Boo! My "Not So Tricky Halloween" With Allan Candy!

My family LOVES Halloween!  Buying costumes for my boys is always fun, and making them (when I feel creative) is even more fun!  We also love decorating the house with mini pumpkins, window stickies and homemade Halloween crafts.  And who could forget the candy!!  In the weeks leading up to Halloween, Big-A requests candy after dinner almost every night.  And every night he’s told the same thing – NO!  For this reason alone, I rarely purchase candy ahead of time and if I do it’s well hidden.

I love how the candy side of Halloween can get so technical.  Everyone has their favourites in my family.  I am a total chocoholic and anything chocolatey would be Lil-J’s first choice.  Big-A & my husband are addicted to chewy candy, the kind that will pull out your fillings and take an hour to chew, the more sour the better.

This year, I am pleased to announce that I’ll be handing out a selection of candy from Allan Candy Company on Halloween night!  I was extremely excited to find out that I’d be working with this Canadian company through Mom Central Canada on the Allan Candy Company “Not So Tricky Halloween” tour.  When our box of Allan candy arrived at our house, hubby and the boys were attached to me like glue.  I loved looking at the selections and hearing the excitement in Big-A’s voice.

“Daddy, there’s a Big Foot – your favourite!”

“Daddy, I know you like spicy food, you’ll LOVE the Hot Lips!”

“Daddy, I see sour candy!  We LOVE sour candy!”

I guess Daddy and Big-A bond over candy more than I had originally thought J

I was impressed with the individually wrapped candy, a necessity when handing the loot out to neighbourhood kids.  I also love that this candy is proudly Canadian-made.  There aren’t many things out there made in Canada these days!  And the best feature of Allan Candy?  It’s peanut-free which means that it’s school safe!  Big-A was happy to learn that, realizing that he can share with his class.

Included in the loot were the following selections:

 

Allan Fruit Buddies ~ 5 fabulous fruit flavours

Sour Watermelon Slices

Peach Slices (my favourite!)

Sour Cherry Slices

Tangy Wild Strawberries

Sour Grape Slices

 

Allan Intense Jubes & Jellies

Adorably spooky

Intensely sour, chewy candies

In the shapes of ghosts and ghouls

Allan Chewy Rascalz ~ Classic candies you'll remember from your childhood

Big Foot (around for 25 years!!)

Sour Big Foot

Green Thumb

Hot Lips

You will find these selections at large retailers such as Wal Mart and Loblaws stores.  And make sure to check out the entire Allan Candy line-up at their website http://www.allancandy.com/home.

So with our candy ready to go, we have a few things left to prepare for the big night.  Big-A’s Inspector Gadget costume is almost complete (thanks to his creative Grandma!).  Lil-J will be a hand-me-down pirate.  Hubby and I still have some finishing touches on our costumes, as we will be attending my sister’s annual costume party.  The house is spooktacular and the Halloween books have been pulled off of book shelves. 

Another fun thing that we have yet to do is pumpkin carving.  Daddy always carves the big pumpkins and the boys and I help to clean out the seeds.  I purchased adorable pumpkin decorators for the boys a few years ago, and we let them decorate their own little pumpkins.  This weekend while we carve and decorate away, I'll also be roasting pumpkin seeds - my favourite treat!  And then we’ll be ready to go!

Lil-J (a cute little lamb) & Big-A (homemade Mad Scientist)
dressed up for Halloween last year

The boys decorating their baby pumpkins

Each year, we all head out trick-or-treating together, leaving a bowl of candy on our front porch.  With little ones, we don’t go far and I’m totally ok with not being home to answer the door for an hour.  We just can't bear to miss a second of the boys trick-or-treating!  After the door-to-door fun, we head home to watch a movie and sort through candy.  With Halloween being a Monday this year, we may have to skip the movie – party pooper mommy has to make sure the boys are in bed at a decent time.  But it will still be tons of fun.

