Winter Cocktails w/ @Sauza Tequila (Review)


When you think of tequila, most of us think margaritas and that thought is usually most common in the summer when there's lots of warm weather, less layers to dress in and relaxing outside. I absolutely love making margaritas, especially for a girls night in or even a drink to have during a girls lunch.

Did you know that you can also enjoy tequila in the Winter? I didn't even think about making drinks that included tequila until I was approached by Sauza to try a couple of recipes with both their silver and gold tequila.



I've been a fan of Sauza for years and have tried both the gold and silver before.  They're very affordable retailing at my local LCBO for only $29.95 for the 750ml bottle. I love how smooth their tequila is. It's a lot less harsher in taste like some other tequila's can be and has a richer taste. The gold is a bit sweeter than the silver and ideal for taking shots or making margaritas with. The silver is fresh, clean and crisp and would be great poured over ice. I enjoy making margaritas with Sauza tequila, so to try a couple different drinks I could enjoy in the winter, was pretty exciting.

I decided to make both their S'more Margaritas and Mexican Eggnog. Eggnog is a staple in my house around the holidays and who doesn't love chocolate?! So I knew both drinks would be great to try. I have to say both were absolutely delicious. I have to say it was hard to pick my favorite out of the two, but I must say the S'more Margaritas would definitely be a crows pleaser when hosting a girls night in. I made a couple a couple weekends ago for a few friends to try and they loved it. The Mexican Eggnog was a hit with the hubby. We had a couple drinks while watching Christmas movies.

Both drinks will definitely be served at our annual New Years Eve party and I'm thinking about bringing a batch of S'mores Margaritas to my in laws for the ladies Christmas dinner, I can't wait to see what others think of both drinks.


 
S’Mores Margarita
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 parts Sauza Silver Tequila
4 parts chocolate liqueur
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1/3 cup cream
Ice

To garnish:
Mini Marshmallows
Toothpicks
Chocolate-Marshmallow Crème Sauce (optional)

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Pour into prepared glasses rimmed with Chocolate-Marshmallow Crème Sauce (optional). Garnish with a skewer of mini marshmallows.


 
Mexican Eggnog
Serves 1
Ingredients
1 part Sauza Gold Tequila
1 part Knob Creek Bourbon
3 parts Egg Nog (homemade or store bought)
Cinnamon

Directions: In a shaker filled with ice combine Egg Nog, Tequila and Bourbon. Shake to combine and serve chilled with a dash of cinnamon on top.


For more information about Sauza tequila and other recipes you can make using Sauza be sure to head to www.us.sauzatequila.com.
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received a bottle of Sauza Gold and Silver tequila at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

@Tfal_Canada: 2 in 1 Actifry (Review & Giveaway) #HolidayGiftGuide


With the New Year being around the corner, it's definitely time to start thinking about living a more healthier life if you haven't already. I know for me, food has always been a struggle. I think my biggest problem is portion control, my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I sometimes over eat.

Over the last couple of years I have been trying my hardest to make sure that my family and I start substituting things that we love for a healthier choice. We've done this with sugar, ice cream and over the last month, we've now been doing this with our favorite fried foods. Every one loves deep fried food. Let's face it, fries taste a lot better being deep fried than they do in the oven. Well with the 2 in 1 Actifry, I can eat french fries that are both crispy and a healthier alternative to fries that would go in your ordinary deep fryer.




The Actifry helps you create lower fat versions of the foods your whole family will love like French fries, chicken wings, risotto, dessert and more. With the 2 in 1 Actifry, you not only get to cook one, but two dishes at a time thanks to the removable cooking plate it comes with. After first hearing great reviews from my husband's co-worker about the original actri-fry, we were super excited to try the 2 in 1.
First of course we had some reading to do, the user manual was easy to understand and set up was a breeze. It also comes with a recipe book that gives you tons of different recipes you can use the 2 in 1 with. It's great to know that you can use this for a variety of different dishes.

