There is nothing worse than receiving a monotonous birthday card from the dollar store.  It gets a bit boring after opening a couple dozen cards that are all the same.  Having a child who loves to draw, and I am yet to meet one who doesn’t is a great way to get them involved in designing a card for their friend’s birthday.

I came across Craft Caravan (www.craftcaravan.com) and ordered a package of their ANYTIME CARD KIT.  You receive:

• 8 brightly coloured cards (4 colors) and matching envelopes. Papers are 30% Post Consumer waste, elemental chlorine free and acid free
• 8 colourful “AnyTime” non-toxic Message Stickers
• 32 colourful non-toxic Mini Stickers to compliment Message Stickers
• 16 paper ribbons
• 16 printed decorating papers
• 16 foam decorating shapes
• Non-toxic glitter glue

I thought this would be a great way to involve my two year old son in his friend Evan’s birthday gift.  He had such a great time designing the card with all of the stickers, glitter and various shapes and papers.  It didn’t look as professional as the $7.00 store bought cards, but you know what – it was better, it was priceless.  From one child to another I know that Evan will have appreciated that card much better than the cheesy ones out there. 

            It was also a great afternoon project for the two of us to have some fun together.   My husband’s 34^th birthday is coming up -  I know that my son will have a great time making a card for Daddy.  Hey wait, I don’t think there is an age limit on them, Mommy will have a great time too!

            Take a look at their website for a ton of various “crafty” activities.

www.craftcaravan.com

Bugalug Baby is the fantastic Canadian Company that has been making a huge splash in boutique industry. Bugalug hair accessories can be found ALL over Canada and are starting to spread to the US! The Bugalug barrettes have an innovative silicon gripping system which makes them stand apart from the other non-slip barrettes. Those little fly away hairs will stay put with Bugalug! Bugalug also has a line of headbands! These hip headbands are made to fit toddler to adult! Their patent pending toggle design makes it fit any head perfectly. At the moment, Bugalug uses common ribbon that can be found in the boutique market but they are currently in the process of manufacturing their own line of ribbon which will make their barrettes and headbands even more exclusive and unique! Also, sign up for a free clip on your daughter’s birthday!

Visit www.bugalugbaby.com

My son has a personalized rugby shirt from Simply Colors and it’s awesome! These tees are made from 100% cotton and available in lots of vibrant colors and sizes! You can personalize tees, rugby shirts, polo shirts, hoodies, dresses and onesies with your own special sayings! Your little one will be so pleased to have something made just for him/her! Make them feel like the superstars they are with Simply Colors personalized products!

To build your own personalized product, visit www.simplycolors.ca

 I arrived at 9:30am for my (or shall I say my son’s class) at Orange Dot on Avenue Road in Toronto.  It’s called TRIPLEDOT PLAYSCHOOL.  It runs for an hour and a half.  This was my first visit to Orange Dot, so I was looking forward to spending 90 minutes doing something new and fun.  But, I have to admit I wasn’t sure how it was possible to keep my fireball of a son entertained for that long.              Immediately I was impressed with the facilities.  They were extremely clean, bright, spacious and most of all the staff were so incredibly friendly and willing to interact with the kids.           

   The first part of the class gave the children the opportunity to explore the studio and get familiar with the surroundings.  My son, as a true boy would ran right towards the basketball net.  Less than a minute later he was on the trampoline.  I turned around 30 seconds later and he was pushing the toy cars around all over the floor.  Needless to say, he was not short of stimulation.  He kept saying “WOW!”             

Than the children were asked to meet in the centre to do some songs and introductions.  They were each given a sticker dividing them up into three different groups.  Pink, Green and Red.  This system was extremely efficient because the instructors would take each group to a different activity and rotate them around after enough time had been spent at each area.  We headed first to a room that was filled with books, toys, play-doh, cars, dolls, sand tables, and a huge chalkboard fixed onto the wall that I have to admit I had to hold back from drawing all over.  The children played with all of the different toys that were geared towards developing various skills.           