I love watching the boys trick-or-treat.  And after recently moving to a super family-friendly neighbourhood, I am really excited about Halloween this year.  I'm sure Big-A will run into classmates and it will be fun to surprise the neighbours with their costumes.  And I must admit, I do look forward to sneaking some candy from the boy's Halloween bags...mom's deserve a treat too, right?

I am participating in the Allan Candy Company program by Mom Central Canada.  I received compensation for my participation in this campaign.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

My Moment Of Crazy...

My 6-year old 'baby' is on his first grade school trip today.  The kids were bussed to Burlington to see Jack Grunsky perform.  I remember trips like this, the excitement of taking a school bus with my friends, the excitement of going somewhere other than school for the day!  Big-A has never been on a school bus before and I’m sure that this experience alone will go down in his top 5 moments of the year!  This is the kid lucky enough to live 4 minutes from school, who begs me on a weekly basis to take the bus!

I know how exciting this day is for him, and how important it is to allow him this type of independence.  But even this knowledge won’t cure the knots forming in my stomach and throat when I picture him on his own...without my hubby or I present...essentially with a bunch of strangers in a strange place.

I’m trying to focus at work and I can’t.  I’m trying to forget the consent form that I filled out weeks ago, acknowledging that my child could get hurt (or worse..) during this trip.  I’m trying to remove from my mind the knowledge that there are a lot of bad people out there who want to hurt little kids.  But I can’t.

I’m kicking myself for being rushed this morning and not going over the ABC’s of safety with him; DON’T talk to strangers; DON’T leave your friends/teacher/group; DON’T go anywhere without talking to your teacher first including the bathroom!  I know that he knows this stuff.  We go over it all the time.  I am the mom who sends him off to Blue Jays games with daddy, equipped with a Safety Wristband and note in his pocket with all contact phone numbers.

I know that there are things in life that I can’t control, and so many other things to worry about.

But this is my moment of crazy and I’m allowing myself to have it.

I’m sure the next trip will be easier on me, as the second day of school was - less worry each time.  It’s just so hard to let go.  It’s so hard to release them to this big, scary world with a confident smile on my face.

I guess this is all part of the highs and lows of parenthood.  I’ll enjoy my high tonight when I’m greeted at the door by two happy boys, hearing all about Big-A’s exciting day.  And I’ll forget all about my moment of crazy...

Hand Washing Quickie ~REPOST~

With signs of Big-A's first fall cold and the sounds of sneezing all around, I thought I'd repost my Hand Washing Quickie blog post from a year ago.  Stay healthy!

 

 

Most children are introduced to alcohol-based hand sanitizers at a very young age.  Public washrooms, medical clinics and even family farms are equipped with stations where they can easily pump out gel or foam to clean their hands.

Concerns have been raised by the media about children using hand sanitizers containing alcohol.  The worry is that the high concentration of alcohol (most contain more than 60% alcohol) could make it flammable and intoxicating.  If you are looking to avoid alcohol-based hand sanitizers, there are options. 

Soapopular and X3 make non-alcohol hand sanitizers.  They contain benzalkonium chloride, an antiseptic agent.  Clean Well makes a non-toxic sanitizer that contains antiseptic plant oils.

If you choose to allow the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers for your children, look for brands made with ethyl alcohol (the same type found in alcoholic drinks).  Avoid isopropyl alcohol, as even in small doses it can be fatal.  Use sparingly and wash off with soap and water as soon as you have access to a bathroom.

With flu season around the corner, every brand of sanitizer will be flying off store shelves.  Hand sanitizers are very useful in preventing illness, but don't forget about the original hand sanitizer - soap and water.  Review proper hand washing practices with your children.  Only soap and water will remove blood, dirt and grime from their hands.  Have them sing their ABC's while scrubbing the tops and bottoms of their hands, in between their fingers and around their nail beds.

For more information on proper hand washing, refer to the following link: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/program/pubhealth/handwashing/handwashing_mn.html.

