We want to thank each and every one of you awesome readers for coming back each day and checking out what's new over at Just Us Girls. Without you, all of the products we review and giveaways we host wouldn't be possible. We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We'll see you all next year!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We want to thank each and every one of you awesome readers for coming back each day and checking out what's new over at Just Us Girls. Without you, all of the products we review and giveaways we host wouldn't be possible. We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We'll see you all next year!
Holiday Rice Krispies Treats with #Kelloggs
This month was no different. They sent me a huge red box filled with goodies to spread the Holiday joy with my family and make some Christmas Rice Krisipes Treats.
We really couldn't wait to make these. My kids were excited because they wanted to decorate the treats with the sprinkles and red and green sparkle gel that was in the box. These treats were easy to make, kid friendly and best of all, delicious and perfect for this holiday season. So, will you be spreading the holiday joy with these yummy treats?
A Free Short Story from The UnFairy Tale Series This Holiday Season!
Holiday Party Entertainment Tips from Metro!
With the Holidays being so close and so many parties and gatherings going on, some times it can be overwhelming I received an amazing gift basket from Metro a couple of weeks ago and had the opportunity to try some new products from their Irresistibles line.
In the basket was Maple Butter, Dark Almond Fruit Cake, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels, European Biscuits, Sun-dried Tomato crisps and a $20 gift card to go check out some of their other appetizers they have. Let me tell you, everything in that basket was delicious and perfect appetizers for any Holiday gatherings you may be having or going to. I can't wait to head to Metro to pick up a few of their treats for our annual New Year's Eve party we'll be hosting this year.
Along with the gift basket they shared some awesome tips that I thought everyone could use around this time of year.
- Creative serving – Instead of communal bowls of nuts, try a more eye catching and hygienic presentation by putting snacks in clear-glass, narrow-necked decanters. Guests can pour nut and trail mixes themselves, and it looks great, too!
- Stagger serving times – If all food is served at the start of the night, guests are likely to gorge and go home early. Keep your party hopping by serving your tasty hors d’oeuvres all night long.
- Impress with a signature cocktail - Channel your inner mixologist and offer guests a unique signature cocktail for your holiday party. Be sure to have other non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages to offer alongside this cocktail. (This is one of my favs., I love having drinks that I can serve that's unique and new to my guests during a party.)
- Prep in advance – The ‘day of’ for the party planner is always hectic! Between set up, last minute errands, and wrangling the kids – stress is high. Try prepping what you can a few days before. Things like fruit trays, cheese and cracker platters and Swedish meatballs can all be put together a day or two in advance.
- Presentation is everything – When preparing food trays and hors d’oeuvres platters, have fun! Use the Canadian winter landscape as inspiration by placing pinecones and frosted pine needles in your tray display.
- Fast and fancy – Limited time? Solicit the help of the frozen food aisle! Metro’s private label line, Irresistibles, offers delicious appetizers perfect for party planners, with selection and creativity covered.
- Tidy as you go – No one likes waking up to a mess, by tidying bit by bit during your party, the house will be kept clean for your guests, too! (Another great tip that I live by. This helps so much once the party is over)
- Set the ambiance – A beautiful candle display can never go wrong at a holiday party
- Provide plenty of options – Be sure to provide an assortment of appetizer options at your holiday bash to keep all types of appetites full and happy!
- Enjoy yourself – This is your party, too! You’ve worked hard and it’s important to enjoy the environment, interact with your guests and taste your delicious treats!
Tips from @Petcurean on Keeping Your Pet's Healthy During The Holidays
It's that time of year. Tons of family and friends are going to be getting together over the next couple of weeks to enjoy one another's company. The holiday season is known to be a time of excess but what most Canadians/Americans don't know is how it can affect the family pet. Delicious food (so much temptation), great parties (extra hands to slip a little "treat" from the appetizer table) and time to laze around on snowy afternoons don't only affect the two-legged members of the family.
I know for us it's hard to host a party with our Boston Terrier, Izzie, because not all people like dogs and I know that our dog is very hyper and runs around a lot when we have people over. So during this time of year when we have people visiting or over for a dinner and/or party I try and make sure to feed her before they come. And I make sure she goes potty because she has a weak bladder and gets excited very easily.