The first dish we decided to try was fresh cut fries and seasoned chicken breast.  Since french fries are one of our favorites, I wanted to see how they would compare to other french fries that we would make in the oven or in our deep fryer.

After preparing the potatoes  and reading the easy to follow step by step directions we started the unit by pressing the on button, then setting the bottom plate to what we were cooking, then pressing the 2 in 1 button so that we could set the timer so we knew when to start our second dish. Once everything was set we went on with our business as usual, coming back to check more often than necessary just to make sure all was going to plan. Once the fries were half way done we heard a beep, which then allowed us to put our second dish in the Actifry until both dishes were cooked to perfection.


The fries turned out fresh, crisp and delicious. The next batch we would make we did adjust the time a little bit just for our preference, but the time frame that was given provided a great result in how the fries turned out.  The chicken was beautifully browned and  thoroughly cooked as well. I was definitely impressed with both dishes and have been enjoying the Actifry so much.


The use of the 2-in-1 option saved a pile of dishes to clean and dis-assembly of the trays for cleaning couldn't be any easier.  The following day we cleaned up our old conventional oil fryer and stored it for the rare occasion when we will use it again.  We as a family are excited to move one step closer to extremely tasty and yet still a healthy fried dinner.


This would be a perfect gift to give your household or to a friend or family member. It's a great small appliance to have to start the New Year with. For more information about the 2 in 1 Actifry and other T-Fal products be sure to head over to www.t-fal.ca
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received the 2 in 1 Actifry at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

UNTOLD: Absolu by @ArdenCanada #HolidayGiftGuide


I'm not one to wear perfume every single day. Since I work from home, when there is an occassion for me to wear it, I try to make sure that what I'm wearing isn't over powerful in the scent so that it doesn't effect the people I'm around in a bad way. 

When I got the opportunity to review the latest from the UNTOLD collection, Absolu, I was pretty excited. Absolu is debuting a year after the remarkably successful launch of UNTOLD original. UNTOLD Absolu will continue the UNTOLD sensory journey, celebrating the intrigue of the modern woman in a new light.I've been looking for something that is a rich, earthy scent, beautiful and perfect for the winter season. This was the perfect fragrance that matched all three. 



I believe scent plays such a huge part in our memories and is so unique to each person. To me this perfume makes me think of cozy fires and snowy, romantic nights. I would never use this fragrance in the summer, personally. 

I tend to choose light, fruity scents for the spring/summer season. This is neither light nor too fruity, although you can smell the hint of black raspberries, Absolu  rather gives that feeling of a big warm hug and makes me think of family, which is definitely a plus in my book and would be perfect to wear during the holidays when you are around lots of family and friends. 


I can definitely recommend this as a lovely holiday gift for those special winter moments. Beautifully packaged and a little goes a long way with this lovely full-bodied fragrance. This would be a great gift for any ladies that are looking for a great scent to wear during the winter. 

UNTOLD Absolu is retailed at $85-105 and is sold at  Shoppers Drug Mart, Hudson’s Bay, London Drugs, Rexall, and Jean Coutu. For more information about UNTOLD Absolu be sure to head over to www.elizabetharden.ca
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received UNTOLD Absolu at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

The Legend of Korra: A New Era Begins (PS3 Video Game Review) #HolidayGiftGuide




We had a chance to review, The Legend of Korra: A New Era Begins on PS3. I'm a big gamer. I love playing video games that are both simulation and RPG, so this was a great fit for me. A little too advanced for my little ones, I played this game by myself and enjoyed it very much.

Although my nine year old daughter does watch the show, she found this game a bit hard to play, but she did enjoy watching mom kick some butt in it. The game is based off of the hit animated television series.

In the beginning of the game we see that Korra is stripped of her binding abilities and throughout the game has to get them back by practice and discipline all while unlocking new combos. The game's main villain, Hundun, is released into the physical world by Korra's opening of the spirit portals. Throughout the game we see how much chaos he brings in the world to pursue his grudge against the Avatar.



