Barbie I Can Be - Raising Girls

My girls are growing up. Of course, right?! I mean, I always knew they’d grow up, but so fast?! The twins are 6 and in Grade 1 while my youngest is 3 and happily attending day care. Where has the time gone? Just the other day Miss A read an entire picture book to me. And tonight, Miss H lost her first front tooth! Everything happens so fast.

As you know, I am a member of the Mom Central Team – a Canadian group of Mommy Bloggers, and I was fortunate enough to be selected to participate in the Barbie I Can Be Campaign. Yeah, you heard me, Barbie! Barbie has been around for many generations, and they have recently launched a new website (www.bethevoice.ca), designed to help Moms with the daunting task of raising smarter, stronger, happier and fulfilled daughters.

Raising a family of girls is a rewarding yet often challenging task. I want my children to have a voice; a voice with their peers, with their teachers and with those that challenge them. I want them to believe in themselves and their abilities. In my house, we consistently talk about what it means to “use our words” and why it’s important to treat everyone nicely (even when you may not want to!). It’s something we practice during dinner and quiet times. The older girls are in the throes of social chaos – 6 year old style. And as a parent, short of running to the school and “straightening out” a few children, the only thing we can do is be consistent in our message and keep the lines of communication open. We make efforts to acknowledge their positive actions and talk about appropriate choices.

The new Barbie I Can Be website features Leading Canadian Parenting Coach, Terry Carson of www.theparentingcoach.ca. She offers unique perspectives and experiences for those of us striving to be better parents. And what’s more, Moms just like you and I weigh in on issues of importance. There’s nothing like making a connection with another Mom living through similar experiences – very powerful.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Barbie I Can Be campaign by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Mattel Canada. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Have You Played Today?

It’s the start of the Thanksgiving weekend and what better time to enjoy the company of family and friends. I have a lot to be thankful for, a lot. My girls are growing up to be strong willed, independent, bright children, and fast – too fast.

As you know, I was selected to be a KinderMOM. And as a KinderMOM I’ve been reminded how important it is to make time for play. So, yesterday we headed to my Mom’s house for a good ol’ turkey dinner. I was ‘instructed’, as Mom’s do, to not bring any food, only ourselves. Well, I couldn’t let that slide entirely!

The girls and I decided to make their favourite treat – crispie rice squares! … but with a “Kinder Twist”.

We heated or margarine, counted the marshmallows and heated them up. With the mixture still hot we crumbled 3(!!) whole Kinder Surprise Eggs! The girls loved breaking them into pieces!

We mixed in the rice crisps and popped the pan in the fridge. In the meantime, the girls played with their Kinder Toys!

How did our Crispy Rice Squares with a Kinder Twist taste?? I’ll give you a clue…

How do you make time for play? How do you turn something into a surprise?

Are you a fan of Kinder Canada on Facebook?? You should be! 10 lucky Facebook fans are going to receive a Kinder Gift Basket worth $200!! Will it be you?

Disclosure: I'm part of the Kinder Mom program and receive special perks as part as my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

They're Back, and With a Great Surprise!

Well it’s true. You may have already caught the sweet chocolately wiff of it in the blogosphere or even on Facebook – the official Re-Launch of Kinder Surprise Canada is happening, like NOW! And guess what?! I have been selected to take part in this special campaign through Mom Central as a KinderMom! And yes, this almost definitely involves sampling these delicious treats! *Insert jealous salivating here *

Did you know that Canadians have been enjoying the cocoa and milky lining of Kinder for OVER 30 years?! Maybe you were even a KinderKid growing up? Maybe you had a special collection of Kinder Toy “treasures”? Feeling a teeny tiny bit old? No way! Kinder Eggs were, and still are, fun for all ages!

Kinder Surprise Canada is releasing an ALL NEW 2012 toy collection which means 70 NEW toys, including a 22cm Giraffe!

You can get a peek at the 2012 collection on their Facebook page HERE. They are in stores now (I spotted them in Walmart just yesterday!) so what are you waiting for? I especially enjoy the toys that require assembly. It gives my girls a chance to follow the instructions independently and build their fine motor skills (do I sound like a primary school teacher or what?!).

Taking time for play is what Kinder is all about…

We threw an impromptu rock concert here just the other day. There was music, lights, microphones, rad dance moves (including hair flipping) and singing! It took all of 15 minutes, but we had a blast. It was seriously the best part of the day!

Have YOU played today?

ALERT!! This just announced... the KinderCanada Facebook Page will be GIVING AWAY 5000 KinderSurprises on Monday August 29th!! The time of the giveaway is a surprise, but be sure to like thier page so you don't miss out on this sweet chocolately surprise!!

Disclosure: I’m part of the Kinder® Mom program and I receive compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Psst... Anyone here?!

It kills me, but summer is drawing to an end. As you may (or let’s face it, may “not”) have noticed, not only did I finish the school year in June, but my blogging abruptly stopped. There were a lot of reasons for this, but primarily, I wanted to enjoy my family and enjoy my 2 months off! And I DID! … camp, crocheting, snuggling, visiting, California, Disney!

But alas, summer is coming to an end. The nights are getting cooler (great for opening the windows) and my girls are actually getting tired of wearing dresses so, it’s back to work I go next week – setting up and preparing for a new group of kiddies and sending my youngest off to day care *sniff, sniff*.

