Our Family Day Weekend in Buffalo - With Shopping Deets!

This past Friday, we took the girls and headed to Buffalo, NY with my parents and my brother's family for some Family Day weekend fun!

We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn Buffalo Cheektowaga, and it was fantastic! We had a suite just for the four of us, with fireplace, kitchenette/living room and two separate bedrooms with ensuites and televisions. Considering that a hot buffet breakfast was included every day, as was wireless Internet and parking, the rate of $188 per night was amazing. My one (huge) disappointment was that the hot tub was closed for renovations, which meant that I wasted a lot of time on personal grooming for nothing, but I got over it. The kids loved the frigid pool though!

Floor Plan of Suite

During the trip, we ate at some great places which were new to me: Famous Dave's BBQ (more food than you have ever seen in your life, and the bill for 10 people - including a few alcoholic drinks and a couple of desserts - came to $130), and Bravo! Cucina Italiana (where the bill was quite a bit more - maybe because 6 adults ordered 7 desserts - and I had my new favourite food: filet mignon). I had my heart set on checking out The Cheesecake Factory, but when we were told that the wait for a party of 4 was 3 hours, we figured we had better take our party of 10 and move along!

While the men of our family were most looking forward to the NHL game (Buffalo vs Pittsburgh) it was the shopping that appealed most to the women...and I certainly took advantage of it!

Saturday began with an hour at Target, and we moved on to the Walden Galleria, which is certainly one of the best malls I've been to. Sunday my mom and I backtracked a bit to Niagara Falls, NY and the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls...another great mall, with lots of upper-end stores mixed in with good old favourites (I made minutes-apart purchases from both Kate Spade and Old Navy. And if there hadn't been a lineup at Coach I would probably have taken advantage of their 50% off handbags sale!)

In terms of our haul, the girls raided their piggybanks to purchase pyjamas for their Build-a-Bears, and I picked up a bathing suit and dress for Frannie, who I think is destined to be even taller than her mother. Hubby picked up some staple items at Target, but was there more for the hockey and relaxation than the retail therapy. As for me...well, why don't I just show you?

Hoping that if I look like a good Catholic teacher you will forgive me for my later splurges, I will begin with my Dollar Tree score: DVDs of Bible Stories and Songs. Each one is half an hour with several stories on it, and my students have really enjoyed them. They're also something I can justify popping into the DVD player at home when we've had a little too much Treehouse TV!

At Old Navy, everything was 40% off, so I grabbed a couple of t-shirts and yoga pants. Did I tell you I am a new yoga enthusiast? Still working on the "clear your mind" part...but love the stretching and especially the lying down at the end! (That's not the technical name for it.)

Also from Old Navy...

And to follow my Personal Stylist's advice to add more colour to my wardrobe

(and to incorporate the on-trend floral look):

And something that was actually on my list: a classic trench. Mine was 20 some bucks at Old Navy, while the Burberry ones I checked out were about six hundred dollars more. Seriously?

I got really inspired to ramp up the colour while at Target (shoes from Nine West). My mother told me that I could not wear the yellow dress to work this week, as it is only February, no matter how hard I tried to argue that I could tone it down with a dark jacket and accessories!

(Note: the day this post was programmed to go live, I wore my new orange dress to school. I arrived at my classroom, removed my coat and saw that the dress was ripped on the side seam from waist to bottom of skirt. I'm thinking either a ring or zipper snag. My sister-in-law suggested that perhaps it was a lesson for me to shop local! Thank goodness I have Grandma to do my mending for me.)

And because the shoes deserve a close-up:

The next shoes are to solve the dress-down Friday problem of me wearing jeans and a top with heavy footwear that looks like I'm about to bolt out the door and run Cross Country. I tried these light shoes on with skinny jeans, and my husband informed me that I should probably only wear them with a wider leg, as "it's an awful lot of white". Translation: the look was 'skinny ankles on huge white skis'. I will take his advice.

Which means I won't be wearing them with my nice new pink skinny jeans. I will go out on a limb here (no pun intended) and share that these were a Walmart purchase!