This is a pretty well thought out game and you can tell that every piece of the story line from the video game was based on the show. The animated series is well represented and learning the combinations was very easy once I got the hang of the game. It took a few weeks for me to play considering I could only play about a half hour to an hour a few days a week, if that, with little ones running around, but this would easily take a teen around 6 to 8 hours to complete, which isn't bad at all.

It's definitely not a hard game to figure out and once you unlock all four elements throughout the game, you'll notice how smooth the game play flows. What was pretty awesome about unlocking the elements was that you can level up each element by themselves. When you do this you unlock new combinations which make the fight scenes even more interesting. I loved that while doing your combinations, you didn't have to press lots of buttons on your controller and there are multiple styles of combat to choose from. They were pretty simple and easy to do. Even before getting back your bending powers in the game, Korra still kicks butt using martial art moves.

It's pretty neat because once you get the hang of the game, you feel like you're an expert in bending. Once you get all your elements back, you can change the elements at any time. Each element has other functions: earth for slow and strong attacks, fire is very quick, water is for longer ranges and air is more for bigger groups of enemies, which was one of my favorites to use when under attack. Every element is useful and fun to play.

After you complete the game for the first time you unlock pro-bending, which is just a mini challenging game. It's pretty fun and easy to play and I enjoyed it. This game is definitely a great game for any fans of the show. Even though my daughter didn't play it, because she watched the show, it was very easy for her to follow along throughout me playing the game.

The Legend of Korra would make a great gift for any fans of the show and is now available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One. For more information about this game be sure to head over to www.activision.com
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received The Legend Of Korra on PS3 at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

My Little Pony: The Complete Original Series DVD Review #HolidayGiftGuide




Get ready for lots of sunshine, rainbows, and happiness, pony-style! The original TV series that started the My Little Pony phenomenon is finally coming to DVD in its entirety. My Little Pony The Complete Series features all 65 episodes, and is available in the U.S. and Canada from Shout! Factory Kids in collaboration with Hasbro Studios.

You’re invited to return to Ponyland, the home of all your favorite classic Little Ponies, including the Earth Ponies, Unicorns, Pegasus Ponies, Flutter Ponies, Sea Ponies, Baby Sea Ponies, their human friends Megan, Danny and Molly and, of course, their dragon friend, Spike! Together, they live a life of games, songs and harmony with allies like the Bushwoolies and Furbobs. But, occasionally, there are problems in Ponyland and the Little Ponies of Paradise Estate must face evil witches, goblins, Stone Backs, Grundles and more! Now you can join in the fun and adventure with My Little Pony: The Complete Series!

MY REVIEW
My 7-year-old daughter, Joey loves this generation's version of My Little Pony both the actual ponies and the Equestria Girls, so I thought it might be really great to have her experience the My Little Pony, original show, that mommy watched when she was a kid.

She was pretty skeptical that she was going to like the classic My Little Pony. I can tell you she didn't like it like she loves the new version but that's understandable. She did love watching me reminisce and soon was asking me questions about my favorite ponies when I was younger and we were laughing about things I remembered from when I was her age.

The classic My Little Pony's was great to watch with my daughter. It may not be replacing the new version in her love of all things ponies, but we had a great time watching it together. Those are memories I wasn't expecting to make and will cherish all the rest of my life.

 If you are looking to share a piece of your childhood with your child I would 100% recommend this as a fantastic purchase and a great gift for this holiday season. It's definitely worth watching with your little one and sharing your memories from when you were younger. 

For more information about My Little Pony, the original series and others, be sure to head on over to www.shoutfactory.com
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received My Little Pony: The Complete Original Series on DVD at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

The Maze Runner Blu-ray/DVD (Review & Giveaway) #MazeRunner



In this heart-pounding survival thriller based on the best-selling novel, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien of MTV’s “Teen Wolf” ) wakes up trapped in a massive, ever-changing maze with a group of boys who have no memory of the outside world. Facing dangerous obstacles at every turn — especially the deadly Grievers that roam the concrete corridors at night — Thomas and the others must race to piece together clues in order to discover their true purpose… and find a way out before it’s too late!

