Remember when going to a movie was fun? Before having children, I never really thought about what advantage I had...to actually sit, listen and engage in media that was my own!! Once the kids came around, that experience was GONE, and now thanks to Empire Theatres its BACK!!! 

Empire Theatres definitely thought about new parents and came up with an phenominal idea – the Reel Babies program! A Theater for parents and kids alike!

Twice a month parents can enjoy a new-release movie in a baby-friendly environment! Each theatre is equipped with a change table, bottle warmer, play mat and swing, so you can take care of your little one while you catch the latest (adult) blockbuster and they even keep the lights dimmed and lower the volume so, get this, YOU can enjoy the movie while taking care of your little ones!

Registration is FREE, this means you have a say in which movies are featured and what type of content is offered. A voting message is sent to your inbox whenever new titles are offered, popularity wins which movie will be screened. These movies All movies are shown on the  Playdate page of the Empire site. Playdates usually occur Wednesdays at 1:00 pm....perfect time for napping ;)

Whats more, is that Empire Theaters is offering a promotion this month to bring a friend for FREE!  February is a great time to try this service out! During the month of February, you can buy one admission to EmpireReel Babies and get a second free! What better way to bring your children for a playdate and enjoy some adult fun as well?

For more information, be sure to check out the Empire Theatre Reel Babies site! Locations vary across Canada.

Wanna win a set of tickets (2) to try it out on your own? Enter Here

Disclosure – I am participating in the Empire Reel Babies program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Empire Theatres. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Would love to introduce you to the latest in function and fashion!! Teethease is fun but useful for mothers, fathers and care-givers alike. Most parents agree, that when you have a little one that is teething it is almost impossible to sooth their gums with a 'commercial' product. In my opinion, children always tend to sway toward adult-like objects that are firmer and more tactile to their small hands than a large, hard to grasp piece of plastic. I also found it impossible to locate the teether in the past because I always had to dig endlessly into my diaper bag or purse! 

Teethease necklaces, bangles and pennants are a fun, functional and fashionable piece of jewellery that is an accessible alternative to digging through a purse or diaper bag. Teethease is made of FDA approved medical grade silicone, free of BPA, PVC, latex, heavy metals, phthalates and meets the highest international safety standards (EN-71).

I currently do not have a child that is teething, so I put this product to the true test with my friends daughter who is anxiously reaching for everything in sight at the moment. I received the pendant style necklace for review in purple, and it was lovely, something I would actually wear! My friends child loved it too!! It was a perfect size for her small hands and the fact that she thought it was mine, made it all more fun (many times they want what they cant have). We also attached this teether to a sling and it was GENIUS!! she still loved it! 

Must be something about its small size, form, and  aesthetics that definitely appeals to little ones! I personally love the idea of a fashionable, safe and fun alternative to the products already on the  market! I will be purchasing these in the future for all my 'hip' mamas to be!!

Check out the selection at   http://teethease.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage 

Be sure to enter our GIVEAWAY for one of your very own!! 

The Anxiety-Free Child Program was a program I particularly wanted to test. Being a mother to a very anxious and stressed child, I have always searched for ways to  'connect' with him. This was a perfect opportunity to do so. 

Since starting this program (im not finished) I have already seen my son become a more confident and secure little individual. As well, his sleep has improved and he has become less hyperactive because of the Anxiety-Free Child Program. 

The program offers great tips on what to look for in your child at the present and how to improve on what already exists within their state. I found it very customizable to my individual needs as a parent looking to improve their child's life and lifestyle. I also really loved the fact that the program emphasizes that this is NOT the parents fault- as many people seem to believe. 

The company offers a 60-day money back guarantee---this is because it really works. 
http://www.anxietyfreechildren.com/ 

COMPOSER CAT MOZART plush toy, along with CD, and beautifully illustrated book are a refreshing change in today's toy market. I have to admit, when i first received this toy I thought my children would hate it! I was pleasantly surprised when they became engaged in the music and listened attentively to the story. 

This is now a bed-time favorite in our house! My boys cant wait to get into bead and hear the Mozart mystery storybook along with their own personal touch of music while pressing the cat endlessly.

