Arisa Cox: The Big Brother Canada Momterview

If you're one of the 4.2 million Canadians who tuned in to the first week of Big Brother Canada on Slice, you've already met the upbeat and energetic host (and mom of two), Arisa Cox.

For those of you who didn't tune in because you think Big Brother isn't your thing...I have to tell you, I used to be in your shoes. Then my brother and sister-in-law got me hooked on the American version three summers ago. The timeline went something like this:

Episode 1: "Fine, I'll just watch one episode - with a book in my hand -  but I won't like it."
Episode 2: "Well, I guess I'll watch one more just to see what Rachel's up to."
Episode 3: "Drive faster! Big Brother starts in five minutes!"

I was really excited to hear that the franchise was branching out to Canada, and thrilled to get a chance to pose some questions to the beautiful new host. Here's what Arisa has to say about her new gig, motherhood, and her favourite things:

This Mom: What was the audition process like for landing the role as Big Brother Canada host?

Arisa Cox: The audition process was a treat, I have to say. Considering I was on a reality show in 2001 (back at the dawn of the modern reality tv age), it was like coming full circle. Most hosts in Canada threw their hat in the ring for Big Brother Canada, so I wasn't too precious about the audition process. In general I find you have to do an audition, do everything you can to rock it, then forget all about it. Otherwise you'd be constantly heartbroken! Before I got the coveted gig, I was flown in from Edmonton for a final meeting with the executive producers, and at that point the possibility became real. And then the news came just before Christmas, and it was the best gift ever.

TM: Did you spend much time researching Julie Chen's style, or just forge ahead with your own? Do you see any similarities or differences between the two of you?

AC: I love Julie Chen in her role, but I also love some of the other international Big Brother hosts. Everyone is so different, so doing that research chilled me out. Every host brings their own flair and experience to the table, so I wasn't too worried about being similar or not to Julie Chen in particular. I have an entertainment journalism background, but I've also been a producer, been part of casting other shows, and lived for a year on camera for Canada's first big reality experiment U8TV: The Lofters. I understand the entertainment value of Big Brother, but I'm extremely empathetic to the participants. So that's where I'm coming from.

TM: BB Canada seems to be doing a good job of continuing the franchise without just slapping a "Canada" on the end. How do you think the new show is distinct from the American version that most Canadians are used to?

AC: Big Brother Canada definitely has stuck with the US model, but that was just the beginning. This is a really high budget production, with a beautiful, unique house, an incredible staff of producers and technicians and some of the best characters ever to live in a Big Brother House, so there's that. I think the "Canadian-ness" comes out in some of the challenges (lumberjacks, anyone?), the secret talking moose and definitely some of the accents. Plus Canada is such a diverse country, and that is reflected in front of, and behind the cameras.

TM: Do you have any favourite houseguests from previous seasons of Big Brother?

AC: I am totally in love with the gamesmanship of Dan Gheesling (who is so good at this game it's scary), and I love Mike Boogie for sheer entertainment value. I also spent a bit of time with Eddie McGee (winner of the first Big Brother USA, and good friends with Tre Smith, one of my old Lofter pals), and he's amazing too.

TM: With a 3 year old and 1 year old, do you have any recent parenting joys and/or dilemmas to share?

AC: I've thrown sleep out the window, as many parents can relate too. Recent joys? Watching my son go from rolling to crawling to the zombie walk to a drunken cowboy walk. Now he just looks tipsy, and amazes me that his knees aren't black and blue. My daughter grows and changes every day, and I love watching her relate to the wonderful people in her life, and now that I'm back in Toronto, watching her meet so many of my old friends. She's a total handful. Energetic and funny and outgoing and smart and curious. My mother used to call me a "day's work" when she reminisces about raising me, and my daughter is definitely a day's work, so I suppose history repeats itself. My son meanwhile is a very cool customer. Very laid back. I'm very blessed. I also love that my children have forced me to let go of so much. I feel like I'm much more supportive of other women and especially mothers. It's hard to be judgemental now when I know first hand how tough it is to be superwoman - which is the expectation these days.

TM: How would you complete the sentence "This Mom Loves...."?

AC: This mom loves West Edmonton Mall...our daughter dubs it the "crazy mall." Seriously, it IS crazy what with the water park, the sea lions, the playground, the rides, and it was the first place Aella ever went skating, making a super healthy dinner that the kids eat without prodding, Baby Centre emails, Scholar's Choice for cool toys, the incredible options for inexpensive but awesome kids clothes (Joe Fresh is one of my faves), Etsy.com, Fab.com, Zulily.com, bubble bath time with 2 babies in the tub, cuddling with my husband and a good movie (I'm an insane film buff) when the kids are finally down for the night. Hiking in Canmore and at Lake Louise, the aquariums at Atlantis in the Bahamas, and visiting my uncle-in-law's farm in rural Alberta. Oh and iPads = lifesavers!