THE MAZE RUNNER Blu-ray™ comes in a 2-Disc Combo Pack, including two hours of pulse-stopping bonus features that make for the ultimate fan gift this holiday season. Created especially for this release by BOOM! Comics, dive into the backstory world of the Gladers before Thomas’ arrival, with the limited-edition, twenty-four page prequel comic book written by director Wes Ball and co-screenwriter T.S. Nowlin. Fans will also receive a limited time offer for the mobile game featuring a bonus runner “Newt” plus free in-game currency on Blu-ray™ and DVD.

MY REVIEW


This was such a great movie! Filled with lots of twists and turns, this movie kept on surprising me. I don't know how many times I jumped, if you asked my husband, he would say throughout the entire movie, lol.

I was really excited to see it mainly because I am a huge fan of Dylan O'brien and his character Stiles from the hit show, Teen Wolf. I immediately became a fan of this movie after watching it and was impressed with the story line. This movie is based off of the best selling book from James Dashner. Now that I have seen the movie, I'm guessing the book is even better, so I'm really excited that I get a chance to read the book as well. I'll have to share with you all later the two comparisons and let you know which one I prefer. I've also learned that the book is a trilogy, so I am hoping that they will continue with both part two and three of the movie as well. In the meantime, I'm excited to catch up on all three books.

Filled with lots of adventure, excitement and thrilling plots, The Maze Runner will have you glued to the screen. The actors did an amazing job and fit so well together. Their chemistry together was on point. Not only was it nice seeing some familiar faces, but it was also nice seeing some new faces on the screen with this brand new hit movie.

My son was really excited and wanted to watch it. He's heard a few older kids on his school bus talk about the movie. He's only seven so I opted for him not to see it just yet, but I can't wait until he is old enough to watch it because I know he'll love it.

Definitely a great movie and the end will leave you shocked, wanting more and wanting to see what is next for the group. I'm happy and excited to offer our readers of Just Us Girls a copy of both the movie and book!


Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received The Maze Runner book and movie at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Tips For Safety Travel During The Holidays w/ @EvenflobabyCA #carseatsafety


With the holidays being around the corner, I'm sure a lot of you will be traveling to visit family and friends throughout the month of December. Whether you're traveling near or far, making sure that you're traveling safely with your family is very important.

There are just so many things that we can't control from happening while we're on the road, but making sure that we do our part in keeping everyone in our vehicle safe is one less thing we have to worry about while traveling this holiday. Below are a few tips from our friends over at Evenflo Canada that are sure to help those of us traveling this holiday season:

  • Everyone rides buckled up or the vehicle does not go. Make no exceptions for adults or children. If someone unbuckles, stop the vehicle. Being firm and consistent from the start will mean fewer discipline problems as children get older.
  • All children 12 and under absolutely must ride buckled up in the back seat.
  • Do not allow a child in a vehicle to have objects such as lollipops or ice cream on a stick. The object can injure the child if the vehicle swerves or hits a bump.
  • Never take a child out of his or her car seat while the vehicle is moving. If even a low-speed crash occurred, an unrestrained child can be injured.
  • Put sharp or heavy items in the trunk. Anything loose can be deadly in a crash.
  • Always carefully read the car seat instructions and the vehicle owner's manual. If you have any questions about your car seat or vehicle, please call your the manufacturer's toll-free number. You'll find it in your owner's manual.
  • Never use a car seat that was in an accident - it may have sustained hidden damage that could cause it to fail in another emergency.
  • Evenflo recommends that car seats over six years old not be used. The seat may have been damaged in collisions or by extensive use. Parts, labels and instructions may be missing and significant design or labeling changes may have occurred during those years in which the older seat was in use.
  • Always register your car seat so that you can be notified of any safety issues that may arise in the future.
  • In cold weather, DO NOT dress the child in bulky clothing like snowsuits if the child is riding in a child restraint. Bulky coats/snowsuits make it difficult to properly tighten the harness on the child. If necessary, place a blanket over the harnessed child without interfering with the child restraint harness system.