- DO: Leave a cute festive note on food tables reminding guests not to share people food with the four legged guests.
- DON'T: Leave food and drinks on a low table during the party.
- DO: Give your pets an early dinner to keep them full during the party and less likely to beg for snacks from your guests.
@bigfishgames : Christmas Stories: Nutcracker Collector's Edition Review & Giveaway
This time I was able to review their number one Holiday classic game, Christmas Stories: Nutcracker Collector's Edition, which is a great game, especially around this time of the year.
In this collector's edition game you are invited to a Christmas party only to have missed it. Once you arrive you find The Nutcracker and help him rescue his love, Mary from the evil Rat King. Throughout the game you come across many puzzles and hidden object mini games. You also meet new friends that you help and in return they help you along the way through your journey. Once all of the puzzles are completed you reach the end to where you have to defeat the Rat King, which I enjoyed doing. I also loved that along the way on the adventure the game shares with you the story on how the Nutcracker became what he is and the history on how the Rat King became who he is.
I really had a great time playing this game. Big Fish has a handful of Christmas games out right now that would be awesome to play especially around this time of year and would be great gifts. Here are a couple:
Perfect Tree
Chicken Invaders: Ultimate Omlette Christmas Edition
Home Sweet Home: Christmas Edition
Delicious @OMGscandy Review & Giveaway
We were sent a box filled with around 12 bags of these Canadian made treats called, OMG's. OMG's are delicious chocolate graham clusters that are made up of chocolate, graham crackers, toffee bits and diced almonds in them. Seriously, if you haven't tried them yet, go buy a bag. How can any chocolate treat get better? I will rave and rave about these because it's so worth it. They come in two different chocolate flavors, dark chocolate and milk chocolate. My husband loved the milk chocolate, I loved both, but I'm a dark chocolate kind of girl.
With 12 bags in the house, these little treats did not last long in our house. I even gave some to my sister and brother in law who seriously came over the next day praising these treats. My niece and nephew even complimented them and asked what store to find them at so I looked on their site and you can find them at any Shoppers, Rexall, Zehrs or Loblaws out here in Canada. This would be a perfect addition to your dessert tray during your holiday parties. I know I'll be having them for my guests to try at our annual New Years Eve party this year.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Blu-ray DVD Review
The Odd Life of Timothy Green Blu-ray DVD Review
From Academy Award-nominated writer/director Peter Hedges (Dan in Real Life, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape), and starring Golden Globe winner Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, Oscar winner Dianne Wiest and CJ Adams as Timothy Green, comes this highly imaginative story about a happily married couple who can’t wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. Then one stormy night young Timothy shows up on their doorstep. Soon they and the small town in which they live learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life’s greatest gifts. The story is written by Ahmet Zappa (“American Gangster,” “Changeling”).
MY REVIEW
I first saw the trailer for The Odd Life Of Timothy Green in theaters this past Summer. The trailer alone gave me chills and I had water in my eyes. I knew it was a movie that I had to see. It came out and I wasn't able to make the time to go see it in theaters but I am so glad I got the opportunity to review the movie because it was definitely worth a watch.
This filmed was cast perfectly. Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton did an amazing job with their characters and how can I forget about young Timothy himself played by, CJ Adams. His performance in this movie was fantastic. From beginning to end this movie had me hooked. We watched it as a family and by the end of the movie we were all cuddled on the same couch. I cried, I laughed, I got so emotional, but I'd watch it again in a heartbeat because it was that good. This is definitely one of those family movies you can sit down and watch with your family and a month, a year, a couple of years later come back and still love it. The Odd Life Of Timothy Green is now out for purchase. Make sure Santa brings this to your home for the Holidays!
Benefits from using Insurance Hunter
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Insurance Hunter for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Auto Insurance is important to have. You need it just in case anything happens and although it's a pain in the butt to pay, when and if something does happen, you'll be happy that you have it. But you do want the best that isn't too expensive and that is where Insurance Hunter comes in.
