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Happy 4th Birthday A!


This past weekend we celebrated A's 4th Birthday!


Four years ago at 8:06am on September 25th,2007 Miss A blessed us with her presence. I can't even start to explain how I feel now about having two school aged children and no more babies in the house. Some days I really miss those little feet and tiny kisses but I also love the interaction I get from P (who is 5) and A (now 4). Sigh.

Another milestone hit and many more to come. This will be quite the adventure I am sure as my children are very night and day. Two very different human beings who I love so very much! I stopped on Sunday night and returned back to them to give them one more hug and kiss before they fell asleep. The time really does fly by way to fast!






~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

Coupon Clutch Review & $50 Gift Card Giveaway

This giveaway is over but you can purchase from Coupon Clutch using COUPONMOM at checkout to save 10% on your order. This coupon does not expire.

Using coupons combined with sales is the best way to save money but time and time again I have people tell me that they either lose the coupons before they can use them, they expire or forget them at home. I have found a great solution. This will take a little bit of time to organize in the beginning but once it is set up, it is then all about remembering to add new coupons right away before they pile up.

Introducing the Coupon Clutch! This is stepping up the average coupon binder and making it stylish and handy all in one. The Coupon Clutch is a binder cover with handles that was designed by Denise, a mom of five, to make it easier to organize and carry her coupons while grocery shopping with kids. These totes are made by an army of sewers at home in the US.


The Coupon Clutch fits a 2" regular binder that you can buy pretty much anywhere - Walmart, Dollarstore, Staples, Zellers etc. Then comes the customizing of coupon sheets. These are like the trading card sheets that you may have used when you were a kid to store sports cards. Coupon Clutch has these available also for a great price - $3.95 for a 10 pack. You can choose your pockets either 3,4,6 or 9.
Do you have a 3" binder? Denise can make you a custom binder cover to fit a 3" binder for those who may want a bigger binder. Right now I have a 2" with 9 pockets each sleeve.

I received the Owl pattern tote and right away noticed how well made the whole cover is made. The stitching is very secure, and precise. The material is very thick,  includes soft padded outer cover and two pockets in the inside front. I love how it is easily closes with Velcro on the sides (actually the top and bottom of your binder). It is very easy to fit in the binder, I found that you need to open your binder way back and put both front and back in the cover at the same time. Easiest way for me to put the cover on.

I felt very comfortable with my new coupon clutch tote while shopping with the kids. It fits nicely on the top part of the cart, easy to open and close and the kids even love carrying it. I also feel good when you enter a store that sells binders. I always felt that someone would think I was stealing it. Now my binder is a VERY Cute tote! I also love that Coupon Clutches are made by people at home not in a factory!
Where to Buy: Visit Coupon Clutch to pick from 35 patterns at $29.95 each! You can pick up coupon pocket sleeves also for $3.95

Where to Connect: Love Twitter? Follow @CouponClutch for updates, giveaways and offers!

Win!

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of Coupon Clutch. I received a Coupon Clutch for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

Luxe Box Review & Giveaway

Are you a beauty product nut? Do you love trying out different products only to be left with less money and tons of half used products? We are trying to save money, right? There is a great way to try out products without going to the department store for testers.


Luxe Box by Loose Button is a great way to check out all kinds of beauty product samples in the comfort of you own home. Luxe Box is a subscription service that is sent monthly to your house with 4-5 beauty product samples. Now these samples are not just your average samples, they are deluxe sized samples of high quality beauty products. I am very reluctant to buy beauty products when I haven't tried or known someone that loves the product, especially those with a big price tag. We are all in the same boat trying to pay bills and enjoying life at the same time!

Solution? Click on over to Luxe Box by Loose Button and sign up for their monthly beauty box. Loose Button only uses the best of the best beauty products available, Elizabeth Grant, Pureminerals, Lancome, Cheeky Monkey just to name a few.

When you sign up for Luxe Box, which is only available in Canada at the moment, you will be asked to fill in a beauty profile for the beauty specialist to customize your Luxe Box for your skin tone.

You can sign up for 3 different options - monthly for $12, 3 months for $36 or a full year for $120 (this means 2 months FREE) all include free shipping!

I received the September Luxe Box from Loose Button and was very happy and surprised to see the custom letters to me! This is what the box looked like.