Disclosure: I am a Evenflo Ambassador and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group; however all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Great Holiday Stocking Stuffers w/ @KandooKids


The holidays are around the corner and as much as I'd like to think that's the only thing we have to worry about during our Winter season, we all know that this is a popular time when the cold and flu season hits as well.

I literally just disinfected my entire house because throughout the entire week, every single member of my family, including myself, got hit with the flu. It was horrible and the aftermath of it all was lots of laundry and cleaning to do to get our home back up and running in time for Christmas morning. I'm still working on it, but it's almost back to normal.

I've been using Kandoo hand wash for my kiddos over the last fewof years and that seems to not only help kill the germs, but also make it fun for them to do. My son is seven, cleaning his hands needs to seem like it's a game so that he'll continue to love to do it without thinking about it.

Kandoo's hand wash not only has bright colored foam lets your child know when he/she is covered with soap, for a better clean, but it also contains Vitamin E and Natural Fruit Extracts to moisturize while cleaning. Their large, foaming pump and wide base bottle help kids get clean on their own and have fun while doing it. 

Any of the Kandoo products would make a great addition to add as a stocking stuffer this holiday season, especially their travel size flushable wipes that you can take with you when you and your little ones are on the go. They're easy to store in your vehicle or purse and you'll love knowing the wipes clean up to 30% better than toilet paper.

For more information about any of the Kandoo products, be sure to check them out online at www.kandookids.com
Disclosure: I receive special perks as a part of my affiliation with the Kandoo Ambassadorship. The opinions on this blog are 100% my own.

All Hail King Julien! #StreamTeam


Winter Break is here! This is one of my favorite times of the year. I love that I get to hangout in Christmas pajamas on the couch with the kiddos watching some of our favorite holiday movies and munching on some goodies.

One of our favorite family movies, Madagascar, has come out with many different holiday special episodes, including ones to celebrate Valentine's Day and Christmas. We've also been able to see some of our favorite characters, like, The Penguins of Madagascar, in their own show. Well, now it's time for the hilarious King Julien to shine with his own show!

As of Friday, December 19th, Netflix subscribers will be able to stream All Hail King Julien, a new animated show featuring the hilarious, booty shaking King Julien from, Madagascar.


All Hail King Julien
"King Julien is back and shaking his booty harder than ever! Discover the wild world of Madagascar as the king takes on the jungle’s craziest adventures in this comedy series. With his loyal sidekicks Maurice and Mort, they meet a whole new cast of colorful animals, including ambitious head of security Clover and the villainous Foosa. No one can stop this king from ruling with an iron fist...in the air...wavin' like he just doesn't care."


My family and I had a chance to see a few of the episodes a bit early and got to celebrate King Julien style. We were sent a package that included hats, streamers, glasses, balloons, etc. to get us all in the mood to watch the new series.

I have to say, this show is hilarious and definitely up our alley. My kids and I really love the intro to the series and love that we got to see not only King Julien, but Foosa and Clover as well.  My son loved break dancing to the theme song and loved seeing King Julien shake his booty! So far this is a great series and perfect to stream over the Winter Break.



If you get caught up with all five episodes, you can watch some of the other Madagascar special episodes as well:


1. Merry Madagascar
2. Madly Madagascar
3. The Madagascar Penguins: A Christmas Caper

To check out the films mentioned above and other great movie titles for your little ones this holiday season, be sure to head to ww.netflix.ca
Disclosure: I am part of the Stream Team Campaign with Netflix and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Creating Holiday Memories w/ Your Family #DisneyBabyCA #Giveaway


It's the most wonderful time of year! Not only is December the month of my birthday, it's also a month where we get to make lots of memories that will last a life time with my little ones, family and friends.

