Sponsored

Looking at my entry way it seems to be spring again. Spring weather in Calgary can vary a lot so we have everything from vests, to light coats and rain jackets. And we still have all the Winter clothes hanging around too.

It’s definitely time to start putting away the snowpants and sorting through what fits from last year. Kids clothes are expensive so hand-me-downs are one of my favorite things. I always have a bin of too big clothes put away – some that my older kids are passing down and some from other family and friends.

Whether you are keeping your kids’ clothes in the family, giving them away or selling them, it’s important to keep the clothes in good shape. Here are some simple and affordable ways to keep your kid’s clothes in great condition, and hand-me-down ready:

1. Host a clothing swap. Gather all your friends and have a clothes swap. Everybody can bring their kid’s old clothes that they have either outgrown or are simply tired of. It gives you and your friends the chance to catch-up and socialize while refreshing your kids wardrobe and saving money. Bonus: gather your friends who wear the same size as you do for a clothes swap of your own!

2. Keep it in the family. At the end of every season, have your children pack away any clothes that are getting too small for them. Label the box with the date and season so in a few years, when your next child is ready for a new outfit, you know exactly where to find them. Make sure to wash everything before you store it away, so that it is clean and fresh when you pull it out of storage. Pro Tip: OxiClean^TM Foam Pre-treat rids your children’s clothes of tough dried on stains – even grease!

3. Embrace the bold colours. Fun, bright and colourful spring clothes can lose their vibrancy quickly during the year – making it hard to pass them on. The right laundry detergent can go a long way in caring for clothes. Pro Tip: Upgrade from ordinary detergents and give your kids clothes a high definition clean with OxiClean^TM HD^TMLaundry Detergent(available in liquid and paks). It will ensure your whites stay radiant and your colours vibrant.

Do you have any great tips for re-using old clothes and saving money?

I am a brand ambassador for the 2016 year with Church & Dwight. As part of this program I receive monetary compensation as well as products to review. 

Did you know that March 6th to 13th is Sleep Awareness Week? Sleep or the lack of it is always something I end up thinking a lot about when I have a baby in the house. My littlest is now 14 months old and I am finally starting to get better sleep. At least some of the time. But now that I’m slightly less exhausted from my baby, sometimes I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep and he is not to blame at all!

I hope that you never have trouble getting a good night’s sleep but if you do, below are a list of suggested tips that may help sleepy-eyed Canadians get some quality (and well deserved!) shut-eye.

Keep Calm and Carry On

Make simple changes in your life to help develop a more positive state of mind. Organize, prioritize and give yourself a break every so often. When you have less to worry about, your sleep is less likely to suffer.

Get Up and Get Active

Consider adding daily exercise to your morning routine or sometime in your day. Regular physical activity will help you fall asleep faster and deeper.

Create Tranquility

Make your bedroom a sleeping oasis. Avoid eating, working or watching TV in bed. This way your body will start to associate the bed with meaning it’s time to sleep.

Limit Naps or Power Nap

Naps throughout the day can prevent your body from falling into a deep sleep at night. If you need to nap, try to limit your sleep to a 30-minute power nap or less in the afternoon.

Perfect Your Cycle

Going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday can help regulate your sleep pattern. If you need help with sleep regulation, try Vitafusion™ SleepWell* which contains 2.5 mg of Melatonin in each gummy. Melatonin is a hormone your body releases when it gets dark to tell your body it’s time for bed. Vitafusion™ SleepWell* is designed for adults suffering from sleep restrictions or altered sleep schedules (e.g. shift work or jet lag). These gummies provide a tasty alternative to hard-to-swallow tablets. Learn more at gummyvites.ca1

Watch Your Munchies

Take note of what you’re eating and drinking before bed and avoid feeling hungry or stuffed. Stomach and bowel discomfort can make you restless, often causing urgent trips to the washroom in the middle of the night.

Make sure your mattress is comfortable and supportive. The life expectancy of a good mattress is around 9 or 10 years so if your mattress is older than this you may want to consider a new one. Ensuring your bed is inviting for sleep is also important. Use comfortable pillows and keep your bed sheets clean and fresh by washing them weekly. Try using Arm & Hammer™ Plus OxiClean™ Power Paks in Fresh Scent that’s boosted with baking soda for a refreshing clean.

Exercise, exercise, exercise! This can be a hard one, especially for those who sit for long hours at a desk. Rigorous exercise is ideal, but even light exercise, like walking to and from work, is better than nothing.

Soothe sore and aching muscles. While exercise can help some sleep soundly, it may also lead to stiff muscles, aches and pains. To help relieve stiff muscles, try using a topical analgesic cream like RUB A535™ Night Time. It is a fast-acting cream that provides soothing relief of muscle and joint pain. Plus, it’s scented with lavender essential oils.

Do you find it difficult to get a full night’s rest? What are some tips you have to help increase total sleep time and quality?

I am a brand ambassador for the 2016 year with Church & Dwight. As part of this program I receive monetary compensation as well as products to review. 