Insurance Hunter is an online insurance brokerage that offers and provides Ontario residents free access to auto, home and travel insurance quotes from the big name Insurance companies. They offer their service 24/7 and help you with comparing and saving on insurance that you can leave feeling happy with.
The benefits from using theses guys is that you get efficiency, choice and convenience. The one thing you don't want is someone pushing down a certain insurance company down your throat that you're not going to end up being happy with. With Insurance Hunter they're an independent online insurance brokerage with no ties or loyaties to any specific insurance company. They want to look out for what's best for you.
Their free insurance quoting tool is very easy to use. I had an opportunity to try it and it only took a few minutes and wasn't hard whatsoever. You go through three different steps before they give you your quote and that's it. It doesn't take long at all and it was less than five minutes, which normally getting a quote from an insurance company can take up to a full day. If you're looking for Car Insurance and need to hurry up and get a quote, Insurance Hunter is worth looking at.
Aviva: Making Positive Change in Canada @avivacf
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Aviva Community Fund for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
One of the things that I love finding out about companies is finding out that there's actually more to that company than just trying to make money, but that they are also trying to make a difference in their community. So when I found out that Aviva Insurance funds and supports the Aviva Community Fund and their annual charitable activation, I was honored to be able to share with our readers more about this community and how you can get involved as well.
Aviva Community Fund's focus is to help influence positive change in local Canadian communities. They want to help support the causes that are important to you. So they gave people from all over Canada the chance to enter their positive change idea and are now looking for your help on voting for your favorite idea. Canadian voters determine 98 semi-finalists in three qualifying rounds of voting. A Semi-Final round of voting determines which 30 will receive a minimum of $5,000. And the following round will be decided by the judges. Winners will be announced January 29,2013.
WHO CAN VOTE?
Anyone in Canada who is registered on the Aviva Community Fund website can vote for ideas during the Idea Entry and Semi-Final phases of the competition.
HOW DO YOU VOTE?
Once you're registered and signed into the site, all you need to do is click on the "Vote Now" button on any idea that you like.
Or, if you registered using Facebook Connect, you can now vote directly through our Facebook voting app, which you can find on the Facebook page of most ideas or at Facebook.com/AvivaCommunityFund.
WHEN CAN YOU VOTE?
You can vote during each of the Qualifying Rounds and the Semi-Final phases of the competition. You can cast 15 votes during each of the three initial rounds and another fifteen votes during the Semi-Finals at any time within each round, but you can only vote for each idea once a day.
The best part is you can support as many ideas as you'd like with your votes. But use them wisely. Once a vote is used, you can't take it back.
To keep up with the voting process and to keep an eye out for the grand prize winner be sure to Like Aviva Community Fund on Facebook and Follow @Aviva on Twitter.
An IAMS Holiday Treat For Your Pet!
We're huge Iams fans in this house. When we switched over a couple of years ago, I noticed a huge difference in our Boston Terrier, Izzie. She didn't shed as much and her fur seemed so much healthier, plus it didn't give her gas, like, the brand we used to give her did.
I shared with you all a couple of weks ago how Iams does their Annaul Pet Adoption Drive, which made me very proud in being an Iams customer.
Since the Holidays are around the corner, Iams wanted to do something a little special for your pet and give one of you lucky Just Us Girl Canadian readers a chance at winning this huge basket catered to your pet and valued at around $300. All you have to do is enter below, good luck!
The Royal Royal: The Royalty Review & Giveaway
Not only is this album inspiring, but each song on the album has a bit of modern rock in it and is filled with songs that you know are from two guys that are singing their hearts out on something they believe in, which is what drew me to this album more.
Bebo Norman: Lights Of Distant Cities Review & Giveaway
Whether you're a Christian or not, have faith or not, this album will definitely touch you where you can relate to a song or two or all of them. Not to mention this guy's voice. It's amazing. This album has eleven songs and trust me, you won't want to skip any of the songs. It was hard to choose, but my favorite had to be Collide. It's a song that's now on my playlist and one I've been listening to over and over again for the past couple of days. Check out the video of the song below.