 This is a toy that every parent will enjoy! A nice change from the super high pitched sounds of 'playtime' music that we so often hear toys play and a story that engages even the oldest of readers! Music to mommy's ears!

In our house, like many others it is impossible to stay organized with 2 children. So, through the years I have tried out numerous label companies trying to find the right one. The main reason I have done this is because no matter what, labels get ruined, lost or just plain 'lose their stick.'  Not to mention, many of the times they are boring or childish. It is very hard to find the right balance of aesthetics and durability. Here is where it gets interesting....

Since I am so picky with my labels I was thrilled to try Oliver's Labels!  I have used them before in the past, on school supplies, backpacks, shoes, water bottles and toys. But this time I was really going to put them to the test. I took these labels on our recent trip to Cuba to see if they withstood the trip with my two very messy kiddos!

The Original Labels were used on sippy's, bowls and even sand toys. While we saved the skinny labels for ice-packs, markers and cutlery. The shoe labels were on all water shoes and runners. And lastly, the NO IRON labels were used on jackets and hats--did I mention they require no ironing or sewing since they adhere to the care-tags quite nicely and wash AMAZINGLY!

My overall experience with them has been very positive and I cannot wait to order more (I am a label-oholic lol)! Here's the rundown in case you are interested in learning more about each item: 

The Original Labels
-probably the most versatile of all the label options. They’re big, the text is easy to read, and can be stuck on anything. PLUS they are dishwasher safe! 

Skinny Labels:

-like the Original Labels these are very versatile and can be used on any item that may require a smaller label. These are also dishwasher safe! 

The Shoe Labels
-They were easy to apply and waterproof!  Great for school and in my case for the beach!!
The Stick-eez Clothing Labels -unique in that you don’t have to sew or iron anything. Simply peel and stick one to the tag of a garment, and in seconds your kid’s clothes are
ready to go! Washer and dryer safe, but can be removed if your child outgrows the clothes. 

The starter package starts at $26.95 and can be customized to your family's needs. Oliver's Labels also has labels for allergies and can be customized according to your favorite font or color choices. You also have the choice of placing 'Found-it™' codes on your labels. Found-it works like a lost and found system--Only it is ONLINE!! Love this idea!! This unique
code connects you to your item via your email address, while remaining anonymous.

Readers Here Is YOUR Chance to WIN a $20 Oliver's Labels Gift Card!! Enter Here

 You can find Olivers Labels at any Staples Business Depot or Online at  www.oliverslabels.com

Tegu blocks are the new-wave in cognitive play for children! This product allows for children to experiment, learn and dream. A genius remake of the simple block set. Durable, fun and functional! Tegu blocks are non-toxic and made from sustainable wood. They have magnets embedded in them for hours of creative play for children (and adults) of all ages! 

My children sat for hours playing with these blocks, they even figured out that they stick to the fridge! Tip: use a baking sheet to allow for continuous creative play! The blocks are definitely heirloom quality and will withstand many generations to come. A great investment at a slightly high price-point ($125 for 52 piece set). The way I look at it is that I rather spend a little more on Eco-friendly toys that are simply creative and fun, then a bunch of plastic toys that last a few days before boredom sets in. 

The set includes cube shapes, large planks, small planks and jumbo planks. The set also comes in a very durable package that can be used for later storage. The company, based in Honduras' main focus is to help the crumbling economy. Through the sales of Tegu blocks, trees are getting planted and child education in Honduras as well as Holistic employment for its people. Great company, excellent product and hours of imaginative fun!  

I am so excited to announce that I have been able to review the LuxeBox by Loose Button for the past 2 months! I have been keeping this little secret from my followers so that I could better understand and confirm that this service actually works and does what it promises.

**Warning** this post may be long!! I REALLY Love this concept and this company!!


My November Luxe Box looked like this:

Each box comes personalized with your name (nice touch) and a card that describes all the wonderful goodies in the box!! In November I received:

Dermalogica Skin Prep Scrub 
Lise Watier Couleur Folle Mineral Loose Powder Eyeshadow 
Mereadesso Lip Treats
Benefit Cosmetics B. Right Total Moisture Facial Cream

Oil of Olay Wrinkle Cream

**BONUS**
Teaopia Cactus Fig Tea Kit


I love the Loose Button concept of introducing brands in a 'trial' way. I mean, women in general (and some men) are really partial to trying new things when it comes to skin care and make-up. This way, you get something new to try every month! What a treat! 