As much as I adore my Louis Vuitton purse, the interior is huge, and things end up getting lost at the bottom. I bought this Kate Spade makeup bag to keep inside the larger handbag as an organizer for smaller items. I also wanted to try some new makeup styles and colours, and picked up:

•  Revlon Photoready Primer + Shadow in "Metropolitan". This case comes with primer, 3 colours, and a sparkle top coat, laid out in order for cosmetic dummies like me, with step by step instructions on the back of the case. (I'm really happy with this purchase.)
• Cover Girl lip Colour: While it does last well, I don't care for the separate containers for colour and gloss/seal. I prefer the brands that have one at each end of the same container.
• Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen: I've been wanting to switch to a liquid eyeliner, and this pen is perfect. Also amping it up from brown to black has definitely made my eyes stand out more, and it's a more "polished" look, for those who don't mind looking like they're made up.

While it may seem like I went a little crazy on this shopping expedition, I actually got incredible deals and really didn't spend all that much.

On a more serious note, it was really nice to spend "Family Day" weekend with my entire immediate family. The cousins especially loved being together...two on iPads and two on DS's! (I'm kidding - though there were moments like that!) I actually felt relaxed, and not stressed about teaching, writing, blogging or housework while I was away, which is an incredible accomplishment for me.

In closing, my apologies for the title of this post. I have a habit of turning titles into paragraphs and this was my attempt to streamline, but I realize now that I can't get away with "Deets". I can barely get away with short forms when texting.

femMED Supplements For Women: Win Your Choice!

Giveaway open to Canada and US.

Sleep has always been very important for me. (My mother would argue that I am still making up for getting none the first few months of my life.)

I've blogged about it before, but I like to get to bed at a decent time (9-10ish on weeknights, 10-11ish on weekends) and I love when I can get a solid night's sleep.

Although my daughters are almost seven and five and can't be blamed (directly) for keeping me up at night, I often have trouble getting to sleep, and a lot of difficulty getting back to sleep after waking. Once the brain activates, it's game over.

When I had the opportunity to sample femMED supplements, choosing their "Sleep" formula was an easy decision.

What is femMED?

FemMED products are made just for women, and their multi-ingredient, comprehensive solutions address specific health concerns in one formula (no need to take three or four different supplements to achieve results).

Their "Sleep" supplement (non habit-forming, with ingredients of Magnolia Bark, Scullcap, Lemon Balm, Passionflower, 5-HTP [Hydroxytryptophan], Amur Bark, L-Theanine and Melatonin) is designed for:

-reducing insomnia, wakefulness and restlessness
-helping to improve the quality of sleep
-helping to promote earlier onset and longer duration of sleep
-helping to restore the sleep-wake cycle
-promoting each stage of the sleep cycle (clinically proven)

Since I started taking it, I have definitely noticed that I've fallen asleep easier (in fact, my eyes become heavy while watching TV) and there have been several nights that I don't even remember waking.

The biggest problem is when something wakes me in the night (Maggie has a habit of yelling in her sleep, sensible things like "I love Monday Tuesday Wednesday!" and "Stop, Frannie! You're annoying me!") and I'm startled into alertness. Once alert, all worries - past, present and future - begin to circulate in my brain. So there have still been a couple of those nights in the past month, but I swear they have been fewer.

With something as complicated as sleep, could it be possible that I'm experiencing a placebo effect with these pills: I think they will help me sleep better, so I sleep better? The truth is, for a buck a tablet, I really don't care. A good night's sleep is worth more than that to me.

The bottle suggests taking the product an hour before bedtime, and I was taking it even earlier to guarantee results, but I've started taking it a bit later with the hopes that the effects will last longer through the night, and I've been happy with the system.