It is easy to get stuck in a rut. Doing the same routine week after week. Things can seem to busy and hectic that it feels hard to fit anything new in. But this year you have some extra time! Well, sort of anyway. February has an extra day so why not shake things up a bit and try something you haven’t done before with your family?

Snowshoeing or cross country skiing – In many areas you can rent snowshoes or cross country skis for the day making it so you don’t have to spend all the money if you aren’t sure it will be a fit for your family. Both activities are great exercise and if you do invest in the equipment, typically costs almost nothing afterwards.

Build a snow fort – forget about a snowman, build a snowfort in your yard instead. It’ll make the kids want to play outside once you are done and it will be tons of fun to make.

Snow painting – just add a little food coloring to water in a spray bottle and create your own outdoor art. This activity can help even the more ‘indoorsy’ kids want to be outside for a bit.

Go exploring – Find a new outdoor skating rink or toboggan hill. Go to a winter festival or try an attraction in your city that you haven’t before.

Trying to keep up with your kids isn’t always easy – and is often tougher the next day when those aches and pains set in.Topical pain relievers like RUB·A535™ Extra Strength Heating Cream have you covered. It starts to work on contact and provides fast acting pain relief of muscle and joint pain.   Trying something brand new will not only be different and exciting, but will also break up the monotonous schedules we adhere to when juggling work and family. Getting outside is also great for your health!

I am a brand ambassador for the 2016 year with Church & Dwight. As part of this program I receive monetary compensation as well as products to review. 

I love cooking (well unless I am totally sleep deprived) but I do not love cleaning up afterwards (no matter how much sleep I get). That’s why I like to use a cooking spray – less stuff sticking to the pan mean less time I end up having to spend scrubbing. Or re-running my pans through the dishwasher.

What I do not love is that sticky residue that cooking sprays can end up leaving behind on the pans. So when PAM cooking spray asked me to test out their new No-residue formula against a competitor spray, I said absolutely. I was honestly a little skeptical that I would find anything particularly noteworthy.

First I tried it out on some eggs I made in mini-muffin tins. I used PAM on the ones on the right and the competitor on the ones on the left. I think a few things are pretty clear from this picture.
1. I cannot eyeball how many eggs I need to fill two mini-muffin trays
2. I over fill my muffin trays
3. PAM absolutely left less residue than the competitor.

I decided to grab a recipe and try the eggs again. The PAM is again on the right and the competitor is on the left. From these photos you can see that:
1. Filling mini-muffin trays with eggs is hard
2. It gets dark too early and the lighting in my kitchen is terrible and
3. PAM again left less of that dark sticky residue than the competitor.

I decided that perhaps eggs in mini muffin trays are not for me and made some brownies in honor of National Brownie Day. For research purposes. I made them from a mix because they are shockingly easy to make from a mix but still delicious and I am currently sleep deprived due to my sweet little 11 month old so the only cooking I am doing is lazy cooking.

The pan I used PAM on was again on the right and the competitor was on the left. Although both brownies were easy to remove from the pan, the PAM left way less sticky residue.

Here is a closer look at the back. I honestly was impressed. That sticky residue has been my biggest complaint with cooking sprays. The people at PAM say that this effect is even more pronounced over time. Pans used with PAM no-residue will continue to stay very clean looking wash after wash whereas pans use other cooking sprays with continue to collect residue over time.

I am participating in the PAM No Residue blog comparison program with enCompass Media. I’ve received payment as a thank you for participating and sharing my honest opinion.

When the forecast is calling for snow, snow and more snow, don’t fight it, get out there and enjoy all that winter has to offer.

Tobogganing

Grab a sled and trek to the top of that perfectly powdered hill.  Tobogganing is a great family activity that everyone can enjoy; nothing beats the thrill of sliding down a snowy white hill. What’s your toboggan of choice? The classic wooden style? The faster and more unpredictable flying saucer, or maybe a sleek crazy carpet?

Skating

For a calmer experience, a nice skate around a local outdoor rink is a great way to enjoy an afternoon outdoors with your kids.

Snowshoeing

If the snow is particularly deep, why not try snowshoeing? Modern snowshoes are inexpensive, snap onto all boots and are a fun and interesting way to walk across deep snow without sinking. In fact, snowshoes are a great way to get to the top of a toboggan hill safely and quickly.

Snow Fort

If staying closer to home seems more appealing, building a snow fort with the kids in the yard is a classic winter activity.  Packing snow into bread tins is fun way to make snow bricks for building the best fortress on the block.

When playing in the snow, there’s bound to be slips and falls, and not every toboggan run ends in a fluffy pile of snow, but that’s part of the fun. So when your day is done reach for Rub A535™ to soothe and relax tense muscles so you can do it all over again tomorrow.  For the little ones, natural source Rub A535™ Maximum Strength Arnica Gel-Cream is an effective all natural product that makes it the ideal treatment for bumps, bruises and swelling and it’s great for when you’re on the go. When you’re all warmed up at home, you can top off a fun day in the snow, with a nice cup of hot chocolate!

I am a brand ambassador for the 2015 year with Church & Dwight. As part of this program I receive monetary compensation as well as products to review.