*TIPS*

1. Fill a sandwich bag with a small stack of unscented baby wipes and place in your child's backpack.  Encourage them to use the wipes whenever their hands are dirty.

2. If you are looking to avoid soaps and chemicals from coming in contact with your child's hands, simply wet a clean facecloth, wring it out and place in a zip sandwich bag in place of baby wipes.

Stay healthy this season, practice proper hand washing and encourage your family to do the same!

A Soft & Chewy, Warm & Gooey Saturday

After a busy Saturday morning of running around, I was in need of some kitchen therapy when I finally got home.  Hmmm...what to make?  It didn't take me long to pull out my absolute favourite chocolate chip recipe and get to work.  And the best part?  Big-A helped me.  At 6-years old, he did most of the work and had a blast doing it!  Each time he joins me in the kitchen, I give him a little more responsibility.  Yesterday, he measured and mixed all dry ingredients, helped to measure the margarine and sugars, and he even used the mixer!  He also did an awesome job of scooping the dough and placing it on the baking sheet.  And the job of chocolate chip taste-tester is still in his hands :)

I originally posted this recipe as part of a homemade ice cream sandwich idea that I had.  I have been using this recipe for over 2 years, after finding it on my fave blog Listen To Lena!.  If you like chocolate chip cookies, you must try this recipe!

Chocolate Chip Cookies... à la Lena... à la Anna Olson

Aidan measuring & adding margarine

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (I use Becel margarine)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks

Scooping cookie dough...
Pokemon cards close by!

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and blend in. Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.  
3. Drop by tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Let cool slightly and enjoy.

Surprise your family with homemade ice cream sandwiches one night, dip the cookies into a cup of cold milk or enjoy with a cup of tea once your little monkeys are in bed.  Add a little Soft & Chewy, Warm & Gooey in your life!

OK mom, enough with the camera!

Seventh Generation 2011 Diaper Donation Program - I Contributed & You Can Too!

When I received the opportunity to review Seventh Generation's natural household products, I was really excited!  I have tried many different natural or green products in my house and have been impressed with some, but unimpressed with most.  With two young boys in the house, one with extreme skin sensitivities, I try to avoid using cleaners containing harsh chemicals.

Follow this link to read more on my experience with Seventh Generation products.

Along with a review and contest opportunity, I also had the option of participating in the Seventh Generation 2011 Diaper Donation Program.  After reading about the program, I knew that this was something I had to do.  Here are some details on this incredible program:

• 7th Gen's aim is to reach their goal of giving away up to 240,000 diapers to 40 shelters in Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia
• This would equal a diaper value of $160,000 in donations!
• This is an opportunity to donate to a charitable cause that rarely sees corportate assistance

Once I received confirmation that I would be participating in the Diaper Donation Program, I got to work.  First, I chose my charity - Interim Place of Mississauga.  I had worked with this charity at a previous job, raising funds and shopping for personal items to donate.

Interim Place has been providing shelter and support services for women who have been victims of violence for over 31 years.  Interim Place helps women and children find safety, heal and build new lives free of abuse.

I immediately e-mailed my co-workers and family members and asked if they had any items to donate.  I was amazed by the response!  Along with 4 packages of diapers provided by Seventh Generation, I also arrived with bags full of toiletries, feminine products, children's craft toys, children's books, unopened baby toys, Halloween candy and a lot of unopened makeup.  We arrived on Saturday morning and were greeted with smiles and open arms.  The woman who greeted Aidan and I (he was my strong helper) was genuinely thankful for everything.  This was a great opportunity to help a charity in need, and to teach Aidan more about helping people in our own community.



Excited boys on the way to Interim Place



My strong boy helping me with the Seventh Generation diapers



I had a heavy heart driving away from Interim Place, leaving with a husband who loves and respects me, back to a warm house where I can safely snuggle with my boys.  The women depending on shelters like Interim Place don't have that same security.  Shelters are always accepting monetary donations, donations of items on their 'wish lists', and volunteers to assist at the shelters and in their programs.  I will definitely plan a pre-Christmas visit with more items to donate.