Other info about femMED:

• founded by Canadian mother of three, Shawna Page
• doctor-formulated, doctor-recommended
• non-addictive
• safe on their own or in combination (except prenatals)
• do not contain dairy, egg, artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners or preservatives
• gluten and yeast free, almost all are suitable for vegetarians and in vegetable capsules (maybe that's why I notice a brief weird taste before swallowing the capsules; not a big veggie fan!)
• environmentally responsible production in Canada 

femMED offers the following formulas:

• Libido (as if I was going to review that one on the blog)
• Menopause Relief
• Weight Management
• Bone Health
• Breast Health
• Energy
• Hair, Skin and Nails
• Heart Health
• Hormonal Balance
• Multi + Antioxidants
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy + Ginger

You can purchase femMED products online or at:

Shoppers Drugmart/Pharmaprix
Walmart
Loblaws
Rexall PharmaPlus
London Drugs
Save-On-Foods

And yes...femMED is giving away a bottle of supplements (winner's choice) to one lucky This Mom Loves reader (Canada or US)! All you have to do is leave a comment below letting me know which one you would choose. (I won't hold you to it if you name one publicly and then want to really order a different one...not that anyone would judge anyone else's choice!)

Please make sure I have enough information (e-mail/Twitter/Facebook/Google profile/etc.) to find you if you win!

For extra entries, leave separate comments below letting me know that you:

• Follow @femMED on Twitter
• Follow @thismomloves on Twitter
• Like femMED on Facebook
• Like This Mom Loves on Facebook

The contest will run until Thursday February 28th at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, after which time a winner will be chosen through Random Number Generation. Good luck!

This Mom Loves Decorating!

With Spring approaching, my mind has been racing with all sorts of decorating ideas. I'd really love to switch from carpet to hardwood in the three bedrooms, and of course we might as well freshen up the paint if we're doing that. And if we're painting, it just makes sense to change the bedding. And accessories.

I'd also like to revamp our main bath. There's nothing wrong with it exactly (after 10 years), except looking a bit dated, but there are things one can do about that. I'd leave the toilet and one piece tub, but invest in a new vanity/sink, mirror, and lighting as well as details like shower curtain, towels, and mat. Hubby would like to switch from vinyl floor to ceramic tile, which I know would look gorgeous, but I worry about ceramic being so cold...

Anyway, I have absolutely nothing new to show you today (believe me, I'm as sorry about that as you are) but this did get me thinking about all of the decorating I've written about since starting the blog, and I thought I'd bring you some flashbacks:

Laundry Room Facelift  (This is the Before - you have to click to see the After!)

Bathroom Facelift (same deal)



Momterview with Designer Extraordinaire Sarah Richardson



Momterview with another amazing Designer Debbie Travis



Extreme Makeover - Guest Room to Baby Room (pictured) to Big Girl Room (click for the reveal)



Front Door Makeover (this is the before)



Red Paint: Not For The Faint of Heart: can you picture the room above Ruby Red? Check it out...

Okay, now I really have the itch to decorate. Maybe I should get moving on my Income Tax Return. Any surprise money should definitely be invested into a person's home, right? And purchasing products and hiring tradespeople is good for the economy. It's really the financially responsible thing to do. TurboTax, here I come...

Valentine's Offerings From Hallmark...and a Question

There was a snow-covered package waiting on my doorstep for me this morning...my latest Hallmark Press Pause shipment!

Inside I found all sorts of great Valentine's goodies, like...

"Cupig": He shuffles and shakes his belly while singing a parody of the "Cupid Shuffle" ($15.95 with the purchase of  3 cards)

"Something For You Pup": Place an item in his mouth (card, flower, small candy box) and when the recipient pulls it out, the puppy will give a little "grr" and then a happy "ruf, ruf!" with a wagging tail. Kids would love this one! ($14.95)



"Love Ya Pup": This adorable pup's ears flap as he says "Who do I love? you-oooh!" ($9.95 with the puchase of 3 cards)



These plush items will be great motivators in my classroom next week as they become prizes for responsibility and good behaviour!

Hallmark's "Valentine's Day Signature Collection Cards" are handcrafted and designed for a variety of recipients (let's just say one makes a play on the phrase "horny toad"!)

The "Card Presenters for Adults" collection is gorgeous (with gems, attachments, a unique clasp, and embossed envelopes), but unfortunately Hallmark sent me the "For The Wonderful Woman I Love" card...I can't make it that easy for my husband! (Although...what kind of bonus points would I score by providing my own card?)



Keep Hallmark in mind when looking for Valentine's surprises for your loved ones, young and old!