Then, when you find what is right for you, you can buy it without actually 'over buying' like many of us do. This month, I really fell in love with the Lise Watier Mineral Eyeshadow, and I found the Benefit Cosmetics Facial Cream really light and smooth! Definitely be purchasing these!
 

My December 'Holiday Edition' Box Was AMAZING! 


In it I received:
Kerastase Elixir Ultime
Velour Upper Lashes
Prada Candy and Infusion D'Iris
DDF Advanced Firming Cream

**BONUS**
Belgian Chocolate with Loose Button Logo

This month was especially special because it marked the end of the year for me, and the beginning of 'change' so to speak. Normally I would NEVER consider wearing false lashes, but once again Loose Button has convinced me otherwise with their inclusion of Velour Upper Lashes in the Luxe Box this month! Retail value on these babies is $60-$65 and well worth it if you ask me-they are amazing! PLUS! If you are a subscriber you have pretty much gotten your money's worth right here! 

The other FANTASIC pruduct I now cannot live without is the Prada Candy perfume! OMG!! It is to die for! pretty, sweet and sophisticated :)

Once again, I cannot stress enough how much I love this company. I mean, I used to buy magazines worth half of the value of one of these boxes monthly! Loose button Luxe boxes are a treat for any woman! Imagine going to the mail every month and getting a pretty package just for you with products just for you! Heaven right? 

Ordering a Luxe Box is simple!  If you chose to do so through a subscription, you will receive 3 to 5 "deluxe-sized" samples from participating brands. The deluxe-sized means that the samples are generally bigger than you would receive for free from the store which are only usually good for a few uses.  There are three different pricing packages available. You can chose a yearly subscription (from what I learned is the best value for product and pricing) whereby you recieve a Luxe Box each month for a year at a cost of $120. A reaccuring every 3 month trial subscription is also available for $36. The $12 package is for a month trial package. All packages include FREE shipping!!!

Check out www.loosebutton.com

PLUS!!! Lil'sugar Readers, you can WIN a LuxeBox of your very own by entering our Contest  for 1 of 2 January Loose Button Luxe Boxes!! (Canadian Residences Only)

Snack Attack is the ultimate game for any family with small children. My kids, aged 3 and 5 loved playing this game! They especially liked spinning the wheel! This game teaches visual recognition, matching, memory, fine-motor skills and the lifelong lesson of playing fair!  I especially loved that the game was fast-paced instead of long and boring. 

The best feature for a mother of 2 children, is the token tray. This tray also serves as the place to keep all the pieces when the game is over. Makes this game and its pieces so much easier to find! Innovative, affordable, fun and organized! Just what a family needs! 

Ages:  4 and upPlayers:  2 - 6 Features: 

• 1 Snack Attack! Spinner Platter
• 66 Double-Sided Snack Tokens
• 6 Double-Sided Snack Plates with two levels of play
• Parent’s Guide

$19.99
www.thinkfun.com

First off, let me begin by saying that I am completely thrilled to have been chosen among numerous digitally-connected women in the She's Connected Community to be an official Toshiba Holiday Hero Brand Ambassador!    The purpose of my assignment is to make buyers aware of the AMAZING products Toshiba has to offer. The Toshiba Tablet and the Toshiba Passive 3D TL515 Series TV in particular.

I was given a Toshiba Camileo HD Camcorder (sweet bonus) to document my experience. I have managed to take some pictures to assist with my review. 

Since Toshiba products are found in a variety of stores, this assignment was very easy  to access. The closest retailer I was sure would have what I was looking for was Best Buy. Surprisingly, they had both the items I needed. I really fell in love with both these products and I know you will too, after reading this!

Toshiba Tablet
This tablet is slim, highly functional and really easy to use! This is especially important when it comes to people who are just crossing over to a tablet from a PC. With the amount of technology changing at a rapid rate, individuals will feel at ease using this tablet with its easy navigation, and storage capacity. The tablet comes with 8 Gigs of space and the option of expanding to a 32 Gig memory capacity. I also found the dual camera a bonus (my son loved this too) because often times you can only take a picture from the reverse side of a tablet. With the Toshiba Tablet it is easy to take both reverse pics (from the back) and forward facing pictures! Comes in 6 different colors (bonus) and usually sells for $399.99 at Best Buy, but it was on sale for 319.99. What a steal!