Next we went into the arts and crafts room.  Keeping with the weekly theme of “Under the Sea”, the children each did a craft that allowed them to soak a piece of paper in water and put pieces of tissue all over it to resemble a sea.  They turned out to be quite the masterpieces.  The staff was great in keeping the children motivated to continue their craft.           

Than it was snack time, which were bagels and cream cheese and some water.  This was quite a treat for my son who is obsessed with bagels.  All of the children sat at the cute little tables and chairs and vedged for a few minutes.  The only negative thing I could say at this point was that we only had half an hour left.           

Finally the green group was brought back into the main room for music.  All of the songs were related to “Under the Sea” and Nancy; the music teacher had such enthusiasm and energy that the kids were all up and dancing having such a wonderful time.            Afterwards, Lucy, the owner of Orange Dot, who I must say was present, available and eager to please the children thanked everyone for coming and did a few good-bye songs which all of the kids enjoyed.             

All in all, I have to say, that I haven’t come across a program as creative, energetic, fun, entertaining and especially as interactive as the TRIPLEDOT PLAYSCHOOL at Orange Dot.  I was especially pleased with the cleanliness because many of the programs I’ve attended give the children toys that well, let’s just say – have the word YUCKY written all over them.  This place clearly did not have that problem.  The staff truly worked their butts off to make the children happy and the activities, as much fun as they were also taught the children counting, sharing, listening, motor skills and many others that are so important in your child’s development.           

The children were entertained the entire 90 minutes and were also given the opportunity to go out on their own if they weren’t ready to participate in the given activity.  It was a blast!!!!  Hmm, I wonder if they could do my 34^th Birthday Party there??           

Check them out at www.orangedotinc.com for their full schedules and information.

I myself don’t have a child with a peanut allergy. But I have many friends who have children with a variation of different allergies to various foods. That is why I was so intrigued when I came across www.jonesy.ca. They have created an allergy card that is customized for your own child to outline his/her own allergies. It’s also something you can bring along to lunches, dinners, restaurants or friend’s houses to let the person preparing the meals know what needs to be avoided in your child’s meal. What could make Mommy and Daddy happier? I showed it to a good friend of mine, whose daughter is severely allergic to peanuts and was astonished that nobody has thought of this before. She is writing out her specifics and getting ready to order some cards, which are reasonably priced for as low as $35.00 for 50 restaurant cards. It is also a great tool to leave with the caregivers of your little one. And hey, why not give it as a gift to someone that would no doubt appreciate it more than another Dora movie. Next time you go out for a meal, you don’t need to worry about what the cook is putting in your baby’s food – it’ll all be there in front of them. That in itself makes for a great night out. Order your cards and other goodies at www.jonesy.ca

Sugar & Spice Bows has a fantastic line of hip bows and accessories! Their signature clip is called the “Grippy Clippy” which has a foam piece on the inside of the clip which grabs the finest amounts of hair! Available in many different styles and colors for your little princess! They also have bow holders, beanies, headbands, fleece hats and diaper cakes! The Grippy Clippy will be featured in April/May issue of Canadian Family Magazine, so keep your eyes open for it!

Sugar & Spice would like to offer all our readers 10% off your order, use Coupon Code: “Mommy”!

Visit www.sugarandspicebows.com

With a newborn baby due in just three months I was on the search for the perfect sling. I never used on with my son, because truth be told, I just couldn’t find one that fit comfortably and looked stylish (hey come on, behind all of the baby throw up a little fashion goes a long way). A friend of mine recommended one she used and I figured I might as well give it a try – I had nothing to loose. I went on-line www.pippalily.com to locate a store that carried their slings. Well, I had no problems finding it close by, they are available everywhere. I came home with my Dragon Brocade sling and realized that I was missing something – a baby! Oops. Well, I had several friends and relatives with new babies that I knew wouldn’t mind trying it out for me. I called my girlfriend and told her that I needed to use her baby as a prop to try out a potential sling that I was planning to use when my baby was born. She was more than happy to oblige. I mean really, someone carrying your baby around for a few hours is music to any mother’s ears. I immediately knew that this sling was going to be a lifesaver for me. It was easy to use, comfortable and it almost felt like I wasn’t even carrying a baby – because the weight was distributed so evenly. The material was so luxurious that little Max was in baby heaven. If there are any doubts or questions you have their website has a video and instructions showing you how to use it. What I liked most about this sling was that there aren’t any buttons, straps, clips or anything that makes it difficult to get the baby in and out peacefully – which was my number one priority. There are so many styles and colors to choose from that you will no doubt find something you love. The problem may be, you will find too many that you love. Max loved it so much that his Mommy is borrowing it from me for the next three months.