If you are looking for a great way to give back to your local community, I encourage you to participate in Seventh Generation's 2011 Diaper Donation Program.  To "Buy One Give One", you can simply visit your local grocery store, purchase a package (or 2 or more) of Seventh Generation diapers and donate them to a participating women's shelter (listed on the Seventh Generation website).  In turn, Seventh Generation will match the donation.  This program runs until October 31, 2011 - only 2 weeks left!

You can join the 7th Gen Nation as well!  As a Nation member, you'll have access to coupons, special offers and tips for green & healthy living.  You can join at http://ca.seventhgeneration.com/community.

I am participating in the Seventh Generation program by Mom Central Canada.  I received compensation

as a thank you for my participation.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

How This Kinder® Mom Makes Time For Family Fun!

So many aspects of life are serious.  I wake up, feed my children, work all day, feed my children, then bathtime and bedtime!  It's easy to get consumed in the hustle and bustle of life and forget about having fun!  To battle the blahs of the everyday routine, my husband and I make a habit of finding little moments of fun for our boys in everything we do.

• Bathtime can turn into a full-blown pirate battle.  Or we visit the aqua zoo, naming the water animals and making their sounds.
• There's always time for fun while we get the kids ready for bed.  We sing silly songs and have tickle-fests.  And there is almost always a little naked bum running around without a towel - always good for a laugh!
• On weekends, we enjoy indoor play (board games, crafts at the kitchen table, cooking/baking together).  We also love outdoor play, whether we're going to the park, checking out a local family farm, or just relaxing in the backyard.

One important thing to remember is that while it's great to plan fun activities for your kids, they should also be encouraged to make their own fun.  While my husband and I prepare dinner during the week, the boys are expected to play on their own.  They can watch their favourite movie, make a puzzle together, build with Lego or grab their craft bins from our kitchen pantry and get creative.  We make it known that this is a time that mommy and daddy are busy can can't play.

Last weekend, we had my three nieces over for the day and we had non-stop fun!  After a busy afternoon of crafts and playing, we all sat down for snack time.  Big-A helped me to fill a bowl with Kinder® Surprise eggs and he surprised his cousins with them.  The smiles on their faces were contagious!  And I don't know what excited them more...the chocolate or the toy!  The big kids helped the little ones to open their eggs, and they all worked together to build their toys.  The girls left our house that night, smiles on their faces and toys in hand.  They had such a great day, and the simple surprise of a Kinder® egg made it even more fun!

Try to find fun moments in everything your family does, no matter how big or small.  We all know that life is too short, and there's nothing better than a life filled with happy moments.

Don't forget to ‘like’ Kinder® Canada on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KinderCanada and look out for the new 2012 toy collection, as well as family friendly discussions run by Kinder® Canada.  And don't miss their current promotion: a Kinder® gift basket full of goodies worth $200!  Can you imagine how much fun you could create with that?!

As mentioned in my first Kinder®Mom blog post, I encourage you to visit the Kinder® Canada website at http://haveyouplayedtoday.ca/ for nutritional & product information.  You will also find some handy tabs such as Ideas For Creative Playtime, Playful Events Near You, and Development Interests For Parents.  The Ideas For Creative Playtime page will be very useful during this fall season on rainy weekends!

 

Enjoy life's simple moments and make life as fun as possible!

 

 

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.

Lunch - Bagels!

Total prep time: less than 5 minutes
Canada's Food Guide Servings:
2 Grain Products (1 bagel)
1 Milk and Alternatives (50g of cheese)

Aside from cold sandwiches, bagels are an ideal school lunch for your child.  Get creative with the bagels and the toppings.  Allow your child to experiment with different varieties of each.  Without dairy products, they can be kept at room temperature.  Big-A receives milk each day with lunch, as part of his school's Milk Program.  Half a bagel is enough for him as the milk fills him up.