What about you...what's on your list for Valentine's Day? Do you celebrate it? When dating and first married, the holiday held an entirely different meaning. I worry more now about classroom Valentine's activities than I do about extravagant romantic purchases, but I'd like to think that I show my loved ones how I feel every day!

We're taking a mini family vacay soon, so hubby and I will probably just exchange cards, and the girls will each find a book and a little box of Disney Princess chocolates waiting for them at the breakfast table.

(Frannie's book: Nancy Clancy, Secret Admirer - the second chapter book featuring the beloved Fancy Nancy character. Maggie's book: Berenstain Bears Funny Valentine.)

I'd love to know what other couples/families do to celebrate...or not!

(Don't forget that all comments count as extra entries into my current Win 3 Magazine Subscriptions and Win 3 Nonfiction Books From Scholastic giveaways!)

Wednesday Words - Thanks To My New Year's Resolution

While I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, I did set a few goals for myself for 2013, and one of them was to read the bible. Cover to cover. Seriously. While I've never been a huge bible reader at home, I use it constantly with my class. One of my favourite teaching resources ever is my "Bible Story Puzzles" book, full of worksheets that correspond with different scripture references. It's a fantastic way to expose kids to Bible stories and give them something to "do" with them. Very helpful this year with a split grade too.



Anyway, back to my resolution. January had barely begun and I was digging into Genesis...and made my way through...but I have to say that the Old Testament just doesn't provide me as much inspiration as the New Testament. The genealogy alone is mind-boggling!

I decided to skip ahead and read the Gospels next (it's not like I don't already know how the story ends) and I've been much more motivated. By Chapter 5 of the first Gospel, Jesus is already trying to undo several of the misconceptions from the Old Testament: "You have heard it was said to your ancestors ____________, but I say to you __________________" (repeated with several different examples). So I think I'm going to stick with what Jesus said.

Some of my favourite tidbits from the Gospel of Matthew:

"Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father...when you give alms, do not let the left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (6: 1-4) This one is actually the Gospel for the Ash Wednesday Mass my class is preparing.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroys, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroy, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." (6: 19-21)

"Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself." (6:34)

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." (7: 13-14)

"Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few'" (9:37)

"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will render an account of every careless word they speak. By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." (12:36-37)

and the beautiful end of Matthew's Gospel:

"Then Jesus approached and said to them 'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (28:18-20)

The Jungle Book: The Movie from Kaboom! Entertainment

I get a bit nervous when I receive a parcel I wasn't expecting. Companies and PR reps will often send products with the hope that they will make it onto the blog, and I feel guilty when the items just aren't a good fit (literally or figuratively). I end up making a lot of donations, or passing goodies on to those who can use them (for example, any baby items I receive go directly to someone I know who is either pregnant or has a baby, because I am almost positive I will never again be needing them myself).

However, when I opened up the surprise box that was waiting for me on Friday, I was more than pleased because I knew the contents would absolutely thrill my girls. It was a limited edition exclusive Walmart package of The Jungle Book: The Movie DVD and two collectible figures of Mowgli and Baloo!

Based on Rudyard Kipling's classic tale, the feature-length (62 minutes) DVD includes a special downloadable activity kit as well.

I've told my girls that if they expect to receive free items through the blog, they have to be ready to offer their reviews, so here goes (after two viewings of the movie):

Frannie (age 4): "My favourite part was the end because they play music. My not favourite part in it was the starting because the fox was watching the wolves and that's mean to do. I think it's good and people should watch it."

Maggie (age 6): "I think the movie was interesting. Something I liked was the names of the characters because they aren't ordinary names that we have. A part I didn't really like was when the snake appeared right in the middle of their campfire because it was really freaky. I think boys and girls would like it and it is a good movie for children."

The DVD will be released on Tuesday, March 5th. Be sure to pick it up at Walmart if you want the free collectible toys as well!

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

Discover More : Win Fantastic Non-Fiction From Scholastic

Giveaway open to Canadians.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: kids LOVE reading nonfiction. While I've seen many girls (in my classroom and home) who enjoy reading factual information, boys especially seem drawn to this genre, and Scholastic is ready for them.