The shipping is within a week and they send you a tracking number to see where it is in delivery. This month's box included a sample of Moroccan Oil hair treatment, City Lips by City Cosmetics - this is a plumping lip treatment that I love and look forward to using at ShesConnected and Blissdom Canada Conferences, Perfecting Water by Rich and a Face + Neck treatment by Mereadesso.
I was very happy with my September box, the only dislike, I like bottle samples not one time samples in a tear pack. Only one in this months box other than that the samples are pretty generous! I love that you can easily throw them in your purse or travel bag for on the go beauty. My favourite products this month? City Lips - lip plumping treatment and the Moroccan Oil which leaves your hair hydrated with a lightweight silky texture. Both of these products will be used to the end and I am sure I will be on a look out to pick up the full size of each of these. Side note the City Lips feels very weird when it starts working make sure your little girls don't get a hold of it. 

I heard that Luxe Box will be involved with ShesConnected conference next week and I am very excited to see what is in store for all the great digitally connected women that will be attending this great sounding event!

Where to Buy: Visit Loose Button's Website.

Where to Connect: On Twitter and on Facebook.

Win!


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of Loose Button. I received a complimentary September Luxe Box for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

Loblaw Baby and You

Becoming a new mom is very exciting but can also be a bit scary. It is really nice to have a reliable place to chat with other moms that may know how you feel or what you are going through. It is also nice to find great deals, coupons and contests.

Loblaws has made a great place for moms to come together and get all that. Baby and You is a new Facebook page dedicated moms and dads! Baby and You is a great place for tips on saving money, learning about great brands to use with your family and much more. It is a great wealth of information! You and I both know how much moms love information and great conversation.

If you haven't had a chance head on over to Baby and You and join in on the conversation.

Also join in on Twitter chats with the hashtag #BabyandYou!

If you are looking for two great blogs to follow with check out Mommy Moment, all this mommy and Growing You Baby, dedicated to all things baby!



~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom. I am participating in the Baby and You program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Loblaw Companies. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.*~

Mushrooms Go PINK!

I am not sure if I have shared this information about my dear hubby yet or not but he is a Mushroom farmer. Yes, a mushroom farmer. He has been doing this forever it feels and he loves his job. We are love mushrooms in this house for sure. They are a great fungi. They go pretty much with anything, we love them especially just fried up with garlic and onions on the side.

Each year in October, Mushroom growers across Canada join The Breast Cancer Society of Canada to support Breast Cancer Awareness with a PINK mushroom tray. For each pound of mushrooms sold Mushroom farmers will contribute to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada. Last year was the first year that Mushroom Farmers came together for this great cause and raised a grand total of $61,128.81!!!!

This year they are at it again, so when you are doing groceries in any of the following grocery stores look for the PINK tray and add it to your cart! (September 19-November 11,2011)


Want to help out even if you don't like Mushrooms? Mushrooms Canada will donate $0.10 for every person that "Likes" Mushrooms Go PINK on Facebook directly to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada, up to a maximum of $1500!

Please help out this great cause! Visit Mushrooms Go PINK for more information, recipes or for your chance to WIN a Mushrooms Canada T-Fal Dream Kitchen

Please post this on Facebook or Twitter by using the buttons below the post. Thanks for helping spread the word of going PINK!


~*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

Alegria Shoe Review & Giveaway!

Being a busy mom of two and working in the health field I am on my feet most of the day. I am pretty sure by now everyone knows I work evening shifts with individuals with disabilities living in their own apartments. This involves a lot of walking, standing and climbing stairs all shift! When I am not at work I am on the go with two busy kids ages 4 & 5. I am always on the look out for shoes that will help keep my feet comfy and not ache halfway through my day.
Now let's talk about Alegria shoes by PG lite. If you haven't seen Alegria shoes they are fashionable fun with all the great colors and styles. You can choose from a clog, sandal, mary jane type, boots or a professional oxford style. Each has a few styles and their own names, Feliz, Abbi, Donna, and many more. 
These shoes are made to make your feet happy!

Each shoe features removable insoles, which are great if one needs special orthopedics, you can remove the insoles and get your special insoles put in your new shoes.

They are also made of leather and have leather insoles that naturally breathable and have a nice built-in arch for great support during the day.

They feature also a rocker sole. What is that you may ask? It is engineered to roll naturally to reduce heel and metatarsal pressure. It also encourages proper posture and a normal gait. That is something I love about these as I sometimes do not have the greatest posture.  
I also love that they have anatomically correct foot beds that form to the natural shape of your foot! They fit even wider feet with the extra depth that they offer. The extra depth makes more room for your toes to wiggle freely. 

Have I mentioned the colors?!? Wow they have a HUGE array of styles and colors. It is very hard to choose just one pair as they have tons of fun colors. I did end up choosing the Donna's - Friends Pink. This pair have ladies on them and lots of shapes. I love my new pink shoes and so do pretty much everyone I meet. I also love the Classic Clog in the leopard print. Wearing my Alegria shoes are like walking on clouds, they really do make your feet happy! I can wear them all day and at the end of my day my feet are not aching from being on the forever. I can see more Alegria shoes in the near future.