You really can't choose a simpler school lunch for your child.  I remember in the good old 'nutty' days, my mother would often send me to school with a plain bagel filled with creamy peanut butter.  Paired with a banana and a carton of milk, and it was a well-balanced meal.  We all know that peanuts are a huge no-no in schools, but there are other delicious options available.  Let's get creative!

• Cinnamon raisin bagel with apple butter
• Sesame seed bagel with sliced white cheddar cheese (add sliced ham or turkey for some extra protein)
• Whole wheat bagel with plain or strawberry cream cheese
• Cheese bagel with vegetable cream cheese
• 12-grain bagel with any of the above toppings

Make sure to add an ice pack to your child's lunch bag as cheese products should be kept cold.  You can also add a frozen juice box instead of an ice pack.  This will keep the food cold, and will thaw by lunch time.

*TIPS*
1. To make this lunch even more fun for your little one, look for mini bagels at your local bakery or grocery store.  Fill 3 of them with different flavours of cream cheese or jam.  Children like variety, especially when it comes to their food.
2. Slice bagels into small rounds and sandwich slices of salami or kielbasa, or cream cheese between the rounds.  It's a different way to serve a bagel, keeping things fun for your child.
3. Add sliced ham, along with sliced bell peppers, a container of halved cherry tomatoes (leaving them whole can be a choking hazard to young children) or a piece of fruit to the lunch bag to make this meal complete.

I Went...ShesConnected Conference, Toronto! #SCCTO

The ShesConnected Conference...what an experience it was!!  I arrived at the Sheraton Centre Toronto shortly after noon last Thursday September 29, ready to meet and learn.  And did I ever!!

Among the amazing people that I met at SCCTO, here are a few that I absolutely must mention:

Donna Marie Antoniadis ~ Co-Founder & CEO, ShesConnected Multimedia Corp.
She started ShesConnected after realizing that no social networking websites catered to her and understood the difficulty of juggling personal and professional lives.  She is one powerful woman!  I loved watching her speak with the panels and the audience, intervening and clarifying information when needed.

Mark Grindeland ~ Co-Founder & Chairman, ShesConnected Multimedia Corp.
He has over 25 years of experience with some of the world’s leading consumer brands.  He moderated the final panel, "The 10 Rules Of The Road", discussing how to make it all work (the relationship between Bloggers & Brands), and summarizing key points from the last day and a half.  I loved watching him speak - he summed up the conference perfectly.

Sherry Abbott ~ Executive Director, Canadian Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association
This woman is incredible, a true inspiration.  She is a twenty-year survivor of a rare form of ovarian cancer, and she is committed to helping those whose lives are affected by cancer.  She helped to establish the Look Good Feel Better Foundation, Canada's only cancer charity dedicated to empowering women to manage the appearance-related effects of cancer and its treatment.  I was lucky to have met her in person, as well as watch her speak on a panel.  She is a beautiful person who is doing amazing things for women.

Christine Cushing ~ TV Personality, Chef & Entrepreneur
Born in Athens, Greece, Christine immigrated to Canada with her family at the age of one.  Christine went from graduating at the top of her class at the Paris based Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne, to hosting "Christine Cushing Live" for four seasons.  Her newest show "Fearless In The Kitchen" is now in its third season.  She also has a product line including natural pasta sauces and extra virgin olive oil from the island of Crete.  It was an honour to meet her in person, as I have been following her career since the very first episode of her Live show.  It was a lot of fun chatting with her, and I'm so ready to try out the (signed) cookbook that she gave me!

Along with these brilliant, inspiring people, I had the awesome opportunity to meet fellow bloggers, many that I have been following for the past year.  I also had the chance to speak with Brand representatives, from The Royal Canadian Mint to Ford Canada to Maple Leaf Foods, as well as grab some swag from each participating Brand.