I was sent samples of Scholastic's new Discover More series to check out, and I've been highly impressed. Divided into three age levels (more on that later) each reasonably-priced book also comes with a free digital e-book (which can be accessed online after purchase) full of more information.

You can find info about all of the books and e-books here: http://www.scholastic.com/discovermore/

Check out the following available titles:

Emergent Reader Ages 4+ (hardcovers, $8.99)

See Me Grow
Farm
Animal Babies
My Body
Puppies and Kittens
Emergency Vehicles

Confident Reader Ages 6+ ($13.99)

Penguins
Planets
Bugs
Dinosaurs

Expert Reader Ages 9+ ($17.99)

The Elements
Ocean and Sea
Technology
Night Sky
World War II
Disasters

While the ages provided by Scholastic are a good match for interest levels, I would actually put the reading levels a bit higher - for example, my 6 year old is a strong reader and the first set of books are just perfect for her, while my Grade 3 students  (aged 8 and 9) are loving the Confident Reader books, so don't shy away from purchasing below your child's age level if you want to be sure he or she will be able to read the titles (there are no age/grade levels printed on the books).

Jam-packed with fantastic content, these books have been great for teaching "features of nonfiction" (labels, captions, contents, glossary, index and tons of amazing colour photography) and for drawing reluctant readers into the magical world of books.

Scholastic is giving away three Discover More books (winner's choice!), and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment below letting me know which three you would choose. Perhaps three from the same level for one child or your classroom? Or a book from each level for three different kids? It's entirely up to you! This prize is worth up to $54 depending which titles you choose. Check out all of the books here: http://www.scholastic.com/discovermore/  Please make sure you leave enough information for me to contact you (e-mail/Twitter/Facebook/Google profile, etc.)!

For extra entries, my current system is based on the idea of rewarding my active readers, as opposed to looking for random follows/subscriptions/likes. For that reason, you can get extra entries by leaving a relevant comment on ANY This Mom Loves post, past or future (up to the contest closing date of Thursday, February 21st 2013). No need to mention this giveaway in your comment; I'll be keeping track. If you've entered my current "Win 3 Magazine Subscriptions" giveaway, additional comments will earn you bonus entries into both contests!

Good luck!

Canada: Win Subscriptions To 3 Magazines of Your Choice!

Giveaway open to Canadians.

Since I know you've all been anxiously anticipating the results of my "should I run more giveaways?" survey, I will now put you out of your misery:

Yes:  61%
It doesn't matter to me: 36%
No: 3%

The results actually surprised me a bit, as I was expecting a lot more "nos". Therefore to honour my readers, and also in honour of my recent blogiversary, I've decided to sponsor a contest that I would love to win myself!

As an avid magazine reader (it's genetic), I'm going to give away some Canadian magazine subscriptions...three in fact, and the winner can choose the magazines from the list below (I read every issue of every one of these great titles):

Canadian Family
Today's Parent
Parents Canada
Canadian Living
Chatelaine
Style at Home

I've gotten away from reading these ones, but they're up for grabs as well:

Fashion
Elle Canada



All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post letting me know which three magazines you would choose (I can order them as renewals if you already subscribe) and make sure you include contact information (e-mail address/Twitter/Facebook/something) so I can let you know if you win! 

For extra entries, I'm going to skip the whole follow me on Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest etc. (though I hope you do, and put the links there just in case!) and instead, every time you leave a relevant comment on a post at This Mom Loves, it counts as another entry into the contest. You don't need to mention this giveaway when you comment; I'll just keep track of every comment that is submitted on any post between now and the giveaway closing date which is Monday, February 18th.

Want ideas for recent posts you could visit right now to leave your thoughts and get bonus entries?

Blogiversary # 3: My Very First Post Flashback
Microsoft Surface Fiasco Update
The Great Swaddle Debate
Winter Getaway - The Wizard of Oz in Toronto
Christmas Gift Highlights
Immunizations as Gifts...and My Kids Were Excited!
To Give(away) or Not To Give(away)

You can also follow along and leave comments on any new post that comes out in the next three weeks. And hey, it doesn't even have to be anything recent. Comment on something from 2010 for all I care, as long as you're interacting with the blog!

Good luck!