We have lots of traditions around this time of year that have become dear to our hearts and with a new little one in the family this year, I'm definitely looking forward to sharing our family traditions with her. Even though she's only four months and can't really participate in our family traditions, just having her in the room with us is good enough.

Every family has special holiday traditions, which help to make their holiday season brighter. Whether it’s hanging stockings, buying goofy gifts or sharing family meals, it’s the little details that make the holidays so wonderful. It’s never too early to create magical memories with your little ones, so Disney Baby has put together some ideas for family traditions you can start today!

Create a countdown
Find a fun way to prepare for the big day! Whether it’s creating a homemade advent calendar filled with great goodies or reading holiday books like Christmas Around the World in the evenings before the main event, you and your little one can share in the gleeful anticipation of the holiday magic to come. We love creating a Christmas countdown. I remember doing this when I was little and love that my kids are doing it to. This helps them remember how many days left until Santa is coming to town.



Trim the tree
Dedicate some family time to decorating your tree together. Give your little ones ornaments that are all their own, so they have special roles to play every year. You can also take this time to explain your family’s history: try sharing stories about your favourite trimmings to show your wee one how special their contribution really is! We never really have a theme to our Christmas tree, I find it too stressful. Instead we have our ornaments that we've had for over ten years, along with customized ornaments for each member of our family and handmade ornaments that our kids have made over the years placed on our tree. It looks more and more beautiful each year.




Pose for a picture
Take a family photo to share on a card, or keep a special holiday album that will grow as your children do. To keep things interesting, try choosing a fun theme: you can all wear holiday PJs or goofy reindeer ears – coming up with a new one every year is a great way to share some cheer together. If it’s your baby’s first holiday, why not preserve the memory of your little elf in a customizable photo frame



GIVEAWAY:
Disney Baby is offering one of Just Us Girls Canadian readers four pairs of cute, cozy and comfy Gortex socks, featuring your favourite Winnie the Pooh characters, and a Winnie the Pooh hand-print photo frame set. This prize back is valued at approx. $30.



What are some of your family traditions during the holidays? Do you bake sweet treats together? Listen to holiday music? We'd love to know, leave a comment below!
Disclosure: I am a Disney Baby Mom Ambassador and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group; however all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

DIY: Candy Cane Syrup


With the holidays literally around there corner, I'm sure we all have many of people to give gifts to. One of my personal favorite things to do around this time of year is to make something at home so that I can give it to friends, neighbors, teachers at my kids school and my delivery guys who are making sure my packages arrive on time and in good conditions.

Mason jars are definitely in when it comes to homemade gifts. You can put just about any and everything in a mason jar. From cookie or cake in a jar to simply putting a bag of M&M's in a mason jar and tying it with twine, you can use mason jars for just about anything and they're perfect for gift giving.

Last year I put together cookie in a jar to friends and neighbors. They loved it and it wasn't expensive to do whatsoever. This year I plan on handing out Candy Cane Syrup which tastes absolutely delicious and has become a hit in my house this past month. We've put it in our hot cocoa, coffee, ice cream and even on pancakes and waffles. Definitely gives us that good old Christmas feeling. It's inexpensive to make and will make great gifts for family, friends and neighbors.

It's simple and easy to make and to store the syrup I've put them in Bernardin's decorative 250ml mason jars. I love Bernardin's mason jars. They're durable, affordable and I love that I can store lots of goodies in them and know that whatever I'm storing will remain fresh. You can put hot or cold items in their jars and their 250ml decorative jars are ideal for storing sauce, jam, jelly and chutney.



CANDY CANE SYRUP
Ingredients
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Water
6 to 8 Candy Canes

Directions:
Pour sugar and water into saucepan. Whisk together until it is well combined and then turn your stove on medium heat. While the sugar and water mixture is heating, unwrap your candy canes and break into pieces. Add the candy canes to the sauce pan and continue to stir the mixture. The candy canes will start to dissolve and will begin to turn a pinkish red color. When everything in the saucepan has dissolved, let it boil for 2-3 minutes before turning off the stove. Let the syrup cool in saucepan. When the syrup has cooled pour into jar with lid for storage.