Where to buy: Find a store near you or shop online.

Connect with Alegria on Facebook or Twitter

Win:





~*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of Baker Shoe Company. I received a complimentary product for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

Cheese Whiz Coupon




Do you like Cheese Whiz? Have you noticed the cost of it lately? I haven't bought it in ages because of the price. If you would like to save a $1.00 off any Kraft Cheese Whiz product check out Save.ca to get your coupon.





~*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom, all opinions are honest and my own.*~

FurReal Friends Review

We are a family of animal lovers, which can get us into trouble for sure. Right now we live in a tiny house (well duplex) with a teeny tiny yard (if you can even call it a yard). My kids would love to have a zoo in our house and well D and I agree we would also love that but it can't happen at the moment. What the kids can have are FurReal Friends!
Have you seen things cute, cuddly animals that are interactive? The RurReal Friends come in all kinds of animals, cats, dogs, birds, farm animals and wildlife. There is a new line of FurReal Friends that are Newborn animals. This line includes birds, monkeys, farm animals and our new little friend the penguin! My son had the opportunity to make friends with Penguin and he is loving his new little friend.
The Newborn penguin is cute as can be. He makes eating sounds, chattering and as P says he purrs when he is happy. This little guy will flap his wings and "ask" to be feed with his bottle that comes with him. When your child puts it in his mouth he will make gulping and chipping sounds. He moves his head and wings along with it. The kids really feel like they are caring for a real pet with the FurReal Friends! They even have a little bed they made out of a box for the new addition.

We love them so much that P and A having been scouting them out when we are in the stores. I believe Santa will be getting a request or two for a new baby! This is a great way to add new pets without all the responsibilities of a real pet. Canadian Coupon Mom approved for sure!

Where to buy: The Newborn Penguin can be bought on Toy's R Us Canada for $19.99 other FurReal Friends price are different.



~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of FurReal Friends by Hasbro. We received a complimentary product for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

National Guacamole Day with Wholly Guacamole Giveaway

Have you noticed that many days now are "special days"? One special day that is coming up that my family is excited to partake in is National Guacamole Day! Will you be enjoying Guacamole on September 16th,2011?
It is easy to celebrate National Guacamole Day with Wholly Guacamole. They are found in the refrigerator  section of your local grocery store and come in handy little pre-made packs.

Never heard of Guacamole before? Guacamole's main ingredient are avocados. Avocados are amazingly healthy and full of vitamins and minerals, 20 to be exact! Wholly makes fresh all natural, allergen free, kosher guacamole and salsa.

Some great Avocado nutrition factoids
  • Contain 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients 
  • Rich in vitamins B, E and K 
  • Have 60% more potassium than bananas 
  • About 75% of an avocado's calories come from monounsaturated fat- the good kind of fat! 
  • High in fiber compared to other fruits - including 25% soluble fiber. 
  • Naturally sodium and cholesterol free
We had the opportunity to try out Wholly Guacamole and Salsa and I am very excited to share Wholly with my readers. Guacamole is not just for dipping with chips there are tons of other ways to eat guacamole. It is a great replacement for butter or mayo on sandwiches, can be added to tacos or wraps, added

Visit Wholly to find great recipes, activities and awesome coupons for Wholly Guacamole and Salsa.

Connect: Want to connect with Wholly? Follow on Facebook or join in the Twitter chats (@EatWholly) use the hashtag #GuacCanada


Our Thoughts: Please excuse the shirtless men, it was a warm night. We enjoyed a taco night with Classic Wholly guacamole and medium Wholly salsa. Everyone loved both especially the guacamole. The children loved it by the spoonful. I, myself found the medium salsa to be a bit to spicy for me. D and I both agreed the salsa was a bit water for tacos but very tasty. We all agreed the guacamole had just the right spice and garlic to not be over powering and taste great! D tried the salsa with chips the next night and loved it! He said it was great to dip in.
We have frozen some for another night and also to see how they freeze. I love the snack packs as they are great for lunch or snacks for the kids and myself. Also D can take it to work for lunch if he chooses.We will be eating Wholly again for sure! It is a new fave in our house with two thumbs up from the kids.
Win It:



For more chances to win head over to these Canadian blogs celebrating National Guac Day!
Number Crunching Momma




~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of Wholly Guacamole. We received a complimentary product pack for review purpose only. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

What to Wear

So here I sit trying to figure out how to gain a new wardrobe that is stylish, inexpensive and get it before the two biggest Canadian blogging conferences, ShesConnected and Blissdom Canada. Yes, I know, I have waited likely too long to really find anything but I thought I was going to be fine buying a few tops, sweaters and a couple pairs of pants. I still haven't found anything.

