday for someone was now on my own shoulders...and I don't know how I would be doing it successfully without your example.

Many of my childhood traditions are now part of my daughters' Christmas experience, like the secret codes you put on our wrapped gifts so we wouldn't know whose was whose until Christmas Day...unless of course we cracked the code. I remember "Marvelous" and "Fantastic" (the former for my brother and the latter for me...readers, can you figure that one out?) and other codes relating to our interests and ages. My daughters are currently stumped by the "310" and "530" tags under our tree! (Note: as I edited this post - on the treadmill - they came running over to me to announce they had successfully cracked the code!)

When it comes to wrapping, you were great at disguising gifts, though there was one not-so-positive experience when we were intrigued by the rattling sound inside our small, matching packages. We wanted to save them for last on Christmas morning, predicting something very cool and noteworthy, but fortunately you suggested otherwise...which we appreciated, as who wants to save a box of vitamins for the end??? My own girls' gifts are cleverly concealed under the tree now, and as they get older, I know I'll have to get even more creative for their prying eyes and eager hands!

Even though Ed and I are married now with our own kids and the torch has been passed, you continue to make the holiday so special for your children, children-in-law and grandkids. I've been at Christmas Eve Mass at the same church every year of my life, and I love how our immediate family gathers to enjoy a meal afterwards. (There are Sweet Marie bars this year, right?)

Of course the presents are fun too, not only for the kids but the adults as well. Though I know it's difficult to find original ideas, you always seem to come up with something we haven't seen before: texting gloves, a new board game. I didn't even know I wanted a goat (for World Vision) until you got us one! (On a related note, your volunteer work and charitable contributions model for us how to keep celebrating Christ all year long.)

This Christmas Eve when I go to bed, instead of sugarplums I'll have momentary doubts running through my head (Was that the Barbie she wanted? I did remember the tag on that last gift, right? Will Santa leave too many crumbs on my kitchen table? Did we buy bacon???) but if I am anything like my mother, I should sleep easy knowing that Christmas will be wonderful for my children once again...just as it always was for me.

(P.S. As much as I'd love to share a childhood Christmas picture with my mom, of course I can't find one: she was always behind the camera, of course!)