As this was a total learning experience for me, I thought I'd share some of the things that I learned.

• 80% of the women who read blogs regularly base purchasing decisions on what they've read in blogs.
• Brands dealing with Bloggers, and Bloggers dealing with Brands are very new to both parties.  Both have to work and negotiate together to come to a happy medium.
• Brands are working on changing their marketing strategies.  They can't work with Bloggers as they do advertising agencies.  Numbers are what's important in advertising, this is not the case with Bloggers.
• Brands do not know what Bloggers should, or expect to be paid for their services.  Therefore, it is imperative that Bloggers have a Rate Card or Media Kit clearly stating their financial expectations.
• It is ok to review a box of cereal, and receive a free box of cereal in return.  Everyone starts somewhere!
• Product Reviews are a great way to start benefiting financially from your blog, offering a short-term relationship with a Brand.  Affiliate/Ambassador Programs run on a long-term contract, usually 6-12 months.  A Blogger can build a long-term relationship with a Brand through an Affiliate/Ambassador Program.
• In most cases, readers/followers trust the Blogger that they follow.  Therefore, a paid review should not be considered any less relevant or genuine than a non-paid review.
• Use the power of your blog to do good in the world.  Promote charities that are close to your heart.  Encourage readers to make a difference.

I loved listening to the panel discussions on day 2.  The mix of Bloggers and Brands was a perfect balance, and each panel was very informative.  Many commented on ideas that have been on my mind, many others opened my mind to new ideas.

One major bonus of being at the conference was getting to spend "real life" time with my good friend Lena.  Tweeting and Facebooking are great ways to stay in touch with friends, but there's nothing like spending time together in person.  Lena has been such a support to me and my blog since the very start, and it was so much fun to experience my very first social media conference with her!

Where I'm At...
I'm still not sure if monetary gain through my blog is in my future.  But I certainly won't rule it out.  I am content with the product review items that I have received, and am having fun with two Ambassador Programs.  For now, I am happy with writing about what I want to write about, while enjoying little extras along the way.  My blog is my creative outlet, my way to help those looking for help, and a fabulous way to document my thoughts and feelings during this very special time in my life.  As for the future, I don't know where my blog will lead me.  But I look forward to finding out!

My Culinary Love

I love being in the kitchen.  Whether it's cooking a hot meal, baking something sweet, or chopping fresh veggies, it's a place that provides a unique comfort that I can't find anywhere else.  I can remember as a small child, watching my mother cook meals from scratch seven nights a week.  Homemade cookies, roast chicken, and pasta with fresh tomato sauce were weekly indulgences in my home.  It seemed that every event, big or small, was encompassed by food...in a REALLY good way.

I always had a keen interest in watching my mother cook, and paid close attention to the techniques that she used.  As soon as I was old enough, I helped in the kitchen.  I have fond memories of hulling strawberries for summer jam, peeling peaches for pies, mashing potatoes and thickening gravy for dinner.  And it never felt like a chore.  It didn't fall into the same category as cleaning my room or sweeping the floors did.  Helping to prepare meals was exciting for me and I loved every second of it!

Throughout high school, I went back and forth in deciding what I was going to be.  Of all the options presented to me, a career in food was not one of them.  And I spent too much time looking for connection between subjects and careers, rather than considering things that I actually loved.

Today, I don't have a job working with food.  But I cook for my family as often as I can and I love doing it.  My husband is an excellent cook as well, and the best meals to leave my kitchen are the ones that we work on together.  My boys are growing up in a food-happy home, as I did.

Do I ever look back at the past and wonder where my life would be if I had followed a career path to food?  Of course I do!  But I try to live my life without regret.  Culinary school is still a dream, and I know that it will probably always be a dream.  For now, in this moment, I'll enjoy my very own culinary school at home where I can make what I want and share my passion for food with the people that I love.

And as long as it's my culinary school, I will continue to pretend that I have my own cooking show as I work away in the kitchen!