I have bought a few things from this one online store thinking WOW the prices are AWESOME but when receiving the clothes they fell apart right away. Did I mention that when I emailed them they haven't returned my email? I think if I purchase from across the world again I will stick to eBay.ca. Trial and error I guess, just sucks it took over two weeks to get to me and I spent $50 I could have put else where on better quality clothes.

Now to look for higher quality clothes hopefully on sale... It has only been about 7 or so years since I turned my style from Business Casual to Casual. I never wore jeans, always dress pants and dressy shirts. Now it's the total opposite and all I wear are jeans and t-shirts. I blame that on work not on the kids. I work in a health care field and well its really hard to keep dressy going without ruining it all with cleaners or grease.

I believe I have the make up thing covers with an E.L.F haul that I will be putting in by tomorrow. I will likely head out to Ardene's to pick out something for accessories and see what they have for new flats. I still need clothes though! AHHHH!

I would like a dressy outfit for evening parties (pants and a couple dressy tops will work fine) and also some business casual for daytime stuff, again I figure nice jeans or black pants and a few nice tops. I need another sweater also as I have only one that is dressy.

I am reaching out to my readers for your help in choosing some great clothes, Where do you shop? Any online stores you can point me to?



~*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, it was written by Canadian Coupon Mom. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

Great KidZoomer Deal

This weekend KidZoomer has a Great 2 Day Deal that is Canadian Wide!

Clek Ozzi Booster seat is made by a Canadian company that uses 100% of their material from North America. They specialize in Child booster seats that are comfortable and do not leave your child with a Numb-Bum! Find out more on the Clek website.

This weekend - for 2 days only KidZoomer has the Clek Ozzi Booster seat for $49.99 (Reg $74.99)! Shipping Canadian-Wide for $15.

Coupon Code: Want to get an extra 10% off? Enter this coupon code at check out KZ10

For more great deals why not sign up for KidZoomer emails. Sign up is free and no spam just great kid friendly deals. To find out more great deals follow @KidZoomer on Twitter.


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of KidZoomer our sponsor for both ShesConnected and Blissdom Canada conferences this fall. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

Baby Alive by Hasbro Review

My daughter is very creative and has always loved to play house with her little people or babies. This will come as no surprise how excited she was when she found out she was getting a new Baby Alive!
We got the opportunity to review Baby Alive - My Baby Alive. If you have never heard of Baby Alive you will want to keep reading as I also didn't realize how long the Baby Alive dolls have been around.

After digging up some information on these dolls I found out that they were originally made by a company called Kenner in 1973! This first baby was a none talking baby that a little girl could feed and push a lever on the dolls back for the food to move through the baby. In 2006 Hasbro redesigned Baby Alive with a more realistic doll that talks, eats and uses a diaper.

I remember having one in the early '90's when they first started the talking baby. These little baby dolls are very life like and little girls can really feel like they are the babies mom, feeding, and changing baby.

The My Baby Alive comes with two packets of food which you mix with a little bit of water, a bib, bottle spoon, bowl and 2 diapers. If you would like more diapers or food accessory packs are available to purchase separately. She can speak 30 different phases when in play mode. Don't forget to switch the button on the back from demo to play or you daughter wont hear all the phases.

Where to Buy: You can find a place to buy Baby Alive by visiting Hasbro.ca. Retails at Toys R Us Canada for $39.99 and accessory packs for $6.99.

Our thoughts: This little baby doll has been loved by A since she arrived on our door stop. I believe it is how interacted the baby is with A. A will hug and kiss her, play with her when baby asks and also if baby says she is hungry or thirsty A feeds her. The food is easy to mix with the help of an adult. Only thing I wish was different was the diapers. I wish they would have ones that can be washed and reused.

Never leave your kids alone in a room with real food and baby alive. As we found out after her babysitter watched her baby alive had crackers and cheese in her. That was a interesting situation and means of removal. I wont share how I got it all out unless you really want to know. Overall A loves her new Baby Alive and so do I.





~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of Hasbro PR firm. We received a Baby Alive for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

ShesConnected Conference Special Announcement

Alyssa from A Motherhood experience and I are very excited to announce some more great news!

We have both been invited to the 2nd Annual ShesConnected Conference that will be taking place the end of September in Toronto. We are very excited to have been invited to this great conference that will include the Top 200 Digitally Influential women in Canada.

