Enter to win a Tassimo T55 Brewer

How would you like to win a Tassimo brewer? Okay, that was a dumb question.  Of course you would! Good news, right now Tassimo Canada is having a daily giveaway of their newest brewer, the Tassimo T55. 

TASSIMO T55 Daily Giveaway Facebook Contest details:

• Open from July 26 – August 24, 2012
• Enter online on the TASSIMO Canada Facebook page www.facebook.com/TassimoCanada
• Each prize: One Bosch TASSIMO T55 brewer in sleek opal black and $100 worth of T DISCs
• 30 prizes to be won, valued each at $330

"The TASSIMO T55, is characterized by its contemporary, minimalist design, high-gloss finish and chrome fitting accents that will make it the showpiece of any kitchen. Available in sleek opal black, the TASSIMO T55 features TASSIMO’s unique barcode technology which automatically adjusts water temperature, brew time, and water level to guarantee the perfect cup of coffee, tea, latte, cappuccino or hot chocolate – every time!"

What are you waiting for?  Get on over there and start "like"ing. ;)

Zeemaid

ULINX JEWELRY REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

As a mom to three small children, I don't get to shop for jewelry all that much so I was pretty excited when I was asked to check out Ulinx Jewelry.  I was even more excited when I saw their website and saw how cool their magnetic charm bracelets are.  There were a multitude of "inspirations" I could choose from or I could design my own.  With their online design app it was easy as pie to make gorgeous combinations and since I created an account, I was able to save my various design combinations for future reference.

The hard part?  Settling on one design to order.  Finally, I chose to go with mixed blues.

How it Works
The bracelets are made up of Clix and Linx.  The Linx are 6mm spheres made of magnetized neodymium.  These spheres hold everything together so you don't need strings, chords or chains etc.  The Clix are the designer pieces that you choose to make up the bracelet.  You can mix and match each Clix to create your own one of a kind piece of jewelry. 

Gas Station Coffee Is Just fine For Me

Have you ever stopped to wonder why people spend so much on their coffee?

I have.

Especially when people come in and bitch complain about paying $5.00 for a new release rental when they just spent $10.00 buying themselves a latte and a muffin.  At least a movie rental is good for 2 hours worth of entertainment.  How long does a grande latte last?

I will admit that I love Starbuck's Vanilla Latte.  When I was pregnant with my first and had gestational diabetes, it was pretty much the only coffee I could tolerate without adding sugar.  Sure the syrup had sugar in it but maybe the caffeine cancelled it out or something because it didn't mess with my blood sugar.

Sometimes Family Can Suck

Searching for answers this past year has been tough. It's been tough on us as parents and as a couple. It's affected my outlook on life, blunted my sense of humour and made me somewhat afraid of the future.

 It's been difficult parenting my daughter who we're 99% sure is autistic. Both before and after we found out there was something "not quite right" about her. The one place though that I had counted on to be supportive and understanding would be within the family circle.

Stain Fighting with OxiClean

I recently had a chance to try out OxicClean's new OxiClean^® MaxForce^® Spray.  It works by combining four types of stain fighters to help get out more of the toughest, dried-in stains the first time.  I like the idea of throwing everything you've got at a stain the first time around and with three kids it wasn't long  before I had a chance to test it out.  


My kids like to run and slide down our front lawn which, of course, gives them lovely grass stains on their pants.  I followed the instructions and used the spray to pre-treat the grass stains and let it set for 10 minutes.  After washing, I was pleased to see that the grass stains had completely disappeared from my son's pants.  It was definitely worth the time it took to pre-treat the stain.  It's a great addition to your laundry routine and doesn't cost a fortune at $4.99 a bottle. 

Guilty Pleasures - Summer Reading

Okay, how many of you thought this was going to be about 50 Shades of Grey?  It's not. Somehow I don't think I'll touch that book with a ten-foot pole. Maybe it's just me but there it is.

Plus if you're a "book snob" you probably shouldn't read this post either.  You know what I mean.  You only read "real" literature and the likes of Nora Roberts or chick lit is beneath you.  No offense to Nora Roberts, I enjoy her books and admire her ability to cover a multitude of subjects.  It's just when someone says to you

"You'll forgive me for saying this my dear, but obviously reading Nora Roberts is easy to read quickly" 

in response to my boast about how fast I read books it's hard not to feel like you've just had your intelligence mildly insulted.  Of course, it took me about two days to come back with an "oh yeah, well I also read classics like Lord of the Rings, Dickens, you know other classics like the Woman in White and the Count of Monte Christo".  Obviously, I suck in witty comebacks which is why it took me two days of pondering to come up with that.  Which was probably better than saying "I am too intelligent."

How to Work Superfruits in Your Summer Party - Giveaway

I've recently gotten interested in Superfruits and so I thought it was a perfect time to host this guest post by Jill McRae.  Best of all, one of you will have a chance to try True Beverages by entering the #giveaway at the end of the article. 

How to Work Superfruits into Your Summer Party

By Jill McRae

Balmy summer nights beg for chilled patio drinks and backyard barbecues. But before you reach for the rosé, consider fixing yourself and your loved ones a drink with Superfruits. Not only are Superfruits rich in antioxidants, but those sweet-smelling berries are great for the brain, heart and overall health.

Whether you’re planning a family picnic, or a mommy’s night off, here are four delicious ways to work Superfruits into your summer party. 

Introducing Family Rules

This post is a continuation of Cautiously Optimistic.

While googling suggestions for chore charts etc, I came across one mom blog that helped put a different spin on the whole chore chart thing.  You see her "chore charts" say, My name is (blank) and this is how I contribute to my family".  I really liked that.  It takes the emphasis off of "chores" and put it back on helping out the family.  I also liked her list of Family Rules so I used both to adapt for use in my family.

Read her full post here. Sutton Grace

Unicef & Hallmark - Helping Children

Hallmark and UNICEF are excited to announce a partnership launching a new UNICEF collection of greeting cards. With every purchase of a greeting card from Hallmark's new UNICEF collection, a portion of the proceeds will go to help children at risk all over the world.  

With over 116 designs the UNICEF collection has something for everyone featuring beautifully crafted cards including weddings, birthdays, birth of a new baby etc.  These cards are delightful and colourful and I think anyone would be happy to receive one.  Best of all, it's an easy way to help out a child in need while purchasing something you already intended on buying anyways. 

Cautiously Optimistic

I don't know what it is about summer vacation that inspires me with all sort of projects and jobs for the summer.  Last summer I was determined to complete the upstairs painting and resulted in getting E's room done by September.  At this rate, we're accomplishing a room a year.  Oh yea.


This summer is no different.  Only I have grand plans in regards to my children.  This summer I am determined that I am going to instil some core values in them.. well core housecleaning values.  Does making your bed everyday, tidying your room, getting dressed and brushing your teeth count as core values?  I don't know but it's things I'd like them to start learning to do.  I am tired of having to constantly nag at them or do it myself.