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received a case of Bernardin decorative mason jars at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

@MapleleaGirls School Set Review #HolidayGiftGuide


Earlier this Summer, we received and got to review a Maplelea doll of my daughter's choice. She ended up choosing, Saila. She was super excited because this was a doll that she wanted to learn more about and over the last six months, she still loves Saila like the very first day she got her.

Not only are there several Maplelea dolls to choose from, but each doll has extra clothes that are designed just for them and there are also tons of additional accessories and play sets that will give your little girl even more hours of fun with their doll.

We received the new, Maplelea School Set. Let me just say not only was my daughter super impressed by this school set, but this impressed me as well. This school set is pretty freaking awesome. It comes with so much and will definitely keep your little girl busy for hours, even days.



The Maplelea School Set is designed not only to give your daughter more hours of fun with their doll, but also to provide hours of interactive and educational fun. The fact that this set actually has information that your daughter can learn from just made this my number one favorite toy for my nine year old to play with.



The Maplelea School Set includes:

• Fold-out classroom with built-in storage slots and clock with moveable hands
• 1 filing cabinet with 3 drawers containing 6 worksheet pocket folders, 6 file folders and teacher’s paper pad
• 1 teacher’s desk with 3 subject bins and recycling/waste receptacles
• 1 bookcase with 3 subject bins
• 1 school marquee with magnetic words in both French and English to craft a personalized message
• 4 magnetic borders for seasonal classroom displays
• 4 slide-in classroom ‘window views’
• 6 bilingual magnetic activities with words, numbers and symbols for interactive play and learning
• 6 bilingual slide-in decorative classroom banners for art, English, geography, history, math and science
• 6 bilingual classroom lessons for art, English, geography, history, math and science
• 6 copies each of 6 different bilingual paper worksheets per subject (36 pages per subject, 216 pages total)
• 6 blank workbooks
• 1 fabric carry bag to store and transport the Maplelea School Set

I absolutely love that this play set can be played with not just your child, but if your daughter has a friend with a Mapelea doll or has more than one doll, they can both take turns playing the student and the teacher. I also love that you can change the window scenary to match the seasons and also the school subjects as well.

This play set will have your daughter playing with her Maplelea even more and will keep her busy. This is a perfect gift for a girl with a Maplelea doll already or you can buy a doll and play set together for endless hours of fun. 

The Maplelea School Set is retailed for $120.00. For more information about this play set and other Maplelea Dolls and acessories, be sure to head over to www.maplelea.com
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received the Maplelea School Set at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Charley The Chameleon Review #HolidayGiftGuide


My little girl is getting so big. She'll be five months at the end of this month and her personality keeps showing more and more. One thing she loves is looking at lights before bed time. She's been sleeping through the entire night for a few months now and it's great. She's already had her share of different night lights that we've been using to help her go to sleep on her own and we had the opportunity to try another great soothing, calming and musical friend from Cloud b, Charley The Chameleon.

Charley is just the cutest. Not only is he soft and cuddly stuff animal that helps kids transition from playtime to sleep time, but he also helps sooth little ones by changing different colors of the rainbow as well as plays soothing sounds that will sooth your little one right to sleep.



Although my little girl is way too young to have Charley in the bed with her when she goes to sleep. We have him set up on her dresser, which is right next to her crib, so she can still see the beautiful colors he changes into and also hear both the rain forest and tropical tunes that he plays.

One thing I love about Charley, is like the other great Cloud b night buddies that help kids go to sleep, Charley will stay on for 45 minutes before turning off by himself. I absolutely love that I don't have to go back in my little girl's nursery to turn him off.