KidZoomer who has been kind enough to sponsor Alyssa and myself to attend the wonderful Blissdom Canada Conference in Toronto this fall, has extended their generosity to sponsor our ShesConnected conference trip also!
If you are not familiar with KidZoomer they are a Kid friendly deal site mainly in Toronto area right now. They are working hard to bring great kid deals all over Canada. The difference between KidZoomer and other daily deal sites? The site was created and founded by two moms, Samara and Melissa who wanted to bring great deals to Canadian parents with an easy to use site. Let them know if you have a favorite place you would like a deal at, like them on Facebook.

A big Thank you to KidZoomer for helping us get to these two great conferences. We are very happy to extend our work with KidZoomer, to keep bringing you all the latest in Kid friendly deals along with some fun giveaways on Twitter, Facebook and our blogs.

So get ready Canada for some fun and great deals with A Motherhood Experience, Canadian Coupon Mom and KidZoomer.

If you are not yet following us on Twitter yet please find us at @AMotherhoodBlog, @CouponMomCanada and of course our wonderful sponsor @KidZoomer Watch for our daily tweets and upcoming blogs posts and giveaways.




~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom as an announcement for our upcoming conferences that Alyssa and I will be attending our trip being sponsored by KidZoomer. KidZoomer is not a conference sponsor. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

Ending Tonight Little Jots Giveaway!



Hurry ending tonight Little Jots giveaway! These are great little notes to give to your kids to show them some extra love and encouragement. I know you don't need a special book to give out notes to your kids but it is a great little book with pre-made cards that are quick and easy to use in our hectic days! Check them out I am sure you will love them as well as I do.




Back to School Snacks with Orville Redenbacher

Do you have everything for Back to School? New outfits, shoes, backpack, lunch bag, binders, pencils, crayons etc. Have you had the chance to think about what to pack for snacks?

Back to School can be very exciting but it can also be very worrisome as packing lunches can be very hard to do with picky eaters and also schools being Nut-Free. What do you pack? Trying to find a balance of healthy snacks that are quick, easy and inexpensive is challenging. I want to let you in on a fun way to get your kids more involved with packing their lunches and eating them too.

Popcorn! Yes I said popcorn. Asking children to help build their lunch can get them excited about the regular back to school snack packing routine - making life easier for parents in the process. Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop is a delicious, satisfying snack that is also a good source of fibre and whole grains. It is 94% fat free and only 100 calories for 6 cups.

On Sunday nights spend some time preparing snacks for the week, and then let the kids choose what to pack each morning. This sense of ownership can help to ensure kids eat the lunch they leave for school with! 

Looking for easy snack packing tips? Pop extra popcorn the night before and package in individual resealable snack bags to retain just-popped freshness. For a fast flavour hit, place freshly popped popcorn in a large bowl, sprinkle taco seasoning or parmesan cheese to taste and shake until gently coated.

Orville's Power Crunch Bars

Serves: 24 servings (1 bar each)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 10-12 minutes
Ingredients
·         1 mini bag (31 g each) Orville Redenbacher's® Smart Pop!® 100 Calorie Buttery Flavour Microwave Popcorn
·         1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
·         1 1/2 Cup quick-cooking rolled oats
·         3/4 Cup dried cranberries
·         1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
·         1/2 Cup margarine, softened
·         3/4 Cup all-purpose flour
·         3 *serving (1/3 sec spray) PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
·         1/4 Teaspoon salt
·         1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
·         3/4 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
·         1 Tablespoon water
Directions
1.       Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 15x10-inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
2.       Prepare popcorn according to package directions. Remove any unpopped kernels; set aside.
3.       Combine brown sugar and margarine in large bowl, using electric mixer on high speed.  Add water and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy.  Gradually add flour mixture and blend well. Turn mixer on low speed; add cranberries.
4.       Cover hands with plastic gloves or sandwich size plastic bags; spray with cooking spray. Mix popcorn into dough. Spread mixture into prepared pan.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
5.       Let cool before cutting into 24 bars.  Store in tightly sealed container.

These bars are very easy to make and usually we have all the ingredients in the house. I didn't have cranberries this time but we substituted with raisins as we always have them around. They are quick and easy to make, easy for the kids to help also. I do find I have to really watch my microwave when popping pop corn. I have to use the low end of the time or I will end up with burnt popcorn. The bars smell great in the oven and while they were baking I had enough time to clean up the mess and start working on other things. These will be a great afternoon snack to prepare when the kids get home from school. This is a great snack and was enjoyed by all!

Try other recipes on Orville Redenbacher's website.



~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop! We received a sample for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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