Check out their website www.pippalily to find a store near you.

Caviar, lobster, a perfectly cooked steak and a nice glass of wine to wash it all down. What could be better? Well, when you are 9 months old your choices of food are pretty limitless. So when Sweet Pea Baby Food sent us some samples, our playgroup was excited to see how the children would react to these new yummies.

The first one we tried was Broccoli. All the moms agreed that none of the children would enjoy it. I mean it’s green and it’s broccoli – nuff said. So down goes the first spoonful. With mouths wide open and some sort of grunting noises that clearly indicated that more was in order - we were all shocked. So of course, I had to try some myself. It’s a good thing that my child is the love of my life because I could have easily eaten the entire tray and licked it until there wasn’t a drop left. Yes, I did say Broccoli. Now the main course – Veggies and Chicken. All I can say is that my grandmother would’ve been jealous. The texture was very smooth and not chunky which I know many children (and adults for that matter) cannot stomach. Finally dessert - Banana and Blueberry. Again, another hit. The children couldn’t open their mouths fast enough. Each spoonful was welcomed with a smile. Who would’ve thought that mealtime would be this much fun. The preparation into the food was simple. Each cube is individually sealed so you can take as much or as little as you need per feeding – no need to waste an entire tray. The cube went into the microwave for about 25 seconds and that’s it. The flavour was so rich and delicious that you can taste the trueness of each food. There are no additives or preserves in the food so you can feel good about feeding your child such a diverse menu. The children enjoyed their lunch, which is a huge relief to a mom who usually stresses over mealtime. I wonder if my husband will be disappointed when he comes home and I tell him that we’re having a few trays of Broccoli for dinner.

The greatest thing about being a kid is that someone is always taking care of you. Feeding you, changing you, burping you, wiping your nose when it’s runny and even loving you when you’re in the middle of Toys R Us having a complete meltdown because Mommy won’t buy you that Spiderman figurine. And no matter what, your clothes are always hand selected by your very own personal fashion stylist.

Kids are known to not always take the best care of their clothes because, well, hey come on – they’re kids after all. So it’s nice when you find something that fits well, wears well and even looks great.

I was at a playgroup and a little girl had on the cutest top. It read: I am the happily ever after. It was absolutely adorable and looked really comfortable. I asked the mom where she found something so unique and she introduced me to PS TEES (www.pstees.ca). As you can imagine, I couldn’t drive home fast enough to see what they had available for boys. As soon as I saw the unstoppable dino in the brown shirt with yellow sleeves I saw my son’s name all over it. I ordered the size 2 and was looking forward to receiving my package in the mail.

When it arrived I took it out of the package and I felt like I was holding a shirt made of silk. It was the softest most comfortable shirt I have ever felt. I couldn’t get over it. My son became really interested in this item that I talked about pretty much for the rest of the day.

Now the real test. An 18 month old wearing the shirt.

He wore it to the playground, music and even daycare where paint and crayons somehow end up on his clothing rather than his artwork. It washed like a dream and came out feeling just as soft as when I first ordered it. It’s nice to have something different in his closet beside fleece hoodies and the usual box store clothes. It is a great purchase! The best part is that a portion of all sales are donated to non-profit charities. Now your child looks good and you can feel good about it.

I wonder if the Happily Ever After Shirt comes in Mommy’s size.

Order your shirts at www.pstees.ca