Charley is also easy to use as far as transitioning from lights to music, so if you give Charley to an older kid, they can easily turn him on and off:

Light and Sound Options of Charley:
Press 1x ON + Rain Forrest + transitional lights (colors transition gradually to the next)

Press 2x Tropical Tunes + strobing lights (colors jump to the next) 

Press 3 x Lights only – transitional

Press 4 x OFF

This would be a great gift for any kid that enjoys soothing sounds and beautiful lights along with a stuff animal friend to sleep with. For more information about Charley and other Cloud b products, be sure to head on over to: www.cloudb.com/Canada
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Charley The Chameleon at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Big Hero 6: Battle in the Bay (DS Video Game Review) #HolidayGiftGuide



Following on the heels of their super hero debut, the Big Hero 6 team has targeted a dangerous gangster named Yama and his legion of out of control fighting robots! Take control of the stars of the film in this action packed combat platformer! Send robot's flying across the screen as Hiro with his electro-mag gauntlets! Zoom through levels at top speed as Go ! Slice and dice as Wasabi with his plasma blades! Smash and burn as Fred in his Kaiju monster super suit!


MY REVIEW
My kids absolutely loved seeing Big Hero 6 in theaters, it was such a great movie, so we were thrilled when we received Battle in the Bay for both my son and daughter to play on their Nintendo DS. This game is pretty awesome, especially since my kids were fans of the movie.




From beginning to end you get to battle it out fighting the robots and taking turns playing all of your favorite characters from the movie and even have Baymax there to help you out from time to time when you need him. I love that each character has different and unique powers that contribute to how you play the game. There are many different ways you can play the game.


It is really easy to beat up the bots and make you way through each level, the hard part is beating the Boss Battles in each section of the game. There are three Boss Battles to complete. Now, let me say, this is a game for everyone, but it was pretty hard to beat the first boss. It took us a couple of tries to finally beat him and move on to the next level. Both my husband and I both took a try playing the first Boss Battle, but after that the other two Boss Battles weren't as hard. It seemed like it was easier, which was great for my son because he didn't need our help to complete those levels and beat the game.

I was pretty impressed with the graphics in the game, GameMill did a pretty good job at that and what I love most is that you get to play so many different characters. I think that's my favorite part about the game. I also love that both my kids (girl and boy) loved playing the game and were super excited every time they completed a level and beat one of the Boss Battles.

This is a great game to give your kids this holiday season if they are fans of Big Hero 6, they'll love it. Big Hero 6: Battle in the Bay can be played on both Nintendo DS/3DS and retails for $29.96. 
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Big Hero 6: Battle in the Bay on DS at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Chuggington: Snow Rescue DVD Review


It's wintertime in Chuggington and the Chuggers are busy making preparations for the Parade of Lights Festival, adorning themselves in glowing colored lights for a special procession through Chuggington! But, when freezing fog traps Koko and a snowy avalanche derails Fletch, that’s when Wilson and the Chug Patrol team must set out on a wild winter rescue! This action-packed collection features five Chuggington specials, including the all-new Snow Rescue Special. With added bonuses including new character montages and coloring sheets, your own little Chugger will discover important lessons about safety, responsibility and teamwork.

 
MY REVIEW
My son loves trains. He's loved them since before he could walk, so Chuggington has been one of his favorite shows for years now. We love the characters and the theme song is just catchy. I'm actually singing it right now, lol. 

Snow Rescue is out just in time for the holidays. This DVD comes with the new Snow Rescue Special along with four other episodes that your kid can enjoy. In the Snow Rescue episode we see our favorite trains get ready for the holidays, but a snow avalanche and freezing fog happens and the team is on a mission to save Koko and Fletch. Such a great episode that teaches your kids about teamwork, safety and responsibility These are shows that I don't mind my kids watching over and over again. Knowing that there is a lesson behind each episode that your child can learn and take with them to school to help them with their friends and classmates is a show worth watching many times. Snow Rescue is now out on DVD retailing at $14.95, this is definitely a great gift to give your little Chugger this holiday season.

Be sure to download both these awesome recipes and holiday activity sheets for your little Chugger!

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Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Chuggington: Snow Rescue on DVD at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.