*****

Thanks, Arisa! For more about the BB Canada host, visit her website or follow her on Twitter.

Big Brother Canada airs on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays on Slice, and you can catch Arisa at the Big Brother House on Thursdays for the dramatic eviction episodes! If that's not enough, there's a 24 hour live feed, and you can check out Big Brother After Dark seven nights a week, also on Slice. Go to the Big Brother Canada website for more info, or follow Big Brother Canada on Twitter.

Rearranging Kids' Rooms: Better Than Christmas

Looking for something free and (relatively) easy to entertain and inspire your kids for the March Break?

My darling Frannie (who turned 7 yesterday) had been asking me about rearranging the furniture in her room, so one day last week before she got home, I took it upon myself to do so. The girls' rooms are fairly small (10 x 12) so there aren't that many options.

One piece of furniture had to go, so I (tentatively) peeked inside my hope-chest-turned-toybox and was relieved to see that Frannie was only storing a few items in it, which could easily fit in the unused under-bed drawers. (The hope chest is now in my bedroom, as I ponder what to do with it. I know some people shudder at the thought of painting natural wood - especially a beautiful item that my Dad lovingly made for me - but painted wood is all the rage now...okay, I digress.)

So when Frannie arrived home, I told her I had a surprise for her, led her to her room...and based on her reaction, you would think that Santa Claus had come. Her eyes lit up and got really wide, and she threw her arms around me, thanking me profusely (days later, she's still thanking me). I'm telling you, there wasn't a single new item in the room, and I had even left a pile of junk for her to sort sitting on her bed, but for some reason she was just thrilled, and has been super excited to play in her room ever since.

Here's a before and after of the incredibly dramatic transformation:

From this (desk and bookshelf hidden around the corner on the right):

To this (dresser and bookshelf  hidden around the right hand corner):

Seriously, that was it. Then, of course, Maggie was terribly disappointed (those of you who know her and think she is always smiling would be very disheartened to know what she looks - and sounds - like when terribly disappointed) and we quickly did her room too.

It's a great chance to freshen things up (and do a little Spring dusting/vacuuming behind the furniture) and if my kids are any indication, inspires them to purge unneeded items and rediscover their old favourites.

Let me know if this works for you!

Take a Crack at the Egg Farmers of Ontario Egg Decorating Contest!

Eggs Farmers of Ontario has just launched The Eggs Factor Contest! It's an online egg decorating contest – i.e. egg decorating without the mess! (You had me at "without the mess"!)


With Easter a few weeks away and March Break next week, it's a fun, free activity to do as a family over the break or to do with your students (I like both ideas!)

The contest can be found at http://www.eggsfactor.ca 

The contest runs from March 6th to April 2nd, with iPad Minis up for grabs! For every entry, Egg Farmers will donate a carton of eggs to Breakfast Clubs of Canada.

The Eggs Factor is divided into six age categories: 0-5, 6-12, 13-18, 19-29, 30-59 and 60-plus. A panel of eggs-perts – Ontario egg farmers – will shortlist each category to six entries.  The chosen entries will then be posted on eggsfactor.ca, where Canadians will have the chance to cast their votes from April 4^th to14^th.  The top two winners of each age category will be awarded an iPad mini. Egg artists will also have the chance to win weekly prizes.

If you want to take a crack at traditional (non-digital) egg decorating Eggs Farmers has tips on their Eggs Factor website from how to prep your egg to how to make a disco egg!

I'm waiting for St. Patrick's Day to pass before I get full-on into Easter mode, but my daughters and students will certainly be checking out this site!

Anastasia's Picks: More Books For Tweens and Teens

Here are some more book recommendations, courtesy of my lovely 11 year old niece, "Anastasia":

Twelve Kinds Of Ice by Ellen Eryan Obed, illustrations by Barbara McClintock

Summary: Twelve kinds of ice demonstrates the beautiful stages of ice in the wintertime, and how amazing ice just is. Enjoyable and understandable, this book is surely a keeper for everyone!

Age recommendation: Every person of all ages can enjoy this book!

Rating: Three out of five stars for sure!

Favourites: I love how detailed the descriptions are, and how beautiful they are as well.