FEATURES:

• nVIDIA Tegra 250 processor and 1GB of RAM offers super fast performance for all your basic tasks
• easy set up
• A spacious 10.1" high-res multi-touch widescreen display with an HD view 
• super easy navigation and very responsive touch sensory
• 8GB internal memory to store files as well as a memory card slot for more storage space
• lightweight- unlike most tablets with this amount of storage.
• 5MP rear-facing camera with autofocus lets you snap shots and record videos, as well as a 3MP front-facing camera 
• built-in speaker for audio output with headphone jack
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth make it easy to connect to a wireless network or your hands-free devices
• GPS navigation capabilities
• A full-size SD card slot, mini USB and full-size USB 2.0 ports 
•  HDMI to view media on the big screen
• replaceable battery for longer lifespan
• COMES IN 6 DIFFERENT COLORS!!

Toshiba Passive 3D TL515 Series TV 

The Toshiba Passive 3D TV was impressive! Best Buy had 2 of them lined up side by side and they were AMAZING! Since the televisions have a LED screen with 'RealD technology' it was easy to see the difference even with the naked eye (well at least it was for me) This technology lessens eye strain and allows for longer viewing time. So, if you watch a lot of television or like to play a lot of video games this is the TV for you! It also has TriVector 2D to 3D technology that makes you gain 3D experience with the usage for glasses. This television series comes 3D ready, which means you do not have to hook-up an extra box or output to enjoy the experience, like you do with other brands.

This was my favorite part--it has BUILT IN WIFI!! YouTube, Netflix, Facebook and Flickr, and Twitter were all readily available. Because of its incredible capacity and quailty Toshiba Passive 3D TV comes with a large price-tag and sells for  $1399.99 at Best Buy. At first I thought it was a huge price to pay for a television, but this is no ordinary television! personally, I think it is an investment well worth the price tag!

• LED screen with RealD Technology
• longer viewing time with less strain to the eyes
• gaming television
• built in Wifi
• Tri-Vector 2D to 3D Technology
• 3D ready
• Slim, and sleek design

Toshiba Canada website www.toshiba.ca.  
Follow @ToshibaCanada on Twitter and follow #ToshibaTablet and #ToshibaTelevision
'Like' Toshiba Canada on Facebook! 

***I am participating in the Toshiba Brand Ambassador program by ShesConnected. I received a Toshiba Camileo in exchange for my participation in this campaign. All opinions are honest and always our own***

Okay, with this review I was extremely apprehensive. Hair color to review? hummmm what woman in their right mind would actually attempt to color their hair with a box that has never been used in the past? And, why would I want to use an 'organic' hair color...does that even work?

Well, I tried it....and YES it does work!! Amazingly well!

Who knew you don't need ammonia or harsh chemicals to color your hair? My hair feels soft, and shiny without the build up or harsh chemicals I was using before. 

Tints of Nature contain certified organic ingredients and will NOT damage your hair.

With 24 shades, you are bound to find the perfect match!

-Products free of ammonia, resorcinol, nonoxynol and parabens. 
-Certified organic ingredients
-Formulation to reduced PPD levels (less chance of allergic reaction)
-Earth and animal friendly!


The only downside to this product is the price point ($18) as opposed to regular hair color that usually runs $8-11. I also wasn't a fan of the gloves provided, but thats just me being picky. Overall, i think it is well worth the splurge....afterall it is your hair and your body, might as well take care of it while helping the environment.
www.tintsofnature.com

I've had the color on for about a week now, and it is still as shiny and beautiful as it was on day one. This may have to do with the fact that I am also using the shampoo and conditioner provided with it. 

About Nature Clean Shampoo and Conditioner:
The shampoo and conditioner can be purchased separately, they are also organic, free of any harsh chemicals and smell wonderful!

www.naturecleanliving.com


Available:
-Loblaws,
-Zehrs,
-YIG,
-Superstores,
-Fortinos
-specialty health foodstores.