I hope y’all stick around cause not only am I back, but I’ve swatted away all the flies that were lurking around TAMWFI!

Winners!!

2 winners to be announced...

Thanks to Monica at Snazzy Crochet Designs who, from one crocheter to another does beautiful work! The lucky winner of a CUSTOM hat is...

Lori G.! I will be contacting you tonight!! She has 48 hours to respond to my email :)

Thanks to EdenFantasys - offering great ways for couples to 'connect'. The winner is...

Congratulations WinItMama! I will be emailing you later tonight! You have 48 hours to respond :)

Thanks to everyone who entered!! More great things to come... after I finish writing report cards!!

Remember When... GIVEAWAY ALERT!

Remember when awhile back I hosted a giveaway for a crochet/knitters' project bag?! Read the full review HERE. Whenever a great shop does great work I want to tell everyone!! Well, Diana Couture really does make great project bags!

Diana is NOW hosting her own giveaway on Facebook! All you have to do is become a Facebook fan before June 30th and you're in!! What's she giving away? This One of a Kind, Hand-Beaded Yarn Owl!

There are only 4 days until she draws!! Please help spread the word about this great shop (as an added incentive, if you become a fan of Diana Couture on FB you can have 3 extra entries into any one of my giveaways!!)

Wordless Wednesday - May 2-4 Weekend!

We had a great long weekend here... fireworks, bracelet making, a FIRST visit from the Toothfairy, playing outside, movie watching, sleeping in, oh, and we got a NEW swingset!! The girls LOVE it!!

Toothfairy Tonight!

Well, it's been a long couple weeks with loose teeth here at our house. Miss A was first to have a loose tooth, but pictured below is Miss H just a couple days ago - let me tell you I shivered every time she did that!

And then this morning, Miss H woke up and her tooth had fallen out! There was so much pure joy in her face it really was quite exciting!

So, I dug a little in one of my school files and we read a couple Toothfairy books - do YOU know what the Toothfairy does with all those teeth?!

I was inspired by some creative minds on etsy so I decided to spend my afternoon sewing a Toothfairy pillow. There's a small pocket in the front for the tooth and a large one in the back for notes.

At bedtime both girls decided they were writing notes...

And so, with everyone snuggled in their beds we're left wondering, what's the going rate for teeth nowadays?? ;)

We Are Canadian Blog Hop!

I am participating in the We Are Canadian Blog Hop this week! Afterall, it's a Canadian LOOOONG weekend! :) Funny, the May 2-4 weekend meant something WAAAY different when I was younger! Go figure ;)

Thanks to those who are stopping by! Be sure to leave a comment and I'll check in and follow you too! And while you're here, why not enter one of my giveaways?? They're located on the right hand side --->

Snazzy Crochet Designs GIVEAWAY!

I am a crafter at heart and I really believe that hand-made is the way to go when you want something to be personal and appreciated. So, I LOVE when a *new* shop opens and has some fresh designs!

Snazzy Crochet Designs is brand-spankin-new and is looking for some love... I mean really, who could turn this down?!

Monica is the talent behind the designs and when asked to tell us a little about herself this is what she shared:

"I am a mom of a beautiful two year old girl and am expecting a bouncing baby boy in August. I have always been a crafty person. I've tried just about everything and anything you can think of, but it wasn't until shortly after my daughter was born that I tried to crochet. Immediately, I was 'hooked' (no pun intended!) and making blankets, slippers and hats.

It wan't until just recently however, that I decided to open a shop. With my pregnancy being a little rough and not being able to return to work, I had some "extra" time on my hands - and so, the Snazzy Crochet Designs shop was born.

My intentions for this shop is to offer modern crochet designs at affordable prices. Items that perhaps your grandmother might have made, but ones that reflect today's styles. I currently offer hats, bibs, headbands and diaper covers. Since my shop is in it's infancy, I'm constantly adding new items! Other designs to watch for in the future are baby sandals and booties, more hats, toys and much more!"

Here are a few of the products offered by Snazzy Crochet Designs...

Flower Headband - not only perfect for a baby's soft head, but also super cute on older girls!

Bib with Car Applique - who says boy stuff can't be cute?!

Jester Hat - truly the perfect neutral style hat!

GIVEAWAY!

Monica at Snazzy Crochet Designs has generously offered one CUSTOM crocheted beanie of the winners choice! Just think of the possibilities!

Mandatory Entry

Simply "like" Snazzy Crochet Designs on Facebook! Just leave me a comment below with you FB name and last initial and you're in! Be sure to also leave me your email address!

Bonus Entries

*all bonus entries are worth one entry/comment each unless otherwise stated*

- Look through the goodies on Snazzy Crochet Designs' FB page and leave a comment BOTH here and on FB stating which item is your favorite.

- Follow Take A Mom's Word For It via Google Friend Connect

- "Like" Take A Mom's Word For It on Facebook (please leave your first name and initial).

- Follow AMomsWord on Twitter

- Tweet the following :

"Enter to #win a custom crocheted beanie,it's SNAZZY @AMomsWord ends 6/1http://tiny.cc/2lp3q " (Can be tweeted twice daily, at least 2 hours apart for an entry each time)

Open to Canada and US residents. Good Luck! Ends June 1, 2011

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. I simply wanted to share a great shop and a great giveaway with you!