Throughout Bebo's seventeen years as an artist, he has been applauded for laying it all on the table with his lyrics and musical vulnerability. Lights of Distant Cities is definitely an album worth listening to and sharing to your friends.
Ellie James Guest Post: About those Dragonflies…
What Does Christmas Mean To You?
I believe Christmas is a time to spend with all of those people who you don’t get the chance to see throughout the year, doing things as a family and enjoying each other’s company, and I especially feel this is the perfect time of year to be creative and use your imagination! There are so many ways in which you can do this, making special ornaments, Christmas garlands, wreaths or home baking, there is always a way for each and every one of us to show our creative Christmas edge.
From being young I have always made my own Christmas crafts, from Christmas cards to gorgeous holiday calendars for the oldies; it has become a tradition in our home to make Christmas treats. Despite this being a great way to bring the family together, you are also showing that you believe in the spirit of Christmas.
I have created a list of some of my all-time favourite Christmas crafts which are suitable for the whole family:
Make Your Own Snow Globes
This was one of my favourite things to do as a child, and can be equally as fun as a grownup; all it takes is an empty jam jar, some mini figurines, glitter glycerine, (Which is actually easier to get hold of than you think!) and some enamel paint, and in no time you have your homemade snow globes!
Christmas Cards and Calenders As we are all about saving the environment, this year we have chosen to make our own Christmas cards out of old wrapping paper and ribbons which were too beautiful to throw away from previous years. All it takes is a piece of plain card, some ribbon and a beautiful pattern from an old piece of wrap to make stunning Christmas cards. Granted this does take some organisation, however it wouldn’t cost much to buy a role of wrap and use your creativity to turn it into something special. If this isn’t your thing, why not use pictures and photographs of your family to include in your homemade Christmas cards or calendars.
Wooden Letters As long as an adult is present in the making of this Christmas craft, it can be one of the most rewarding and beautiful homemade crafts. By using old wood found in the garden along with a sharp saw, you can turn almost anything into gorgeous Christmas letters, a couple of coats of gloss paint and you have something which has cost a fraction of the price that it would have cost to buy in a store.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green DVD/Blu-ray Giveaway
Guest Post: Transforming Love By Anne Elisabeth Stengl & Starflower Autograph Book Giveaway
Celebrating This Holiday with Our Favorite Dreamworks Characters!
After Shrek promises Fiona and the kids a Christmas they’ll remember, he is forced to take a crash course in the holiday. But just when he thinks he has everything, Donkey, Puss in Boots and the gang crash the party.
Shrek the Halls is the greatest holiday tale that’s never been told… until now. Also includes Donkey’s Caroling Christmas-tacular!
The Dragons are back in the exciting next chapter to the Academy Award -nominated film. The epic story of Hiccup and Toothless continues as they take flight in a thrilling, adventure to discover an island of never-before-seen dragons – Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury. Explosive action and fire-breathing excitement collide in this exhilarating story.
A Toy Kids Will Love This Holiday: The Trash Pack
The Trash Pack is a mobile storage garbage truck that comes with two different characters to play with. Not only will they have hours of play time, but one of the best things I found about this is that there are tons of collectible little Trashies that your kid can collect. Each collectible character comes in three different colors that are common, rare, ultra rare, special edition Trashies , exclusive Trashies and they even have glow in the dark Trashies .
When a toy like this comes along you are sure to get your money's worth. Not only will you kid enjoy playing with these mini characters, but the most fun will be collecting each different character.
With The Trash Pack you can smash your Trashies by launching them from the Wheelie Bin and knocking them into a wall of trash cans. I think this was one of my son's favorite parts about this toy. He loved smashing his Trashies into the garbage bins.
There is also room to store the all of your Trashies that your child collects. Each truck stores up to 12 trash cans. Along with smashing them and storing them, you can also dump them in the wheelie bin and most of all display them on the display stands.
There's tons of different ways to play with The Trash Pack and this leads to hours and hours of play time for your little guy or girl. The Trash Pack can be found exclusively at Toys R Us and retail around $19.99.