Least favourites: If this book could be a little longer, it would be even greater.

*********

Safari created by Dan Kainen, written by Carol Kaufmann

Summary: Cool pictures, cool descriptions, and cool facts, Safari is certainly a book to read! {This is a "photicular" book - each image is like a 3D movie on the page, as the animals in the photos move before your eyes!}

Age recommendation: Safari's descriptions of animals are for middle grades, but the pictures are definitely for everyone!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Favourites: I loved the pictures the most, I flipped them over and over for hours!

Least favourites: None at all, it was great!

************

The Wrap-Up List, by Steven Arntson

Summary: A girl gets a letter from a "Death", saying that she has a week to live. Determined to find out her Death's weakness, she searches through her neighbourhood to find a way to stay on earth.

Age recommendation: 12 to 16

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Favourites: I love the touching moments, and the connections I make with the character.

Least favourites: Maybe a little longer, even more detailed!

Winners: Magazines, Scholastic and femMED

Congratulations to our latest winners:

Three Magazine Subscriptions:
Sally of Omemee, ON (she chose Canadian Living, Style at Home and Parents Canada)

Discover More Non-Fiction Books from Scholastic:
Sarah of Winnipeg, MB (she chose Animal Babies, My Body and The Farm)



femMED Supplements:
Amy of Allenford, ON  (she chose - and is allowing me to share with you - Multi + Antioxidants)

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to everyone for entering!

The Little Prince: 70th Anniversary Edition (This Mom's Fave Book Ever)

I first read "Le Petit Prince" in high school, and since then it has topped the list of my favourite books. I love author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's characters, and more importantly I love the stories they tell...and the subtext beneath them. To be honest, I think the fact that I first read it in French made it seem even deeper for me...since I couldn't understand 100% of the text, the read-between-the-lines stuff was even more meaningful!

When I received "The Little Prince: 70th Anniversary Edition" from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in my mailbox I was absolutely thrilled. I know have an English copy to add to my collection of French editions, and the hardcover book comes in a deluxe boxed gift set with a CD version read by actor Viggo Mortensen.

It's my turn to choose the next selection for my Book Club...and this is it! (I'm also currently reading it to my captivated Grade 3/4 class.)

(It's $28.95 but Chapters Indigo is selling it online right now for $19.10).



What the press release says: "(The Little Prince) has led children and adults to deeper understandings of love, friendship, and responsibility, and passages of wisdom and kindness from the original text have become hallmark quotes around the world. With over 150 million copies in print and translations into 260 languages and dialects, The Little Prince is one of the most widely read books in the world, reported to be just below the Bible and Das Kapital."

And lest you think the Little Prince is a dated historical figure, you should know that he has 1.1 million fans on Facebook!

I was also excited to learn that in April 2013, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is also releasing a graphic novel version of The Little Prince, which will allow readers to experience the story in a completely visual way.

Have you read The Little Prince? Do you love it as much as I do? Please share your thoughts with me and the rest of my readers! (Even if you disagree with me - that's fine too!)

Disclosure: I received a copy of The Little Prince for review purposes. Opinions are, as always, my own.

Skinny Cow Chocolate Treats: 120 Calories Or Less?!?

Skinny Cow is now appealing to snackers with a line of delicious "Heavenly Crisp" bars as well as "Dreamy Clusters"...and the adjectives are not an exaggeration.

At 120 calories or less per pre-portioned snack, I feel no guilt whatsoever keeping these in my desk drawer for when I need a recess pick-me-up. (Though the days I do it at all three recesses, I do feel a teeny bit guilty!)



When my package of samples first arrived, I was afraid the snacks were going to be too small to be satisfying (they aren't as large as traditional chocolate bars) but they really do hit the spot and ease that chocolate craving.

Sold as single-serve bars (starting at $1.09) and multipacks (starting at $3.79) bar flavours include Peanut Butter, Milk Chocolate (my favourite) and Hazelnut.

The Dreamy Clusters (they look a bit like little Turtles chocolates, but don't have nuts) are sold in multipacks (starting at $3.79) and are great when you like something piece-y to snack on.

The best part of reviewing these products was that every time one of my girls tried to snatch one I could say "Oh, sorry....Mommy has to eat those. It's for the blog, you understand."

I don't think anyone should have to deprive themselves of an occasional chocolate fix, and if you're counting calories, these Skinny Cow treats will hit the spot!

Dislosure: I received some Skinny Cow samples for review purposes. Opinions are, as always, my own.

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.